The Lost Werewolf's Mate

This town...

Gabriel and Thomas were making the rounds of their different lumber-related business. As they exited the last shop on their round of visits for today, Thomas rubbed his stomach and complained, “Man, all this walking has made me hungry. I need to eat something.”

Gabriel chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like you need an excuse to be hungry. Let’s find something to eat.”

Gamma Thomas suggested a new restaurant that he’d wanted to try out. “I heard a new Italian place just opened up down the street. It’s supposed to be amazing.”

Gabriel nodded in agreement. “Italian sounds great. Let’s go check it out.”

The warm and inviting atmosphere immediately struck them as they entered the restaurant. The waiter quickly seated them at a table by the window and handed them menus. They then listed the specials of the day.

Thomas was as excited as a kid in a candy store. “I can’t decide what to order. Everything looks so good.”

Gabriel smiled and suggested, “Why don’t we get a few things to share? That way, we can try a little of everything.”

Gamma Thomas nodded in agreement. “That’s a great idea.”

They continued to appreciate the restaurant's ambiance while waiting for their food to arrive. The wait staff was attentive and friendly, and the aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering sauces filled the air.

“Man, that was a great day. I enjoyed seeing all the work that our businesses are doing.”

Alpha Gabriel nodded. “Yeah, it was impressive to see the precision and skill that goes into every piece of furniture and every cut of wood.”

Gamma Thomas agreed. “And the hardware store was amazing. I did not know we had such a variety of supplies in there.”

The waiter interrupted them while he served them their food.

They couldn’t help but feel satisfied and content as they ate and chatted. The food was delicious; the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and they were in splendid company.

As they headed out for the door, Gabriel felt his wolf bristle at the sight of the other Alpha, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Victor,” he greeted the other man evenly.

“Gabriel,” Victor replied, his tone just as cool. “It’s quite opportune that we should meet like this. I was hoping we could have a little chat.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, his senses on high alert. “What about?”

“I hear you’ve been taking in a few... strays,” Victor said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Gabriel felt his hackles rise at the implication. “What do you mean by that? You should know what I do in my pack is none of your business.” Gabriel took a deep breath to rein in his wolf’s anger. He knew he couldn’t afford to get into a fight here, on neutral ground.

“I’m talking about the she-wolf that disappeared from our pack a few weeks ago,” Victor said, his eyes boring into Gabriel’s. “Word on the street is that you’ve taken her in. I always knew you had a soft spot for strays and mutts, but we must bring her back to the Blood Moon pack.”

Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat. Could the lost and amnesiac she-wolf they treated at the Moondance pack be from the Blood Moon pack? He had assumed she was a lone wolf, like many others who had sought refuge in his pack over the years.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabriel said, trying to keep his voice even but feeling his wolf Zeus fretting. And this was surprising. Zeus was usually indifferent regarding Victor, but mentioning the she-wolf made him very defensive.

“Don’t play dumb, Gabriel,” Victor snarled. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. And let me be clear: she belongs to us. She’s our prisoner and has to atone for her crimes. We want her back.”

Gabriel felt his blood boil at the other Alpha’s arrogance. “I don’t know who this she-wolf is, Victor. And even if I did, I wouldn’t give her up just because you demanded it.”

Victor’s eyes flashed with anger, and Gabriel could feel the tension in the air growing thicker by the second. He knew that this conversation could go south at any moment, and he was prepared to defend himself and his pack if it came to that. Thomas was now flanking him to his right, ready for a fight.

But to his surprise, Victor seemed to back down. He took a step back, his wolf visibly deflating. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “But mark my words, Gabriel. This town isn’t big enough for both of us. And one of these days, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

Zeus was now screaming over the mind link, “That arrogant i***t, who does he think he is?”

Gabriel’s eyes were black, showing that Zeus was about to take control. Thomas patted his shoulder, trying to get his attention. “Dude, what’s wrong? I’ve never seen Zeus react this way to Victor. He’s usually so indifferent. What’s up with him?”

“I truly don’t know,” Gabriel offered. He continued, “Victor got under his skin, especially when discussing the she-wolf. Zeus completely lost it.”

“We need to figure out Zeus’ reaction, boss. Also, we need to know if the she-wolf is indeed an escaped prisoner from the Blood Moon pack,” Thomas said.

“I agree,” Gabriel sighed loudly. Let’s head back. We need to get the leadership together and sort this out.

Gabriel and Thomas drove back to the pack land in silence, lost in their thoughts. Gabriel couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off.