The Luna's Alliance

Chapter 4: Boys

"Boys! I am beginning to lose my patience with you both," Luna Mary scolded her sons. "You cannot sneak snakes into the packhouse to scare the omegas. What if someone gets hurt?"

"Mama, it was a simple black garden snake, not a copperhead or diamondback or something," Darnaris explained to his mother.

"Yeah, mama. We made sure no one would get hurt," Darnell added.

"Oh really? Tell that to Miss Danielle who got spooked when it fell out of the cabinet onto her head, causing her to trip and sprain her ankle. It will take hours to heal and she can't even walk home." Luna Mary looked livid.

"I'll be happy to help get Danielle home, Luna," Lucy interjected. The boys were sometimes out of control, but they were still learning. Plus, she did not want to be in the room for this conversation. Luna softened at Lucy's offer.

"We'll help!" The boys said in unison.

"I'll grab Miss Danielle some extra pillows and magazines to take home while she gets better," Darnell said.

"And I'll carry her dinner home and help heat it up for her," Darnaris said.

"Fine. That's actually quite responsible of you two. As future leaders of this pack, you need to learn that taking care of every member is your sacred duty. An Alpha is only as strong as their pack. You must keep everyone safe, not harm them," Luna scolded.

"Yes, mama!" They agreed. Luna Mary threw up her hands as she walked over to the kitchen to help clean up the mess her boys had caused. She ordered one woman to grab a broom and another to wipe the counter, while the Luna got on all fours to collect the fragments of broken dishes.

"Thanks, Lucy," Darnaris winked at her.

"Yeah, Lucy, you are the best. We love you so much," Darnell told her.

Both boys rushed over and gave her a giant hug; their heads reaching only to Lucy's shoulders. Lucy shook her head at their constant antics. They truly were sour patch kids. It was impossible not to love them. Goddess bless the woman who one day has to share these two troublemakers, Lucy thought. Twins usually only had one destined mate between them, leading Lucy to often wonder what special type of crazy the boys might mate with.

"Sometimes I think the only reason you two are still alive is because of those dimples. You're lucky you're so cute," Lucy told them.

“We know!” They yelled in unison.

After getting Danielle settled into her bed, Lucy sent the boys home. It was past their bedtime. There wasn't a lot of lighting outside, but werewolves didn't need it much, and the pack grounds were safe even at night.

Lucy decided to stay a while talking with Danielle. She was actually not bothered by the boys' prank and seemed in good spirits, though Lucy guessed her company was distracting Danielle from the pain. Being an omega, the lowest rank of wolf in any pack, who hadn’t yet matured into shifting, meant that healing would take considerably longer than usual. Lucy wanted to be of service.

Danielle was a few years younger than Lucy and often helped in the packhouse preparing for dinner service. Both factors contributed to their growing friendship. She was a pretty brunette girl, but slightly clumsy for a she-wolf; something Lucy was even more aware of during training sessions. The girl was always sporting bruises for one reason or another. Perhaps the broken dishes tonight weren't entirely the boys' fault.

It was nearly eleven when Lucy said her goodbyes to Danielle and her family before heading back to the packhouse. She received a mindlink from Luna Mary on her way.

Lucy, are the boys with you?

No, Luna. I sent them home hours ago.

Oh my. Say a prayer to the Goddess for me, Lucy. There's no telling what shenanigans those two are getting into now.

***

"Eww! Gross mom and dad! Get a room!" Ashlee squealed when she and Theo walked into their parents' cottage. Beta Charles had Theo's mother bent face down over the dining table in their breakfast nook with her dress lifted up.

Charles peeked up from between his mate's legs and groaned at the sight of them as his mate quickly stood up to adjust her clothing. Twenty-seven years and he still couldn't get enough of that woman. Theo actually felt a little envious. He may not have time for a mate right now, but his liaisons had brought him little satisfaction lately.

"I had a room, children. Try knocking next time if you don't want to see anything," Charles told them.

"You're a werewolf, dad. You should have heard us coming," Theo countered.

"I was distracted," Charles grinned. "Why aren't you up at the packhouse anyway?"

"Oh, shush, you ole grump!" Theo's mother said as she slapped his father on the arm. "Don't you dare discourage my babies from visiting me."

Theo's mother, Astrid, was a human. Most of humanity seemed blissfully unaware of the shifters in their world. Whole cities that were part of werewolf territories went about day to day life completely clueless, yet protected from other supernatural threats. Those who knew were usually mates or families of human mates, who chose to keep the secret as a matter of security. Human familial ties were almost as steadfast as pack oaths; both bound in blood.

Astrid never truly felt at home living in the Beta quarters of the Northern Forest packhouse. Luna Samia always seemed cordial, and as the Beta female, they worked on several projects together over the years, including the raising of their respective pups. However, Alpha Brock saw his high-ranked members mated to weakness as an affront to the power of his pack. That's why Theo's father built her this cottage on the edge of their western borders. It was located higher up the mountain and somewhat secluded. They would sneak away for family vacations in the summer during his childhood. Now that Beta Charles was trying to retire, they had moved here permanently.

"I needed to talk to you, Dad. Alpha Brock told us of his plan to move out tomorrow with a couple hundred warriors against Southern Forest now that we've secured a secret weapon. I heard you won't be joining us." Theo saw his father tense up at his words. Charles nodded to his mate, who escorted herself and Ashlee out of the room. Once alone, Charles motioned to Theo to sit.

"No way! You expect me to sit or eat here ever again? After what I just saw you doing to my mother at this table?" Theo joked.

