The Alphas' Human

Chapter Thirteen

Onyx
    I followed Syn and Orson back out to the garden and took in the "reception" area. Alice definitely was a party planner like she gloated about this whole time. She hadn't let Syn or I help at all when it came to the decor. Alice claimed she knew what was best and just needed to know what color we would be wearing. She truly could throw one hell of an event.
There were twinkling lights hanging down from the willow trees making the light of dusk seem a bit brighter. The trees encircled the dance floor that had been set up with sound equipment. Some teen wolves had grouped together there and danced to the music they had started to play.
On the other side of the garden where the gazebo was there were long tables draped in white cloth with candles surrounded by black rose and green centerpieces. The gazebo had a table that had what looked like a mailbox on it, with a sign that said *Please give these lovebirds kind words to read in a year*. There were also small gifts placed around the table. It looked more like a wedding scene like my pa had shown me pictures of.
I hoped one day if he was alive I would be able to show him pictures from today. The wolves he gave me sat around the table protecting it. They each sniffed anyone who came close to it which made me laugh. Syn noticed and shook her head at them earning a head tilt from Tera. Flame and Snow rolled their eyes like they were saying "What if there's stuff for us in there!?".
    "Wow" I said in disbelief taking another glance at the scene in front of me, the pack looked genuinely happy to all be here.
    "I know, she surely outdid herself this time." Syn beamed up at me, I took the opportunity to lean down and softly kiss her pink lips. "I can't believe we made it through this one. Your luna ceremony will be much easier I promise"
    "Okay love birds, come on we want food" Ryder called out from his place at our table.
    "Yeah loverboy, let's eat!" Atlas then called out, causing me to burst out laughing.
    "It's magical out here tonight don't you think?" Syn pulled me over to where our friends sat. "Boys, I need to speak with you tomorrow morning. I know it should be an order but I trust you will be there."
    They nodded their heads in agreement, "Will Onyx be there?" Ezra asked, eyeing me curiously.
    "Yes he will be" Amoura came up and cut her off.  She was smiling brightly and hugged her friend tight.
    "I thought Alice went overkill on our ceremony" Amoura giggled and grabbed Atlas's hand "I agree it is magical, alpha Syn"
    "There you are my mate! However, you were the most beautiful girl there my love" She blushed and he kissed her hand. "Now where is the food?"
    "You get it yourself, you know how our Alpha feels about not being self sufficient" Ezra scolded him earning a smile from Syn.
    "I don't find need, I like my people all being happy and self-sufficient. Look at chef Los, he loves being able to have his restaurant." Syn shook her head "Him being here was Alice's idea."
    "I'm glad he is, he makes the best dessert!" Clara sat next to Ryder with a plate full of food "I couldn't help myself"
    Syn busted out laughing "Oh no, I get it. You and Amoura should both be eating first."
    "Syn, why are you having pancakes though? You're not a child" Atlas took a sip of his whiskey.
    "Well Mr. Adult wolf, some of us like to have fun. Plus there's other options, Alice made sure of it. You all got your own choice of food at your ceremonies" I smirked at her trying to defend herself.
    "Oh yes! I want his mashed potatoes!" Amoura jumped up and waddled over to the chef who graciously piled on food for her.
    "I'm so excited to be a dad, but between us she's eating us all out of house and home" Atlas rubbed his face dramatically "I've had to make three trips for the last three days! Three were after 2 am!"
    "Think about that next time you want to create the new generation" Ryder mocked him, earning a scoff from Clara.
    "Both of you keep acting like that and we'll take your spots" Val growled "Be nice to her, you'll never understand what she's going through. You should cherish this time Atlas, as hard as it is for you both"
    "I just miss sleeping, we both do. I feel bad when I do eventually fall asleep because I know she hasn't been able to"
    "Make her another appointment with Dr. Harrison, maybe we can get her with a midwife?" I decided to put my input out in the open.
    "That's actually a great idea, she was wondering which one would suit her. She forgot to ask the last time she saw her" Atlas got up to help his mate carry her plate and get one himself.
Syn
    Onyx slowly started speaking up about what he thought and I couldn't have been more proud. I was glad he felt comfortable now to have his own advice or council about certain topics. Taking that initiative would prove useful when he was learning about pack policies and how to work with other leaders.
    Leaders that I didn't have an alliance with, Otr and Bane did not count. They were both extensions of my pack now, despite my issues with Bane. He seemed indifferent to Onyx but I hoped now he would see him as my equal.
    Otr was saddened that he didn't get to be here, but promised he would be here for Onyx's luna ceremony. I truly hoped the two would become friends and that there was no bad blood between them.
    I was enamored with Onyx but a certain bottle caught my eye, the teenagers had gotten ahold of fae potion. I looked at Ryder and went back to them.
    "What do you want me to do?" he linked me
    "Take care of it. Without anyone noticing, I don't want to ruin this for Onyx or Alice. She worked so hard"
    "Got it. Hopefully they don't cause a scene" He stood up and walked towards the group.
