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South Mountain Pack Ch. 01

By: pocketbooklover



Sophia Carlucci stood in front of her mirror and assessed herself with overly critical eyes. Instead of seeing spiral-type curly coal black shoulder length hair that delicately framed her oval face, she saw a mass of uncontrollable curls she couldn't even get the comb through. She saw long, gangly legs instead of toned calves and thighs. Her eyes which were a deep emerald green seemed to her to be too big for her face, reminding her of one of those Precious Moments dolls that her grandmother collected and she secretly was scared of. She saw herself as short, being 5'4", instead of delicate and petite. Lastly she looked at her figure and sighed out loud. She didn't notice that her curves were finally starting to fill in, she still saw herself as skinny instead of the developing 9th grade cheerleader. 

Being the youngest of eight children and having seven older brothers (Vincent, Dominic, Gianni, Marcus, Enzo, Gino and Salvatore), and being the only girl, she was sheltered, spoiled (though lovingly), and was never let out of her brothers way overprotective sight. Every time she turned around, one of her brothers or cousins was within hearing or eye sight. She loved the fact they loved and protected her, but she just wanted a bit of freedom, especially since she was going to be entering high school in two weeks, and she was coming of age to finally start to date. Her and her twin brother, Salvatore's, 15th birthday party was tonight and everyone from their school was invited. Her first official grown-up party. 

Grown-up party. Those three words were the bane and excitement of her existence. Since she was turning 15, according to Pack rules she was finally allowed to date. There were strict rules and even harsher consequences for violating those rules. She must be accompanied while on her date, the boys must be introduced to her family and be approved, there can be absolutely no physical contact until her 16th birthday, including kissing. At the age of 16, another set of rules applied, another at 17, and the final set of rules when she reached the age of majority at 18 when she would finally be allowed true and total physical contact and intimacy. Like most female Weres, she bristled that boys were basically allowed to do whatever they wanted at the age of 16, but she understood the rules were in place to protect female Weres since they were outnumbered by the males 2 to 1. 

Sophia sighed aloud again, thinking of turning 15. She would finally be able to shift at the next full moon and couldn't wait, even though she was scared, deeply scared. Terrified, petrified even. She worried she wouldn't be able to shift or be able to shift back. Normal worries for any new shifter, but each new shifter thought those worries were singular to them. Being extremely shy and sheltered all her life, she also worried about stripping in front of the other new shifters, but knew she would be in a circle of concealing fabric held by her brothers and cousins to protect her modesty as any underage female were was. Her only true excitement was the fact her cousin, Maria would also be going through her first shift. 

Maria was her best friend as well as her cousin; they shared clothes and secrets, though with their sheltered lives there weren't a whole lot of secrets to share. There was one secret Sophia had never shared, and probably never would and that was her crush on Anthony, the Alpha's son. Most of the secrets involved normal teenage dreams about their future mates and the many children they would have, what kind of man would be their ideal mate, what kind of car they wanted for their 16th birthday, what their first kiss would be like and that was usually as far as it would get as they would both dissolve in giggles. Apart from being Weres, they were typical American teenage girls, concerned with clothes, talked incessantly about boys, looked at each other and burst out in giggles that no one else understood, but tolerated lovingly. 

Sophia heard her family outside setting up the tent near the pool area in preparation for tonight's festivities. Maria was due any time for final selection of what they both would wear, which was some form of sundress, then modest swimsuits. They had both gone shopping earlier in the week with their mothers to pick out several outfits, now it was time to pick the final outfit. Plus accessories to wear with it and of course shoes. Shoes. That was Sophia's biggest downfall, besides pocketbooks. She couldn't get enough of either; luckily she had a large walk-in closet and an indulgent father. According to her Daddy, nothing was good enough or too much for his little girl. 

Hearing several cars pull into the long driveway, she glanced out her window and saw her cousins and Aunt Annie and Uncle Joe pulling up. They volunteered, or were coerced into helping her parent's setup for the party. As she watched, Maria and her five brothers (Lorenzo, Damian, Paulo, Michael and Victor) and her Aunt and Uncle got out and were greeted by her overwhelmed mommy and her daddy, Rose and Frank. From this distance it was hard to tell Uncle Joe and her Daddy apart, being identical twins there was only a slight difference in weight, with her Daddy being just a bit brawnier. Both being Betas, they were tall about 6'5" and weighed over 240 lbs of pure muscle and were intimidating to everyone but their children and especially their wives. In both families, the wives ruled the houses and woe betide any who displeased them. Both men had ordered extra-long sofas in the family rooms for the times they were banished from the bedroom for doing things that displeased their wives. 

It was a constant source of amusement in both houses that these little women could silence their husbands and children with just a look. Standing at just 5'5", they had a way of narrowing their eyes and tilting their head that made their families instantly stop what they were doing and look for a place to hide. Being Italian, both had fiery tempers but also extremely loving natures...as long as you did what they wanted you to. Right now they had both husbands and all twelve sons hauling tables and chairs under the newly erected tent. The women were closely supervising and instructing proper placement of each table. Sophia rushed down to greet her cousins and Aunt and Uncle and to grab Marias hand to go to the most important job -- picking out clothes, shoes, earring, bracelets, necklace and trying to figure out what to do with their hair. 

For the next several hours the men worked and the women supervised setting up an elaborate party environment. Finally, everything was set up and the parents went inside to clean up and get dressed. The boys stripped their shirts off and dove into the pool. It was a teenage girl's fantasy. The boys ranged in height from 5'9" for the youngest at 15, to 6'3" for the oldest at 18. They were all muscular, toned and bronzed from being outdoors and their natural skin tone. All had black hair and emerald eyes, chiseled jaws and looked like they belonged on the cover of GQ. Being Weres, they were all products of multiples births and thus there were five sets of twins in the pool, and two boys whose twins were still upstairs getting ready, Sophia and Maria. 

Collectively, the kids were known as the Carlucci Clan. This was the first year all fourteen of them would be attending South Mountain High, a Pack run school, and the majority of teachers were dreading it, having known them since they were born. Two would be seniors (Vincent and Dominic), four juniors (Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo and Damian), four sophomores (Enzo, Gino, Paulo and Michael) and four incoming freshmen (Salvatore, Sophia, Victor and Maria). All of the boys were on the Football and Basketball teams, Junior Varsity and Varsity and also both girls were cheerleaders. Luckily all were good students, though the boys could do much better if they applied themselves, but being boys they had other things on their minds. 

Before Sophia and Maria were ready, they heard the sounds of cars pulling up and excited chatter and laughter drifting up towards the bedroom windows. Looking out the back window, Sophia could see their friends out by the pool and Maria glanced out the front to see a line of cars pulling in the driveway. Both girls started giggling and jumping up and down in excitement. Putting the finishing touches on, they assessed each others critically. Glancing up and down, they tweaked a pleat here, patted a curl down there, adjusted a bow and declared each other Absolutely Perfect. They were ready. Now if they could calm their nerves down. They sat down, and then quickly stood so they wouldn't wrinkle their dresses and waited for Sophia's parents, Rose and Frank, and Maria's parents, Annie and Joe to come and get them. 

Both girls were gorgeous and dressed in clothes that complimented their individual styles and budding figures. Sophia had a mid-thigh length emerald sundress with tiny white daisies with a sweetheart neckline and light cap sleeves, it highlighted her tan and natural coloring and matched her eye color exactly. To accommodate the outdoor environment she had decided on wearing KEDS, but girled them up with white little-girl style anklets with a green trim that matched her dress, unknowingly this emphasized her long toned, tanned legs. Maria was wearing a mid-thigh length mauve halter style sundress with splashes of burgundy throughout that also highlighted her coloring and the dress set off her delicate bone structure. She also chose KEDS, but girled hers up with matching burgundy shoelaces that had sparkly silver threads woven into them. 

Finally, it was time to introduce the birthday boy and girl. Sophia was all dressed up and Salvatore had to be pulled out of the pool. They stood on the steps leading down to the pool area, surrounded by their family and waited on their dad to make a speech. Looking down into the crowd you could see the girls practically drooling at the sight of the Carlucci boys and the boys suddenly marveling at the sight of a grown up Sophia and Maria, wondering when that happened. 

"I would like to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate the 15th birthday of our two youngest children, Sophia and Salvatore. I can tell by looking at the crowd that my children have been blessed with good friends and I hope in the upcoming years that will continue and may all their dreams come true in the future. Salute," Frank said with tears in his eyes as he hugged and kissed his youngest children. 

Both Salvatore and Sophia greeted Alpha Carlo Rossi and his wife Madame Alpha Gina. Their son Anthony, who was 17, was already there and was best friends with Sophia and Salvatore's older brothers Gianni and Marcus and Maria's older brothers Lorenzo and Damian. Alpha Rossi encouraged the twins to open the present he had brought which was a gift card to the local mall, seeing this Frank thanked him and said his wallet thanked him especially. Everyone laughed knowing how Sophia liked to shop and how Salvatore was addicted to video games. 

The next few hours were spent eating, playing volleyball and horseshoes, water polo and gossiping about the opposite sex; who was cute, who was cuter, who was built and loud giggling could be heard from the groups of girls frequently. Sophia noticed she kept sneaking glances at Anthony, hoping he would at least smile at her or even acknowledge her existence. 

Everything went well for the next few hours and then an event occurred that would change Sophia's life forever, yet she was unaware of it at the time and would cause her heartache but even more joy in the years to come. 

She was walking by the pool glancing at Anthony and a group of boys was throwing a football back and forth, an errant pass caused Anthony to bump into her, knocking her off balance causing them to fall into the pool. He grabbed her to protect her and tucked her slight body in close to his broad chest, he wrapped one arm around her waist and one arm around her head and in the process his nose was pressed deeply against her neck. As they hit the water only one thought was running through his head, "MINE."

As they spluttered to the surface, Anthony still had his arms encircling Sophia making sure that she was unhurt. He pulled her towards the shallow end and changed his hold on her, cradling her in his arms tight up against his broad chest and walked her up the stairs before setting her down on her feet. It took all his self control to move his arms away from her and only did it knowing her brothers were descending on them. All seven of them checked to make sure she was unhurt then turned their eyes to look at him, some glaring, some astonished, but most incredulous. Alpha Rossi and Frank hurried over to ensure Sophia was unhurt and to prevent her over protective brothers from getting out of hand. At this point her brothers didn't care that Anthony was the Alphas son and their friend. 

"Well, I couldn't make up my mind between this dress and another, so thank you Anthony for giving me the opportunity to change clothes." Sophia said with a giggle and a blush. Unknowingly she had diffused the growing tension with her innocent and friendly remark. Everyone started laughing, even Anthony who hadn't taken his eyes off of her yet. Alpha Rossi and Frank looked at Anthony and then glanced knowingly at each other. 

Sophia and Maria hurried up the stairs and into the house to change Sophia's wet clothes. Anthony watched her intently until she entered the house and then stepped back when he saw her bedroom light come on. Even though her curtains were drawn, he still wanted to make sure he knew where she was. Alpha Rossi and Frank stood back and watched him, continuing to glance at each other and smile. Anthony didn't move from his spot until he saw Sophia talking with her mother in the kitchen, getting ready to return to the party. Knowing she would be outside soon and within his sight and smell he relaxed and started talking with his friends, all the while keeping an eye on the kitchen door. 

Alpha Rossi, Frank and Joe meanwhile had stepped off to the side for an adult beverage and a talk. All three men had seen the looks and possessiveness Anthony had displayed and wanted to discuss that and other pack business. They were all thrilled Anthony may possibly have found his mate, since in the last fifty years the number of female Weres born to packs had decreased significantly, and to have found his mate at such a young age was almost unheard of. Usually mates found each other when the females turned 17, not 15 as in Sophia's case. 

In the modern age of Weres Pack life had changed significantly in the last fifty years. Most modern Packs didn't live in one house anymore and had turned most Pack lands over to individual families. In the age of the internet, this made things safer since it was less questionable for multiple families to own a couple of hundred acres versus one individual to own thousands of acres. All of the land was still considered Pack since all the families were Pack, they were just more discreet. 

South Mountain Pack was way ahead of a lot of Packs in their diversity, all Pack families had outside interests and jobs, and they didn't discriminate on the color of your skin or sexual orientation. Even though they were living separate the Pack was a tight knit community, everyone relying on their Pack mates for companionship and having grown up together most were true friends instead of just Pack mates. There were still mandatory Pack meetings, held on the full moon of every month and everyone attended. Generally there were games for the children, socializing for the adults, a huge covered dish banquet and then a Pack run in the evening while there was a bonfire lit for those who didn't participate in the run. 

Even though there had not been any wars or skirmishes for years, Alpha Rossi still insisted everyone learn combat skills. From the age of 6, boys and girls were taught self defense and progressed to higher combat offensive skill levels as their training progressed. Both boys and girls were encouraged to participate in local sports since this increased their endurance and encouraged a caring and team mentality that would benefit both themselves and their Pack. Make no mistake, the girls may look delicate, but if it came down to it, they could kick your ass and then giggle about it. The boys along with their combat training were taught to respect the girls and to protect them. Since the number of female Weres born into the Packs had decreased significantly they made sure the females were treated with every courtesy and respect. This was one of the reasons why Alpha Rossi wanted to speak with Frank and Joe, two of his most trusted Beta's and his best friends since they were toddlers.

He had attended a national Alpha Council, which the 200 Alpha's across the United States attended yearly and instituted new policy and procedures as well as handled any Pack disputes. There were four Alphas' per state as mandated by the Council over fifty years ago, this had eliminated all the territory wars and peace was finally restored. South Mountain Pack controlled Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland. 

Alpha Rossi asked about general issues that involved the training schedules, the next full moon celebration, and he updated his Beta's on new births and asked them if they had any questions or concerns from any Pack members since he had been gone for two weeks at the Council meeting. Both responded that nothing new had come up, but everyone was anxious for the Pack meeting to hear from the Alpha about new issues from Council. 

"The first issue I wanted to bring up is an important one. We will be having a new family, the Millers, come into the Pack, they are moving here from West Texas. The father is an environmental engineer and recently got transferred back to the DC area. He scouted out the other Packs, but feels that our Pack would be a better fit, plus they are more used to a rural area. The family will be here to help celebrate the next full moon to pick out a house or land and to start getting issues resolved before their move," said Alpha Rossi. Frank and Joe looked at each other knowing that there had to be more to the story then this.

"The father, Todd, is a Beta, so you two will be working closely with him. The mother, Holly, is planning on opening a Coffee shop here in town with homemade pastries and bread," Alpha Rossi stated. Everyone was quiet for several moments then Carlo added, "Oh yeah, did I mention he has ten daughters?" 

"Ten daughters? How is that even possible? Who protects them? In every family we are aware of, they have boys, lots of boys and then as soon as a daughter is born, the births stop. Our two families are perfect examples of that," Joe said. 

"Which brings up the second issue I wanted to discuss, I heard from Alphas in Southern Virginia, West Texas, Ohio and Nevada that they are having a problem with their birth differentials also, except they have the exact opposite problem," Alpha Rossi stated. "It seems in the last fifteen years the number of female Weres born outnumbers the males by at least a 4 to 1 ratio if not higher, they are worried about the continuation and survival of their packs with not enough males."

Frank and Joe almost dropped their drinks with the news. They couldn't believe this had been going on for fifteen years with no one else being aware of it. The decreasing number of female Weres being born had been brought up for the last ten years at the annual Council and no one had mentioned the overabundance of females in their own packs. 

"Which brings us back to the Millers, another reason they chose our Pack is our overabundance of males. Todd was getting a weird vibe from surrounding Packs, nothing overt or concrete, but he is beginning to become concerned for the safety of his family. In their Pack, in the last fifteen years there have been two hundred female Weres born and only forty male. No Pack can survive with those differentials. Todd said in the last four years three girls had run away, but no one in the pack believed that. A note was found in each girl's bedroom, in their handwriting but according to Todd it just didn't feel right."


South Mountain Pack Ch. 01



"Each disappearance was investigated by not only the Pack but by the Council as well. There has been no trace of the girls anywhere. Todd is worried something similar would happen to his family so he actually applied for the transfer to DC, it wasn't required of his job as he has let it be known. That gentlemen, is a fact that is between the three of us and is to go no further. His family is not the only one that is considering relocating. I have let it be known through unofficial channels that any family willing to relocate would be welcome."

Before either Frank or Joe could say anything, Alpha Rossi nodded his head towards his son and said "Turn around gentlemen, I think the show is about to start. We'll finish this conversation later." 

They turned around unconsciously taking positions on both sides of the Alpha standing shoulder to shoulder, just as they had since they were toddlers. As they watched, Sophia made her way down the terrace steps and Anthony watched her every step of the way. He continued to talk to his friends, but his eyes were trained on Sophia, and also glanced around the crowd to see who else was eyeing his girl. 

"MINE," was the thought that kept going around his head. He saw several other boys looking at her and stared at them until they sensed him and then they lowered their eyes. He couldn't stake his claim on her due to her age, but he could make sure no one else came close to her. "Three years, I must wait to claim her, but make no mistake about it, she is MINE," he assured his wolf. He then realized she had just turned fifteen and he could start dating her and instantly felt better.

All three men sent requests to their mates through the mate bond to join them. Almost as one, Madame Alpha Gina, Annie and Rose turned towards their spouses and had a questioning look on their faces, while the men just smiled back. Rose looked at her two best friends and said, "This better be good, I wonder what they've gotten into this time, and I wonder what we can get out of it, and it better be more then a new hat." At that comment all three women broke out into giggles that brought a smile to their loving spouses faces, though they had no clue what the women were laughing about. 

Sophia dragged Maria along and made a point to talk to every boy and thank them for coming to the birthday party, knowing Salvatore wouldn't think of doing it. Most boys were excited to be able to talk to the two beautiful girls, but minutes after the conversation started, they noticed Anthony standing in the background with his arms folded across his broad chest and they made sure to finish the conversations quickly. Anthony was trying to be subtle about his claim on Sophia, but he needed to let those assholes know she was his. He would proclaim it loudly once he had talked to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carlucci, Sophia and her brothers, then he saw his so-called friend Scott touch Sophia's hand. He could not control the growl that escaped from his tightly clenched throat and his hands balled into fists. Somebody was touching his girl, putting his scent on her, holding her hand when only he should be holding her hand. 

"Oh, this is getting good," said Frank, while Joe and Alpha Rossi laughed. All three of them remembered how it felt when the mating pull first hit, they were all on alert in case trouble broke out, but knew it was best if they stayed on the sidelines. 

Madame Gina, Annie and Rose had moved in front of their respective spouses as requested. Each man had an identical stance with feet shoulder width apart and their arms in front of their wives hugging them close to their broad chests. Annie asked Joe what was going on and he told her to keep an eye on Anthony and Sophia, that they thought he had felt the mating pull. 

"What the hell is your problem," Scott shouted at Anthony. "I was telling Sophia and Maria how beautiful they looked and thanked Sophia for inviting me to her party."

"Well, first of all, back off my girl, second SHE didn't invite you to the party, Sal did, third back off my girl, and fourth get your hands off my girl," Anthony growled back to Scott. 

Sophia stared at Anthony with eyes as big as saucers, as did her brothers and everybody else. All Sophia could do was stare at Anthony and see him finally as the man that he was instead of her brothers childhood friend and the boy she had a secret crush on for years. He stood 6'3" and weighed about 230 lbs, had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes she could get lost in for days. He had broad shoulders that were lightly tanned, long arms that were heavily muscled and large hands that had to be twice as large as hers. As Sophia's eyes wandered over his chest she thought, "Oh my." As her eyes wandered further down his body, she noticed how his board shorts hung low off his lean hips and accented the 8 pack that was rippling from tension and his legs were long, lean and muscular. "OH MY," she thought and suddenly got hot all over like she was running a fever. 

