Spirit Wolves - 14. Chapter 14

Sebastian’s wolf whined when the plane’s door shut and locked. Most wolves weren’t comfortable with being confined to a big metal tube hurtling through the sky. They preferred the sky to be over their heads, all four paws planted solidly on terra firma. Sebastian mentally shushed him. He huffed back in indignation and settled down, albeit reluctantly. The wolf had been on edge for the past few days, so much had happened in a very short amount of time.

Early Thursday morning had heralded the arrival of his pack. They made the trip from western Maryland to Montana with no issues other than one youngster discovering he got severe motion sickness on long car rides. As soon as the van carrying him and his family stopped, he shot out of the vehicle, ran over to the grass and hurled. Poor pup. A few hours on stationary ground and he was much better. The van however, needed a good detailing.

Donovan and Rosalie kept everyone on track during the journey. Once they arrived, Wayne and Sandi helped get everyone settled into rooms or suites at the lodge. Dinner was a lively affair the first night as the members of two different packs got to know each other. The reunion between Rosalie and Silas lasted well into the night as they recalled stories from their time as pack neighbors and adventures with mutual acquaintances, most of whom had passed on, their energy given back to the earth.

Sebastian settled back in his seat on the modified Boeing 737. The Council must’ve spent a small fortune on the plane, it had every bell and whistle imaginable. He didn’t care about any of that as he fastened his seat belt. He, Reilly, Hunter, Kellan, Zev and Ben were the only passengers. The crew included the pilot, co-pilot, navigator and two flight attendants. The plane required a fuel stop before reaching their final destination of Frankfurt, Germany. One of the flight attendants told them they would be in the air close to thirteen hours altogether. Sebastian sighed, sat back and reached over for Reilly’s hand as the two flight attendants went over the safety information.

The front of the plane held six rows of roomy, comfortable seats, two on each side. Unlike Sebastian, Reilly was excited to be on a plane, as it was his first time and he had claimed the window seat. His wolf was used to being in the background and had made himself comfortable in his safe spot in Reilly’s mind.

Hunter was used to flying and so his wolf was used to it too. Kellan was a little nervous and in turn, his wolf was a bit skittish. Sebastian saw that Hunter had pulled his mate tight against him, letting his scent calm Kellan’s wolf.

Zev and Ben were seasoned travelers and their wolves didn’t flinch when the door had been secured.

Not long after the flight attendants finished their rundown of do’s and don’ts, they were given clearance and taxied out to the end of the runway. Within moments the plane was airborne, the ground rapidly getting further and further away. Sebastian watched as Reilly smiled at the beautiful view when they ascended higher and higher. The sun was starting to go down and the sky to the west was turning orange. He was happy one of them was enjoying the experience.

Once they reached cruising altitude the pilot turned off the seat belt sign. Sebastian had one of the attendants set up the table in the conference area located in the middle of the plane. The back of the plane held two bedrooms and a good sized bathroom.

Sebastian took his laptop and booted it up. He and his contact had been working on getting more information from the dark website Zev’s friend had provided. It was slow going. Illegal websites were notorious for multiple firewalls and hard to crack security measures. It was easier to break into the government’s sites.

Zev and Ben had found the shapeshifter in California. His name was Elijah Garridan. Elijah was sympathetic to their plea for help. He’d been surprised when Ben approached him and outraged when told of the pup’s abductions. At first he was hesitant when they explained that they needed someone to snoop around the Idaho pack. In the end he had agreed to come to Montana to speak with Sebastian and Reilly when they returned from Germany. Sebastian called him right before they left to thank him and promised to make arrangements to fly him to Montana when they returned.

Sebastian understood his hesitation. Hell, he would be wary if the situation were reversed. Luckily for them, Elijah was open-minded and willing to listen. Sebastian had never met a shapeshifter, but he knew that they were unfairly cast as the ‘red-haired stepchild’ of the supernatural world, mainly because in the past, many shapeshifters had used their ability for nefarious purposes and were experts at deception.

Sebastian was actually hoping that Elijahi was skilled in the deception department. They were going to need every advantage they could get.

