Chapter 4: Preparations.

Leo.

I put both my hands in my pocket as l went on my heels. Zena and My mother were already walking toward the main entrance.

"Mother?”

"Oh, my baby?" She bellowed, pulling me in for a warm hug.

"Have missed you so much, Son."

"We saw each other some days ago, Mother.”

"It doesn't matter, I always want to be with you," She says, caressing my face like she needs to be sure that I'm okay. It had been years since my mother moved away from the Packhouse but she still visits the Pack as the Luna a few days a week as her responsibility 

Zena yawned rudely and made her way inside the house. 

"Let's reserve hugs and pleasantries for later, I'm hungry."

"Zena, you should learn to behave and compose yourself. You're a woman for goodness sake.”

"Save your scolding for later, Mother. Let's eat,” Zena replied back, drawing a chair out to take her seat.

"Come this way mother, l made your favourite dishes."

"Oh my, Leo my son. Oh you have done so much, l hope your sister learns from you. She stays with you everyday but I haven't seen any improvement in her behaviour. Every time I'm with her I feel like my life might end soon,” My mother complained, sarcastically.

"Don't say something like that Mother, take a seat." 

"I don't have plans of killing you, Mother. l don't understand what you are saying,” Zena retorted, taken aback.

"Enough Zena,” I drawled firmly, knowing they might start bickering with each other.

"Well, it's a good thing that you are here, Mother. If I may speak, I have a request. Please can you talk to him about going to the birthday of Mr Alien? He got invited. It will be a good thing if he starts going out in the forefront. The deal is to start living and stop existing."

"Young woman, that decision should be left for your brother to make. Let him choose what he wants to do and stop pestering him to be like you," Mother says rigidly.

"He said he is not going because of his fear for humans and their gathering, something…”

I hurled my head to stare at my Beta as he dwells quietly in his seat.  l zone out of Zena and Mother's conversation.

"It is understandable for him to have that fear, l mean they are humans and we are werewolves. The difference is clear even to one with blind eyes."

"But mother…"

"Hold on, Zena! Just because you are free and outgoing with them as it doesn't make a difference to you doesn't mean it feels the same for others, do you understand me?"

"No, l don't!” Zena snarled, leaving her spoon in her food as she lost her appetite.

“In all history, have you ever heard of a relationship between a human and a werewolf? They are just friendly inhabitants, we are meant to coexist with them just like we do with other creatures."

"Cool, reasons why I'm sure that Leo might find his mate among them,” Zena let out excitedly, having every eye turn on her. That is impossible, that is an abomination.

That is highly prohibited.

Those rules were one of the first l read from Crescent Book of Old.

"Such a thing has never happened before, Zena. We can never have them as mates. Nonetheless, having a family with them. That is impossible. It is prohibited under the Moon,” My mother scolds.

"I don't understand why it has to be prohibited, Mother,” She argued, “Imagine having a human for a mate and boom you both can't be mates because it is outlawed," Zena shakes her head dismissively. 

"Listen, Zena. Don't bother mingling with them or expect to have a mate bond with them, it is banned and excluded. My grandmother once told me that the last union and treaty with humans and werewolves ended with a blood agreement. There was a eighteen year old girl, the first Luna after the moon goddess. She had dispersed and scattered into rippled drops of rain and sleet. When she was on earth, her mate happened to be a young human. He was a werewolf hunter. She had rejected him and stayed away from the rest of the world. At that time the world wasn't as developed as this, she would work at the town local bar. Although another Alpha approached her and he happened to be her second chance mate. She lived happily after with him, as you can see she sacrificed her human mate because he was never an option.”

“And there is another case where a human girl was in love with our kind. Later, when she realised and found out that he was a werewolf she wanted to reject him but at that time she couldn't as she was already pregnant with his child. So she went ahead and accepted him. She thought it was her fate to mate with our kind, rumours say she was the first human to have piqued an Alpha's interest or felt something extraordinary for our kind. But the greatest mistake which is a very compulsory yet a fatal one was when he decided to mark her so she can be his. Do you know what happened? She went crazy and died even before she could have a primal shift and the baby couldn't be saved either. Since then it is prohibited to shift in front of them, mark one or even be friends with one,” Mother confessed, shaking her head in disappointment. 

Zena is shocked and quiet.

I have always known humans were bad news from the beginning. l don't see the need for us to pretend to gather in one piece in the first place. Exchanging our knowledge and profits is enough to coexist together.

“Don't be wishing a human on your older brother, it's bad, Zena. All you should do is abstain from your wild party life and help him in ways you can. He has so many responsibilities on his shoulders already. Don't add irrelevant stuff,” My mother complained with a warning tone.

"Mother?” Zena called out in a disrespectful tone, “It won't kill to go out and have fun once in a while, it's just…”

"Shut it already, Zena,” My mother let out, hitting the table.

I let out a sigh impatiently, their argument was getting unnecessarily heated again. I could barely bring a spoon of food to my lips.

I hesitated on what to say because I know my mother and Zena won't stop squabbling at each other. This issue is likely to last until morning.

I gave an urgent thought and took into consideration all that Zena had said. I should welcome a little change and see how far it can go. l have tendencies toward achieving everything l want and succeeding at it. All l have to do is try.

