Gypsy Moon

Chapter Twenty-six: Aiden

. . . . . . (early July)

Sinah was asleep again. I smiled at my beautiful mate, her breathing slow and even. I stood up and stretched as far as I could.

/:Bryce?:/

/:Alpha?:/ I grinned, it sounded like I woke him and Mir up.

/:How'd Kyle take it?:/

/:We don't know how that girl does it, she had the whole situation laid out for him in the space of a five-minute mind link.:/

/:And his brain didn't leak out from his ears?:/

/:Amazingly, no, so we went and took a nap. Do you need us?:/

/:Not currently, I'll go and be responsible so you can go back to sleep.:/

/:Thanks Alpha.:/ I grinned and closed the link, Mir seemed determined to call me by my title now for her entertainment. I just rolled my eyes and finished getting dressed. I was surprised to find Lilian in the sitting room, flipping through some papers she was holding. She glanced up at me when I closed the bedroom door.

"Ah, Alpha, I was about to knock. Let's see..." She flipped back to the top page. "Couple things; Alpha Derek is home from the hospital, he and Luna Marie have gone to the lake house to spend a few days together alone with their children." She flipped a page. "Barring unforeseen circumstances, Kyle should pass into River Talon territory in a little more than three hours, since he does not drive like Bryce. The border patrols have been warned that he is traveling with an unenlightened human." Page flip. "Repairs are underway on the packhouse, and the SUV we borrowed from White Moon should be out of the shop tomorrow." She looked at me calmly and I just blinked at her and grinned.

"You know, I had no idea I needed a Delta, but you have got the job." She gave me a brilliant smile.

"I always wanted to be a personal assistant to someone important." She crinkled her nose at me. "I guess you'll have to suffice." I bowed grandly to her.

"Glad to be of service." I thought quietly for a moment. "I'm actually glad the SUV could be repaired... Is there anything that needs to be taken care of right now?" She nodded and stood up.

"I would like to run to town and buy a couple of things before Kyle gets here. Your mother says when Sinah wakes up she needs to get her measurements taken for her dress." She glanced at her phone. "And your steak should be going on the grill right about now. Rhys suggested, I quote: 'shake a hot pan at the cow and bring the meat while it's still scared' rare." I blinked and my mouth watered.

"Best Delta ever. I'll see if one of the warriors will drive you to town and escort you." I led the way out of the suite and paused at the door. "I will also see if I can get your room moved to the other guest suite, so you and Kyle can room together." She blushed and smiled.

"Thank you, Alpha."

"Hey Lilian... Why are you using my title and not my name?" She blinked at me like I was stupid.

"Because I am working here, sir." She laughed lightly. "No, it's just not like I will get very many opportunities to be all professional when it goes down to just the five of us. I figured I could have a little fun while we are still here."

"Fair enough." I spotted Derek's Beta and waved at him. He gave me a crooked grin and jogged over.

"Finally crawling out of the love shack, Aiden?" I laughed.

"Only because my Luna seems to think she needs sleep." He snorted.

"Yeah, we could tell." Lilian smothered her giggles and I chuckled.

"ANYWAY. Mike, can Lilian borrow a warrior for a bodyguard while she goes into town to shop?" He nodded and smiled down at her.

"Would you like to use the pack account for your expenses? Alpha Jake suggested I offer, especially since Aiden hadn't used his allowance in years." Her eyes widened.

"The pack account?" I shrugged.

"It's a big pack, we've been pooling incomes for generations. River Talon owns a lumber yard, a construction company, and a few other stores around town. Most of the employees are pack members." Beta Mike nodded.

"Yeah, we pour it all into the same account. It makes it easier for everyone. I mean the food costs for a pack our size is astronomical, so we buy in massive bulk and just stock the pack storage for everyone to take what they need." Lilian hummed and scribbled a note on her papers really quickly.

"Can I buy a tablet today?" Beta Mike nodded to her.

"Here, I'll go grab one of the cards and I'll take you into town myself, meet you out front in five minutes?" Lilian nodded and the pair split off from me. I went in search of my steak.

I found it being carried to the Alpha's table by a young kitchen wolf. I thanked her and sat down. She fiddled with her fingers and bit her lip.

"Do you have a question, hun?" I cut into the steak with vigor and noticed a huge, dark blush coloring the teen's face.

"um... i-i c-could hear y-you and y-your m-m-mate..." I choked and felt my own cheeks heat up. I looked more closely at the girl, she probably had just gotten her wolf. I gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." I winked at her. "Worried about finding your mate?" She shook her head and bit her lip again.

"n-no h-he f-f-found m-me." I tilted my head, she smelled of fear and I leaned towards her, my gaze sharpening. Even Sinah's face hadn't been so purplish, it wasn't a blush coloring the girl's cheeks, I realized and I struggled to keep my voice soft.

"What did he do?" Silent tears were streaking down her cheeks.

"h-he-e f-f-forc-c-ced m-me t-t-t...." I stood up and leaned forward so I could pick the sobbing girl up, lifting her over the table and sitting back in my chair with her in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her while she cried.

"Little one, can you show my wolf what happened?" She nodded and trembled but accepted the mind link from Rhys to her wolf. The blazing fury that shot through me from him made me suck my breath in sharply. Poor girl, I wanted to skin her mate at the flashes I was picking up from her memories.

/:Bryce.:/ I passed the last couple minutes to him and felt his anger flare. /:Bring him back in one piece, he'll still face formal punishment as well.:/

/:Consider it done.:/

By the time Bryce dragged the protesting teen in front of me, my eyes were full black with rage and the little wolf had passed out from crying. The kid had a bloody nose and several thin trails of blood leaked from the fully clawed submission grip Bryce had on the back of his neck. The kid's eyes met mine and he paled. My voice was icy.

"Do you have any idea why you are standing right there, right now?"

"She's mine! If I want to f**k her, I can!" I growled at him, a dangerously low noise that alerted half the packhouse. I could feel my alpha aura pouring off of me in waves as I roared at him.

"NO. YOU. CAN'T. You have no right. The Goddess made you mates, only she knows why, but you DO NOT own her. You will be punished, severely. Right now, I'm leaning towards road-hauling you, so until I can think about you without wanting to drag you behind a truck, you will stay in the dungeon. Full chains."

The little s**t pissed himself and fainted. Bryce snarled and let him drop into the puddle of his own urine.

"Filthy mongrel." Bryce wiped the blood off his fingers and held his arms out to take the little she-wolf from me. "I'll take her to the infirmary and get the nurses to take care of her."

"Is it wrong to hope she rejects him so I can tear out his lungs without hurting her?" Bryce met my black eyes with his own.

"If it's wrong, Goddess save me from being right."

. . . . . .