The Other Animals

Chapter 8

Nikolai watched intently as a man pretended to convulse on the ground as a woman narrated in a monotone voice how to aid him. Oliver didn't go into any more detail about his seizures last night, and Nikolai didn't press the subject, but he was horrified at the thought of Oliver having a seizure near him and not knowing what to do- regardless of how many years it had been. It seemed like a good idea, knowing how to lay him down and let him convulse safely, but after watching video after video of people shaking violently on the floor, the thought of Oliver doing the same was simply nauseating.

A firm knock resounded on Nikolai's office door, and he yelled out a distracted "come in" as his parents filed into the room.

"Now what did I do?" Nikolai asked boredly, resting his chin on his palm as he stared at the screen in front of him.

"We just wanted to have a discussion about your mate. Your father and I think it would be best to fill in the pack with what's going on. You should be the one to do it," Marie said seriously, fixing her intense gaze on Nikolai.

"I will. I'll be talking to the pack soon," Nikolai grunted, then groaned and rolled his eyes as his little brother barged his way into the office as well.

"How the hell are we going to keep him sheltered from the wolves? This entire town is filled with werewolves. He's going to find out," Ryder raised an eyebrow, glancing at Nikolai's blank expression.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Let's just hope he's got a good head on his shoulders."

"Donovan informed me about the rogues on the western border. If I may give my unsolicited advice to you as a former Alpha, don't divert too much of your resources over there. As long as it's only individuals showing up, they're not a threat to us," Nikolai's father, Norman, suggested. Norman was a large man, just like Nikolai, with salt and pepper hair and a deep frown. Despite his scary appearance, he was incredibly gentle and kind.

"I know, I'm not too worried about it yet. This isn't the first time this has happened, so I'll just keep a close eye on it. Donovan came up with a good plan on reallocating our warriors, and I trust his judgement."

"Very well, sounds like you know what you're doing. Just remember you can also ask me if you feel like you're at a loss, if there's one thing that I've learned as Alpha, it's that you don't know everything, and you're not expected to. Being able to ask for help is a strong attribute that makes a good Alpha," Norman nodded, motioning Ryder out of the room. "Come on Ryder, let's go work on your car. We definitely need to change your oil."

"Alright pops," he saluted with a cheesy grin, following their father out of the room. While Nikolai was a spitting image of Norman, Ryder was much more like their mother. Lean and bubbly, with the same long silky hair as hers.

"How did your date with Oliver go?" His mother asked, sitting on the edge of her desk with a mischievous grin.

"It went really well, I already miss him," Nikolai said, sitting back in his chair.

His mother sighed dreamily, glancing out the window of his office that overlooked the eastern woods. "I remember being young and so in love with your father. When do we get to meet him?"

"You already have," Nikolai huffed.

"No, no that doesn't count. I mean bring him over for dinner, I'm sure we can tell the pack not to shift for a while."

"We've only had one date. Can we at least make it official before I bring him over to meet my parents?"

"Fine, fine, whatever you say," his mother sang, slinking out of his office.