The Pack Survives

[2] Evan

    Evan Blackwater is the Alpha of a pack around 300 strong. His pack resides atop Bridgeton Hill in Upper Black Eddy, PA overlooking the Delaware River Valley. He has a clear view into New Jersey, endless views at a full 360 degrees. 

    He has been alpha for 8 years now, ever since his parents died. His father, John Blackwater and his Luna Cynthia, were the kindest most caring parents a child could ask for. His sister Erin and him wanted for nothing. Not only were they incredible parents, they were incredible leaders. 

    His mother took to helping the single mothers in the village. Be it they lost their mate to war, or the raging drug addiction that swept through the valley. It was mainly a human problem, but as the humans and wolves began to mingle, so came the drugs. His father took to helping the men, and the few women, recover from those addictions, with the help of pack doctors Lisa and Michelle Warren. He encouraged them to stay and fight the demons inside of them, many recovering with much success.

    With the disease that threatened their pack borders, they pack pushed further into the dense forest beyond Ringing Rocks, a human attraction in the area. The pups grew up roaming those woods, miles full of the tallest trees and countless waterfalls. Ringing Rocks got it's name from the huge boulders, laid out about 3 football fields long. You could take a hammer and slam the rocks, a loud ring cracking and piercing the atmosphere. Little did the humans know that the Council, with leading members of Vampire, Witch, Fairy, Wolf and the lost Dragon clans alike, met on that field to work on alliances and grievances. Not anymore. That was centuries ago. 

    Evan has done immense work turning the pack lands into a certifiable town. The pack house is on top of the mountain, it boasts 30 bedrooms, 15 baths and 10 offices. The kitchen has 3 tables that sit 20 and 5 fridges. The back of the kitchen and dining hall looks strait down the mountain with a perfect vantage point of the river and valley. From the river, you can't see the house. It's been blessed. 

    After he became Alpha, he bought the old desolate Bridgeton Elementary, turning it into the packs "Pup School", the kids nicknamed it. From the front, it looks like any old Elementary school, a long tree lined drive up the one side and a large parking lot that wraps around the front to the other side of the building. Beyond that lies one of the most formidable pack warrior training academy's in the nation. They don't just pump out warriors, no. They train them in international relations, multiple languages, and encourage the trainees to take up a secondary job. Be it be cooking, woodworking, music, teaching... they want these men and women to be well rounded and fulfilled. 

    The town has grown as well. The remaining pack members, besides the royal front, live in homes much like a human development. Like a Cul-de-sac.The homes are all 3-4 bedrooms, depending on the family size. No family goes without food or electricity. Even if they fall on hard times, the pack has funds for each family. Each mated couple receives a new home to grow their family. There is a larger home for the un-mated males once they turn 18 and are not on assignment. The un-mated females mainly stay home with their parents. 

    Today, Evan looks out on his pack with pride. He knows his father and mother would be proud. He has made a life for himself and continued the refuge they set forth. His sister, Erin, seems happy enough. Erin is two years younger than him and one of his best warriors. She is in every meeting he has, and on the front line of any battle or territory dispute they have. 

    While she is the toughest chick he knows, she is a royal pain his ass. He is only 25 but she will not let up about him being un-mated. There is nothing wrong with Evan, everyone knows he is responsible, respectable and his looks could kill. He just hasn't found his mate, and doesn't care to. 

    He is easily 6' 8", muscular beyond need, sandy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He is covered in tattoos from his knuckles to his neck. The girls can not get enough. He has had a few flings, and even thought he might mate his one Omega, Amber. That is, until she found her mate. He was saddened, only because they grew up together, but slightly relieved.

    Despite popular belief, he didn't want a mate because of his parents. Because the look in his father's eyes when his mate, Evan's mom, was cut down in front of them all. The sound his father and father's wolf made at that moment, will haunt his dreams for eternity. No. He wasn't going to have that. He wouldn't subject his own innocent pups to a life without parents. 

    But he would have fun in the mean time. 

        ***

Evan's POV

        ***

    "Yo Sandy!" Brian screamed at me as he burst's through the lounge room. 

    "Pipe it, Twig!" I retort. He has been calling me Sandy since we were kids, because of my sandy blonde hair. Genius, I know. I call him Twig because until he first shifted, he was the scrawniest kid you ever laid eyes on. Not that you could tell looking at him now. He matched me in height and brawn. Deep brown eyes and hair. Not as many tattoos, but getting there. 

