BLACK

(45) Harmony

EDITED

Alpha Airlines is a direct transportation only accessible in shifter society. Despite the name, any shifter of position or gender could travel through their company in complete secrecy. And because of this complete secrecy, having airports mid mountain and runways burrowed deep in forests, that any shifter, at any time, can travel amongst them.

Keeping shifter society separate from human society is a great deal among our species. Sending our children to boarding schools, keeping our kind inside community gates. Often, very often, humans pegged us to be cults of witchcraft and satanic practices.

Alpha Airlines was designed to continue the practice of keeping shifters hidden. When shifters become so angry they shift mid flight, or the scent of their mate takes over and they begin to hunt in war form, it is preferred everything happens in a safe environment. So say, when a lunatic shifter drags his celebrity mate through the woods for months, then decides to bring her back across the country into civilization, the airline will guarantee and see to it that such is possible, and as discreet as possible.

I was aware and familiar with the customs of the airline, Oren, however, not so much. The details of his travel slowly unravelled to reveal he had never travelled unless for the Treaties, and that in the past, he has lost all consciousness to Black during travel. Suppose it was rather Black and I who knew which formalities to proceed with.

For instance, because of the huge database and range of Alphas all over the world, our names have to be checked and matched with our social status. It was in that moment we unanimously agreed to place the receipt under Oren's name. Though I had to tag along as well with my signature, I was just a mere subtitle, a passenger. Unless the clerk desired to announce to the world my return, I had a couple more hours of safety from the paparazzi.

The genuine thing about Alpha Airlines and their confirmed database, is that if a shifter impulsively changes forms and becomes lost with no belongings, they wouldn't need coin to proceed. The bill would be mailed to the pack, no extra cost added. It was a system I was very familiar with, never once having to touch a card with Aris arranging everything from his office.

After getting our flight request sent out, a period of waiting before the flight becomes available occurs. Several pilots are regularly on call for these instances, as they happened quite often, however Oren's lack of warning on top of the mornings all too early hour, waiting occurred for a longer while. The associates gave us a private room to wait, and despite being as dead tired as I was, I couldn't shut my eyes again. They had only briefly closed in the shuttle before it felt like I was forced to awaken again. Now, the scent of stale coffee and rarely used furniture plugged my nose.

I kept myself planted next to Oren on the couch, well aware there was more space for me to incline yet spurned. Since the second I stepped out from that shuttle, my hand had clasped his and refused to let go. His face held little to no emotion other than that slight confusion on how Alpha Airlines proceeded with me in tow. He still had yet to push me away, to even suggest space between us as I became clingy like a girlfriend in love. Mostly, he had yet to even acknowledge any of my annoying proximity other than run his thumb across the top of my knuckles a few times.

The bond told me nothing about him, like it was only a one way street. All of my anxieties and fears were overwhelming, eating up anything he sent my way so that I was one sided. In the car, just before leaving, I had been so excited and determined to help Oren, and run a pack like an official Luna for once, but after mulling it over doubt started to settle in like wild fire to a forest.

Since leaving Uncharted, where my communication had only been between my mate and my sister in mate for weeks, small advances towards the overall goal had been taken. Like baby steps, I upgraded from talking to two people to being surrounded by my large and ever growing family. I had even attended Jean's wedding rehearsal, almost gone to the real thing. And after that, I faced my biggest worries and fears and done what I thought was necessary. I confronted Aris and bid my goodbyes to Ajax. So I should be ready. I should be prepared to meet a pack again, but it had been months since I was in a pack. Nearly years since I was even accepted by one. And now, on this very couch, I was having difficulty breathing to cope with the fact that there are other people in this building. There are workers who saw my name on that file, workers who could easily spread word and have the place crawling with paparazzi. Paparazzi who wouldn't leave me alone, wouldn't give me peace as they bombard me with question after question, flash after flash. Accusation after accusation.