CHASING THE ALBINO WOLF: Opening Pandora's Box

WE MADE IT.....BUT WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

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Alpha Rhett P.O.V.

"Rhett!!! Rhett!!! Are you listening to me? I wanted my girls to feel at home. I want a drama-free visit for them." conveyed my mother, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, mother! I understand perfectly. I have spoken with the entire pack and their five-bedroom guesthouse by the lake is ready. " I sighed heavily.

"Good! Rhett, I told you how important this is to me. Plus, the whole world will be watching how we handle the Ball. We can't afford to fail. The stakes are too high. We must proceed with diplomacy at all times. We need for the entire werewolf nation as a whole to change their view on Lone Wolves and Rogues. My girls are thriving and building a legacy. I am proud of them. They aren't waiting around for some man to take care of them. They are smart, funny and total sweethearts. They would be an asset to any pack they join with or without a wolf. I have bonded with them. They are like the daughters I never had. We need to expose them to the positive side of pack life. They already know far too much about the negative aspects. Besides, we need to expose our pack to mix-breeds in a positive light. " My mother said firmly.

"I know...... but Mom.....they are half-breeds right. So I don't understand the big fuss. No wolf of real worth will mate with their tainted bloodline, especially if they have no wolf to show for it. Who wants a lantern?" asked my long-term girlfriend, Ivy, flippantly before I could stop her.

"No one asked for your damn opinion, and you had better keep those thoughts to yourself while they are here, or I will rip your f*****g tongue out of your pretty little head. Don't try me!" snapped my mother.

"I was only pointing out the obvious, but I keep my thoughts to myself. Since some people can't handle the truth." replied Ivy with a defiant smirk.

"Mother and Ivy....stop it." I sighed, fed up with their constant bickering.

"Listen, I told you I'd be civil towards her because you're going to mate and have my grandpups soon. But that's all you're going to get from me. She is very rude, disrespectful, has no empathy or compassion for none of the women in our pack. She doesn't spend time with any of the other pack members besides her uppity ass friends. Do you know she hasn't started her Luna training yet? And that's a big job. Being a Luna isn't about being just another pretty face. You have to know how to connect with the entire pack, make sure that they're nurtured, because the Luna is the heart of the entire pack." retorted my mother worriedly.

"I will after the ceremony. I have just been so busy making sure everything is perfect for our special day." shared Ivy, sounding annoyed that my mother had brought up her failure to complete Luna training again.

I sighed in frustration, because I knew my mother was right.

Ivy has been putting off Luna training for months now. Ivy was more focused on her dress, the flowers, the menu and her friends' dresses. Ivy wanted a big glamorous mating ceremony. We have argued more in the last few weeks about her lack of interest in completing the Luna training than in our whole five-year relationship.

It's like as soon as I asked Ivy to be my chosen mate, a switch flipped.

She changed big-time.

Honestly, it makes me think I might have made a terrible decision in choosing her.

Plus, no one seems to be happy about me mating with Ivy, especially my parents and my best friend Beta Royce Clayton.

Don't get me wrong. Ivy Brooks is a gorgeous, intelligent, Beta she-wolf from a very respectable family and bloodline. Ivy is a skilled fighter, and she can be very kind and thoughtful when she wants to be.

"Fine, but if the training isn't at least half-way completed. I will postpone our mating ceremony. I am very serious, Ivy. I take my job as Alpha to this pack very seriously, and I wanted a mate who does the same. Now mother, I have already sent Beta Royce to the main gate to escort them to their guesthouse. Their guesthouse is fully stocked and ready for them. I toured it earlier, myself. It's an excellent upscale luxury vacation home from a human perspective. They should be very happy with their accommodations and the pack already knows to be on their best behavior for my adopted siblings." I said, trying to end the conversation.

"Don't encourage her." chuckled Ivy, who I could tell was gearing up for another argument with me after my mother leaves.

"Fine! I have to go. They should be arriving soon and I need to start dinner. I want to cook them a nice meal for their first night here. I am so excited. Your father has been preparing and grilling lambs since early this afternoon. He is almost as excited to have them with us as me. By the way, Beta Royce was an excellent choice to greet them at the gate. He is young, handsome and single. Maybe if I am lucky, we might have a love connection." responded my mother excitedly.

"What...." gasped Ivy in disbelief.

"Mother....stop behave." I said, trying to hold in my laughter at my mother trying to play matchmaker.

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Pandora P.O.V.

"What's wrong Azora?" I asked as she kept sniffing the air.