Anthony looked at Scott and noticed he still had a hold of Sophia's hand, he took a step forward still growling and said, "I'm giving you one second to let go of my girls hand before I rip your arm from your body."

Scott was about to argue with Anthony until he noticed Sophia's older brothers and cousins suddenly flanking Anthony with the younger siblings and cousins lining up behind him, in the standard fighting formation they had been taught. They may not like the idea of their sister and cousin being claimed, but nobody could deny the mating pull, and since it had become known to Anthony, he would do everything in his power to protect and cherish their beloved sister and cousin. 

Joe and Frank noticed the youngest two sons were missing and looked for them. They both felt proud to notice that without being told they had flanked Maria and moved her out of the way to protect her since everyone else's focus was on the drama unfolding between Scott and Anthony. Alpha Rossi also noticed the missing boys and seeing where they had positioned themselves said to Frank and Joe, "We have taught the younger generation well, they have done their family and pack proud today."

"Sorry Sophia, hopefully we'll get a chance to finish our conversation some other time," said Scott before looking Anthony in the eye and smirking at him. He gave her hand a tight squeeze before letting it go. 

"Babe, could you please come over here with me and your family please," pleaded Anthony to Sophia, with a soft gentle voice as he extended his hand out to her. He kept his eyes trained on Sophia's wide-eyed expression and smiled encouragingly at her. He knew that he didn't have to watch Scott or his two cronies, Sophia's two oldest brothers, Vincent and Dominic would have them under observation. His only clear thought was to get his girl away from this interloper, he needed to protect her, he needed her near him, and he must get her away from Scott. 

Sophia glanced at Vincent and Dominic and upon receiving nods from them; she placed her small hand into Anthony's hand. He pulled her immediately into his side, scented her neck and hair and then gently told her to move behind him. She was instantly surrounded on all sides by Enzo, Gino, Paulo and Michael. 

Sophia was still trying to process everything that happened, but the prevailing thought running through her mind was, "I'm Anthony's mate, I can't believe that he's MINE." She knew she had been feeling an attraction towards Anthony, but had always thought it was just a teenage girl's fantasy, not a mating pull. 

"I think its time to have a talk with our boys after the party lets out," Joe stated to no one in particular. "I'm sure they have a lot of questions, and once the girls are situated, we'll go into Frank's man cave and have a three father to thirteen son talk." 

All of the parents agreed and then Rose told them that parents would soon be arriving to pick up their kids as the party was scheduled to end at 10 and it was already 9:45. The women instructed their men to go over and calm the boys down, which they went and hurriedly did. The women went over to the steps and announced the time to the rest of the party-goers and said they should get their clothes, towels and everything else together to be ready for their parents. 

The men went and stood between the two groups of boys and stared at Scott and his two cronies. It took Scott and his friends less then two seconds to lower their eyes and show their necks in submission to their Alpha. 

"I think you should gather up all your things, your father should be here soon to pick you up," stated Frank with a nice quiet even tone of voice. "I also want to thank all three of you for coming by for the birthday party and for providing us older folks with some entertainment," he continued with a hint of a smile on his face and in his voice. 

"Anytime, Mr. C," stated Scott. He was thankful Mr. C wasn't mad at him, since during the summers he worked for Mr. C and Mr. JC at Carlucci Construction Company or Triple C as it was also known. 

Scott looked at Anthony and the rest of the Carlucci Clan and stated, "I guess I'll see everybody on Monday at football practice." He then nodded at his Alpha, Mr. C, and Mr. JC. 

"Dickwad," the three fathers heard Anthony muttering under his breath. Knowing they couldn't let Anthony see them smiling, they kept their faces forward and used their mental bond to silently laugh as Alpha Rossi said, "That's my boy," this caused Frank and Joe's shoulders to silently shake in laughter. 

Taking deep breathes to calm themselves down; they turned around as one unit, as though they had practiced this move like a synchronized swimming team. They stood facing their children in identical postures. Feet shoulder width apart, head and shoulders thrown back with arms folded across their chests. Alpha Rossi said through his mental bond to Frank and Joe with a chuckle, "Just stare at them, we'll see who breaks first."

"My money is on Vincent and Dominic," stated Frank.

"I bet you both that it's Lorenzo or Damian," Joe said. 

"I bet you both a steak dinner at Roberto's it is Anthony," stated Alpha Rossi.

Each father had chosen the oldest son or set of sons. They could see by looking at their sons they were communicating through their family bond, but they had put a block up so their fathers couldn't hear them. Anthony could hear them because being the Alpha heir he could communicate with all Pack. All three fathers continued to stare down they're children, and the children were staring right back, not backing down at all. The only movement came when Anthony crossed his arms across his chest, then the rest of the Carlucci Clan followed his lead. 

If possible all three fathers' chests puffed even further with pride, but they couldn't let their sons know this, at least not right now. They all knew their children were becoming men and this moment was a defining point in that process. They had stood together as a unit to protect one of their own and each father knew that no matter what happened from then on, that they would always be faithful and loyal to one another. As fathers they could not be prouder, but right now they had to bring them down a peg or two and let them know who was still the boss or bosses of them. 

As the two groups continued to stare at each other, a hesitant voice spoke softly. "Anthony..." Sophia said breathlessly. In all the commotion and posturing, both groups had forgotten she was still completely surrounded by Enzo, Gino, Paulo and Michael. All four boys had her cocooned behind their backs and they were standing shoulder to shoulder completely encapsulating her. She couldn't see anything over their broad backs and had no idea what was going on. 

Frank and her brothers felt a short, sharp stab to their hearts as they heard her call for Anthony for the first time instead of one of them. All three fathers instantly zeroed in on Anthony's face to see his reaction to this soft plea. 

Anthony instantly dropped his Alpha-like posturing and turned around and softly said, "I'm here Babe, everything is ok. Enzo, could you please move so my Sophia can come to me." He then held his hand out to Sophia and allowed her time to regroup and come to him when she was ready. 

As Enzo moved out of her way, Sophia was finally able to see what was going on. Her eyes moved instantly to Anthony's face and he was smiling at her, so she instantly relaxed. She had been afraid she had done something wrong to make him upset and seeing him smile let her know that everything was alright. She reached for his hand and he gently pulled her into his side scenting her neck and hair. 

"MINE," Anthony said loudly as he continued to bury his nose into her neck and hair. One arm was buried in her curly hair and the other was holding her tightly to his side as if he was afraid that she was going to disappear. 

"Ugh Son, I think you made that perfectly clear earlier, but thanks for the confirmation," Alpha Rossi said with a huge laugh. He was joined in his laughter by Frank, Joe and the rest of the Clan. 

Anthony chose to ignore them and just concentrate on the woman he was holding, just breathing in and out slowly, and inhaling her essence. Warm sugar cookies with drizzled honey on top. That's how she smelled to him and he couldn't get enough. He felt like he could drown in that scent and die a happy man. 

Sophia also had her nose buried in Anthony's neck. Beneath his Drakkar aftershave she could detect his natural scent of the forest after a spring rain. It was the most intoxicating thing she had ever smelled and it made her dizzy. 

"I hate to break up this budding young love right now, but Sophia it's time for you to go into the house with Maria and Madame Gina, Aunt Annie and your mom," stated Frank with a firm no nonsense voice. "The rest of us have some things to discuss right now."

"Yes Daddy," said Sophia as she started to move out of Anthony's embrace.

"I'll be by tomorrow to see you if it's ok with your mom and dad, maybe we can all go to Fred's and get some ice cream," said Anthony softly into her ear. Sophia nodded and moved towards her mother to follow her father's instructions. 

Anthony took a couple of steps to the side to watch her and make sure she made it safely into the house. He thought to himself, "I'm going to go crazy for the next 3 years trying to make sure she is safe, how am I going to do that when I'm not with her all the time. Damn, she's less then 100 feet away from me and my heart is racing because I can't see her. How am I going to do this?"

Frank, Joe and Alpha Rossi looked at the misery on Anthony's face and tried not to laugh, remembering how they felt when they first scented their mates and were unable to be with them constantly. Even though they felt empathy and compassion, the three older men looked at each other and burst out laughing. 

"Well boys, that was an interesting night, we're going to head on into the cave and have a discussion that is obviously long overdue," said Frank. "Grab something to drink and eat before the caterers clear the remaining food, if you need to use the john, now is the time to do it." 

At the mention of food, the boys made a beeline to demolish what was left of the pulled pork, hamburgers, hotdogs and whatever they could get their hands on. They were still growing boys after all. Anthony stood still staring at the back of the house, until Gianni and Marcus each grabbed an arm and dragged him into the tent to grab some food. 

Two very different groups were gathering in the Carlucci house at that moment. The men were gathering in the basement after making sure the house was secure and the women were gathering in Rose's sitting room, which was her sanctuary from her husband and children.



South Mountain Pack Ch. 02



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.



Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 





While the men were all gathering food and refreshments, Carlo asked his son through their bond, "Son, are you ok? I know things are happening very quickly and I am afraid that I didn't prepare you enough, thinking that we had more time."

Anthony replied, "I'm just scared Dad, I mean what the hell? One minute I'm throwing a football back and forth, talking to my buds about practice and girls, and the next second I'm mated? Is it supposed to be like this, this all consuming urge? I can't even think about anything else, my brain is like mush right now, and I have football and schoolwork, not to mention my work at the store. Most of all I'm just scared of royally fucking this up; I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing. And what the hell was that with Scott, I couldn't control myself, I wanted to hurt him and all he was doing was holding Sophia's hand. I feel the need to protect Sophia so bad that its making my stomach hurt, will it always like that?"

Carlo said to his son. "We will be talking about a lot of these issues in the basement, but don't worry about your intended mate, the house has been secured and she is with her mother, aunt and your mom, so she is safe. Just get something to eat, whatever you feel isn't discussed in the basement, we will talk about at home. "

Twenty minutes later all the men were assembled down in Frank's man cave. It was one of his favorite Christmas presents to himself. The 60" plasma was every man's dream, with the soundproofing insulation even the surround sound system couldn't penetrate outside the walls. There were three leather couches, recliners, bean bag chairs and along the back wall was a wet bar complete with a soda fountain machine. 

Like all new homes that Carlucci Construction Company built for pack members, the interior and exterior walls and floors were built of a combination of steel, rebar and concrete. With a push of a button steel doors would enclose all of the windows from hidden pockets, even the sliding glass doors leading to the patios. All doors, interior and exterior were manufactured from steel and painted to look like wood. Each house also contained a safe room, with enough supplies to last several weeks and separate telephone, air and water filtration systems. There hadn't been any wars or skirmishes lately, but South Mountain Pack wasn't taking any chances with their pack members lives.

Frank made sure that the door to the man cave was securely shut and entered the access code so that it would beep if anyone attempted to enter the room. What was going to be discussed tonight was for the men only. Things would be said concerning the male psyche that their loving wives and daughters may not understand and Frank didn't want to sleep out on that damn lonely sofa. 

"In case some of you didn't understand what was going on tonight, apparently Sophia is the intended mate of Anthony. I know that they are both young for this to happen; females are usually at least 17 and males 18 when this happens, but Luna works in mysterious ways and she must have a reason for this. I must emphasize that regardless of her reason, pack law MUST be obeyed. There can be no carnal knowledge of Sophia until she reaches her age of majority at 18, no kissing until she is 16. I cannot emphasize this enough Anthony. To disobey this law means banishment from the pack and it doesn't matter if you are my son or not," Alpha Rossi stated emphatically. "You cannot be alone with her for any reason, believe me I know the temptation is immense. What we need to do for both of your protection is to ensure that you are never alone. I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this or not, but every morning of a female weres birthday, from the age of 15 until she turns 18, she is brought to a Doctor who ensures that she has remained pure. If she is found to have been breached, there are harsh consequences for her and her partner. I do not want that to happen to either of you."

"These laws were put in place over 50 years ago to protect underage female weres from overzealous mates and predators and have protected them from unwanted attention not to mention rape. Not to make any one individual suffer Anthony. Believe me when I tell you that when I was dating your mother before she reached her age of majority, I thought my balls were going to fall off they were so blue. It got to the point that every time I looked at her, I got a chub and had to run to the bathroom and rub one out. Not to mention the times that she hugged me & I shot off in my pants. I got to the point that I had to carry extra clothes just to be safe."

"Ewww Dad, that is so disgusting and disturbing, I don't think I'll ever get those mental images out of my head. Thanks," said Anthony while he pretended to fake vomit. All the rest of the Carlucci boys had their hands over their mouths trying to keep the laughter inside, but failing miserably. 

The Alpha looked at the Franks boys and smiled devilishly at them and said, "Don't laugh; it happens to all of us. Once we meet our mate, our only thought is to be with them physically. Your dad was in the middle of a football game once standing in the huddle right in the middle of the stadium and was watching your mom cheer on the sidelines and got so hard that he could barely move. He limped off the field and told Coach that he had a cramp but couldn't take his eyes off your mom and ended up shooting a load in his cup." At this pronouncement, everyone started laughing, including Frank. He hung his head down, before he raised it to his Alpha and best friend and said, "Yeah, but I ran for 150 yards that game." This brought even more laughter from the assembled men. 

The Alpha next looked at Joe's sons and said, "Don't worry; your father wasn't any better. One of his moments occurred during a basketball game, we were standing courtside right at the doorway thankfully, waiting for the cheerleaders to finish up their half-time routine. I look over at your dad and nudged Frank and we quickly moved in front of him to block him from the crowds view. Your dad was sporting this huge erection while he stared at your mom. As soon as we did that, he doubled over and came right there in front of a crowd of hundreds, Frank and I almost fell over laughing, while your dad waddled back down the hall to the locker room to change." Joe looked at Frank and his best friend and mirrored Frank's response, "Yeah, but I scored 32 points that game." By now all of the boys were doubled over in laughter. 

"Anthony, we are telling you these stories to show you that we understand what you are going through and to show our love and support. The main difference is you have to wait three years before you fully claim Sophia, while we only had to wait a year or so. This is going to be difficult for you, but with planning and family help we hope to make things easier on you," said Frank.

"You will be allowed over to our house anytime, as long as at least two of her brothers are home and they will never leave you alone with her. This shouldn't be a problem since Sophia was never left alone with less then four of her brothers before if her mother or I wasn't home. Also you are NOT allowed upstairs for any reason, you must remain in the main floor family room, kitchen area and dining area. When you are in the game room, if you are here with the boys', that is ok, if you are with Sophia, you must again have at least two of her brothers with you. Any questions so far?" Frank asked.

"You may pick her up and drive her to school, again as long as two of her brothers accompany you. After school you generally have football or basketball practice and she has cheerleader practice which ends about an hour before yours does. Her mother or Aunt Annie always took turns picking the girls up, which will continue like always. You will be allowed to hold her hand during school hours and basically whenever you feel like it, remember during school hours there will be twelve boys keeping an eye on you plus Maria. Also the faculty at school will be made aware that you are mates and will be observing the two of you to make sure that you are following the rules. Behave yourself and we won't have to take any of these privileges away. I feel like your father and I have been pretty generous with all of this so far," Frank stated firmly.

"Do you have any questions or comments so far son," Carlo asked his son.

"Yeah dad, I want to start driving Sophia to school but according to the rules, I can't because my sports car is only a two seater," Anthony looked at Gianni and Marcus and asked them if they could come over and pick him up this way they would already have Sophia in their truck. 

"Don't worry about that son, I'll call Vinnie at the Ford dealership tomorrow and arrange for you to get a new truck, one of the 4 x 4, extended cab F-150's. Since you will be driving Sophia around, her father and I will feel much better if it is a reliable all weather vehicle. We should be able to pick it up by Monday afternoon. You'll work out the payments by putting in a couple of extra hours every week in the store," stated Carlo.

"Before I forget," Frank said, "Your grades must stay at the grade point average that they are right now. I do not want either of you to fall behind in your school work, if your teachers notify us that your grades are slipping, privileges will be suspended until your grades come up. Your dad tells me that you are planning on attending the University of Maryland to study Business Administration after you graduate from South Mountain High School. I hope that you don't change your mind, you will need to keep those stores profitable to be able to afford my daughter and her shoe and pocketbook obsession." At the mention of Sophia and her shopping habits, all the men started laughing hysterically, except for Anthony who just looked bewildered. 

"I hope that you like shopping Ant, Sophia spends every Saturday morning with Maria at the local malls and boutiques, and if you want to spend time with her, she'll expect you to be with her as well. Dad and Uncle Joe always made six of us accompany them and it is my least favorite thing to do, but with you there and being tortured along with the rest of us, it may not be so bad," Gianni started laughing and the rest of the boys laughed too. 

"Be prepared to answer her questions too and help her pick out outfits," Gino said.

"Do these pants make my butt look big, are these shorts too short, is this shirt too tight across my chest, do these shoes make my ankles look fat, do these pants match this blouse," Sal volunteered in a high falsetto.

"Should I get this pocketbook or that one, which headband should I get, would these shorts look better with my KEDS or should I look for another pair, can you see my bra strap through the back," Vincent answered in a matching falsetto.

At the mention of lingerie Anthony wondered if he would be helping her pick out those outfits too. With that thought his cock got even harder if possible. With a glance at her father, he looked at her brothers and asked with a croak in his voice, "Does she, umm, do any lingerie shopping?"

"Not with you around she won't," roared Frank. The boys, Carlo and Joe roared out their laughter at the crestfallen look on Anthony's face. Even Frank had to laugh. 

"Your protection and combat skills will be put to use carrying her bags and holding her pocketbook while her and Maria browse row upon row of things they just have to look at and try on," supplied Michael. 

"I'll do whatever she wants me to, except hold her pocketbook, I'm NOT holding her pocketbook," Anthony declared and then was silent for several moments, then blurted out, "Well, if she asked me to do that, I would even do that."

Hanging his head down, he looked up at her brothers and cousins and pleaded, "Damn, we haven't even been on an official date and I'm already whipped, please don't let her know that I just said that. I'll do anything that she wants. I am in so much trouble aren't I?" He asked this question of no one in particular, but all of the men just started laughing even harder to the point that Frank was wiping tears from his eyes. 

Anthony glared at the Carlucci Clan and said, "Just wait until this happens to you, and then see how much sympathy I give you." He leaned back in his chair and pulled the pillow up against his chest and started moaning, "God, I can smell her on this chair and this pillow, all I want to do is cuddle with it. What the hell is the matter with me????"

"You want us to give you some alone time with the pillow, you perv?" questioned Dominic. Anthony threw the pillow at him, then realizing that he threw the Sophia scented pillow away, he sprinted after it revealing his fully engorged cock tenting out his board shorts and the room erupted in ear splitting laughter. Anthony didn't care at this point; he just wanted his Sophia scented pillow back and he wondered if he could sneak it home with him tonight. 

"Let my poor son be," said Alpha Rossi though he was laughing as hard as everybody else. "Frank, should I tell Anthony a story that will make him feel better?" 

Frank just looked at him and said, "I'm sorry Carlo but I have no idea what you are referring to, and if you want me to put that addition onto your greenhouse within the next decade, I think you will forget it too."

At this Joe laughed and said, "Don't worry about it Carlo, I'll tell the story, my brother and I have a mutual understanding and I owe him for ratting me out to Annie that I sneaked a cigar at last months poker game." 

