The Midnight Pard

Chapter 7

Anton

The day had started off stressful. He had been working with his father and the other Alpha most of the night. After the other man had realized his target was not hiding amongst the Pard he began treating Anton more as an equal and less like an ill-informed child. On some level, he understood that a stressful situation made people irritable, and this man was not used to dealing with him, only his father. It was still annoying though.

By the time he made it to the dining area he felt exhausted, trying to be polite as Seth waved him over. Seth showed him a stack of papers and he audibly groaned, "Please tell me that's not a stack of finely printed documents?" Seth giggled, causing Anton to smile. Lev was on the fence about having Cedar around, but Anton believed he might actually like Seth now that they had spent a while together getting to know each other. "Well, it is a stack of documents, but I think these ones will be easier to deal with." He handed them over before continuing, "My father would like to present options for if acceptances happen, we could do them after the Pard-Pack house becomes everyone's home. It seems like the best option, of course, it is a distant future option, and were's are not known for their patience. However, we could look into these other options as well."

Flipping through the stack with Seth had him distracted enough he almost didn't see Bellamy walking towards them. He smiled as their mate sat across from him, passing out the items he was holding. Anton could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at the frame and the accompanying photo book. It was both the dates he had gone on. There were shots of him and Bellamy together, shots of the three of them together, and shots of him and just Seth together. They all looked so happy. Genuine smiles no one except maybe Bellamy had any way of knowing when the photos would have been taken. He looked up, speaking before the words had fully registered, "I love you." For the first time since they were kids, Bellamy looked genuinely afraid of him. He felt a stabbing through his heart at Bellamy's response, "I'm sorry, I just don't know." The words were barely whispered before he stood and took off.

Lev howled in his mind. They both knew it wasn't a rejection, it hurt, but not like that. He was too focused on the pain that he hadn't registered as Seth pulled him to his feet, the papers and presents in his Beta, Jonah's hands. Seth steered him to his office, keeping a steady hold on him. Jonah followed close behind. Once the three were in the office, Seth pulled Anton into his arms, curling around him.

After awhile, Lev started to get restless and Anton pulled away. "Thank you for getting me out of there." Seth nodded, "I'm going to go check on him." He turned and left, Jonah speaking up for the first time. "Anton, I know this is a bad time, but it is the first chance I've had to be alone with you. It's about the job you gave Devin. Assigning Bellamy's Deltas, he narrowed the list. We do still need your sign off, and we don't know how the wolves will want to handle this. Theoretically, they will also want to protect their Luna."

Anton put his head in his hands, "I'll discuss it with Seth. The ones you picked do they have the natural calming that most Delta's are born with?" Jonah nodded, "Yeah, both of them have strong calming abilities, they'd both do good at helping him with his duties and his acclimation to them." Anton nodded, "Thanks, I could also use you taking one of the spare wolf guards through a few of our border runs, Seth wants to know if they vary from his to much. Could you leave the names you picked as well?" Jonah nodded, "Yes Alpha." He went to the door hesitating with his hand on the handle, "He just needs time, what we did, years of what we did. It'll take time." He left before Anton could answer.

Seth

Standing outside Bellamy's room, he could hear the soft hiccuping that signaled hushed sobbing. Part of him hated Anton all over again. Bellamy learned to stifle his pain because of Anton. Cedar growled an affirmation and he sighed. "It's the past, he is different. You've heard the stories too." Cedar huffed, backing off. Seth knocked on the door, hearing the hurried rushing movements on the other side. Bellamy answered the door a few moments later. Seth almost couldn't tell he was crying, his eyes barely looked odd. It would have been odd if he hadn't been able to see the eye drops on the dresser across the room. Seth went to him, hugging him tightly. Bellamy felt limp in his arms as he slowly walked the two of them forward, closing the door behind them.

"Why did I say that?" Bellamy's voice was rough and scratchy, he sounded almost as bad as he had when he had woken up from the accident. Seth moved so they could both sit on the bed. "What would you have said instead?" Bellamy moved so he could look at Seth, tears barely not spilling from his eyes. "That I love him too." Seth turned, grabbing a tissue box and passing it. "Alright, you aren't just realizing this though. I saw you when you two came back from your date. I saw you and him on our big date. It's clear you love him too. So what happened?" Bellamy took the tissue box, set it on his lap and reached for Seth's hand. "I don't know how to let go of the past, not the like physical stuff. I got my a** kicked. It would've happened in regular training, not the same way, but it would've hurt just as much. I can't seem to let go of the memories of running around together laughing with him, being mixed with him telling me to get out of the pard. I can't let go of him not caring that his best friend was hurting. I was his best friend. What happens if he decides me being his mate doesn't matter, just like being his friend didn't matter. I'm scared. I'm scared of loving him."

