Alpha Grant: Book 3 of The Alpha Series

14. Scotland

Grant

~

Our flight left from the states at ten in the morning and lasted for fifteen hours with us sitting on a plane and waiting for a layover. Skoll and Wraith were both restless and Skoll wanted me to punch every guy I saw because he was that frustrated at the moment. On the flight, one of the attendants was a little too friendly and it made me uncomfortable. I tried my hardest to keep Skoll quiet but I had to cough to cover his warning growl when she touched my leg. He was going to get me killed one day.

We arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland at seven in the morning their time. I looked to see what time it was back home in Texas. We were six hours ahead of them, so it was one in the morning. I would wait to text everyone that we had made it, except for uncle Sean.

The three of us got our bags then went to get a vehicle. The car rental place was at the airport, so we went inside. After about fifteen minutes, I had the keys to a Subaru Outback. We put our things in the back and I sent a text to my uncle Sean once I knew how much longer we had. The drive from Edinburgh to Blair Castle would take an hour, so we would be there by eight thirty. We were going to stop and get breakfast before arriving.

We got breakfast and uncle Sean texted me back. I felt horrible that he was up so early in the morning making things happen for me, but he said he was happy to help. Our short dive landed us at Blair Castle, the home of the werewolf pack called the Murray Clan.

I parked the car and told the guys, “We will be meeting Alpha Angus and Luna Elsie. I don’t know anything else about them.”

They nodded their heads and we got out of the vehicle. I locked it and we started to walk toward the castle doors. They opened and a couple emerged from inside the large stone building. This place looked amazing, almost like we had stepped back in time.

The man on the front steps held himself very proudly and he looked like a highland warrior. He wore a blue, green and red plaid kilt, black socks and combat boots with a loose white long sleeve shirt. Uncle Sean had that kilt so I knew I was in the right place. He had a well-groomed short black beard, long black hair that was pulled up in a bun and dark brown eyes. He looked to be as muscular as my dad, but I knew this Alpha didn’t have a Lycan. It must be from training with a claymore. I couldn’t wait to try that out.

The woman beside him was short with flaming red hair. She had a square face and light blue eyes. She was beautiful as the sun shined on her hair and the wind tossed it around her.

We walked up to them and I offered the man my hand and said, “I’m Alpha Grant Shanks.”

He took my hand and shook it firmly while saying, “It’s good to meet ye. I’m Duke and Alpha Angus Murray. This is my Luna and Dutchess, Elsie.”

Otto and Krew introduced themselves and shook hands with the Alpha couple. Their accents were amazing and I was going to love this trip most of all. We followed the Alpha couple inside and down the hall to his office. We all took our seats and Angus began to speak.

“I remember when ye uncle Sean came here when I was but a lad. I will be happy to help ye on yer journey.”

“Thank you,” I told him with a sleepy smile.

“Today, I think the three of ye need to rest after yer flight and go on the tour of Blaire Castle. Learn our history and then see about ye questions,” Luna Elsie said.

I nodded my head in agreement. I had learned a little about this place from uncle Sean and had shared that information with Otto and Krew, but I was glad we would get to learn more. We got our things from the car and were shown to our rooms, which were right next to one another on the third floor of the castle. On our beds we found a claymore for each of us and a kilt. I smiled and picked up the items to look at them. I placed them with my things, then settled down to take a nap.

When I woke up, it was midday and I was moving around before Otto and Krew. I watched some videos on Youtube to learn how to put my kilt on properly. I knew from what uncle Sean had said I would need to wear it while I was here. We all would.

When Krew and Otto got up, we went on a tour of the castle with a small group of humans. We learned that Blair Castle stood in front of some wooded hills above the River Garry. I thought the pack placement was amazing and knew that I would need woods and water on the territory I picked out to call home. We learned that the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl, which is the name of the area we are in, is the home of Europe’s last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. Highlander werewolves, what a deadly force to mess with.

