West POV
West woke up alone, for the first time in a long time. Actually didn’t mind it, dressed and headed down stairs. He’d slept late, not something he would normally do, it was almost time for his first meeting, and was likely going to miss breakfast in the pack-house and would have to scavenge something from the kitchen in all likelihood.
His first meeting of the day was Alpha Thomas, was headed to his office, a sandwich in his hand, a mouthful of food, when he saw Miranda walk in through the pack-house front doors, carrying her shoes, still wearing the same clothes she’d had on yesterday at dinner.
Locked eyes with him, West raised an eyebrow as he continued to chew his mouthful. He had come to a halt at seeing her, it did not escape his attention that she looked dishevelled, had not been alone. That was for sure. She stared right at him, tilted her head slightly as she looked right back at him “What?” she’d stated, and then walked on by him heading for the pack-house stairs. It was very clear to him she had been out with others. Likely the Alpha and Beta’s.
Turned and watched her walk off and up the stairs, her father was coming down the stairs, frowned right at her. It would not escape his Alpha sense of smell, that she smelled like someone other than West. Watched as the man snapped a hand around her arm and pulled her in close to him, they had a private conversation through their Mind-Link to which she simply yanked her arm from his hand and stalked off up the stairs.
The man turned to find West's eyes right on him, he was frowning. West realised this meeting with him was about to get very interesting, he thought, and turned to head into his office. T.J. was sitting behind his desk, looked up at West and nodded in acknowledgement, then shut down whatever he had been doing, and stood up to give West his desk back.
“Miranda just came home.” he commented.
“What?” T.J. seemed completely shocked.
“Still wearing clothes from last night. Her father saw that I saw her.”
“Interesting.” T.J. nodded “We need to talk about Jo-Jo.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Something happened, something weird. I don’t want you hearing it from anyone else.”
“Alright.” West indicated for him to continue as he finished the last of his breakfast.
“Her eyes glowed, and I mean glowed like bright neon lights.”
West was staring at him now, “What?” he asked, though he too had thought last night they were a little on the iridescent side, but had put it down to the street light shining on them.
“Everyone saw it. Just wanted to let you know, before you heard it else where.”
“Alright.” he nodded “Might have to deal with it later.” He had back to back meetings all day today, likely wouldn’t leave his office except for meals, and they were going to go right up until that formal dinner tonight.
Alpha Thomas sank down in the chair across from him, to discuss the alliance he had with West’s Pack, to bring about a new alliance now that he was in charge. Hesitated, West knew the man had been going to push for a Mating Alliance, but now, after seeing his daughter, was apparently unsure about doing so.
West did not bring it up. He didn’t particularly want one with the girl. Didn’t mention her stroll into the pack-house at all. They all knew she had been out with some other Alpha or Beta in all likelihood, it was likely that her father was very annoyed with her, right this minute. Screwed up his plans.
So a standard pack alliance was agreed upon, assistance given for rogue attacks or enemy attacks, an actual number of warriors allocated to it and his and his Beta’s presence and Alpha Thomas had to agree to the same, though he would send his son and the future Beta. West didn’t care much about that the man was going to take over in a few months anyway. Better to deal with him. Though he was currently sitting quietly in a chair not actively participating in the meeting, just observing.
Nodded to West as to say he was okay with it. West voiced no objection at all. Then they were all heading out of the office. Alpha Thomas stopped at the door and turned back to look at West. “Are you even mad at her?”
“No,” West answered, he had been shocked by it but was not mad. He’d told her to go and find someone else if she wanted to. So she had. He couldn’t be upset or mad about it, he’d never been faithful to her, and though he didn’t like the thought of someone else having sex with his current woman, he had told her to go and do it.
“Why not Westley? She has been with you for 2 years?”
“Is not my Mate, she can do as she pleases, see who she wants to and leave anytime she likes.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. She knew this. To be honest, I was thinking about sending her home with you.”
“Sounds like a very good idea,” the man nodded.
West nodded right back. “You can tell her.”
He watched as her father and his Beta left the office. T.J. looked right at him, “Thought you were considering.”
“Was considering...Maybe she’ll leave on her own and I will go back to just waiting.” he shrugged “Wait and see, might not leave yet, just a little payback probably since I told her I was never faithful to her.”
“You actually told her...and you’re alright with that, her sleeping around.”
West stared at him. “Have to be. I was never faithful. Why should she be?”
T.J. just shook his head seemed a little dismayed by West's uncaring attitude.
