Alexander was Pavel's grandfather. He grew up with the same proud fatherly smile that I had. Both of us, if not the entire pack, were in mourning over the prospective news.
I experienced a climate change as I went into the house. Gabriel, or Nate, must have put the air on full blast. Werewolves tend to get a little… hot when they got angry. It was one of the stages of their anger. Most of the time, the stage could be recognized by the steam that came out of their ears.
"I'm back, so you can stop freaking out!" I called as I took an apple off the kitchen island.
I heard someone come down the stairs, but didn't turn. It didn't matter which one of the Durand brothers was coming after me. The outcome would be the same.
"About last night…" It was Nathan.
I rinsed off my apple in the sink before taking a bite. "It's alright Nathaniel."
When Nathaniel let out a low growl I turned. He was leaning against the island. The muscles along his arms were tense and I couldn't help but back off a little.
"What?" I was confused, "I said it was alright."
He shook his head jerkily, "You called me Nathaniel."
Then I grinned. I tried to hold back a laugh, but a small chuckle managed to escape. "And what does that mean?"
"You only use full names when we're at a formal meeting, or when you're upset with someone." Nathaniel looked me square in the eyes. His gaze was intense and commanding, and I had to fight back a squirm.
I leaned back on the counter as I took another bite of the pale green apple. "Okay, I'm still upset with you."
Nathaniel walked around the island. I watched him carefully. He had a worse temper than Gabriel, and I didn't exactly feel like being thrown into a wall at that minute. "What have I done now?"
"Do you remember that very long and aggravating conversation you and I had back in London? I thought you were going to listen to Pavel now? Or at least try." I kept my tone even and smooth; if I stayed calm than Nathan wouldn't get defensive.
There was only three feet separating us. "He's my son, Elaine."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Yes, yes, I know that. You said that back in London." After I swallowed I continued, "But Pavel is his own person. He's never wanted to go into business. He's never wanted to live in London."
"I'm not going to sit back and watch my son throw his life away."
I made a sound in the back of my throat to cover up the growl that wanted to come out, "You're infuriating."
"And you're impossible." He countered.
I forced myself to avert my eyes from his when I heard the phone ring. I pushed myself off the counter, ready to get it, but Nathan beat me there.
"Blanc residents." He recited. I almost laughed at how corny that sounded, but caught myself. Then, I went tense when Nathaniel's back went even straighter than usual. He always did that, subconsciously, when he was talking to his dad.
I was at his side in a second. "Is that Alex? Is he alright?" I tugged on Nathan's arm to get his attention. Pain and concern cloaked my voice, and I knew that Nathan had heard it.
He glanced down at me, but didn't answer. "Yes sir, I understand."
I continued to pull on his arm, like I was a three year old begging for attention, and finally gave in to my impatience.
I grabbed the phone from him.
"Who am I talking to?" I didn't let them answer. "Is Alex alright? This is Elaine. What about my parents? And how's Josh?" I was talking a mile a minute, and trying to duck away from Nathan's hand as he tried to grab the phone from me. He wasn't trying that hard, so I still had the phone when the person answered.
The deep chuckle of my father warmed me to my toes. "Hey baby girl, everyone here is great. We'll be at the house in about an hour." He paused, "And I'll be sure to tell Alexander that you asked about him before even thinking about your parents' safety."
I clutched the phone with white knuckles. I just wanted to hear him talk more. I missed my dad.
"I'm sorry, daddy." I scolded myself when I heard tears in my voice.
He chuckled lightly again. He sounded exhausted when he said, "We'll be home soon."
That's when Nathan took the phone from me.
I was too excited to care. I ran across the kitchen and threw open the sliding glass door. "They'll be here in an hour!" I couldn't contain the huge grin that had taken over my features. I was practically jumping, I was so excited.
Both Pavel and Cassiel were on their feet before I finished my sentence.
"What about Alex?" Pavel asked quickly.
