Sisters By Chance - The Dawn (Book Two)

Not Close Enough

Harry's POV

I'm grumbling at our usual table down in the dining hall. I was a bit late down here, and the place is slowly emptying itself of people. Mrs. Birch has been here serving me coffee and some pastries, despite it being Monday morning. She hummed something about me 'looking' as if I needed it. Say what you want about the omegas - they are intuitive and caring! In wolf society, everyone has a place in the hierarchy. It's as simple as that. And all have a role to play for the pack to function smoothly. In the old ages, like f*****g medievals or something! The omegas were often looked down on by other members. They were considered lower beings and didn't have the same opportunities and benefits within a pack. That's some severe bullshit thinking!

I wonder if the witches have the same societal structure: Rulers or leaders, protectors or warriors, subordinates, and then regular 'citizens' building their community? Are they a democracy, or is it more a monarchy? Considering I have known, and been sleeping with, a witch for weeks, I know frighteningly little about her social origin. But she hasn't been living in that world for years. Thinking about Raven, I don't even know how old she is.

A light tap on my shoulder brings me back from my thoughts with a jerk. I look up, only to see Tim. He's standing beside me, carrying a plate of food.

'Sorry, Beta! Didn't mean to frighten you!' He mumbles with a sullen voice. He's dressed in regular clothes, making me smile.

'No worries! Are you on the run? You know it would look bad on my record If I hid an escapee from the hospital!'

The corners of his mouth pull up in a half smile before falling back down. However, the half smile never reached his eyes. Tim used to be a joker, like Jacob and myself. Always with a smile in his eyes. Captivity has changed him. Now he's more withdrawn, suspicious, and careful. It is as if he's expecting someone to attack him at any time of the day.

Tim makes a motion toward an empty chair as if asking for permission. So I nod my head as I shove some egg into my mouth.

'I haven't escaped, by the way! I've been set free!'

'Hay, congratulation, man! How's it feel?'

'Yeah! Lucky me...' He mumbles, trailing off.

We eat in silence, both deep in thought, when my best friend slumps down to my right.

'You know, you could do your job once in a while!' He growls before greeting Tim.

'Alpha,' Tim mumbles as he bows his head.

'How's the shoulder?'

'It's good, Alpha!' Tim answers curtly.

'That's good to hear! And how's your family?'

'They are all good. Thank you, Alpha!'

Tim falls silent again as he keeps eating, looking up and around the room from time to time. John and I share a glance before I turn my attention back to my food. I'm pitying Tim as Raven comes back into my mind. I need to make sure she's alright. And I need to do my job, as Alpha gracefully reminded me.

'How's the witch? Isn't she joining us?' My best friend asks me, sipping his coffee.

'She's here?' Tim asks, looking at us with suspicion and disbelief. Jack peeks up, wondering why he's defensive against Raven. But I wave him off, reminding him of his last encounter with her. She wanted to climb him like a tree and watch him shower. Raven seriously peaked at the creepmeter, so it's alright to be nervous at the thought of her.

'No, she left!' I tell them both.

Tim's face turns back towards his plat as he hums something inaudible.

'Didn't you take good enough care of her?' Said John with a superior smirk, 'Aren't you big enough to satisfy her needs?' His pitiful attempt to taunt me makes me laugh before I wink at him.

'She's no wolf, man! She needs to rest now and then!'

Tim suddenly stands to his feet. He bows to Johan and murmurs a curt 'Alpha' before walking off. Jack comes forward again, looking after him as he disappears out of view. I guess implying s****l conduct is making him uncomfortable. We 'all' know some of what Arthur did to his prisoners. Jack and I both cringe at the thought. Maybe he forced Tim to do 'things' as well.

'She went berserk in my room this morning,' I tell John in an attempt to change the course of my thoughts. 'Smashing the s**t out of everything, she wrecked it!'

'Oh s**t, what did you do to her?' John asks, sipping his coffee, looking at me intrigued.

