Chapter 3 Normal Life

• Nero’s p.o.v.
• My Lycan is running through the forest as we keep an eye out for Rogues that want to cross our border, three other Lycans are running right behind us and another group is about ten minutes behind us. We run a tight border patrol during the night and during the day we have teams stationed along our borders while other teams run along the borders in groups of four, a routine that has proven it’s worth over the years.
• I love night patrol as it gives me the chance to let the events of the day to run through my mind and it always allows me to put things into perspective, to think of a solution for a problem. Dad always says that my Brothers and I should have been a quadruplet, according to him we know what the others want or need before they can say a word. Even our Stepmother agrees with him and she has only known us for about four years.
• I have just returned to the Pack-house after finishing my night patrol and I hear exited voices coming from the main living room, I can hear my oldest Brother, Noah, but I can’t hear what he is saying. “What is going on here?” I ask as I walk in to the room and I see our current leadership and my Brothers in the main living room, “Crystal found her Mate at the meeting.” Alpha Gordon says with a huge smile on his face, but I can also tell that something is up.
• “Her Mate is Marc of Crimson Moon Pack.” Dad answers my unspoken question and I know we will have a lot of things to prepare and discuss before the day is over. “I will take a shower and get on some clean clothes. When I get back we can discuss whatever it is that is bothering the three of you.” I say as I look from Alpha Gordon to my Father before I look at Beta Jacob.
• Running up the stairs I smile at the prospect of spending more time with Marc, he will be an excellent Alpha one day and our Pack will benefit from him leading our Pack. “You mean, our Packs.” Miku, my Lycan, says. “It is safe to say that both Packs will merge, Crystal doesn’t have a sibling to take over from Alpha Gordon and Marc doesn’t have a sibling to take over from Alpha Randell.” I let that run through my mind as I take a quick shower and by the time I am dressed I know that Miku is right.
• Noah is waiting for me outside Alpha Gordon’s office with a plate in his hand, “Thought you might like some breakfast.” He says as I take the plate from him and I thank him as we both walk into the office. “How is this going to work?” Beta Jacob asks and I can tell no one really understands his question. “Miku thinks the best thing is to merge both Packs, after all neither Alpha has two Pups to take over and I think Miku is right. That just leaves the question about the positions of Beta and Gamma.” I respond.
• Alpha Gordon likes the sound of merging both Packs, but Beta Jacob tells us there will be a lot of paperwork to deal with and we all know none of us is that good with numbers. “Let’s discuss positions of Beta and Gamma first. The more we can cross of the list the better it will be and we could always ask for an accountant to do the financial part of this merger for us.” Alpha Gordon says.
• “Marc has a Beta, he and Anton grew up together. Their Gamma doesn’t have a Mate and Pups, so that might be a position Noah could take after Marc takes over as Alpha.” Dad says, but as I suspected Noah is shaking his head and I already know what he will be suggesting. “Nero would be better suited for the Gamma position, he and Marc have been friends for a few years now. I think that would be the best solution and I like my position as Head Warrior.” Noah says.
• Alpha Gordon doesn’t waste anytime in contacting the Council of Elders to make the suggestion of merging our two Packs, but it turns out he is too late. Crystal and Marc had made that decision already and they even had told the Council of Elders who would be their Beta and Gamma, Crystal even had a suggestion for a new Pack name but they refused to tell Alpha Gordon.
• An hour later Crystal calls her Father herself to tell him about the new name and we all agree it is the best combination of both Pack names. Crystal informs us that for the time being she will return to Crimson Moon Pack with Marc and once she has settled in she will invite us over for a visit. Alpha Gordon tries to object, but he shuts up when Crystal asks him if he would have allowed her Mother to return home after they met.
• When I walk into the dining room on the Alpha floor in the evening I can tell something is up with Mara, but she brushes it off as being anxious about both Packs merging and everything that will come with it. Dad tells her that everything will be fine and that it means they can finally spend every day together, which makes Nathan gag dramatically. Mara doesn’t think twice as she smacks him on the back of his head and Nikolay is laughing his ass off.
• Mara might be our Stepmother and she might not have been there when we grew up, but she treats us as if we are her own. I was nineteen when Dad brought her home and even though I already towered over her she didn’t let me get away with anything. Noah thought that at the age of twenty seven she wouldn’t dare to put him straight, but damn she did put him back in his place and it became clear to us quickly that she wasn’t a female to mess with.
• Dad has changed a lot over the past four years and we all know that Mara is responsible for that change, she is the one that makes him happy. Nikolay was the first one to point out after she moved in with us that we knew nothing about her family and after Dad told us is was a sour subject we never asked her about it, but Nikolay keeps telling us that something isn’t adding up.
• Beta Jacob and Alpha Gordon are talking about the financial aspect of merging both Packs and with the way they are talking I believe Alpha Gordon’s remark on hiring an accountant will be the best course of action. I know Alpha Gordon well enough to know he will try to figure this out for himself first, but I bet you he will call for an accountant after a few days of going through the paperwork.
