Chapter 18: Chapter 18

"Samantha! Get out now!" Emily yells. I turn the water off and wrap a towel around my body. Emily rushes into the bathroom already dressed. "Okay, hurry, and start drying your hair." She urges.

Soon enough, we're finished. Emily adds a bracelet to her outfit and checks herself out in the mirror. "Hey, girl, you're looking good. Can I get your number?" She flirts with herself. I laugh at her. "Go look at yourself." Emily pushes me to the body mirror.

I stare at my slim body. I used to have more muscle from playing club softball, but because of past situations and lack of training, my body has lost some muscle and fat. I sigh and try not to focus on those features. Instead, I look at the beautiful dress Emily picked out. "It's a lovely dress, Emily." I compliment. "I know, and you look hot in it. Now, come on, they're waiting for us."

I walk down the spiral staircase and I see Alpha Hughes facing away. He turns around and we make eye contact. Alpha Hughes looks amazing. Time stops for a while. The feeling of lust comes back. I try my best to block it, and I can tell he feels it too. Our wolves are pushing us to mate. They're getting restless. They crave each other.

Philip and Emily snuggle into each other, showering the other in compliments. "You look nice, Samantha." Alpha Hughes states. "As do you, Alpha Hughes." I say back. We began to walk out and Alpha Hughes gently places a hand on my lower back. I start to relax more. "Dean! Let's go!" Alpha Hughes's voice booms in my ear.

Dean rushes out from the pack house. His suit is similar to Alpha Hughes's expect the tie is black instead of gray.

The car starts and we're off. "Samantha, you're going to meet four other alphas. Alpha Terry Mattison, his mate's name is Luna Nadia Mattison, she kept her birth name. The second is, Alpha Jakob Aleksander, and Luna Dina Aleksander. Third, Alpha Patrick Iceberg and Luna Alarica Iceberg, her first name means rules all in German. Finally, Alpha Boris and Luna Alessia.

You will need to remember all of their names so, good luck. And also, for us to make an airtight deal with them we mustn't speak of the mind-invasions and we have to act like mates." He explains.

I have to remember all of their names? I can't do that! My wolf isn't focusing on that, she's focusing on finally getting to act like real mates with Alpha Hughes. "This means, for the entire lunch you'll have to call me Jack, so start getting used to it. Don't get too comfortable, it's only for three hours." He finishes. "Yes, Alpha-I mean, yes Jack." His name sounds weird coming from my mouth.

I see him smile a bit, but I pay no attention to him.

Alpha Hughes

I mean, Jack, asks the question we've all been wondering for the past half hour. "Are we there yet?" The drivers say almost and proceeds to his job. Jack looks irritated and scoots closer to me. He pulls me in and inhales deeply from my neck. I've heard this helps calm the mate.

Jack becomes more relaxed, but he still clings on to me. I look over to Emily, she's making sexual gestures towards me. Only I see them, until Dean looks over at her. "Emily, will you stop being such a pervert?" He jokes around. "I will, when you do." She says back with a smirk. Dean rolls his eyes and snickers in amusement.

"We've arrived." The driver announces. "Thank the Moon Goddess." Philip mutters and scurries out the car with Emily. Dean does the same. "Are you ready, Samantha?" Alpha Hughes looks at me with caring eyes. "Yes, Jack, let's go." I answer and we walk out of the car.

His arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me in closer to his chest. "I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I can't keep my hands off of you." He whispers in my ear. I can hear his heart beating fast. I know mine is too. I stop walking right before we are to enter the pack house. I stare into his green eyes.

My hands move up and down his arms. "Jack, what's going to happen in there?" I wonder. Will anything change? Will us acting like proper mates change how he actually feel about each other? Will I develop feelings for him and he, I? Alpha Hughes seems to wonder that as well, "Samantha, I have no idea."

We walk in and we are pack members greet us. "Where are we?" I whisper to Alpha Hughes. "We are at Saver Moon Pack, Jakob and Dina's territory. It is west of ours. Their pack is the fifth biggest in the world with many strong fighters, we'll need them. They have been known as the most laid-back pack since the eighties." He informs me. I nod.

"Ah! Jack, how long has it been?" A loud voice yells from behind us, we turn around and Alpha Hughes groans. "That is Jakob now." He mutters with some sort of hatred. I lean in closer to him, so he can calm down.