Bellamy went silent while Seth held his hand, "Bellamy kids make stupid mistakes, you know that. It is okay to feel how you feel about it. Your feelings are valid, no matter how unfair anyone believes them to be. If you need time to finish handling your feelings, then you need time. I do think you should really think about whether you believe he will do that again. I think he had his chance to change his mind with me and Cedar. He didn't, he chose all of us. Me, Cedar, you, and Jax. You need time and that's okay, but don't only focus on the bad things. He's been trying to be here for you. Believe me, I'd whisk you away to the pack no matter what you said if I believed for even one second that he didn't actually care about you. Cedar has half a mind to do it anyway. I'd rather you were happy though." Bellamy half chuckled, raising his hand to Seth's face, "It's okay Cedar. I know you'll always keep me safe." Seth smiled as Cedar came close to the surface. "Tell him I will." Cedar's voice was soft, happier than Seth was used to. "Cedar says he will." Seth reached up holding Bellamy's hand, "So will I, even from yourself. Telling him you love him, and telling him that you aren't ready to accept him are both okay things to do. Only if you're ready."

Bellamy nodded, "How is it that, no matter what, you are always here for me?" Seth smiled, "I did try to tell you several times. You were always the one I would choose to be my Luna. Luckily for me and all others out there, the moon goddess and night goddess worked together and agreed with me." Seth started laughing and soon after, Bellamy joined in. They were still laughing when there was a knock on the door. Bellamy stood and went to answer the door.

Seth's Beta, Max, stood at the door shuffling his feet nervously. "I'm sorry to interrupt. We need Cedar. One of the guards has found his mate. He's losing control." Seth was up and past Bellamy in an instant. "We'll talk later." He went running through the halls, Max giving him directions as he tried to keep up.

He saw the wolf. His guard, Raymond, had shifted. Snarling at a man draped in a sheet standing in front of a woman who had collapsed on the floor in tears. "Lodi, Stand down!" Seth snarled the order, Cedar lending his strength to it. Lodi stopped snarling but didn't back away. Seth could see the panther guards getting ready to intervene. "Lodi, stand down." Once the wolf complied, Seth took a slow breath. "Shift." He saw Lodi try to fight before Raymond was standing before him. "Alright, if the three of you could calmly explain what that was about, please." Raymond looked away, shame on his face. The stranger spoke up. "I believe my girlfriend or uhh exgirlfriend," he gave her a questioning look before continuing. "Has found her mate, and he has found her in bed with me and I'm trying not to have my throat ripped out." Seth blinked rapidly clearing his mind. "Are you a Delta?" He could feel the calmness radiating through the area. Probably the only thing that had saved this from being a wolf on panther fight.

The man straightened slightly, inclining his head. "Yes, Alpha Seth. My name is Gregory Truman" Seth took a deep breath, walking past all of them and grabbing a blanket from the disheveled bed to hand to the girl before helping her to her feet. "I want all three of you to back off from this situation. Give everyone some time to decide how they each want to handle it. Raymond For you, that is an order. You will not cause trouble for these two. Do you understand?" Raymond bowed his head low. "Yes Alpha." He turned and walked away. "For you two it's a suggestion, I do not command this Pard, but it is a good idea to get all of your emotions sorted." She nodded, "Thank you Alpha Seth." The delta looked as he nodded, "Thank you Alpha Seth," He looked up at the girl, "If I can say one thing, no matter what you decide I'll support you." He gave a quick bow before walking off. Seth turned to look at the girl. "If you need anything, I've taken classes to facilitate mental health, and would be more than happy to talk you through a difficult thought process." She nodded silently, he took it as his cue to leave.

Walking away, he routed his steps towards Anton's office, passing Jonah as he walked down the hall. "Is Anton still in his office?" Jonah nodded. Turning tired eyes to Seth. "Yes, but he's not doing well. Is something wrong?" Seth hesitated, "One of my wolves found his mate, created a ruckus, I got him under control and insisted he back off. However, there was a compromising position involved and he did get out of hand. So now I'm trying to handle any potential issues." Jonah nodded along, "I can keep an eye and ear out. As long as no one is hurt, it can wait." "Alright, thanks Jonah."

Bellamy

Jax whined as Bellamy went to go sit back on his bed, "What's wrong?" Jax whined again, "We should go, you should talk to him." Bellamy growled and rolled on his side. "I don't know if I can, I just want one memory. One where things were good between us. I don't have any. I know we were friends. I still had all of his letters in my backpack from childhood when I returned to the Pard, but I don't remember anything from before the Pack. I don't remember why I considered him a friend while we were at the Pack. I don't even know where the letters have gone. There is nothing positive left for me and I don't understand. It just hurts." Bellamy felt Jax retreat in his mind.

