Way of the Pack

Safe

River

I slid the beer across to one of the regulars and grabbed his outstretched cash. Shutting them into the till, I leaned against the back of the bar and fidgeted with the cloth I was holding. The bar was dead apart from two older pack members propping up the corner of the bar. I wiped the counter again and checked the clock on the wall, how could time have stopped completely?

It'd been hours since I'd seen Joy and now that I'd touched her, kissed her, ran with her? It was as if all the feelings I'd had towards her had been turned up by another hundred percent and I couldn't think, couldn't focus without her.

I threw the cloth onto the counter and ran my hands through my hair, this shift was taking forever, I just wanted to phase and run to Joy. Tug her close, run my lips along her jaw line, kiss her until it felt like it was just me and her. 

"What's rattled your cage, River?"

I looked over at Gray as he emerged from the office at the back of the bar. Gray was just like his name, grey hair, steel blue eyes and dressed impeccably in a grey suit. He looked like he was made of metal. He was older than Walker, stronger too but didn't care for the limelight and pressures of Alpha, preferring to watch from the outskirts. He was never involved with pack politics or the Laws, he would just lean back in his chair and sip whiskey. 

I shrugged, picking up the cloth again. Gray tutted before making his way to a table on the far side, away from prying ears.

"Come sit with me, kid."

I followed and sat opposite him. Gray pulled out a pack of cigars, lit one and puffed on it slowly before letting out a curling exhale of white smoke. I said nothing, knowing that Gray was fixing to say something. 

"Pissed about the Choosing, kid?"

I eyed him warily, it wasn't a good thing to question the Council's rulings but hell, Joy and I had already danced over the rules with steel capped boots. 

Gray tugged on his beard, watching me as if he knew what I was thinking. He nodded once.

"I'd be pissed if I was you."

"Why?" the word was out before I could stop it. I leaned closed across the table towards him. The clouds of cigar smoke surrounding us.

"The Council have already made their decision. They'd done it months ago and you're not going to like it."

I frowned, "What do you mean? They couldn't have decided already. We only found out about the Choosing yesterday."

Gray scoffed, "Fuck, kid, I thought you were smarter than that. The Council isn't infallible, especially when money is involved. Especially when there's a mongrel involved."

I growled, "Don't fucking talk about Joy like that, Gray."

Gray bared his canines, long and sharp. His steel blue eyes fixed on me, unblinking.

"Calm your fucking jets a minute, kid and listen to what I'm telling you."

My wolf prowled, skirting around my skin, desperate to take his anger out on Gray for talking about my mate like that. I swallowed hard and clenched my jaw so tight, I heard my teeth creak.

"Go on."

Gray leaned back again, muscles straining against his suit jacket, "Money has changed hands in the Council for the right to have Joy as their mate. Walker knew about it and said nothing. Word is, that Joy's father is a wolf of high breeding that just wanted to muddy things up for a while with a human. She still carries his blood though, his genetics. There's things that she can do with her wolf that most pure wolves can't even do. It's not gone unnoticed, kid."

I nodded, thinking of how Joy can control her wolf better than any of the other pack members. How quick she is when she phases and her strength. My mind drifted to this morning, the speed that we'd run, the miles we'd crossed, the way her wolf had nuzzled mine before turning back to Walker's home. My chest ached, I missed her. 

"Who's paid for her?" I gritted out, fighting back anger. I knew his answer before he said it. It wasn't Hank, he was gone and, unless my Dad had secretly been robbing banks and dropping the money off with the Council, it definitely wasn't me.

"The Blacks."

Fucking Will. 

"Why? I get it because of her genetics but Will attacks her at every chance. He can barely stand to be in the same room as her."

Gray shrugged, "It's his father's money. Ray Black wants his bloodline to be the strongest, the best of the pack and Joy has that. Will just has to accept it."

I stood up, "I need to tell her, she needs to know."

Gray reached out an arm quicker than I could blink and held onto me, squeezing tight, "Kid, think about this. If you tell her and she runs, she'll die. If she fights with Walker or the Council, she'll die. There's no other option here. If you love her, you have to tell her to mate with Will."

I spluttered, trying to feign ignorance, "Love her? C'mon Gray.."

Gray grinned, "You must think I'm a fucking ageing fool of a wolf, kid. When you've been around as long as I have, ran with the pack for as long as I have, you can tell when mates have been chosen. The air changes around you both when you're together, you can smell it."

I blinked, "It's that obvious? Why hasn't Walker said anything?"

Gray shrugged, "Who knows, kid, I'll tell you this though. What you're doing with her, needs to stop. Now. If you get caught running together like you did today by the Council, Joy's head would be rolling on the ground before you could phase out."

Time slowed as I absorbed his words, as I realised that he was right. The only way that I could protect Joy was to let her mate with Will. She'd die otherwise. 

I sank back onto the chair, covering my face with my hands, "Gray, I..how do I..she's my ma.."

Gray's hand slammed down onto the table, "Don't fucking finish that word, kid. You don't know who could be listening."

I glanced over at the two regulars deep in conversation, "Really?"

Gray shrugged, "Better safe than sorry. Take it from me, kid. This is the right thing to do. It's not the easiest thing but it's the right thing."

He puffed at his cigar again, eyes staring into the distance, "Sometimes, the best way to protect the one you love is to never tell them that you do."