Chapter 40: 4th Mate?
Tori’s POV
Upon finishing our visit with that of the Moon Goddess do Rune and I move to talk more about our sudden encounter with Mother Moon herself.
‘Well… that was strange if I do say so myself. Why do you think she asked us to find Aven?’
‘Beats me. But if Mother Moon asked us to find him then that means he’s in serious trouble. And if I had to stake my own life on it, I’d say it was because of those Elders’ admits Rune. Rune clearly not a big fan when it came down to the Elders.
Another thought soon rising within me as I move to ask Rune once more. ‘Hey Rune?’
‘Yeah Tori?’
‘How much of the Elders do you know?’
Hesitating slowly does Rune eventually move to answer. ‘I know that their definitely old school. Plus I think one of them is like 50, so they’ve been around for a very long time.’
‘Doesn’t that make them old?’
Chuckling at my words does Rune move to answer me back. ‘No Tori. There not that old. For encase you’ve forgotten, we’re wolves Tori. And wolves stop aging after 30 or at least our bodies do.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means we don’t age as fast. The aging process slows down which also means that while we still age normally our bodies don’t. It’s why we live as long as we do.’
‘Huh, interesting.’
Purring at the praise does Rune move to dance. Our focus soon on that of the pack house. Having shifted my focus over in that direction in hopes of catching our mates do I instantly see 3 black SUV’s now parked directly in front of the house.
Huh? Whose that? I move to wonder, wondering when I missed the 3 black cars pull up. My focus still on those of the vehicles. Rune now on alert as we try to identify the unannounced guests.
My eyes quick to notice that one of the vehicles belonged to that of the Shadowridge Pack. My attention quick to turn to that of it’s Alpha. Alpha Aaron. Having only met him once and it was during our paper lantern festival.
My curiosity now getting the better of me as I try to catch a glimpse of him. The one who use to give me strange vibes. A vibe that I couldn’t tell was good or bad as I was only 14 at the time when we originally met.
Now 18, and a total of 4 years later, I was now itching to see the man who had become the new Alpha of his pack. Having heard stories that his father had passed away a while back due to an illness that had befallen him when the Rogue King attacked.
An illness that wasn’t curable by any means which left the young Alpha in distress of losing his father.
‘You don’t think Aaron would have stooped that low as to kill his own father do you?’ asks Rune. Rune now curious as well.
‘No. I don’t think he would have. Sure he might be a little unreadable and rough around the edges, but he wouldn’t have done that’ I move to say back, unable to justify the reason of how I knew.
My focus now on the other two vehicles. My body quick to freeze when seeing them. The vehicles both sporting the crest of the higher ups. The Elders. Rune now growling upon that discovery.
‘Why are they here?’
‘Not sure, should we find out?’
‘Yeah, let’s’
Nodding my head in agreement do I move to approach the packhouse slowly. Careful in making myself scarce so as not to be seen. Not wanting to alert them of my presence until suddenly I’m hit by a smell. A scent that I’ve never smelt before.
A smell that now had Rune purring and rolling around on his back. The scent being that of Sage, Cedarwood and Lemon.
‘MATE!’
Pausing within my tracks do I move to answer Rune back. ‘What? What did you just say?’
‘I said Mate’
‘I..Impossible. We already have 3 mates. One in which we just marked as ours. How is it that we have a 4th?’
‘Beats me, but I want them. I want them like I do our other mates.’
‘RUNE!’
Suddenly confused by that of a 4th do I fail to see where I’m going only to end up walking into a wall. A wall made up of pure body mass.
My eyes quick to blink as I move to look up. My amber eyes soon meeting warm yet guarded eyes. The eyes a mixture of different greens like that of Alex.
Warm hands now holding me steady as I finish admiring the view. Lush black hair with hints of blue soon greet my gaze until suddenly I’m brought back to reality by the sound of someone clearing their voice.
“Are you okay?”
Aaron’s POV
When finally arriving back to the Ambersky pack, needless to say I wasn’t exactly thrilled. But having no other option left was I forced to ask for an alliance between my pack and Jake’s. His pack being the closest to mine.
For my pack had been hit hard by the last Rogue attack. An attack that greatly injured my pack including my father. An injury that caused him to become sick and eventually pass.
His passing soon leaving me to take over as the new Alpha. And while I still hadn’t found a new Luna, my greatest relief was that my last Luna, the Omega I had rejected had managed to find herself a new mate.
One who could love and protect her unlike me. An Alpha who didn’t know what love was. Now 4yrs later and I was still lost and alone and no Luna in site or so I thought. Hyde soon pacing relentlessly within me the moment we arrived upon Ambersky ground.
‘What’s your problem dude? Where here on business’ I move to tell my wolf. My eyes already spotting those of the Elders.
Another piece of me curious as to why they were there too.
‘I sense something. Something that might help us.’
Curious as to what, do I move to ask him again. ‘What is it?’
‘Not sure’
Groaning to Hyde do I resist the urge to shove him away. My mind to focused on what to say to Jake until something moves to walk straight into me. My hands quick to steady them only to feel sparks up and along my arm.
Hyde practically dancing. ‘MATE! WE OFFICIALLY HAVE OUR MATE! OUR SECOND CHANCE’
Instantly shocked by the newfound information do I move to see who it was only to pause. My green eyes now greeting those of amber. The same ones I met literally 4 years ago during the annual Ambersky festival.
The same person who I once felt compelled to know more about and the same person who became my complete obsession. Tori. The soon to be Gamma of the Ambersky Pack.