When the tour was over, I went to find Angus to ask him some questions. He was sitting with two red-headed pups that looked to be about twelve and had to be identical twins. Both boys have the reddest hair I have ever seen. Even over Alex, Rowen and Scarlett.

We walked up and Angus looked up at us with a soft smile before saying, “Grant, Otto and Krew, I would like fer ye to meet my twin sons, Rory and Ryder.”

The three of us shook their hands and I asked Angus, “how will their succession work?”

“Whichever boy finds their mate first will inherit the pack and the castle,” Angus told me.

I nodded my head and said, “so that means one of you will be traveling like I am to find your mate and a place to start your own pack.”

Both of the boys nodded with large smiles. They didn’t seem worried about their future and that was amazing. They were close and didn't resent the other. That told me they would take care of each other.

I turned back to Angus and asked, “How does this work? How do y’all not get found out by the humans?”

“We keep our wolves hidden until night time when all humans are off the grounds. Once they are gone, we can be ourselves,” he told me.

“How many pack members do you have?”

“Over two hundred now and most of them live here in the castle. Once ye are established, I would like to send ye some of my people.”

“I will gladly take them and help them.”

He nodded his head, then he motioned for all of us to follow him. He led us into the castle’s dining room, which was filled with members getting ready to have dinner. It was a huge room with a lot of round tables with white tablecloths and black chairs. We went with Angus and his sons to a table and sat down. Soon Luna Elsie joined us and kissed the tops of the twins’ heads. Both of them groaned in irritation about it, which I chuckled because I knew how they felt.

Another couple came up and sat with us with a pup that looked a little younger than Rory and Ryder. We were introduced to them to find out that it was Beta Brodie, his mate, Mirren, and their pup, Banner.

We all talked until dinner was served, the whole dining room went quiet and all I heard was the noises of eating. They didn’t talk while they ate, which was different. On the plates in front of us were small personal pies. I broke the crust open to find it filled with minced mutton. It was a meat pie. I took my first bite but the flavor was glorious. I devoured dinner happily and knew we would be fed really well here.

After dinner, we all went back to our rooms. I checked my phone and saw messages from Eric, mom, dad, Jaxson, and uncle Sean. Nothing from Madison in days and it was eating at me. I texted everyone back and asked Eric and Jaxson how Madison was doing. They both told me she seemed more depressed than ever. I hated that and I wanted to go back home but I had just gotten here. I needed to finish what I had started.

I settled into my bed and sent her one last update telling her that I was six hours ahead of her and missed her deeply. I tried my best to find sleep that first night. It finally came hours after I had lay down.

~

The next morning I was up early. I got dressed in my kilt and a dark gray t-shirt, then went down to the dining room for breakfast. I found Angus, Brodie, Otto and Krew at a table talking while waiting for breakfast. All eyes landed on me as I walked up and I felt embarrassed as hell, but I kept my stoic look.

“Ye did well at getting the kilt right. Ye might have to help yer Beta and other pack member though,” Angus said, pointing at them.

I looked at their kilts and tried not to laugh at how f****d up they looked. I shook my head and bit my lips together.

“Don’t even. I’m a Navajo man with long flowing hair wearing a kilt. It’s going to be f****d up,” Otto said.

His reaction made me laugh and everyone else at the table. I helped them both and explained it to them as best I could. They fixed their kilts then sat at the table with us. Breakfast was served and we ate bowls of grits with fruits and nuts in it. I really liked the filling food we got here. It was going to be a must in the pack kitchens when we settled down.

When we were done eating, we were told to get our claymores and meet them out in the courtyard. As I grabbed my claymore, I felt Wraith and Skool both stir in my mind.

“I need both of you to stay quiet today and stay hidden. I’ll ask about letting one of you out tonight and the other out tomorrow night,” I told them.

“Sounds good to me,” Wraith said.

“As long as you beat some ass this morning I’ll behave,” Skoll growled.

“Why are you so frustrated?” I asked him.

“Everything!”