"Dad says he's great." I threw my arms around Cassie and we reveled in the fact that we'd soon be seeing our alpha soon. We turned back to Nathan when he hung up. "What else did he say?"
Nathan gave me an annoyed look. He was probably a little ticked at me for stealing the phone, but I didn't care. "Just to have doctors ready. A few of the pack got injured."
My heart skipped a beat, but I tried not to get too upset. "How badly?"
Nathan shook his head dismissively, "They just need bandages. Nothing is that bad." I wasn't sure if I believed him or not, but Cassiel pulled me into the living room before I could question him.
The next hour was torture. None of us could sit still. Even Gabriel was fidgeting in his seat. Some of the pack had taken refuge at my house, so we all paced around letting our anxiousness take over.
Cassiel was pacing in front of me. I was trapped between Gabriel and Nate on the couch. "Where are they?" Cassie complained. I sighed heavily and ran my hands through my hair.
"They're only two minutes late. Give them a break. I'm sure they're all exhausted." I tried to reassure him, but it fell on deaf ears. Cassiel just wanted to complain. Whatever I told him wouldn't help.
So, I left. I pushed myself off the couch; stepped over the mound of toys some of the younger boys brought over, and went onto the porch.
The air was dry and heavy. I groaned loudly once the door was shut and punched the air in hopes of releasing some of my frustration. I couldn't wait anymore. I just wanted my family back.
I leaned against the railing for a few seconds and peered into the trees. When I didn't see anyone, I took a seat on the porch swing. I hugged one knee to my chest and pressed my forehead against it.
I guess I should have felt lucky; fortunate. There had been times when I hadn't seen my parents, or most of the pack, for months. This time they were only gone a week. But still. I needed them with me.
The door opened and I let out another aggravated sigh. I expected to see a silly grin staring back at me when I looked up. What I wasn't expecting was Nathaniel's serious eyes gleaming down at me.
He slowly crossed the porch and stood beside me. He was waiting for my okay.
"What to sit with me, Nathaniel?" I asked in a mock question.
Nathan sat down and laid his arm over the back of the swing so I felt the warmth of his skin. I leaned into it subconsciously.
"You're hiding something from me." He concluded.
I solemnly turned my attention to my knee. "Yes, I am."
"Have you told anyone?" Nathan prompted.
"Cassiel, and a few others, know." I told him truthfully. There was no use in lying to a werewolf. I wasn't sure how, but they always knew when you weren't telling the truth.
His chest vibrated with a low growl, "So you've told everyone except the adults?"
"I haven't told anyone. They were just there." I would have spilled the beans to him right then, just to make him shut up! I wasn't in the mood for being interrogated.
Nathan's grip on my shoulders tightened, "You don't have to tell me your secrets." I didn't like his tone. "I'll find out soon enough."
I gave him a look.
"Like you've always said, Elaine, Alex knows everything." He told me in a low warning tone.
I opened my mouth, ready to defend myself, but clamped my mouth shut when a group of howls floated into the clearing. Nathan and I jumped up at once and went straight to the railing.
Then, I saw my dad. He stepped out of the trees and his eyes locked on mine.
"They're here!" Nathan called back to the house, but I didn't stick around for them. I jumped over the railing and took off running as soon as my feet touched the ground.
Dad swept me up in his arms and I let out a sigh of contentment. He smelled of pine, cut grass, and salt water. I clung to him and he kissed the top of my head. "It's good to see you, baby girl." He whispered to me while we were still the only ones there.
After that the rest of the pack emerged from the woods. I held onto dad as I scanned the faces. Everyone was yelling, squealing, crying, and hugging. It took me a few minutes, but soon I found mom.
She was standing with Alexander near the tree line. Her soft hair was curly and frizzed, and was flying everywhere as a breeze cut through the clearing.
I let go of dad and twisted and turned through the mass of people. My eyes never left her.
