Alpha Wyler
I could have left this to Johnathan and the patrol to deal with. It would have made Olivia happier but something told me to venture out into the icy temperatures on that Christmas day and find out what was going on along my territory. If my brother had enough balls to interrupt our Christmas, then I'd personally confront him or whoever he sent to disturb me.
The bushes and evergreen branches whipped by my snout as I ran along the thick underbrush of the forest floor. It was cool, but my coat didn't let even a bit of cold through. Perks of being mated: a good coat, endless muscle, and an excellent nose. I could smell the intruder miles out and I knew right then, it wasn't my brother.
“Caleb.”
I broke into a long trot as I came through a clearing onto the road way, covered in mud and snow. Johnathan was next to the four by four bush vehicle with Silvermoon's gold crest on the doors.
“The wolf is gone.”
I growled while stopping to sniff the air. I could track it.
“We've looked everywhere.”
'Literally.' A wolf that I'd chosen to be quite high up in the patrol pack; Tyler, came out of the brush across the road. 'He's gone.'
Well, he had a good enough nose to figure out it was a male. The scent of the intruder was starting to irk me. 'How hard did you look?'
Tyler's lips ruffled at the potential of a growl but he didn't dare. 'Everywhere. I watched him run off.'
'Why did he escape?'
'I wasn't going down the cliff, that's not my job.'
I lowered my muzzle enough to be a threat of anger. 'Last time I checked that was your job.'
Johnathan cleared his throat next to us, feeling the tension even if he was in human form. “Should we go look together, Alpha?”
'I'll be at my post.' Tyler's eyes swept away from me and he sunk back into the dark bushes.
I'd overlooked Tyler's inability to control his emotions. it seemed he was more butt-hurt than I thought possible about having to work on Christmas. I'd deal with Tyler later. I jumped forward into the bushes, right now I would hunt down whoever came on my territory.
I'd always been a great runner, now being no exception with my enhanced mated muscle. Small trees and bushes moved out of my way, snapping at their weakest points. I found the cliff and saw how steep it was. to some wolves, it may appear impossible. I navigated it with a fearlessness I could only chalk down to Olivia. She made my courage that much greater. I had that much more want to protect her and to do so, required my fear of anything to push me to my greatest. Having a Luna was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
That's when the trail ended. The scent stopped but hit me full on. The wolf was near and as I turned to search the forest around me, I was tackled to the ground by a grey tinted wolf, full of matts and possibly parasites.
From my back, I flipped him off and threw him a few feet to a near tree. He whimpered when he hit the trunk of an old fir and I gave him no time to recover.
'What are you doing on my territory!'
'Alpha... alpha.... alpha.... Jackson wasn't lying when he said you were... pretty.' It chortled with a snide voice in my head. This thing was less like a wolf and more like a hyena- or that's what it reminded me of.
I wasn't in any mood to play games and pinned him with a paw to his throat under me. 'What do you want?'
'Merry Christmas... from your brother.'
This was harassment. I wouldn't accept the attempt to play mind games. Instead I grabbed him by the scruff and started hauling him through the woods. If all he'd do is utter threats at me, then I'd put him in a cell and get real information out of him once he had a little pain to persuade him.
'Hey! Let me go!'
I laughed this time. 'You're on my territory.'
'Keeping his mate against his wishes is illegal.'
'What about her wishes?'
'She's got none.... she's a she-wolf. A useless one.'
I gave his scruff a shake and bit harder, tasting blood. 'You look pretty useless to me.'
He struggled away when he started to realize I was dragging him back to my pack. Once the patrol got control of him, he'd never see the light of day again – Jackson had made a big mistake sending in distractions. I'd pick them off one at a time if I had to.
'Your Luna. I seen pictures of her, nice ass...'
I bit so hard, he cried out in a howl. That's when my patrol came running, Johnathan with them now shifted into his wolf.
'You caught him.' My Beta noted with astonishment.
'Take him.' I threw the weaselly wolf at four patrol members who jumped on him and grabbed him, taking nice bites out his hide. I'd turn a blind eye to that.
'Hey!' He shouted. 'Let me go!'
'Put him in a cell. I'll deal with him tomorrow.'
Their mutters of ‘Yes, Alpha’ faded as they dragged him off. Johnathan looked back to me.
'We failed.'
I shook out my coat and went to walk back to the pack house, still another fifteen minutes out. 'Don't let it happen again.' I left John to think it over and made my way home. The circumstances- though they annoyed me- I had every right to chew out my patrol. They should have chased him harder, ran him down, and brought him to me. This whole situation was starting to leave a foul taste in my mouth and now I'd have to face Olivia, after leaving her for well over a few hours to deal with the mess. I shifted so my feet hit the stairs of the deck and I walked up to the cupboard of cold towels.
The back door slid open and there she was, with her hand on her hip.
