Chapter 2 A New Future

• Alayah’s p.o.v.
• Marc, our future Alpha, finally found his Mate at the Mate meeting, a meeting the Council of Elders hold every year for unmated males and females and they hope it allows those males and females to find their Mate. A process that takes time, we don’t find our Mate on the Full Moon anymore and for our other half to connect with a Wolf or a Lycan we need to spend at least four days with someone.
• It is a connection that builds slowly, one link at the time as we are taught in school and it can take up to seven days before the connection is complete. Rejections are very uncommon these days and every male and female knows the importance of respecting the bond between two people and their animal sides.
• Wolves or Lycans that are part of multiples can either find out they share a Mate or if they are too different they can each find their own Mate. Grandmother also told me that during the past three centuries it had happened a few times that siblings shared a Mate, but it was more of an exception and no one seemed to understand why it happened. A Wolf or Lycan doesn’t care about the rank of their Mate, they will find a Mate that will balance them and their Human half and because of that rejections are mostly a thing of the past.
• There are still those that want a Mate with a high rank or a good bloodline and they usually resist their Wolf or Lycan’s choice. If you reject the Mate your Wolf or Lycan chose for you there is a big chance your Wolf or Lycan will abandon you and that means you will never find another Mate, it also means you will never shift again in your life. Once a Wolf or Lycan is gone you will never get it back and that is why my Father’s family never said anything to Dad about them not finding Mom suited for him, they believed that Mom was superficial.
• When I asked Grandma about it she told me that Mom had hoped that Dad would take over from Grandfather, but she never asked him that question until after they were marked and mated. Dad was supposed to take over from Grandfather, but he declined the position because as a young teen he had suffered severe head trauma and couldn’t concentrate well enough to function as a Beta.
• Topaz pointed out to me that I was the rightful heir to the Beta position if Alpha Randell ever stepped down and when I asked Grandfather about it, he nearly choked on the sip of coffee he had taken. After answering me I went in search of my Cousin, Anton, to confront him and I found out that he did fear I wanted to become the Pack’s next Beta.
• Anton and I have been inseparable ever since I told him he could have it, he loves everything that comes with the position of being the Beta and he can go on and on about everything Uncle Paul is teaching him. With Marc finding his Mate Alpha Randell will soon step down as our Alpha and Anton will have to take over from Uncle Paul when that day comes, Anton had just hoped he would have his Mate by his side as well.
• “Can you tell me why you have to go over the Pack’s finances?” I ask Grandfather.
• After getting permission from Alpha Randell, Grandfather tells me everything he and Uncle Paul have to do. Every time he mentions a budget or anything else that involves number, he looks horrified at me and I giggle from time to time.
• Both Alphas want to make sure the finances are enough to sustain such a large Pack and that means they have to go over everything, from investments to the budget for the kitchen.
• “I never knew we had money in so many different places, there is a budget for the kitchen, the training grounds, daycare, school and so many more. If Anton has to take over from Paul he will be in big trouble, like me and Paul he never had the nag for numbers and I hope he can manage the amount of paperwork that will come with running such a huge Pack.” Grandfather says.
• “What about the Gamma position?” I ask Grandfather, our Gamma lost his Mate and Pup when I was about two years old and he never looked for another Mate.
• “Autumn Pack’s Gamma has four Sons and his youngest Son has accepted the position, he and Marc have known each other for quite a few years now. It also makes sense to divide the positions between both Packs, it will make things a little easier when it comes to merging both Packs together and our future Luna has already decided on the new name: Autumn Moon Pack.” Grandfather answers me and I smile as I hear the new name for our Pack.
• Grandfather and I decide to take a walk around the territory and in the meantime we talk about the possibilities of our members finding their Mate. By merging two Packs males and females will interact more and that increases the chances of Pack-members to find their Mate, to finally settle down and strengthen the Pack with the birth of Pups.
• In the past five years I have grown closer with my Father’s family and even Grandma has been able to form a relationship with all of them. On Sunday we have family dinner at Uncle Rex’s house, it is big enough for all of us to visit at the same time and Grandma loves cooking in his kitchen. Mom never returned for a visit because four years ago we felt the Pack-bond snap and Grandma explained it was done voluntarily, we both knew it had to be Mom.
• Alpha Randell was unable to find out where she went or which Pack took her in. If someone joins another Pack, the former Alpha gets notified and the family file gets send to the new Pack, to make sure they have all the information about their new Pack-member. Mom’s new Pack never made that call or asked for her family file and it still baffles me that she could walk away so easily.
• By the time Grandfather and I reach Uncle Rex’s house the rest of the family is already gathered in the backyard and I hear Grandma talking to Anton who sits in a chair near the kitchen window. They are talking about Grandma’s favorite subject, the Mate-bond. She can go on for hours and hours about the most common situations and the most uncommon situations, uncommon situations is something I always like hearing about.
• “Grandma, can I ask something?” I ask as I sit down next to Anton, it is a question I have been thinking about for a few years now and I have been unable to find an answer myself. Grandma tells me to ask her anything and I take a deep breath before I start talking, “We all know that our Wolf or Lycan is the half that can feel the first part of the connection and we all know it can take up to a week for the connection to be completed.
• Is it possible for a Wolf or Lycan to feel the connection, while the other Wolf or Lycan doesn’t feel it? Or maybe doesn’t feel it as strong as the other? Making it possible for a Mate-bond to form that is somewhat one sided?” I ask and for a moment it is deadly quiet in the backyard. Anton is laughing his ass off until I tell him that he should compare it to a chosen Mate and he just stares at me for a moment, I don’t think anyone had ever thought about it.
• “Alayah, it is possible for that to happen but it is more complicated than that. It can happen when a Wolf or Lycan and their Human half are in sync on what they want, but you will need a potion to subdue the animal part. It isn’t always easy to detect a false Mate-bond, usually by the time it is discovered the damage has already been done. Usually resulting in both parties to die or lose their Wolf, if it involves a Lycan the outcome is better and they can recover from it.” Grandma answers me.
• We talk about this for a while and Anton even asks Grandma if it possible to know if it might be a false Mate-bond, Grandma tells him it is possible to know but that it is very difficult. Our Wolf or Lycan will be reluctant to take a step back to look at the Mate-bond closely, but if you can get your Wolf or Lycan to do just that you can feel if the connection is solid. It will almost feel as if some of the links are weaker than other links, the weak links are usually from the one not fully committed to the Mate-bond.
• I see a strange look in Grandfather’s eyes and I know exactly where his mind had gone, “Grandfather, Mom didn’t know Dad declined his position until after they were marked and mated. Their Mate-bond was the real deal, Mom didn’t try to forge a Mate-bond to get something she couldn’t get.” I tell him through our mind-link and he thanks me for putting his mind at ease, for knowing his Son had found the female that was most suited for him and his Lycan.
• During dinner I let Grandfather’s words about the financial side of running a Pack run through my mind and I think I might have the answer for the amount of paperwork Anton and Marc will have to do in the future. I think I will run it by Alpha Randell before I talk to Marc and Anton about it, it will give me the chance to use my brain and education and it will make things a little easier for Marc and Anton with running a huge Pack.