-ROYCE-
"Where's Lexi?" I asked after greeting My aunt.
"She is in one of the guest rooms tidying up again for the millionth time." She sighed, "I'm worried about her."
"She's stressed," I sighed worriedly. "The wedding planning, taking on Luna, Me still needing a Beta and it's the first time her grandma will be coming up here."
Aunt Nat nodded. "It isn't easy but she's handled it with nothing but grace."
I agreed, "She has, but I also know my mate well enough to know that she doesn't do well with things she can't control."
"Are you two talking about me?" Alexia asked as she walked into the room with a sly smirk.
I didn't hesitate to kiss her and Aunt Nat looked away with a knowing smile.
"I have news." I announced gaining their attention fully. I gestured toward the table so we could have a seat and then I filled them in on the events of tonight.
"My choice for Beta's trying to come up here too but his brother is finishing up a job out of state and he doesn't want to leave his mom and little sister by themselves...so I'm going to probably have another meeting with the council, they won't be happy in pushing this off again."
"Well it is what it is so they need to deal with it." Aunt Nat said, Alexia nodded her head in agreement with my aunt.
"The other thing is Raven."
"Raven?" Alexia asked a little shocked, "What's wrong?"
I knew she would be feeling my wolf's worry.
"She's here, but she ran away."
"Why?" Aunt Nat asked confused.
"Her life wasn't exactly sunshine and daisies growing up back at Silver Junction." My mate sounded. "Her mother shipped her off to school first chance she got and Raven hardly ever came home except for the occasional holiday and it'd be one or two days tops before she was right back at school."
I hated to hear about my sister being so outcasted amongst her own people.
Alexia continued, "I know I deem myself a loner and all...but poor Raven didn't really know anybody, when she would come visit her family she always stayed in the house and no one our age made any great effort to really get to know her."
"I don't blame her not wanting to go home with Victoria as a mother, I've seen first hand how much of a bitch she was to my sister." I growled and Lexi took my hand to calm me down. "She doesn't feel welcome at Silver Junction and as her older brother it's my job to protect her...and that's why I offered her a place here in the pack."
I looked at Alexia this time, "I'm sorry I didn't talk this over with you first babe, but she's my sister."
"No apologies necessary." She smiled, "You know I love Raven."
I nodded and smiled, it was true, the two girls seemed to be one another's only friends. "Well she's at the pack house, I'm assuming she'll be staying there for her time here until she can get her own place, and I won't push her to stay here because I know she'd turn me down...but Aunt Nat I'm really gonna need your help, I told her if she stays here she has to be in school; so do you think you can help me with that?"
She reached out and caressed my face like she always does when she talks to me (she's done it since I was a boy) "Of course sweetie, I'll contact the school up the way and see if they have any openings and I'll get in touch with her previous school and have her transcripts sent over as well."
"Do you think you could ask them to send her belongings over as well she only arrived with a backpack."
Aunt Natalie looked on the verge of tears now.
"Don't worry she isn't put out by her family..." I tried to assure her with a sigh. "To be honest they probably don't even know she's taken off, I told her to call dad and let him know where she was, I'll call him when we're done here too, to make sure she actually called him."
"Well she'll need some clothes and toiletries for now, and she'll need uniforms for school but those can hold off until she actually gets into a school here...I'll take her shopping tomorrow."
"I'll come with you." Alexia sounded, "It'll be good to have a day with no stress."
"I love that." I said and I meant it, I had been worrying about my mates stress level and I knew it wouldn't be too long before she reached her limit. "All of my ladies together." I smiled.
We talked a little more and soon my mate and I were telling my Aunt good evening and Alexia resigned to have a shower. I on the other hand took my previous seat at the table and pulled out my cellphone.
I found my dad's number and called him.
"Hey son, I just got off the phone with your sister...-"
"Dad, she's fine." I said.
"I can't believe she ran away!" He growled.
I sighed in a more than tired fashion, "Look I was kinda pissed when everything began to sink in but I think it's a good thing she is here, no offense or anything but she's never really had much of a pack life and like Lexi, I think being out here can help her find who she's meant to be."
"I know you mean well son, but she's only 17."
"Exactly Dad, she's 17...meaning she can make her own choices now, but don't worry, Ray knows what I expect from her if she's going to be here, My Aunt is going to enroll her into school tomorrow and maybe I can even get her a job around here too, she can help Lexi with the wedding and I don't mind taking her on financially."
"You are a good brother...Raven has an account with her own money so she is more than capable of paying for her needs, but I do appreciate your offer and I am very thankful you are keeping her best interests at heart." he said.
I smiled, "She's my little sister, I'm not just going to let her become a rogue and try and live off the lands here and there."
"Well I love you and thank your Aunt for me, I will see y'all in two months for the wedding."
"Hey dad, you doing okay?" I asked, suffice it to say...I actually missed him.
"Despite the fact that my 17 year old took off in the middle of the night and I'm only now just finding out about it...I'm good, actually, never better son, Next month I will officially step down as the Alpha of Silver Junction pack and I will finally be able to divorce Victoria."
I was a little shocked, I knew he wasn't happy but I hadn't expected him to just break it off with her seeing as he hadn't done so yet.
"Wow, uh, congratulations then."
We said our goodbyes shortly after before I finally joined my beautiful mate in our bedroom. I watched as she sat reading a book, it took me back to the first day she had showed me around the Silver Junction pack, we had gone to a book store and I marveled at her beauty the same as I did now.
"Are you going to just stand there or will you be joining me in bed Alpha Royce?" She said as she looked up from her book, a cute smirk on display for me.
"Now how could I refuse a gorgeous Luna such as yourself?" I asked before I did in fact join her in bed.
