by Amanda Carol
I take in a deep breath, but I don’t focus on her. Aria comes closer and kneels down next to her, and that’s who I focus on.
She’s my calming breath of fresh air.
I shut the link off and breathe as the pain subsides. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mom glance over at Aria, then back at me. She moves over slightly so Aria can get closer. I find Aria’s hand and grab it.
“What the hell was that?” I ask, finally turning my attention to my mother.
“You just became the Alpha.” She smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. As much of a dick as my father was, the love he had for my mom was undeniable. “Not only can the Alpha use the link for his pack, but he is able to connect to the Alphas of the other six packs.”
“I didn’t know that.” I stare at my mom.
“The other Alphas were in agreement not to divulge that little secret. It’s been that way for centuries now. Artemis created seven wolves to balance things out. Seven wolves, seven different packs. Shifters have the option to join a different pack of their choosing, or not join one at all, but that doesn’t make you Alpha. That role is only passed down through the seven,” my mom explains. “You need to use the link to inform the other Alphas of what’s happened. It is customary for the other Alphas to come together to honor their fallen in a Moon Run, but to also honor their new fellow Alpha.”
My mom places a hand on my shoulder before getting up to leave.
Aria takes her place. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think so.” I get up on my knees, mimicking Aria’s position in front of me, my face inches from hers. I anchor my focus to her and open the link to the other Alphas.
My name is Hunter St. James, and I’m the new Alpha of the New Orleans pack.
After I talked to the rest of the packs and informed them of my father’s passing, they all said they would be on the next available flights out here. Then Aria and I went out to make sure the grounds were clear before coming back to our cabin. I couldn’t sleep, but I held her all night.
I gently scoot her over and get up from the bed and grab some fresh clothes. I walk into my bathroom, turning on the water, and glance at myself in the mirror. My eyes are glowing faintly, and I run my hand through my hair. I remember my father always told me I needed to cut it. He told me that a good Alpha needs to have shorter hair, clean-cut. I didn’t want to be the alpha, so I rebelled hard against it.
Opening one of the drawers, I pull out my clipper, plugging it into the wall.
“Hunter Alexander St. James. What the hell are you doing?” Aria asks from the doorway. I forgot to close the door when I came in here.
“I was going to cut my hair. Just give it a little trim,” I shrug.
Her eyes widen. “Why?”
She steps closer to me, and I set the clippers down on the sink.
“My father always told me that an Alpha should look clean-cut. It’s how it’s been in this pack. My grandfather, great grandfather, they all had the same haircut. I always fought him on that.” I sigh and scrub a hand down my face. “I don’t know, I just feel like I should do this. Honor the family line.”
Aria cups my cheeks. “You don’t need a haircut to honor your family. All you have to do is keep being you, and they will always be proud.” She looks down at the clipper and picks it up. Then her pale green eyes look back up at me, and I hear her inhale sharply. “But if you feel like this is something that you need to do, then let me help you.”
I lean down and place a soft kiss on her lips before sitting down on the toilet. She wraps a towel around my shoulders and turns the clipper on. My gaze connects with hers and I nod, letting her know that I’m ready. Then with one swipe through, I watch part of the old me fall to the floor. After a few minutes she turns the clipper off and sets it down on the counter.
“All finished,” she announces.
I stand and look at myself. It’s shorter than what it was, but it’s no longer shaggy. I look down at Aria, and a look of sadness crosses her features.
“Baby, it’s just hair. It’ll grow back.” I turn to face her and wrap my arms around her waist.
“I know, but I loved your shaggy hair.” She runs her hands through my hair, and I close my eyes. I love it when she does this. “But, this look is sexy too.”
I lean my forehead against hers. “Thank you.”
“I love you,” she says, standing on her toes and placing a soft kiss against my lips.
“I love you more,” I whisper against her lips, then kiss her once more before reluctantly letting her go. “As much as I want to pull you into this shower with me and get you all sorts of wet, I have to hurry. Caleb, the Alpha from North Dakota, let me know he will be here in a few hours and I want to go see my mom.”
