The Alpha's Baby Sister

Lunch Time

Jamie’s POV 

   At lunch, I sit in the packhouse eating area with Tara. We eat our sandwiches and chips while we talk, more like disagreeing and commenting about shows and movies we like to watch. 

   The packhouse eating area reminds me of a dining hall in old castles or old highlander keeps. We have a table and set of chairs at the front of the room on a high platform for the Alpha, and Beta and their families. Where the rest of the pack has lower tables to eat at. 

   All the tables and chairs are made of walnut wood. The dark wood made the room look amazing with all the natural light that was let in through large windows during the day. Then a night the large chandeliers lit up the room to keep it from looking gloomy. 

   The only time I ever see the higher table used now is when it’s a formal dinner. Which happens maybe once or twice a year. Otherwise, no one uses it anymore and we all eat together no matter our station in the pack. Duncan made sure we felt like equals as much as possible, but still maintaining the Alpha persona of a pack. A lot of things changed for the better when Duncan took over. I was happy to see our pack in such capable hands.  

   Our father on the other hand had the Alpha family and Beta family eat there at the high table every night. He wanted to remind the pack who their leaders were at each meal which I found outdated. So, I ate there with my family every night until Calvin took over as Alpha. While he was in charge for that short time, he used the same method of eating arrangement as our father.  

   While Tara and I are in a debate over Harry Potter books compared to the movies, Sean comes to sit with us. My younger brother is now sixteen and is a little under six feet tall. He is clearly a thinner version of Duncan. They look exactly alike with their dark hair and dark blue eyes, but they act very differently. Duncan was a lady’s man before he found his mate. Where Sean is very reserved and waiting to turn eighteen then go on the hunt for his mate, saving himself just for her. Sean tends to get in the middle of drama with pack members though, and Duncan has always stayed out of the drama and ignored it like it wasn’t there. 

   “Hey kiddo,” I say in greeting. “What have you been up to today?” 

   “Oh just warrior training,” he says nonchalantly. 

   “How is that going?” I ask. 

   “Really good actually,” he replies happily. “I’ve been sparing with Duncan first thing every morning before he goes to his office. I’m learning a lot and I can tell I’m getting stronger.” 

   That last part he says showing off his guns. I can’t help but smile and laugh at his actions. He thinks he's super manly with his muscles. He's got a ways to go in maturity before them guns will make the girls swoon. 

   “Well I’m glad that things are going good,” I say. “Anything new come up?”

   “I’ve started going on short patrols with different warriors,” he answers. 

   “That’s cool,” I say with a smile and a nod. 

   Tara then cuts in, “So what do you plan to do once you turn eighteen? We know that’s a little over a year away, but will you stay with our pack and be a warrior or will you look to be an alpha of a different pack?” 

   To be honest that’s a great question that I haven’t asked him yet. 

   “I would love to be the greatest warrior our pack has ever seen, but I would also like to lead a pack one day,” he answers, then takes a bit of his food. Once he’s done chewing, “I mean if there’s a pack out there that needs an alpha I would gladly help them. Otherwise, I’m happy here.” 

   “That’s the most grown-up thing I’ve ever heard you say,” I say astonished. “Where is my little brother and what have you done with him?” I asked teasingly while pushing him. 

   He laughs and finishes his food while we continue the debate. Moving onto what is the best Hogwarts House as he joins the conversation fully. 

   After we are all done with lunch, we go about our business of the day. Sean heads back to the training yard for another sparring session. Like he needs it. Tara goes to pull weeds from one of the vegetable garden beds, and I go off to my own private training area to meet with one of the female warriors. 

~

   I walk into my private training area where Sammy is already waiting for me so we can start our session. Sammy is our best female warrior here at Trinity Forest and was tasked with teaching me how to fight in my human and wolf form after my eighteenth birthday. 

   Duncan wanted me to know how to fight after we learned I wasn't an Omega. It was never on my agenda to learn how to fight because I enjoyed working so much. Plants, art and books were always the most important things to me. Fighting never really interested me.  

   I take my gem, I wear at all times, off from around my neck and place it in a hole in the wall above the door frame. This is a space where four other gems are laid into the wall, and once my gem is added it makes the room and the people in it hidden from the pack and anyone else. We can't be mind-linked while we are in here and no magic can leave this space. This gem keeps my wolf and my magic is hidden from the world. It’s for my protection. To stay hidden at all times from the one hunting me. I dream of one day being free of it but right now it’s not safe. 

   “Are you ready to start?” Sammy asks. 

   “The question isn’t if I’m ready, it’s if you are,” I answer with my eyebrows raised. 

   With that, she started our session. We spar for a few hours stopping when Sammy can’t take any more. My sparring consists of fighting with no weapons, fighting with stick weapons and fighting as a wolf. Today Sammy says no wolf training, which is a damn shame, Zara would love to come out and play. 

   “You’ve gotten too good for me to keep training you Jamie,” she says out of breath lying on her back on the mats in the middle of the room. Taking another breath she says, “I think it’s time for either Duncan or Sean to start sparing with you.” 

   “We will have to talk to Duncan then, seeing as you're not as good as you once were,” I tease her. 

   “Oh I’m as good as I have ever been,” she says in defense. “You’ve just gotten too strong for me.” 

   “I’ll talk with Duncan tomorrow then after my meeting with him,” I tell her. 

   It might be nice to spar with my brothers. It would be a challenge to spar with Duncan and I would defiantly learn a few new things. The men tend to learn things that the women don't which I don't think is fair. Why not teach everyone all the good techniques. 

   “Alright,” she says, getting up and grabbing her stuff. 

   As she gets ready to leave she turns to tell me, “Jamie, I’m proud of you and the progress you’ve made these past two years. You’ve shown strength and progress faster than any warrior I’ve trained.” 

   “Thank you, Sammy, you’ve been a great instructor,” I tell her with a big smile. 

   I grab my gem and place it back around my neck. I then head to my room to clean up since it's time to get ready for dinner. While walking back to the packhouse my mind wonders about tomorrow. What were this Alpha and his pack going through? As their Alpha, I'm sure he has exhausted all options to fix the problem and he has to be desperate for answers if he has reached out to other packs. 

   I won't get any answers in my own head. All of this will have to wait until tomorrow.