Mated with the Alpha's Daughter

Chapter 7: Here's the Whole Story (pt. 2)...

***MICHAEL POV***

    I had absolutely no clue I was going to bear my soul to these two, as they were near perfect strangers to me and had been until today.  But there was just something about them that made it seem like I could talk to them about anything.  Their reactions were the first time I felt that someone didn't see me as completely nuts, or at least as nuts as I thought I was.  But still, I found myself having really high anxiety and just desperately wanted to make sure that I hadn't scared them off.  So I downed freshly poured Scotch, filled the glass again, and returned to the living room right as the buzz from the whiskey started to kick in.

    "I am so sorry I unloaded on you two like that.  That wasn't fair to you two by any stretch of the imagination, especially for someone you two just met today.  I feel like I'm not putting my best foot forward here, and I'm sorry," I rambled.

    "Mike, dude.  Don't you ever apologize for something like that.  That woman ruined your life and was hated by so many of your family members.  I can tell you've never been able to adequately share to anyone how horrible that must have been, but you got through it.  That makes you the bravest man I know, and I can tell that there's more to it than that.  You said that someone had done far worse things to you than that?" Justin asked.

    I sighed.  "Yeah.  Maggie really messed me up.  She was some weird combination of two entire belief systems that have no business going together.  Long story short, she expected me to work insanely long hours and loved the fact that I was subsisting on chicken, cigarettes, chocolate, and coffee almost exclusively.  On the other hand, she hated the fact that I am very outgoing and gregarious, and the fact that I made more than her per year.  She just treated me horribly," I said simply.

    "There's more," Kristy said softly.  "Were you harmed?"

    My eyes welled up with tears.  "Yes."

    Instantly, I could have sworn AGAIN that I saw both of their eyes turn yellow, but because of the glare of the lights, I chalked it up to that.

    "I've been hit maliciously several times.  I honestly lost count how many times she open-faced slapped me in public.  I just genuinely don't want to see her anymore.  But I think that's where so much of my lack of self worth comes from and why I am so anxious and depressed all the time.  The only significant other who treated me with any level of decency is dead from a car accident," I explained, and I finally started to feel myself getting angry.  "I have had the worst. God. Damn. Luck. with significant others, and when people ask me what my happily ever after consists of, I don't know what the f**k they're talking about!"  I ended up bellowing.

    I feel myself getting deflated.  I sat down and ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm down and not cry as a result of my outburst.  "But I sure want one.  Is being loved and treasured really that f*****g much to ask for?"

    "No, it isn't," Kristy responded.  She got up and moved next to me, and started rubbing my back to try and calm me.  "You deserve everything, Michael.  You deserve love, and happiness, and strength.  You'll find her.  I promise."

    The moment was broken by an ear-piercing howl to the north.  I jumped out of my skin as a result.

    "Jesus Christ, that's a big dog.  I need to figure out which one of my neighbors has a big dog," I chuckled.  

    Kristy laughed with me.  "You'd be surprised just how big the dogs get around here.  You'll find out sooner or later."

    I laughed and looked at their glasses.  "Would you two like some refills?"

    "Yes we would!"  Justin excitedly replied.  "In fact, where is your big trash can?  I can toss this for you," he offered.

    "I'd greatly appreciate that," I responded, and watched as he followed my instructions to head to the garage, while I went to the kitchen to top off the guacamole and to get more OJ for Kristy.

***JUSTIN POV***

    There were three things that I was absolutely sure of as I walked to the garage.  The first was that I had never met a man, let alone person, as broken as Mike was.  The second, was that I knew in my heart that he'd be one of the kindest-hearted alphas in the entire country when he took up that mantle.  The third, and perhaps most importantly, I was determined to make sure that if either of them showed up to harm Mike in any way again, they'd have massive problems.

    Justin, he went to the kitchen.  What do you think?  Kristy linked me.

    I think Mike will do phenomenally well as Alpha in time.  I want him to get introduced to pack life relatively soon.  Do you think that we could set a date up between us, Mike, and Mira?

    I think that's a good idea, she responded.  I am about to link Mira saying that the lot of us need to talk, and we need to involve the rest of leadership, including Craig and Phil.  They need to be brought into this as well.

    Agreed completely, I responded and cut the link before Mike came back to the living room.  Phil was Craig's son and the Gamma-in-Waiting.  He also happened to be my best friend, having grown up like brothers.  He didn't take an active role in pack affairs just yet out of necessity, as he was currently working in Sacramento with the governor, but he was going to need to be summoned back as soon as possible.

    Uncle Jim, we need all hands on deck.  Mike is in worse shape than we thought, I linked Alpha James.  I used his informal name because I knew it would get his attention, and this was absolutely a matter of the heart as opposed to anything else.

    On it.  We'll have my office conference room ready to go for when you and Kristy get home, he responded and broke the link.

    "This is going to be a mess," I said to myself and stepped back into the living room.  "So, I personally want to see your studio," I told Mike.  "I have to see the room where it happens."

    Mike laughed.  "I see the reference you made there," he said, and led us to the basement.

    Kristy, we're good to go when we get back home.  The Alpha knows we need to have a serious chat.

    Good, she responded.  I had to talk Mira off the warpath.  That was her howl we heard when Michael was finishing his story.

    That doesn't surprise me.  She's going to want to rip the still-beating hearts out of both of those women, I linked back.

    That's the exact terminology she used.  It's like you train with her or something, Kristy laughed.

    "So, this is the studio.  I have it set up for me to have a full 24 track taping system.  I eventually want to get a band together and record demos where it's not just me playing all of the instruments," Mike explained.

    This was amazing.  I saw at least six guitars hanging on the walls, four bases, a keytar, three keyboard, and a six piece drumset in the corner.  I immediately walked over to the drum set, sat down, and picked up the sticks.  One thing that both Kristy and Mike were about to learn was that I was actually a trained jazz drummer.

    "What are we playing?"  I ask, seeing Kristy's eyes wide.

    "Wait, we're jamming?!  Okay!"  Mike responded and picked up a guitar and plugged in.

    "Oh yes!  Let's do this!"  Kristy said as she picked up the keytar, surprising me.

    "We're going to do this in the key of C, and it's a jazz standard.  Put down a 6:8 pocket, and lets do this," Mike said, and kicked off a six count.  I chimed in with a kick drum to snare eighth note pattern, and off we went for three hours.  Little did Mike know that I was recording it on my phone for Mira, so she could fall for her man even harder.