Aria’s face flushes, but she nods. “Okay. I’m going to go check in with Declan. He texted me saying that he went to the medical room to help heal the witches and shifters. I’ll meet you back here later?”
“Yep.” I kiss her once more, and then she leaves.
I strip my clothes off and jump in the shower, then quickly change and head over to my mom’s.
“Mom?” I shout as soon as I walk in the door.
I hear something shatter in the kitchen.
“Damn it!” I hear her cry out.
I rush to the kitchen to find her on her knees, picking up the pieces of the glass bowl she dropped on the floor. She looks up at me, her eyes all red and puffy from crying. She then starts to pick up the glass pieces again.
“Here, let me help you,” I say, bending down.
“No, I can do it. I-I can...ouch!” she screams as a piece of glass slices her finger open.
I grab a clean dish towel, then take her hand and wrap the towel around her finger to slow the bleeding.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’ll clean this up. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a while?” I place my hand on her shoulder as she looks at me.
She nods her head and I help her up to her feet. She walks past me and upstairs to her room. I feel like a horrible son that I wasn’t here with her, but Knox said that Kora was here with her all night while Ciera was in the medical room. I clean up the glass and straighten up the kitchen before I go upstairs to check on my mom.
The door is cracked, and I can hear her crying. I push open the door and see her sitting on the bed, her face is buried in one of my father’s shirts. I walk over and sit down next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. My parents loved each other fiercely, and I always wanted that kind of love when I was growing up. I found it with Aria.
She pulls the shirt away from her face and sets it down in her lap. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m supposed to be strong for you.”
She wipes away the stray tears and gets up from the bed.
“You don’t have to be strong for me.” I lean forward and rest my arms on my knees.
She looks over at me, and it finally hits me. “Dad is dead, Mom.”
I bring my hands to my face and I break. I thought I had gotten it out last night when I ran off into the woods. I feel my mom wrap her arms around my shoulders. My father was a dick, but at the end of the day, he was still my dad.
“I’m a fuck-up,” I say.
“Hunter, don’t you ever say that again. You are not a fuck-up.” My mom grabs my face, forcing me to look at her. “Your father was proud of you. He would tell me every night. He wanted you to fight back. He wanted you to fight for what you believe in. And you did. You know what he said to me right before he kicked Luna out? He said, ‘Hunter is ready to be the Alpha. Every decision he has made, has made me proud of him. I wish I was half the man he is.’”
I stare at my mother. “He really said that?”
“Yes. Your father has always believed in you. He just had a stupid way of showing it. But he loved you, and he didn’t hate Aria. He just didn’t want your love for her to cloud your judgment.”
She stands and walks over to her dresser drawer. She pulls something out and w
alks back over to me, handing me a photo. It’s my parents with some other man I’ve never seen before.
“That’s Austin. He was your father’s best friend. One night during a patrol, your father got distracted trying to protect me, and Austin was killed. He never forgave himself for that. That’s why he was hard on you, and that’s why he went on about Aria the way he did.” My mom goes to take the photo, but I stop her.
“Actually, Mom, can I keep this?” I ask, staring down at the photo.
I wish my father would have told me all of this before he died. Maybe then we could have had a better relationship. We could have fought side-by-side instead of against each other. I can’t go back in time and change things. But I can go forward and make things better. I will honor my father and continue to make him proud.
She turns to face me again. “Your father saw what I saw.”
I lift a brow. “Yeah? What’s that?”
Her lips tip up in a small smile. “That you and Aria are a force to be reckoned with.”
I smile at her.
“Yeah, she’s…she’s it for me,” I murmur.
She laughs. “Oh, sweetheart, I know.”
A few minutes pass before one of us speaks again.
“What do I do now?” I ask her.
“Well, you don’t have a son.” She looks pointedly at me. “And that better not be any time soon.”
