Story 1 Chapter 3
2372 Words
Story 1
Aries
Chapter 3
Third Person
After breaking in their new home, Aries and Lacie went back to the packhouse for dinner. Although they had moved out and into a new home of their own, Allie insisted that they have at least one meal at the packhouse every day.
“I honestly didn’t expect to see you guys,” Sin commented.
“Why?” Lacie asked as she put her water down.
“Oh, I don’t know, I figured you guys would be busy, you know, breaking things in,” Sin teasingly said.
“Oh, we did,” Aries replied proudly.
“Babe!” Lacie gasped and smacked his arm in horror. She covered her face in embarrassment as the dining room erupted in laughter.
“Why are you being so shy?!” Allie laughed. “We’ve seen you naked plenty of times.”
“That’s different!” Lacie retorted.
“How!?” Everyone asked in unison. Lacie had no reply, which made the dining room burst into laughter again.
“Stop teasing the poor girl!” Eleanor scolded the room. Everyone stopped laughing and looked up to see Ben and Eleanor walking into the dining room.
“Mom? Dad? Why are you guys here?” Dorian asked as he got up to hug his Mother and shake hands with his Father. Allie also stood up and hugged her in-laws.
“Well, son, we have a guest at the gate,” Ben said.
“Who?” Dorian asked as he looked at Brandon, who shrugged.
“No one’s linked me,” Brandon stated.
“It’s Bernie and Corrinne,” Eleanor answered.
“Bernie knows he’s not allowed on our pack lands. Why is he here?” Dorian questioned.
“He said he needs to speak with Lacie, and that’s important,” Ben replied. The room became silent as they looked at Lacie.
“Me? Did he say why?” Lacie asked Ben.
“No. He said that it has to be done in person and with Dorian, Allie, and Aries present,” Ben told her.
“What?” Lacie looked at Dorian, who was furrowing his brows.
“Babe, just let them in. It’s been almost two years now. I think Bernie has paid his penance,” Allie said as she gently caressed Dorian’s arm. Lacie’s eyes lit up when she heard Allie trying to convince Dorian. Dorian looked at Allie and then at Aries. Aries nodded in agreement. Dorian hung his head and sighed deeply.
“Fine.”
“FOR REAL!?” Lacie explained in excitement.
“But, he’s your responsibility,” Dorian sternly said.
“Yes, yes, absolutely. I’ll make sure my dad is on his best behavior. Oh my goddess, thank you, Dorian!”
“Lacie, why don’t you and Aries go get them and escort them? If they haven’t eaten, invite them to eat dinner with us,” Allie offered. Lacie squealed in happiness and raced out of the dining room to meet her parents at the gate so she could escort them to the pack house. Aries smiled and bowed his head with respect to Allie and Dorian and followed after Lacie, albeit not as excitedly.
“Gizmo, that was so nice of you,” Mikey commented.
“Yeah, Chiquita, what gives?” Sin asked.
“Well, after surviving a pre-apocalyptic catastrophe, my perspective on things has changed.” Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.
A few minutes later, Lacie came back into the dining room with her arms linked with her Mother, Corrinne, and her Father, to the left of her, hanging his head.
“Bernie, Corrinne, welcome,” Allie greeted with a genuine smile.
“Thank you, Luna Shaw,” Bernie replied and bowed his head.
“Bernie, please, you don’t have to bow. You are a welcomed guest in our home.”
“Yes, Lacie just told me. I graciously thank you for lifting the ban. I know it took me a long time, but I do understand the error of my ways in raising Heather and favoring her over Lacie. I made countless mistakes as an Alpha, but more importantly, as a Father.”
“Water under the bridge, Bernie. Have you eaten yet?” Allie asked. Corrinne shook her head. “Please, have a seat. There is plenty of room at the table. Dinner is about to be served,” Allie gestured to the table. Luckily, the seats next to Lacie that were typically Ben and Eleanor’s were offered to Bernie and Corrinne, while Ben and Eleanor took Joe and Bridget’s seats. Corrinne signed and mouthed “thank you” to everyone at the table. Lacie held her Mother’s hand and leaned her head on her shoulder.
“Alpha Shaw, per the reason why I’m here and asked to meet with you—” Bernie began to say but was cut off.
“Later, Bernie. First, let’s eat. We can talk in my office after dinner,” Dorian said, giving a small smile and a short nod. Bernie sighed in relief and nodded in return.
Dinner went smoothly. Lacie had the nanny bring Meredith to the dining room, so Corrinne and Bernie could see her before they had to go down to business. Bernie had commented how big Meredith had gotten within just a few short months since they had last seen her. And, of course, just like any other Mother, Corrinne asked Lacie if she and Aries were planning on having any more pups. Lacie quickly denied it, but Aries made the entire room erupt into laughter when he said he had been actively trying to impregnate Lacie.
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways while those who needed to meet in Dorian’s office went upstairs to his office. Everyone got settled on the couches, with Lacie and Aries on one sofa, Bernie and Corrinne on the other, and Dorian and Allie on his armchair. As always, Allie was on his lap.
“If everyone is settled, let’s get down to business,” Dorian instructed.
“Mrs. Johnson and the kitchen omegas will be bringing us some tea and fruit, so don’t mind them when they come in,” Allie informed the room.
“Daddy, why did you want to see us? And with Dorian and Allie?” Lacie asked.
“Ronnie called me earlier in the day. He received a letter from an old friend of mine. It was addressed to the Alpha of the Snell Island pack, but it had my name on it,” Bernie answered.
“But, you haven’t been Alpha in almost two years. Why would someone be sending you mail?” Lacie asked.
“Probably someone who has an outdated list,” Dorian said.
“I think that’s precisely it,” Bernie said. “He took a photo of the letter and texted it to me. It’s from an old friend of mine. We haven’t spoken in many years. But he was asking me about your death?”
