Different Mates

5

The meeting is in the living room, as always, but the air feels different, especially after we walk in. But I was preoccupied trying to find mom and dad. They are standing by the fire place. I walk up to them and say, "Hi. Um...what's up with the meeting? And why does Keith have to be here?"

They look at each other than back at me, "Well, Roslin, Keith is here because he's part of this pack. And the meeting is to tell the pack that when you turn 20, you will lead the pack, both you and Keith will be Alphas."

I nod and go back to Keith and tell him what Daddy had said. He looks as shocked as I felt. So, we sit down and wait for Daddy to start the pack meeting. We don't have to wait long because they start almost after we sit down. First, he and Mama greet the pack. Then, they make sure everyone is happy and content with mine and Keith's marriage. Its then that they drop the bombshell. And it's the scariest part of all, everyone in the room turned to look at us. Then, they all start talking at the same time.

"What? Why do they get to be Alphas at such a young age?"

"They are the next Alphas? Awesome!"

And it kept going on and on until Daddy roared to get everybody's attention. Then, he says, "They will be the next Alphas. As soon as Roslin and Keith turn 20, I'll step down..." I tune him out for the next half hour, till he says that the meeting is over.

Keith elbows me as my parents are standing over us, staring at me. "Yes?"

My parents roll their eyes at me and say, "We asked if you two had plans for today?"

"Oh, I don't know," I turn to Keith, "Do we?"

He chuckles at me, "Yeah, I was going to take you to hang with the guys for a little while and then we were going to go to the lake for the weekend. If that's okay with everyone?"

We look at my parents. They smile and nod. Daddy says, "That sounds like a great idea. It'll give you guys some time to get acquainted with the idea that you are mates now. I am going to meet with Morrigan and Derrek later, Keith, and I will let them know that you two are on a short honeymoon."

Keith inclines his head at Daddy, "Thank you, Ares. I appreciate it."

We leave after talking to them for a few more minutes. We run over to Riley's house to shoot the breeze. It turns out that everyone was hanging out there today. I get a giant hug from Riley and Todd while Keith just gets a couple of enthusiastic high fives from them.

"So it seems that there are a couple of factions in the pack. One would love you to take over the pack when your parents say that you two are ready for the responsibility. The other says that they would rather anyone else take over leadership just because you are married to a vampire, a fiend. At least that is what they are calling him. Do you know what is going ot happen? And how you are going to unite the pack?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I think the first thing to do is to let everyone in both the pack and the coven to know that we are all peaceful now and that we will not be separating. From then it will have to depend on who is complaining and try to sway them on an individual basis," I say.

"Well, you have my entire family on board with you two being our next Alphas," Todd says.

Keith says, "Thank you. It really means a lot."

We continue to talk for about a hour before Keith and I leave. We run back to our house to get Keith's truck. I throw all of our stuff in the back of the bed before climbing into the cab next to Keith. We finally leave the house about thirty minutes later to head to the lake house.

It's a fourty five minute drive through country roads. It is beautiful scenery, and one of my favorite reasons to go to the lake house. Keith and I send the entire time talking to help pass the time. We get to the house and unpack. When we are finished with the unpacking, I change into a purple pokadot bikini. Walking out of the bathroom, I see that Keith had changed into his dragon swim trunks.

Grinning, I say, "Race you to the lake. Last one there has to cook dinner!"

I take off running by the end of my sentence with Keith hot on my heels. Looking over my shoulder, laughing, I see that he is just behind me. So I kick up the speed and jump from the end of the pier. Keith follows me laughing at the way that I jumped into the lake.

We swim for a couple of hours before we go back to the house and change. Keith eventually makes chicken pharm for dinner. After we eat, I talk Keith into going to bed early.