A New Hope

Chapter 18

I squeezed Gabriel's hand tighter as we walked onto the stage that was erected in front of the lodge. There was even more people then last night all with eager smiling faces looking to us. He squeezed my hand back and smiled down at me, don't worry he mouthed.

How could I not worry, all these people and more were now going to look to me as a leader and expect greatness. Dealing with torture while naked was scary, but this made me feel more exposed then ever.

Hudson and David stood next to Michael in his wolf form. Ordinarily the giant wolf would look out of place, but my life was far from ordinary and he looked completely natural.

The crowd was impatiently chattering to eachother until Hudson raised his hand and silence followed.

"Over the past month we have all been sensing the winds of change. We have felt the fear and pain of fellow pack members as they were stolen from us, but also the joyous celebration of their return.... A celebration we shall be continuing this evening" Hudson spoke to the crowd and paused as they cheered for more celebrations.

"We have all felt the strong bond of Gabriel and of Hope, their love is our love... Hopes stage freight is also ours" He raised his eyebrows at me making me blush and the crowd laugh. "Our love for each of them is contagious and undying. In light of this it will come to no surprise to any of you, that for the first time in our packs history a non Alpha will rise to Alpha." everyone erupted in cheering.

Hudson let them roar for a few moments before raising his hand for silence once again.

"That a newborn shall be at his side as our female alpha!" again the crowd roared in approval. "Alpha Michael is now our elder alpha, whose wisdom will continue to guide us! He has made this pack what it is today, from growth in members, to providing financial stability for every single family among us! He is stepping down, but not away. Without further ado i give to you Alpha Gabriel and Alpha Hope!"

Everyone roared with more enthusiasm and Michael howled in happiness. Gabriel raised his hands and silenced the crowd.

"Thank you everyone, this is such an honor. I grew up unaware that my father was still alive or apart of the family company, let alone of something to this magnitude" he waved his hands at the crowd. "I've spent my life being taught how to lead by my Grandfather and I promise to you all that we will do our best for you, to continue what my father has been doing. I can never replace him and will happily rely on his guidance and wisdom." Gabriel spoke sincerely, our pack members hanging on every word.

"Thank you for passing this honor onto us Alpha Michael" I turned and bowed to him.

You'll make us all proud... but you need to get over the stage freight, we're all feeling it.

The giant wolf winked at me before lowering himself into a low bow to Gabriel and myself. Hudson and David both took a knee and the entire crowd followed.

I watched them all in disbelief and awe. Somehow this was crazier then coming back to life. Hundreds and hundreds of people were on their knees before us making me feel like I was on a giant pedestal, this was my family not my peasants.

My family shouldn't kneel to me, rise! Please rise.

Everyone jumped up and the crowd roared in happiness. Gabriel gave me a confused look and Michael came to my side.

Every big family looks to a leader... and you will be the most caring and the most loved yet.

Thank you Michael.

Now introduce your new pack members.

I nodded to him and before I had to raise a hand to get the crowds attention they went silent and looked to me expectantly.

"Alice could you please come up here and Max too?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows at me. "What I'm an alpha now!" I said to him and everyone laughed.

Alice and Max walked onto the stage. She was dressed in a beautiful light blue gown and had a bow in her short brown hair. Max had on dress pants with a dress shirt and suspenders. Both of them wore the same confused look on their faces.

"I'm very new to this and I'm not replacing anyone's positions, but adding to them. Alice saved my life, if not for her smart escape plan I would not be infront of you beautiful people today. Goofy Max here has been my dear Gabes right hand since he got to the compound, his loyalty and kindness kept my mate sane and probably from doing some stupid things. I'd like to make both of them fellow betas. Thank you both for being there for us" I couldn't help but laugh at their stunned faces as the crowd cheered for them just as confused.

Alice and Max both gave me a big hug after a moment of shock.

Thats never been done before, its a born rank or fought for.

Is anyone going to argue it?

it hasn't been done, but no one will argue with you and they deserve it.

