Lake mountain's Luna

Chapter 3: Arriving home

Iker

As we pulled onto the small road leading to the pack territory, I saw Rose look out the window as if she was sad that we finally arrived. "Elaine is excited to see you." I started trying to see if it would change her mood, she looked forward with a small smile, Rose and Elaine has been best friends since well I think birth. They were born only 5 days apart. Rose may be younger but if you looked at them you would not be able to say that. Over the years Elaine has been visiting Rose on a regular basis, Rose even got her a holiday internship at one of the biggest shifters hospitals in the USA. Elaine had always dreamed of becoming a healer but not only focusing on our kind, but all shifters and she was well on her way to do that. "How do you know my best friend is excited to see me?". Her eyes met mine in the rear-view mirror. Oh s**t, Elaine is going to kill me. "Iker is there something you would like to share with me?" I quickly broke the eye contact; we were close enough so I could mind-link my mate. Elaine, we will be there in about 5 min please meet us in front of the packhouse. Sure, honey you haven't told her yet, have you? I heard my mate's voice in my mind. I might have let it slip. I ended the link before she could scold me for doing something I promised I would not do. "Iker?" Rose asked again from the back seat. "Maybe we should wait until we get to the packhouse she will be waiting for us there," I said as we entered the pack land through the tall gates. When we stopped at the pack houses a few minutes later my mate, Elaine was already waiting for us. I could also see her mother, the gamma, ordering some omega staff that was helping her unload Hunter's moving vans. As the car came to a standstill, Rose's door flew open, and I could see her and my mate running towards each other. "Rose, I have missed you" Elaine shouted, I could feel her excitement through our bond. As they hugged for a moment, I could see Rose sniffing Elaine's hair then she pulled away, looking at her with a crocket smile, then she look back at me and I couldn't help the smile that came across my face. "Elaine, why did you not tell me?" Rose asked. "I wanted to wait until you were home, plus it only happened a week ago when he reported back after his military duties." my mate smiled at her best friend.

Rose

The moment I hugged Elaine I could smell that her scent had changed, and at that moment I knew that my new guard Iker was her mate. I was a bit disappointed that she didn't tell me but understood that she wanted to tell me in person. As I took in the scenery of the packhouse in front of me, the faintest delicious scent caught me by surprise, "MATE" Sif shouted in my head. "Calm down, Sif, we knew he would be here, but we have to fight the urge, we have to prove ourselves to father first" We have gone over this, the last 12 years, we knew who our mate was but we needed to become Alpha first before letting a man anywhere close to our heart. My father must see me first as a leader before just accepting me as one because I had a strong mate to my side. "Yummy" my wolf purred in my head. I must say although faint my mate smelled like my favourite winter drink, Chai tea. Spicy cinnamon bark, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. I knew it came from his belongings that were being unloaded by a few omegas. It must mean he is on his way home. "Earth to Rose" Elaine's voice rang through my mind. Suddenly the packhouse doors open and my mother came running out I could see my father not far behind her. "My baby, it is so good to have you home" my mother engulfed me in a bear hug. Even though she was not big in size she was strong. "Burke please get some omegas to assist Iker in unloading Rose stuff". Mom barked at my father, was that tension I felt. "I have already organized that dear, the moving van has been sent to her townhouse and everything is as you want it." I heard my father say from behind my mother. "Townhouse?" I asked questioning looking straight at my father. He just avoided eye contact. "Yes, I am having the Alpha's studio apartment revamp and it took a bit longer than expected." the look my mother was giving my father while speaking these words was telling me something is going on. "Oh," I said still having my eyes on my father, he was hiding something. Before I could press the matter, I smelled something that made my body cringe. It was a smell I hated and with good reason, it smelled, like cigarettes. I looked around and saw our Beta and his son behind my father. My father suddenly turned around and entered the packhouse. I was kind of disappointed that he didn't even hug me or for that matter said hello. My mother could see the disappointment in my eyes. "Oh honey, you know your father, he isn't one for matters of the heart. Let's get you settled in. I have prepared a small lunch for you and Elaine and Iker are welcome to join you, everything is set up in your favourite place" she said while taking my hand and leading me to our private courtyard, my favourite place in the world. As a child, I would play there for hours and as I teenager I would sit on a daybed my father had made for me for hours, reading or chatting with Elaine. The four of us moved to the backyard to enjoy lunch but before getting there, there was a sudden mind-link from my father. ALL PACK MEMBERS TO MEET IN THE FORMAL DINING HALL IN 30 MIN it was so loud in my head. I looked at my mother, "I guess I better start getting something together for the pack to eat, I hate it when your father does things like this." She kissed me and quickly head to the main kitchen to speak to the kitchen staff. "Well, I guess we are going to my room to get ready for the important pack meeting," I said as I looked at Elaine and Iker.