“Do any of you have any questions about what we’re looking for when we get to Germany?” he asked as they took their seats. Five heads shook negatively.

The day before, Sebastian had sequestered them, along with Caleb, Silas and Rosalie in order to strategize. Knowing that it would be at least a week before they would get back, they had put the immediate plans to go to Idaho on hold. They needed more information and Elijah’s input as far as what he was capable of, before they could come up with a plan or two.

Right now the most pressing issue was to try to find out which of the High Council members were involved with the missing pups and how extensive was their operation. Sebastian had a gut feeling that it was much deeper than any of them realized.

Their current plan of action involved Zev and Ben blending into the background as much as they could. They were to speak only when spoken to, and then, answers were to be short and to the point. From his experience, and on the advice of Silas and Rosalie, he knew that the quiet ones were often overlooked. In a room full of people, attention always seemed to focus on the individuals who were outspoken. It was easy for the silent ones to listen in on conversations they weren’t a part of.

To facilitate their wallflower status, both guys had packed plain, neutral colored clothes, nothing that might stand out. Zev’s spiky hair was tamed into a more sedate style that he thought was pretty damn boring. Ben was used to being an observer and assured Sebastian he would keep Zev in line.

Sebastian’s biggest concern wasn’t the human behavior, it was the wolves’. He, himself, had to rein in his wolf recently on multiple occasions when the mate pull was strong. He was worried that Ben may not be able to control his newly awoken wolf. New matings, especially when coupled with a turning were particularly susceptible to sudden mood swings and uncontrollable urges to shift and mate. So far there hadn’t been any issues, but one never knew. He had spoken to both Zev and Ben, emphasizing to them the need to be extra vigilant and to let their wolves have their way when they were alone. Denying the basic instinct of their wild selves was a recipe for disaster.

Sebastian had followed his own advice and not a night had gone by that neither he nor his mate were unsated. So far all the wolves were behaving.

“Sebastian, did the Council secretary send you over the agenda yet like he said he would?” asked Reilly.

Sebastian looked at his computer, “Yes, it must’ve just come through. I didn’t have it before we took off. Hang on a minute and let me connect to the printer so we can all have a copy to look at.” He tapped a few keys and after a minute or so they heard the familiar ticks of the printer pulling paper into the feeder before spitting out the printed information.

Hunter got up and handed each of them three pages of agenda.

“Son of a bitch, did they give us any time to breathe?” Kellan wondered out loud as he scanned the information.

They all read over the printout outlining what was expected of them during their stay. Nearly every damn minute for the next week was filled with meetings, instructional ‘informational sessions’, which really looked like history lessons, formal meals and not one, but two formal banquets.

“Looks like they’re trying to keep us occupied with a bunch of bullshit nonsense,” Sebastian commented.

Reilly looked at him and smirked. “They’re going to be in for a rude awakening, aren’t they?”

Sebastian chuckled, knowing only a force majeure would take away their upper hand. “Let’s make sure they never see what hits them. We now have senior mate status and are the highest ranking wolves in the entire shifter world. I think they are the ones who are going to need a lesson in history.”

During their strategy session Silas and Rosalie had put their thinking caps on and filled them in on everything they knew about the old legends and how Sebastian and Reilly could use it to their advantage. Both old wolves knew that the Alpha-Kappa status was irrefutable and the authority that the two shifters now wielded was powerful. They also had a feeling that whoever it was on the High Council who was part of the pups' disappearances, wasn’t going to let Sebastian and Reilly take over easily.

The agenda that had been sent over had them attending a welcome luncheon upon their arrival. After lunch they had one hour to freshen up before the first scheduled meeting. That meeting was listed as ‘Presentation Before the High Council’.

Sebastian tapped his pen on his copy of the agenda. “We need to strike quickly. If we don’t lay down the law right off the bat, then we might as well roll over and go belly up. There’s no way I’m letting any of these people dictate what we’re going to do over the next week. I think if we use the right approach, the ones that we’re trying to expose just might show their hand.”

Reilly agreed, adding, “So, what you’re saying is that if we don’t play nice in the sandbox with them, someone might get mad and throw a tantrum?”

