Introductions
1896 Words
Freddie’s POV
When we reached the packhouse it was buzzing with pack members. It was loud and there was a ton of movement. I felt Willow’s grip on my hand tighten slightly. I looked down at her to see her taking in the amount of wolves running around the building. I started to worry if this would be too much for her.
“Most of the pack members come to the packhouse for dinner. All the unmated wolves live in the pack house under the Alpha family. Some of us choose to move out after a while and live in a house of our own,” I explain.
She looks up at me from the entrance area of the packhouse and nods her head in understanding. I have to remember that she has never been a part of a pack before and doesn’t know how we operated.
“If this is too much for you, all you have to do is say so little one. We can always go eat at the house,” I tell her.
“I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting there to be so many wolves in one spot,” she admits with wide eyes.
“That’s understandable. If it makes any difference we aren’t even the biggest pack in the area. We have three hundred or so members. Hunters Moon has five hundred,” I tell her.
I didn’t think those blue eyes of hers could get any bigger, but they did. I gave her a small smile and moved us to the side of the staircase that led to the other four floors. I walked into the common room before dropping her hand to let her look around. There were no members in this room at the moment, making it quiet. The common room has a big screen TV with all kinds of games, several couches, a pool table and a ping pong table off to the side. During the day this room gets a lot of traffic.
“Everything in here is for any of the members to use,” I let her know as she looks around.
“This is amazing,” she says softly.
“It’s pretty nice to have at our disposal. This room fills up with members during the day.”
Once she was done looking around I took her hand again and took her down the hall where all the pack leadership offices are. I showed her the Alpha and Luna offices first. We stood in the hallway as she just looked into the rooms. I showed her to my office after that, opening the door and stepping inside with her in tow. She would need to feel comfortable in this room since this is where I spend most of my time. I hope for her to visit me as often as she wants while I work my days away here. That is, if this works out for us.
I heard her inhale the scent of the office. She let a light sigh slip past her lips as she exhaled. I smiled at that sound. She was enjoying the way my scent felt and I could tell it was making her feel comfortable here.
My office has a dark colored hardwood desk with two matching chairs in front of it, along with my office chair behind it. The windows behind my desk let in a good amount of light during the day. The book shelves off to the side have books and folders full of files in them.
In one corner of my office I have a couch set up for visitors or for afternoon naps. In another corner close to the door I have a small wooden table with a fish bowl sitting on top. My black betta fish, Batman, lives in my office there with a plant growing at the top of his bowl. Willow spied the fish bowl and walked up to it inspecting Batman and his habitat.
“How ironic of you to have a betta fish,” she says looking back at me.
“Yeah, the Alpha’s baby sister thought it would be funny to give me that fish along with the plant he lives with years ago as a birthday present.”
She giggled and said, “I like her sense of humor.”
“You would love Jamie, but she’s the Luna to the Hunters Moon pack now. She doesn’t get to visit much.”
She hummed in response.
“Anyway, I spend most of my day here. If I’m not here then I’m either at home or at the training yard,” I tell her.
“Ok.”
She moves to look at the books on the shelves in my office. I admire the way she moves with grace and cheerfulness. I stood there enjoying watching her when I heard a knock on my open office door. I looked over to find my mom standing there with a smile on her face.
“Hey mom,” I said as I walked over to give her a hug.
Once I had released my tiny mother, I took her hand and walked up to Willow. I have all the hope in the world that these two will become close.
“Willow, I would like for you to meet my mother, Michelle. Mom this is my mate, Willow.”
“Oh how wonderful,” my mother exclaimed in excitement.
She dropped my hand and wrapped Willow in a tight hug. Willow giggled at my mother’s reaction and hugged her back. I let the two of them chat while I stand idly by.
“Welcome to the pack Willow,” my mother says as she looks her over.
“Thank you ma'am,” Willow replies sweetly.