Charles laughed heartily as they moved out onto the back porch, avoiding both the women inside. Charles grunted as he took a seat in his rocking chair. Taking a long look at his father, Theo understood his desire to retire. Charles was looking rough around the edges these days. However, he was still shocked at the morning's strategy session to hear Alpha Brock complaining that his 'useless f*****g Beta' wouldn't be coming with the strike team. Charles taught his children never to quit, so this felt like hypocrisy that Theo could not wrap his head around.

"I'm glad we're out here, son. I can't stand to hear my baby girl crooning over that piece of s**t boyfriend of hers," Charles said. Ashlee shrilly explained her most recent date to a very exasperated Astrid in the other room.

"Cut the crap, old man. Why aren't you coming with the assault team to Southern Forest? I know you're anxious to retire, but I thought you wanted to finish the war." Theo questioned his father.

"What's the problem? Afraid you can't handle Beta responsibilities without me? I guess I am pretty irreplaceable," Charles teased.

"You know I'm ready. It's not that. I'm just surprised. I know there's more going on here." Theo said seriously, not a bit affronted by his dad's comment. Theo turned his rocker so he could narrow his eyes at his father, and he waited.

"Alright. This conversation is probably overdue. What has Alpha Brock told you about this upcoming mission?" Charles submitted.

"Only that those trackers have located a small pathway leading into Southern Forest territory that's basically unguarded. They've lost enough people over the years that they are pulling back on patrol perimeters. I guess we all have. Anyways, we'll have to circle all the way around to the southernmost point. It's barely more than a crevice at one site, so it will take over a week to get through unnoticed, especially with so many warriors. It's a big gamble. Alpha Brock is convinced this secret weapon and surprise attack on their land will be enough to turn the tide. He's saying this will win the war once and for all," Theo explained. Charles nodded along as he listened. Clearly, he was aware of this information already.

"What do you know about his secret weapon?" Charles probed.

"I know that's what Jace's cousin, Nico, came over from Europe to help steal. He and a couple of trackers left several days ago, but he only returned with the object. Jace told me as soon as Nico was within our borders," Theo answered.

"Not exactly," Charles disagreed.

"Not exactly what?"

"You said Nico successfully stole this secret weapon. What you should have said was that he kidnapped the weapon; rather weapons to be exact." It was Charles's turn to wait as Theo put the pieces together.

"Who? Who did we take from the Southern Forest?" Theo asked cautiously.

"Alpha Cain's eight-year-old twin boys."

Pups were off limits, even in wartime. Wolves were even more protective of their young than of their mates. Alpha Cain must be out of his mind by now. Theo remembered those boys as toddlers. They were always so happy. He called them the sour patch kids because first they did something sour, and then they'd get out of punishment by giving the sweetest smiles and hugs. The idea of harming children didn't sit well with Theo. He had to retract the claws that his wolf Daemeon elongated at the news, leaving scratches on his parents' wooden rocker.

"So, when Brock commanded me to accompany him on this mission, I refused. My Beta days are numbered," Charles continued.

"Wait! He commanded you? As in an Alpha command?" Theo asked. Charles nodded carefully. "And you refused him?" Another nod. It was not possible to deny the authority of an Alpha command. That was ingrained in a wolf’s psyche over centuries of evolution into pack life. Hierarchy existed for the survival of a pack.

"I come from a long line of powerful Betas who have supported this pack since its inception; my father, his father, and so on. That much you know, son. My mother, however, was the eldest child of an Alpha from a western pack. She could have stayed to rule after her father. See, many other packs don't have the same macho bullshit attitudes of Northern Forest and support women in leadership. But she didn't stay. She chose to love and follow her mate, your grandfather, instead. Her younger brother took over as Alpha, I believe. " Charles paused.

"What is it that you think you're telling me?" Theo prodded.

"I refused Brock because I can. And he knows I can. It's also how I've been able to protect your mother all these years. While Brock hates the fact that she's human, he wouldn't dare push me on something so important. Didn't you ever wonder why you are the largest and most powerful wolf in our pack? If it wasn't for Jace's Lycan side, you'd eclipse him too. Son, we have Alpha blood."

After Charles finished, he let the silence stretch with only the creak of the rockers disturbing them.

"If you disagree with how Alpha Brock is running this pack and waging war, why not challenge him?" Theo thought aloud.

"I'm old, son. There may be prejudice I disagree with, and I regret my role in the war against our old allies, but I also know our time as leaders is coming to an end. I can feel it. Besides, if the challenge didn't go my way, your mother wouldn't survive the loss of our mate bond or Brock's wrath. I know I should choose the fate of many over the one and all that crap, but she's my mate. I will protect her forever," Charles explained further, his eyes watering just a bit.

"What am I supposed to do with all this?" Taking on the Beta role now was daunting enough before all this new information was dumped on him.

"Whatever you want. I won't be a part of this war any longer. I've been thwarting Brock every turn I can to save lives, but my influence is gone now. This business with Nico was my last straw. I just want you to feel free to stand up for what you think is right. You could accompany Jace on this mission, and see where it leads. As long as you two have open minds, I'm sure the future is in good hands. Jace is not his father. You've wanted to be his Beta your whole life. I have faith it will all work out as the Goddess planned," Charles concluded. He clapped Theo on the knee and headed inside the cottage.

Theo heard the three of them discussing throwing some steaks and veggies on the grill for an impromptu family meal. He ignored the commotion and sat there, lost in his own thoughts.