The room waited anxiously as Joe got up and got three more beers and handed one each to the Alpha and Frank and then popped his open. "Boys, your father is a rather twisted individual. He wanted your mom so bad and it was still months until her 18th birthday that he was basically a walking erection. He noticed she had left her hat inside his truck and he took advantage of it using it for nefarious purposes in his bedroom, if you know what I mean. Thinking that he could just clean it up, he brought it downstairs not realizing that she had come over because she needed it for cheerleading practice that evening. Your mom was standing there talking with our dad as he walked into the kitchen on the way to the laundry room with the hat in his hand. She smiled sweetly to him, grabbed it out of his hand, leaned in and kissed him. He was so shocked that he couldn't move or say anything, then as she was putting it on her head, a long strand of cum fell out of it and landed right on her face. We heard her scream and then saw her run out of the house. She didn't talk to your dad for almost a week and he followed her around school and town like a little lost puppy and she made him buy her a new hat. It was wonderful to watch him grovel." 

The boys were on the floor laughing at this point and could barely breathe. Enzo asked his father, "Is that why mom always looks inside her hat before she puts it on and looks at you?" which brought out even more bouts of laughter. Even Frank had to laugh at that because Rose would always look inside her hats and then glance at him before she put it on, and this was 20 years later. 

"What can I say? That woman turns me inside out even 20 years later, I look at her and still get hard every time that I see her, how do you think the eight of you got here?" Frank emphatically stated. 

"Ewww", "Gross", "That's disgusting", "Damn Dad, that's mom that you're talking about", "My ears, my ears" were only some of the comments that the older men heard and laughed about. 

"Well Carlo, for bringing up that mortifying memory, I'll provide the children with one of your tales," Frank stated with a gleam in his eyes. 

"Anthony, did your dad ever tell the story of how he figured out your mom was his mate? Or did he give you the cleaned up decent version?" asked Frank.

"He always told me that he was on mandatory sabbatical with you and Mr. JC for two months the summer between junior and senior years and the three of you had come back home for the start of football practice. If I remember the story correctly he was driving down Main Street and noticed mom walking with Mrs. C and Mrs. JC and was instantly in love," said Anthony. 

"Ahh, that would be the cleaned up decent version," said Joe. He wished that those mandatory sabbaticals still occurred, they had been tons of fun and he wished that his kids could experience something like that. 

"Well, parts of that are true; we were driving down Main Street on the way to Fred's to get some ice cream and he did see your mom walking with Rose and Annie. The rest of the story he seems to have neglected to tell you," Frank said with a smirk directed at Carlo. Carlo just hunched down in his chair and wished that he was somewhere else, anywhere else.

"As we were driving down Main Street, we had the windows down and were joking about starting football practice, discussing girls and my and Joe's frustration in keeping our hormones under control regarding our mates. Your dad was laughing at us and said that nothing like that would ever happen to him that he had more control over himself then we did. All of a sudden he slammed on the brakes, causing us to get rear-ended from the car behind us; we rammed into two parked cars side-swiping them and he ran his pick-up on the curb almost hitting two people who were walking down the sidewalk," Frank was laughing so hard he couldn't continue talking. The boys just looked at their Alpha and couldn't imagine him losing control like that, but laughing at him just the same.

"After the truck came to a stop, he leapt out and ran over to your mom and tackled her to the ground. Now you have to remember that we had all grown up together and he had never shown any interest or desire in your mom to get the correct mental image of this, but while we attended sabbatical she had turned 17. She lay there on the ground with her mouth opened in shock then started screaming. Carlo kept sniffing her neck and hair and started shouting "MINE" at the top of his voice, then he started dry-humping her. Right in the middle of Main Street in front of a crowd of people," Joe said as he had tears pouring out of his eyes he was laughing so hard. Carlo at this point had his hands over his face refusing to look at anyone, but thinking back to that day and smiling with satisfaction at the thought of his Gina. 

"Gina kept screaming, Carlo kept screaming "MINE" and sniffing her neck and hair and then all of a sudden he came. Right in the middle of Main Street with a crowd of people looking at them and laughing. Gina was mortified and started hitting him on his back. Several older pack members tried separating them and Carlo was growling at everybody to stay away from her. He finally stood up still holding Gina, with this huge wet spot on his shorts and turned around and there was Gina's dad and four brothers. Her dad had this smile on his face and said, "Boy is there something you need to tell me or ask me", Carlo just looked right back at him and replied, "I think Gina may be my mate" to which her dad replied, "After that little show, she better be your mate." He came up and slapped him on his back and welcomed him to the family. That's the story of how the two Alphas' found out they were mates," Frank said as he finished the story. The boys at this point were gasping for breath because they were laughing so hard.

Frank got up and got the three adults another beer. He was happy that Anthony had chosen Sophia as his mate and he wondered if Maria would soon be claimed, he looked at Joe and asked through the family bond, making sure to include Carlos, "Do you think it will happen to Maria next?"




South Mountain Pack Ch. 02



"OH, HELL NO," Joe shouted, startling everyone into silence before everyone erupted in laughter; the boys not even understanding what Joe was talking about, but laughing at the look on his face. 

Carlo glanced over at his son, who was still holding the pillow up to his face. He had the most serene smile on his face as he continued to inhale the scent on the pillow. Victor leaned over and tried to take the pillow away which prompted Anthony to growl low in his throat, causing even more laughter. 

"Boys, all of these stories were told to you tonight to prove a point. None of us are exempt from the mating pull. You will all do stupid stuff because your only focus will be on your mate, being with her, but more importantly protecting her and keeping her safe. You will zone out while talking to your friends because you catch a glimpse of her, something may remind you of her and you will feel compelled to find out where she is and if she is ok. You'll be overbearing and get on her nerves. None of this can be helped," said Frank adding, "Just know that this has happened to countless helpless males before you and it will continue on with your sons." 

"You will get into fights with your best friends because they talked to your mate without you being there. Every time that she glances at another male, you will feel the need to beat the absolute shit out of him to show her your strength and superiority to that other male. If other males smile at her you will once again want to beat the absolute shit out of them to wipe that smile off their face and let them know that she is yours," stated Joe, "All of this is normal, so when you get those feelings, you need to take a deep breath before you actually do anything physical. A low growl will generally make the other male back down."

"You'll find that you will want to push your body to run farther and faster then before, train with more weights to add muscle mass and definition. Also you will push to learn and perfect your fighting techniques, all of this is done subconsciously to prove to your mate that you are worthy of her and will be able to protect her and your young," added Frank, "We will be glad to help with any additional training that you feel that you need. We have always pushed you boys to work harder then the others simply because of whom you are, the son of the Alpha and his top two Betas'." 

"One unspoken benefit will be the fact that after training is over for the evening and you are with your mate at her house, remember to mention how sore your shoulders are from all the weight lifting. They will always offer to rub them for you," Joe said with a wink, "Just remember to follow the rules, make sure that her family is close by and if you lift the back of your shirt over your head onto your chest so that she can touch the skin on your back, you haven't violated any rules."

"Another thing is food. Everyone wonders why cooking classes are mandatory starting at the age of fourteen. We found out years ago that after the mating pull started that males became obsessed with making sure that their mate has eaten, especially when they are carrying our young. After several bouts of food poisoning, kitchens catching fire, trips to the pack Doctor for stitches from knife cuts, numerous burns and one finger amputated from a food processer, we figured it would be easier if males actually learned how to cook then to let our females suffer from our ineptitude. The females aren't aware of why we make you take cooking classes, I've heard comments that they think it's done for male bonding. As far as I know no one has said anything to change that opinion and I hope that you all keep the secret also," Alpha Rossi stated with a stern expression on his face. 

"Find out what your mate's favorite foods are & then invite her over for dinner and prepare her favorite meal. Talk to your parents and her brothers beforehand and set up two different tables so that you can have an intimate dinner with her, while still following the rules. Prepare a dessert that is really decadent and then feed it to her yourself. She will melt at how thoughtful and romantic you are. When she offers to help clean the dishes, let her help you, this way you can sneak brushes up against her in an innocent fashion. I found the best way is lean into her back with one hand on her waist to reach around her for something. This gives you the opportunity to sniff her neck and whisper something into her ear. I was a pro at this move," Joe said with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I remember watching that move and remember when Annie turned around and smacked you upside your head," Frank retorted, "and why are you giving Anthony hints on how to seduce my daughter?" 

"Not seduce, that's just not right because she's underage," said Joe, "I'm teaching him how to woo, court and romance her."

The boys once again started cracking up with laughter hearing the men banter back and forth. They felt like their fathers were finally realizing that they were turning into men and felt closeness with their fathers that had never been there before. 

Anthony quickly asked Sophia's brothers what her favorite meal was and found out that it was Chicken Parmigianino with angel hair pasta. He could do this and wondered how soon he could ask Sophia over for dinner. He quickly went over the weeks schedule in his head and realized that between football and cheerleader practice, pack training schedules and work that his first totally free evening was next Saturday. That was a whole week away. He started panicking; he couldn't wait a week to see her again. 

"I CAN'T WAIT A WEEK," he hollered. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Joe had his beer halfway to his mouth, Dominic had his hand in a bag of chips, Paulo had his mouth full of Doritos and Gianni had birthday cake perched on his fork but everybody was just looking at him. He started blushing and stuttered, "My next free evening is next Saturday and I can't wait that long to see her, what am I going to do, who is going to protect her, how am I going to be able to function without knowing where she is and what she is doing? I need help, I can't even get this damn pillow out of my face because it smells like her, how am I going to last a week?" 

"Uhmm, Ant we all have to report to football and cheerleader practice at the same time every morning. On Monday, we have to go over school policies since it is the first day of practice. Gianni and I will pick you up and we'll have Sophia with us since you won't have your truck yet. As we usually do, we all take lunch breaks at the same time so you will see her then. I'm sure that mom and dad won't mind you coming over for dinner after practice and its still warm enough that we'll go swimming like we've always done," Marcus said to try and calm down his best friend. 

"The next two weeks you'll have your truck and you can pick us up since we report at the same time in the mornings, since the cheerleaders let out an hour before us, you'll still have lunch with her. Sophia generally helps mom around the house in the afternoons, but we have several pack training sessions in the evening which means that Sophia will be there too. You were here a lot before the pull started, and I'm sure that your parents and ours won't mind if it keeps up," Gianni said with concern in his voice also trying to calm Anthony down. 

"As for who is going to protect Sophia, we all will just as we always have. We protected her before you felt the pull and we will continue to protect her until we draw our last breath," Vincent said firmly as the oldest of the Carlucci Clan, as he looked at his sisters intended, "Just because she is your mate, that doesn't mean that we will cease to protect our sister and cousin. Like I just said Anthony, until we draw our last breath. It is the way of the Pack, but more importantly, it is the way of the Carlucci's, we protect our own. Never forget Anthony, she may be your mate, but she will always be a Carlucci."

"Remember that she was our sister and cousin for fifteen years before she became your intended. I am glad that you are Sophia's mate, I couldn't think of a better man for my cousin, but make no mistake about it, if you hurt her I will personally tear you limb from limb without a second thought," added Lorenzo. 

Anthony looked at Sophia's brothers and cousins and said quietly, "I want to apologize if it sounded like she would be unprotected if I wasn't personally here. I know that she is safe with all of you to protect her. Like you, I would give my life to protect her and I promise you here and now that I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is always happy."

Frank looked at Anthony, a boy that he had known since his birth and realized that he had finally become a man. Damn, I'm getting old he thought. "I'm glad to hear that Anthony, and I am officially welcoming you into our crazy family."

He got up and hugged Anthony first, then embraced Carlo. As the older men watched each younger man get up and embraced Anthony and welcomed him into the Carlucci fold. 

"One thing you didn't think of Ant, since you are now part of our family we will always have your back. We protected you before since you were the Alpha heir and our friend as we were taught, but you are now our future brother and cousin-in-law which means that we have to make sure that you stay extra safe. No bumps, bruises or anything. None of us wants to have to answer to Sophia if you get hurt. She scares us," Enzo said with a terrorized look on his face. 

"Sophia? How could that little thing scare you? I'm never even seen her in a bad mood, let alone doing something to scare the bunch of you," answered Anthony with a bewildered look on his face. 

Everyone of the Carlucci's looked at each other and laughed. 

"She was mad at us because we refused to let her and Maria go into the theater by themselves, we said that we would go in and not sit with her, but that wasn't good enough. The whole time that they were in the movies, they were whispering back and forth not even paying attention. When we were driving home, she started crying and rubbing her stomach and acted embarrassed. We were trying to figure out what was wrong with her and she admitted that she had started her period and needed some pads and tampons, so I pulled into the store, your store in fact," Dominic stated, "Vin, Sal, Marcus and I got out and waited for her to get out of the car. She started crying again and said that she was in too much pain to walk."

"She said that there was no way that she could walk to get what she needed so we would need to get them for her. The four of us just stared at her and told her that there was no way in hell that we were getting her that feminine stuff. She started crying harder and said that she would tell Dad that we wouldn't help her. We argued and it was decided that Vin and Dom would go in and get what she needed. Since they were the oldest," added Sal.

Vincent picked up the story, "Dom and I had her write down on a piece of paper what kind of pads and tampons she needed and went into the store. We went in and stood there in front of the feminine hygiene products trying to decipher her handwriting. She had written it almost illegible on purpose we found out later. It took us like 10 minutes to figure out what she wanted. Meanwhile tons of people that we knew were walking by snickering at us. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Then we finally figured out what she wanted and went to the checkout. Unknown even to Sophia, the whole damn cheerleading squad was in the checkout line getting snacks for their evening practice, and there we stood holding pads and tampons." At this point everybody had tears running down their face from laughing so hard. 

Dominic could barely even talk he was laughing so hard, but he continued the story, "We looked at each other and our faces were bright red with embarrassment, I literally felt like laying down on the floor and praying that somehow I could die. The cheerleaders stood to the side and let us cut ahead and kept giggling at us. How can you be macho from that point on knowing that cheerleaders saw you with a box of Stayfree panty liners in your hand?" At that comment hysterical laughter broke out in the basement.

"At least you had panty liners, I had a box of Playtex Gentle Glide tampons in my hand," Vincent said, "There's still some girls on the cheerleading squad I can't look in the eye." The men were gasping for air at this point.

"When we got back home, Sophia was instantly fine, like nothing had happened and she wasn't in pain anymore. Turns out that she hadn't started her period, she just wanted to embarrass us by making us buy her pads and tampons. The four of us chased her until she hid behind Dad then ran into her room and hid from us the rest of the evening," Dominic said as he concluded the story. There wasn't any more talk for several minutes as all the men tried to regain their breath from laughing so hard.

"So you all are telling me that I have to carry panty liners and tampons in my truck from now on?" Anthony asked with a laugh. This brought even more laughter and quick agreement. 

"Since you brought up carrying supplies in your car, we're going to get serious for a couple of minutes, so listen up closely," Frank said. All of the boys immediately sat up and looked intently at him, "Anthony when you are with Sophia or both of the girls as they are usually inseparable, you will be the primary protector as is your right. All twelve boys will follow your lead. When your parents, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annie, her mom or I are around, we will be primaries, with you as our secondary. There will be no arguments or questions if we give an order, are we understood?"

"Yes sir," all thirteen boys replied.

Joe added, "If Anthony is not with the girls, then we go back to our normal routines. Vin and Dom primaries for Sophia and Lorenzo and Damian primaries for Maria. All of the brothers and cousins will follow your leads as we have always done. Nothing will change as far as their safety goes. Questions?"

"No sir," all thirteen boys replied. 

Through the Alpha bond, Carlo said to Frank and Joe, "Don't mention phones, cash or identification, see who notices."

"Anthony you will also be responsible to make sure that Sophia has adequate supplies in your safe room since she will be spending time at your house. I'm sure your mom and Rose will make sure that she has everything needed, but it will be your job to check it weekly, as you do with your own supplies. We don't have to worry about the boys since you all are basically the same size, just put some more of your clothes in there to be sure. Carlo, I recommend doubling the amount of food you have in there if at least two of the Carlucci's will be in there for any length of time, our boys are big eaters," Frank said.

Carlo added to Frank and the room in general, "Don't forget 'Go-bags' for Anthony's truck. We'll need one for Sophia and Maria and adequate clothing for at least two of the boys. Are we forgetting anything?"

"Phones," Stated Vin, "Sal and I can go to the store and pick up some disposable cells for the 'Go-bags' for Anthony's truck. Paulo, our electronics expert, will make sure that they are pre-programmed with the list of emergency numbers so they are ready to go."

"Identifications," stated Anthony, "I already have one, so we will just need new ones for Sophia and Maria. Also include Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo and Damian since those are the four that I spend the most time with."

All of the boys were silent and the men could tell that once again they were communicating with their mental bonds. It was obvious that they were running down a mental checklist of what they had been taught.

Finally, Lorenzo looked up with a smile on his face and said, "Cash. We need to make sure that we have enough cash on hand to support at least five of us in case of emergency."

"Which safe house do I bring Sophia and Maria to if we are away from home and an emergency comes up? Ours or the Carlucci's?" Anthony asked his father.

"Whichever one you can get to the safest and the fastest," Carlo replied, "We already have communication set up between all three houses since they are my top Beta's. As soon as you get to either house, you know the policies to follow to let us know that you are safe. Just follow your training."

"Boys, I cannot tell you how proud I am of you as your Alpha. You have taken everything that you were taught and applied it methodically and figured out what was needed. I can tell that the younger generation will carry on the fine traditions of South Mountain Pack and lead us well into the future," Alpha Rossi stated with pride in his voice. 

The boys all smiled at each other knowing that they had made their Alpha and their fathers proud. High-fives and fist bumps were exchanged in typical teenage fashion.

"Don't worry about the cash; I will increase the amount hidden in Anthony's vehicle to $50k, all in used untraceable bills of course. I will have Vinnie at the Ford dealership take care of that issue after hours like he usually does for the pack," Alpha Rossi said. 

"We will have the bags, phones and identifications ready for you on Monday when you come over for dinner Anthony. You do want to come over for dinner, don't you Anthony?" Frank asked with a smile on his face.

"YES SIR," Anthony shouted at him, and then slumped back in his chair and pulled the pillow back in front of his nose. He was wondering how much longer he was going to be down here and if he would be allowed to say goodnight to Sophia. 

With a glance at the wall, Frank realized that it was now after 1 AM. He asked the young men if they had any more questions as they should wrap things up since the women were probably waiting on them. Nobody had any questions, but several requested that they talk again as they had enjoyed the newfound male bonding. Everyone agreed that they would make this a regular event.

Carlo asked his son through their mental bond as they ascended the stairs, "Son, do you feel better now? I think that we covered most of your questions and concerns. Remember that if you have any questions I will always be here for you. I am so proud of you, not only as your Alpha, but more importantly as your father. Do you have any questions?"

Anthony replied, "I want to thank you Dad for everything that you have done to help me to accept this so easily. I'm sorry that I freaked out earlier, I was just overwhelmed. My only question is where is my mate?"

While the men had been busy having their "Man talk" downstairs, the women were busy upstairs as well. They had a lot of information to impart on the newly mated Sophia and to prepare Maria for what lay ahead. 



South Mountain Pack Ch. 03



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

*

The women had gathered refreshments and light snacks and settled into Rose's private sitting room. Iced tea with lemon for the girls and Pina Colada's for the older women. There were fresh vegetables with choices of either ranch dressing or a spicy Cajun dip mix and also finger sandwiches that were left over from the birthday party.

Madame Alpha Gina and Annie both remarked to Rose on how nice the sitting room had turned out since Rose had it redecorated as a 40th birthday present from Frank and her children. The wall above the chair rail was covered in pale mauve wallpaper with small crème and burgundy flowers interwoven throughout the pattern and below the chair rail was shadow-box wainscoting painted burgundy that perfectly matched the wallpaper and the woodwork was painted in the coordinating crème color. Dark green silk drapes covered the windows on the back wall with a gas powered stone fireplace between them. A crème colored leather sofa faced the fireplace and two dark green chairs were placed nearby, flanking the stone fireplace. A large family picture dominated the pride of place area above the mantle showing both Carlucci families and the love and closeness between the two families was evident. The walls were decorated with pictures of her family throughout the years involved in their many athletic pursuits and Pack functions. All in all it was a very feminine room and one that Rose retreated to get away from her extremely masculine husband and their seven sons. The only one who was allowed in the room without an express invitation was Sophia, who also used the room as a getaway.

