An Unlikely Pair (ManxMan) SAMPLE

Chapter 1: No Trespassing

^ Cedric ^

Cedric

Throwing the map on my office desk I opened it up and studied it. My pack needs more land; I have a lot of members to feed and shelter, and with how the packs population has grown over the years we need more territory. Most of the pack has their own home, but some still live in the packhouse, both the residential neighborhood and packhouse are overcrowding.

We need at least a hundred more acres of land; half of the land can be devoted to building a second packhouse and some more houses, then the rest of it can be kept as forest for hunting purposes.

I growled in fustration, Alpha Tripp and his pack takes up most all of the land around us, and the small majority that he doesn't is already claimed by Alpha Orion. "Fuck!" I cursed, then I noticed a chunk of unclaimed land, directly south of my pack.

It was about a hundred twenty acres of free land. Perfect. I think I'll go scout out the land with my beta and some of the warriors, just to be sure it's unclaimed and there are no rogues to be delt with. "Logan, be ready with some of the warriors in five, we're going to go scout out some land." I tell my beta through pack-link.

"Yes Lord Cedric." He replies sarcastically, making me growl.

"You're lucky we're friends, otherwise your ass would be grass."

"I don't think lucky is the right word." I snort.

"Shut up Logan."

Logan has always, always been a pain. Ever since we were kids he's been a pain in my ass. I had hoped that when we grew up he would had gained some maturity, but as it turns out I'm the only one who grew up. He's still as roudy and annoying as when he was a teenager, even though he's an adult with a mate an two children.

His son, Jett, is just like him. Luckly his daughter, Rosie, is more like her mother. I'm thankful for that, we don't need any more Logans running around. Stepping out of my office Jett jumps out of nowhere and roars before running off. I shake my head, little hell raiser. God, it's going to be a nightmare when he's a teenager, hopefully his sister and mother will keep him in line.

I make my way to the backyard where I was to meet the pack warriors and Logan. My eyebrows furrowing when I see the pack warriors gathered around something. I make my way to the front to see Jett holding his dad's leg in a death grip, "But I don't want you to go! Don't leave me here with Mom and Rosie." Jett begs.

His mother and sister both give him a playful glare, Rosie going the next step up and crossing her arms. The guys chuckle softly at the scene before them. "Buddy, we're just going to go look at some land. I'll be back before you know it." Jett huffs, before reluctantly releasing his leg and sauntering back over to his mother and sister, his head hanging in defeat.

Rosie started to skip around him, "Yeah! Now me and Mom are going to braid your hair and paint your nails." She cheered happily. "Dad!" Jett whined. "Take it like a man son." Logan said, patting him on the head before we all headed for the tree line.

We shifted, our bodies twisting and reshaping until we all stood in our wolf forms. Luckly our clothes shift with us, otherwise we would have gone bankrupt by now. The men looked to me for their orders, "Split up, I want every acre checked before nightfall." I ordered. Then we took off into the woods.

Birch trees, pine trees, and cottonwoods stood tall throughout the unclaimed land. I did have to admit this land had a certain charm about it; I didn't know if it was the birds chirping in the trees, the way the sun lit up the leaves, or just how beautiful the forest looked.

I felt free, with nothing but the wind blowing through my fur and the soft dirt under my paws as I ran. I closed my eyes and breathed in the crisp air, the rich musky scent of the woods filling my lungs and making me hum in appreciation.

It's been way too long since I've let my wolf out and just ran. I'm always stuck away in my office doing paperwork or doing other pack things. It feels good to just let go and be free. The tension that built up in my shoulders dissipates as I become completely emursed in the freeing feeling.

I come to a halt before a massive rock mountain. There's something strange about this place that makes my hackles rise and my wolf, Blane growl. "Somethings not right." Blane warns. I nod in agreement, looking more closely at the rocky slope, it seems to have changed in the last few seconds.

It suddenly seems more mysterious than stonehenge and the great pyramids of Giza combined. Splashing draws my attention over to a lake to my left, near the edge of the mysterious rock. Fish splashed around happily in the water, completely unaware of the tension in the air. So blissfully unaware.

I wish I could be like those fish, happy and carefree. Of course they eat, excrete and fuck in the same water they breath and that's just fucking disgusting- forget that, I just want to be happy and carefree. But unfortunately, life as an alpha is never carefree, and is rarely a happy experience.

There is no time to be happy, when your an alpha people are depending on you. They look to you for guidance and leadership, and there is no room for failure when it comes down to it. I am the alpha, and I will take care of my pack until my dying breath.

I sniff at the air when I notice a strange scent, one I have never come across before. "I need everyone to come to me now." I order, before releasing a loud howl. The men howl in reply.

The bushes growing out of a crack in the stone start to shake, and I instantly go into attack position. My head low to the ground and teeth bare. The sound of paws pounding against the ground and panting grows louder and louder, and soon my warriors and beta are flanking each side of me, all in attack position and watching the bush expectantly.

Out of the bushes emurge a couple of coyotes, leaving everyone of us baffled. We all know the scent of coyotes, and these two did not smell anything like that. My body tense, something was definitely wrong with this picture. In a flash more coyotes appeared, dozens of them, coming out of bushes and from behind rocks.

They all appeared to be waiting for something, their attention focused on the stone cliff that came out a couple yards off of the main stone body. A coyote came out, standing on the edge of the cliff, tall and proud. Unlike the other coyotes who's coats were mainly browns, tans, and some reds, this one was grey, with some shades of white and black, which contrasted sharply with his vivid green eyes which now scanned over my packmates.

This coyote appeared to be the leader. The others looked to him for orders, and he was almost twice the size as the others. A cracking filled the air, making Logan jump in shock. I rolled my eyes at him, before turning my attention back to the grey coyote as his body stretched and grew.

Bones broke, shifted, grew, and mended. And in less than a half a minute the coyote was gone. In it's place was a man. He stood a little over six feet, his grey-blue eyes narrowing on us. His scent of amber and cashmere assaulted me, and made my wolf howl in joy. What the fuck is the meaning of this?

"This is my territory and you all are trespassing." He snapped his voice sultry yet rough, with a hint of an accent, his eyes locking with mine.

I shifted back, along with my men. "And who claims this land?" I asked.

"I do. Alpha Stryker Conland of the Clawstone pack. Now get off my territory."

"You're a pack of coyotes, and we are wolves incase you hadn't noticed, what's to stop us from wiping you out and claiming this land as are own?" Logan scoffed. Blane growled, "How dare he threaten are mate." Wait. What!? Mate?

Stryker said something else, but I didn't hear a word. I had found my mate. And he was an alpha male of a werecoyote pack. Fantastic.