Then, as if she'd felt my gaze, she turned. Her lips broke out into a grin and met me half way. She wrapped her arms around me first and held me tight. That was something she always did when she came back. While growing up, she often told me that I was the only good in the world and that she was using me to get over what she saw on the battlefield.
"I love you." I told her; closing my eyes.
"I love you too." She told me. We stayed like that for a while, before mom released me. She kept her arm slung around my neck as we scanned the clearing. We looked like a football team that had just won the championships. The pack formed a large circle full of cheers and excitement.
I caught Cassiel's gaze in the crowd and he threw me a smile. I smiled back, but stayed in my mom's one armed embrace.
Then I saw Michael. He was standing with his dad by Cassiel. He and Alex were talking, but they didn't seem that focused on the conversation. I couldn't blame them. Too much was happening around them.
Michael turned and I smiled at him when I met his gaze.
"Why don't you go see Michael? I'll find Josh and send him your way." I was shocked when mom gave me a push towards the Beta's direction.
"Are you sure?" I was hesitant about leaving her side. "I could just come with you."
She gave me a warm smile, "I'm not leaving, baby girl. We have a lot of time before we have to leave again."
"How much time?" I asked over the noise. The chatter and howls were growing in volume.
Mom just pecked me on the cheek and got lost in the crowd.
I watched her leave with my jaw hanging open. Then I let out a small laugh. I guess I could believe her doing that. She wasn't one to stay in one place for too long. Besides that, her and dad usually spent some alone time together before getting back into their home routine.
Butterflies were in my stomach as I started walking towards the beta. I wasn't sure why, so I just tried to ignore them.
Michael said something in his father's ear before closing in the space between us. "You're still alive I see."
"I thought I supposed to say that to you." I barely got that out before Michael drew me into an embrace. It was different than the hug I gave my parents. This one was… I don't know. Intimate, I guessed.
His arms were hard with muscle and his chest was still covered with the breast plate, but I still felt the warmth of his body. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. I had a feeling that he was doing the same to me.
Michael pulled back and kissed my forehead. "Yeah, well, you're the one who stayed with Gabriel. That's more dangerous than the battlefield." Michael's voice was deep and as husky as I remembered. It brought a smile to my face. "Plus, Nathaniel was here for half the week." I heard the question in that, but didn't say anything.
"They're your brothers." That was all I said.
He laughed.
I was surprised when he didn't release me completely right away. His arm stayed around my waist until Alex stepped up on my porch.
He didn't even say anything and the talking diminished. He was good at that.
"It's good to be back." He let out a deep laugh. The entire pack let out a cheer; mostly from the men who had been gone. I laughed when Michael tilted back his head and howled. It was cool seeing the Beta this loose.
"The battle was long," Everyone settled down again as Alex continued. "But not as long as the trip home."
Someone's hands found my waist and I jumped around as they easily found my ticklish spots.
Josh grinned down at me. I saw the familiar twinkle in his eyes and leaned into him. He nodded his head at Michael before we all turned back to our alpha.
"As some of you heard, we lost one of our alphas." Alex bowed his head and I followed in suit. I knew, without having to look, that everyone else had done the same. I felt Josh's chin rest on my head as he hugged me from behind.
I held onto him as I listened; preparing myself.
"Sloan had been one of my allies for centuries. He wasn't much younger than me, and we had fought together countless times. I will miss him." Alexander paused, "As will our cause. Sloan commanded a strong part of our army. His second will be taking over, but he has refused the title of an elder."
Whispers swept over the clearing and I tensed.
"The high ranking pack members will meet in my house after dark to discuss what is to be done. As for everyone else, use this time to be with your families."
Nothing more was said as we followed our alpha's instructions.
CL
I sat beside my mom when we were called for dinner. Alexander had taken my dad's usual place at the head of the table and Michael was at his right. Dad was across from the beta, then mom, and then me.