Madame Alpha Gina turned around and saw the wall to wall bookcases with the door flanked between the shelves and started laughing. "I thought that you got away from your obsessive reading of romance books," she said.

"Oh no, being married to Frank I still need all the romance that I can get. Just don't tell him that I said that." She told her best friends with a laugh. "He tries, really he does and I love him more then anything in the world, but his idea of romance is to rotate the tires in my car or growl if he sees another man look at me, then look at me and grin. I still think he's eighteen sometimes."

"Men," stated Gina with a sigh, "Did I tell you that Carlo almost ran one of the Omega's from the store the other day? I had been out grocery shopping at our store and Trent, Gary and Kendra's son, helped me to the car to load the groceries in the trunk. Apparently Carlo saw him from the office and came running out of the store like a bat out of hell, skidded to a stop and growled loudly at him and made him submit, all the while hollering "MINE", like the poor boy didn't know who I was. I was mortified and called Kendra and apologized, thankfully she understood since her husband still does the same thing to her too."

"Joe about took Vinnie's arm off last month when we went to the Ford dealership to pick out trucks for Paulo and Michael for their 16th birthday. He apparently made the colossal mistake of opening the door for me and then touching my back to help me over the threshold. Joe started growling, squeezed Vinnie's arm and said "MINE", like Vinnie didn't know that. I mean he's only grown up with us and is both boys Godfather," said Annie with just more then a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "After being together twenty years and having six children together, I think everybody knows, I mean seriously. Plus, it's not like Vinnie doesn't have a wife and four kids himself."

"Rose, did you get a chance to tell Gina what happened at the Hospital job site up at Hagerstown last week?" asked Annie.

"I haven't heard anything about this little tale yet. Carlucci Construction is building that new complex of Doctors offices up there, aren't they?" questioned Gina.

"Yes, we are. Frank and Joe were so proud that they got the job, even though their bid wasn't the lowest. Carlucci Construction has gotten such a good reputation throughout the state that many firms are coming to them first and not even sending out requests for bids from other construction companies," said Annie.

"Anyway, I went to the job site to drop off lunch for Frank, Joe and Annie, it was my turn since it was Annie's week to work in the office. We were standing by the trunk, getting the cooler out of the back and all of a sudden we hear, 'bend over a little further baby, show me what you got, ooh honey give me a little more wiggle, sweetie I think I've died and gone to heaven, and several other things that we can't mention right now.' Well, Annie and I just looked at each other and giggled," said Rose. "Nothing like a little male appreciation to make you feel better about turning forty."

"Apparently Frank and Joe didn't feel the same as they came flying through the door of the construction trailer office like it was on fire, grabbed us and hauled us into their sides. They growled low in their throats, and said 'MINE'. Turns out the group of guys were an electric crew that had been brought in from a pack from the Eastern Shore. You never saw a group of guys scatter that fast once they had realized who they had been heckling, and what the consequences could be. Frank and Joe can be just a bit intimidating," Annie said with a laugh.

Sophia and Maria, who were sitting on the floor between the sofa and coffee table, were looking at their mothers and Madame Alpha and giggled quietly listening to them talk about the men in their families. Everyone knew how possessive male Weres were, but their fathers and apparently Anthony's father took it way over the top.

Sophia wondered if Anthony was going to be as possessive and decided that she would have to talk to him about it since she had outside interests that she would continue to pursue, such as the dance classes that her and Maria attended, and her volunteer work at the retirement home twice a month. She wanted him to understand that she understood the need to be possessive, but she would continue to have a life of her own, not just as his mate.

Rose looked at her daughter and niece and said quietly, "I bet that you two have a lot of questions and we will answer anything that you ask. First though, we will be telling you a lot of information about the mating pull and what it means. Then we will go into the rules that you must follow no matter what temptation you may be feeling. To follow those temptations could mean banishment from the pack Sophia and Maria, so please listen carefully. We realize that this is a lot to digest right now, that's why we put notebooks in front of you so that you can write the information down and any questions that you have. Remember that we will always be here to answer any questions that you have and to discuss anything that you need to."

"We want to make sure that the both of you realize how proud we are of the young ladies that you have become. We know that with so many older brothers and cousins that it hasn't always been easy, especially since they are so protective of the both of you. But there are reasons for that which you may not be aware of," said Annie.

"One of the reasons why young female Weres are so protected is that in the last fifteen years there have been fewer and fewer females born, not just in our Pack, but nationwide. I'm sure that you've seen the difference in how many males there are in your school versus the number of females. The decision was made by the Alpha Council that all unmated females would be protected at all cost, since they are the futures of the packs. One rule is they are always to be escorted by at least one male member of their household, unless they are with their parent. Another set of rules that were put in place is the rules for dating and we will get into that in more detail later since it is much more involved," added Gina.

"The last mandate is they are to be trained in self-defense, but not necessarily teaching them combat, that was left up to each individual pack. South Mountain Pack follows these mandates and then amped them up, which is no surprise considering that Frank and Joe, as the top two Beta's, are in charge of security for the Pack," said Gina and all five women started laughing knowing how overprotective Frank and Joe were.

"Any questions so far?" asked Rose to Sophia and Maria, "Like we said earlier this is a lot of information to comprehend, and we are just getting started. Feel free to interrupt us, if we say something that you don't understand right away." All three women noted that the girls had written the mandates into their notebooks.

"Okay, then we will get started with the first rule about unmated females always being escorted by one male member of their household if their parents aren't there. Nationwide, in the last several years, the number of underage Weres being mated unwillingly has decreased because of this and the mandatory age of 18 was put into effect to protect underage female Weres from predators, rape and unwanted mating. Well, obviously this is one rule that your father and Uncle Joe have amped up. All unmated female Weres in our Pack are always escorted by at least two males or more depending on where they are going and what they are doing." stated Madame Alpha Gina.

"We don't want to get you worried, but remember to always be on guard, if your wolf tells you that something is wrong, listen to her. Trust your wolf, she will have a better sense of your surroundings then you will and if you feel uneasy at any time, immediately tell your escorts, whether it be Anthony, your brothers, cousins or your parents. Remember that your safety is the most important thing and we would rather overreact then to have something happen to you," continued the Madame Alpha.

"As you have been taught, if your escorts give you the command 'PROTEGGERE', go immediately with them without question, no matter what you are doing. You have been taught that 'PROTEGGERE' is a command that is only used in an emergency and using that command means that they feel a threat and want to remove you from the situation," said Rose with a firm voice, "Sophia, I want to stress this to you, I don't care if you are in the middle of an argument with Anthony, if he or anybody else gives you that command, then you go. No questions, no pouting and no trying to pull away from him."

Sophia and Maria both made a note in their notebooks -- if 'PROTEGGERE' is commanded, must immediately follow all instructions as taught, no matter what is going on. Dire consequences if our fathers find out we disobeyed.

"Maria, since you and Sophia are usually together and she will be spending more time in Anthony's company, he will become your primary protector as well as Sophia's. The Clan will follow his lead pertaining to the safety of both of you when you are together. If he isn't around, I'm sure that your brothers and cousins will revert back to what they have always done in the past with you and Sophia, but we'll check with your father and Uncle Frank just to make sure," added Annie.

The girls made another note -- Anthony primary protector with Clan following. Revert to normal if he isn't here.

"If anything, Anthony will be even more overprotective then your brothers and cousins, since he will be protecting his mate. I'll ask you in advance to not get upset with my son if he starts acting like an ass, but knowing my son, I know that's a hopeless cause. Look at what he did to poor Scott tonight, he hadn't even publicly stated his intentions, let alone talked with us, Frank or Rose or more importantly Sophia. Which reminds me, Sophia did he say anything to you about the mating pull that we didn't notice? I never saw him talk to you tonight, except to wish you Happy Birthday. Did I miss something?" asked Gina.

Sophia and Maria wrote -- Anthony will probably act like an overprotective ass, but Madam Gina said not to worry he can't help it.

"No, Madame Gina, he never spoke to me before the incident with Scott. When he said Happy Birthday, he was looking and talking to Sal, not me. He never even said anything when he knocked me into the pool," said Sophia with a blush and a giggle as she remembered how it felt to be held by Anthony. "I saw him following us with a frown on his face and his arms crossed over his chest as we walked around thanking everybody for coming to the party, but honestly, I had no clue what he was doing and why, I figured that our brothers were busy and had asked him to follow us, and that is why he was frowning."

"That's what I thought. That boy has no concept of patience or decorum; he is just like his father sometimes. The least that he could have done was wait to declare himself after talking to his own parents, let alone yours and especially you Sophia. I'm surprised that you aren't upset that he declared himself without talking to you first," said Madame Alpha.

"Well, I can't say that I'm not a little upset. I had always pictured it being a little more romantic like giving me a bouquet of daisies and taking me out to a nice restaurant, like Roberto's," said Sophia with another giggle and even deeper blush. "But him telling Scott to let go of 'his girl' several times was kinda cute, and then saying he was gonna rip 'his arm out of his body' was definitely exciting."

"And hot, really hot. Scorching hot," said Maria and leaned into Sophia's side as the girls fanned themselves with their hands and giggled uncontrollably.

"Do you know how Anthony's father declared himself to me?" asked Gina.

Both girls looked at their Madame Alpha and said no.

Annie and Rose both looked at each other, then at Gina and started laughing hysterically. "I think Anthony is taking after his father more and more, thank goodness he didn't knock her to the ground," said Annie.

"Or finish up like Carlo did, Frank, Joe and the boys would have killed him," said Rose laughing so hard she was crying.

Sophia and Maria looked at each other in bewilderment while the three older women continued to look at each other and laugh.

"Carlo, Frank and Joe had been away all summer for a mandatory sabbatical and missed my 17th birthday party, on the day of their return Rose, Annie and I were walking down Main Street and heard the sounds of an accident. We looked up and saw Carlo's truck get rear-ended, and then he hit two parked cars and went up over the curb. Next thing we know, he's flying out of the truck and barreling towards us. He knocks me down, sniffs my neck and starts screaming 'MINE' over and over again. I was screaming for him to get off of me, people were pulling at him and he was uhmm uhmm," she looked at Annie and Rose for help and getting none, "rubbing suggestively against the side of my leg and the sidewalk."

Sophia and Maria were both looking at their Madame Alpha with wide-eyes, and had their hands in front of their faces trying to hide the giggles that were pouring out of their mouths. Annie and Rose had their heads down and continued to laugh hysterically.

"After he was uhmm uhmm, finished," Gina said with her hands in air quotes around the word finished, "he got up and had to face my father and brothers. Daddy asked if he had anything to say, Carlo said that 'he thought I may be his mate' and Daddy said that if that display meant anything, that I better be his mate. So you see Sophia, at least Anthony behaved himself at least a little, but it appears that behaving inappropriately seems to be a Rossi trait."

"Your father and your Uncle Joe weren't any better Sophia. When you get older we'll tell you about some of their adventures, but to be honest with you, you may never be old enough," said Rose with a chuckle, as Annie and Gina looked on knowingly.  

"Now, about the mating pull, as we have been telling you, once a male Were finds his mate, his first instinct will be to protect her, whether she feels this is needed or not. They will growl and want to fight men who just happen to glance at you or inadvertently touch you. This is normal, not always wanted, but normal. They can't help but act like Neanderthals sometimes," Madame Gina said. "The best advice that I can give you is to go on with your life just like you have always done. Keep in mind that if you look at or talk too long to another male, especially one that isn't a family member and is unmated, that your intended mate will feel this overwhelming need to re-mark you as his. So be prepared to be hauled up against him, and have him sniff your neck and hair."

Both girls wrote -- men are Neanderthals, put up with his growling and posturing.

"This sniffing will not only calm them down by reassuring them that you are fine, but it will transfer his scent onto you and yours onto him, ensuring him that you are his. They will scent you like this every time that you are away from them for any length of time, or they think that somebody has gotten too close to you," finished Rose.

Both girls dutifully wrote -- let him sniff us to calm him down, even if it annoys us, he needs this for reassurance.

"I personally found with Joe that it was easier and reassured him more when I would go up to him after we had been separated, I think it fed his massive ego. For me, it was just easier then being hauled up against him like a sack of potatoes," said Annie.

Sophia and Marie giggled at that remark, as they had both seen their mothers doing the exact thing and the look of possession on their fathers faces. Sophia made sure to write that little fact down in her notebook -- walk up to Anthony to reassure him, and do it often, she looked at Maria's notebook and saw that she wrote -- walk up to ______ to reassure him, and do it often. Both girls looked at each other and grinned.

"Another thing that you will notice is that your mate will want to feed you all the time. The men take mandatory cooking classes, but the majority of them still can't cook worth anything, unless it's out on the grill, or they order Chinese food or pizza, they are really good at that. The best thing to do if they invite you over to dinner is to eat beforehand, this way if the food isn't good at least you will be full. Actually, Anthony is a pretty good cook, but eat before you come over anyway," said Gina.

"The men don't realize that we know the real reason for the cooking classes, which is so they don't hurt or kill us. Weres heal fast, but even food poisoning takes a while to get over," Rose said with a laugh. "Somehow though, I think it makes them nervous to cook for their mates, especially their intended mates. Almost as if it's a job interview or something, like they have to get the Ziti cooked just right, or we would leave them. I just know that when I was dating Frank, I ate so much overcooked or undercooked pasta it was pitiful, and I would just look at him and smile and he would look so proud of himself that I couldn't tell him how awful it was. His cooking has gotten much better over the years though, and he does an exceptional job at heating leftovers and is even better at ordering take-out."

"Joe is really good at heating soup. You would think that after having a chef teaching him how to cook for twenty years he could at least cook something edible, the only thing I am able to stomach is when he cooks on the grill," added Annie.

Sophia and Maria both wrote in their notebooks -- eat before going to their house for dinner, compliment him and don't let him know how bad it really is.





South Mountain Pack Ch. 03



"Oh, and watch out for 'the move', Joe had this move that he would do every time that I came over for dinner. He told Frank and Carlo about it and they tried it out too, so I'm sure that it is being passed onto the younger generation. When I would be at the sink or in the kitchen to help clean up the mess that he made, he would casually put his hand on my waist and then lean into me and reach for something. He would sniff my neck and hair and whisper something inane into my ear," Annie said laughing, "I knew exactly what he was up to, but I just played along and it made him feel better. Every now and then, if he got too close, I would hit him upside the head. I really enjoyed that part of it."

Both girls dutifully wrote -- watch out for 'the move' and hit him upside the head if needed.

"Mama, I've seen Daddy still do that to you," said Maria with a giggle, "sometimes you laugh and sometimes you still hit him upside the head." Everyone in the room laughed along with Maria and her mother.

"Do you have any questions so far?" asked Rose to both Sophia and Maria.

"No ma'am," they both replied.

"Okay, next thing we are going to discuss is your training. As we said previously, all underage female Weres are taught self-defense classes, but all females in our Pack are also taught combat training. The reason for this is we wanted to make sure that not only could you defend yourselves against an attack, but taking the offensive would throw your attacker off kilter for a few moments, allowing time for reinforcements to come in to help or allow you time to escape," said Madame Alpha Gina, "What phrase do Frank and Joe teach you?"

"The best defense is a good offense," stated Sophia and Maria in unison, "and working hard and working together will always make us winners no matter what the eventual outcome, and make sure that we kick their ass, before they kick ours."

"Frank and Joe sure have a way with words," Gina said with a laugh. Rose and Annie hung their heads down laughing, they knew the first part of the motto, but had never heard the last line before that night.

"Well, I guess that covers your training. It seems that Frank and Joe have things well in hand. Now comes the most serious part of the discussion," said Madame Alpha Gina. "Dating and the rules that must be followed, I'll let your mothers handle most of the discussion and comment when appropriate."

Both girls wrote -- follow our motto and kick some ass when needed.

"Before we start, I do want to say that I am happy that you are Anthony's chosen mate; I could not imagine him with a lovelier young lady and hope that the both of you are extremely happy. Finding your mate, especially at such a young age, is extremely difficult, but the final result will be its own reward. For your mother and me, that final result will be grandkids, but that will be years and years down the road. Many, many years," said Madame Alpha Gina with a twinkle in her eye.

"Thank you ma'am," said Sophia with a blush on her face at the thought of having children with Anthony and what that meant. Maria looked at her and the two girls leaned into each other and started giggling.

"Girls, the rules are something that must be followed at all times. Maria, these rules will apply to you when your intended mate is found," said Annie with a smile, "and I bet that your father is hoping that is years in the future. So for now, we will address everything to Sophia."

"Sophia, you will never be allowed to be alone with your intended mate. Knowing your father, I'm sure that he will make sure that you will be accompanied by at least two of your brothers or cousins at all times, plus Maria since you are usually together. Please follow this dictate, for temptation can be great and the consequences dire if something unforeseen happens," stated Rose with a calm gentle voice.

Both girls wrote -- NEVER be alone with our intended mate; ALWAYS have at least two family members. Follow rules, temptation is great but consequences dire if not followed.

"Both of you were brought to the Pack Doctor for a complete physical the morning of your 15th birthday and were given an internal exam. This was done to ensure your purity. This exam will be done every morning on your birthday up to and including your 18th birthday. If you have been found to be breached, then you and your partner will both be expelled from the pack. You must remain pure until your 18th birthday, this is not only a Pack mandate, but a Council mandate and must be obeyed," stated Madame Alpha, "the only other reason why you would be breached would be rape. If that happens, you of course would be protected and not blamed, but the penalty for the male committing the rape would be death."

Both girls looked at each other and wrote -- MUST REMAIN PURE UNTIL 18TH BIRTHDAY, WILL BE EXPELLED FROM PACK IF FOUND OTHERWISE.

"For the first year, until your 16th birthday, the only physical contact that you will be allowed will be for Anthony to sniff your neck and hair and pull you into his side, never fully against your front or back. When you are watching TV or at the movies, you will be allowed to sit next to him and he will be allowed to hold your hand or put his arm over your shoulder and you may lay your head on his shoulder. Am I clear on this?" Rose asked looking Sophia straight in the eye.

"Yes, mama," said Sophia and wondered when their first official date would be and what they would do. She was so excited that she hoped that she would be able to sleep tonight. She was glad that Maria was staying overnight; at least they would be able to talk about this privately.

Dutifully both girls wrote -- sniffing allowed, able to hold hands and have his arms around our shoulder, embrace from the side only, no hugging from the front or back. NO KISSING. Sophia followed the 'no kissing' rule with a frownie face and when Maria saw it she grinned.

"By now, I'm sure that most of the Pack knows about the declaration since the entire football and cheerleading team was here as well as most of your school. The Pack grapevine will take care of the rest I'm sure, but Alpha Carlo will make the formal announcement at the next Full Moon Ceremony. Your teachers at South Mountain High will also be made aware of the situation and they will also be keeping an eye on the two of you. What you need to worry about more then that though is your brothers and cousins," said Rose, "and I'm sure that they will do everything to make sure that the rules are followed to the letter, if not make up their own rules."

Both girls wrote -- teachers will be aware, watch out for brothers and cousins being even more overprotective then usual. Follow our motto and kick some ass if needed.

"We will have to discuss with your father what exactly he is permitting Anthony to do as far as his courtship with you. I'm sure that they are discussing you driving to school with Anthony and coming over for dinner and other things. Once the men figure out what they will allow, we will look at what rules they put into place and we will change them and add some as we see fit," Rose said with a smile at her daughter.

