Nina

Nina

I took a deep breath as I tried calming myself while rubbing my temples, and closing my eyes. It was a little easier talking to Raff since he was my mate, but not knowing him still made things difficult for me. I take another deep breath before powering up the computer in front of me, and looking at the documents sitting in front of it. I looked to the bottom of the screen to see that the time showed 11am. I had an hour to get my things done before lunch and training. If I was home I made a point to go to every training, because I quite enjoyed training. It helped clear my mind, and let me think. After training I had about three and a half hours to finish the rest of the work before I had to get to sleep. I know that not everyone liked the training regiment, but it kept us all in shape, and helped make us the strongest of the 12 Great Packs. As the alpha it was my job to be the strongest. Before I started on the paperwork I decided to check on my parents’ preparations. They were leaving after lunch to get to their flight. We have a private jet for the pack that I offered for them to use, but they said they wanted to experience the world like humans. Their first stop would be Italy, then Rome, then the Bahamas for a week. They would be gone for a month. A knock at the door caught my attention, and I looked up from the computer. “Yes?” I called out to the unknown person.

“Alpha it’s Derek” he said as he opened the door. I let out an exasperated sigh shaking my head and looking back at my computer.

“I told you not to call me that. You, Grey, and Raff don’t call me alpha. No matter what, Please.” I say adding a hint of a whine to my voice looking at him with puppy dog eyes. He chuckles as he walks to me, and puts his hand on my shoulder for support.

“Sorry Nina, I just wanted to see how it sounded.” his hand gave my shoulder a squeeze looking at me with sympathy. “So have you and Raff not spoken about the whole ‘you two being mates’ thing?” He asks, lifting one of his thick dark eyebrows. I told him everything that happened after the party on the way home. Both he and Gray were strangely calm about the whole situation. While I was close to hyperventilating. They both agreed though that he will either be the best mate, or they will kill him. The thought of them stepping in worries me. We may all be best friends, but when those two decide to team up even I have trouble dealing with them. It is either you are with them, or you lose. I am convinced if they wanted to they could even destroy armies, or Nations.

“No, I tried to show him around today, and give him a schedule, but I almost broke down close to the end. My parents took over.” I sighed and put my head in my hands. “I’m a worthless alpha, how can I govern properly if I can’t even talk to people without having a Fucking mental breakdown?” My shoulders slouched as Derek began to rub small circles on my back.

“You will do great. The Nina we all know and love has never been too scared of something to let it stop her from doing great things.” He cooed from behind me. “Plus you can always speak like this. I know it helps, and it’s easier for you.” He mind-linked me. He was right, the day of the ceremony I mind-liked the crowd after my fight, and I seriously thought about mind-linking the speech I had given before that, and sighed giving in.

“You’re right I think I’m just scared to mess things up, or that I won’t be good enough.” I take my head out of my hands and straighten up. It’s time to get to work. When suddenly I realize Derek is here, and I didn’t know why. “By the way what brings you here at this time?” I inquire looking up at him arching an eyebrow. Usually by this time he and Grey were either watching tv, or sitting at the table drooling at the smell of food. When I ask he stands up straighter as if he just remembered something important.

“Oh, right I was coming to inform you that one of the males found his mate…” He trails off at the last part looking away.

That’s great! My face lit up at this. Finding your mate was always a joyous occasion that got celebrated every evening it happened in the pack. The reason I didn’t announce that Raff was my mate, is because I'm not sure if he will reject me or not. Derek sees my face, and hurries to finish where he left off. “He found her while, while she was Having sex with another male.” As soon as he says those words my eyes go wide, and my face falls. Finding your mate is an extremely joyous time for the pack, but mates are extremely possessive, and things tend to get very violent very fast when it comes to that.

“Has he been stopped?! Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?! What is the damage?! How is she taking it?!” All of the questions rush out of me in a flury as I leap from my chair rushing to the door. As I'm about to open the door a hand stops me pressing against the door hard. I turn around to find Derek holding the door shut with a calm expression on his face.

“What-” I begin, but he cuts me off before I can finish asking him what the hell he is doing.