“You mean my fake death?” Bernie nodded. “Why would he care about that? And who is this guy?”
“You don’t know him, baby girl. My friendship with him was before you were ever born. He met your sister when she was a baby, but he and I lost contact not too long after that.”
“Why?”
“He had some personal problems that he needed to deal with. Anyway, that’s beside the point. He was reaching out because he wanted to know if either you or sister were unmated.”
“Why the hell would he care about that!?” Aries snarled.
“Relax, son, it’s not what you think. He’s not looking for himself. He has a mate. He’s looking for a chosen mate for his son. Apparently, his son rejected his goddess-given mate because she was an Omega.”
“Seriously?” Allie asked.
“Yes. Unfortunately, there are still many people who would instead choose a mate for their rank. Just like my friend did.”
“Sounds like the apple doesn’t fall from the tree,” Dorian muttered.
“No, not when it comes to this family, no.”
“That doesn’t make it any better, Bernie. Did you tell him that Lacie has a mate? Her goddess-given one!?” Aries growled.
“Yes, I did. I reached out, and I told him that Heather was deceased and that Lacie was already happily mated and married with a pup. My friend was disappointed. But, his son is apparently adamant about meeting Lacie.”
“WHY!?” Everyone shouted.
“Someone apparently doesn’t know how to take no for an answer,” Allie spat.
“I don’t think it’s my friend or his son, more so, it’s his mate who is adamant,” Bernie said. “She’s a spoiled Alpha female who’s used to getting what she wants. And I’m thinking that her son voiced his interest in my girls; she wants one of them regardless of their marital status,” Bernie explained.
“I don’t give a f*ck! Tell that b*tch to back the f*ck off! Lacie is my mate! My wife! The mother of my child! No one is coming within a thousand feet of her!” Aries stood up and shouted.
“Babe, calm down,” Lacie tried to soothe him. Lacie gently pulled him to sit.
“Aries, I agree with you 100 percent.”
“But?” Lacie said. “Daddy, I see a but in your eyes.”
“My friend’s mate is the daughter of an Alpha who is now the head of the Central Elder’s council on the East Coast. She went and complained to him. He’s now demanding that I bring Lacie to their pack territory.”
“They can’t do that!” Dorian snarled. “They’re trying to force a female wolf into a union when she’s already mated and marked!?”
“I thought the same thing and pushed back; however, I was informed it was so that Lacie could reject my friend’s son to his face.”
“Reje— What in the flying f*ck!? She’s not even his mate! There’s nothing to reject!” Allie roared.
“Do the other Elders know about this?” Dorian questioned.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I’ve been given three days to produce Lacie to the Nantahala Forest Pack, or they’ll take her by force,” Bernie answered.
“I’d like to see them try!” Aries challenged.
“Can’t we talk to Elder Maxwell about this?” Allie asked Dorian.
“No. He’s part of a different council. Every time zone has three councils. North, Central, and South. Twelve members and one head of each council.”
“And my friend’s father-in-law is the head of theirs. So, unfortunately, he can pretty much make up any rule he likes, as long as it is not illegal,” Bernie stated.
“How is this not illegal!?” Aries exclaimed.
“He’s not forcing Lacie to accept my friend’s son. He’s only advising that she go and reject his claim on her as a chosen mate. Or, rather, his mother’s claim on her.”
“How can a mother choose a mate for their child? What kind of mother does that!?” Allie spat in disbelief and disgust. Corrinne waved her hand to get Allie’s attention and began to sign.
I agree with you, Allie. What this mother is doing is disgusting and disgraceful. Even more so because she is trying to claim my daughter, who is happily married and married. If I ever see this woman, I will gouge her eyes out.
“Pfft! Corrinne, I never saw you to be the violent type,” Allie responded.
“Not violent? She’s the one who used to spank us for being bad!” Lacie shouted. Corrinne waved her hand at her daughter to stop her from talking. “Don’t try and lie, Mommy! You always had a newspaper lying around to spank Heather and me!” Lacie defended while trying to hold back her laughter. Corrinne huffed, looked around, saw the cushion next to her, grabbed it, and chucked it at Lacie.
“Ah!” Lacie covered her eyes and cowered, but the pillow never came. Lacie opened her eyes, looked up, and saw that Aries had caught it before it made contact with her face.
“Corrinne, I love you, but please refrain yourself from harming my wife,” Aries kindly told her. Corrinne scowled at him and then chucked the other cushion at him, hitting him square in the face and making everyone laugh.
“Okay, sweetheart, that’s enough,” Bernie fake chastised his wife.
“Oh, man, that was awesome,” Allie said, wiping away the tears from laughing so hard. “But anyways, where were we? Oh, right, stupid Elder who thinks he’s above the law.”
“How do we stop this?” Aries asked.
“Unless we can convince the other Elders of the same council that what this jagoff is doing is unlawful, we can’t do anything. And with only three days, I don’t think we have enough time,” Dorian answered.
“We only have two days,” Bernie admitted.
“What!?”
“Daddy, you just said—”
“I spent one of the three days trying to find a way to stop this. When I couldn’t find a viable solution, your mother and I came here as fast as we could.”
“Great, so I have to travel to where…?”
“Nantahala Forest Pack.”
“Yeah, them. I have to go there and pretty much tell this guy I’m not interested in being his chosen mate?” Lacie asked, making sure she understood.
“Yes.”
“Which is where?” Aries asked.
“North Carolina.” Aries furrowed his brows but for another reason.
“I mean, as stupid as it sounds, it sounds easy enough,” Lacie shrugged. Aries didn’t like it, but what Lacie said was true. Unfortunately for them, they had no idea what drama would eventually unfold after they went to The Nantahala Forest Pack.
- Writer