"Don't let my son dictate to you what you can or cannot do Sophia. If you want to do something, then do it, as long as it doesn't put you into danger. Male Weres can be dominating, but if you explain to them that you want to do something, they will generally fall over themselves to make you happy. And if all else fails, then look at him with tears in your eyes, and say 'Please Anthony' in a pleading voice. It is a typical female trick to get what we want, but it works every time," said Gina.

"You know that trick very well Sophia, you use it on your father and brothers all of the time," said Rose with a laugh, "and Maria, I've seen you give that look a hundred times too, we have both taught you well."

Both girls giggled as they wrote -- don't put up with dominating behavior from our mate, explain what we want and if we don't get our way, use 'the pouty look' with tears.

"We will have more meetings as things progress with your courtship, just remember to relax and have fun. Do either of you have any questions?" asked Rose.

"Mama, do you think that Daddy will let Anthony come over to the house as much as he did before?" Sophia asked.

"I'm sure that he will, remember Anthony was best friends with Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo and Damian before he felt the mating pull. As long as he follows the rules, I'm sure that he will be allowed to see you as much as he wants," said Rose with a smile at her only daughter.

"Madame Gina, does Anthony like to go shopping? Maria and I go shopping every Saturday morning, and I wonder if he would like to come with us. We usually go out to lunch and depending on the boy's schedules, sometimes we go bowling or to the movies afterwards too," asked Sophia with a shy look on her face.

"I'm sure that Anthony would love to go to spend time with you. I'll be honest, he has no interest in shopping and I bet that he hasn't been to the mall in years, but I bet he changes his mind pretty quick especially if both you and food are involved," Madame Gina said with a smile to Sophia, "that boy loves to eat."

"Can you tell me what his favorite foods are, especially cookies," asked Sophia.

"Sure, Anthony likes Peanut Butter Blossoms; you know those peanut butter cookies with the Hershey's Kiss on them. As far as food, the boy will eat anything that you put in front of him, but he seems to favor steak and au gratin potatoes. He also likes to drink Sweet Tea, but without lemon."

Sophia wrote in her notebook -- bribe Anthony with food if needed, likes to eat. Cookies -- peanut butter blossoms. Food -- steak and au gratins. Drink -- sweet tea without lemon, try and get him to like lemon.

"Madame Gina, is Anthony still planning on going to the University of Maryland? I remember him talking to my brothers about going and he wanted to study Business Administration. I hope that doesn't change, since that is where I am planning on going too," asked Sophia, "Maria and I want to study Landscape Architecture and Management and work with our fathers after we graduate. Right now, all the landscaping is done with subcontractors, but after we graduate it will be a subdivision of Carlucci Construction."

"Yes Sophia, Anthony is planning on attending MD, as all Pack members do who want to go to college. South Mountain Pack has a lot of influence at U of MD, but you still need to keep your grades up to ensure admission. The future of the Pack depends on the younger generation," stated Madame Gina, "We already have Pack members as Doctors, lawyers, business leaders and even the Chief of Police and most of his department, not to mention a State Senator. Our Pack is much more diverse then other packs, but Alpha Rossi and the Beta's feel that it is in our best interest to assimilate ourselves into positions of power in the human world to further Pack interests. These positions of power enable us to maintain our secret and enhance our Packs safety."

"Is there anything else before we rejoin the men? It's almost 12:45 AM, and I'm sure that Anthony would like to say goodnight to you before he leaves," asked Rose with a smile aimed towards Sophia and Maria.

"No ma'am," both girls responded and jumped up and started fixing Sophia's hair and Maria tried smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress.

"Mama, do you think I have time to run-up and get myself fixed up a little before the men come upstairs?" asked Sophia as the two best friends edged towards the door.

"Make it quick, I'm sure that Anthony is in a hurry to see you," responded Rose, but both girls were already running down the hallway giggling.

"Oh my," said Rose as she threw herself back on the sofa. "That was one of the most difficult things that I have done as a mother. At least when Maria goes through this, she will already be familiar with the process and hopefully it will make it easier on you Annie."

"I think that you did a marvelous job Rose. Sophia and Maria are both wonderful girls and if my little Angelica had lived, I hope that she would have been just like them," said Gina with tears in her eyes. Both women came over and hugged her, the heartbreak both women felt for their friend hadn't diminished in the fourteen years since her only daughters' stillbirth.

"I'm so sorry Gina, I never even thought about how hard this must be for you," said Rose with tears streaming down her face, "Please forgive me."

"The two of you have been my best friends since we were toddlers and you have always offered me comfort in my deepest sorrow," said Gina, quietly sobbing as she was held by Rose and Annie. "Sometimes the only comfort that I have been able to feel is to watch your daughters grow into the women that I hoped my Angelica would have become. I've always considered myself as a second mother to both of your girls, and I thank you for allowing me that."

As the women held each other and cried quietly, they strengthened their bond as women, friends and mothers. Gina allowed her memories and images of Angelica to wash over them through the mental bond, the joy that was felt upon learning of her pregnancy, the first sonogram, seeing Anthony rub his moms belly and talk to his sister, Carlo in a children's store picking out little dresses with a smile on his face. Then the darker memories and images came.

Gina and Anthony on the way to the Rossi's store, going through the intersection and getting hit broadside by someone who ran the red light. The pain was intense, but it only caused the women to hold each other tighter, then darkness descended. Followed by the bright lights of the operating room as they tried to save Gina and Angelica, but there was no hope for the beautiful little girl.

Gina allowed Rose and Annie to see the memories and images that she had never shared before, Carlo holding his little girl with tears streaming down his face and whispering words of love and comfort that she would never hear, telling his precious daughter that she would be called Angelica, because she would always be his little Angel in heaven. Carlo whispering that she shouldn't be scared because her grandparents were waiting for her in heaven and would take care of her until her mommy and daddy got there and that he would love her always, then bringing her little body up to his face and memorizing her scent knowing that it would be the last time that he held his precious little girl.

The three friends quietly held on to each other as their sobs slowly lessened. No words were needed between the lifelong friends as they felt the love and companionship flow between them.

They gradually heard sounds of laughter, footsteps on the stairs, the refrigerator opening and their children and mates talking. They looked at each other and smiled knowing that no matter what heartache presented itself, they would get through it together as always. With a last look at each other, they wiped their faces with the tissues that Rose provided and prepared to join their families.

"Where is Sophia?" was the first thing that the women heard clearly. They looked at each other, smiled and held hands tightly as they entered the kitchen. 



South Mountain Pack Ch. 04



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

*

As the women walked into the kitchen still holding hands, they felt the eyes of their mates fall upon them. Each man had glanced at their mate and smiled as they walked into the room, then scowled as they saw that they had been crying.

"What's wrong?" "Are you hurt?" "What happened" flew across the room at them, who had said what statement was lost as they all talked at once. The men immediately came to their mates and pulled them into their broad chests, scenting their necks and hair to ascertain that they were indeed alright.

"Carlo, we are all fine," said Gina, "talking about the mating pull and seeing how grown up the girls had become just brought up memories of Angelica. We were talking about her and sharing my memories."

Carlo pulled her into his chest even tighter and said, "I love you so much my dear mate and I am glad that you were able to share your memories with your two closest friends. I think of our darling Angelica often too, maybe we could talk about her together, you've never been able to before. I would like that my love."

Anthony walked over to his parents and hugged them both, "I would like that also mom. I was too young to understand what happened, but if you are ready to talk, I would like to be included."

Gina looked at both men in her life; their faces looked so much alike that except for the difference in age, they could have been twins. Carlo was still taller and broader then Anthony, being 6'6" to Anthony's 6'3", but Anthony was only 17 and not done growing yet, when he reached his full height and weight thought Gina, he would be even bigger then Carlo.

"I would like that," said Gina quietly, "maybe it is time for the three of us to talk of her. Right now though is the time for other things. Don't worry, I am fine."

Just then Anthony turned towards the hallway and lifted his nose and scented the air, "Sophia," he said softly, but everyone heard him.

"Oh, he has it bad," joked Damian.

Anthony waited at the doorway for Sophia and Maria to come into the kitchen. He held his hand out to her and waited for her to come to him, and then he gently pulled Sophia into his side and scented her neck and hair. After he reassured himself that she was fine after their separation, they walked towards the furthest bench in the kitchen so they could talk quietly. He got her settled comfortably, and sat down next to her, put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear and sniff her neck and hair again.

"The first thing that I need to do is apologize for acting like a pompous ass, excuse me for cussing, but that's exactly what I was," said Anthony with true remorse in his voice, "I was going to declare myself after I spoke with my parents, and Mr. and Mrs. C and of course you, Sophia. But when Scott held your hand, I couldn't help myself; I've never felt like that before, and again, I want to apologize if I scared you. I never want you to be scared of me; I would never hurt you or cause you any pain. Please believe me Sophia."

Sophia pulled away from Anthony gently and looked into his deep brown eyes and said, "I know you would never hurt me Anthony. You didn't scare me, in fact I thought it was kinda cute, and Maria thought it was hot."

All of the people assembled in the kitchen were eavesdropping though they were trying to be subtle about it. When Anthony had called himself a pompous ass, there were numerous chuckles, but when Sophia made the statement about Maria, all eyes shifted to Maria and she said, "What? It is hot, scorching hot." Which brought out numerous eye rolls from her brothers and cousins and from her father, "Young lady, we'll have a talk later."

All of the men were hungry again even though they had finished all the leftovers from the party. Rose, Annie and Gina proceeded to get bread and lunch meat and the needed condiments out of the fridge and set up an assembly line and proceeded to make sandwiches for the men. The men were talking up the upcoming football season at South Mountain High, all the while still trying to eavesdrop on Anthony and Sophia.

Anthony asked Sophia if she was hungry and if she wanted him to get her a sandwich, she shook her head no.

"When did you discover that I was your mate?" Sophia asked quietly.

"As I held you when we fell into the pool, to protect you I had my arms around you and my nose buried in your neck. One scent of you and I knew that you would be mine forever. I didn't want to let you out of my arms, all that I wanted was to keep holding you forever, but I knew that I couldn't," replied Anthony just as quietly, though with the exceptional Were hearing that everyone had, they heard every word.

The adults looked at each other and smiled, Maria sighed and most of the boys rolled their eyes and some made gagging noises.

"Your dad gave me permission to start driving you to practice in the mornings and then to school. My dad is going to buy me a new truck tomorrow so that we can all fit, since it will be me, you and two of your brothers, and I should be getting it Monday afternoon. What's your favorite color? Or maybe I should just get emerald green to match your eyes," teased Anthony.

"My favorite color is pink, specifically pink with white polka dots," answered Sophia with a giggle.

"Babe, I would do almost anything to make you happy, but I am not riding around in a pink truck with white polka dots. I'll see if I can get a black one with a gray interior, then when you put some accessories on your side it will match. Is that okay?" replied Anthony. Sophia nodded her head and giggled quietly.

Anthony and Sophia just sat there quietly with Anthony's arm around her shoulders sniffing her neck for the next couple of minutes, while Sophia continued to giggle. He simply could not get enough of his intended mates smell, it was intoxicating to him.

"Your son is smooth, really smooth Carlo. I know he didn't learn that from you, so it must come from Gina's side of the family," said Joe with a laugh.

"I've got moves that you haven't even thought of Joe. You need to pay more attention and learn from the two masters apparently," replied Carlo and everyone laughed.

Frank looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 2 AM so he called a halt to the evening's festivities. All three families had a lot to do the next day; everybody was getting the kids ready for the start of football and cheerleader practice on Monday morning. Anthony reminded Gianni and Marcus that they would be picking him up Monday morning, and they agreed on a time.

Carlo looked at Frank and Joe and said through the Alpha bond, "We need to finish our earlier discussion about the Millers and the other issues that were brought up. With Todd and Holly having ten daughters and no other protectors, we are going to have to figure out a protection detail for them, plus increased security at the school. I want the two of you to come up with a list of possible protectors for the girls, remember no unmated males. Can you both be free Wednesday afternoon about 2 PM? I want you to contact the head of the security at school and have all his people there so we can talk to them and also do an on-site inspection of the new security systems that were installed. In the meantime, I am going to call Todd and find out how his girls were protected in their current pack."

Both men looked at their Alpha and replied, "Yes Alpha, it will be done."

"I remembered that I won't be able to see you tomorrow, since I have to work, but I'll call you when I get home. I got your number from Gianni and programmed it into my cell already. Sweet dreams, my Sophia," said Anthony at the front door, as he held her to his side and sniffed her neck and hair one last time before he left.

On the way home, Carlo said to his son, "You know what you have to do Monday morning, don't you?"

"Yes Sir," said Anthony, "I must apologize to Scott; he had no idea that Sophia was mine and was just flirting with her like he normally does to all the girls."

"Since it was done in front of your football team, then the apology must be done in front of the football team. Remember as the Alpha-heir, you lead by example," said Carlo firmly.

"Yes Sir," said Anthony, "I will do it as soon as we are assembled so that the matter is cleared up immediately." The rest of the short ride home was completed in silence, as all three Rossi's thought of the events that transpired that night.

As excited as Sophia was, as soon as her and Maria got into bed, they both fell asleep immediately. Sophia dreamt of Anthony and Maria was wondering who her mate was and how soon he would find her, she hoped that it would be soon and also that it was her secret crush that Sophia didn't even know about.

Sunday was busy for both Carlucci families. The men made sure that all the boys had their gear for football practice and after realizing that most of them had outgrown their equipment since last year, Frank talked to Joe and scheduled a trip to the sporting goods store. After purchasing cleats, running shoes, shorts, t-shirts, socks and assorted other paraphernalia that the boys just had to have, the men were grateful that they had good jobs. Franks bill came to $3,200 and Joe's came to $2,900. It was a good day for the owner of the sporting good store, who was also a Pack member.

They met their wives and daughters for lunch, also at a Pack member's restaurant, then proceeded to go grocery shopping at Rossi's Grocery. All Pack members supported Pack businesses whenever possible, and the Carlucci's believed in this, often traveling to other Packs if they couldn't find what they needed locally. This benefitted them in several ways; they supported other Packs businesses and they in turn returned the favor plus they also managed to become friendly with other neighboring Pack members and picked up bits of gossip here and there which gave them a better idea of what was going on in the other Packs other then what filtered through in official channels. Rose referred to it as 'shopping with a spy'.

Rose and Annie already had gone grocery shopping for their families' weekly needs. This trip would be for lunches and snacks for the boys and the girls during practice. It was decided between Rose and Annie that with all twelve boys attending football practice and the two girls attending cheerleader practice, that it would be easier for them to take turns every other week making lunch, just like they switch off working at the Construction office and bringing in lunch to whomever is working.

Frank, Joe and the boys couldn't understand why Sophia was so dressed up to go grocery shopping, but the women knew. They understood that Sophia was hoping to see Anthony while he was working. Rose looked at her daughter and thought that she looked adorable. Sophia was dressed in white shorts and had a pink with white polka dot shirt with a white tank underneath and had KEDS with pink and silver shoelaces. Her long curly black hair was held back with a simple pink headband and her jewelry consisted of small platinum hoop earrings, bracelets and also several pink Swarovski beaded bracelets, all purchased from a Pack jewelry store in the territory next to theirs.

As they entered Rossi's Grocery, Rose noticed that Sophia was distracted, she told her quietly, "let him come to you, he is at work and you don't want to get him into trouble, do you?" Sophia shook her head no, and proceeded to follow her mother and Aunt Annie who had both grabbed carts to gather the week's groceries for the kids.

They first went to the drink aisle and loaded one cart with Gatorade and water then topped that cart off with twenty loaves of bread. Rose figured that she would need at least four loaves of bread for sandwiches every day. They then went to the baking aisle to pick out cake and brownie mixes for snacks, as she figured that she would bake at least two cakes and one tray of brownies per day for snacks. Suddenly, there was a loud commotion at the end of the aisle and all of the Carlucci's started smiling as they scented who was coming around the corner.

"Anthony" "Sophia" both said at the same time. Anthony came running down the aisle and skidded to a stop in front of Sophia, and he pulled her into his side and scented her neck and hair.

"I didn't know you were coming into the store today, but I'm glad that you did, I won't be able to call you tonight, like I promised, I forgot that I have some training classes this evening when I get off work, and they won't end until after 10 and by the time that I get home it'll be too late to call you, but we'll still ride to practice together in the morning and you can sit next to me during the mandatory policy meeting and then we can have lunch together and your dad invited me over for dinner tomorrow night so I'll come to your house right after practice, so I'll take a shower at school and clean up before I come over and Dad and I already picked out my new truck at Vinnie's before I came into work and it's a beauty, black with grey interior just like I promised so if you put some pink stuff in there it'll match, he's picking it up tomorrow and then dropping it off at practice so I'll have it with me and maybe after dinner we could go for a ride, you, Gianni and Marcus and I can go to Fred's and get some ice cream, or we could go to the auto parts store and you can pick out some pink stuff that you'd like to put into the truck or we could go to the mall and you could do some shopping, and I'll even hold your pocketbook if you want, then maybe if we aren't too tired we could watch a movie, or do whatever you want," rambled Anthony in a rush.

"I hope that when I meet my mate, I don't start acting like a simpleton," said Dominic.

"Who would have known that Ant, our cool calm collected friend would turn into a raging moron?" said Gianni with a laugh, "Did anybody even understand that? Did he even take a breath during all that?"

Sophia just looked at Anthony, this was the longest conversation they had ever had and she hadn't even said a word yet. "That sounds wonderful Anthony, but tomorrow is Monday, Maria and I have dance class every Monday from 6 PM to 8 PM. I would like it if you could go with us though, the boys generally sit in the observation room and watch us, and then maybe we could go to Fred's afterwards."

"Dance class? Where the hell is this class, who is in it? What do you wear to this class? What do you mean the boys sit and watch you? What boys? Is Scott going to be there?" asked Anthony with jealousy raging in his voice, he stepped back from Sophia to look into her face with his hands clenched tightly at his sides at the thought of Scott being near his mate.

"The boy was doing so well and then he just blew it," said Joe to Frank in a whisper that was heard by all.

"Anthony, I have had dance classes since I was three years old. I am NOT going to stop my classes just because you are my intended mate. As far as clothes go, I wear a black leotard with pink tights and a pink tulle overskirt. Yes, there will be boys there, there have to be boys there since the dance class is made of underage females just like Maria and I. Yes, Scott will be there, his younger sister is in the class. Any other questions, you jealous ass?" said Sophia belligerently with her hands on her hips, "If you can't accept the fact that I have other things in my life beside you, and try to remember that you only came into my life yesterday, then you better start praying to Luna to find you a new mate, because this one isn't going to put up with your attitude. Come on Maria, let's go, I need to get away from this overbearing Jackass!" She grabbed Maria's hand and both girls flounced off down the aisle, with Paulo and Michael following them.

"Jealous much?" asked Vincent while he tried to hold in his laughter and failing miserably.

"Damn Ant, you've been mated for less then a day and you've already had an argument with your intended. I wonder if that's a record," said Sal laughing.

"What have I done? Why can't I control my temper when I think of other boys around her? One day, one day and all that I've done is show her that I'm an idiot who can't complete a sentence and what an overwhelming jealous jackass that I am. And we have three years of this to go through? I'll drive us both insane by that time," Anthony said forlornly as he slumped down against the metal shelving holding his head in his hands.

Rose looked at Frank and said through their bond, "While you take care of this, Annie and I will finish up with our shopping. Anthony doesn't need us, he needs you right now." Frank nodded his agreement at her.