I smiled at Michael before looking back at the huge crowd. I gulped down my nervousness before continuing.

"Not only did Alice save my life she saved seven others! Could you all come up here please. Alice broke one of our laws to save these seven people. She turned each one before they could turn into mind controlled wolves. The council will evaluate her heroics and we will support her in every way. We will also be welcoming the survivors into our pack and proving to the council that they belong with us and are one of us. We will help them settle into their new lives and to handle their wolves. We are one family and a f*****g strong one at that!" The crowd erupted into cheers once again and I walked over and hugged each of the survivors Gabriel followed my suit and we walked off the stage.

David started telling the crowd about the nights events, drinks, food, and where to go to figure out sleeping arrangements. His voice turned into background noise as I tried to calm my nerves after being on stage and talking to so many people.

"Baby you did f*****g amazing, your a natural!" He picked me up and spun me, he was smiling ear to ear. "The beta promotion isn't really a thing tho" he laughed.

"Michael said that, but he also said no one would challenge my decision." I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Oh yeah what else were you guys talking about up there?" He raised his eyebrows at me.

I winked at him then turned my attention to Max and Alice who were walking towards us. Anne was walking in between them holding their hands. I believe she was tiny before we got taken but after a month of starvation she was even smaller. Despite the effects of malnutrition her skin had a happy glow to it and the little blue dress she wore matched Alice's as well the bow in her light brown hair.

"Hope, I felt your butterflies the whole time you were up there!" Anne giggled as she jumped into my arms.

"You sure you aren't just hungry again?" I teased her making her think for a minute.

"It was butterflies! But can we go eat now?!"

"Yes my little Beta cub" Maxed laughed while throwing Anne up on his shoulders.

"Thank you Hope, but you didn't need to do that and can you even do that? " Alice asked as she put her arm through mine following Max and Anne to the lodge for food.

"Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it can't." Gabriel smiled at us.

"Babe get used to it, we're betas now. No one will bat an eye at it because we now have the most convincing and power alphas ever!" Max spun around to talk to Alice making Anne cling to his head and giggle.

"What does being beta mean?" Anne's sweet voice chimed in.

"We are second in command to the pack alphas" Alice told her.

Anne was quiet and Max laughed sensing her confusion.

"Basically it means at big pack meals like this we get to eat first and other pack members have to listen us" he explained to Anne make Alice roll her eyes at his back.

"Yay! We get to eat first all the time?!"

"Of course! And you can sit next to Hope at the ranked table" Gabriel beamed at her.

Anne's squeal was so loud and high pitched all of us squinted our eyes in pain before laughing at her.

We grabbed our food and Gabriel and I sat in the center of a long table facing many other tables. It felt like we were king and queen at a royal banquet. It made me uncomfortable and in the spotlight in a bad way.

"Oh no, don't even think it! Forcing everyone to stand was one thing, but this tradition is meaningful to the pack." Gabriel whispered in my ear, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"I didn't force everyone to stand! And how is posing as royalty meaningful to the pack?" I asked him with a pout making him laugh.

"You might not have done it on purpose but everyone heard your thoughts telling them to stand. All of the ranked members sitting up here is important so the pack can see everyone who is ranked and how they are ranked... it's very important for Alice and Max too because they have been given a rank."

I looked at him and sighed, "k when you put it like that."

A few toasts were made to us and our new alpha positions. Before we started eating I notice Michael slink off to the woods.

Leaving so soon?

I love my pack, but its hard when you can never join the festivities as human. I'm proud of my son and grateful for you Hope. The pack have powerful and kind leaders that can be there in every form.

They are in debt to you and lucky to have you and still are. A leader doesn't need to sit like royalty infront of a crowd to be a good leader.

Your too kind Hope... and look around the table, did you know those were ranked members before or how they were ranked?

....uhm.

Maybe it's not as pointless as you thought. Goodnight Hope, enjoy the festivities.

Thank you Michael goodnight.

I chuckled to myself a little bit, realizing that Gabriel and Michael were right, having the rank sit infront or the pack wasn't just vanity, it meant more than that.

