Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lance and I practically raced to get to my parents’ house. As we ran up, my parents were running coming out, I smiled.

“Oh, my baby!” my mama shouted running to me and crashing me against her. I sniffed her hair and familiar scent and immediately began fighting the tears that wanted to fall. She had her hands in my hair and was sobbing on my shoulder. A mother’s wail is a sound that goes right to your soul and my mama wailed.

“Mama, I missed you,” and of course I cried like a baby. I felt strong arms surround us and I turned into those arms and cried so hard I shook. “Daddy, I missed you.” Lance came over to grab mom cause she wasn’t ready to let go. So here we were a sobbing mess on the front lawn. After that came all the questions, and I was ready for them all.

“My Goddess what have you been doing? Are you eating? Are they treating you right? You’ve lost so much weight! You’re gorgeous baby.” My mama bombarded me with all that in one breath.

“Yeah that’s what I said.” Lance chimed in.

“Give her a chance, she just got here.” Daddy said motioning for us to go inside.

I spend the hour telling them about how I was a wildcat when I first got there, and how difficult it was for the first year. I almost quit then once I found my feet I quickly shot up to the first in class. How rage fueled me. I was proud to tell them that I was the youngest soldier to become ranked and to go solo on missions. I couldn’t go into detail about the missions, but they understood. I told them about Commander Kyle and how he was an asset to me. I didn’t, of course, speak about our sexual relationship. I looked at my watch and told them I had to get back to the packhouse for my meeting with Alpha Ryker. After another intense hug and kiss session, Lance and I returned to the packhouse.

As I walked up the steps about to enter the packhouse, I mindlinked Ron and Tina telling them to meet me in the Alpha’s office. As I finished that I heard the voice that could dry up a wet dream.

“Well well well, if it isn’t little Miss Mary Sunshine.” I looked at her like that was the lamest dig ever. “Just know this Phoenix, you’re not my boss and I don’t take orders from you.”

“Not a problem Amy, I won’t force you to do anything.” I smiled as I walked past her. Lance shot her a look.

The door was open, and I saw that Ron and Tina were there already. I came in and went to take a seat on the chair in front of the desk, when The former Alpha Ryker stood from his seat.

“Phoenix long time no see. How have you been? He came in for a hug. I had to catch myself and then hug him back. “I’m great Alpha Ryker, thank you.

“You know we have a lot to discuss.” He gave me the eye like we were besties in a past life. “Yes sir.”

“Let’s start this meeting, please.” Gael seem anxious to get on with it.

“Alpha Gael, Alpha Ryker and Beta Lance, I’d like to introduce us. I am Major Greeley; this is Ronald Gibbs and Tina Dooley. We represent the Elite Werewolf academy, and we are all in to help strengthen your pack, but we need to know exactly what’s been happening and I’d appreciate no detail left out.” Gael cleared his throat a couple of times and began the sordid tale of what’s been going on. After he was finished I shot a look over to Ron who knew exactly what I meant.

When I first came to the academy, Ron was the first friend I encountered. He was a cocky bastard and I believe he wanted to be more than just friends. He was the sexual innuendo king. He thought because I was chunky that he’d be the lead in everything. That only fueled my rage. Ron was tall and tan, he looked like he could be on Baywatch. He was fine as hell. When I started and continued to best him, he gained a respect for me that was no longer sexual. After that we became the dynamic duo. While I still preferred going on missions alone, but if I had to have a partner, Ron was it.

“Alpha Ryker,” Ron started. “Major Greeley and I have already spotted holes in your defenses. Some so blatant that we feel there is a mole in your midst.” Gael was offended.

“What the hell! Who the fuck do you think you are coming in here, telling me someone in my pack is disloyal?” I smirked.