Frank asked Carlo through the bond, "Carlo, are you in the store? Your son is having a meltdown in aisle eight; he just lost it when Sophia mentioned her dance class." Carlo responded, "I'll be right down, damn that didn't take long, did it?"

On his way to his son, Carlo contacted Joe through the bond and asked him to fill him in on what happened.

Frank came over to Anthony and put his hand on his shoulder. "Well Anthony, that conversation could have gone better. Don't you think? Remember what we said in the basement, take a step back & a deep breath before you say or do anything. Do you think that Sophia would have invited you to her dance class if she was interested in Scott? Maybe next time tone down the jealousy and overbearing jealous attitude a little."

"Just think Anthony, you haven't even watched her cheer in front of hundreds of people shaking her pom-poms, just wait until that happens," said Damian with a laugh.

"Damian, you're not helping here. If you can't help your friend out, I suggest that you go with your mom and Aunt Rose and finish getting the groceries," said Frank.

Carlo came around the corner arriving just in time to hear Anthony say, "Damn it, how am I going to get through that? Thanks Damian, now I have mental images of hundreds of people staring at my girl and her pom-poms watching her bounce up and down and whatever the hell it is that cheerleaders do. Like I'm not in enough misery," said Anthony with a glare at one of his best friends.

"Anytime that I can help out," said Damian still laughing then turned serious. "Dude, you have got to get your shit together. This is a girl that you've known your entire life, granted you never really paid attention to her, but still. You know how she was raised and what values and morals she has. Do you honestly think she would be interested in other guys now that you are intended mates?"

"He's right Ant, get your shit together. Our dads explained it to us last night, you know how possessive you are going to be, but you've got to remember to stop and think before you act. Acting like a gigantic ass is not going to win you any points with Sophia," said Enzo who had moved to sit on the floor near Anthony.

"Scott has been a friend of ours almost since the time we were born Ant. Once he becomes aware of the fact that you are mates, do you honestly think he would try something with Sophia? He knows that once mates are chosen, they are mates for life and nothing can break the bond, except death," said Marcus who also moved closer to Anthony.

"I know, but she's mine. I don't want anybody else looking at her or being around her," said Anthony and then a hopeful look came into his eyes. "Maybe I can convince her to quit cheerleading and dance class."

"That's bullshit and you know it Anthony," said Vincent forcefully. "She has worked hard for years at dance and to make the cheerleading squad and is proud of herself because of it. And you want her to give it all up just to make you feel better? Do you think that would make Sophia happy to sit at home while all her friends and family are out enjoying themselves? I don't think so, it would make Sophia miserable and you know it."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 04



"Would you give up football, basketball or baseball if Sophia asked you to? Don't forget that she will be sitting in the stands watching other girls look at you and talk about you. Now personally I don't see your appeal, compared to me you're nothing special," said Gianni.

"So what you've got to do is man up, get your head out of your ass, and be proud of Sophia and support her. Trying to control her is just going to make both of you miserable," said Dominic, "and Dude, you're driving us nuts with all this whining!"

"So, what is your master plan now, since acting like an idiot, a jealous jackass and an overbearing oaf doesn't seem to be working," asked Gino with a laugh.

"I know, I know that I was wrong and I may have overreacted," said Anthony finally looking up at the assembled group of men.

"May have overreacted? Dude, you were off the chart insane," said Victor laughing.

"Was I really that bad?" asked Anthony, and received nods that yes, he was indeed that bad. "Is Sophia okay, she's not crying is she? Mr. C, can you check on her please. I tried talking to her through the bond and she has blocked me."

Frank looked at him and nodded, he used the bond including Joe and Carlo and contacted Michael since he didn't want to disturb Sophia, "Is Sophia okay? I know that if you needed us, you would have called for us, but Anthony wanted me to check."

"The girls are in the magazine aisle, looking at romance books and having a discussion if the male models on the cover are hotter then Anthony or not. Since Paulo and I have no opinion as to Anthony's supposed hotness we haven't been included in the discussion, but they are giggling, so yeah, she's okay," replied Michael. "In fact, as soon as they walked around the corner, both girls started giggling saying, 'he's so cute when he gets jealous', 'did you see the expression on his face when I called him an overbearing Jackass', 'his eyes were blazing fire he was so jealous'. So Uncle Frank, I think everything is fine with Sophia."

Frank replied to Anthony diplomatically, "Sophia is fine, the girls are having a private discussion right now, but she doesn't seem that upset."

Joe and Carlo turned around so that Anthony couldn't see their faces as they looked at each other and started laughing silently. Oh, the drama of teenage love.

"So what do I do now?" questioned Anthony with a pleading look on his face.

"Apologizing is always a good place to start, and flowers. Every sappy romance movie that the girls have made us watch always show the guy bringing flowers. Sophia likes daisies, so give her some tomorrow morning," said Sal.

"You might want to get her a card, though I don't think Hallmark makes, 'I'm sorry that I'm such an overbearing jealous jackass' cards but you might want to look just in case," said Damian laughing.

"I wouldn't call her, just send her a text. She probably won't answer if you call anyway," said Victor.

"Don't tell her you won't do it again, because you know damn well you will. Just tell her you will try to keep your jealousy under control and you are proud of her and want her to keep up her activities," suggested Lorenzo, "Maybe you could find some activities that the two of you could do together. I can just picture you in a pair of tights and a leotard."

"Don't forget the pink skirt thing," added Gianni laughing hysterically.

"Fuck you both," said Anthony laughing for the first time that afternoon.

Carlo, Frank and Joe just stood back letting the boys handle the situation and they seemed to be doing a really good job. Carlo asked them, "Did either of you realize that your boys were so smart, while mine seems to have lost his mind?" 

"I think that they are just used to dealing with their sisters Carlo, Anthony hasn't been around girls like our boys have. Being around them for Pack functions and training classes isn't the same, plus he's got the mating pull that he has to deal with too. We'll have to wait and see how our boys act when they feel the pull, they may be worse then Anthony," said Joe to Frank and Carlo.

"Anthony, are you okay now? Do you need to talk anymore?" asked Carlo to his son.

"I'm fine Dad; just let some unfounded jealousy get the better of me again. I do need to get some flowers from the florist to give Sophia in the morning. I'll send her the text now. Could you guys help me with it? Right now, I'd probably say something else that is stupid," asked Anthony.

The boys all huddled around Anthony and composed a text to Sophia that said "Sorry acted like an idiot again. Try better in future. Love to take you to dance class. Forgive me?"

Sophia replied, "Maybe. See you tomorrow morning."

Just then, Frank heard from Rose, "We're all done shopping now, checked out and everything and all of us, including the girls are waiting by the cars. How is everything going with Anthony?"

"He's fine, got some good advice from the boys, will see you in a few moments, Do I want to know how much you spent?" replied Frank.

"No, it was a good thing you weren't at the checkout, but we ended up with four carts full of groceries. The boys eat like bottomless pits," answered Rose

"Alright boys, time to head on out, the rest of the Clan is waiting out by the cars. Anthony, thanks for the entertainment, we all needed a good laugh," said Frank.

All of the boys said their goodbyes using the traditional teenage fist pumps, saying that they would see each other tomorrow at football practice. Anthony left and finished his work in the stock room and Carlo was thankful he wasn't a teenager again feeling the mating pull.

On the way to training Anthony stopped by South Mountain Florist to pick up some daisies for Sophia. Matthew and Phillip were both ecstatic to see him when he came through the door, the news of his declaration already starting to flow through the Pack. Anthony explained that he needed a bouquet of daisies to give Sophia since they had gotten into a slight disagreement, which made both men laugh and they told him that they would open an account for him and he could just call in orders in the future. Anthony figured with his temperament it would be a good idea.

Matthew and Phillip were new to the Pack, only joining two years ago when their old pack asked them to leave upon discovering that they were gay and a couple. Matthew and Phillip both wondered where they would go and what they could do when Matthew had a sudden thought, and made one phone call to Alpha Rossi. Alpha Rossi stated that they would be welcome into the Pack and asked only three questions, 'Are you safe, can you get your belongings out safely and do you need help?' They had been welcomed into the pack, and upon learning of Phillips floral design skill, Alpha Rossi had set up their floral business and the Pack fully supported them, both personally and professionally.

Monday morning went well for Anthony for once. He gave Sophia her bouquet of daisies as soon as he got into Gianni's truck and she accepted them with a smile and a giggle. He felt content to hold her and scent her neck and hair feeling the less he said to her the better, so he just let her talk about cheerleading, dance class and made appropriate noises. Meanwhile his thoughts were in turmoil with the thought of all of those people looking at his girl when she was cheerleading on the sidelines; maybe he could have the Pack Doctor give him a valium or something to calm him down the day of the game, but since he played right after the Junior Varsity, it probably wouldn't be a good idea, maybe if he just stared at Sophia ignoring everybody else it wouldn't bother him. Yeah, that's what he would do, stare at Sophia, he wouldn't mind that.

As soon as all the football players and cheerleaders were assembled for the mandatory policy meeting, Anthony asked the Coach if he could say something quickly.

Anthony said, "I want to make the announcement personally to everybody that Sophia and I are intended mates, as we felt the mating pull the evening of Sophia and Sal's birthday party. While this doesn't excuse my behavior Scott, I want to apologize for acting towards you the way that I did. I had wanted to make my declaration after I spoke with my parents, Sophia and her parents, but unfortunately circumstances happened that made me turn into a raging nutcase. I hope that you accept my apology and we can move past it."

Scott said, "Dude, all that you had to do was tell me and I would have backed off, I wouldn't come between two people like others would."

After the meeting was over, the cheerleaders came running over to Sophia, the boys couldn't understand a thing that was said, all that they heard was giggling and squeals. They assumed that they were happy, but with girls, they couldn't be sure.

During lunch Alpha Rossi and Madame Alpha Gina came by and dropped off Anthony's new truck. After practice Anthony went to the Carlucci's for dinner then dance class with Sophia, Gianni and Marcus. Maria showed up shortly with Lorenzo and Damian, all five boys sat together talking quietly. Anthony was mesmerized watching Sophia dance, he couldn't believe how beautiful and graceful she was and he was thankful she was his. Glancing around the observation room, he noticed Scott watching Sophia several times, but when Anthony would catch his eye, he would glance away. He mentioned this to the Carlucci's through the bond; they said they would keep an eye on the situation and for Anthony to take a deep breath, calm down that he didn't want to upset Sophia again which Anthony agreed with.

One of their discussions centered on the start of the school year at South Mountain High School, specifically the football team and how they would do against other Pack teams, also the regular schools in their conference. Out of a ten-game schedule, eight were against fellow Pack high schools in the surrounding territories in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Unlike most high schools, their Junior Varsity and Varsity football games were held back to back on Saturday's due to the travel involved.

Each Pack high school adhered to the curriculums put forth by the State in which they were chartered. They were regulated by the County and State Boards of Education and the representatives were scheduled to come out at the end of the week to perform their final inspections giving the certification for the upcoming school year. Carlo wanted to make sure that they received the 'Triple A' rating that they had received for the last several years. They had received new guidelines for updates and over the summer, Carlucci Construction had updated the kitchen and sprinkler systems. Both had already received final approval from the building inspectors and Aldo, head of security and maintenance had all the accompanying paperwork. Carlucci Construction also performed the security updates that would never be seen by the County and State representatives and Carlo wanted to check these out before the start of the school year, since nothing was more important to him then Pack safety, especially where the children were concerned.

On Wednesday afternoon, Carlo met Frank and Joe at South Mountain High School to meet with the security detail assigned to the school. They looked at all of the updates that Carlucci Construction had done to the school and Carlo was amazed that you could not tell looking at the building that the windows had been retro-fitted with bullet-proof glass and all the doors were now solid steel painted to look like wood. The windows also had steel doors that would drop over them from a hidden recess if the alarm was sounded. They checked over the electrical, telephone, air and water systems, all of which had been upgraded which the main operating systems were located behind two solid steel doors with a ten-digit computerized locking mechanism. The next thing they checked was the safe room, which would protect the children in case of an emergency.

The safe room was located behind the old boiler in the basement; as soon as the alarm was pulled the boiler would swing out of the way exposing the solid steel door that was fronted by brickwork. The door separated at the mortar seams and when it was closed, you could not see where the seams started or finished. After passing through this doorway you were faced with a solid steel door that ran from floor to ceiling and slid into a pocket with the access panel hidden into the brick work in the wall which was also a ten-digit computerized locking mechanism. The safe room was actually multiple rooms; the main rec room, a kitchen and dining area, and two sleeping quarters. The sleeping quarters also had solid steel doors in case the outer door had been breached. The main rec room was filled with couches, chairs, desks, tables and several TV's with gaming systems and there were several large shelving units filled with games and books. Once they verified that all the doors were functioning properly, all the supplies were checked to make sure that there was enough food and water for all 160 student plus teachers. A note was made to increase the amount of supplies from a two week to a three week supply, just in case.

"On the first day of school, I want to make sure that a safety drill is performed. We need to make sure every student and teacher is in this room in less than two minutes," stated Carlo, "We will keep performing the drill daily until the time objective is reached. I will be here the first week of classes to make sure that the new students are getting used to the school environment, since all of our youngsters are home schooled until they reach high school age. Questions?"

"No Alpha, we will make sure all the teachers inform the students and give them proper protocols as soon as they arrive in the classrooms, Monday morning," replied Aldo, the head of school security.

"Have the bunk assignments been made yet? Remember they need to be done so that when the students come into the safe room they go straight to their assigned bunk so an accurate head count can be done. Also remember we decided last year the sleeping quarters would not be divided by sex. We found separating the brothers from their sisters caused the boys extreme stress since they could not be near their sisters to protect them if needed. Also, the announcement will be made later, but Anthony has felt the mating pull for Sophia, Frank's daughter, so he will need to be put near her and her family. I haven't heard of any other declarations, but with the new school year starting, we may have more. Once that happens, we will adjust the bunk assignments accordingly. You will give out the new assignment then. Any questions Aldo?" asked Alpha Rossi. Aldo was furiously writing in his notebook and shook his head no.

"Have you had any problems that we need to be made aware of, any security issues with the new updates?" Joe asked.

"As I mentioned to you before, we had an issue with the steel doors coming down over the windows if the power had been turned off. We followed your directive to re-route the power needed to a dedicated generator and that solved the problem," said Aldo, "the generator, like all the generators that we use, is not gas-powered, but powered by battery, and we ordered the extra batteries as you requested Frank." Carlo, Frank and Joe all nodded their approval.

"You currently have a staff of ten, correct Aldo?" questioned Frank. "We will need to increase your staff by at least five; the reasoning will be explained later, but start getting some candidates ready for Joe and me to interview. Remember only mated males, if the candidates are unmated females, that is fine."

"Yes sir, I have a list of applications in my office that have all passed the initial screenings, I will email the files to you," replied Aldo.

"Thanks Aldo, you and your staff have done a good job. Are there any issues or concerns any of you want to bring up? If not, Frank, Joe and I are going to leave, we have other issues to discuss," said Alpha Carlo and patted Aldo on the back and shook hands with the rest of the security detail.

The three friends walked down to the stadium area to watch the remaining two hours of football practice, noting the number of other fathers already there. Nodding their hellos, they proceeded to the far end of the bleachers to have some privacy.

"First, I want to say how pleased I am with all the updates you did at the school. Frank, it must be your paranoid personality that makes you think of things nobody else does, and Joe it must be your psychopathic personality that helps and encourages him. I remember my father telling me when I took over as Alpha that the two of you would be perfect as my top security people since you were both psychotic. I think you have both proven him right," said Carlo with a laugh.

"I think we both will take that as a compliment Carlo," Frank said laughing at his friend. "I'm glad that you approve of all the updates that were done. I wanted to ask if we could list the update project with before and after pictures on our website. Paulo can add them if it is okay with you."

"Go right ahead, you should be proud of your work. Damn, did you see the hit that Anthony just plowed Scott with? I thought they got that little business straightened out," said Carlo.

"According to our boys, Anthony apologized in front of the kids and Scott accepted, but our boys think there is more going on with Scott. Anthony noticed him looking at Sophia at dance class, and mentioned it to the boys, they have also noticed Scott is being a bit more attentive to Sophia then he should be," said Joe. "Vincent said if it continues he would have a talk with him, as the oldest boy. He wants Anthony to stay away from Scott as much as possible, especially in front of Sophia."

"Good idea, I know that Anthony could take care of the issue, but having Vincent talk to Scott lets him know that the Clan is also keeping an eye on the situation. Plus, with my sons hot temper lately, he doesn't need Sophia mad at him again, though I'm not sure if she was mad or not," Carlo said as all three men laughed.

"Now on to the Millers, have you come up with suitable protectors for their girls? You may want to include paired mates that either haven't had children yet, or ones whose children are already grown. I still cannot believe they have ten daughters. I don't know how you all do it with your large families. I only have one son, and he has apparently lost his mind. Did I tell you after you all left the store on Sunday he went back to the stock room and unpacked five boxes of diapers and put them in the freezer units? Then he unpacked cartons of canned vegetables and put them on the shelves in the refrigerator unit? I ended up having one of the stock boys follow him around and basically undo everything he had done," said Carlo looking at Frank and Joe as all three broke out into laughter.

"Anyway, back to the Millers. I talked with Todd and he said his daughters had no protection other than each other. They have an old-fashioned Pack apparently, though the land is split up into different registered owners, they all still live in one house, so there was never an issue except when they left Pack land, which they hardly did since they just didn't have enough men available for protection. The children also didn't attend an outside high school; their local Board of Education had approved home schooling for all the children. So, the girls will really be subject to a lot of changes when they relocate here," said Carlo.

"Apparently the situation is even worse then what was said at the meeting. Todd made sure when we spoke he was on a public phone away from his Pack, he is worried about the safety of the Pack as the Alpha is aging and there is no firm Heir Apparent. He said in the last few months a new family has moved in from a neighboring pack and he doesn't feel comfortable with some of the comments they have made or the behavior that has been exhibited. Apparently it is a large family with six sons and he said the sons have gone over the line in words and actions. But nothing they could be penalized by, just suggestive behaviors," said Carlo with a shake of his head.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 04



"He wants his family out, and he wants them out quickly. Instead of bringing them out for the Full Moon Ceremony as visitors, they are going to be moving here that weekend, whether we are ready for them or not, but I know this Pack and know we will be ready for them," said Carlo with conviction.

"What can we do to help him? I don't even know the Millers, but as the father of a young lady, I can certainly appreciate his concern," said Joe.

"Would you be able to go around to the old Damiani home and take pictures of it for me? I'll email them to him as soon as I get them, along with the specs of the house & land; I think it's around a hundred acres. I think the house would be perfect for the Millers, though it may not have enough bedrooms, I believe it only has six, but it may be perfect for them while they either build a new one or find another house in the area. The good thing is, it's in move-in condition with all the security upgrades, remember the Pack bought it when the Damiani's moved into their condo two months ago? Plus, its right between your two homes, having twelve boys around will either make Todd feel better or terrify him," said Carlo laughing while Joe and Frank joined in.

Finished with their conversation, they sat and watched the boys practice and discussed the upcoming football season as fathers do nationwide every year. The pride was evident on their faces as they watched their sons enjoy the bonding experience that could only come from tackling your best friend to the ground and pounding them into the dirt, then trash talking to each other like only teenage boys can. Damn, they missed playing football.



South Mountain Pack Ch. 05



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

* 

The rest of the week was a marvelous time for Sophia and Anthony. They rode to practice together every morning in Anthony's new truck and sat together at lunch. During this time, Anthony would talk to Sophia, Gianni and Marcus about training, movies and normal teenage topics. His father had stressed to him to make sure he maintained his friendships and since he was best friends with Sophia's brothers, this wasn't difficult.

