Spirit Wolves - 8. Chapter 8

In the blink of an eye, Sebastian stood in front of Rosalie and Donovan, oblivious to his lack of clothing. Within seconds, Hunter and Kellan stood naked as well.

Everyone winced as Reilly’s transformation dragged on for several long seconds, bones cracking and snapping. Then, he too, was standing naked.

Sebastian focused his gaze on Rosalie. “What is real?” he demanded.

“Get dressed and let’s go into the living room. It’s not a simple explanation,” she replied, turning to lead the way into the large living room.

They obeyed the pack elder and soon were seated comfortably on either sofas or chairs.

Rosalie looked pensive for a moment before looking at Sebastian. “How much do you remember of the ancient stories you were told as a child?”

“I remember a lot of them. I knew as a future Alpha that they were important to our history. Besides, they fascinated me. When I was eight I wanted to be like the hero Gowren when he battled the vampires.” Sebastian smiled at the memory.

“Do you remember the legend of the Sentinels?” she asked.

“Somewhat, why?”

“Because apparently it has just become extremely relevant in some way,” she replied. “Sabas, Rhyge, Jaeger, Kalin, Rou and Xev were six warriors whose lives were intertwined. Everyone knows that Sabas, who was Alpha, and Rhyge were fated mates. What isn’t told in the version of the story that children hear is that Rhyge was a Kappa. Kalin was his Lambda. In the children’s story the six warriors came together and were united in order to defeat the Fae, who threatened to annihilate the humans. The Sentinels succeeded.”

“The real story is a bit darker. Sabas was a fierce Alpha. When he discovered that his mate was male, it’s said that he went into a rage and destroyed a small village of humans inadvertently. Rhyge wanted to reject him because of it. Jaeger was Sabas’ Beta and was able to help his Alpha get himself under control. Jaeger and Kalin were mates, and between the two, were able to convince Rhyge to accept Sabas. Rou and Xev were a Psi pair who were purported to have unusual abilities. To make a long story short, the six of them had to work together to unite the packs that had splintered off all across Europe.”

“Why were the Fae trying to eliminate humans?” Reilly asked.

“The Veil was in danger because of the actions of Maven. Maven was a pureborn Fae. He was power hungry and staged a coup that upset the balance of Nature itself. It is said that he did unspeakable acts against his own kind. He wanted to rule over the supernatural world and the human world was in his way. He killed whomever he perceived as a threat, including his own family. Rape, torture, murder, deception, all sorts of atrocities were utilized in his quest for more power and he was determined that nothing would get in his way.”

“He was ultimately defeated when the six Sentinels led the reunited packs into battle and Maven was killed. This all happened nearly four thousand years ago. It’s the only known instance of a male Alpha being mated to a male Kappa who was also linked with a Lambda and a Psi pair.”

“What is so special about being a Kappa and a Lambda?” Hunter asked, jumping into the conversation. “I’ve never heard of those positions before Reilly shifted.”

Rosalie thought about the best way to explain things, “Not many shifters have. Kappa and Lambda relationships are the rarest because those relationships encompass more than one person. I don’t mean in a mate connection way. Mate connections are the deepest connection you can have with one, single other soul. It affects both of you on every level, your thoughts, emotions, physical well being, you name it and the mate connection will influence it in some way. The energy between mates is truly synchronized. Now a Lambda has an even more complex role. A Lambda is essentially the glue that holds everyone together. A Lambda unconsciously creates an energy that gives them all strength, in body, mind and spirit. He is the only one other than a Kappa who can challenge an Alpha and get away with it.”

Both Kellan and Reilly thought about the moment when Kellan had countered Sebastian’s command of giving them one day to get there. Rosalie was right, no other wolf would have ever gotten away with something like that.

Rosalie continued, “Lambdas are protectors, more so than Betas. They make sure their Kappa is taken care of and in return, their Kappa creates a unique need for them in the pack. Family and pack ties are extremely important to a Lambda. They thrive when their family is close and they tend to be the peacemakers within pretty much any group.”