    "What are you doing today? I thought you were patrolling this afternoon? That's what I told you to do anyway..." I said. He is my Beta, and the head of my guard and patrols. 

    "I was, but I got a link from Nic, she is on her way up and asked me to meet you here." He said, looking warily at me. "We have to meet her in your office, she is on her way."

    "Goddess! The Eagles game is almost over! If they win this they are in the playoffs!" I cried. I had very few guilty pleasures, but I was an avid sports fan for my Philly teams. The Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, you name it, I love it. "Fine, lets go." I said, grunting while I climbed off the couch. We headed down to my office and opened the door. I got out a few beers from the fridge and we took a seat, waiting for Nic.

    Nicolette, or "Nic" as we referred to her, was our Gamma Female. Mated to Eric, our other best friend and Gamma, she was a rarity. Her presence and introduction to our pack sent shock-waves through the nation. No, it was not because of her small yet curvy frame, covered in tattoos, some tiny and dainty, other's large and powerful. It wasn't because of her fire red hair, and the way it cascaded down to her ass, or even the fact that in hand to hand combat, she could kick any of our Omega's ass's. 

    She was a witch. 

    The first witch and wolf-mated pair in centuries. Not since the annihilation of the Tinicum Coven. But the Moon Goddess does not lie. She does not joke around with mates. When Eric first laid eyes on her at the market, he collapsed to his knees. Almost like she sensed his heart behind her, she turned around, eyes as blue as the sky, staring into his soul. Her red hair dancing in the wind, but you could tell it was magic. Her body moving towards him, the wind getting stronger. There was a force in front of us we had never seen. Brian and I began to back up. We have never witnessed a Mate encounter like this. 

    Eric was fighting off shifting, his wolf desperate to claim her right there in the middle of the market. I stood back and watched her almost glide, like she was barely touching the ground, stopping right in front of him. She placed her herbs on the ground next to his trembling hands.     

    She took his face, so gently in between her palms and whispered, "MATE...are you mine?"

    His body shook, his eyes shifting from the Blue that is his to the Green that is his wolf's, Jordan. With a growl deep in his chest, reverberating through the air he responded through gritted teeth, "Yes. You. Are. Mine." A gasp escaping her lips as she sucked air into her lungs. We realized she had been holding her breath. Her face hadn't yet reacted to his claim. Then... teasingly slow... she smirked.     

    He roared with laughter, one that we have never seen before, and with that he grabbed her herbs, scooped her up in his arms and stormed off, leaving Brian and I hysterical. Not one day before that was he complaining about 'mating season" and what a bore it was watching these men lose their dignity. 

    We didn't see them for a week. Word spreading through the pack that a witch cast a spell on the Gamma. It wasn't until the induction ceremony when she addressed the pack as the Gamma Female, officially linking into the pack link, when she used her magic to bare her soul. The pack saw her pureness and accepted her wholeheartedly. She is invaluable to us. She cast many protection spells on our lands to keep us safe. They were meant for one another. He was wild, and she brought him down to earth. She was a free spirit and he reeled in her mind, focusing her at tasks at hand. But they only brought out the best in one another.

    A smile spread on my face at the memory before a cough brought me back to reality.     

    Nic was at the door, Eric at her side and Erin right behind them bursting to get it. 

    "Alpha, they're back. The Hunter's are back."

***

    My sister was now shoving Eric out of the way. He was trying to hold her back as her fist shot out nearly striking him in the face. She froze as Nic placed a hand on her shoulder, no doubt filling her heart with calm. Seconds later I heard Nic chanting quietly, confirming my thoughts. 

    The rage was building in me. I could hear Brian in the mind link, "Bro, calm down, just sit down please... we have to call the warriors in. There is a protocol for this. Please brother... Alpha....Alpha!"

    His words were echoing away from me. I was dreaming, I had to be. 

-----

    I was walking in the woods, holding my mom's hand and had the fishing rods in my other hand. We could easily shift into our wolves and hunt fish, but we liked to relax with each other. My father teaching us about patience and perseverance.

     My sister, however,  just wanted to play in the mud and feed worms to the birds. She would climb into the trees and launch into the pond, scaring away any chance we had at a fish. My mom, like the goddess she was, lay in the sun reading or going over benefit plans for the pack ladies until my dad would remind her that they were specifically NOT WORKING, and to grab a pole. She would yield and curl up next to him on the blanket, an easy silence between them. They were perfect to me.     