One meeting after another, all pack alliances mostly stayed the same, the previous ones well written in the first place by his father and former Beta. Only a few minor adjustments here or there. But nothing major needed to be changed for the most part.
He was headed for the pack-house dining room, for lunch with T.J. when his eyes landed on a sight that made him frown. His sister Emma, barely 18, was sitting on the lap of a Beta in his pack-house foyer. She was all smiles and he noted that just off to her right were his other two sisters. The remaining set of his triplet sisters. They were leaning on the back of a couch, staring at the man, all dreamy-eyed and smiling.
Marched himself over there “Get your hands off my sister.” he muttered.
Saw it was Beta Leighton of the Crescent Moon Pack, the man looked right up at him, and smiled openly, clearly not bothered by West's unhappiness at the situation. “My hands are not on your sister.” he replied and lifted both his hands up off the arms of his chair, the man was not actually touching her it seemed.
“Emma Get up.” he snapped at her.
“No.” she pouted up at him and then, to his disbelief, turned and buried her face into the man’s neck. He heard both her identical siblings oohing and aahing. West turned to look at them, they paid him no attention whatsoever. Both were now resting their chins in their hands, apparently very happy.
“Emma, get up or I will remove you. This type of behaviour is unacceptable.”
He had to watch as she just snuggled further into the Beta, who was smiling quite happily, and clearly was not about to help West out. So he reached down to grab hold of Emma to make her get up. If she wouldn’t do it herself, he would remove her from the man's lap himself. Only to have Beta Leighton’s wolf surface instantly and snarl right at him all aggression.
Volt surfaced instantly at the threat his wolf was making. Emma giggled and to his shock, saw her wolf push forward and start rubbing her face into the man's neck.
“I don’t think my Wolf Jax or hers want to be Separated, Alpha Westley.” Beta Leighton informed him quite calmly. His wolf had more interest in his sister's wolf, reacting to his surfacing. The bloody thing was purring at her.
“It’s not a full moon,” West stated flatly.
“No it is not.” the man nodded and looked up at him “But I, too, am a triplet, have two identical brothers myself, back in our pack.” the mans eyes moved to West's other two sisters, Dana and Anna, who were still looking at him all dreamy-eyed.
“Till the full moon comes. Keep your paws off my sister.” West snapped.
“My paws are well under control, and I will be coming back for the next full moon. Pretty sure Emma here is my Mate. She landed herself in my lap without warning, and won’t leave. My wolf, Jax, is more than happy, I can tell you.”
West glared at the man, it was likely if he was also a triplet, and by the way, both Dana and Anna were staring at the man, that he was Emma’s Mate and his two brothers would be his other sisters' Mates. He rubbed his temples and sighed. Separating her from his wolf seemed would start a fight. He had to get her to leave on her own.
Looked down at his sister for a minute, then stated “Emma, take your sisters and go tell mother.”
Her head whipped up in an instant, then she was off his lap a second later. Beta Leighton’s wolf growled a little and he watched as Emma turned and giggled at him and then she and her two sisters all linked arms and headed up the stairs to find their mother and tell her the seemingly possible good news.
“I don’t like it,” West informed him.
“Not up to you. The Goddess will do as she pleases.” he was informed right back.
Turned to follow them up the stairs himself to try and sort this out, only to find Jo-anne coming down the stairs to the foyer, a place filled with visiting Alpha’s and Beta’s. Volt snarled up at her, unhappy at the situation, did not want her anywhere near any of them. He was looking right at her, fully on the surface.
West watched as she tilted her head slightly, sighed a little heavily and then turned herself around and walked back up the stairs, his wolf stalked her to the first floor, then relinquished control, so West could go up to his parents' suite. ‘ Please stay in your room for the moment.’ he mind-linked her.
‘Whatever.’ she stated, sounded annoyed to be honest. He let it go. Had to deal with other things. He found his three sisters all talking at once at his mother in her suite, all very excitedly, she looked a little overwhelmed, and shushed them. Waved them to the couch.
Turned to him “There is a Beta downstairs, claims to be a triplet himself, identical at that…Emma,” he glared at his little sister “Attached herself to him, rubbed herself all over him, right there in front of not just me but a room full of Alpha’s and Beta’s.”
Watched his mother's eyes widen slightly and then turned to her daughter, Emma smiled up at her brightly. “He’s the one, mother, I just know it. Even Jazzy feels it.” Jazzy being her wolf.
“What Pack West?” she simply asked him.
“Crescent Moon Pack.” he replied.