I hold up my hands. “I promise you, that won't happen anytime soon. I’m going to do right by her. But after this shit is over.”
“I let the language slide earlier, but watch it!” my mom scolds, making me laugh. “I knew I raised you right. But I guess the first thing is choosing your Beta.”
“I can pick my own?” I ask.
“Yes. If an Alpha doesn’t have a son, it’s common practice to choose one,” she answers.
“That’s a tough call. Bennett is my best friend, and I trust him with my life. But I trust Knox too, and he’s better at coming up with strategies.” I scrub a hand down my face.
“You are the Alpha,” my mom says.
She winks at me, then starts tearing up again. She inhales sharply and quickly wipes under her eyes.
“I’m going to finish getting some rooms set up for our extra guests.” She comes over and kisses my head. “I’m going to miss the shaggy hair.”
I laugh as I get up from the bed and give my mom a hug. I’m glad to see my mom in better spirits, but I know she’s putting on a brave face for me. I hear a knock on the front door and when I open it, I'm happy to see Kora standing there.
“I’m back. Declan healed all my patients, so I thought I’d come back and help your mother. How is she holding up?” Kora asks as I step aside to let her in.
“She’s keeping herself busy. I think we all are.” I run my hand through my hair, feeling it just glide through effortlessly. That’s going to take some getting used to.
“Understandable. I’ll stay here with your mother while you do what you need to do.” Kora pats my arm before she takes off her cardigan.
“Thank you, Kora,” I reply as she gives me a hug.
Then I leave and use the link to tell Knox and Bennett to meet me at my cabin.
Knox is already there when I reach my porch.
“Everything okay?” he asks, then he looks at me. “Something is different about you.”
“Aria cut my hair,” I shrug.
He nods. “Nice. Maybe I'll have Aria cut my hair since Grace refuses to. She accidentally nicked my ear once. It didn’t hurt, but she freaked. It would save me money from going into town.”
“Thanks, and I’m sure Aria wouldn’t mind,” I reply.
“Hey, you must be the new guy. I’m Bennett,” I hear my best friend say.
I turn around to face him.
He jumps back. “Whoa, dude! I did not recognize you.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I'm still getting used to it myself. Come inside, there is something I'd like to talk to you guys about.”
I open the door and hear Aria talking in the kitchen.
“Hey, Dani, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. Tell Haylee we said congrats on the baby girl and we can’t wait to meet her when she’s born.” She hangs up the phone and comes over to us.
“Hey, Blondie! Was that Dani-girl?” Bennett asks.
“Yes. I just called to check in. They send their condolences,” Aria says, wrapping her arms around me. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s hanging in there,” I answer as Knox and Bennett make themselves at home. “Would you mind giving me some time with these guys?”
“Sure. I was just heading out anyway. Kora enlisted Ciera, Declan, and I to help get things ready. Since your mom has two guest rooms, two can stay with her. Declan will help me get my stuff over here, and one can stay with him. Ciera will stay with Declan, so another Alpha can stay with Kora. Kat offered her place too. That leaves us with one more.”
“My sofa turns into a bed, so someone can bunk with me,” Bennett offers.
“That poor soul,” Knox mutters.
“Very funny. Knox, you should quit being a shifter and become a comedian instead.” Bennett’s tone drips with sarcasm.
Knox chuckles.
“Okay, boys, that’s enough,” Aria commands.
“Whoa, Blondie, you’re starting to sound like a true Alpha’s soulmate,” Bennett comments.
“That’s because I am.” Aria stands on her tiptoes and kisses me. “I’ll see you later.”
She leaves and I smile to myself as I run a hand through my hair, once again momentarily shocked by its new length.
“What is it you want to talk about?” Knox asks as Bennett kicks back on my couch.