Their time spent at lunch was entirely different. They sat close together, hip to hip and shoulder to bicep, laughter and giggles could be frequently heard from the two as they whispered quietly back and forth learning each others secrets and dreams that they had never shared with anyone else.

Anthony had discovered that Sophia had a wicked sense of humor and could laugh at anything, even him when he made an ass out of himself when he gets jealous; they found if Anthony started getting upset, all Sophia had to do was touch his arm and he would calm down. Sophia also had an unknown jealous streak that surfaced after one of the Varsity cheerleaders looked at Anthony and said he was cute. Sophia hollered, "Back off Bitch, he's mine," and the boys had to intervene because Sophia wanted to tear her limbs off.

She was loyal and loving, never really saying a bad thing about anyone. Loved mystery thrillers, John Sandford and Vince Flynn being two of her favorite authors and she also shared her mom's interest in reading historical romances. She liked all kinds of music, except banjo music, it was too twangy and hurt her ears. The biggest surprise he had to "Double Pinky Swear" to keep secret forever was her secret crush on Chuck Norris and her obsession with "Walker, Texas Ranger." He teased her it wasn't Walker, but the old guy CD whom she liked.

Sophia was making discoveries about Anthony too. He was definitely the Alpha-Heir; he had a way of commanding attention even when he wasn't saying or doing anything. When he spoke it was usually with a firm tone in his voice and made you pay attention to what he was saying. His dark brown eyes were constantly moving and he didn't seem to miss much, stopping arguments on the field before they started, helping one of the other players adjust his stance, helping the J.V. squad with their positions on the new plays and he seemed to know where everybody was at all times. He was elected Co-Captain of the Varsity football team unanimously and he led by example, being one of the first to arrive at practice and one of the last off the field.

But with her, he was different; he was more open and more prone to laughter. Though his eyes were constantly on the move, they focused on her. He listened to everything she said, and made her feel her opinions and feelings were the most important thing in the world to him. His thoughtfulness showed when he included Maria in many of their conversations as he knew how close the cousins were. He also made her "Double Pinky Swear" to keep secret forever his love of 80's music, and when he was alone he watched reruns of "Matlock" and "Murder She Wrote".

For lunch during Friday's practice, Sophia made sure to bring him some Peanut Butter Blossom cookies and he whispered in her ear, "Did you bring in sweets for your sweetie?" which made her giggle and blush. He knew it was a corny line, but he would say or do anything to make Sophia laugh. He also heard Maria giggle and looked at her and winked. Looking around he noticed Alberto glaring at him and he smiled back, he was happy and he didn't care who knew it.

Anthony grabbed another cookie, glanced around and noticed Scott focused on Sophia again. He then looked the other way, scented Sophia's neck to calm down and used his bond to say to the male members of the Carlucci Clan, "Is it just me, or is Scott staring at Sophia again? I have Sophia right next to me and we've made our declaration about the mating pull, what more do I need to do? It's taking ALL of my control not to growl and go over and beat the shit out of him. I DON'T want to do that in front of Sophia again, so tell me what to do before I lose control."

Looking at the Carlucci's you could not tell that anything was going on, nobody looked at Scott, and they continued to eat.

Vincent glanced at Anthony and noticed his tightly clenched fist and his eyes had taken on an amber glow and knew he was on the edge of losing control. "Scent your intended to calm down, think of something pleasant you and Sophia have done. Eat your damn cookies and if you don't calm the fuck down, I'm going to come over there in two seconds and remove Sophia from your side."

The boys glanced over, ready to remove Sophia from harm if needed and noticed Anthony had his nose buried in Sophia's neck, his left arm around her shoulders and his right hand buried in her hair. He was taking long deep breaths and they could see the tension easing from his shoulders. Sophia looked at her brothers to see if something was wrong as Anthony generally scented her, but not this deeply. Seeing them continuing to eat their lunch, she figured Anthony just needed more reassurance for some reason.

She whispered in his ear, "I like it when you do that, it gives me goose bumps." Anthony growled low in his throat and replied quietly, "You have no idea what you do to me." Sophia scented his neck and said shyly, "I can't wait until the day you can show me." Anthony took several deep breathes before he said, "Three years until I make you mine, then I will show you everything." He then pulled her against him as close as they were allowed, scenting her neck and hair while he tried to get his unruly body under control.

Dominic waited several minutes and said, "Glad to see you are calmed down now, in more ways than one. Scott isn't staring at her anymore, but I'm curious as to his motive. He never showed one bit of interest in Sophia until the night of the birthday party and I bet he knew why you were following her around. I think this may be more about you, then about Sophia. Have you done anything to anger or annoy him?"

Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo, Damian and Anthony all looked at each other as they all came to the same conclusion, but nobody said anything.

Anthony leaned towards Sophia to scent her neck again and replied, "Yeah, but we had talked it over and he said that it didn't bother him. It's too much to get into right now, how about if we meet up after practice at your house, we may need to get our dad's opinion too. I don't want Sophia to hear about this though; it's not exactly something I want my intended to hear if you know what I mean. I'll contact my dad, Gianni can you contact yours?"

Anthony contacted his father through the bond asking him, "Dad can you meet me at Mr. C's house at 4:30, we need to discuss something concerning Scott and I don't want to get into it right now. Don't worry, Sophia and I are both okay." Carlo replied, "I'll be there." Anthony looked at Gianni and nodded his head.

Gianni contacted his father, "Dad, we need to meet with you and Uncle Joe at 4:30, an issue came up with Scott and we need your opinion. Don't worry, everybody is fine, oh and Alpha Carlo is coming too." Frank replied back, "I'll tell Joe and order the pizzas, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night. Don't worry about your mom and Sophia; they are going over to Aunt Annie's for some type of Tupperware party or something."

"We're all set, dad is ordering pizzas and mom and Sophia will be out of the house. They are going to Aunt Annie's for some women's party or something," said Gianni.

The Coach signaled lunch break would be over in five minutes and the boys gathered the trash together while Sophia and Maria gathered the Tupperware containers to be put back into the two coolers Rose had provided for their lunch. Maria walked over to Vin, Dom, Paulo and their friend Alberto, and shyly asked if the boys would like the rest of the brownies before she put them away. The boys took the brownies, but only Alberto said thank you and then winked at her. Maria felt like her face was on fire, as she giggled and turned away. Maria thought to herself, "You could have at least said your welcome, you simpleton, instead of giggling like an idiot." Lorenzo noticed the wink and looked questioningly at Alberto who just shrugged while a slight blush covered his face.

The coach announced instead of drills they were going to go over the playbook for the rest of the afternoon and to go to the locker room and clean up. The Carlucci's were glad; they didn't think they would have been able to stop Anthony from planting Scott in the dirt. They didn't realize this change in practice was being done under orders from Alpha Rossi, though they did notice several more security officers show up. Anthony smiled, he knew his Dad well.

When Sophia came down the stairs and saw all the men assembled in the kitchen, she asked why everybody was there. Alpha Carlo said, "You women are going to a party, and we decided to order some pizzas and watch some movies."

Just then, the doorbell rang and the pizzas were delivered. Frank had ordered twenty x-large pepperoni and sausage pizzas from Carmelo's for the sixteen of them and hoped it would be enough; he knew from experience each of his boys could eat a pizza by themselves. Carlo insisted on paying, telling Frank, "My boy, my problem, my wallet." Frank laughed and started bringing the pizzas into the kitchen.

Each man grabbed a pizza box, a 2-liter of soda, sat at the kitchen table and started eating right out of the box. No plates, no cups, no napkins; just a roll of paper towels in the middle of the table. Rose walked in and said, "You really are a bunch of barbarians, aren't you?" The men just looked at her and grunted with their mouths full.

Sophia stood there wide-eyed as Anthony ate, she didn't even think he was chewing his food as quickly as he was putting it in his mouth, then he looked at her and winked. Sophia giggled thinking to herself, but in her flustered state she projected the thought to everybody there, "He's got sauce on the side of his mouth, if I licked it off, would that be considered kissing?" Anthony was in the process of bringing his 2-liter bottle of Pepsi up to his mouth, he groaned loudly and squeezed the bottle so tightly the liquid shot out and hit the ceiling & rained down over the table, his head fell forward, eyes shut as he imagined Sophia licking his face and he groaned even louder. Meanwhile, everybody had stopped eating and looked at Sophia, then Anthony, back to Sophia like it was a tennis match.

"THERE WILL BE NO LICKING," Frank stood up and shouted, and Anthony groaned again, clutching the edge of the tabletop so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Sophia stood there and her face was scarlet she was so embarrassed; Rose came over put her arm around her and said, "I think its time for us to go little girl." Frank came over to Rose, scented her neck and said, "Don't worry, we'll make sure the mess is cleaned up, even the ceiling."

Carlo said to Anthony, "Son, aren't you going to get up and say goodbye to your intended?"

"Ugh Dad, I don't think it's a good idea for me to stand up right now," mumbled Anthony blushing and the boys started laughing realizing what he meant. Carlo looked at him as understanding came over his face and he said "Oh right."

Rose smiled and told Sophia to go say goodbye to Anthony. Sophia leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry I projected out to everybody, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Anthony whispered back, "Don't worry about it Babe, I'm fine and you didn't embarrass me, next time just project it to me, okay. Let me scent you so you can go and I'm not sure if I'll be here when you come back or not, but remember you're coming over for dinner tomorrow night."

After Rose and Sophia left, Anthony said to the room in general, "Can we just forget that whole incident happened?"

"Not a chance buddy, talk about shooting your wad early," said Dominic laughing hysterically.

"You didn't even last long enough to become a one minute man," said Lorenzo as he and Damian leaned against each other laughing.

"Talk about one stroke and done Ant," said Gianni laughing so hard he almost fell off his chair.

"I've heard of Quick Draw McGraw, but you've got him beat," added Marcus as he laughed hysterically.

"You're not even a two-pump chump, more like a one stroke and broke kinda guy," said Paulo.

"Now boys, don't make Anthony feel any worse. It's not his fault he has no control over himself," Joe said while wiping the tears from his eyes. Everyone was laughing hysterically at this point, even Anthony.

"I just want to thank everybody for all the support you have shown me and tell you I can feel the love," said Anthony continuing to laugh.

Frank said, "You should know better then to think the Carlucci's would let something like that happen without commenting on it. I'm just glad they waited until Rose and Sophia left. Now, finish your pizza, Rose and Sophia should be gone about two hours, and I'm not sure how long our talk is going to take."

Everybody hurried up and finished eating and Frank was glad he ordered the extra four pizzas, as the boys ended up arguing over the last couple of slices. The trash was taken out quickly and Anthony, Vincent and Damian got up on chairs and cleaned the ceiling while the other boys wiped down the table, chairs and mopped the floor. They knew better then to have their mom mad they hadn't cleaned up properly.

They all got more to drink and proceeded down to Frank's cave. Frank made sure the house was secure, set the alarm, and he went to join them in the basement, closing that door and setting the alarm. "Alright boys, start at the beginning and don't leave anything out," said Frank.

The boys proceeded to tell what had been going on with Scott the last week. His watching Sophia at dance class, his remark after Anthony's apology "Dude, all you had to do was tell me and I would have backed off, I wouldn't come between two people like some others would." They finished with what had happened at practice earlier today.

Vincent spoke up and said, "I'm sorry Ant, but there have been a few more incidents we didn't tell you about, before you say anything just listen to what we have to tell you."

The brothers and cousins related some more examples Anthony wasn't aware of: Gianni, Damian and Sophia were going into Rossi's and Scott watched her enter the store; Vincent and Lorenzo watching Scott stare at Sophia during the girls training class Wednesday night; Dominic noticing Scott narrow his eyes and clench his fists as he watched Anthony, Gianni, Marcus and Sophia arrive at practice.

"DAMN IT VINCENT, SOPHIA IS MY MATE; HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT HER IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. WE SAT HERE LAST WEEK AND YOU SWORE TO ME YOU WOULD PROTECT HER WHEN I WASN'T AROUND, HOW CAN I DEPEND ON YOU IF I CAN'T TRUST YOU. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO KEEP THIS FROM ME," shouted Anthony as he jumped to his feet totally enraged.

No one, including his father had ever seen Anthony like this, but the possible threat to his mate sent him right to the edge and he was on the verge of shifting; claws extended, eyes pure amber and glowing, his breathing was harsh and ragged, his muscles expanding to the point his shirt was stretched to its limit.

"Nobody move or say anything" commanded Alpha Rossi through the bond.

"Anthony, calm yourself down NOW," stated Alpha Rossi using the Alpha tone which must be obeyed. Anthony turned and looked at his father, his amber eyes slowing turning back into his normal deep brown, claws slowly retracting and his breathing slowing down.

"After what happened at the dance studio on Monday, we said we would keep an eye on him, and that's what we've done. Our mistake was in not telling you, and I'm sorry," said Vincent sincerely exposing his neck in a submissive pose to his future Alpha and brother.

"Believe me Ant, all he did was watch her. If anything else had happened we would have told you and you know we would have protected her," said Gianni also exposing his neck to Anthony and then all of the boys assumed the same posture, exposing their necks in a submissive pose to their future Alpha.

Anthony closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He looked each boy in the eyes before nodding his head that he accepted their submission.

"I know you would have protected her, and for saying I couldn't depend on or trust you, I am sorry," said Anthony quietly, "but, I just want you all to understand what I am going through. If Sophia isn't within my eyesight then I feel this absolute gut-wrenching pain that almost brings me to my knees, and the only thing that helps is knowing she is with her brothers and cousins, my FRIENDS who I depend on to protect her and to help me keep control. Our fathers weren't kidding when they told us how hard it was to keep control sometimes. Vin, you saw how close I came today to losing it and the only thing keeping me calm was Sophia and the twelve of you."

"Thank you for explaining that Ant, I think we all understand a little better and will try a little harder to make things easier on you," said Dominic. "Can we keep teasing you, we really like getting on your case and you make it so easy sometimes."

"I know and I wouldn't have it any other way, that's why the thirteen of us are friends," said Anthony with a laugh. "So, are we good then?" All twelve boys nodded yes at their friend and smiled; glad he was back to the normal Anthony they had known their entire lives.

"After going through all this with you and Sophia for the past week, I am so not looking forward to feeling the pull," said Marcus. Several other boys echoed his statement. Frank, Joe and Carlo all looked at each other, thinking of the Miller girls and wondering if any of them were intended mates for the Carlucci boys.

Frank stood up and got beers for himself, Joe and Carlo, then sat back down and looked at Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo, Damian and Anthony who were all sitting on one couch. He noticed Anthony had pulled the Sophia scented pillow up to his face again and was smiling.

"I agree with Damian, I don't think Scotts focus is Sophia, I think its Anthony. Looking back over everything he has only shown interest in Sophia since Anthony felt the mating pull and I think his intention is hurting him through her, which we will never allow." Frank watched as the five of them looked at each other and said, "Whatever is said or done in this basement goes no further, we will not judge or condemn anything but we do need to know what happened, everything that happened, no detail may be too small."

Everyone was quiet for several minutes while the five boys just stared at the carpet not looking at each other. "Okay boys, do you want to tell us the reason why you think Scott has something against Anthony and possibly the rest of you?" asked Joe leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees and staring at the five boys.

"Well, uhm uhm, I didn't mean for it to happen or the way that it happened none of us did," said Anthony while continuing to stare at the floor.

"Okay, that's a start so we know something did happen and it involved the five of you, now why don't you start at the beginning and look at us when you talk to us, your mother taught you better manners than that," said Carlo to his son. "Yes sir," said Anthony sitting up straight and looking at his father.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 05



"I'll start," said Gianni, "The five of us had gone to the Regional basketball playoff game in Hagerstown in February. We're not in their conference, but we figured it would be something to do. Scott and several of the other guys were already there, so we sat with them and just carried on like we normally do, you know joking around and creating a slight disturbance. A bunch of the cheerleaders kept looking at our section and giggling, you know how girls do."

"After the game was over we started walking out of the gym, the cheerleaders came over and started flirting with the whole group. Scott zeroed in on this particular girl and he was laughing with her, telling her how pretty she was and he asked her for her phone number. We were hungry so we said we were heading on out for pizza at Carmelo's, so we left them still standing there talking. The next thing I know, the cheerleaders came into the pizza parlor. Honestly, we didn't approach or ask them, they followed us," said Lorenzo.

"We had our school jackets over the back of our chairs, and the first thing they said to us was, 'Oh, you're Huskies', we just nodded our heads and looked at each other wondering what was going on. Another one said, 'I love your school emblem, the dark profile of the husky howling with the full moon behind it' we said thanks and then Damian asked if they wanted to join us," said Anthony.

"I asked to be polite, not thinking they actually would, these were the same girls we thought had been all over Scott and the other guys. Marcus said he would go and get more chairs; the girls said they didn't need chairs and sat in our laps. Now, I know when a pretty girl sits in my lap I'm not going to tell her no, none of us did," said Damian with a smile. "Besides they still had their cheerleading outfits on."

"We did what any male would do; we made them comfortable on our laps, put our arms around their waists and enjoyed the attention. We talked to them and did the whole name swap thing and made sure they were 18. Damian asked what had happened with Scott and the other guys, and the girl that Scott had been hitting on said, 'Who?' which in our minds cleared the way. We ordered our pizzas and ate, all the while the girls were whispering in our ears and wiggling back and forth on our laps, they could tell we all were hard and kept grinding down on us and the girl that was sitting in my lap had put my hand under her skirt," said Marcus with a smirk on his face.

"The girl that Scott had hit on, Amy, was the one who sat in my lap obviously," said Anthony with a grimace on his face. "She was coming on strong, whispering in my ear she could feel how hard I was and then grinding into me, and she kept running her hands up and down my arms and chest telling me how big and strong I was. She took my hand and put it up under her skirt and whispered in my ear for me to feel how wet I made her and I did."

"By this point, we all had our hands under their skirts and sweaters too. Good thing it was almost closing time, so the restaurant was empty. It was pretty much soft-core porn happening in Carmelo's," said Gianni.

"Damn bro, we've got to start going out with you guys again, well maybe not with Anthony anymore, he's already mated, he can stay home with the two young 'uns," said Dominic with a laugh looking at Salvatore and Victor.

"It gets better," said Damian with a laugh. "We paid the bill and went to where we had parked; you know the side lot with no lights. The girls had parked there too for some reason; they probably saw the truck with the Huskies emblem on it. Anyway, we started making out again and the next thing I know the girls are giving us head. They didn't seem to care they could be seen by each other or by us either. I think Carmelo was inside watching us, cause soon as the girls had finished and stood up, the side door opened and he came out with the trash and a smile on his face."

"That's all that happened that night, but we got their phone numbers and arranged to meet the following Saturday at Bellucci's Bowling alley in Hagerstown," said Anthony with a shrug.

"Well, you gave us just about every other detail, so I have to ask. Was the head any good?" asked Joe with a laugh, and the five boys looked at each other and grinned. "I guess I got my answer."

"Just for your information boys, remember Carlucci Construction did the security upgrades at Carmelo's, so I'm positive he has all of you on tape both in the restaurant and outside," said Carlo with a laugh at the shocked look on the boys faces. "I need to make sure that little video isn't shown at the end of year Pack function when they show video clips of all the Pack members over the last year." Frank and Joe and the rest of the boys were in hysterics looking at the five boys on the couch.

"Umm Dad, does Mr. Bellucci have cameras in his parking lot too? Specifically the back lot of the bowling alley?" asked Marcus as all five boys turned pale.

"Yes he does, and may I ask why?" said Frank as the five boys continued to look at each other.

"Dad, you may want to call Mr. Bellucci and have the same talk with him," said Anthony quietly. "Also Mr. Sabatini at the skating rink and Dom's Deli."

