"Don't be afraid to start over. It's a chance to build something better this time." -Unknown
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Aaron sat in the passenger seat of a black SUV, which they really didn't need for the trip and would be slower than running in their wolf forms. His mother, though, had insisted that they use the SUV for formality purposes. She even went into saying he should obey at least this one request of hers.
Cameron, his gamma, hopped into the driver's seat and closed the door. "I just got news." he announced as he buckled his seatbelt. He bent a bit and shoved the key in the ignition and turned it, forcing the car to life. "Apparently, we'll be staying for a week. The Alpha of the Orrville pack decided he needed to judge our character for himself. "
Aaron scoffed. "At least try to make that sound believable." He gave Cameron a look that screamed, 'Don't you dare lie to me. I'll murder you if you do.' "Don't make me ask."
Cameron sighed and drove off, so Aaron couldn't have the option of abandoning the trip after he was finished explaining. "Your mother wanted you to get a break from all the work, so she asked the Alpha of Orville for an extended vacation stay and he agreed."
"So she turned my work trip into a vacation."
"That peace treaty might as well sign itself." Cameron sighed. "Your parents and the Alpha and Luna of Orville planned all this." Jason released a sigh and rested back against the seat, staring out the window. "Are you really okay though?" Cameron knew his Alpha was strong, but no one ever survives their soul splitting apart, then shattering.
"I'm fine."
Those two words, simple and cold, killed any chance of a conversation between the once inseparable friends. Though Cameron hoped a vacation would give Aaron time to heal, he was also afraid, afraid that with his mind free, he would fall back into endless misery.
The drive took about three hours, but they finally pulled up at the border of Orrville. As soon as the guards saw who it was, they were let in. The car slowly drove up into a large opening right before a large 4-story building, most likely the pack house. A family of four was waiting as they got out of the car. Aaron and Cameron got out of the car and approached the family.
"Alpha, Luna." Cameron gave a bow, low enough to show respect but not enough to show submission. "Thank you for having us here." He glanced at Aaron, who looked too disinterested to greet his hosts. "Please forgive my Alpha. He has a lot on his mind."
Cameron actually thought he was once again thinking of his mate. However, Aaron was preoccupied with the familiar feeling of meeting one's mate. The erratic pace of your heartbeat, the sweet, unique scent that only your mate carries, your wolf's agitation. All of this was all so familiar, so sickeningly familiar that he wanted to throw up. He shouldn't be experiencing this. He didn't want it.
The Alpha chuckled, "Don't sweat it." He turned to Aaron. Welcome to our pack. I'm Jonathan, and this is my mate, Kelly. My daughter, Juliet, and my son, soon to be Alpha, Lowell, Jonathan stretched his arm out and patiently waited for Aaron to shake it. He did.
"I'm Aaron."
"Alpha!" A loud, frantic voice called. A boy came rushing over to Jonathan. He stopped and bent over to catch his breath, and as Aaron stared at the boy, he finally knew where that sweet scent from before came from. "Mate," his wolf growled in his head. Shock, disbelief, curiosity. Aaron felt everything all at once.
Aaron couldn't believe this was his mate. For one, he was not gay, and two, he already had his mate and she died. Though there have been cases of people having a second mate, it is uncommon, and Aaron had never wished for another mate in the year since losing his. He was not interested.
Cameron caught Aaron's stare and the boy felt it. He turned to find the source and gasped as his eyes met Aaron's. His once hazel eyes flashed many colors; red, green, blue, gold, catching Aaron off guard. Jackson chuckled when he noticed this exchange. "Ravi, this is Alpha Aaron from Vermillion. "This is Alpha Aaron. This is Ravi, an unusual wolf whose eyes change color according to his mood."
Aaron didn't show any acknowledgement that he had heard Jonathan. Instead, he continued to stare at the boy who was undoubtedly his mate, the person he would have to live with for the rest of his life.
"What's going on?" Cameron asked.
"He's my mate, my second chance mate." Though Aaron is against having another mate, there was a law against rejecting mates. A law that, if broken, would result in death.
To say Cameron was surprised at Aaron's revelation would be an understatement. It was obvious from Aaron's stare who his mate was, and the fact that it wasn't a female made the gamma even more surprised.
'Seriously? How? '
Aaron didn't reply. "Oh! Alpha." Ravi called as he remembered the reason he came, "The bodies of four werewolves have been discovered in the clearing. My father sent me to inform you." The boy bowed at Jonathan and Aaron, and then left as if he hadn't just met his mate.
Aaron watched his retreating back before bringing his attention back to the Alpha.
Jonathan didn't seem surprised by the news. He sighed and shook his head, "Follow me." Aaron and Cameron followed the Alpha, and in a few minutes, they arrived at a clearing in the middle of the woods of Orville's pack. "The killing started a while ago. Werewolves who went out on errands never made it back." He sighed as he knelt and used his palm to close the eye of a dead person. He stood back up and gestured to the arrow stuck in the person's chest.
"This can't have been done by a shifter. They are very proud of their kind abilities and strengths and wouldn't have resorted to using man-made weapons. "
"You think it was a human?" Cameron's receiving no reply from Jonathan was confirmation that he did indeed think it was a human. "A hunter?" Cameron frowned as he looked at the arrow. "But humans have long since forgotten our existence."
"They were tortured." Aaron pointed out as he examined the wounds on the bodies. "Perhaps there is something in your pack that someone wants."
Jonathan frowned in thought. He then shook his head. "There is nothing valuable in my possession, especially something for a human being. The hunter might just hate werewolves to the point of not allowing a peaceful death. "
Aaron nodded but still didn't seem too convinced. He had his reasons. Orville's pack was the furthest away from the nearest human village; they were in the middle of nowhere, with Silvia being the closest. If the hunter simply wanted to kill werewolves, they would have attacked Silvia. Perhaps they held some grudge against Orville, or maybe there was actually something valuable in Jonathan's possession that he himself didn't know the worth of.
But none of this mattered to Aaron.
"I want to shorten my stay to two days." Aaron glanced at Jonathan. "I already know of the plan you and mother concocted." Jonathan chuckled.
"How could I refuse a mother concerned for her son's wellbeing?" Aaron ignored him and turned to leave. "You'll be staying at the guest house. I'll have a servant tend to you during your stay." Cameron bowed and thanked the Alpha before both left the forest and headed to the guesthouse. Only halfway there did they realize they had no idea where they were going. Cameron had to ask for directions, but eventually, they made it.
Cameron sighed in relief and turned to Aaron, but his Alpha seemed dazed and his full attention was elsewhere. Cameron followed his gaze and saw the boy Aaron had said was his mate. Ravi. He was walking up to the guesthouse door with a large tray that he seemed to be having trouble carrying, which wasn't a surprise when one looked at his thin frame.
Cameron simply blinked, and Aaron was no longer standing beside him. He was in front of Ravi and had taken the tray from him. "I was told to bring this to you. I will be your attending servant during your stay." Ravi said with a respectful bow. He turned to leave, but Aaron's smooth and cold voice called from behind him.
"Are you aware that I'm your mate?" Ravi turned and gave Aaron a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He then gave another bow.
"Yes, I am aware." His eyes changed from it's hazel color to a sparkling ocean blue. "But, I'm also aware that you do not want me." At that moment, Aaron wanted nothing more than to find out what emotion the color blue was.