Between Two Mates

Chapter 2

(Tristan)

I groaned, running my hands down my face. I feel exhausted, but I need to catch up with my pack work. We have been having problems with rogues and just last week vampires were spotted near the White Rock Pack. No one was harmed, but they were surprised to see the vampires. A knock echoes in my office.

“Come in,” I called. Shane, my Beta, enters.

“Hey man, how is everything going?” he asks. Shane is not just my Beta. He has been my best friend ever since we were pups.

“I’m exhausted but handling it” I said. Shane walks to one of the empty chairs and takes a seat.

“Good. Well, I came by because there’s an email you need to read. I sent it to your email address,” he says.

“I need to catch up-”

“Tristan, I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important” he says, and I look at him before looking at the screen and going to my email. I read the email and my eyes almost popped out of my sockets.

“Alpha River” I said and felt my wolf, Max, push forward to look at the screen.

“What should we do?” Shane asks. I can tell he’s concerned because humans cannot know about our existence unless they are our mates.

“He has never asked for anything, not even when his parents and some of his pack members were killed. Look for some land for them. I want to help them out” I said, and he nodded.

“You know… no one has ever seen Alpha River before. Maybe after we get him here we can have a meeting so everyone can meet him, and he can get some allies”, Shane suggested. It wasn’t a bad idea. Once Alpha River gets here, he’ll need allies.

“Sounds good” I said. My phone rings. I look at it and groan when I see who it is.

“Yes, Bianca” I said, looking at Shane. He shook his head, mouthing ‘I really don’t like her’, then he leaves.

“Hi, I was hoping you could join me at a party we’re having in my pack” she says.

“I’m sorry Bianca, but I have a lot of work to do” I said.

“Remember the arrangement we have, Tristan. My father-”

“I know the arrangement very well, Bianca. Now I said, I’m busy, maybe another time”, I said, before hanging up the phone. I let out a frustrated growl. A month ago, mom had a vision about a war between werewolves and vampires that is going to happen. She didn’t see when or where it is going to happen, but it’s definitely going to happen. Mom’s visions are never wrong. I have the largest pack in the country, but if we’re going against the vampires, I need to merge Bianca’s pack with mine. She’s a fearless fighter and the daughter of a Beta and the Alpha’s niece. Since Alpha James has no heir, he agreed that if I marry his niece we can merge the packs. My parents aren’t happy about this. They want me to keep things the way they are and wait for my mate, but I’m twenty five now and I haven’t found my mate.

I sigh, feeling beyond exhausted. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I need to at least take a nap to clear my head. I get up and walked to the sofa and lay down. As soon as my head touches the sofa, I’m out cold.

***

(Tristan)

“So you already sent Alpha River the contract for the land?” I asked Shane. It has been two weeks since Shane found that the land not far from us would be perfect for Alpha River and his pack. We also started with the building of the pack house, clinic, gym, and cottages.

“Yes. Alpha River insisted on paying for the land, but I told him it was a welcome gift, so he said he would pay for the building of the pack house, clinic, gym, and cottages”, he informed me.

“Sounds good. How is the pack house and everything else coming along?” I asked.

“Everything is coming along great. Vince got a new crew who are willing to work during the night, so everything is going faster than we thought” Shane replied.

“Have you spoken on the phone with Alpha River to let him know how things are going?” I asked.

“I received a call from his Beta, Miguel. Alpha River has been busy with training and making sure humans stay away from their pack. From what I heard from Beta Miguel, Alpha River is very dedicated to his pack and very hands on”, Shane says. I don’t know much about Alpha River, but when a pack needs help, as Alpha of all Alphas, my duty is to help any way I can.

“So, by when should we be expecting Alpha River and his Pack?” I ask.

“By the end of this month” Shane smiles and my eyes widened.

“Are you sure everything will be done by then? That’s only a week away” I said.

“Yes, Alpha. Everything will be ready by then”, Shane smirks and I visibly relax. This is the first time I have brought a pack to the states, and I want to make a good impression.

“I’m sure your mom would be happy about having a whole pack full of Puerto Ricans”, Shane says.

“Yes, mom and Uncle Joel would like that” I smiled. I know mom misses Puerto Rico. Last time we went I was only ten years old. I really loved it and I’m hoping to go visit again soon.

“You know, I really thought their pack name would have been in Spanish, but I was surprised to see that their pack is called Moon Hope Pack”, Shane says.

“Actually it used to be, Moon Pack, but Alpha River added Hope because that what he was giving them when he took over as Alpha at the age of sixteen, and it stayed” I can’t imagine how difficult it had been for him becoming Alpha at the age of sixteen without your parents there to guide you. I took over at the age of eighteen and when things seemed hard I took a step back and asked dad for guidance. I really admire Alpha River and hope that we can become friends.

“Let’s go have dinner. Tomorrow we can go to Alpha River’s new pack so you can see how things are coming along”, Shane says, and I nod in agreement. I got up and followed him out of the office to the dining room. Many pack members are already eating. When they see me they stand.

“Alpha” and bow their heads in respect.

“Please continue” I said, walking to the buffet table and getting my food. I decided on steak, potatoes, collard greens, and Gatorade. I walked past my mom and kissed the top of her head before sitting down.

“Hi my sweet boy. How has your day been?” mom asks. She has called me sweet boy since I was three years old.

“Hi mom. It has been going good. How about you?” I asked. She has been spending time with her coven and checking in on other covens to make sure they are doing good.

“It’s good” she smiles as she continues eating.

“Have you heard from Raguel?” I asked. Raguel is my younger sister, then it’s Sebatian, the youngest of us.

“No, I wish she would call though” mom says, looking a little sad. When Raguel shifted, something happened that her powers were slowly killing her wolf, so mom had to strip her of her powers. When Raguel got better she decided to leave the pack. It’s been five years. She calls once in a while to let us know she’s okay, but it’s been three months now. I know my sister is capable of taking care of herself and others. Dad, mom, and I trained her really well.

“She’ll call mom. You know how she is” I said, taking her hand in mine and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I know. Thank you my sweet boy”, she smiles and I see dad smiling as well. Mom has dad wrapped around her pinky finger.

“I’m going to visit Nana after dinner”, I informed mom. Nana is mom’s grandmother. She died six years ago in her sleep. A year later, her mate Jeffrey followed. He really loved Nana. He loved her so much that he couldn’t live without her. Mom cremated both Nana and Jeffrey and spilled some of their ashes near the roses and flamboyant garden tree dad made for mom many years ago. She then spreads the rest of their ashes on a cliff where Jeffrey proposed to Nana.

“Sounds good son” dad says. We make light conversation until I finished my dinner. I then headed out to visit Nana and Jeffrey. I know that if Nana had been here, the first thing she would have done was slap the back of my head. She believes in the mate bond.

“I know that if you were here you would be disappointed in me, Nana, and I’m sorry, but I need to do this. The vampires are rising again and I’m afraid I won’t have enough people to fight them. I hope that you can understand. Mom and dad don’t agree with me marrying Bianca, but her pack is the second largest on the northern continent. I need all the help we can get” I said, looking up at the starry sky.

“I miss you, Nana, and you too, Jeffrey. I hope you are both doing okay up there with the moon goddess”. I kiss my fingertips then touch their little headstones, dad put them here, then head back to the pack house. Tomorrow I’m going to check on the new pack grounds for Alpha River.

***