Commanded by the Alpha

19: Friendship...

I sat watching Cole as he practically hoovered the waffles off the plate in front of him. He'd said he was hungry, but damn. I certainly was not expecting this.

"Would you slow down, you're making me feel nauseous." My lips curl with distaste, although I was also slightly amused.

Cole scoffs, pushing his empty plate away. "I was starving, give me a break."

Rolling my eyes I turn to face out the window of the diner. I watch as the trees smoothly swayed with the autumn breeze outside, a colourful cloud of leaves fluttered in the air.

"So, what do you think of our new guests?" Cole breaks my thoughts, steering my attention back to him.

I shrug. "They seem alright, they will be a good ally for Derek to have."

Yesterday after I spent at least two hours or so running after Mason in our stupid little game of tag, five professional looking jeeps came storming through our gates.

Derek had advanced from the house out to the driveway, with my parents and Clay in tow. Clay called Mason and I over, watching us as we jogged to meet them.

The jeeps parked together neatly in front of us, before a tall man with greying hair jumped out from the back of one of them.

He held out a hand which was then retrieved by another, a pretty blonde woman slid delicately from the vehicle. She smoothed out her bright summer dress and smiled up at my family confidently.

"Fern, it's good to see you again after so long." The tall man approached my father with a wide grin, shaking his hand.

"It's good to see you too, Lance. All in good health, I presume?" My father's normally authoritative tone now friendly and chipper as he reacquainted with his obvious old friend.

Lance smiled at my father, wrapping an arm around the pretty blonde woman. "Yes indeed, now I'm married to this beautiful woman. I'm telling you, I've never been better."

My father smiled warmly. "Oh, that's right. I'm sorry I was unable to attend the wedding, we had some complications involving rogues at the time. "

Lance shook his head, returning the smile. "Don't be stupid, I've known you for how many years now? You did what you had to do, I'm not going to persecute you for that."

My father ran a hand through his hair with a small chuckle. "Always were the understanding one, weren't you?"

Lance nods proudly. "Don't know if I could say the same about you though."

The two men laughed at some sort of memory re-shared. My mother stood beside the blonde woman chatting away in a hushed tone, as to not disturb my father's conversation.

A while later and Derek clears his throat, Riley now stood by his side. My father looks back to my brother, realisation setting in.

"Lance, Maria, this is my eldest, Derek. You came to his alpha ceremony a number of years ago now." My father patted my brother's back with pride.

Derek shakes Lance's hand, whist nodding his head politely at his wife Maria. "And this is my mate, Riley." Derek adds, pulling Riley closer to him by her waist.

For the next hour, we all became acquainted in the garden as my mother came out through the kitchen with Maria, bringing lemonade and bundles of snacks.

Mason was held in my arms as I lay back on the sun lounger, brushing the little curls of his hair whilst he dozed to sleep in the late afternoon sun.

Clay was chatting to Riley with their feet dipped into the pool, whilst Derek was engrossed in deep conversation with my father and Lance on the patio.