I cleared my throat, “Mother, Zena, that is enough. Let's enjoy our dinner peacefully, okay?”

"Does it mean you will come with me?” Zena asked like she knew the answer already.

"Mmh, if only you would stop bugging me,” I tell her firmly.

"Do not use me as an excuse, you are doing it for yourself. We should celebrate this," She declares, getting on her feet.

"No alcohol,” Mother mumbled.

“Mother, how long are you staying here for?” Zena asked frustratingly.

"You want me to go already? Well, I'm at my son's house and l will go when l want."

"Right, then please focus on your son,” Zena snorted while keeping a jar of wolf-bane on the table before taking her seat.

"Be careful while you go at it, humans are corny but intelligent too. If you have your reasons for going there, be vigilant about it. And don't feel pressured to go if you don't feel like it."

"Yes mother, it's nothing. l will meet some new faces, probably meet with Mr Alien himself if l have the chance. l can buy myself more shares or trade some lands with him and get the ultimate thing we want to keep the Pack running for many generations to come," l said, finally getting food down my throat.

"l understand son, you are working very hard. I'm sad l can't help much."

"Mother, having you here is enough for me."

"Zena, stay beside your brother more often. Quit this radical and emotionless life you're living."

"I'm not his mate, and yes I'm trying my best to stay beside him and lend some help to him. Like giving Leo a hint that can help us, he should befriend Mr Alien's son."

"He has a son?” Mother asked curiously.

"Yes, mother." 

"How sure are you?"

“That is why you have me, nothing escapes my eyes. Mr Alien keeps him private and it is said he stays outside the city, where the Mason's Corporation headquarters is. He is rarely seen with his father, the news hasn't captured them on one screen before and most people don't really know. Imagine mother, we have been investing with them for two years but I wouldn't know about him if he wasn't attending his father's birthday as a special guest,” Zena explained incredulously.

"Son, don't feel pressured in any way. It's just a meeting, take it like you are going to bargain with the Elders, Okay Son?”

"Okay, Mother.”

"I will make preparations for that,” Auden confided nervously and l nodded at him in agreement. The dinner went quiet in harmony and after that I helped my mother get some rest in her room. 

While l was strolling through the corridor my scent picked up on Auden.

"Were you waiting for me? I thought you left already?" I asked him without pausing on my heels.

"I was about to leave but I'm worried about you," He said, walking behind me. I began to wonder how long he was leaning there for.

"You haven't participated in any activity outside the Pack for a long time, especially with a large number of human gatherings like this. Are you sure about this? I can fill in for you as usual."

"It's alright Auden, l can handle it,” l dug my hands in my pocket and went slowly on my steps, he caught up with me by standing by my side.

"Perhaps I can go just this one time,” l said, tapping on his shoulder and l felt his body tremble to my touch. l immediately redraw my hands and went ahead to my room.

The sound of my alarm woke me up, it was 6 am. Time to carry out my daily routine, running around the Pack’s wood at dawn to set my mind at ease. Having to gather with human beings seems to me like it will take a toll on me. Their sense of reasoning is a little bit cliche, they are highly intelligent but overly sensitive and sentimental. Getting to have a meeting with three or more is already overwhelming, talkless of gathering in a party of the overrated underground Mafia. 

[It's not bad to try] My wolf chirped in my mind, he has been quiet this whole time.

"Tsk, Amir. We shouldn't poke our nose into what isn't our business.”

[Fine] He retreated into my mind.

I wiped my neck with a mini towel and took out cold water from the refrigerator and poured into a glass. Amir is a special kind of wolf. An Arctic Wolf. My mother will always praise me with proud eyes for blooming into a rare and special wolf like Canis lupus.

Some days I would forget that l have a wolf inside me as we barely talk to each other. They say the opposite attracts. Yes, Amir and I don't have the same sense of reasoning, we don't really get along.

They say "You are your Wolf and Your Wolf is You." 

He will immediately stop talking if l don't agree with him and l have mastered my control on him since I was fifteen, although he still overpowers me sometimes.

"Breakfast is ready, Alpha.”

I nodded in agreement to the Omega's announcement. l headed to the dining hall where l had Zena's scent approaching me, “Why are you up so early? It's unlike you," l ask her while taking my seat to have my breakfast. It was always the last thing on my early morning routine. 

"Oh, my brother. What is today? The Almighty Mr Alien's birthday, it was even announced on the news. l need to take my time to look all perfect and elegant,” She squirms, grabbing a pancake with her bare hand before taking a seat.

“Don't go hoping to grab all the attention. I'm going to be with you so please don't cause me trouble and try to be as invisible as you can.”

"Don't be like that, Leo. It's a party, we leave at 4pm. VIPs need to arrive by then, and guess what?"

"What now?"

“Whatever, I bought you a set of handmade imported Italian suits. A grey colour one to fit your ambience, they will be sent to your room. Why don't you try them out and see if they fit."

"Thank you for your concerns."

“Yes, it is my concern because you need to look good and promising. l know you have your collections of silky smooth white shirts, so you wear it with one of those."

"You should have your breakfast properly and keep the talking until later.”

"I'm not dropping the conversation, l got extra service for those suits."

"It's only for today, Zena. l don't want such inconveniences next time," l said, sincerely hoping for it to be the last time.

"As you wish Alpha Leo, l promise.”