Run! The Black Wolf's prey.

Chapter 2 - John

The phone beeped, indicating a new text message.

> Rebecca, his mother.

John sighed.

> he texted back before throwing the phone over to the passenger seat.

He pressed the gas pedal and the midnight blue Lexus LC roared and leaped forward. Usually, he tried to obey the speed limits, at least in the vicinity of humans, but the empty highway ahead of him was way too tempting. Besides, now he had a good reason to hurry up. A secluded meeting with his parents and the elders? This could only mean trouble, and he was impatient to find out what was going on.

The car was purring as he raced through the beautiful scenery of his homelands - the vast deep green forests, the shimmer of lakes in between the trees and large mountains rising in the distance. He really didn’t like the city, the noises and the scents always overwhelming his sensitive wolf senses, but he sure loved these moments driving back home, enjoying the silence and the solitude. Soon he would be back with his pack, and life in a pack was anything but quiet.

He took a look in the rear-view mirror and chuckled; his mother would definitely not approve of his looks! He hadn’t shaved for several days, and he had dark stubble on his cheeks. His wavy black hair had also grown long, giving him a rough and wild vibe, and his brown eyes sparkled with golden flecks. He was looking like the stereotype of one of the “Black Wolves,” as others used to call their pack – tall, strong and dark. Also, he wasn’t wearing a tailored shirt, but an old t-shirt that was a little too tight for his broad shoulders, and his mother had asked him to dress properly. She'll survive, he thought with a wry smile.

It didn’t take long until he could get off the highway and take a few swift turns to get on a small rocky road, well hidden behind giant pine trees and bushes, the wheels sliding in the gravel. The road continued in thick vegetation, but after a while there was an opening to a big ravine, leading further on to a valley, revealing the pack house premises surrounded by a dense forest of pines and cottonwood trees.

The pack property was well hidden deep in the woods, far away from any human communities. Several cosy lodges were scattered along a somnolent river where children were playing in the fresh water, with a few adults watching them from under a couple of birch trees, trying to get some shade from the burning sun and its draining heat. A little further away, with the forest as its backdrop, stood a large picturesque traditional old villa made of timber. Next to it stood the even larger main building - a modern house made of timber and bricks, concrete and glass, designed to blend in with the rocks and trees surrounding it.

John drove up to the side of the main house and parked next to a big red and shiny SUV that he didn’t recognize. Something was really going on, and he suspected this was more than just concerning the pack. The front door opened, and his mother Rebecca and younger brother Nicholas approached him as he was getting out of the car.

“John! There you are,” Rebecca called, walking hastily to meet him. “Oh goddess, you look like a villain” she said disapprovingly, arching an eyebrow. “Can you at least try to not look like a wolf when among humans?"

“Hi mother,” he replied and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “And you look as beautiful as always.”

“Don’t you flatter me,” she smiled, caressing his arm. She had her long platinum blonde hair in a neat chignon bun, and she was wearing a tight olive-green dress. “Now come on, everyone is waiting.”

She pulled him towards the entrance, where his brother Nicholas was leaning against the wall with arms folded and with a sly look on his face. While all three siblings had inherited their father’s dark hair colour, John and his younger sister Chloe looked a lot like their mother. Nicholas, on the other hand, resembled their father; tall and bulky, with a strong jawline. The only resemblance he had with their mother was his blue eyes, though his were more silver compared to Rebecca’s sky blue. Nicholas was not as good-looking as John, but at least he was shaved and well-trimmed. If not, he would have looked more wolf than human even when in his human form.

“Hey John,” Nicholas grinned. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” John growled. He turned towards his mother, gazing at her questioningly.

“Let’s go inside” Rebecca urged, throwing annoyed looks at his little brother. She kept caressing his arm as they were walking through the hallway.

“Mother, why all this secrecy?”

“Well, you know… We have been talking before about the future, remember? Your future. And the future of the pack.”

“Yes. And?” he replied, feeling irritated. He didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“Love, your father and I, we just want you to hear us out…”

They were walking through the house towards the great room, situated at the centre of the house. It was a spacious room, with a high ceiling and giant windows facing the forest on the other side of the glass.

“Mother, if this is about me finding a mate again, it’s starting to…” John didn’t finish his sentence; when they entered the room, he realized they were no longer alone. Everyone was looking at him and it was dead silent

.

He took a swift look around. There were the elders, notably his grandmother and father’s uncle, and Bran, his father’s Beta. Two pack Alphas from the neighbouring packs and one of their elders were there as well, and John nodded to acknowledge their presence. But seated next to the windows was also a small group of strangers, including a beautiful young woman with fair skin and blue eyes. She had long and wavy red hair and neat freckles covered her face. She blushed at the sight of him.

John felt trapped.

“Mother”, his voice tense. “What is this?”

“This is…” Rebecca started but was interrupted by his father who came rushing into the room.

“John! Finally! I can’t believe you can never be on time,” his father rumbled.

John’s father, Warren, was an impressive man, very tall and well-built, with massive arms showing through his white business shirt. His hair was black, although with many strands of grey, and his tough jawline was well shaved, as always.

Even though he was coming of age with his 52 years, at least in the eyes of wolves, he was still the most intimidating wolf of the pack! He was their Alpha, but also the leader of their whole tribe, consisting of seven different packs called ‘the Western tribe’. But not only was he a strong and confident Alpha, he was also very well-educated and was the CEO of a big investment company in the human world, which made it possible for both the pack and the tribe to thrive economically.

“Meet Eyvind and Astrid, the Alpha and Luna of the Emerald Lake Pack,” Warren directed his gaze towards the group of strangers, his voice more cheerful now. “They have come to discuss alliances and will stay with us a few days. They will join us for the Full Moon celebrations,” he continued.

“They are friends of ours, and distant relatives,” Rebecca said gently, once again holding on to John’s arm as if she was trying to keep him from running away.

Eyvind, a robust man with intelligent blue eyes and as red hair as the young woman by his side, stood up and shook John’s hand.

“I’m very pleased to meet you, John” he said with a smile, but the tone of his voice was sharp. “I’m sure we will find this meeting very valuable. This is my Luna Astrid,” he gestured towards his wife, who leaned forward to shake his hand as well. “My son Marcus will join us later tonight, he had some business errands to attend to,” he continued. “And this is my daughter Freya,” he almost pushed the beautiful redhead into John’s arms. The girl blushed again; this time her face was all pink.

“Hello,” she said with a soft voice, trying to regain her posture. She smiled and placed her delicate hand into John’s palm. “I’m delighted to finally meet you.”

“Finally?” John smiled but with questioning eyes, brows raised.

Her smile faded and he heard his father grunting behind him.

“But yes, very nice to meet you too, Freya. You have very beautiful eyes,” he complimented her. She smiled at him again, her deep blue eyes sparkling.

“Thank you, John” she beamed. “Yours are not so bad either. Golden is my favourite colour.”