Alpha Gray by C.J. Primer
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Gray
I remember being so excited for my first full moon run, years ago. My parents hyped it up and I was convinced that I’d find my mate on my first run after I turned eighteen. I didn’t, but I still felt like the world was filled with so many more possibilities. A few months later, my parents were dead, and I guess my optimism died with them. I’ve been on countless full moon runs since then, but now they’re all about pack bonding. Finding a mate is rarely on my mind anymore.
Because the squad complex is in such close proximity to my pack’s town, we invite the squad to run with us on the full moon. Our pack’s small, so it’s nice to have more numbers to run with- and the recruits that stay behind are always welcome, too. Only twelve or so of the recruits stayed behind this time, and they’re all males. Shocker.
We all gather at the packhouse at dusk and I’m greeted by my beta, Deke. He’s been instrumental in helping run the pack over the summer while I’m busy with training. Deke is about ten years older than me, and his hair’s already turning a little grey. He served as my dad’s beta and he’s always been a mentor to me. Without him, I wouldn’t have had a clue as to how to step up and lead the pack when I suddenly became the alpha. Other than the guys I run the squad with, Deke’s the closest thing I have to family.
“We’re all set, Alpha,” Deke says as I descend the stairs from my room in the packhouse. The packhouse is sprawling- and it has to be, because it houses me in one wing, Deke and his family in another, and any visitors to our pack in a third. We also hold all of our pack meetings here, so there’s an enormous room at its center to accommodate everyone.
“Thanks, Deke,” I reply, clapping him on the shoulder as I reach the bottom of the stairs. The big double-doors in the front of the packhouse are propped open and people are already filing inside.
Deke just gives me a nod, and I lean in. “Seriously. You’ve been holding this pack together lately, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
The corner of his mouth ticks up into a half-smile. “Just doing my job, Alpha,” he says.
Deke’s mate, Holly, sidles up to us, reaching out for Deke’s hand. “Ready to run, babe?” she asks, looking up at him with a sly grin.
Holly is a little thing- barely 5’5” and slight in stature. She’s got light brown hair and huge green eyes, like an anime character. Holly’s one of those super maternal types, and she basically adopted me as a son after my parents died. I owe her a lot, because she’s incredibly patient and helped me work through my grief in that first year when it felt like the world was closing in on me.
“Definitely,” Deke drawls, slipping an arm around Holly’s waist protectively.
I nod to Holly in greeting, then walk over to the front of the room to make a few announcements before the run while the rest of the pack files inside. I give a quick update as to our IT unit’s recent tracking of the shadow pack, how the new recruits are faring at training camp, and changes to the border patrols. I feel a duty to keep them all informed since my pack knows the dangers of the shadow pack firsthand. Most of the crowd is only half-listening, though, eager to get out and run. When I finally give the go-ahead, the energy in the room is palpable.
I lead the way out to the yard and shuck my clothes, shifting. I feel the familiar surge of energy as I take on my wolf form, stretching out my front paws in the grass. I turn back to my pack, let out a long howl, and everyone else quickly follows suit, shifting and howling to the moon.
The feeling is euphoric as we all run toward the forest under the light of the full moon. The pack’s bond is strong- I can feel all of their energy coursing through me as I dart among the trees, wild and free and alive. As a wolf, running under the full moon is so natural, so right.
As we run, some of the wolves drop back, sniffing at the air in an effort to identify their mates. Nothing smells different to me tonight, though. As I reach the border of our territory, I feel a weird pull to keep going, but I’ve still got enough control of my wolf to hold him back and change course. It wouldn’t be polite to wander into another pack’s territory during the full moon run, and I’ve got a responsibility to my own pack. My paws pound the dirt as I veer at the perimeter and I steer us back the other way.
Fallon
After Brooke and I shift, we stick close to one another for the run. It’s strange- I thought I’d feel so different on my first run after turning eighteen, but everything is as it always was. I know I resisted this whole thing and said I didn’t want to find my mate, but I can’t help but feeling like it’s kind of a let-down.
Still, the run itself is good. Reconnecting with the pack feels good, like I’m part of something bigger than myself. My wolf is happy to get out and run, and when it’s all over I feel more relaxed than I have in ages. I’m gonna sleep good tonight.
After we all shift back and dress, Alpha Anders fires up the grill and my dad and a few of his friends go over to help him man it, cooking up burgers for everyone. Running works up an appetite- they don’t call it ‘wolfing down food’ for nothin’. As we snack on burgers, Alpha Anders congratulates the newest mated pair, a giddy looking guy and girl stepping forward.
I recognize the guy as Cory- he’s lived across the street from me for most of my life. He’s a few years older, so I didn’t interact with him much, but he’s always been polite and nice. The girl hanging all over him is Ellie- she was in my graduating class. She was one of those prissy little mean-girl types in high school, so I was never a big fan of her. I can’t help but feel a little bitter seeing how happy she looks right now, staring up at Cory adoringly.
“Cory deserves better,” I mumble to Brooke under my breath. She elbows my side and shoots me a look to tell me to keep quiet. Everyone else is cheering for Cory and Ellie, and I force myself to clap along and pretend like I’m happy for them.
Once the cheers die down, I turn to Brooke, folding my arms. “You ready to get out of here?” I ask.
She just nods, taking my arm. She looks a little disappointed, and I’m kind of feeling the same way. After Mom hyped up this full moon run so much, I thought it would be really special. Instead, it just felt like any other.
Brooke and I wave goodbye to our parents and walk out of the packhouse arm in arm, heading down the sidewalk in the direction of our house. The walk is only a few blocks, and it’s one that we’ve taken many times before.
I give Brooke’s hand a little squeeze to ask if she’s okay and she breathes a heavy sigh.
“I just thought it’d be different, ya know?”
I nod in agreement. “Me too.”
“I don’t even want a mate yet, but not finding one just feels… shitty.”
“Yeah,” I agree.
We walk the rest of the block in silence, turning at the corner.
Brooke speaks up again. “Can you believe Cory and Ellie?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “That one was totally out of left field.”
Brooke laughs too, and I feel a little bit lighter. I swear I pick up on her emotions when we’re together and they effect my own.
“Well, it was still fun,” I offer.
“Yeah. My wolf needed the run.” Brooke’s wolf is especially wily, considering how composed and tightly wound she is. I’ve always found it amusing that her wolf is such a stark contrast to her.
“Mine too. I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.” I grin, and we cross the street diagonally and turn another corner onto our street.
“Ugh, do we have to go back tomorrow?” Brooke whines as we approach our family home. I feel a little tug of sadness at her question- it’s nice to be back, but one night feels too short.
“This isn’t our life anymore, Brookie,” I say, dropping her arm and bounding up the stairs of the front porch.
She follows me up and inside the house. “Easy for you to say, you’ve got something exciting waiting for you back at the squad complex.” Brooke arches a brow, smirking as she kicks the front door closed behind us.
“We’ll see,” I sigh. “I’ve gotta try to get him alone again.” The two of us start ascending the stairs up to our bedroom.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Brooke says.
I smile inwardly. I couldn’t agree more.