That told me a lot, note my sarcasm. I dropped the conversation while shaking my head and walked out to the courtyard with my claymore in my hand. It was heavy but not unmanageable. No wonder the men here were so fit, they had to use this big ass sword.

We started our training session with Angus showing me how to hold the claymore properly. Otto and Krew were taught by Brodie close by and I would glance to see how they were doing every now and again, but otherwise I paid attention to Angus. He showed me basic swings and blocks before he started attacking me. The training was tough and I loved it. Soon I was attacking back and took Angus by surprise.

“When we are able to, I want to use that as my weapon of choice in a battle one day,” Skoll said in my head.

“Of course you do,” I told him in irritation.

The sound of metal crashing into metal rang through the area as we fought like highlanders. I was a little slow at first, but it was new. I knew Angus would start going at his own pace after a while, so I needed to catch on quickly and I'm positive I would be pretty good at this.

At the end of training, Angus said, “Ye were born to be a warrior, lad.”

“Yeah. I have a Lycan warrior that’s pretty strong and he likes the claymore as a weapon of choice.”

“Sean did no say you had a Lycan, but that explains a lot. I’m glad to know ye, Grant.”

I smiled at him and said, “I’m glad to be here. You can tell everyone here is a warrior and it makes me extremely happy to be able to learn this way of life.”

He smiled and clapped me on the back. Skoll let out a soft growl and I shook my head in irritation at him.

I looked at Angus and said, “Sorry. He’s a testy ass bastard that doesn’t listen or behave.”

Angus laughed heartily and told me, “No worry about it.”

The day went by quickly and when I returned to my room, I heard my phone going off on the nightstand. I rushed over and saw that I had texts from everyone, including Madison. I smiled and opened her messages and read through them first. She told me that she was happy that I was safe here and that it sounded nice in Scotland.

“I’ll send you pictures of this place tomorrow,” I sent her.

“I would love that.”

“What are you up to?” I asked.

“I just got home from school. Mom gave me my phone back after they talked with Sandra and her parents this morning. I’m no longer grounded.”

“That's great!”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

She was still depressed, so I thought about what I needed to do to help her be happy again. It was already dark here but it wouldn’t be dark there for a long time, so looking at the stars together wouldn’t be possible. I looked down at what I was wearing, then decided I needed to show her the kilt. I peeled my t-shirt off and went to the bathroom. I took a quick picture and sent it to her.

“You get to wear a kilt in Scotland?” she asked.

“Yeah. It’s tradition. I get to take it and the claymore I’m training with when I leave.”

“That’s so badass!”

I knew that would do the trick. We talked until it was late and I was dragging ass by the time I told her I needed to get some sleep. Being on this side of the world was going to be hard on me when it came to talking to her.

~

We trained our asses off over the past month. All three of us got really good with the claymore thanks to our teachers. I even noticed how much more defined our muscles had gotten because of the training we were going through.

We got to try all the food and I enjoyed most of it. I think my favorit had to be the meat pies though. I took tons of pictures while I was here and sent them to Madison. She loved it and felt a little more like she was with me because of all the pictures.

During our stay, I would get the feeling of someone watching me every once in a while. Finally, after a few weeks, I held a private meeting in my room with Otto and Krew. I told them about it and they admitted that they felt it back in Louisiana and then recently too. Someone was watching us and we had no idea who.

“What resources do you have to find out who is watching us?” I asked Krew.

“I have access to drones when and if we need them.”

I nodded my head and said, “Next place we feel like we are being watched, don’t wait for me to approve that and do it.”

“Yes, sir.”

That was the first time I had given an order and someone had said that to me. I was used to hearing people say that to my dad and Eric, but now it was my turn.

Now it was time to go to Norway. I got our tickets and texted uncle Sean. He warned me how crazy Alpha Kristofer was while he was there years ago. I honestly looked forward to it. I was restless and so were Wraith and Skoll. They needed to be let out and needed a good match. I was hoping that this Alpha would be a good outlet for them.