The pack betas were Hudson, Sonia and now Alice and Max. Gammas were next of David and Liz, followed by ten pack guards that included Adam. The pack guard wasn't a born rank, but an earned rank. They were more like generals and their mates did not share their rank.

As we enjoyed our meals and drinks I looked to the table of new pack members and instead of six at the table there was now nine. Sue wasn't the only one who found her mate since arriving at the compound. Jared, Amanda and Robert all had love in their eyes with a special someone next to them.

I let out a sigh and gave Gabriel an adoring look making him abruptly end his conversation with David.

"What is it babe?" his icy blue eyes full of love.

"Our pack, our family is so amazing and beautiful. So full of love" I waved my hand at the new members and their new mates. "it just makes me wish your father could enjoy his pack the way we do. Not only is he missing his mate he's missing all of this and its not fair."

Gabriel sighed and kissed me on my forehead.

"Its a shame, he truly is cursed with a broken heart, but he knows and can feel the respect and love of the pact. I wish he could enjoy it like we can and I'm very curious to see what he would look like now. I've only seen pictures of him in his early twenties and as a boy. I'm the spitting image of him, it'd be interesting to see what I'll look like when I'm nearing fifty."

I took his hands in mine and kissed them before pulling his head down to meet my lips.

"I wish there was something we could do, but its irreversible everytime that it happens the fact that he's able to stay present in wolf form is extraordinary in itself. But he wouldn't want us to spend the night thinking about him. A toast to my father then let's clear these tables for a dance floor!"

A pack member came out of nowhere with a bottle of tequila and shot glasses, pouring one for everyone at our table, save for Anne. We all raised our glasses and many pack members at other tables raised their glasses as well.

"To elder Alpha Michael!"

Everyone toasted and cheered before starting to clear the tables. The fairy lights and lanterns set up all over the property truly made it seem like we were in an enchanted forest in another world. In a world where evil scientists and horrible experiments could never exist.

"Can we get our Alphas on the dance floor?" I heard a voice bouncing off the trees from a sound system i couldn't point out.

I looked at Gabriel surprised as he picked me up and carried me into the center of the area we had just cleared. He kissed me and gave me a boyish grin. Love by C- Trox started playing and he set me down on my feet to dance.

"Gabe how'd you know I love this song?"

"I had a lot of time to learn every detail about you while we were a part. This song couldn't be more perfect for you, I love you baby" He picked me up and spun me showering me with kisses.

"I f*****g love you to the moon and back" I smiled up at him and we danced and laughed.

Gabriel wasn't a great dance and neither was I, if it wasn't for our love and unbreakable bond we'd look like two fools on the dance floor. As the song was ending and mixing into another others started joining us on the dance floor. The pack love and excitement was so contagious and fuelled everyone on, that an the large amounts of alcohol being consumed.

After a few songs I excused myself to the bathroom as Gabriel went for more drinks. As I was walking back from the washroom, I paused and looked into the woods. A man dressed in jeans and a white shirt with white sneakers on walked out of the trees with a bewildered look on his face.

His face even bewildered, looked familiar even in the shadows. I watched him as he stepped towards me, his shaky steps getting more stable with each step.

"Hope, what did you do?!" The voice sounded husky like he spoke for the first time in years.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean? Who are you?" I asked the familiar stranger as he walked closer stepping more into the light.

I gasped at who I saw. It was a younger Gabriel, no tattoos and more lean... but his eyes were a beautiful brown. What was going on, how is this even possible.

"I went back to my cave and I... I was forced to shift. I tried to fight it but couldn't... but instead of the pain and shifting back to a wolf... I stayed... human. How Hope? Did you command me to shift?!" his words started coming out more naturally, but the shock of being human again was overpowering him.

I ran to him and hugged him in reassurance, he hugged me back and I could feel his tears on my shoulder.

"I only wished you could be here with us, to enjoy your pack like we can! I'm so sorry Michael are you in pain?! Should I take my wish back?!"