“That’s what I’m hoping for. Zev, you and Ben need to be our extra senses. No matter what is going on, you need to be constantly looking for facial expressions, tics, body language, listen for sighs or growls, be on the alert for scent changes, anything that can indicate when someone is not happy with us and how things pan out. Ben, I’d really like you to focus on their animals. It’s hard to mask both yourself and your wolf, or whatever animal you are,” Sebastian said.

"Speaking of animals, I thought Zev told me there was a feline on the Council?" Ben said as he shuffled through the dossiers Caleb had given them.

"There was, on the last Council. The current members were elected ten years ago. Zev probably wasn't paying attention during that lesson," Sebastian replied, looking at Zev with a hint of amusement.

“So what are you planning on saying to them?” Kellan asked, getting the conversation back on track.

“It depends on how they act. No matter what, they’ll be told that Reilly and I aren’t going to be at their beck and call. I don’t want any part of the day to day operation of the High Council. What I do want to see is a complete audit of accounts and expenditures. I have a feeling when all is said and done, there’s going to be a major upheaval.”

Sebastian felt Reilly’s leg press up against his under the table, silently lending support. He had a feeling that the next few days were going to try their patience like never before. He hoped their wolves were up to the task.

While they were strategizing, their flight attendants prepared dinner for them and the flight crew. Pan seared chicken, onions and spinach tossed with whole grain pasta and olive oil, lightly seasoned with a spicy sun-dried tomato seasoning, was followed by warm chocolate lava cake drizzled with salted caramel. Totally delicious.

Not long after everything had been cleared away the captain announced they were starting their descent into Nuuk, Greenland for refueling. They would be allowed into the private terminal so they could stretch their legs and their wolves could be on solid ground for a bit.

Sebastian could sense that Kellan’s wolf was getting agitated and before they buckled in for the landing he grasped the back of Kellan’s neck firmly, asserting his wolf’s dominance and calming effect. Kellan visibly relaxed as his wolf settled down, deferring to his Alpha.

They were on the ground for an hour and a half for refueling. The cold air nipped at their exposed skin. All six wolves wanted to run, and all six humans had to tell them no. There just wasn’t enough time. Ben seemed to struggle the most and he needed Sebastian to stay close.

Sebastian did the same thing that he had done to Kellan on the plane, firmly grasping the back of his neck so that Ben’s wolf would feel his presence. Leaning in close he whispered, “As soon as we’re back in the air, you and Zev take one of the bedrooms and make the most of the last six hours.”

Those words instantly settled Ben’s wolf.

Once they were high above the earth again at cruising altitude, Ben practically dragged Zev to the back of the plane. Sebastian, Reilly, Hunter and Kellan couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t too much longer before Hunter shot Sebastian a questioning look and Sebastian chuckled, mouthing, “Go.”

Hunter and Kellan hustled their way to the second bedroom.

Sebastian turned to Reilly and pulled him in close, remarking, “Your wolf is surprisingly calm. Are you okay with letting the others take over the bedrooms?”

Reilly smiled. “Yeah, it’s fine. My wolf isn’t used to having others aware of him. He is perfectly fine dropping into the background. He actually finds the noise of the engines soothing. It’s a white noise that he can use to hide behind. He likes to watch what’s going on around him.”

“Hmphf, I hope one day he’ll be more comfortable around others.”

“He will be. It just is going to take some time.”

Reilly settled into Sebastian’s side, loving his scent, and let the drone of the jet engines lull him into sleep. Sebastian felt his own eyes getting heavy and soon he, too, was drifting off into slumber.

They slept a few hours until the crew woke them up to prepare for landing. The cabin was brighter, morning sunlight filtering through the small windows. Hunter, Kellan, Zev and Ben all emerged from the back of the plane, somewhat rested, definitely sated.

“I hope we can get some breakfast soon, I’m starving,” Hunter declared.

Zev yawned. “I could really use some coffee too.”

One of the flight attendants told them they would prepare some to-go cups of coffee for them to take on the ride to the Council’s headquarters.