I stood to address this ass dead-on. “We are the experts, you called, that you needed. So, whatever any one of us says, believe me, Alpha it’s the gospel truth. Let me ask you, Alpha what pattern do your warriors run from the middle to the midnight shift? Why is there no one present at your sentry shack? We just drove in. No one stopped us.” I watched his expression deflate from anger to shame.

“Yeah, so I suggest, first off, that you lose the attitude about me and my team. We’re here to help you and your pack. If this is something you cannot handle, I’ll be glad to return to base with the report that the Alpha of The Silver Moon Pack was too much of a pompous ass to accept our help.” I was biting my jaw and I know he could feel the fury in my words.

“Phoenix…”

“Major Greeley, Alpha.” I said to Gael meaning every word.

“Major Greeley.” He said. “What do you need?”

“Your cooperation, to start. Now what is the pattern your warriors run?”

After two hours in the Alpha’s office, we got a lot covered. I could feel Gael’s gaze on me most of the time, I also felt his dad’s gaze on me as well.  I was focused on the task at hand. Luna Mary brought coffee and soft drinks in, she held my shoulder and side hugged me. I smiled and leaned into her. Ron took over as the tactics expert and he and Lance started putting out the latest techniques that would improve the coverage of the patrols. I got up to head to the restroom. Once I stepped outside of the office, I heard my name called by Gael. I took a deep breath and turned.

“Yes Alpha?” I said with absolutely no emotion.

“Ph..I mean Major Greeley could I have a word?”

“Any word you have for me can be addressed in the company of my team.” I turned to continue to the bathroom, when he reached for my arm. I glared at his hand on my arm. He removed it immediately.

“Sorry, I just would like to catch up, see how you’ve been.”

“Why?” as I moved away from him. There was a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. “Can you give me a moment of your time, please?”

I sighed as I folded my arms across my chest and simply said, “What?”

“Phoenix it has been a long time and I regret the nasty things I said to you. I’m trying to be the kind of Alpha that is sensitive to all my pack members, and I know that I was exceptionally cruel to you. I’d like to formally apologize to you for my behavior years ago.”

“Apology accepted, Alpha.” I said with no emotion and the shit-eating grin on his face quickly deflated as I strode away heading for the bathroom.  No other conversation, nothing. He felt like an idiot standing there.  He stood there so long, when I came out of the bathroom and proceeded to walk past him when I heard him say. “Is that all? There’s nothing else you’re going to say? I though we were on the way to becoming friends.”

“Friends? I accepted your apology, what else do you want? We are not, nor were we ever friends.” I walked away back into the office and he followed a few seconds later and he could hear her and her team laughing.  He was instantly incensed as he entered his office in a nasty mood. As he made his way back to his desk. I said, “Alpha don’t worry about me staying in the packhouse, I’ll be staying with my parents at their house. You guys want to come with?”

Tina shook her head and said the food smelled so good here she wanted to be close to the food. I laughed. Ron said he’d think about it, cause if my mama’s food was as good as what we were smelling in the packhouse, he’d bunk with us. I slapped his arm. I stood up.

“Alpha, I’m done here, we’re going to begin tomorrow with training at 6 a.m. It is pack mandatory. Good evening guys.” She squeezed Ron’s shoulder, and he about lost it.

“Hey Major Greeley, let an old man walk you home?” My dad walked up to Phoenix in a slight bow.

“Of course, kind sir, that isn’t old at all.” She smiled at my dad as she took his arm in hers. Ronan stood up, fighting me for control. I couldn’t be jealous of my own father, but they were walking arm in arm, talking animatedly.  Watching her walk away swaying those hips and legs that I found myself wanting to get in between. My mom appeared out of nowhere and touched my arm. “Hey, you okay?”

“Ah yeah mom, I’m good.”

“How long have you known that Phoenix is your mate?”

The look on my face was incredulous. “Uh, ahh, no mom. What are you talking about?”

“Gael I know you better than you know yourself. You’ve been looking at her with so much longing that any fool can see it for what it is. Now I want to know what happened.” She shot me a look that took me right back to the four-year-old that got in trouble often. I sighed.