Hunter

"s**t, s**t, s**t" I shouted as I was kicking the flat tire my bike got about 100 miles from our pack lands. "This will not get us anywhere" Thor shouted in my head. "We should just shift and run home; our mate will be there waiting" Sometimes having a strong wolf spirit annoyed me. I could feel him pushing forward wanting to shift and run the rest of the way home. "It would not help, remember our promise and we would have no way to keep the present we got her safe, I have phoned my father and he is on his way." As I looked around, I could not see anything for miles. Guess all I could do was wait. Suddenly I got a message She just arrived, and I think she knows. Get your butt here. I rolled my eyes as I read the message my sister send. I don't know who is more excited for me to declare my love to my mate. My mother, my sister, or the animal pacing up and down in my head. Alpha called an urgent meeting. Sending a car to get you. DAD. Maybe Thor did have a plan we should just shift we could be there in an hour and a half. Shifting and running send someone to get the bike. I quickly got undressed and tided my phone, clothes, and the necklace I got my mate in a small bag around my ankle and quickly shifted and ran to get home soon.

Grant

The pack was arriving in groups, everyone very interested in what the Alpha had to say. While everyone took a seat at different tables and chairs talking and gossiping among each other, Luna was busy making sure a small lunch was served, I must give it to her she was the perfect Luna and with Alpha only announcing this meeting 25 min ago I was surprised that she and the kitchen staff was able to get something on the tables for the pack to eat. As I sat at the high-ranking members table and watched everyone around me, I couldn’t help but to think back to when I saw Rose a few minutes back. Did she react to me, I could not catch her scent, but we all knew true alphas were stronger in all ways and although I could not catch her scent, her wolf reacted to something. I knew I was not her mate otherwise I would have felt the pull the day I turned 18. Mother always wished it would be the case but me and my father knew that the Williams was only mated to true Alphas, it was like that since anyone can remember. As I was lost in thought, Rose stepped into the room, her scent overtook my senses, although she was not my mate, I loved the way she smelt. Strawberries and honey and it really woke up my wolf Loki, that was going wild. “Stop it mutt, she is not even our mate.” I tried to calm him down. “Who cares about such small matters, she could be if you just had some balls a few years back and took what was ours.” It took all the control I had to push him down. She walked closer to the table with Elaine and her mate following close by. I watched her closely and that was when I saw it again. She reacted to my scent. s**t this was not good for us. They took a seat at the far end of the table. “Good afternoon, glad to see you are back” I tried to make small talk but as always, she just smiled and nodded. She could be such a b***h at times. Just as I attempted again to make small talk the leaders of our pack entered. Alpha, Beta and Gamma took their seats and was joined by their wives. Everyone was present except for Mr Goody Two Shoes. Alpha got up and the whole room went quiet. “Afternoon Lake Mountain pack, I have called this meeting before tonight ceremony to make an important announcement. Tonight, we will be having our Alpha and Beta ceremony and we hope that everyone will join us. It is time for new leaders to lead this pack.” Everyone was quiet, then one of the older gentleman stood up. “Afternoon Alpha, as pack we are excited to hear this but I would just like you to clarify, you said Alpha and Beta. Yet we all know that Hunter is on his way will he not be sworn in as Gamma?” There was a pause, and Alpha looked at his mate with an apologetic look and I knew something big was about to go down. “I would have liked to leave this for tonight, but the pack have a right to know. As Rose have not met her mate, she is not eligible to take the Luna role without an Alpha, thus Grant will be sworn in as the new Alpha…” he did not get a chance to finish his sentence when a massive growl interrupted him. “I, Rose Williams, challenge Grant Brock for the title of Alpha of Lake Mountain pack.” Alpha was shocked. “NOO, that will not be allowed” he growled and gave a death stared at his daughter.