“Calm down, they took care of it. He has been subdued, and his mate is by his side. I just came to get you to assess the damage. We were lucky, when it happened he was with two close friends of his, and some more guys were just down the hall. When the girl realized who he was she immediately stopped, and went to calm him down.” When he explains I calm down a little bit. In our pack people don’t reject their mates often, because even though the pack is forbidden from bullying, whoever rejects their mate tends to be excluded in most things. Seeing as how I can’t force people to speak to one another, or to hang out with one another the pack basically shuns anyone who rejects their mate. Often it gets to people so bad they would rather go rogue,so the rejection of mates isn’t very common around here.

I straighten my shoulders back up as I turn around to head out of the office preparing to be an alpha once again, and assess the damage this young wolf has caused, but before I even make it half way out of the office Derek grabs my arm.

“Wait” he hesitates to say the next words.

“What is it, is there more?” I ask in earnest.

“The male was Theo, and the girl was Tess, even though they got to him quickly the damage was still pretty bad.” He scratches the back of his head with a worried and nervous expression.

“Shit!” I mutter alarmed now, before running down the hall to look at the damage these two have caused me. Theo was our best male fighter right under Derek and Grey, and Tess was the best female fighter we had under me. They had both earned names for themselves in battles, and were also both very popular with the opposite gender, and everyone knew it. They were set to become generals once their training was completed. When I get to the second floor I see a bunch of wolves crowding the hall, but as soon as I step forward they move aside without me having to say anything. I got to the opening to find a door ripped off its hinges, and not in a usual way. The door was apparently locked from the inside, so when he tore it off it took some of the door frame along with part of the wall. The sheetrock was showing out the left side while the door still clung to part of the chain from the lock on the right. Sturdy chain I thought to myself amused. I step closer to see claw marks, blood, and some hair covering the wall as well. Looking further down the hall the claw marks are quite visible covering both the walls and floor. Surprisingly there were some along the roof as well. This brought great surprise to my face as well as concern, and curiosity to know who had put them there and how. I feel Derek behind me, and turn around to see his saddened expression.

“Get the carpenters over here, and someone to give me a price estimate. I want everything with claw marks removed, and the room re-done please.” He bows slightly, not looking away from the claw marks on the floor.

“Yes alpha” he says as he turns on his heels, and stalks away shaking his head. I look at the mass of wolves still in the hall and sigh.

“All of you return to your rooms, and get ready for lunch.” I say, and as soon as I say the words they all scatter, looking like I'm about to spank them, like a mother disciplining her child. As they go I hear a few whimpers from the omegas and a few ‘yes alphas’ from the rest. I looked at my watch to see that it sayed 11:45am. I had to get down to lunch soon, because I always showed up at least ten minutes early, so nobody had to wait on me.All of the higher up wolfs did, because in most packs they arrived after all other wolfs, but everybody had to wait on them to eat, and that felt unfair to me, so we required all higher wolfs to arrive ten minutes early. I mind linked Derek, and told him the carpenters, and appraisals can wait till after training. I want everyone to be able to enjoy a nice meal after this ordeal. When I get downstairs I find my mother and father already there, and Grey there as well. My parents are sitting in the two seats to the left of me while Gray is sitting in the second seat to the right as always leaving the first one empty for Derek. While my seat is at the head of the table. The chefs are bringing the food out for us to eat when I sit down. They are actually pack members, but their jobs are chefs so I hired them to cook for us. They still get to eat. It is like a normal job for them. I take my seat and thank them as usual for the meal. They always make extraordinary food. About five minutes before twelve people begin to wander in slowly. When Raff enters he seems surprised when my parents point to the open seat next to them. Before too many people come in they explain to him.

“We all try to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early, so nobody has to wait on us, and when we leave you will be sitting right next to the alpha on her left always.” He nods in understanding, and looks at the food on the table with a hungry expression. His expression makes me giggle a little. Derek suddenly sits down beside me looking curious, but his gaze follows mine and he begins to laugh.

“Dude, if you keep drooling so much it’s going to make the food soggy,” he jokes. Both he and Grey laugh at this, and I suppress a laugh while Raff sheepishly wipes away the drool from his face. I notice the last person sitting down, and get ready. I stand up getting prepared to speak as Raff looks up confused.

“Thank you all for being with us today. I am aware most of you have heard by now that mates were found. Theo and Tess have found they are mates, and tonight we will celebrate with a feast, and after you may all have a bonfire if y’all wish, so please train hard, be happy, and come hungry. Now let's eat.” I say as I take my seat once more with a smile truly happy for the occasion. Raff looks pale, so I give him a worried glance. He seems to soon shake it off, and begins eating like nothing is wrong.