"NO! Don't take it back." He hugged me harder like he was scared to let go. "I'm not in pain sweet girl, just.... thank you! I havent been able to hug anyone since... since Gabriel's mother. To stand on two feet, speak out loud! Thank you, thank you moon goddess!"

We hugged for another moment before he let go of me. I gently wiped his tears away and smiled up at him.

"You good now?" He nodded his head with a wry smile. "Okay because Gabriel is going to lose his f*****g mind!"

Michael grinned down at me with the same beautiful smile and dimples as his son. The resemblance was frightening and even more peculiar was the fact that he looked younger than Gabriel.

He offered me his arm and I lead him towards the bar where Gabriel was waiting. Pack members were giving us odd looks and I realized they had no idea who was at my side, most of them have never seen Michael as a human.

Michael stopped in awe as he looked around at his pack and for the first time in twenty eight years he could actually do more then just go on a run with them. His interactions weren't limited to a wolf form. He squeezed my arm and softly kissed the top of my head.

"Hope this is amazing, I feel like a human, like I'm living and not just living through my pack!"

I heard a loud growl right before Michael was lifted off his feet. Gabriel had seen a stranger kiss me and was filled with jealous rage.

"Leave my mate alone!" he roared making everyone turn and stare.

Others started growling and the stranger too feeding off of Gabriel's emotions.

"GABRIEL YOU PUT YOUR FATHER DOWN RIGHT NOW!" I yelled at him making the black leave his eyes instantly.

"Wait what?!" he looked at me confused before looking back at Michael. "What the f**k?!" he dropped his father.

Hudson broke through the crowd and stormed up to Michael grabbing him by the shoulders and staring at him before embracing him in a hug.

"I was always supposed to be the younger better looking one. Now look at me?! And you look the same as you did when you were twenty two!" Hudson roared at Michael both of them laughing.

"Never thought I'd miss your awkward bear hugs Hudson!" Michael was being shaken like a rag doll by Hudson.

"I guess twenty eight years can make you miss anything" Sonia said pulling Hudson back for her turn to hug Michael.

"I'm sure you never missed our drunk wrestling" he laughed to her as she stepped back and gave him a dirty look.

"No need to pick up where you left on that one" Hudson and Michael looked at eachother then back to Sonia before bursting into laughter again.

The whole time Gabriel stood staring at his father in disbelief, studying his every feature and every word.

"You aren't going to choke me again for kissing my daughter in law are you?" Michael turned to Gabriel making him shake his head in disbelief.

"How?" is all he said.

"Hope." is all Michael replied and both of them gave me adoring looks.

"Of course, but why do you look like my younger brother?" making Michael laugh.

"We don't age in wolf form. Now give your father a hug, I've been waiting a lifetime to hold my baby boy." Michael said bringing Gabriel in for a hug.

They definitely did look like brothers and Gabriel the older brother. The crowd that had gathered had been running off and telling the others that Michael was a human. So now the entire pack was surrounding us trying to get a better look at Michael.

"Well the pack all knows might as well make another announcement tonight." Hudson said looking at everyone crowding around in excitement.

"I think that's a great idea and Hope can make the announcement on stage!" Michael beamed at me.

Hope can you hear me?

Yes, but why this way?

For your ears only. Tell everyone that with you and Gabriel's command I was finally forced to shift back. We want everyone to believe it was an alpha command and not a Luna command that did this.

Okay I can do that.

I nodded at him then walked towards the stage.

After the announcement the celebrations continued on. Gabriel and I did our drunken walk back to our cabin around four am and there was still a few pack members sitting around a bonfire.

So much celebrating and happiness has accompanied our arrival at the compound. As much as I enjoyed it, I knew we were only in the eye of the storm. We managed to escape the ship of horrors but we don't even have a name for the man behind our kidnapping, let alone know their master plan.

I would allow myself another day of rest and pure happiness before I devoted my time to stopping the evil I knew waited outside of this fairy tale world on the compound.