Mate to Match

(Aiden) "I'm sure we'll have no problems dealing with the Council," says my Beta, Nathan Killian. "They say Alpha Robert trained you well."  I don't turn my head to respond to him. The wooded landscape outside the car window has my attention. I've made this journey many times, but it was always with Grandfather. Now that he's dead, it is my Beta who has to ferry me from the Council property in Hemsworth to our pack territory in the north.  Nathan is a good Beta. He held down the fort admirably after my parents' deaths. He could have been Alpha himself, if I weren't a contender for the spot. When it comes to brass tacks, there just isn't enough authority in a Beta's aura to be top dog when another werewolf with more power is around. Nathan was my father's Beta and therefore much older than me, so he can be a bit patronising at times. I used to have trouble feeling in charge around him until Grandfather told me what to do. I just had to release some of that Alpha aura into the atmosphere, and Nathan--or any other wolf--would go back to where they belonged. Grandfather may have retired from Alpha duty a long time ago, but he could still order anybody around. He had taken charge of issuing instructions to Nathan while I was being trained to take over. But he's dead now, and it is finally time for me to take the reigns of the Rising Moon pack as I was meant to all along.  "What did we do about the insurgency on the southwest border?" I ask Nathan.  The question takes him by surprise. He didn't expect me to know about that. "Well, it wasn't exactly an insurgency," he says hesitantly. "More like a disturbance." "I asked what you did about it." Nathan winces at my tone, his wolf cowering before mine. "We heard some noise there, but we didn't think it was serious. Probably just kids gone camping, you know? Bonfire, alcohol, that whole thing. It's usually students from the community college, so--" I turn to look at him, pinning him under my gaze. "Nathan, this is the third time I'm asking you. What did you do about it?"  I feel the scent of his fear saturate the confines of the car.  "We drove them off." I nod, turning away to look through the dashboard. "From now on, I'd like you to report any kind of disturbance to me." "You think it could be more than just kids?" he asks nervously. "I heard the Red Moon pack was having trouble with rogues." I scoff mentally. If Nathan really knew what was behind these 'rogue' attacks, he would be a lot more than just nervous. "If they're werewolves, they need to know they're on pack land. If they're human, we'll scare them off with a well-placed spooky encounter. Either way, we're not welcoming of strangers in our territory." "Copy that." We drive in silence until we reach the outskirts of the pack settlement. It's starting to get dark, and many of the houses have their porch lights on. Nathan begins to point out the houses to me, telling me who lives where and what role they play in the pack. Technically, the pack has thousands of members, but only those who are directly involved with pack business stay here. Most of our members are scattered across our vast territory in the northern half of the US. They report to Nathan via Gammas, lieutenants in charge of their districts. Now that I'm back, I plan to take charge more proactively. The Council has taught me how important the support of sub-packs can be while making a crucial decision. Nathan stops the car in front of the pack house--my house. It is a palatial structure, over four stories high, built in white stone. My rooms are at the top of the house with a protruding balcony that lets me see over the whole settlement.  "We've prepared your room, Alpha," says Nathan, smiling. "We hope it'll be to your liking." I nod and get out, grabbing my duffel bag from the trunk. Nathan climbs out too, looking a bit sheepish.  "Out with it," I tell him. "Uh...they've organised a welcome party for you in the backyard later this evening. The pack wants to meet you, officially." That's the first thing he's said all day that's made sense to me. "Good. Come get me when they're ready," I say. I don't wait to hear his response, instead pushing past the front door and heading upstairs.  The bedroom is not at all like I remember. When it belonged to my parents, it was all warm, earthy tones, cushiony furniture, and rich tapestries. Now, it is sleek, black surfaces, metal brackets, and harsh white lighting. I even had them take the pictures of my family off the walls. I am many things, but sentimental is not one of them.  It's as Grandfather used to say: slavery, whether it is to the past or to another wolf, is not in line with an Alpha's calling. I can't wait to take charge of the Rising Moon pack.