Landing was smooth and uneventful and they disembarked quickly, coffee in hand, sailing through the customs area of the private terminal. A private van, complete with tinted windows, waited outside for them. The driver introduced himself as Luther and helped stow their luggage in the back.

Luther informed them it would be approximately three hours before they reached their destination in the Black Forest. He would stop once they were out of the city so that they could get some food for breakfast. He asked if they would prefer stopping to eat, or getting something they could eat in the van. After a quick consultation, the guys decided to get their food to go. They were all anxious to get the ball rolling.

Luther drove quite efficiently, guiding them through the morning traffic. Outside the city limits he stopped at a local shop where they bought an assortment of bread, smoked sausages, some cheese and fruit. They managed to assemble a decent version of breakfast sandwiches, complete with hard-boiled eggs. It would suffice enough to get them through to lunchtime.

Once they left the city, Luther followed the Rhine Valley for a while, the scenery still beautiful, despite many trees having already shed their leaves. The skies boasted only a few white clouds, although the air was pretty crisp. The evergreen trees started to thicken as they got closer to the Black Forest, and soon they were driving up into the higher elevation of the mountains.

Their destination was a six-hundred year old castle. As far as castles went, it boasted the quintessential turrets, stone walls and even the remnants of a moat. It wasn’t as large as many of the famous castles in the area, but it was imposing nonetheless.

Luther drove them over the stone road that spanned the old moat, through an open wrought iron gate and into what was once the main courtyard of the castle. The courtyard was now a parking area for about ten vehicles. Large, heavy, wooden double doors dominated the outside wall of the castle. They had to be close to forty feet high and each of the doors was about fifteen feet wide. Sebastian wondered how many shifters it took to open that behemoth. Pretty damn impressive.

After unloading the luggage, Luther led them to a smaller, normal sized door off to the left that they hadn’t noticed. Once inside they were greeted by a wolf shifter who introduced himself as Robert.

“Please, if you would be so kind as to follow me,” he said.

Sebastian held his ground. “Alpha.”

Robert visibly blanched as he realized his mistake. “My sincerest apologies Alpha McTire,” he said as he tilted his neck and bared his throat.

“Thank you Robert. I realize it may take some getting used to, but rest assured, I will have the respect that my position dictates.”

Robert nodded.

Sebastian knew that he had to assert his position. Hopefully word would now get around that he was not one to be challenged.

Sebastian allowed Robert to lead them through a maze of hallways. Soon rich scents of food teased their keen noses. Humans and wolves alike perked up at the tantalizing smells. Hunter’s stomach growled loudly in response.

“Damn, three breakfast sandwiches weren’t enough for you?” Kellan teased.

“I’m with Hunter on this one. Three breakfast sandwiches were a mere appetizer,” retorted Zev, whose stomach let out a sympathetic rumble of its own.

The smells were coming from a large dining room a short ways down the hallway they were currently in. The double doors were opened wide, revealing an impressive room with one humongous solid wood table spanning the right side. The outer wall was lined with tall, narrow windows that ran the length of the room. Each long pane stretched almost the whole way from floor to ceiling.

Nine heads turned in unison as the six of them entered. Robert dropped his head and took his leave. He had given his cell number to Sebastian in case he was needed later.

If the situation hadn’t been so serious, Sebastian might’ve laughed. As it was, their entrance caused a ripple of unease to spread through the nine Council members. Unwittingly, they had metaphorically drawn first blood by just their stance alone. Sebastian and Reilly had entered just one or two steps ahead of Hunter and Kellan, who had automatically taken up position to the right of Sebatian, half a step back. Zev and Ben were close behind, settling on Reilly’s left, also a half step behind. It was the classic dominant pose, and it spoke volumes.

There was a brief moment of silence as the two sides looked each other over. The silence was quickly broken when one of the Council members stepped forward, “Welcome, gentlemen. I am Senior Councilman Harold Alberts. We are honored you could make it.”

Harold Alberts looked to be a human approaching retirement age, which most likely meant he was in his late four-hundreds or early five-hundreds in shifter years.

