Mate Mysteries

Chapter 10

"Everyone is so... happy," Krey commented, looking around at the many faces in the canteen. There was a buzz in the Packhouse that had only grown since Krey let the wolves out to play. A few days had passed since then, and so far, everyone in the building had gone out every day to venture a little further from the Packhouse.

Krey and Pip went out together every day since then, but today they went out with Sid and Francis too. Krey was anxious about it, but when they returned safely, he had been too anxious and scolded himself. The southern Alpha was no longer allowed to control him. Krey no longer wanted to live in fear, so he refused to let the Alpha back inside his head.

"You did a great thing by letting everyone out," Makena said with a firm head nod. She had gone out at lunchtime for a walk with three other wolves. She missed her wolf immensely, but she missed her mate more.

"It's like there's no more tension. It's nice," Sid smiled. "I didn't really notice it before, but now we have other things to talk about. Chaz, the oldest wolf in here, caught a rabbit."

Pip scrunched his nose, not wanting to think about it. Ever since he had moved into a building full of wolves, eating meat felt a little... wrong, even when every werewolf in the Packhouse ate meat every day. Krey thought he was a vegetarian for months until Pip one day had chicken.

"Yeah, and I managed to pick some pink wildflowers for my room," Francis beamed. She had given Pip some too, knowing his bedroom often screamed for a bit of colour. Krey still managed to convince him to keep most of the furniture black. Pip, however, got away with buying a mustard yellow duvet cover and mustard yellow couch cushions to match. Pip even made some art for their bedroom wall and used as many colours as he could. They also had a bookshelf by the bed, full of Pip's go-to reads on a night, and that added even more colour.

"So, there were no odd smells or footprints?" Krey asked, resting an arm on the back of Pip's chair.

"Nope. I venture out almost two miles all the way around the Packhouse and there was no sign of wolves being close. We would have seen it on the trackers if there was anything," Sid added. "And neighbouring packs are watching out for us too."

Krey nodded. "Good. I'll get in touch with the Shadow Pack soon to see how it's going for them in the south." After invading the Bedlam Packhouse, the Shadow Packhouse were split between their Northern Packhouse and in the Southern one, struggling to make peace in the South. But they were no longer fending off other Southern Packs who challenged them for the land.

"Maybe we should organise a family reunion of sorts," Makena suggested, watching Krey's reaction carefully. "It has been a long time since we saw them. Your father only went months without seeing them, not years."

"Yeah well, that was dad. He actually liked his blood family. I don't like most of them." Krey had all the family he needed before him at the table. He had his mother, who was annoying him less and less each day, he had Sid, his loyal Delta who worked hard and was friends with everyone in the pack. He had Francis who was like a best friend. She was very loyal too and understood Krey very well. She knew what he needed, and when he needed her, and when he needed space. Francis was very good at sharing the load when the Alpha roll weighed him down.

Krey then eyed the short human sitting next to him, swirling a metal straw in his drink. Krey also had Pippor Monty, his mate. Pip was there for him at every moment of the day. When Krey was down, Pip picked him back up with a simple smile. When Krey was bored, Pip would find something for them to do, when Krey was needy, Pip wouldn't mind Krey following him around like pip had a wolf-shaped shadow, and when Krey needed someone to love, Pip always needed someone to love too. Krey knew he would not have gotten through the past year without Pip. The human had saved him. Krey owed Pip everything.