"Not long enough, Jakob. I'm kidding, it's been too long. How are you, Dina and Xavier?" Alpha Hughes asks.

"They're doing well. In fact, they're speaking with Terrance and Nadia right now. Who is this, Jack?" Alpha Aleksandr gestures towards me. "This, this is my mate, Samantha." Alpha Hughes smiles at me, a genuine smile. It makes him even more handsome. I smile back at my mate. "You've been waiting for so long. Almost ten years, is it? Samantha, you look very young. Not a day over eighteen." Alpha Aleksandr observes.

I can feel Alpha Hughes getting annoyed, he pulls me closer. "Actually, Jakob, may I call you that? Yes? Okay then, Jakob I am seventeen. Have been since February." I give him an innocent smile. He looks taken aback by the nine year age difference. I've never thought much of it. It's normal for some werewolves to be many years older than their mate.

"Huh, nine years. That's very interesting." Then Jakob walks away. "Damn, that was the most insufferable conversation I have had since my dad tried to talk about my 'transition into manhood' when I was thirteen." Dean walks up to us. "Who did you speak with?" Alpha Hughes asks, tightening his grip on my waist. "Boris and Alessia, they are the driest conversationalists I have ever met." Dean explains. I giggle.

After that Philip and Emily join us. "We had Patrick and Alarica, they were nice. Alarica had that 'you better not still my man' look on her face the entire time. It was weird, but other than that, it was cool." Emily reports back. "Great, no one talked with Terrance and Nadia?" Alpha Hughes quizzes. They all shake their heads, no.

Everyone gathers at the table. Alpha Hughes on my left and Emily on my right. I feel safe. "Okay, Jack, please tell us why you gathered us all here." Jakob starts off.

I look over to him. His face is hard and he looks agitated. "There is a threat to my land. And all of yours. They come in large numbers and will attack from every angle." He informs. "Who is the threat?" A strongly built woman asks. "Well, Alarica, Markus Hughes and Michael Terradeli. They plan on taking over every pack in this part of Florida. Maybe even more. We need to all become allies."

Alpha Hughes is being vague. I am not sure if it is on purpose or not, either way, he sounds like an Alpha. "What's in it for us?" A light-haired man asks. The man and Alpha Hughes make eye contact. Dean speaks up as Beta, "Your lives."

"There's more to discuss. Like, how do we know you're not lying or if you're working alongside them. And isn't Markus dead? Has been for almost six years." A woman points out. People mutter 'true's and 'yeah's.

"Markus is in fact alive, Samantha has seen him." Philip brings up.

No, no, no! I really don't feel like talking. I'm not a Luna. I have no ranking. Every pair of eyes are on me. "U-Uh, yes, I have seen Markus." I back Philip up. Alpha Hughes squeezes my hand under the table.

"Where? When?" Someone asks me. "Boris-" He cuts Alpha Hughes off. This makes him very pissed. "Jack, it's a simple question for your mate. Where and when did you see Markus Hughes?" Boris looks at me.

Alpha Hughes tries to sneak a sniff from me. The words Markus said to me when I was in the shower come back. They are planning something huge. "I saw him last night." I mutter. "Where?" Jakob pushes me. Alpha Hughes growls at him.

"IF YOU PLAN ON ALLYING WITH US, YOU MIGHT AS WELL TELL US WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST! I HAVE QUESTIONS THAT WILL NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE I CAN EVEN CONSIDER ALLYING WITH YOUR PACK!" Alpha Aleksander yells.

I look over to Alpha Hughes who looks furious. "Jack, relax please." I whisper. He starts to breath slower. Alpha Hughes isn't calm, yet. "Jakob is correct, Jack. How should we trust you if we don't know the whole story?" Alpha Mattison sides with Alpha Aleksander. "You want the whole fucking story? Fine, Samantha tell them the damn story!" Alpha Hughes gets louder with every word.

"Markus and Michael kidnapped me. They held me hostage for almost three weeks." I tell. I don't know if I should go on. It pretty much speaks for itself, doesn't it? "How did you escape?" Dina asks me. I look at every one of their faces and I gave them the most truthful answer.

"I have no idea."