“Then we’d better extend a mating ball invitation to them. Wait and see I guess...have you had your meeting with them yet?”
“ Not yet. Later in the afternoon,” he admitted.
“I’d like to be there West. So will your father when I tell him.” she looked back to the triplets and then at him.
West just nodded, it was unavoidable his mother and father would want to see it for themselves “put some rules down for her. At least.”
“Of course,” his mother nodded at him. Though she did not seem upset about them not being mated off to a Beta, he’d known she was hoping for an Alpha match. Though they did not know any Alpha triplets, not allied to them anyway.
West left the suite he had grown up in. Just bloody great, everyone of his siblings, all 5 of them Mated off before him and he was the oldest. Made his way back down stairs, walked himself along the first floor and was about to knock on Jo-anne’s door when he saw that it had cracks allover it, ‘what the hell’ had someone tried to break into her room? But then he noticed some of the wood was splintered outwards, towards him. That wouldn’t happen if someone was trying to break in. break out maybe. Shook his head.
Rapped on the door twice and opened it, bloody thing was again unlocked. “What happened to your door?” he pointed to it.
Watched as she got up and looked at it. Shrugged “I don’t know. Didn’t look like that last night when you had T.J. drag me home.”
He ignored her shot at him, “There was nearly and Alpha on Beta fight down stairs. Volt just wanted Clova away from it, in case it escalated. I did not mean to snarl at you like that.” he tried to explain his reaction to seeing her heading down into a room full of Alpha and Beta’s.
“Fine.”
“Do you need something, I’ll have it sent up.” he offered, she must have been going somewhere.
“I can go and get what I need myself.”
“I would prefer, for now, you stay in the room.” he told her in all honesty and he did prefer it, “please,” he added.
“You can’t keep me locked up. It’s not right.” she stated flatly.
“I won’t be, just for today. Please stay in your room, in case things get out of hand, is all.”
“And how am I supposed to eat?” she snapped, her arms folded across her chest. She was glaring at him and he knew she did not believe him, but didn’t voice it.
There was no kitchen in here. She was right, likely had been headed downstairs for lunch. “I’ll have that door fixed, please lock your door, I’ll send up some lunch for you.” he said and left the room. Frustrating day to say the least.
The meeting with Crescent Moon Pack was interesting. The minute Emma walked into his office she was all over, that Beta, all dreamy-eyed, not even Wests' father said anything about his daughter's behaviour, just stood watching.
Beta Leighton did not encourage anything, simply stood with his hands in his pockets as Emma was all over him, leaning on him and smiling up at him, touched the man's chest and then his face. Leighton smiled down at her when she touched his face and everyone in the room saw Emma practically melt into the man, closed her eyes and sighed softly to herself.
To West’s surprise, his mother asked Beta Leighton to put a call into his bothers, and had him put it on loud speaker. He did just that, even told his brother Dylan he’d found his Mate she was a triplet, got the man's undivided attention, yelled instantly for their other brother Stephen to come to the phone.
Dana had been the first to react to the man's voice, stepped right over and touched the phone. Her eyes right on it, her head tilted to the left, When Stephen called him a lucky son of a bitch, Anna moaned out loud at the sound of his voice, and suddenly the pair of them were huddled around Leighton were both touching his phone.
Yes definitely most likely Mates. Both of them looked up at Leighton when he’d disconnected the call, sadness in their eyes, he smiled at them and said "I will bring them for you," didn’t stop them turning to their mother, still looking like they’d lost the most important thing in the world to them.
They had extended the mating ball invite, and Leighton had actually turned to his Alpha looking for permission to accept it. It was unlikely he was going to stop his Beta from claiming his mate, or having his pack receive 3 alpha-blooded females into his pack for that matter. His Alpha nodded without issue.
His mother escorted his sisters from the room, to their reluctance, Leighton just stood and smiled, seemed he was happy enough to wait for his Mate, until there was actually a full moon. West was curious about that, but left it alone. A whole new alliance would have to be made up now, one to protect the triplets, a guarantee that they would be safe, so to speak.
So their current meeting was put off until after the next full moon, no point in hashing out all the details now, only to have to redo it and change it all in a matter of weeks, so the decision to keep their current alliance til then was made.
His last meeting of the day was Alpha Nicholas and his Beta Jeremy. Their alliance had actually come through the Wolfen Council itself. Alpha Nicholas had a very effective law firm that dealt with contractual law, and the Wolfen Council had wanted a third party not affiliated with West, in anyway, to sit down draw up the contracts around the non-allied packs to West using his new airline. West had not objected, it was a good idea, and he wasn’t getting a choice in the matter. Without the third party, his business was a no go.