    "JOHN!"   My mother screamed through the mind link. We were walking back for dinner at the pack house, admiring the changing leaves. It was late in October, the leaves were a blistering orange. Autumn never graced an area with it's beauty, more than it did Upper Black Eddy. 

     It happened so fast. The nearby patrols had been taken out and before anyone else could pickup on that in the mind-link, we were surrounded. I was only 17, my sister 15. My father shifted immediately, his dark brown wolf roaring in front of my sister and I. These hunters, human no less, were too fast. They netted my father in a silver net. The woman who grabbed my mother held a silver stake to her throat.

     I grabbed Erin and my father told me through the link, "Run, Evan. Take your sister and run."  I barely spared him a glance, wasting no more time, I shifted, grabbed my sister with my teeth throwing her on my back and we ran. Dimitri, my wolf, took over digging his razor sharp claws into the earth, ripping us through the forest. I screamed through the link to the patrols, not yet knowing why they were not answering.

     That is when I heard it. My mother's scream. My father's roar- which sounded more like a guttural cry, turning slowly into a howl. His wolf screaming for his mate. I heard his pain through the bond, he could not control it. The whole pack had heard it. The ringing in my head began as the pack responded was deafening. Their Luna was dead and their Alpha fighting for his life. Dimitri didn't stop, pumping harder and faster than we ever have. The pack was running towards us, towards my father. We dodged the oncoming wolves, off to defend their Alpha and avenge their Beta.

     They were too late. 

    I felt his death before we heard it.

    Erin, just a girl, intimately hearing her parents murder while simultaneously hearing an entire packs instant grief, rage, fear and sorrow. She collapsed on my back, succumbing to the sobs that were wracking her body. Beta Female Wendy came rushing down the path from the pack house with just enough time to catch Erin as she crumpled to the ground. 

    And me? I ran. I kept running until I hit the river just a few hundred yards north of the Milford bridge and I dove in. It wasn't until 6 days later when Beta George and Gamma Ray finally caught up to me, their sons, my now Beta and Gamma, coaxing me home like a wild animal. Preparations were made, my parents Receiving ceremony could finally be held and reluctantly, against every one of my pleas, the Alpha ceremony. The pack needed the strength, a beacon, a ray of hope so as to avoid complete dis-array. I had to put aside my grief and vow to put, above all else, the packs health and safety first. With my blood, before the Moon Goddess, on Halloween night I was sworn in as Alpha Evan of Blackwater Moon Pack.

-----

*    

    I shuddered with the memory, ripped away as my friends and sister stood in my office, Dimitri  whimpering in my head at the memory. Everyone was yelling, that much I could see. Erin however was staring into me with red hot tears in her eyes.

"Evan, please, listen to me. Brother?....." I heard her say through the link. No one else could, either it was meant for me or they were too consumed trying to figure out a plan to commit their Alpha to the old Bridgeton Psych Hospital. 

    I stood up, everyone flinching at the sudden movement. I linked Gabe, our pack trainer to get to my office to discuss patrol and an escort. His mate, Emily, is Nic's cousin and is at the attack site. I needed more information but I needed everyone in the same room. I couldn't stand to have to relive this repeatedly. 

    "What are we going to do? Who are you sending?" I hear from in front of me. Looking up at my sister, there are deep Green eyes staring at me. That is not my sister any longer, it's Air, her wolf. She pushes through the moment Erin feels overwhelmed, scared (rarely) or pissed off about something. She protects her mind and soul as much as her body. Goddess, I adore that wolf.

    "I don't know Air, just wait, ok? I know this is hard. Just please.. Ok?" I begged. 

    Her eyes fluttered from green back to the same color as mine. Erin returned with a sigh, and stepped back next to Nic, who placed a calming hand on hers. They have become almost like sisters since Nic arrived and in moments like this, I was grateful my sister had someone when I was not emotionally available for her. 

    Gabe arrived within minutes with his Captain and Lieutenant. They were given the run down with all available information and when it was announced the area that was attacked was the old Benevenetti home, the Lambertville Clan, Gabe stiffened. 

    "Emily was sent on assignment there this morning..... she didn't tell me." He said through gritted teeth. 

