As the Moon Teaches

Proposition.

The following week passed by at a snail’s pace, leaving Loren with a small heartache that he could not fully understand. His mother said that it was the absence of his mate in his life, but he was still skeptical. There was no way the young man from a different pack was his mate. It was supposed to be someone like the girl from the library, right? Someone you were attracted to.

Loren forgot to pay attention to the teacher, instead he was thinking of the teen from the night of his birthday. He sighed, dropping his head to his desk. At least his mate was fairly attractive looking, if he did have to judge him. He looked like he definitely lifted weights, bulkier than most guys their age. He probably had a good thirty pounds on Loren.

Now, Loren was not small, he had muscles. He kept up with the training for being a hunter, since he wanted to do something useful for the pack. His muscles were lean, more for speed, rather than power. His mate looked like he focused on building up his strength.

He found himself doodling around the word ‘Pelian’ on his notebook. He sighed. That was what Zeala had said. It had said it like the word meant the difference between life and death. Loren could only assume it was the name of Gregory’s wolf. If it was, he wondered how Zeala knew it, he barely knew the teen was named Gregory.

Lunch time came and went with little issue, other than Zeala pouting that its mate was not around. The day ended with no incidents, proving to be a bit much of ‘normalcy’ for Loren. By the time he made it home, he and Carleigh had decided that it was almost too much for his wolf to be so attached so quickly. Neither quite understood the draw of a mate.

After speaking to his parents, Loren was no happier with what he had learned. A wolf could die without their mate. He could feel that they had told him the truth, because Zeala whimpered and paced like it was going crazy.

Deciding that he needed to find out for sure, to finalize that possibility in his head, he prepared for bed. He would have Carleigh and Marcus help him find Gregory over the weekend. He needed to be certain they were mates, and if so, they’d have to find a way to make things work. If not for them, for their wolves.

_____________________________________________________

Saturday came, and Loren managed to talk Carleigh and Lucy into joining him on a search for Gregory. Lucy said it was best to start easy and head straight to the Darkstone Pack House. If Marcus was right, Gregory was in training to be Alpha, meaning he was probably at a pack training spree.

Reluctantly, Loren and Carleigh agreed, so they all piled in Lucy’s car. It was not common for pack members other than Alphas and Betas to visit another pack, but they felt this time was seriously called for. It could mean life or death for a member of each pack.

The car ride was quiet, each in their own heads. Loren could only hope things went smooth. Maybe he and Gregory could come up with something that worked for their wolves, but also for them. He doubted the other man would want to be stuck with someone he did not know, he probably was not even his type.

Pulling up to the gate at the Darkstone Pack house, Lucy waited for the guard. The tall man with short black hair growled a bit when he sensed they were all wolves from another pack. “What business do you have here?”

“Well, pretty sure mates can visit their partners, regardless of house.” Lucy said snidely while pointing back at Loren in the back seat. “He’s Gregory Jr.’s mate.”

The guard looked thunderstruck, like he could not believe it. He stared at the pup in the backseat, wondering how they expected him to believe it. “I’ll have Alpha Carlton and young Alpha-to-be Gregory meet you in the courtyard.”

With that, the guard went back into the guardhouse and made a call before opening the gate for Lucy to drive through. He watched them as they drove in, hoping he had made the right call. It was a big deal to let outside wolves into the courtyard.

The three got out of the car after finding a spot to park near the garages. They made their way to the front of the house to wait in the courtyard. Loren could feel his heart beating in his throat, sudden anxiety taking over as he decided to stay behind the girls.

They looked around the beautifully manicured courtyard while they waited. There were flowers and nicely shaped hedges around the driveway leading to the garages. Small flowering trees placed just so nicely around the yard. It was more flowery than their own Pack House, and definitely more flowery than they expected for the Darkstone Pack.

When one of the large doors opened, the three startled a little and stood up straight, watching as an older man walked out. At the sight of Alpha Carlton, all three lowered their heads, barely resisting the urge to drop to knees or back away. This man was indeed a strong Alpha, and he exuded that power easily, even for being a bit older than what they were used to.

Loren felt Gregory’s presence before the young man came through the doorway behind Alpha Carlton. He had to use restraint to not disrespect the Alpha by running up to Gregory. Long breaths helped him keep calm, but barely helped him resist the electricity running along his nerves.

Zeala howled a happy sound as it felt Pelian get closer and closer. It was almost enough, just a little closer and Zeala would have what it wanted. The wolf whined and whimpered, begging for Loren to move closer to Gregory.