'Nothing! I put her wand away for safekeeping! I wrote a f*****g note and everything telling her where to find it. Somehow she figured we were attempting to kill her and just went nuts!'

'Ah!' Said John, his eyes containing a wicked gleam. 'Killing her might not be an entirely bad idea...'

'She's hasn't had the safety or support of a pack, you heard her. Her mother offered her as a sacrifice. She has trust issues and doesn't think before she speaks. People tend to misinterpret her intentions and emotions. She's not a threat, so don't be a d**k!' I bark at him.

John shrugs, sipping his coffee again.

'You trust her?'

'I do!'

John nods his head while slipping deep into his own mind, getting lost in his thoughts. Jack nudges my mind, telling me to check on our friend. I shoved more food into my mouth and chewed it quickly. Jack is right so is John. I need to do my freaking job as well. I wonder how I'll be able to do my job as Beta when I find my mate. Jack and I both intend to be buried balls deep inside her every waken hour of the day! The thought of filling her to the brim. Of pouring my seed inside her velvet walls until her belly swells from my pup in her womb. Oh, goddess! Jack purr in my mind, and I feel my member grow hard, pressing against the fabric of my pants. f**k!

*

*

*

Seated in my office, I look between papers with patrol routines and on the screen of my phone. Raven has yet to answer me. Not my calls nor on any of my texts. I begin to feel like a desperate ex or something. Jack paces in my head, annoyed by her behavior from this morning. First, she is all lovey-dovey, then she goes all apeshit on my room only to fix it and disappear without a word. f*****g woman!

I spend hours in my office: Looking through the reviews of the recruits. I divided them into groups for appropriate training

schedules. When done, I looked over the border patrols. John has ordered overlap, so we're never unguarded. As I try to distinguish the many names from one another, one suddenly appears, making me grin. Pride filled me as I reread the name - Tobias Black!

I'll put him on patrol with one of my more experienced guards. He needs someone patient, as well as a good teacher. His life has been one failure after another, making him insecure and scared. He deserves success and pride over his achievements, and I intend to help him! I finally decided to pair him up with Elias. He's a well-respected, calm, and competent man in his mid-thirties. I believe they could be a good match.

Jack and I work until my stomach grumbles loudly. Well, I worked, and Jack paced in my head, annoying the hell out of me.

'Could you stop that?' I grumble at him as I rise from my chair.

Jack growls at me and stops. He's worried, as am I. Raven doesn't have the ability to keep quiet. That's not a part of her personality. Yet she still hasn't answered me, making me immensely annoyed. I quickly type what I have decided is the last text and press send.

*Raven, I'm sorry for snapping at you! Please, answer! U make me worry!*

That's it. I can't keep this up! Jack agrees reluctantly. Like me, he cares about her, despite her not being ours. But we can't smother her either. She might need some time. Who knows?

I hurry down the stairs taking two steps at a time. Tobias should be in the dining hall. However, I can't seem to find him anywhere. Jack reminds me he likes to hide in the kitchen with Mrs. Birch. We step into the bustling kitchen. Omegas are hurrying all around, preparing for lunch. The smell of grilled chicken and chees makes my stomach growl loud enough for people to turn and look my way. A thin redhead (I believe her name is Marie) suddenly stops in front of me, handing me a sandwich. I give her a wink and a smile while thanking her. She bows slightly, a blush rising on her cheeks as she murmurs. 'You're welcome, Beta!' All while looking at me expectingly.

I take a bit of the soft bread, and the taste of chicken makes my tastebuds dance in my mouth. A mona erupts, and the girl looks as if she's inwardly wagging her tail.

'This is Amazing, Marie!' The girl turns scarlet at my compliment before Mrs. Birch suddenly appears, shooing her back to her work.

'Beta, you couldn't wait for lunch?' She scoffed, annoyed by my interruption of her well-oiled machine.

'I never meant to intrude, Mrs. Birch! I wouldn't dare to disrupt you or your workers. I don't have a death wish!' I joke, making her smile involuntarily. 'However, I'm searching for our mutual friend. He tends to hide in here!'