“If you need anything or have any issues, you can find me at the pack elders building. Don’t hesitate to ask for help around here,” my mother instructs.
“Ok. Thank you.”
My mother walks back up to me and hugs me once more.
“I’m so glad that you got a second chance, Freddie.”
“I am too mom,” I tell her with a smile.
“The Moon Goddess must have felt that you, of all other wolves, deserved a sweet mate to help mend your heart.”
“One can only hope, mom,” I answered with a smile.
I hope to Goddess this works out for us. I don’t think I would live through any more abuse or another rejection. Willow did seem different than Audrey though. She did seem more sincere and sweet than any other she-wolf I had ever met.
My mother soon leaves us to go find her friends for dinner and to talk. I take Willow's hand once more to leave my office and go to the dining hall for dinner. I close my office door and head down the hall. When we reach the dining hall I watch as members started to file in and find seats.
“Wow. It looks like a vikings dining hall in here,” Willow says in shock.
“Yeah it does. We don’t eat like them though. The packhouse kitchen is through those doors but I suggest not going in there unless it’s in the morning.”
“I’m guessing it stays pretty busy?”
“Yeah.”
“Well it’s a good thing your house has a kitchen then,” she tells me.
“Yes. If you really like to cook that much you can do a lot of it there,” I tell her.
I spied Duncan walking in with Meredith and the kids not long after we arrived. Sean followed them in as usual. He spent most of his time with Duncan these days.
“Come on, I would like you to meet our Luna and the Alpha family.”
“Ok,” she said with a smile.
We walk up to Duncan and his family. Meredith was holding James’s hand and Duncan was holding Alison. Meradith was about six or seven months pregnant with their third pup. Sean was standing there on his phone probably texting a friend.
I really want Meredith and Willow to get along. Maybe, be best friends if that was possible. When an Alpha and Beta female get along well the pack runs with great finesse. We needed that for our pack.
“Hey Freddie. Who is this?” Meredith asks with a giant smile.
“This is my mate Willow. Willow, I would like you to meet our Luna Meredith, the future Alpha James, little Alison, and Duncan’s younger brother Sean.”
Sean looked up from his phone, smiled and waved then went back to his phone.
“It’s great to meet all of you,” she says sweetly.
“Freddie, is she going to give you pups like mommy does for daddy? And like Aunt Jamie is doing for Uncle Cameron,” James asks.
This damn kid. He always asks awkward questions when no one is expecting it. I’m standing there silent as Willow, Meredith and Duncan all laugh at his question. Sean is oblivious as to what’s happening. He looks up at all of us then shakes his head and goes back to his phone.
“Speaking of Aunt Jamie, she gave birth to Eric on the battlefield today. Once that pup cried out everyone stopped fighting. It was kind of amazing.”
“I can’t believe Cameron allowed her to be there,” Meredith says.
“I can. It’s stubborn Jamie protocol to do what she’s not supposed to,” Duncan says.
“True,” Meredith says nodding her head.
“Anyway,” Meredith says to change the topic. “I understand that you're new to the pack, Willow?”
“Yes ma'am. Freddie found me in the rogue camp,” Willow says.
“Well welcome to the pack. If you need anything let me know,” Meredith tells her.
“Thank you, I’m sure I will have a tone of questions,” she says with a small giggle.
“No one answered my question,” James cuts in.
I huff out and look at Duncan. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles at me. Sometimes I think he puts his son up to these crazy questions of his.
“To answer your question, James, I might one day give Freddie a pup. Maybe two or more because being an only child kinda sucked,” Willow answers.
I’m shocked that she answered him. I’m standing there stunned that she would speak of the future so easily. Would I really be able to trust her? Maybe even trust her with my heart one day?
“Being an only child did suck,” I finally said.
Meredith and Duncan chuckle out at me. We all find seats at a table together for dinner and wait for our food from the kitchen. I wonder what the kitchen made for dinner tonight.
- Writer