I suck in a breath. “As you know, an Alpha is supposed to have a Beta. It’s always been one Beta for as long as any of us can remember. But I'm changing things up. I don’t want just one.” I turn to my attention to Knox. “Knox, you’ve always been a leader, a strong fighter, and extremely loyal to this pack. And Benny, man, you’re my best friend and you’ve had my back since day one. I trust both of you with my life, and with the lives of everyone here on this Compound. Will you guys do me the honor of being my Betas?”
“Dude, hell yeah.” Bennett jumps up and we slap hands and hug. “But Knox gets to do the hard work. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“Thanks, man,” I laugh.
Knox gets up and holds out his hand and I shake it firmly. “The honor is all mine.”
I feel the familiar tug and open the link.
Hunter, Caleb is here, Aria tells me.
I look at my two Betas proudly. “Let’s go meet the Alpha from North Dakota.”
Walking to the barn with my two Betas by my side, I feel confident. But seeing my girl standing there, waiting for us, that’s when it truly hits me: I'm the new Alpha. She smiles at me, and the breeze knocks her blonde hair around her face.
A true goddess.
I walk up to a man with brown hair, who’s dressed in plaid with a brown jacket hanging from his arm.
“Hi, I’m Hunter,” I introduce myself. “And these are my Betas, Knox and Bennett.”
He holds his hand out, and I shake it.
“Caleb. I’m sorry for your loss. It’s a privilege to meet you. Your father always spoke very highly of you.” He shakes Bennett’s and Knox’s hands as well. “Where can I put my things?”
“You can come with me. You’ll be staying with Lydia in one of the guest rooms. Along with Haku,” Aria answers, walking up to him.
She, Kora, and my mom have already worked together to assign who stays where.
“This your girl?” Caleb asks, quirking a brow.
“Yeah, she is.” I look down at her flushed face.
Caleb nods his head. “Lucky man.” He reaches down and grabs his suitcase. “Lead the way, little lady.”
She narrows her eyes at him.
“Uh-oh,” Bennett mutters.
“Wait for it,” Knox murmurs back.
I shoot them both a look.
“Little?” Aria places a hand on her hip. “The only person who is allowed to call me ‘little’ is my brother. Call me that again…” She forms a fireball in her other hand. “…and I'll show you what ‘little’ can do.”
The flame dissipates and I grin at her.
Caleb stands up straight. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s my girl,” I say with pride.
“Yeah, Blondie is badass.” Bennett reaches forward and bumps fists with Aria.
Then Caleb follows Aria to my parents’ house. Well, my mom’s house now. Bennett, Knox, and I split up and get to work on helping to get things moved around. I make my way over to Aria’s old cabin and start to move her things into our place. Aria arrives with Abby, and they stay and put clean sheets on Aria’s old bed. Declan brings Ciera’s things to his room, while Ciera stays behind to help Kora get her old room ready. Knox and Grace help Bennett with his place.
After a few hours, one more Alpha arrives. I meet him in the parking lot. A man in a dark suit, with dark features to match, is standing by a slick back Lexus.
“Welcome to New Orleans. I’m Hunter.” I reach out and shake the man’s hand.
“I’m Gunner, from New York. My condolences,” he says, opening the back door and grabbing a suitcase. “Who else has arrived?”
“Just Caleb so far. The rest will be here in the next day or so,” I answer as I lead him to Kat’s cabin. “You’ll be staying with Kat Lexington. She’s an earth witch.”
“I’ve never met a witch before,” he comments.
When we finally reach her cabin, she comes bursting out the front door. She's wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and throwing her messenger bag over her shoulder. She’s looking down at her watch, not having spotted us yet, and walks down the steps, halting when she finally looks up.
“Oh, hey, Hunter,” she says, then looks over at Gunner, who looks stunned. “Oh! You’re Gunner, right? The Alpha from New York?”
He clears his throat. “Yes.”
He holds out his hand, and Kat shakes it.
“Well, it was really nice meeting you. Sorry, I can’t stay. I need to brush Sparkles. Make yourself at home!” Kat waves goodbye and walks off toward the clearing.