“Major Greeley,”

“Phoenix, Alpha Ryker.”

“Phoenix, why did you leave?”

“Honestly Alpha Ryker, I’d found my mate and he didn’t want me, he rejected me straightaway. Said some horrible crap too. I needed to find myself and grow stronger and also the betrayal pains were too excruciating to hang around for.”

“Who was stupid enough to reject you?” he asked with the furrowing of his brow.

I almost told him.. he was such a sweetheart, but I didn’t feel like hearing about how young and dumb Gael was back then and how I should give him a chance. Those days were over. I must admit though, Gael looked really good.  My brother Lance bulked up and looked like an Adonis, but of course I’d never look at LaLa that way; but Gael was even bulkier, and his hair was longer, and he had a more mature look about him; but never mind all that, he was still no one to me.

We sat on my parents porch for two hours reminiscing and just laughing. I told him all about the day I left, and training and he just listened to me, smiling until I got to the day I left.

“I never knew why you left Phoenix and that always bothered me. I mean you never came home to visit and of course as the Alpha at that time, it bothered me that one of my pack was not happy. I must admit that you are stunning, but I always thought you were before.” That almost brought tears to my eyes. “Thank you for that Alpha Ryker. I never felt beautiful. I actually preferred being nice to pretty, but it never worked for me. Once your mate tells you over and over how disgusting you are, you begin to believe it.” I could tell that he was uncomfortable, but he continued to listen. I continued my story. “Once I joined the academy, I took my rage out on anyone that came close.”

“I’m so sorry that someone here was foolish enough to let you go.” He looked genuinely saddened by this.

“Thank you Alpha that really warms my heart. Trust me I’m okay, it took a minute but I’m good, better.”

“Well, I’d better let you get some rest. I’m glad you’re here Phoenix and I hope we can talk more later.”

“Alpha, I look forward to it.” I smiled big and leaned into him and he put his arm around my shoulder and rested his head on mine.

I watched him walk away and sat on the porch a little longer before getting up and going in the house knowing mom and dad were waiting for me. I wished that Sonya were here. She was vacationing with her family in Hawaii, I couldn’t wait to see her again. Once inside mom was waiting for me with a cup of coffee in her hand and her smile just set my heart right. I missed her so much. We sat at the table and talked for a few and then she showed me the house and my room and of course I just fell into bed totally exhausted and the next thing I knew, I was waking up.

After I told my mom about everything that happened with Phoenix her eyes welled with tears but what was most frightening was she never broke eye contact with me. I knew she was angry because when my mother has had enough her ears would get so red, I mean the entire ear. She was shaking trying to rein in her wolf. I instantly got a link from my dad asking me what was wrong with my mother because he could feel that she was on the edge. I told him to come to the office and do it quickly, because I may have needed to be saved. He came rushing into my office and immediately went to my mom and held her tightly. I think he knew he had to keep her from me. I felt terrible putting my mother in this position. My dad kept asking my mom what was wrong, and she still never broke eye contact with me and all she said was, “Tell him.” I took the deepest breath and repeat everything I told mom. Now she’s holding on to him trying to keep him from shifting right here in the office. I felt horrible.

“You incredible ass!” my father screamed at me. I couldn’t do anything but take it. I respected my parents too much. “How could you?” my mother finally released the tears. My father wiped her face. “Do you know how sacred the mate bond is? Your destined mate? The Goddess specifically chose her for you. She makes this pack stronger, and you threw her away like garbage! I’ve never been this disappointed in you ever! Oh, except when you took that train wreck of a Luna you have now. It makes sense now. Your chosen mate is a joke.” my father said. I don’t know why I got upset at that.

“Dad you forget I’m your Alpha, I deserve respect!”

“Yes Gael, you are the Alpha and look where you are, and by the way respect is earned.” He said as he and my mother got up to leave.