'He's not here at the moment, Beta. He has been training awfully hard lately. Have you checked the training grounds?'

'He took off for a run, Beta!' Marie squeaks while peeking out from the pantry. Her face is still bright red which only deepens when I bow deeply to her, extending my arms as a knight in a movie.

'Thank you, Marie! For the information and the little piece of heaven in my hand!' I said with a smooth voice, acting all chivalrous. When Marie looked like she was about to swoon at my words, Mrs. Birch decided that was it! She quickly shoved me out of the kitchen, grumbling about boys being animals. I roared with laughter as the door slammed behind me, and I walked off, happily chewing on my booty. Mrs. Birch is feisty, as well as loving and caring! However, no one mess with that woman's staff or kitchen. Not even John!

'Bro, where are you?' I link Tobias, not feeling up for searching the entire woods. He's slightly out of breath when he answers as if running.

'I'm in the woods, Beta!'

'You dumb as I know you're in the woods. But where?' I groan, ready to smack him in the head.

'I'll come back!' He pant.

'No! I'll come to you. Show me,' I said while stripping off my clothes and pushing the last piece of heaven in my mouth. The shifting takes seconds. I still feel the burning pain, but I have gotten so used to it now that it doesn't face me. My joints pop out of their sockets while my bones snap, rearrange, and grow. When the discomfort stops, Jack's in control - stretching his hind legs before we take off, trotting towards the outskirts of the surrounding forest, waiting for Tobias to send us a mental image of his location.

The picture of huge boulders creating a cave appears in my mind. We know where that is and turn sharply to the east, taking off into a sprint. The trees fly past us as we sweep through the woods. My paws drum over the patchy green floor, taking me closer and closer to Tobias. When we're almost there, Jack slows down, sniffing the air and listening attentively. It's never entirely quiet in a forest. It's too full of life! The stems of the trees sway in the wind, creaking, All while leaves rustle at their tops along with birds singing lonely tons. The scent of Seth is strong here. We sneak between trees and stones, crouching so as not to be seen. When the surrounding rocks turn into boulders, we walk upright while sniffing our surroundings again. He has rubbed up against every f*****g surface possible to throw me off his trail. The center appears before me, a massive structure - made up of big blocks. A snapping twig to my left makes me twitch, but I'm not easily frightened. He just gave away his position! So I turn right, deciding to sneak around and come up from behind him. If I could, I would chuckle. It's far too easy, and I'll have to lecture him when this is over. The corner of Jack's mouth twitches as if grinning. The rough stones rise as walls from the ground. They are gray, moist, and covered in patches of green from moss, making them slippery. We move as in a maze, making our way around to the other side. Any second now, we'll see his bony ass.

Any second now.

Any second!

A growl reaches my ears as something firm lands on my back. I fall and tumble, rolling around with my attacker until we slam into a rock. I first and him on my back. A sudden snap and a sharp pain in my chest let me know I'd gotten a broken rib. The impact almost takes my breath away, almost! Quickly, not give my opponent time to strike again. I push myself off the rock, using my paws, and roll over Seth's small frame - successfully trapping him between the rock and myself before jumping up and attacking the black wolf before he gains footing. His wolf lacks technic, despite Tobias's progress as a human. We need to fix that! I pin him to the ground, growling inches from his face, demanding him to surrender. He bares his neck at me, and Jack falls to his side, panting from the pain in or chest. f**k, why did it have to be the ribs?

'He's pretty smart!' Jack hissed at me, making me chuckle.

'Yeah, too bad he lost!'

I hear the familiar sound of snapping and popping. Tobias is shifting back, and when I look up, it is at his grinning face.

'I almost had you!' He smirks as I let Jack's rapid healing mend my broken rib before turning back myself.

'Almost!' I scoff while standing to my feet and brushing off my knees. 'Smart of you to confuse me by rubbing your scent all over and using the high grounds!'

Tobias beams at my words. So I keep the rest between myself and Jack, letting him have his happiness for now!