Rosalie paused to let that information sink in. “As you already know, an Alpha and his primary Beta have a unique connection as well, but it is mostly emotional. A primary Beta’s main goal is to be a balance for his Alpha. The Alpha’s focus is to enable his Beta to help him do what’s best for the pack. Everything is connected. Most packs have several Betas, but only one has a unique connection to the Alpha. Most often those connections are forged in childhood, like yours. Now a Kappa, hmmm, their job is to create harmony within the entire pack and to be in sync with their Alpha on all levels. Kappas are usually female. It may have to do with the fact that females tend to have a “mothering” instinct, a need to nurture. Reilly being a Kappa is only the second time that I know of when a male was born Kappa, as I mentioned before. A Kappa is always considered to be an equal partner for their Alpha. An Alpha will put the safety of his Kappa before that of the pack, that is how strong their connection is.”

Sebastian’s sense of command took over and he asked Rosalie, “While the story is a nice lesson in shifter history, what does it have to do with us, other than we all seem to have some sort of connection?”

Rosalie answered, “The legend always described the six wolves in detail. Long ago a talented shifter painted his vision of the wolves. I saw the painting when I was a small child. The four of you are exactly like four of the wolves in the painting, not to mention the obvious, your names are extremely similar.”

“What are you saying? We’re these Sentinels that have been somehow reincarnated?” Hunter asked.

Rosalie smiled. “I don’t know about reincarnation, but it seems as though history is repeating itself in some way.”

“What about the other two wolves? The Psi pair? There aren’t any blond male pairs in this pack,” Sebastian commented.

“Only time will tell,” replied Rosalie.

“Do you think the Veil is in danger, like before?” asked Reilly.

“I doubt it. There haven’t been any occurrences in this world that would suggest it. The few times that the Veil has been threatened, there were obvious signs of it in the human world. I haven’t seen nor heard about anything like that. I don’t have a clear answer for you. In any case, I think the Council needs to be notified. Alpha-Kappa pairings always have an elevated rank and they need to be aware of this.”

“You’re right. I’ll call them tomorrow. I can also inquire about any so-called “disturbances in the Force” like they say in the Star Wars movies. I’m also going to call for a pack meeting tomorrow night. They need to know what’s going on. I think it’s time to call it a night. We can figure things out tomorrow about this whole coincidence thing. Besides, I think Hunter and Kellan have some sorting out of their own to do,” Sebastian added.

Both shifters turned beet red as attention was turned their way. They had been sitting close together on one of the couches and it was obvious that their wolves wanted everyone else gone. Sebastian left the room for a moment and when he returned he tossed a bottle of lube at Hunter and grinned.

Reilly didn’t know the deep shade of red that Kellan was now sporting even existed. He couldn’t help but giggle at his best friend’s predicament.

Sebastian and Reilly spent the rest of the night learning more about each other. They talked, they kissed, they fooled around and they talked some more. Reilly learned how Sebastian became Alpha of the pack. Sebastian learned how Reilly and Kellan had survived on their own. They each garnered a new respect for the other and by the time Reilly fell asleep he was feeling much more comfortable with the whole being mated thing.

The following morning, Reilly woke first. He stretched his limbs, relishing the fact that there was no longer any pain. When someone lives with chronic pain, they forget what normal really feels like, and to Reilly, it felt wonderful.

Sebastian woke to see bright blue eyes staring at him. He loved seeing Reilly’s face light up when he smiled. Sebastian knew he would do anything to see that expression on his mate’s face more often. He pulled Reilly closer, loving the way he fit perfectly up against him. Their bodies slid together and once again Sebastian made Reilly feel whole. Reilly had never really been a morning person, but he could get used to waking up this way.

As much as Sebastian would have loved to lounge around in bed all day, there was too much to do. Hauling Reilly out of bed and carrying his mate to the shower, he made sure every nook and cranny was thoroughly clean. Although they needed to get stuff done, Sebastian took the time to kneel down and swallow Reilly’s dick down his throat and bring him to a quick, but intense orgasm. He just couldn’t get enough of Reilly’s taste.