    "That's why you're handling it" Davina grunted in disapproval
    Onyx squeezed my lower thigh trying to catch my attention "everything okay? Do you want to leave?"
    "Oh no, we haven't even eaten yet. Why don't you go get us some plates? I have something I need to handle with Ryder"
    "Is he in trouble again?" I knew he would try and protect his friend so I cut him off.
    "No. He's helping me, don't worry yourself. I just have to do something I don't like doing very often"
    "Ah alpha order. I'm outta here, how many pancakes do you want? Actually nevermind, I'm going" He stammered leaving the table.
    I shook my head and walked around to the other side of the house where Ryder was scolding the teens about why fae potion should be respected and not wasted to have fun for a night. They watched in horror as I walked over to them and crossed my arms. I purposely let Davina intimidate them a bit by showing them my eyes and extended canines.
    "Where did you get this from?" She commanded, one seemed like he was going to pee himself out of fear.
    "I don't know-" Isa tried to cover for them
    "No, I want the truth. If not, you all will not like the punishment I give you. Now speak the truth." it was the last chance before I used my command
    "I don't know, Isa said her sister had it!" one of the kids yelped, his name was Jacobi.
    "Isa is that true?" Davina pushed her more, not liking the disrespect the girl was displaying.
    "No! He's lying! She didn't have any I swear!" She panicked, she looked around to her friends to see if they would help her.
    "Tell me now!" Davina commanded her, and I sighed. So much for delaying the inevitable.
    "My sister's ex boyfriend gave it to me! I'm seeing him now and she doesn't know!" She sank to the ground sobbing.
    "Now was that so hard? Do not disrespect your alpha again, understood?" Davina softened a bit
    "Yes, just don't tell Analisa! She'll hate me for being with him. He's not even 18 yet!" she cried more
    "I do not care who you are with. That is between you and your sister now, but if it becomes my issue none of you will like my response" I said a bit too harshly "Now you all know what this potion is used for. It's dangerous in large quantities. This is enough to seriously tranquilize you all for at least three days"
    "We've all heard you got to have fun when you were younger with it! That's not fair to us!" Jacobi whined at me
    "And you know it almost killed your gamma. He'll tell you" I looked at Ryder
    "I was in the hospital for at least a week. It's used in fae practices to induce hallucinations, you all know this right?"
    They nodded and he came closer to me "Well I didn't listen and over did it. You all could have easily done the same tonight, and we are already mourning missing pack members. Please respect your alpha and give her the bottle so Alice can give it back to the fae"
    "But Syn you've done it many times! We have heard the stories about the younger you!" One of the girls argued
    "I know what I have done, I will one day have an explanation. Please just listen to me" I honestly didn't know what to tell them. I didn't know why it didn't affect me like everyone else.
    I had once purposely tried to over drink the potion, but it made me sickly drunk at best. Which happened to be the night I almost lost my gamma to it. I also almost ruined my friendship with Otr. It was an absolute mess of a night and Ryder didn't like to talk about the experience.
    "I expect you all to be in my office at noon tomorrow, understand?" they nodded and reluctantly handed it over and went back to the party.
    I waited till they were all out of earshot before I approached Ryer "Are you alright?"
    "Yeah, I just don't like thinking about Clara not having me" he admitted "I almost lost her before I found her"
    "Oh my gamma, she would have found us one way or another. You have one strong wolf, he wouldn't have died without meeting his mate. You know that" I gave him a hug and sent him back to the party.
    I stood in the same spot for a few moments thinking about what happened. Was I too lenient on my pack? Did I need to be more aggressive like the other alphas? I had tried so hard to be a different kind of leader but was it a mistake?
    My father did try to warn me about leading this way, he led the pack this way. He didn't want his members to fear him. Instead he wanted the pack members to respect him enough to trust his leadership and trust him fully. He expected them to follow without disrespect, and they did for him. For me, it was a bit more difficult. Being an alpha respect is handed to you but as a female alpha I had to prove my own strength.
    Which is why the teenage wolves not respecting me cut so deep. I was only a few years older than them, and I remembered how I rebelled. However, I wanted to keep my young pups safe. The alpha command was necessary tonight and I hated that I had to use it. My father could count on one hand the amount of times he used it when he was our leader.
    I was lost in my thoughts when Davina picked up on a sickly sweet scent. She gagged internally at the smell and I let out a warning growl. I watched as someone ran across the open field just outside of the boundary line.
    I took off my mothers dress and shifted into my wolf. I decided to link Ezra to come with me just in case. I also linked Ryder and Atlas to keep my mate occupied while I investigated.
    I watched as Ezra and Alice both rounded the corner, he had already shifted and she walked beside him. "Oh my beautiful red eyes"
    I kissed her hand and allowed her to climb on top of my back. I shifted the familiar weight and took off. About a mile in some warriors joined us, by the time we got there we had about 8 wolves with us.
    "Do you still smell it?" Alice peered to see my face
    My snout raised and I inhaled, trying to see if the scent was still strong. Unfortunately it was weakened, the warriors claimed to not smell anything. They hadn't noticed any weird activity till I said anything. They got confused and followed us here to see if they had missed something.
