~Alaric~
"Ayyyyye!"
Gabriel said a little too loud and took my hand and did a hug/handshake and he patted my back
"You look terrible!"
he laughed and stepped into the room still focused on me and right behind him was Hunter and he just smiled
"That's your friend, I only deal with him because of you" I chuckled with him as he embraced me with a friendly hug
"He is your cousin, I only deal with him because of you..." we both looked over at Gabe and started laughing when Gabe gave us both the middle finger. Gabe turned around and he came in through the mind link
"Damn! who is that and is she single?"
I growled loudly and Bax defiantly did not like that comment. and then her beautiful voice spoke up
"Al....is everything ok..." she looked at me a bit nervous. I meant for this to be a surprise but with the whole Janet mess I forgot I told these two to come and I wasn't mentally prepared. Gabe and Hunter blinked in shock at me, and their faces grew even more confused at Azaria addressing me with a nickname. I smirked at their confusion and went to Azaria, touching her soothed my restless wolf, and also taking their moment of confusion to break the news to them. I looked at Azaria and held her hands in mine
"Azaria, these two are my best friends Gabriel and Hunter." I looked at them and said,
"This is Azaria, my fated mate, your future Luna" I continued the rest through mind link
"So no, she isn't single!"
I also glared at him a little bit and then she spoke
" It's nice to meet you."
She smiled and waved a bit. I remembered the food and I didn't even realize they brought a bag of food as well but both of them stood there frozen looking at Azaria like a ghost
"If you two don't stop staring at my mate right now, I will take it as you no longer wish to have eyes and remove them from you." my alpha aura seeped out through the mind link and they both snapped out of it and looked at me raising their hands up in defense
"Sorry, I just thought I was dreaming because no way did the universe give you someone so far out of your league" I smirked and tried not to laugh but Azaria's little voice peeped up
"Pffffpffffff"
she sat there covering her mouth trying to muffle her laughter. I threw up my hands, my own mate laughing at her effect on me
"Damn babe not you too!"
We all burst out into laughter, and I saw her cheeks get red and I smiled looking at my mate and friends...this felt right. I went to our food that I had set down and the guys settled in on the sofa across from the bed and started unpacking their food. I went to the table by the door and grabbed the herbs, bringing them closer to the four of us. We chatted and I brought them up to date on everything that was happening. I fed Azaria and she fed me back, my friends rolling their eyes and making gaging gestures as a joke when Azaria wasn't looking, and I smiled. I knew they were happy for me but we all craved to meet our mate and I knew this was a small reminder they didn't have theirs. A few moments of silence passed before Hunter spoke up
" So this is really happening...your becoming Alpha...." He smiled trailing off and I nodded
" Well that's part of the reason I asked you both to come here. I wanted to formally extend the positions of Beta and Gamma to you two." I watched as they both processed the reality of it from shock to acceptance.
"I know it has been implied since we are close, but I trust the both of you with my life...and I need some help. As you could probably tell she is not a wolf. So, she doesn't have people she can rely on, so I was thinking to somehow keep her identity secret temporarily" I squeezed her closer to me and she wiggled a bit to scoot closer as well. "She will need to meet people and choose her Beta and Gamma and since she doesn't have her own people to bring, it will be easier to choose from within the pack." She was nodding next to me "we also have to deal with Janet, but we have to tread lightly with elder Samson being her grandfather. We need creative ideas so he can't wiggle her out of punishment." They both nodded but Hunter smiled and spoke up, he was always the most reserved of us so when he spoke everyone took notice.
" We don't even have to formally punish her. You know how she is Al, hot headed and impulsive, and insanely jealous. So, provoke her to do something more openly and that way Samson can't wiggle her away in technicalities." I nodded, liking this idea
" That's good....so Janet is settled.... now for the real task" Gabe scrunched his brows together and spoke up
"I think I have at least a partial fix for that..." he took out his phone and looked like he set a text. " This may take a few days, but I think I have a contact that can't make her smell as a wolf...bad news, I think you forgot pack run is in about 2 weeks and if she doesn't run with us, it will raise suspicions." Azaria said this time
"I don't have to be from here, I could be just visiting, couldn't I? Would it still mean I have to participate?" Hunter nodded looking a bit impressed " That would be a good idea but, if you plan to stay in the packhouse that won't work. Only high-ranking members stay there, and it would be considered rude to not participate in a pack run while you stay here. Solidarity in leadership among different packs is good for the public to see and important for public relations."
I nodded slowly a bit disappointed knowing he was right. I cleared my throat a bit nervous
"Until her memory has fully returned we need to keep her out the spotlight" Gabe and Hunter both exchanged an uneasy glance and they stared at each other a moment then Gabe spoke up
"Until you're ready to reveal she is your mate we think its best you hold off on marking.....people will be able to tell...not from her but from you....your scent will change...." I nodded and Bax got antsy at the thought of waiting to claim my mate for an extended period of time. Azaria's melodic voice spoke up
"I can change.... into a wolf I mean.... not like you guys I just..." Gabe and Hunter looked at her like she was growing a second head and I snapped at them through the link
"Stop looking at her like she is weird you dumb assess, control your damn faces!"
They both closed their mouths and shifted in their seats, and she started to speak again
"I'm a genie.... We have default forms, but we can change forms. I will need time to practice my magic, I haven't shape shifted in a long time and it takes a bit of effort depending on how long I want to stay that way and I'll need to do some preparations on that day....I didn't want to mention it unless I had to since I'm supposed to be taking it easy and recovering...."
she trailed off and I stared at her with a smile
*click*
my head snapped over to Gabe smirking at his phone he had pointed towards me
"As your best friend it is my job to embarrass you at the exactly right moment..." he tapped his pocket he shoved his phone in and I scoffed
"Your my best friend too....so just know if you use that photo there will be payback.....times ten." I smirked at him and he shrugged and chuckled. Hunter cleared his throat and spoke next getting us back on track, being the more serious one of the three of us and he balanced out mine and Gabe's shenanigans.
" So, we have a plan then. Provoke Janet, lay low and we have one more puzzle to solve. We need a pretend identity. Ideally it will be an important position but not so much people will try to gain favor and seek her out, maybe a relative to an alpha or beta family.....distant enough like an aunt or niece that her being in the pack house won't look out of place" I nodded
" Well lets set things in motion then, Azaria doesn't need to be here anymore, Brandon said she is ok to leave, so I will take her home. After we get settled in let invite Janet for dinner" I smiled knowing exactly my plan hunter and Gabe both started laughing and Azaria looked confused, but Hunter spoke up to fill her in
"Etch that specific smile into your brain, it means your mate is up to no good."
he laughed more and she looked at me and smiled giggling
"I don't think I'm the person that's going to curb that behavior....I might actually make it worse....."
there was a brief moment of silence as we all looked at each other before we all broke out into laughter. I hadn't been this happy in so long and this moment felt right, like she was that missing puzzle piece that brought the whole picture into crystal clear view. For the first time in a long time I felt real peace, even with all the mess happening with her by my side, I just knew everything would be alright.