Sebastian stood tall, making himself seem even larger than he was. “We weren’t really given a choice, Councilman Alberts.” Sebastian pinned the man with his stare, while at the same time wearing a smile that said, ‘Don’t fuck with me’.

The councilman’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “Ah, yes, well, discovering the existence of an Alpha-Kappa pairing necessitated the urgency of the summons. Now that you are here, please let me introduce the rest of the Council.”

Councilman Alberts turned to the rest of the group, each one stepping forward as the introduction was made. “This is Councilman Oswald Belland, Councilwoman Gwendolyn Schumann, Councilman Pieter Schultz, Councilwoman Diana Zimmerman, Councilman Roberto Mata, Councilman Simon Jones, Councilwoman Nathaira Chusi, and Councilman Andrew Faulkner.”

Alberts, Belland, Schumann, Scultz and Zimmerman were all wolf shifters. Mata and Jones were bears, although which kind wasn’t apparent to Sebastian. Chusi was the anaconda and that left Faulkner as the falcon, as his name indicated.

Sebastian nodded at the group. “Pleasure to meet you. I am Sebastian McTire, this is Reilly McTire, my Kappa and my mate.” Turning his head slightly to the right, “This is Hunter, my First Beta and his mate, Kellan, who is also Reilly’s Lambda.”

Another ripple of surprise spread through their hosts at that revelation.

‘Score.’ Sebastian thought.

He felt the sudden rush of emotion that Reilly unconsciously pushed at him when he staked his claim irrefutably by bestowing his own last name on him. They hadn’t discussed anything yet, there hadn’t been time, but Sebastian wanted everyone to know, without a doubt that Reilly was his equal.

Keeping his face perfectly neutral, he turned slightly to the left and said, “These are my second Betas, Zev and his mate Ben.”

Before anything else could be said, there was a sudden rush of activity as the kitchen staff arrived, filling the warming trays on the long buffet table with hot food.

“Gentlemen, as our guests, please help yourselves. There are place cards on the table indicating where to sit,” Alberts said, ignoring the awkwardness that hung in the air.

“About fucking time.”

Sebastian inwardly chuckled as he heard Hunter whisper to Kellan, as they got in line behind him and Reilly.

Sebastian gently took a hold of Reilly’s shoulders and guided him toward the tempting scents wafting their way. He made sure Reilly went before him. It reinforced the message that Sebastian regarded Reilly as his equal.

The plates were large, befitting a grown wolf’s appetite. They all sampled a bit of everything, loading up their plates with various meats, bread, vegetables and cheese. At the table, Sebastian didn’t say a word, but merely sat down at the seat with his name card. Once everyone was seated, it was obvious that whoever had created the seating plan, did so as a power play.

Councilman Alberts was seated at the head of the table, Belland to his right and Schultz to his left. Schumann, Faulkner and Mata followed on the right, Jones, Chusi and Zimmerman on the left. Sebastian, Reilly and Kellan were after Mata and Hunter Zev and Ben were next to Zimmerman. A deliberate attempt by someone to diminish their group’s rank.

Sebastian knew he needed to pick his battles, but until his warriors were fed, it wasn’t worth making a fuss over.

Conversations were kept at a minimum while the group ate. Waitstaff refilled water glasses and cleared away plates as they were finished. Nearly all of them returned for seconds and a few even for third helpings of food. Shifter appetites were known for being hearty. Their high metabolism and the calories needed to be available to shift made it necessary to keep their bodies fueled.

It was close to an hour and a half later, after everyone had eaten their fill that Albert’s once again addressed the group. “Gentlemen, our staff will show you to your rooms. You can freshen up and relax a bit before our first meeting. Your escort will come and get you in an hour to show you to our meeting room.”

A young shifter, about the same age as Ben and Zev, gave them a slight bow, cast his eyes downward and tilted his neck. “Please follow me.”

The young man led them through another maze of hallways to an annex on the south side of the castle. Four doors lined the hall, two on each side. Opening the closest one on the right he said, “Alpha McTire, this is your room.”

He then indicated the door directly across and told Hunter and Kellan that it was their room. Zev and Ben got the one next to them.

