Blaze

Chapter 18

"You are the Alphas?" The other Alpha looked at us skeptically.

"Yes, we are. Do you have a problem with that?" Jayden asked calmly. He once told me that when Alphas sound their calmest, that's when you should be afraid. I assume Jayden was trying to replicate that.

"No, of course not. You just seem young." He said, backpedaling. "I believe we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am James, Alpha of the Virginia pack. Virginia is in the United States." James reached his hand out for Jayden to shake.

"I am Jayden, and this is my mate, Phoenix." Jayden looked at the outstretched hand, and shook it. I felt his reluctance, though.

"That's an odd name, if I can say so. I don't mean offense, of course." James looked at me with a strange look that was quickly replaced by slight interest, so fast that I wasn't sure it was there.

It was there. Ash supported me.

"No offense taken, I feel the same way." I told him.

"As much as I like this small chat, I think that you want something from me. Perhaps these two?" Ember and Sean walked forward when James gestured to them.

"You don't own them, and neither do we. They still have free will." Jayden said to James, still acting extremely calm.

"And they choose to stay with me. Isn't that right?" Ember and Sean looked at each other, then James, then Jayden and I.

"We choose -" Ember started, but was quickly cut off.

"Me, of course, my darling." My mother walked into the clearing, with fake cheeriness. How did I know it was fake, you ask? Easy, she was never this happy. Ever.

"Uh, actually -" Sean tried to get out.

"Yes, yes, you choose the entire pack."

"If I understand what they're saying, or what they're trying to get out, Ember and Sean want to come to our pack." I told James and my mother coldly. The kids in question nodded and ran over to us, seeking shelter within the ranks of wolves behind Jayden and I.

"What are they doing here?" Isabelle - my mother - asked James. More like demanded., actually.

"They're the Alphas," James told her, confused.

"No, they aren't. That one is, unfortunately, my daughter." At his look, she added, "Not yours."

"They lied, then?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Honesty is always better."

Jayden looked at me and back towards his parents, asking a silent question. Adrian and Lily headed to the woods in silent agreement.

They walked through the pack and to us a few minutes later, Hunter following them. Jayden, Hunter, and I fell behind the real Alphas. The boys flanked me on their normal sides, Hunter on the right, my mate on the left.

"You are the real Alphas?"

"Would we lie a second time?" Adrian did the whole 'stay and act calm' thing a lot better.

"I don't know. I don't know you at all."

"And we don't know you either. Or if you mean harm to us."

"We won't harm you unless we have to. Which we will if you harm one of our own."

"Of course we won't." Adrian looked a little offended for a millisecond, before his mask was back up. It seemed like Alpha wolves couldn't live without their mask in place. Around new people, anyways.

"Then we have an agreement. We will only be here for a few days, before we leave again. For the extension of our stay, no one will be harmed." They two Alpha males shook hands to confirm their deal. James waved his pack into the woods, and they went. James stayed for a moment, turning back to face me. "You and your mate, and your beta can't hide forever. We are aware of your prophecy."

Then he disappeared, Isabelle - I refused to think of her as my mother anymore, as she just openly said she hated me - following him.

"Was that a threat?" I asked.

"Yes, it was. And thinly veiled." Adrian answered.

"I should kill him for threatening my mate," Jayden growled. Literally growled.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay." I touched his arm.

Touch helps calm the raging wolf. Ash mentioned helpfully.

Thanks. I told her, but she didn't answer. Probably focusing on Crow.

I put a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it. When he looked down at me, and tipped my chin up, I knew my prince was back. He kissed me softly, thanking me silently.

"Why did he call Hunter our beta? And what does that mean?"

"Betas are second-in-command, remember? Like Dominic." Jayden reminded me.

"Oh, yeah. But that doesn't answer my first question."

"You two are Alphas in your own right. You just don't have a pack to lead. Eventually, we will give our Alpha rank to you, or you can start your own pack. Hunter was called 'beta' since he was on your right side. The right side is considered the beta position a lot of the time." Adrian explained. So that's why Hunter always stood on my right side.

"Wow."

We are Alpha, and we can beat the Virginia pack. We are strong, especially with our mate.

Ash, that was awesome! You should be a motivational speaker!

Uh, yes. Yes, we should. Maybe.