“Olivia,” her name left my heaving chest, it would take me more than a few minutes to recover. “How are you?”
“Did you find anything?” Her attitude prompted my temper to flare. I could tell her what went on or I could release her of the worry- the wolf wasn't much of a threat anyway.
“Excuse me?” I secured the towel around my waist.
“Did you find whatever it was you had to leave me for?”
“There was nothing.” I felt my jaw clench but worked through it. “Let's go inside.”
She stepped back and let me in. Then I took the door from her and shut it, snapping the lock down. Taking her hand, I led her toward the kitchen. The food was a welcome bout of smells compared to that stench off that ugly, little wolf.
Lara gave us a glance as I said, “it smells great, Lara.”
“Olivia is helping too,” she said with a gentle smile, trying to give my Luna some credit.
“Go help then.” I leaned in and kissed Olivia's cheek and left before she could argue. I found clothes in the laundry room down the hall and dressed. Listening to Krissy giggling while playing with her new toys and the hushed voices of Olivia and Lara down the hall as they organized the meal. My goal that evening was to not tip them off to my new prisoner and let them enjoy the rest of the holidays – worry free.
I returned to the kitchen and came up behind Olivia, kissing her shoulder. “You look beautiful.”
She shoved me away with a soft laugh. “I'm cooking.”
I loved her innocent protest and took her waist. “Are you still mad at me, baby girl?”
She sighed as Lara left the kitchen and stopped what she was doing to turn into me. Her arms came around my shoulders. Running her fingers over me, she seemed to like my still tensed muscles from the shift.
“What about if we're having a girl.... won't she be your baby girl then?”
“I guess so.” I went to kiss her as the thought of having a daughter- another woman to protect- made my heart pound.
“Then you won't be able to call me that, cause' it will be weird.” She didn't let me kiss her.
“Fine. Then I'll call you mama, do you like that more?”
She shook her head and I kissed her, stopping her protests by putting my tongue down her throat.
“Mama...” I growled. “Luna. Brat.”
She kissed me back, whispering, “daddy.”
The nickname made me bring her in closer as I completely forgot the truth I withheld from her. Some dishes clinked together and I stepped back from Olivia, watching her wipe her smudged lipstick away- all thanks to me. I did notice her scent then, how our making out had made her wet. Fuck, I needed her, especially after being shifted and running about forty miles.
“Caleb...”
I turned to Lara as she placed a carving knife down on the counter. “Can you help cut this up?”
I remembered when I'd been with her, holidays at her family’s places and the amount of times I'd carved a turkey.
When I finished, Lara had mostly dished everything to the table. I met the women at the dinner table with a platter of hot meat. I wasn't sure what I needed more- food or sex. I decided on both as I pulled out the chair for Olivia and placed a kiss on her forehead. My hand found her perfect belly and I placed it on top to feel my pup move.
“One more Christmas surprise for you after dinner, mama.”
“What is it?” She smiled at me. she'd forgiven me for leaving and I was pleased we could move on with no more of her attitude about it. “And don't call me that yet.”
“You'll see later.” I sat down at the head of the table as Lara seated Krissy with her.
Olivia had brought me a beer and I fully enjoyed that while filling my growling stomach with the turkey dinner. I watched Olivia groan and rub her stomach from eating way too much almost an hour later.
“I hope you don't get sick...”
She smiled. “It will be worth it.”
“You never say that when you're puking at three in the morning.”
“Why do you remind me of these things?” She stuck her tongue out at me and I gave her a good glare but really, all it had done is turn me on more. I wanted to give her that present now.
“I'll clean up.” Lara stood, starting to collect dishes.
“I'll help.” I stood to gather items as well.
“Thank you...” Lara smiled at me and I nodded.
Glancing at Olivia as she rubbed her belly, I told her, “let me do this and when I'm done, I'll give you that last gift.”
She nodded. “I'll just stay here and die.”
“Go take a bath,” I instructed. “I saw you limping earlier and rubbing your side.”
“Don't be such a stalker,” she giggled.
I put the plates down and helped her stand. “I'll be right back, Lara.”
I took her hand and led her up the stairs. Fully intending on running her bath, when watching her moan and hold her swollen belly did more to me than it should have. When we got into our room, I wrapped myself around her, biting into her tender neck.
“Caleb...” she whimpered, her eyes rolling back and accepting the mating I wanted right then and there.
I nibbled the mark I'd branded her with and said softly, “you and our pup mean everything to me.”
“I love you.” She purred, allowing whatever I wanted. except tonight, I wanted something I normally did not. Slow and loving, I would make love to her in the most gentle way possible and maybe once did she find out about the prisoner, she'd pardon my behaviour of not telling her. I was only doing what I believed to be the most sensible thing for her sake and our pup. My Luna didn't need any more stress and I would continue to shelter her from it.