Even though Sebastian managed to find some more clothes that fit the new and improved Reilly, they would need to go shopping and outfit him with his own wardrobe. Breakfast, however, was first on the agenda. He would task Hunter with getting everything ready for the pack meeting tonight. His Beta was more than capable.

There was a community recreation center that was owned by the pack which they used for large gatherings. For the most part, the human townspeople had no clue that a pack of wolf shifters lived among them. The town that they called home had once been a thriving coal community with close to ten thousand residents. Now they would be lucky if the next census counted a thousand, which included Sebastian’s pack of nearly fifty.

Sebastian figured they could make a trip to Unionville over the Pennsylvania line to get some new clothes for Reilly. He didn’t want his mate to be stuck with a hand-me-down wardrobe for too long. Sebastian loved the way Reilly’s body had filled out. He knew that Reilly still held onto some insecurities, and he hoped that a closet full of new clothes would help dispel those notions.

The kitchen was deserted when they finally made their way there. Reilly started making a fresh pot of coffee while Sebastian took a large box of frozen waffles out of the freezer, along with a box of sausage patties. The coffee was brewing and sausage sizzling on the stove when Hunter and Kellan appeared. Sebastian couldn’t help but notice the fresh mating claim bite scars on both of their necks. It looked like they had figured out the mechanics of things.

Reilly stared at his friend, not saying a word.

Kellan finally cracked, “OK, you were right, best sex I ever had.”

Reilly laughed at Kellan’s reluctant admission.

Hunter was blushing all the way to his toes as he agreed.

Sebastian smiled at his mate’s antics. Reilly was coming out of his self-imposed shell and he was glad. Reilly’s happiness meant the world to him, and if it came at the expense of his Beta taking a good-natured ribbing, so be it.

Reilly manned the two toasters that were heating up the frozen waffles and turning them a nice golden brown. Hunter took over the sausage, while Sebastian and Kellan took out plates, cutlery, syrup and butter.

As they sat down to eat, Sebastian informed Hunter that he was taking Reilly to get new clothes. Hunter assured him that he and Kellan would take care of ordering food for the pack meeting. Word had already gotten out and there was a buzz of activity among the shifters. There was a local pizza joint that made party size pies with forty slices. Five or six of those were usually enough to feed their group. They always kept a supply of bottled water and juice boxes for the kids at the center. Several pack members usually brought a few cases of soda for those who drank the stuff as well as side dishes and desserts.

Once breakfast was cleaned up, Sebastian and Reilly set off in Sebastian’s Ford Expedition. It took them close to an hour to get to the shopping center that Sebastian liked. Reilly had always enjoyed shopping and was glad that Sebastian was okay with his taking his time picking things out. Sebastian had point blank told him to buy whatever he wanted, knowing that Reilly was used to having to stay within a budget.

It took four hours and several trips to the Expedition for Reilly to select a dozen pairs of pants, a couple of dozen shirts, sweatshirts, two pairs of sneakers, a nice suit, dress shoes and other essentials. Sebastian enjoyed watching his little mate model the clothes for him. The only thing that Sebastian insisted on picking out was Reilly’s underwear. In addition to the boxer briefs that Reilly preferred for everyday comfort, Sebastian had also selected some sexy jockstraps, knowing that he was going to enjoy seeing that amazing ass framed by the skimpy elastic material.

They stopped at the food court at lunchtime and enjoyed sandwiches while getting to know more about each other. Reilly admitted to Sebastian that he was a little nervous about meeting the rest of the pack. Sebastian assured him that most of the pack members were low key and there shouldn’t be any issues with accepting him as the Alpha’s mate.

Sebastian also used the lull in their shopping spree to call the Council headquarters. He was transferred twice before finally speaking to the right person. Upon hearing that Sebastian’s mate was a Kappa he was told that a representative would be sent out within the next few days to interview them both to confirm their status. Sebastian also found out a few bits of information that disturbed him. He told Reilly that he would explain once they were back at the house and he could have Hunter and Kellan there as well.