    "She didn't know yet, she called as soon as all the information was available and that was only 12 minutes ago now. Come Gabe, why would she hide this from you?" Nic responded. Emily is her cousin. The mating ceremony brought a bunch of witches from the New Hope Coven and some from their sister Covens. Lets just say a few mates were found that night, Gabe and Emily no exception. 

    "You're right, I know. Alpha, please can we get down there? I want an escort for Emily while we do perimeters. I don't want her there. They don't even have a single description of the attacker because there are no survivors. When do we leave?" He said, sturdy on his feet, his muscles rippling with anger. The wolves were incredibly protective over their pack, the pack females, their children, but no one more than their mate, and Gabe was ready to take down an army, just to ensure her 8 mile ride home was uninterrupted.  

    "Gabe, grab 3 packs of warriors and when Emily is done, escort her home. Eric, increase patrols and push as far to the border as you can, closest to the Lambertville line. Brian, push the remaining patrols north as far as possible to cover our backs...." I ordered, using my Alpha tone, that they physically couldn't refuse. I didn't mean to, in times of stress, it came out involuntarily. But my men were on board with this, they didn't need the tone to tell them.

    "And me!?" Erin asked, incredulously. She was practically dancing on her toes waiting for orders. Her strike team was the best of the best, but we didn't know what we were up against. I didn't want them out there running laps around the patrol if they were needed elsewhere.

    "Nothing Erin, you stay home with the force and protect the pack. We don't know who did it and where they retreated to. All we know is the Benevenetti Clan is en-route to their home to survey the damage, recover bodies and archival relics and then they head on to the next clan home. I can't have my pack house exposed while we push patrols to the ends of our lands. Someone needs to be here. And that someone is you." I said, with my hand on her face. I may have sauced that last part up a bit, so she didn't feel left out, but I certainly wasn't bull shitting her. That was the truth. I needed her here. Not just for pack safety, but because selfishly,  I wasn't losing her, too. 

    "That will be it everyone, report back as this develops." I said, and with that they all dispersed. 

    Before she could say a word, I grabbed Erin's hand and took her to the back of the office. I had 15 foot high glass sliding doors that almost always remained open. I took heated meetings in this office and if I needed to shift quickly, I wanted an escape route so as not to ruin anymore of my furniture. 

    "Lets run.... Air? You ready?" I teased.

    "Am I ready?? Dimitri, you are the slowest old s**t I have ever..." I cut her off by lunging over her head and out the doors. 

    "SHOW OFF!!!" I heard her yell back at me. I laughed. She is such a little s**t. She caught up moments later and we ran to the lookout. 

***

    We reached the edge of the tree line. This was our spot growing up where we would run when we were getting in trouble with our parents. 

   "Erin, I know this is going to be hard for you, but I need you to stay inside. No patrolling, no swimming in the river, no going out with your friends. I know you had plans with the French River Water pack tonight, but please..." I begged. 

   She cut me off, "Like HELL I am staying inside!! I know I don't need to remind you ALPHA, BUT YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER! I am going to at least go to our sister pack. I don't need anyone to protect me! I am the Alpha's sister! I will be fine." She yelled, half screaming out loud and half in my mind.     

    I knew she was right, but French River Water's Alpha, Nathan, hadn't yet returned from his trip south and I wasn't comfortable leaving her in the hands of their Beta, Drew. Drew was great, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't MY Beta. 

    "I know Erin, I am just worried. I don't want anything happening to you. I couldn't handle it. Not again." I said, my eyes shifting to the ground. "Just check in through the mind link here and there?" I asked.    

    She smiled at me knowing she won me over. Giving me a nod, she fell silent- lost in a conversation with her wolf. Goddess knows what they were talking about. I let out a chuckle.

    I stared down at the river. The river was where we connected with our Moon Goddess. It is where we asked for help, forgiveness, guidance and love. Where our pups were welcomed to the pack, where the lost were Received back to the Moon Goddess herself. My eyes lost themselves in the river as a feeling began to creep along my skin. Goosebumps crawling up my arms.     

    Dimitri was at attention, forcing me to look back through the trees. His head whipping back and forth. "She is here." He said.     

    "Who the hell are you talking about? Please don't piss me off, not now." I responded. He had an imagination sometimes, and if I didn't let him take control, he would make my life a living hell. 

    "MATE." he replied. 

    "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" I asked, incredulously. 

    "DID I JUST HEAR YOUR WOLF SAY MATE???" Erin asked, grinning from ear to ear like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. 

    "I am so screwed." I thought. 

***