West had to have a sit down in the Wolfen Council chambers. Alpha Nicholas's size had shocked West. He’d thought he was tall at 6ft 6inches, but clearly not. It did not escape the man's attention either that both T.J. and he were shocked by the size of him. Just smiled at their widened eyes.
They had to go over all the details, with Alpha Nicholas’s legal team. He had stayed for the whole thing himself. Details that West expected, the controversy and complications of non-allied packs using the airline, rules and compliance's, not just for the safety of his crew, but for the safety of those travelling wolves as well.
The potential fights mid flight and on the ground in the terminal if rival packs were both using the same flight, a logistical nightmare, it had taken well over a week, going back and forth. Insurance policy’s and punishment policy’s how everything would be dealt with, and there had been two council members in that room the whole time as well, to voice their concerns or veto whatever they saw fit.
Once it had all been sorted out, to the Wolfen Council’s liking, a proper business alliance had been made between his pack and Alpha Nicholas’s pack, but now that he had changed his pack's name, new paper work had to be done, it was just a formality. West could well imagine that Alpha Nicholas was in alliance meetings constantly at the moment.
He was just signing his signature when Alpha Nicholas stated “Your Artist?”
“What about her?” West looked right at the man. As T.J. signed the new contract as a witness.
“My Beta here, and I would like to commission her to paint portraits of our Mate’s, I want one of my Mate with her wolf next to her.”
“That can be arranged.” West nodded. He saw no problems with it at all, to be honest.
“I’d also like one of my entire Alpha Unit with their Mates. To go in my pack-house foyer.”
West raised an eyebrow now. “Why?” he couldn’t make sense of that. His pack had a tradition of painting the Alpha and the Luna, but that was just for history, so future leaders could look back on them and know who they were.
“I hand picked everyone in my unit. Unlike you West, I was not born to be the Heir, and this will be the packs new beginnings on display for all to see. We who turned the pack around.”
“I’d have to talk to her about that.”
“I’m sure, she would enjoy coming to my pack to paint.” he smiled right at West.
West frowned at him, got the distinct impression he was trying to get information out of him about Jo-anne, but why? the man had a Mate. “I’m certain she won’t be going to your pack. Take a high quality photo and email it to me, we’ll go from there.”
Alpha Nicholas leaned back in his chair and looked at him for a full minute, then smiled right at him “She smells like a Luna, you know. That will likely attract Alpha Males to her.”
West was frowning now. “You smelled her?”
He nodded, “I did, those eyes of hers made me very curious, and well now, with what I saw last night, very curious, as I imagine will be every other Alpha here, right now. What is she?”
“A wolf.”
“I don’t think so, or at least not entirely, there is definitely something else in her bloodline. Something that also, will likely attract Alpha Males to her.”
“What’s your point, Nicholas?”
He shook his head. “No real point just thinking out loud for you. You know you can’t keep something you rejected, that is not fair to the woman...who I’m guessing was your Luna once.”
“I did not reject her.” West corrected him. In fact, he had tried to beg the woman not to leave him.
“Now that is interesting, why did you accept it then? seems to me…you still want the woman.”
West sighed he was a perceptive bastard, and didn’t beat around the bush it seemed.
“I had to. No choice, in fact.”
“Had no choice? I doubt that.”
“I did not have a choice in it. The minute the words were out of her mouth, my Mark on her disappeared from her skin. I watched it and hadn’t even accepted it. Seems the Goddess was in agreement with her decision. Granted her what she wanted, regardless of what I wanted.”
“Now that is interesting.”
“Not really, considering our circumstances. Which, before you ask, I’d rather not get into, if you don’t mind.”
“Fair enough...Just a suggestion if you’re open to it West...tell the woman how you feel, even if you have to do it a hundred times to make it sink in. Sometimes...trust needs to be built.” then he stood up and left. “I’ll email those pictures and the sizes I want.” he stated as he left West's office.
Tell the woman how he felt? He shook his head, yeah that was going to work, probably should have done it while they were together. He sighed their relationship was way too complicated. Nothing was likely to fix it, he rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair.
“That’s all the meetings West.”
“Good, let's get through this dinner and then I’m going to bed. I am tired.”
T.J. smiled at him. “And I thought training with you was exhausting? Sitting in this office is worse. Glad it's you in that chair and not me, my friend.”