Taking Power With The Alpha's Daughter

Chapter 4: Tension Headache

***PHIL POV***

    The Deltas I took included Marc - Justin’s former personal trainer and rehab man - as well as Mike Dayne, Leonard Brady, Rachel Vincent, and Michelle Antoisceach.  Marc, Mike, and Leonard all had degrees in manufacturing from trade schools, so they were ideal for temporary line jobs with Everfur Shadows.  I didn’t know how long Jean-Marie was going to need them, but as a good faith venture, they’d stay there if needed.

    The Delta warriors Kristy selected for this mission were a collection of badasses.  Sheldon Nichols could deadlift 700 pounds, and I had seen him pick someone up who was laying flat on their back and toss them into a tree.  Okay, that wolf was me; I’ve just tried to forget about it.  We also took Dalvin Mack, who actually studied exercise science, and perfected the techniques he learned in college with our old lead Delta before Richard.  I hadn’t asked him what his stats were, but considering I had seen nose tackles play for the St. Paul Conquerors before that were smaller than him, I expected things to be impressive.

    Right on time, we were at the newly completed Hayforth International Airport, which consisted of three runways, one private runway, and hangars designed for planes no bigger than 737s.  Perfect for what we needed.  All 36 of our crew were on the tarmac of the private runway designed for takeoffs, with bags in hand, when Chief Andrew’s plane landed.  As it taxied over, Kristy came over and stood next to me.

    “What made you think about Jean-Marie’s computer being bugged?” she asked me.

    “I’ve studied organized crime as a hobby ever since I watched a couple of really good gangster movies when I was a kid,” I replied.  “I’ve also seen as many mobster documentaries as I can find.  I find that way of life really glamorous on the outside, but the brutality reminds me of how Fabian and other werecougars run their packs.”

    “That’s actually really fascinating,” Kristy replied.  Our conversation about my interests in organized crime and how the Mafia worked at different points in history flowed easily, where we talked about the different families and how they viewed violence, trade, and money-making rackets until she said something that brought out my defensive side.

    “You need to be easier on Mira,” she stated as a matter of fact.

    “Why?” I asked.  “We were all in those seminars that Uncle Jim taught to get us ready for dealing with the cultures of other supernatural species. Of course, I knew she never actively paid attention in those seminars, but I find it hard to believe that she had no clue that werecougars were stuck in the Middle Ages.”

    “You realize she’s pregnant, right?” Kristy asked.

    “Yes, I do, and I get that pregnancy brain is a thing,” I replied, my frustration starting to build.  “I also know that knowledge of our rivals should be so deeply ingrained in all of our minds that mental illness, pregnancy, and anything else shouldn’t be able to touch it.”

    “Then, instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve, you are wearing only your arrogance,” Kristy replied.  “You have no clue how ableist and inconsiderate that last statement was.  I forgot mine and Justin’s anniversary when I was pregnant with Miracle, and he never said a damned word.  Women are completely at the mercy of our hormones, and our memory struggles when we’re expecting.  I hope that whenever you meet your mate, you’re more patient with her than you are with Mira and with me when I get back in the family way.  Keep that in mind.”  

    Just then, Chief Andrew’s plane stopped on the apron, and when the hatch opened, he disembarked and walked over to us.

    “Gamma Jessen and Beta Daniels, thank you both for leading this trip to help our brothers and sisters in Louisiana,” the Chief exclaimed, grasping both of our hands.  “It’s incredible that you’re heading south to get a grasp on the problem with Everfur.  Whatever it is you need from me, let me know.”

    “Much obliged,” I replied, still mulling over what Kristy had just told me, so I was short on words with the Chief.  “If we need something, you’re our second call, behind Michael.”

    “Good,” Chief Andrew stated.  “May the Goddess guide you safely there and bless you in your work.  Every werewolf will be indebted to Crescent Woods if you’re successful.”  With that, he turned and went into the airport’s main area, heading towards the pasta restaurant.  While I was watching the Chief, the rest of the team started filing onto the plane and into their seats.  I waited for everyone to board before I got on.  I decided to sit right next to Kristy, who was scrolling through her phone for one of her playlists.  When I got buckled in, I turned and faced her.

    “You’re right,” I told her.  I watched her feign surprise.  “I’m arrogant.  I can’t help but think of myself as an i***t, so I push myself harder to solve problems and help my pack. But, unfortunately, I am not only blind to my own arrogance but to the hindrances that others might be facing as well. So I expect too much from not only me but everyone else around me, and that’s wrong.”

    “I’m glad you’ve woken up and smelled the coffee.  Do you need cream, milk, sugar, or yellow sweetener?” Kristy replied with a smirk.

    “Cream with three yellow sweeteners,” I replied, playing along.  “That coffee needs to be strong.”

    That made her laugh for about 10 seconds before the seatbelt light popped on. Then, after we got buckled in and started taxiing out to the runway, she turned and looked at me with a serious expression on her face.  “You seem like you’ve been having a tough time lately.  Is everything okay?”

    I thought about what I saw on the computer screen before Jean-Marie answered my video call.  “I think I’m showing some of the signs of mate deficiency syndrome.”

    Kristy’s eyes got wide at that.  “Philip, that’s deadly.  What makes you think you have that?”

    “Look in my eyes,” I replied.  “They’re starting to become hazy, and it looks like I’m starting to age prematurely.  I’ve been having really bad depressive episodes as well.  I’m just...I’m miserable most of the time, I’m a bit more short-tempered, and I just don’t care about much right now.”

    Kristy held and squeezed my hand for a couple of seconds.  “You’ll find her,” she told me.  “I’ve got a feeling that when you do, she’s going to turn your whole world upside down, and you’ll wonder what in the hell you ever did without her around.”