"Do you smell that?" answered Azora nervously.

"Smell what?" probed Finn curiously. "I don't smell anything." replied Anora.

"I don't smell anything either. But I know I am ready to get out of this car and take a shower as well as a nap." I said loud enough for the two large men standing guard to hear me. I could tell they were mind linking someone.

Then, all of a sudden, the wind blew in a different direction and the taller Beta-looking guy whipped his head in our direction and started shouting, "Mate! Mate! Mate!"

Before any of us could process his words, Azora jumped out of the vehicle excitedly yelling, "Mate! Mate! Mate!" as she leaped into his arms.

"What the total f**k?" gasped Finn as she hopped out of the vehicle and looked at the newly established couple kissing and holding onto each other like the world was about to end any minute.

"Unbelievable! That was so fast. She smelled him." I voiced, laughing uncontrollably and shaking my head as I exited the vehicle.

"I am so happy for you, Azora." convey Anora, smiling from ear to ear, hopping out too.

"Hey, is that Momma Tahlia!" I yelled excitedly as I raced towards her.

The other guard tried to block my entrance, but we growled at him.

After that, he moved rather quickly out of our way.

Momma Tahlia and I hugged.

Afterward, Momma Tahlia looked Anora, Finn and I over like a mother would her children that she hadn't seen in a long time. She was hugging us one by one repeatedly. Giving the lovebirds a few more minutes before, she walked over to them and loudly cleared her throat.

Slowly they stopped kissing but remained holding hands as they turned to look at us. I could already tell that their wolves had accepted each other and the matebond had snapped into place.

"Thank you, Luna Tahlia for meeting and bringing my mate and her family here. I owe you big time, Luna Tahlia. I am Beta Royce Clayton. I never gave up hope, that I would find you. I promise to take good care of you, always." admitted an elated Beta Royce.

Azora stood there blushing from ear to ear, holding his hand.

We have heard wonderful things about Beta Royce from Momma Tahlia.

Therefore, we don't have an issue with their newfound matebond.

"This is such a wonderful blessing! The Moon Goddess has truly made my day." revealed Momma Tahlia as she tried not to cry.

"Do you feel the tingles, Azora?" inquired Finn.

"Yess....they are more intense than I thought. Plus, his smell is heavenly." confessed Azora, still blushing from ear to ear.

"Good! Ladies meet our wonderful Beta Royce Clayton. He is a good man. He will make an excellent mate for our Azora Renee Sutton. This is ... Warrior Patch. He is reliable and very knowledgeable. Men...this is Pandora, Anora and Finn Sutton. I am so glad y'all agreed to come here. I have missed y'all something crazy. I can't wait to show y'all around. So y'all can meet my pack and see where I live. I know y'all will love it here and, hopefully, the Moon Goddess will bless me with three more matebonds inside my pack." proclaimed a beaming Momma Tahlia.

We talked for about a good fifteen minutes more before Azora loaded her stuff into Beta Royce's vehicle to go to his Beta suite to settle in. They promised to see us later for dinner at Momma Tahlia as they drove off.

Thereafter, we drove with Momma Tahlia through the pack. It was truly a large pack. There were rows of houses as far as the eye could see.

Beautiful, cozy log cabins in different sizes.

When we finally made it to the guesthouse we planned to live in for the next four weeks.

Momma Tahlia gave us the complete tour.

Plus, Momma Tahlia was kind enough to have staff ready and waiting to carry our luggage inside.

It was a big help.

The place was huge and fabulous. I was really impressed.

The color scheme was blue and tan with white walls. The walls were filled with ornate paintings of wolves and past leaders. The kitchen was state of the art with all the latest appliances and big.

Upstairs was better than downstairs.

Every bedroom was straight out of a five-star luxury hotel.

It was a spacious five-bedroom lake house.

It didn't take long for us to pick out our bedrooms and have our luggage nicely delivered to them.

Afterward, Finn, Anora and I went back to the living room and the staff disappeared as Momma Tahlia got ready to leave as well, claiming that she needed to finish preparing our dinner. She would send her mate, retired Alpha Noah, to come get us at 8:00 sharp.

So we needed to be ready. It was a small ten-person dinner party hosted for us.

We agreed, and Momma Tahlia left, but not before hugging us three more times.

We chatted for a while before deciding to take a shower and a quick nap. I wanted to be well-rested in case dinner held any more surprises. We would be dining with Momma Tahlia, Alpha Noah, Beta Royce, Azora, Alpha Rhett, Ivy and Gamma Fletcher Reid.