Sebastian stopped Hunter and Kellan before they went in and narrowed his eyes, turning to their escort. “Excuse me, but what type of room is next to mine?”

“It’s another bedroom, Sir. It connects to yours. Alpha Alberts thought you might not want an additional access point to your room,” he replied.

“Move Hunter and Kellan’s things to that room. Zev and Ben, you take the room directly across from us please.”

Sebastian’s order caused the young man to pale somewhat. That’s when he knew that the game just started for real. When any Alpha was away from home, they preferred their Betas to be close by. Any shifter with two working brain cells knew that when you were in unfamiliar territory, you covered your ass. By leaving the room next to Sebastian empty, it was akin to announcing that his flank was unprotected.

Sebastian correcting the blatant oversight was the first move in a complicated game of chess, both sides not sure of the other’s next move.

It didn’t take long before the luggage was moved around. Sebastian dismissed their porter and nudged Reilly inside.

“Sweep the rooms and then get settled. I expect you back here in half an hour,” he instructed Hunter.

Closing the door behind him Sebastian used all of his senses to scan the room for any signs of cameras or listening devices. All electronics emitted some kind of sound, no matter how small they were. Sebastian’s senses were keen enough to detect either the sound or slight scent of ozone that electricity created.

It only took a couple of minutes to confirm that the room was clear. As soon as he was satisfied they weren’t being spied on Sebastian pulled Reilly into him and damn near devoured his mate’s mouth. He had been holding back his wolf for the better part of the last twelve hours and knowing they didn’t have much time, he was not about to waste a second of it.

Reilly’s wolf let out a whine of impatience as he fumbled with the zipper of his jeans. Sebastian took over and quickly had Reilly out of his clothes and bent over the end of the bed. Spreading those pale cheeks he dove in, desperate for a taste of his mate. Tongue and fingers soon had Reilly begging, “Sebastian, please!”

Sebastian reluctantly pulled his mouth away and grabbed his carry-on bag, reaching for the lube in the side pocket. He coated himself liberally and lined up his rock hard dick with Reilly’s hole. He slid in, one long stroke seating himself fully as Reilly moaned in relief.

He quickly set a brutal pace, his wolf needing to mark his mate, inside and out. He reached around and gripped Reilly’s dripping cock, stroking quickly, with only one purpose. Reilly pushed his ass back against Sebastian, taking as much as he possibly could. It wasn’t long before his muscles started to quiver, his balls drawing up tight. Sebastian squeezed and hot jets of cum shot out of Reilly onto his hand. As Reilly let out one last shudder, his ass clenched tightly around Sebastian. That was the final straw. He let out a roar as he erupted, filling Reilly’s ass with his seed. Still shooting, he pulled out, letting the last couple of ropes of cum hit Reilly’s back, rubbing it into Reilly’s skin, letting his scent seep into every pore. His wolf howled his approval.

Reilly panted as he tried to catch his breath. He flipped over, careful to avoid the puddle of cum on the bedcover and crawled to the middle of the bed.

Sebastian flopped down on his back next to Reilly. He made a show of smearing his mate’s release that covered his hand across his abs and softening cock, feeling ridiculously proud when he saw Reilly’s dick give a half-hearted twitch. Damn, he wished they had more time!

Saturated with each other’s scent, they allowed themselves to lay there, Reilly’s head resting in the crook of Sebastian’s shoulder, just breathing each other in. Their wolves were quiet, as they too, enjoyed the rare moment of cuddling.

Sebastian gave Reilly a sweet lingering kiss before untangling himself. He smiled at the sight of a naked Reilly, stretching his limbs, enjoying the satisfying crack of his joints as he got up. He tossed Reilly’s clothes at him and still wearing each other’s spunk, they got dressed. There was no denying they were mates.

Their timing was perfect. As soon as the last hair had been swept into place, a light knock on the door indicated it was time to meet with Kellan, Hunter, Zev and Ben. They only had fifteen minutes to assess what had happened so far before the first meeting.

“Are you ready?” Sebastian asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” replied Reilly.

“Then let’s get this party started.”