• Dinner is spend with talking about how it might affect our unmated males and females, Mara smiles as she says there might be a few mated couples before the dust has settled. Leave it to Mara to see a silver lining amidst a huge challenge like merging two Lycan Packs, besides our Pack and Crimson Moon Pack there are three other Lycan Packs and our merge will make us the largest Lycan Pack in existence.
• “Maybe you boys will finally find your Mate and otherwise you can go to the Mate meeting next year.” Mara says teasingly and Noah softly growls at her, which causes her to burst out in laughter. Dad has been asking Noah to attend the Mate meeting for a few years now, but even at the age of thirty one he refuses to go and Dad is smart enough to only suggest it once before he drops the subject. None of us wants to attend the Mate meeting as we all know there might be a possibility of a false Mate-bond.
• Grandfather taught us everything about the Mate-bond and how to detect a false Mate-bond. It is the one and only reason Noah refuses to attend the Mate meeting and if none of us will accompany him he won’t go. Dad had been careful when it came to Mara, but their Mate-bond is as strong as it should be and I am glad he found Mara after being alone for nineteen years.
• Mara is right though, with the merge of two Packs the changes of finding your Mate increases and a part of me hopes that I will find my Mate in Crimson Moon Pack. It will keep the Mate meeting out of my future and that of Nikolay if he finds his Mate as well, if he doesn’t find his Mate before the next Mate meeting he will also get an invitation. We can’t be forced to attend the Mate meeting but most Pack-members frown at Noah’s blunt refusal to attend.
• Most Pack-members that are older than Nikolay should know and understand why Noah refuses to go, but for some reason they conveniently forget every time that invitation arrives. Noah had a best friend that moved to a neighboring Pack when his Mother found a new Mate at the Mate meeting and they kept in close contact with one and other, a good thing if you ask me. Three years after they transferred to their new Pack he had called Noah in the middle of the night, his Mother’s Mate had been abusive for a few months at that time and Noah had warned him to keep an eye on his Stepfather.
• Even the phone call didn’t change a thing; Dad had warned Alpha Gordon who in return contacted the Alpha, but he had arrived at the house too late. Noah’s friend and his Mother were both beaten to death, we all believe it could have been prevented if the Alpha had given the Council of Elders his complete family file and that is the main reason Noah won’t attend a Mate meeting.
• He once told an Elder he would rather stay single for the rest of his life and die alone than attend that meeting. I for one won’t hold it against him and I hope the four of us will be lucky enough to find our Mate after we merge with Crimson Moon Pack. After dinner Nikolay and I decide to head down stairs to the main living room and spend some time with our friends before I get sucked in to the responsibilities of my new position.
• Ten minutes later I regret coming down to the main living room, I’m not saying that I am a saint but I never have nor will I ever sleep with a Pack-member and I know my Brothers think the same way about this. We don’t want our Mates to come face to face with a female we slept with and I know that some of these females will go out of their way to rub it in someone’s face if they slept with their Mate, not something I am willing to put my Mate through.
• Somehow they found out I will become the next Gamma and they are all trying to get my attention, but I have been ignoring them the best I can. Nikolay has placed himself between me and the only way one of these females can get close to me, “Thanks, Bro. I might start locking my door from now on, they might try to sneak into my bed otherwise.” I tell Nikolay through the mind-link, he suggests I swap rooms with Noah and before I can stop him he has pulled Noah and Nathan in to our conversation.
• Noah agrees with Nikolay and tells me that the four of us will swap rooms at random, just to make sure no one can sneak into my bed at night. I wouldn’t put it past any of these females to force a Mate-bond on me by claiming we mated or by claiming I got them pregnant, Miku growls in my head as he listens to my thoughts. He would never accept one of these females as his Mate and I know he will abandon me if I ever willingly took one of them as my Mate.
• After two hours of avoiding the females in the living room I am close to bursting, I swear if one of them makes one more remark about being the best fit for a future Gamma I am going to commit murder. One of my best friends happens to be a female and she is happily mated to one of my friends. She looks at me with a smirk on her face, “What do you and Miku look for in a Mate?” She asks and I know she gives me a polite way of putting these females in their place.
• “I am hoping for a Mate that can take care of herself, not just by being able to fight but also to be able to make a living. I need to know she will be able to provide for herself and our Pups if anything happens t me. I hope my Mate will know protocol when dealing with a visiting Alpha or if we ever have Elders visit the Pack and I hope she can handle my Brothers as well as Mara can.
• I don’t care what the color of her hair is or what the color of her eyes are, I don’t care about her height and I sure as hell don’t care about her rank. I will protect her with my life, I will keep her from harm and I will spoil her rotten if she gives me the chance.” I say and Nikolay knows I mean every word I said, all my Brothers feel the same way. We will accept any Mate our Lycans chose for us and we will all make sure our Mates are well taken care of.
• Noah and Nathan step into the living room and Noah tells me it is time to turn in for the night, that I will have a few busy days ahead of me. I groan as I think of everything I will have to take care of with Dad over the next few days and I know I will be glad when both Packs are merged. It will make my life a lot easier when it is finally taken care of and we can all get back to living a rather normal life.