Shifter status was irrefutable. It was determined by scent, something which was ingrained into their DNA and couldn’t be faked or denied. Even though there hadn’t been a male Kappa in over two-thousand years, Reilly’s scent was unmistakable. Sebastian’s scent was unmistakable. Sebastian didn’t anticipate any problems with the Council representative when he or she showed up. He would also address the matter of the abuse that Reilly had suffered. He wanted charges to be brought against his father and brothers.

Once Reilly determined that he had enough clothing to last for a while they brought the last of the bags to the Expedition and headed back to the house so they could get ready for the meeting. The drive went by quickly. They talked the whole time and Sebastian was impressed with how Reilly and Kellan had managed so well on their own. Wolves were social creatures and a self-imposed seclusion for eight years was unheard of.

They made good time and when they arrived at Sebastian’s house they had enough time to sort out all of Reilly’s new things and start a couple of loads of laundry. Sebastian had two of each, extra-large capacity washers and dryers. All of the pack lived in close proximity to the main house and everyone helped out when needed. In keeping with their social nature, sharing household duties helped to keep everyone working together.

Hunter and Kellan returned to the house after making sure the community center was all set for their meeting. Sebastian asked them to come back for a quick meeting to go over the information he had found out from the council.

They were in the kitchen and Sebastian asked everyone to have a seat and once he had their attention he relayed the conversation he had.

“When I was on the phone with the Council rep, I asked him if there was anything unusual that had been reported. He told me that there have been several reports from packs out west stating that they’ve had a pup abducted or disappear. All of them have either just had a first shift, or were getting close. So far, none of the missing pups have been found, and all of them have been in the mid and northwest.”

Hunter looked at Sebastian. “While I was at the airport in Great Falls yesterday waiting for the plane to refuel, I met a shifter who was on his way back to his pack. He said they had a pup disappear on his way home from school and he and two others with him were trying to find out anything they could. He mentioned that there had been some other disappearances as well. I was going to tell you, but well, with everything that’s happened, I sort of forgot. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, I understand. Meeting your mate tends to drive everything else out of your mind.”

Sebastain shook his head. Pups were coveted in packs, after all, they were the future of shifter society. Unlike humans and wolves, shifters had a harder time procreating because of their unique DNA. Contrary to human stories and sensationalized movies, shifters could not turn humans whenever they chose.

“I hope they succeed in their quest. It must be very hard on their pack,” Sebastian commented. “We need to make the pack aware of what’s been going on. Even though all these abductions are taking place out west, we can never be too careful. We may only have two pups in that age group, but they are precious to us and they must be protected.”

Looking at the clock, Sebastian told the group it was time to head over to the community center. The rest of the pack would be arriving soon and he was eager to show off his new mate.

They were the first to arrive, and shortly after Donovan walked in with Rosalie holding his arm. The community center’s large common area held several round tables that Hunter and Kellan had arranged earlier in the day. Eight tables were clustered close to the front of the hall where there was a raised platform with a podium for a speaker to stand at.

The next to arrive were two more pack members, each carrying three huge boxes of pizza. They set them down on the long tables that Hunter and Kellan had set up earlier. They made sure there were plenty of plates, cups and napkins as well.

It didn’t take long before the rest of the pack started to arrive in small groups. Sebastian greeted each person by name and introduced them to Reilly as his mate. Everyone offered their congratulations and welcomed Reilly to the pack. Hunter and Kellan stood a little ways down from them and Hunter introduced Kellan as his mate. Once more there were offers of congratulations and welcome. It reminded Reilly of a reception line at a wedding and the thought made him snicker.

Sebastian had taken note of everyone’s arrival and as the influx of people trickled off he mentioned to Hunter that only one family had not arrived. Hunter assured him that he had spoken to the father earlier in the day and knew they were planning on being there. They were probably just running a little late.