Nathaniel, Josh, Gabriel, Pavel, Cassiel, Calvin, Morris, and Getty filled in the other chairs.
Dinner was full of idle chatter, jokes, and a lot of laughs. I watched everyone carefully, even when it was me joking around. No one seemed to be depressed, nervous, or angry, but that was most likely only because Cassie and I were still there. No one would start the serious discussion until we were upstairs.
I waited patiently for Alex to ask us to leave.
When he did Cassiel and I left obediently. "Night." I called back to everyone. They all chorused the goodbye back to me, and Cassiel and I set our plan into action. We had discussed what we'd do after dinner before mom had even taken the turkey out of the oven.
We jogged the stairs and went into Cassie's room. His window was already open, so we didn't have to worry about the adults downstairs hearing it.
Cassiel and I didn't dare let out a yelp as we slid down the roof and dropped to the ground. My gaze snapped over to Cassie when I saw him crash land. His knees had buckled and had taken a light tumble. I knelt down beside him as I saw his shoulders hunch over, only to find him holding in a laugh.
I smacked his shoulder before we went up the porch steps and over to the living room window that we had opened hours before.
Cassiel let me slip inside first. I was an expert at landing softly on wooden floors so I made next to no noise.
Deep down I knew that it was stupid to pull something like this. We'd most certainly be caught, but that didn't matter. Both Cassiel and I agreed that we wanted to hear who Alex would ask to join as the third ruling alpha. It was important and we'd risk being lectured and grounded to hear.
"I'm sorry to hear about Sloan." I heard Gabriel say. Cassiel climbed in after me and we took a seat just beside the stairwell.
"It'll be nearly impossible to find someone as brave as him." My mom added. Cassiel and I nodded in agreement to ourselves.
"What about the London Alpha, Leo?" Getty suggested.
"Absolutely not." Nathaniel burst. I wasn't surprised that it was him who responded first.
"Why not?" Calvin asked, "He is an honorable alpha, he has a large pack, and is an elder. There aren't any legitimate reasons as to why he isn't in this war." I frowned to myself, and I felt Cassiel tense up beside me.
When Alexander cleared his throat the room calmed down,
"There are a few reasons why I haven't asked Leonard to join us."
I let out a deep breath and turned my attention to my hands.
While I lived with Nathaniel in London last year not everything went smoothly. At the time I didn't understand what the problem was, but as I asked more questions and dug deeper, I started piecing everything together.
Not a lot of people knew this, but Nathaniel was my godfather. So, when the pack had to leave for a battle I was sent to live in London. I had been 15 at the time and was just as stubborn as I was now. I hadn't been thrilled about moving, but I did it.
For the first three months everything was great. I went to the monthly meetings with the pack, met and got to know all the members, and settled into a routine. Around the winter holidays tension had fallen over the pack. I didn't know what was wrong, but I soon found out.
Two weeks before Christmas Leo held a large banquet at his mansion. That night I found out that Leo and Marigold, Leo's wife, were getting divorced. I'd admit it, she was an awful woman and I never liked her, so I wasn't very surprised. However, what happened next threw me off balance.
Leo didn't want the pack to become weak, so he needed a strong match for his son, who was to become Alpha after him. A few days after the banquet Nathan and I were called to Leo's house. Personally, I thought it had something to do with Christmas, so I didn't think much of it. But Nathan was the complete opposite. It was like he knew what was about to happen.
I remembered standing next to Nathan in a formal military attention. Caleb was standing a few steps behind his father with his usual void of emotion expression.
Then Leo explained his offer. He was going to bring me into his pack and have Caleb and I mate when I became of age. I was so shocked I couldn't move. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
Nathaniel didn't go through shock though. He broke right into a fighting stance and lunged across the room.
That had been the first and only time I ever saw Nathaniel completely lose his control. His eyes had been bleach hazel; almost white.
The look in his eyes petrified me so much that I sat in the corner of the office with the chair hiding me from view.
Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 13