The Teacher's Mate

part 23

Howling filled his ears. James jumped straight out of bed, pistol already in hand from underneath his pillow, searching for threats. His eyes did a quick search of the room while his brain caught up to the rest of him. He was in his new packs house and those were happy howls he could hear, no growls or screams, just howls filled with the love for life. He sat back on the bed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't that night. Mary wasn't handing him his child and telling him to run, no one was coming for his family, just happy wolves enjoying life. Memories of her mutilated corpse plagued him. He and his daughter had never been accepted into that pack. Mary was setting up the transfer to a new one when the attack happened. He had hidden their daughter away from the fighting and gone back for his wife, his mate, but it was to late. All of his military training, the weapons he had designed for the pack, none of it had kept her safe. The pack didn't want them after that and cut the bonds before her lifeblood even had a chance to cool on the ground. They had been allowed to attend her funeral, but no support from the pack came for them. He took little Audrey to his mom's and they stayed there until he could get them back on their feet. He only saw her when he came home to pass out for a few hours before going back to work at whichever of his jobs was in the rotation. His little girl somehow always knew when he got home, even in the dead of night she would get up from her bed and sleep cuddled into his side. She was the only reason he kept going and didn't turn to drugs, alcohol, or suicide during that dark time.

Thinking of her, he realized his daughter wasn't in the room. There was half a pot of coffee on the counter so she had probably gone out in search of food. You didn't talk to her in the morning until her second cup of coffee was at least halfway gone and her breakfast plate was clear. Breakfast didn't sound like to bad of an idea. Alpha Richard had asked him to break his fast with him privately in his office but there was time to finish off the coffee his daughter had so graciously left for him.

Just as James reached the door to the Alpha's office it swung open to reveal Luna Evelyn. "Oh come in dear," she said as she ushered him inside, "breakfast is all laid out for the two of you so I'll leave you to it." James and Richard thanked her as she made her leave.

"She isn't staying for this?" James asked.

Richard shook his head, "She says she knows nothing of weapons and war and feels that she is needed more helping the pack this morning than sitting in a meeting she knows nothing about." He took a breath, "You have the designs?"

James nodded and laid out the schematics he had brought. The Alpha had asked him about creating slings and designing training regimes specifically for firearms in battle. Most wolves preferred to shift often when fighting and so to be able to carry a firearm in one form in a way that it would be readily available in the other would be an advantage some other packs might not have. This was a small pack with a target on their backs, they needed any advantage they could get.

They were almost done with their meeting when someone knocked on the door. James was putting away his designs when the tallest man he had ever seen walked through after Alpha Richard's 'come in'.

The man had to almost be seven foot with long dark hair that he kept shaved at the sides and a long goatee. His sad blue eyes pierced through James, evaluating him, before turning to the Alpha. "My name is Alaric, I called you a week ago about joining your pack. I'm sorry I couldn't get here fast enough for the party last night."

"That is quite all right, Alaric. Have a seat you've traveled a long way, James and I were just finishing up." The Alpha said with a smile.

James quickly said his goodbye and shook the newcomers hand and welcoming him before leaving. He was openly wearing a glock in his waistband as well. He had to have Alpha blood, he was a strong enforcer at least. The man was slender, but danger followed in his steps. Why would someone like that join this pack? Whatever the man's reason, James trusted Alpha Richard's judgement and another strong fighter was always welcome in his book.