The pack helped themselves to the spread that had been laid out. In addition to the pizza, several people had brought side dishes. There was more than enough food, complete with several desserts to choose from. The pack knew how to take care of its own.

Once everyone had eaten and cleaned up their mess, Sebastian stood up and held out his hand to Reilly as an invitation to join him. Reilly gladly took the opportunity to touch his mate and walked up to the platform and stood next to Sebastian as he stood behind the podium.

Sebastian thanked everyone for coming on such short notice and then proceeded to explain what had happened over the past few days. He told them of how he scented his mate when he went to Baltimore on pack business. He smiled when he relayed how he thought his mate was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The pack chuckled when Sebastian told them how confused he was when a gorgeous man who smelled absolutely delicious appeared on his doorstep. Sebastian gave them an abbreviated version of Reilly’s condition and how it happened and how he and Kellan had been in hiding for so many years and the lengths they went to to remain hidden. They, of course, were outraged at the abuse Reilly had suffered.

Without going into details he told them of how Reilly’s wolf finally appeared when he completed the mate claim and how it took the entire night for Reilly’s wolf to heal him. No one could imagine how painful that must have been for Reilly. Shifters often took for granted their ability to heal quickly.

Sebastian answered a few questions they had. Donovan interjected a couple of times as well. Sebastian enlisted Rosalie’s help when he got to the part of how their four wolves were closely matched. She retold the story of the Sentinels from the adult perspective.

The pack was of course curious and they discussed what it could mean. Many ideas and suggestions were tossed around, and in the end they were no closer to figuring it out. Nature would have to take its own course . Sebastian and Rosalie knew that the purpose of their pairings would make itself known in its own time.

The pack meeting was just winding down when the door opened and a male and female shifter came through. They were breathing hard and their eyes were filled with panic.

Sebastian quickly went over and asked, “Michael, what’s wrong?”

His voice shaking, Michael replied, “We can’t find Milo. Please tell me he’s here. We’ve looked all over.”

Sebastian looked at Hunter and nodded imperceptibly. Hunter immediately took charge of gathering the other Betas

Reilly looked at the woman, who was barely holding it together and he spoke softly to her. “I’m Reilly, Sebastian’s new mate. Why don’t we sit you down and get you some water?” As he spoke, several other female shifters that he had been introduced to earlier came over to lend their support to their pack mate. Reilly went back to stand next to Sebastian.

By then, Michael had calmed enough to explain what had happened. “Milo came home from school today. He was excited for the pack meeting. You know it’s not often that new shifters come through here. He went to do his homework like he usually does, then asked if he could go outside to work on the treehouse the kids have been building. I told him sure, and to come back in before it started to get dark. When the sun went down and he hadn’t come in I went out to the treehouse, but he wasn’t there. I looked around and didn’t see him. There wasn’t much of his scent around either. It’s been pretty windy today. There was a faint scent of something or someone that I didn’t recognize, but it wasn’t strong enough to get much information from. I went back in to look, in case he came in and I just didn’t notice. I asked Lynn if she had seen him and that’s when we started to get really worried. We looked on our own for about an hour, just in case he was hiding and scared that he would get in trouble for losing track of time and making us late for the meeting. We came here as soon as we realized he was nowhere to be found.”

Sebastian turned to Hunter and the other Betas and ordered, “Hunter, you and your crew head over to Michael and Lynn’s and see if you can pick up any scent of Milo. I need the rest of the adults to search the town.”

He then turned to the oldest of the children who were there. Kimberly had just turned seventeen and was a senior at the regional high school. “Kimberly, I need you to gather all the pups. You’re in charge of them. Rosalie will stay with you. I want everyone in the small meeting room and you are to keep the doors locked until we come back. You may only open the door for myself, Reilly or one of the Betas. Understand?”

Kimberly nodded. She and Rosalie started to gather the younger kids and move them to the smaller meeting room.

Because their pack was small, there were only eight pups under the age of eighteen, including Kimberly and the missing Milo, so Kimberly and Rosalie would be able to handle the small group with no problems.