    We were just inside the line where the shield was so we were safe. Alice decided to check their protection amulets, once she determined they were safe and there wasn't a threat here we went back to the party.
    I slipped back on my dress and frowned at how discheviled my hair had gotten after I shifted. Amoura would not be too happy with how I ruined it. I fixed it to the best of my ability and found Onyx still sitting in our spot.
    "Hey, you got me food" I smiled at him, hopeful he wouldn't be upset that I left for so long.
    "For you I'd do anything" He smiled back, handing me a warm plate.
    The rest of the night went out in a blur. I spent quality time with my mate and my pack. Onyx and I ate our food without any more interruptions and even got to have a few dances together before we decided to sneak off to rest.
    By the time my alarm went off the next morning I groaned not wanting to deal with my responsibilities yet. I had to choose who was leaving with my warriors on top of having to punish a group of hormonal teenagers.
    "Syn, come on I have your tea made and a bagel downstairs for you" Onyx kissed my temple softly and left the room.
    I sniffed the air to ensure that he wasn't lying just to get me up. My nose determined it was the truth so I got up and got ready for the day. By the time I made it downstairs Atlas, Onyx, Ryder, and Ezra were all waiting for me. I sat down in my chair and took a drink of my tea.
    "So how did you all sleep?" I watched as all but Onyx groaned and rubbed their temples. "Did you all drink a bit too much?"
    "Unfortunately we did. It was fun at the time but now I want to sleep more" Ryder laid across the couch and took a drink of water.
    "You must have drank a lot to be a wolf in that position" Onyx shrugged and drank his coffee, smirking behind the cup.
    "Well Ryder, Ezra. One of you has to leave tomorrow with the warriors" wow, way to just rip off the bandaid.
    "Why not me?" Atlas "Wait, why is anyone leaving?"
    "Because Beta, Orson gave us a lead last night" I mentally projected the scene that Orson showed me.
    "Where even is that? Otr's territory?" Ryder cocked his head and looked at Ezra
    "He doesn't think so. He thinks it's no man's land to the eastern border where our lands meet there. I sent his group and Bane there but they need some backup incase."
    "Okay, so why can't I go?" Atlas seemed more offended now
    "Because your mate needs you. You said it yourself last night this pregnancy has not been easy. So it has to be one of them, Syn trusts only you three." Onyx's stern voice shocked me
    "I will go" Ryder stood, almost falling over.
    "Syn, if I may?" Onyx stood up, I nodded at him "Ezra I believe you should go. I know we need you here too but the warriors respect you and you know their strengths. Ryder and Atlas are enough here to protect if need be"
    "I agree, I will choose amongst those who are not on guard duty. They need to stay here" Ezra looked saddened "I need to go tell Val about leaving here"
    I released him and waited to hear my friend cry. Leaving your mate is hard enough, he'll be in the line of danger. He did choose to be at risk when he chose to be my delta but the reality was that I didn't want to lose him. I tried to stop a rogue tear from falling down my cheek, my heart hurt for Val.
    I let the men leave me to have one final day of "normalcy". Val and Ezra needed to have it. She was working for a bit so they decided to spend some time playing whatever game they couldn't beat. It was funny to hear them all yelling and cursing at the TV for a few hours.
    By the time noon rolled around I fought the urge to bang my head against a wall. I did not want to deal with the disrespectful children whatsoever. Onyx wandered in my office before they even got here.
    "Do you want some company?" He came behind me and hugged me
    "Sure, do you want to deal with them? I don't even know how to punish them at this point" I groaned, they didn't learn no matter what I tried.
    "Oh I got this" He smirked, I let him have my chair and watched as the kids walked through the door.
    "Hello future warriors, future pack members. It has come to my attention that you have disrespected your alpha. On the night of our acceptance ceremony no less?" Isa watched him terrified of his cool expression.
    They nodded and didn't dare say a word "Now I don't know what Alpha Syn had in mind for your punishment. However, she is giving me the right to divvy out the punishment.  So each of you will be training with me an extra 90 minutes in the evening after the adult class gets out"
    Davina pushed forward and growled at them when they started to moan about how unfair it was "He isn't finished, pups"
    "On top of that, each of you is to find some sort of community program to help out with. It will be a minimum of 10-12 hours a week that you are helping out. It will continue for 3 months and if you do not comply I will add another 3 months, so on and so forth."
    "What kind of community service does it have to be?" one of the girls asked him
    "Anything really. You can help with the garden center, help Val with her tech stuff, help out with the energy plant, volunteer to tutor, babysit some of the small children, or even help someone clean their home. The possibilities are endless, however you are not to be paid unless you do more than the 10-12 hours a week."
    I smirked at the last part, this was not what I was expecting. This was a way to keep the kids out of trouble and help some of our pack members that needed an extra hand. They may see it as a punishment but it was a learning opportunity for most of them. It was such a luna thing of Onyx to have them do.