Loren, though, was studying Gregory carefully. He noticed the sweat trickling down that muscular neck and built arms, a sign of how hard the Alpha in training was working out with the other younger members of the Darkstone Pack. Some tiny thought in the back of Loren’s mind followed a path of how he would like to be included in making Gregory sweat.

Face turning red, the young man could only conclude that that must have been Zeala’s thoughts. He could not tear his eyes off his supposed mate when the current Alpha started speaking.

“You three are from the Morningbrooke Pack. What do you have to say for yourselves being in our home, especially calling out one of our youngsters from his training?” Carlton watched them, waiting to see who would speak up about the interruption.

“Well, Alpha, you see… We’re fairly certain that Gregory is my brother’s mate.” Carleigh took up the role of leader of their little group. She was used to speaking up, and public speaking was a forte for her. “We came to find out for sure.”

Loren stared at the back of his sister’s head. How could she put it so simply? How did she speak to the Alpha somewhat like she would talk to any wolf?

“I see. So then step forward, boy. Let’s let Gregory and your wolves decide.”

“Aah, uh… Yes.” Loren was at a loss, but moved around Carleigh to be more directly in sight of Gregory and Carlton.

“Alpha, sorry to interrupt, but I refuse.” Gregory said calmly. So calmly, in fact, that Loren missed the meaning at first. Gregory’s eyes never left Loren, but there was no happiness on his face.

“What?” Was the squeak that escaped both girls watching and waiting.

Gregory shook his head and pointed at Loren. “I refuse you as my mate. First off, you’re not Alpha material. Second thing, is you are male.”

“Do you think I want a male mate!?” Loren felt rage well up in him, knowing some of it was Zeala’s at the thought of losing its mate. Indignantly, he snapped at Gregory, “I want a cute girl that wears skirts and bows!”

Before anybody else could interject, Gregory held a hand out. “I want to propose something for the sake of our wolves, since they are mates.”

Loren turned to walk away but Gregory grabbed the back of his t-shirt. The brush of fingers against his back sent fire through Loren’s skin and Zeala yelped in excitement. That was partly what the wolf wanted.

“I propose we make an agreement. Friends for our wolves, see to their needs, because without them, we’re dead anyway. That, and we hold nothing for each other, but also no secrets? I know Pelian could not handle the surprise of its mate with someone else, but we can work on something.”

“How… adult and diplomatic.” Lucy scratched her head. “No wonder you’re destined to be an Alpha.”

Loren groaned as Zeala begged for more contact with Pelian. He shook off the hand holding his shirt and headed to Lucy’s car. He just wanted to get out before anything else happened.

______________________________________________________

“He said what?” Loren heard his mother cry out. She was more upset by the news of rejection than Loren himself.

Laying on his bed, he had left it to Carleigh and Lucy to convey the problem to others. He wanted nothing to do with the sympathy or apologies from anyone. Especially did not want to see how upset his mother was going to be.

“He wants to be friends for their wolves, but that is it.” Carleigh stated.

“Yeah, whatever. Like I want to do that even.” Loren snapped quietly from his room. He made sure to be quiet enough that others could not hear him, but he could still hear them.

“At least he understands that the wolves are mates regardless of the boys… but that is going to become a sadness that will eat at both of them until real damage is done.” Michelle sighed. She had a friend who died of a broken heart, and never imagined that as a possibility for her son.

Loren fell asleep, Zeala’s sadness at separating from its mate, even temporarily, led to many sad dreams. Dreams that ranged from desperation and being entrapped, to loss and death.

The dream that hit so hard it woke Loren in a cold sweat started with them at school. It then turned into a war between packs. He had to choose between family and his mate. Suddenly there was a third option, a girl’s silhouette.

As he chose the girl, he watched his family be slayed by a horde of wolves. Turning to look for Gregory, he felt fear and surprise at seeing the other man laying on the ground bleeding. Loren held the girl’s hand while walking closer to Gregory, only to hear him gurgle and stop breathing.

Zeala screamed. Along with Gregory, Pelian died. Loren could see Zeala, a large dusty colored wolf with bright green eyes, as it collapsed in pain.

That scream tore at Loren’s heart so much that he woke up crying, clutching at his heart. Pain caused him to curl up and cry into his pillow. The death of one’s wolf was only ever followed by the death of the body.

Was this foreboding what would happen if Loren and Gregory chose other than each other? Was this Zeala’s way of saying ‘Pelian or death’ was the only choice?