It was hours before he felt Jax again, "I can show you." Bellamy couldn't remember any other time when Jax sounded as scared as he currently did. He sat up, "Show me what?" Jax whined softly in his head, "You're memories, I can find them, but once I do there won't be a way to pick and choose. You'll remember all of it." Bellamy closed his eyes, "Did you hide my memories?" He'd never heard of that before but maybe it was possible. He could almost feel Jax rolling his eyes. "No, I just might be able to access parts of your mind that you can't." Bellamy sat still for awhile. "Try, please."

Closing his eyes, he laid back, stretching out on the bed. After awhile, his mind filled with an image, it almost felt like he was dreaming. He was obviously very young. Maybe around five, racing after three other boys. All of them were laughing, he could see Anton stopping and grabbing his hand, beaming at him, "Come on you'll fall behind." Then they were all off again. Racing through the trees, they ran for what at the time had felt like forever before they reached the river. Anton smiling right at Bellamy. "We can see the guards across the river from here. Their panthers are so cool!" Bellamy had grinned right back. "Really? Are we allowed to be here? Are we going to get into trouble?" Devin had interrupted right at that moment. "That's the best part, as long as we don't cross the river we are okay."

The memory changed, it was him and Anton sitting in his room. Anton was reading him facts about the werewolves and he was responding with correlating facts. It was one of their study habits. They had done this often. Bellamy couldn't believe he had forgotten. They looked like they were so close. He didn't understand what could have happened between them.

"Don't try to think about it too much." Jax sounded scared. "I want to know." As soon as the thought crossed Bellamy's mind, the memory changed again. He was eight years old, but he wasn't with the pack yet. He, and Anton were far closer to the border than they should have been. Three figures definitely not of their Pard came running past them, one turned, "No there's children here!" Bellamy felt like he had been punched in the gut, he was staring at a very panicked Starla. He realized one of the males was Fae, the other was a vampire, it was Desmond.

"Open your eyes." Jax's voice was faint, it was scared. The memory continued, a coven of vampires burst through the trees, one of the vampires grabbed Anton. "Come back real peaceful like Desmond. Nobody needs to get hurt, not even this cute little snack here." Anton had growled. Starla's voice rose above all the noise. "That's a were child. This is Pard land, you don't want a war." The vampire shook Bellamy. "Stay out of this glitters." The male fey snarled. In the blink of an eye, the vampire holding Anton was on his back, Anton and Bellamy were in Starla's arms shaking. "What was that?" Desmond looked scared and confused. Starla moved closer, "That was us, we are powerful together. A triumvirate."

The memory ended with Bellamy jerking awake. Jax was whimpering in his mind. "I'm sorry Bellamy. I didn't know how bad it would get." Bellamy sighed, tears blooming in his eyes, "It's okay Jax, thank you. I just don't understand. Why didn't I remember any of that?" "I think we need to reach out to the council, Starla and Desmond know a lot more then they let on, and they definitely knew you both didn't remember them. What Desmond said, he stayed behind, he looked genuinely worried. He definitely remembered both of you." Jax reasoned with him. Bellamy felt floored, "Should we ask my dad, or Alpha Nate? He would have known, right?" There was silence in his mind for awhile, "I think Alpha Nate would know, but there has to be a reason you don't remember. A reason none of you seem to know. Nobody blinked at Starla or Desmond." Bellamy mulled over the words as he lay there. It was barely around noon and yet Bellamy felt exhausted.

He stood walking toward his door. "Well, I might not be able to talk to Alpha Nate or my father, but I can talk to our mates. There's something they both need to hear." Jax purred softly, "I'm glad you've decided." He went through the halls, accidentally bumping into one of the other panthers. Bellamy recognized the young man, one of the few that had been able to get Anton and the others to stop when they were genuinely harassing others. "I am so sorry Greg, are you alright?" Greg nodded, "Yeah man I'm sorry. Wait Bells?" Bellamy flinched, "Uhh prefer Bellamy actually." Greg nodded, blinking as he looked at the man in front of him, "Right, of course. We're all grown up now after all. Sorry, my mind is in a different place. Apparently, my girlfriend's mate is one of the wolf guests, and they figured this out while she was in bed with me." Bellamy groaned, "I'm sorry man, I'm assuming that's where Seth ran off to?" Greg tilted his head, "Just Seth? Not Alpha Seth, Bellamy Bellamy my guy tell me the rumors are true?" Bellamy blushed, nodding sheepishly, "Yeah." Greg grinned at him, "Well, I better let you get back to that then. I'll see you around, yeah?" Bellamy nodded, "Sure."

Bellamy found Seth and Anton out on the training grounds. Seth was watching as Anton trained some of the younger panthers. He was strong, Jax purred, watching their mates. It didn't take long for Seth to notice them, and then it was only a few moments later Anton was also walking over. Bellamy reached out, taking both of their hands. "We need to talk."