    “I sure as s**t hope that’s the case,” I replied.  “I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.  I’ve seen you and Justin, and now Michael and Mira parade around the packhouse more in love with each other every single day.  I want that more than I can ever possibly state.”

    “I know you do, but the Goddess has a plan for you,” Kristy replied.  “I am extremely positive of that.”

     By this time, we were already in the air, and we were getting close to leveling off, which meant I quickly had a pint of Guinness in my future.  I put my headphones on and turned on some old classic blues tunes, which relaxed me just enough that I felt my anxiety levels drop dramatically for the time being.  When the stewardess came around wanting drink orders for everyone else, she brought a pint of Guinness with her.  I took my first massive pull from it and let the flavor dance around in my mouth before swallowing.  Guinness was one of my favorites, and I hoped that whoever my mate was would be okay with me keeping it stocked in our wing of the packhouse.

    After a really quick few hours in the air, we landed at the Shreveport Regional Airport, where we were greeted by a convoy of Ford Expeditions.  Standing outside of one of them was Jean-Marie’s Beta, Claude-Dean LaFonte, who looked even paler than I remembered.  Kristy and I exchanged worried glances at each other when we were unloading our luggage.  Claude-Dean being there instead of Jean-Marie meant that things had gone from bad to worse when we were in the air.  I grabbed my duffel bag and briefcase from the overhead compartment, and the moment the hatch opened, I ran down the stairs to talk.

    “Claude-Dean, I hope that you don’t take this the wrong way because I’m glad to see you alive, but if you’re here and Jean-Marie isn’t, the problems at Evenfur Shadows have gone from being a tension headache to an outright migraine.  Am I wrong?”

    “Absolutely not,” Claude-Dean replied.  “The werecougars attacked again, and this time there were a dozen wolves with them, up from a small handful before.”

    “Yeah, that’s a problem,” I replied.  “Let me link the rest of the CW administration, and we’ll come up with a plan.  I have one in my mind, but I want formal approval.”

    “Make it quick,” Claude-Dean stated.  “We need to get back and fight back this wave.”

    “Okay, never mind then,” I replied.  I took my shirt off and tossed it in the lead truck with my bags.  “I’m just going to take care of it now, and I’ll link everyone while on foot.”  I saw the woods about half a mile from the airport and sprinted towards it.  The moment I felt shade, I shifted into Madison and linked everyone else in leadership.

    Michael, it’s gone from bad to worse.  There are a dozen wolves that have teamed up with the cats this time.

    That’s not good, Michael replied.  Where are you now?

    I saw the woods near the airport and shifted into Madison.  I’m running toward ES.

    I saw him take off running, and I’m right behind him as Billie,  Kristy stated.  We’ve got a pretty good idea as to where ES is, but if someone could guide us right now, that would be great.

    I’ve got you, Justin said.  It looks like there’s a lake about three miles from where you are now.  Once you run around it, the packhouse should be right there.  The manufacturing plant appears to be on the southeast side of ES land by one of their villages.

    On it, I replied.  Kristy, are any of the warriors behind us?

    The Deltas are, Kristy chimed in.  The Omegas are riding with Claude-Dean to get a rundown on what’s been destroyed at the plant.  Mike and Rachel have already scheduled a meeting with the supervisory team when they get there.

    Good work, team, Michael replied.  Phil and Kristy, link up with Jean-Marie and/or Bonnie when you get there, and you have my permission to f**k up some goddamn cats.  Any fighting with wolves you come across needs to be Crescent Woods style if you can, meaning lure them off pack property, but I genuinely don’t care what the f**k you do with any werecougars.  They’re all yours.

    Copy that, I replied just as we got to the lake that Justin talked about.  We rounded the south end of the lake when I picked up the scent of something absolutely gross; it was along the lines of skunked vinegar and skunk.  We were on the path of the werecougars.  From what Uncle Jim had told us in those seminars, werecougars smelled like that from the antigens in their blood and from the grease in their fur.

    We’re on the trail of them, and I think I see a couple, Kristy interjected.

    Keep us all here, Mira chimed in.  We want as much of a play-by-play that you can give us.

    Will do, I said.  With that, we saw a group of three cats that looked like they were going to be running a patrol on the outskirts of Evenfur Shadows’ land.

    “Tell Billie and Kristy that we’ll take the two on the left and they can have the one on the right,” Madison said in the back of my head.  I relayed the message to Kristy and Billie, who in turn let out a furious growl that was just loud enough that the cats heard us.  Their ears perked up, trying to figure out where the sound had come from, but the one on the right from where we were got pounced on by Billie and Kristy, with Madison and I in hot pursuit.

    I landed on one of the cougars and immediately severed its head.  When I saw that Kristy was wrestling with hers and the remaining one was about to jump on her, I ripped the left rear leg off of it.  The cougar let out a loud hiss, which Madison answered with a left swipe right across the cat’s face.  The impact was hard enough that it was knocked unconscious.  At that point, Kristy nailed the main artery in her cougar’s neck and it quickly bled out.  Kristy bounced right up without any noticeable injuries.

    That’s two dead cougars and another that’s taking one hell of a nap, I linked Michael, Mira, Kristy, and Justin.  

    Good work, Michael said.      

    Yes, I replied.  We’re now in ES territory.  We’re heading to the packhouse now.

    Copy that, came Michael’s reply, right when we saw something that made me want to s**t my metaphorical pants.

    Jean-Marie was alive, tied to a funeral pyre, and someone who I knew was a wolf was approaching it with a lit torch in their hands.

    The sight of the wolf in question made my blood boil.  It was Jimmy, one of the wolves that Michael mercifully banished after the fight with Richard.