Sebastian made sure they were secure and the security alarms were set. The building had a state of the art security system. It was, after all, the business that Sebastian was in.

Sebastian looked at Reilly and said, “You and I need to go through the security footage from the cameras we have set up in town. The humans think they’re traffic cameras, but it’s a little more extensive than that. We like to keep tabs on what goes on around us. I could use another set of eyes to look through the footage.”

Reilly nodded and replied, “I’ll do whatever I need to to help, let’s go.”

It was a quick trip back to the house and Sebastian led Reilly through the house to his room. There was a well hidden panel on the back wall that, when opened, revealed a surveillance room. A dozen monitors lined one wall and a long table held several computers to control everything. Sebastian quickly sat down and started entering information into one of the computers. Together they watched the images from the twelve cameras that Sebastian had set up throughout the town. They focused on the ones that covered the roads leading in and out of town. Sebastian was familiar with most of the vehicles that belonged in the area. He told Reilly to look for any vans or SUVs or commercial vehicles.

They had gone through about an hour’s worth of footage, set on five times normal speed, when Sebastian spotted something. He brought up the clip on the large monitor and he and Reilly watched as a small U-Haul cargo van passed the camera from one of the roads leading out of town. The time stamp showed the time period that Michael said that Milo would have been in the treehouse.

Sebastian pulled out his cell and called Hunter, telling him to get the word out to meet back at the community center. He quickly worked the keys on his keyboard, sending the image of the truck to Hunter and his Betas.

As soon as they got back to the community center, Sebastian checked on Rosalie and the kids. Everyone was fine, the younger pups were not even aware of what was going on. Only Kimberly and one other teenager knew the seriousness of the situation. The remaining pups were too young. The little ones were engrossed in a movie and the youngest was asleep on a couch.

It took another hour before the rest of the pack returned and was accounted for. Sebastian had already shown the footage of the U-Haul to Hunter and the other Betas.

When everyone had gathered Sebastian spoke. “Thank you all for your help. This is probably one of the worst case scenarios we can encounter as a pack. We have recently been made aware of other disappearances. They have all involved pups around Milos’s age. All of them up until now have been from packs out west, mostly in the regions of the national parks. I don’t think there is anything else we can do tonight. I’ll place a call to the Council first thing in the morning to see if I can get any additional information. In the meantime, anyone who wants to stay at the main house is welcome to do so.” He then turned to Michael and Lynn and said, “I’d like you both to stay at the house tonight. You need to be close by. I’ll set the security system at your house to alert me if anyone enters.”

All of the homes that belonged to pack members were located within a mile or two of the main house where Sebastian and his Betas and enforcers lived. All of them had alarm systems, but not cameras. Sebastian hadn’t wanted to infringe on the privacy of his pack members. Rosalie’s cabin was only a few hundred yards away from the main house and she insisted on letting two of the mated couples stay there for the night. She said she would much prefer staying at the main house and helping to watch over the little ones.

By the time everyone was settled in the guest rooms and all of the kids and two single female shifters ensconced in the large living room on sleeper sofas and sleeping bags on the floor, there were sixteen extra shifters who stayed in the main house, mostly families with kids. Being under the same roof as their Alpha gave them a sense of safety that their wolves needed. The remainder of the pack promised to stay on alert.

It was well after midnight before everyone had settled down and Sebastian and Reilly were finally able to climb into bed. Reilly knew that Sebastian was hurting. Not knowing what happened to their pup was stressful.

Right before they had retired to their rooms, Sebastian spoke to Hunter and asked him to try to contact the shifter that he had met in the airport first thing in the morning. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t be getting much useful information from the Council when he called them.

Reilly scooted up close to Sebastian and snuggled his backside in as close as he could, letting Sebastian pull him in tight. They lay there for several minutes, just taking in the comfort of each other’s scent and touch. Right before Reilly drifted off a fleeting feeling of foreboding washed through him. Somehow he knew the immediate future was going to be rough.