"Dad and Alpha Carlo, you may just want to completely delete all of the videos that show the back or side parking lots for the Construction office and Rossi's, or don't let anybody else have access to them," said Lorenzo with his head back on the couch, looking at the ceiling.

"I need something stronger to drink Frank. Make it a double, no wait, just put the whole damn bottle on the table over here," said Carlo. "Okay boys, I don't want to tell them to delete the tapes or do anything that will draw attention to it. The only one that may mention it is Carmelo, and he is an old friend of ours, and his son, Alberto, is a friend of yours. If he does mention it, it will probably be more joking than anything, you know the whole 'Boys will be boys' attitude."

Frank got up to get them the much stronger drinks and said through his bond to Joe and Carlo, "And our parents thought the three of us were bad, at least we weren't caught on Candid Camera. I don't know if I feel proud our boys were getting some or worried about what else they've been up to that we don't know about."

"Okay, so are we caught up until the time you met them at the bowling alley?" asked Joe sitting back and sipping his whiskey.

"Yeah, we had all called and confirmed Saturday evening at Bellucci's bowling. After what happened last time, we made sure to park in the back lot and that's where they met us. We went inside, got some food, drinks and bowled a few games. All of the girls were wearing skirts, short enough when they bent over we were getting glimpses of their upper thighs and they didn't care which of us was looking. They were also sitting in our laps the whole time too, I never knew how difficult it was to bowl with a hard on," said Gianni with a laugh as the boys grinned.

"We finished bowling and it was like 9:00 so we went to the back parking lot and started making out. They kneeled down again and gave us head, just like last time but we kept on making out. I heard the tailgates come down on Lorenzo's and Gianni's trucks and they carried their girls over to the tailgate so the three of us joined them with the other girls," said Anthony.

"For the next two hours, all you could hear was them moaning, begging for us to go harder, faster and deeper, all of us were pounding the hell out of those girls. Lifting them up, flipping them over, and moving them around into different positions, swapping partners and even double teaming. It was like anything goes; they didn't care what we wanted to do. Don't worry, all of us used condoms, I think we went through two boxes," said Damian as he looked at his father.

"That's when things turned to shit," said Lorenzo. "Apparently Scott had been talking up Amy to Joel and Jeff and a couple of others that he was going out with her, and came to the bowling alley looking for her. They came around the corner and the first thing they saw was Anthony plowing her from behind while she was screaming she was cumming again. We had finished by this time and were leaning up against the truck watching them."

"We noticed Scott and his buds standing there but didn't think anything of it, it wasn't the first time they had watched us with girls, and we had watched them too. The girls had assured us again they weren't dating them or interested in them," said Marcus staring at the ceiling.

"Scott gave Ant enough time to pull his pants up, and then came over and got in his face, asking what the hell was going on and flailing his arms around. Ant said, 'I think it's pretty obvious, we were fucking and it was damn good, she's got a sweet pussy.' Scott looked at Amy and said, 'you told me you liked me and that you wanted me to be your first.' At that Ant started laughing," said Gianni glancing around the room without really looking at anything.

"I told him that Amy was far from a virgin that she sucked cock like a pro and it was obvious she had been dicked a lot. He said she wasn't like that and I laughed in his face then he took a swing at me. I blocked it and I told him I wasn't the only one that fucked her that night," said Anthony still looking at the ceiling.

"Scott looked at us standing against the truck, and Gianni and Lorenzo both said they had fucked her and it looked like Scott was really upset. Scott looked at Amy and asked her 'Why' and she said, 'We saw when they left the gym that they were Rossi's and Carlucci's, they are rich and who are you, your dad is a mechanic.' He called them all a bunch of whores and went back inside," said Damian with a shrug.

"The girls asked if they were our girlfriends, and we said no. Ant said we'd keep fucking them whenever they wanted, but that's all it would ever be, and they got mad and went back into the bowling alley. Damian was hungry again, so we went in to get some chili cheese fries and saw Amy and the girls talking to Scott and his buds," said Lorenzo as he leaned back against the sofa.

"We ignored them and ate our food and as we were leaving Scott came over and said Amy had admitted she had been with other guys before. I told him we asked the girls if they were interested in Scott or the other guys and they told us no and if we knew Scott was interested, we would have backed off, and we hadn't pursued them, the girls had followed us to Carmelo's," said Anthony with a vacant look on his face.

"Scott started laughing and slapped Ant on the back and said the only reason why he was interested was he wanted to pop her cherry. I think he liked her, not in the mating pull way, just wanted to fuck her bad. I don't blame him, damn her pussy was sweet," said Gianni.

"He told me everything was okay between us, no worries and he knew I would have backed off if I knew he wanted her. So when we left, I thought we were good," said Anthony finally looking at his father, then leaning back.

All five boys at this point were leaning back on the sofa staring at the ceiling.

"Okay, so now we know why Scott is angry at you Anthony. He thinks you took away a girl he wanted, so he wants to take away someone you want. His big problem is the fact that the girl is MY daughter. I think deep down he's a scared piece of shit because the only thing he has done is look at her. When he touched her at the birthday party, what happened? Anthony jumped in his face and the Clan backed him up. He knows no matter what, he cannot win against the thirteen of you," said Frank angrily.

"Hell, he can't even take Salvatore or Victor and they are two years younger, about four inches shorter and he outweighs them by about 60 pounds. I train him and the boy is lazy and does just the minimum work needed. I think for Sunday night's training, we will have sparring matches letting the boys decide who will spar and I bet that Scot challenges Anthony. I will make sure that is the last match of the night, so make sure that you dominate him Anthony, what do you think Carlo and Frank?" asked Joe.

"I bet his friends Joel and Jeff also make a challenge against some of the boys," said Frank. "I want you to dominate him during the fight, but no broken bones. I know that as Weres we heal fast, but a broken bone will take a couple of days to heal and your Coach won't like that."

"I think it's a good idea, maybe invite the fathers to join Sunday night's training. I'd like to have a talk with his father. See if he knows what is going on with Scott and if he doesn't, then I'll fill him in about how inappropriate his sons behavior has been, and the consequences if he persists," said Carlo with a firm voice. "Frank can you make sure all the fathers are present?" Frank nodded yes.

"Tomorrow morning, Sophia and Maria are going shopping as usual. I want Vincent and Dominic going along with the usual six of you. The two of you are the biggest and strongest, since Anthony can't go. I don't care what they are doing; you make sure you are beside them. If I could do it without raising suspicions, I would keep both girls home, but Sophia is going to Anthony's for dinner and she wanted to get a new outfit, like the hundreds in her closet aren't enough, but that's another story. Any questions?" asked Frank.

"Yeah, why do girls have so many clothes? And why is it they never have the right outfit? Or the right pair of shoes? And why do they think all their clothes make them look fat?" said Damian with a laugh as his Uncle Frank threw a pillow at him.

Carlo asked, "Wait a minute, did I miss something, where does the skating rink, deli, Rossi's and the Construction office come into this?"

"Um, all of those were different nights, with different sets of girls," said Marcus with a grin and a fist pump to Gianni.

"We've never dicked around with the same group of girls more then twice," said Lorenzo, "they start to get clingy and want a relationship. We don't mind springing for food and entertainment, but no relationships."

"Just how many groups of girls have there been?" asked Frank, "No, I don't want to know. Just tell me that you've used condoms."

"Always, we keep them in a box under our seats in all of our trucks, just like Vin and Dom taught us. None of us want our moms to find them in our rooms or anything," said Gianni with a look of horror on his face at the thought of his mom finding condoms.

"Vincent and Dominic? Do I even want to know?" asked Frank as he looked at his two oldest sons.

"Um, Dom and I started taking them around when they reached the legal age, we made sure they used protection and to make sure the girls were 18. The first couple of times, we made sure they had girls that were pretty experienced to teach them and help them out, just like our older friends did for us when we turned 16," said Vincent looking his father and Uncle Joe in the eye.

"We didn't want them to get so carried away at the thought of finally getting some that they forgot to use condoms, or got into situations they couldn't handle. The first couple of times, it was basically step by step instructions, try this, do that, but the boys picked it up pretty quickly," said Dominic laughing.

"So, Enzo, Gino, Paulo and Michael have all been taken out too?" asked Joe with a look at those boys.

"Yeah, we waited until after Paulo and Michael turned 16, so all four of them were brought out at the same time. Since they all hang out together, it's just easier to do it all at once, just like we did for the five simpletons over there," said Dominic. "Don't worry, they won't be allowed on their own until the group of them turns 17, Vin or I are always with them, plus they get better tail when we are around since we are much better looking." At that remark all the boys looked at him and a lot of "Fuck you Dom" were heard.

"We figured they would either do it on their own, and who knows what could happen, or we could take them, help them out and make sure they were protected and safe," said Vincent. "And we will do the same for Sal and Victor when the time comes." Sal and Victor looked at each other and gave high-fives, and couldn't wait until their 16th birthday.

Frank, Joe and Carlo all looked at each other speechless, wondering where their older friends had been when they turned 16; they had to figure things out on their own with some really less then spectacular results in the beginning.

Finally Joe said, "As long as nobody gets thrown in jail, knocked-up, knocked-out and your mothers don't find out. Just remember to always use condoms and be honest with the girls; remember to use a little discretion and to be aware of where the video cameras are."

"Anthony, I have to ask, since you are my daughters intended mate and have made your declaration, are you going to continue your exploits?" questioned Frank.

Anthony looked Frank in the eye and said, "No Sir. Since I've felt the pull, I can't imagine being with anybody but Sophia and I think if I had sex with another girl it would be a huge betrayal to her and I would never hurt her. I know waiting three years is going to be difficult, but I would do anything for her. The guys understand and have agreed when we go out; it will be without any girls around."

"That's also why I didn't want her to know what we were talking about or my past behavior; I don't want Sophia to know about all of the girls I've been with and what I've done with them. It's not that I'm ashamed of what I've done; I just don't want my mate to know about it," said Anthony quietly. "What I did before I felt the pull, was just that, my past. Sophia is my present and my future and I would never betray her."

Carlo looked at his son with pride in his eyes, Frank looked at him and was thankful his daughters intended was such an honorable young man and Joe looked at him and hoped his daughters' mate, whomever he was, would be just as honorable.

Frank looked at Anthony and cleared his throat to ease the tightness and said, "I couldn't ask for a better man for my daughter and I want you to understand when she is with you, I know she is safe. A father cannot give a better compliment then that." Both Frank and Anthony stood up and embraced, both realizing how much Sophia meant to them and the lengths they would go to protect her.

Joe looked around to all the boys and said, "Before we break this meeting up, does anybody have any questions, not just about Scott, but about sex and responsibility?"

"No, Vin and Dom took care of all of our questions and made sure we realized if anything happened we would have to take responsibility for our actions, I know they are my brothers, but they are pretty good guys too," said Gianni.

"Okay, lets head on upstairs, and we'll tell your mom and Sophia we watched 'Patton' again, you boys have all seen it a hundred times. Anthony, Sophia is almost asleep on the sofa in the family room, but go on up with the boys and you can visit with her for a while," said Frank.

Carlo and Joe and his brood all went home; Gianni and Marcus joined Anthony in the family room. Sophia had fallen asleep, but Anthony lifted her so she was leaning against his side, he put his arm around her and scented her hair as they watched TV and used the bond to talk about their father's solution to the Scott situation and hoped that it would work. They would find out Sunday.

Saturday morning, Frank and Joe both woke up and decided if Sophia and Maria were going to the mall, then the entire Carlucci family was going and two hours later a caravan of vehicles arrived at the mall in Hagerstown. The fourteen male members of the Carlucci family started trailing two petite 15 year old girls and two very determined Mama's as they tried to find the perfect outfit for Sophia's first date.

After two hours, the perfect dress was found, but none of the men could distinguish it from the other hundred or so she had tried on. Another hour was spent on finding the perfect pocketbook, one that wasn't too big or too small, wasn't summery but wasn't fallish or wintery either. The men had never heard those terms before and therefore could not offer an opinion nor did they really care. After another hour the perfect pair of shoes in the EXACT shade of sage green to match her dress was found. The men then cried 'Mercy' and demanded to be fed. The women decided it was a good time to take a break and Maria suggested they go to Carmelo's since she wanted a grilled chicken Caesar salad, the men quickly agreed.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 05



Frank and Joe looked around and started laughing. They had no idea how their wives and daughters had done it, but somehow every teenage boy had one or two large shopping bags in their hands. They had only seen Rose buy Sophia's dress, shoes and pocketbook and had no idea what was in the bags. At this point, they really didn't care, they needed food.

The procession of Carlucci's left the mall and the caravan drove to Carmelo's, which thankfully was empty. Frank looked at Gianni and said with a smile on his face as they waited while the staff pushed some tables together, "What table did you all use, I don't want to sit at that one." Gianni did have the grace to blush and mumbled, "The one in the back right corner."

Alberto and Carmelo came over to talk to them after they were seated since the families were close friends. Alberto glanced around the room intently as if searching for something he didn't quite understand, as if the answer to the question was there, but he didn't know what the question was and his wolf started prancing around his head in delight.

Carmelo looked at Gianni, Marcus, Lorenzo and Damian and said while grinning, "Where's your partner in debauchery? Sophia put him under lock and key since the declaration?" He looked at Sophia and winked at her; she grinned back at him and said, "He's working today Mr. Moretti, but I'll tell him that you were asking about him."

Alberto had moved closer to Vincent and Dominic and was talking quietly to them about their plans for that evening, "I found out about this big party tonight, how many of you are going? I, uh, need to know to make the proper arrangements if the youngsters are going," he said looking at Enzo, Gino, Paulo and Michael. The four of them looked at Vin and Dom and enthusiastically shook their heads yes. "Okay, I'll go make some phone calls," he said still glancing around searching the room intently for something he didn't quite understand. Jus then Maria and Annie came out of the restroom and started walking to the table. His gaze landed on Maria and then all hell broke loose...



South Mountain Pack Ch. 06



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 





"MINE," shouted Alberto as he ran towards Maria knocking Vincent, Dominic, Enzo and Gino to the floor so hard they skidded before hitting and knocking over several tables and chairs . His twin brother Angelo tried to move out of the way but wasn't fast enough and pitchers of soda and ice water flew through the air, raining down over everyone before splashing on the floor. His older brother Marco who was carrying a tray with ice filled red plastic tumblers was knocked out of the way, the cups flying through the air, pelting everyone in the face with ice and plastic cups. His sister Gabby, seeing what was going on dove out of the way with her tray of rolled flatware and melamine dinner plates, adding to the confusion and mess.

Seconds later he reached Maria, picking her up and carrying her twenty feet to the back of the restaurant pinning her to the wall. He began sniffing her neck and hair and growled loudly, the sound reverberating throughout the restaurant. 

"OH FUCK," shouted Joe as he leapt over the table to get to his daughter.

"OH SHIT," said Frank knocking his chair over to rescue his niece.

"ALBERTO PUT THAT LITTLE GIRL DOWN," shouted Carmelo waving his hands as he ran towards his son.

The boys were speechless, but ran to rescue Maria from Alberto. Sophia, Rose, Annie and Gabby stood together and watched as the spectacle unfolded, all four of them had grins on their faces.

"Alberto, let go of her, you're crushing her" "Alberto, have you lost your mind?" "Maria, are you ok? Answer me" "Alberto get the fuck off my sister" "Let her breathe" "Let her go Damn it" "Fuck, he's strong" "Maria, tell him to let you go" "His arms are like steel, I can't get them to budge" was heard as the men tried to get Alberto to let go of Maria. 

Finally, after several long tense moments, Alberto lowered Maria to the floor, although the men still could not see her, once everyone stopped shouting they could hear her giggling. "Are you alright Maria?" asked Joe looking as if he was about ready to kill Alberto. Frank seeing the look on his face moved closer to him. 

"I'm fine Daddy," she said giggling. "Alberto, could you please let my Daddy and family see me so they know that I'm fine."

"I'm sorry Gattina," said Alberto as he turned around, pulling Maria into his side so her family could see her and then he saw the look on Joe's face. "I don't know what came over me, I tried to let go Mr. JC, honestly, but I just couldn't, I just felt like if I let go of her I would lose her forever, I had to keep scenting her, I couldn't stop myself, I knew I couldn't let her go, but I should have, I'm sorry to have worried everybody, I want to hold her forever and never let her go, I'm really sorry Mr. JC, but I can't seem to let her go, she smells so good to me, like spice cake with cream cheese frosting and I love cream cheese frosting, its my favorite, I can eat a whole can of it, I can't get enough of how good she smells, is this what Anthony is going through, no wonder he is acting like an idiot, I think I'm acting like an idiot too but I can't seem to help it." 

"Oh great, another intended mate who rambles and makes no sense," said Damian laughing. "You would think that at least one of them could talk with some sense." 

Joe was taking slow deep breaths to try and calm down, his hands clenching and unclenching, then finally he looked at Alberto and said, "If you hurt her, I will kill you and they will never find your body." 

"Hurt her? I could never hurt her Mr. JC. Please let me have her, I promise I'll be good. I don't mean have her, as in have her, she's not old enough for me to have her like that, but I still want her, just you know, can I keep her? I'll take good care of her," said Alberto still rambling and Maria started giggling again. 

"Son, she's not a pet at the shelter that you're adopting," said Carmelo trying to reason with his son. At his remark everyone started laughing, even Joe. "Why don't we get this mess cleaned up then we can sit down, I'll bring out some Antipasto and freshly baked bread. Angelo, put the CLOSED sign over the door until we are done talking." 

Everyone helped to clean up then took their seats and the wait staff started bringing out platters of antipasto and appetizers. Maria quietly told Alberto of the secret crush she had for him; he told her he had been watching her at cheerleading practice since he noticed how beautiful she looked at Sophia's birthday party and Lorenzo, Vin and Dom had caught him a couple of times. 

Carmelo told Joe that Alberto was already familiar with Pack rules regarding dating as he had gone to the meeting when his older brother Marco made his declaration with Anna Bellucci two years ago, but he could probably do with a reminder.

Joe said to Alberto, "You know this would have been so much easier if you would have made your declaration at the birthday party, this way we wouldn't have to have another meeting about rules for dating a Carlucci, we could have just combined it with Anthony's." Alberto looked at Mr. JC and said, "I will do whatever you tell me sir, and I really do want to be able to keep her." This made Joe smile at him for the first time.

Joe invited the Moretti's over to his house on Sunday after the boys training and told them he would have Frank and his sons there as well as Carlo and Anthony since they were also involved in Maria's protection. 

Everyone sat and quietly talked while they ate, the men mostly preoccupied with eating since they were famished. Maria's brothers and cousins watched Alberto as he hovered over her, making sure she had enough to eat and drink. 

Enzo quietly said to Dom, "So, is the party off tonight then, since Al can't go, or are we still going? Do you guys know who is having it?" 

Before any of the boys could comment, Maria said, "A party? I would love to go, oh please, Alberto can we go? It would be our first time out together, oh please? I just bought a couple of dresses that would be perfect for a party. Is it a birthday party, do we need to buy a gift? If my brothers and cousins are going, then we would have enough chaperones." Maria looked at Alberto with a pleading puppy dog look on her face and put her hand on his arm, just like she had been taught.

Alberto looked at Maria with horror, thinking of bringing his newly found intended mate to what was basically going to be a sex party. He didn't want to refuse the first request she made of him, but there was no way he would ever bring her to that kind of party. The thought of it was enough to make him start to hyperventilate, he felt light-headed like he was going to pass out or throw up. He couldn't decide which he wanted to do first.

He looked to Vin and Dom for help, but all of the Carlucci boys had their heads down staring at their plates laughing quietly, waiting for Al to answer his intended mate's request, knowing the fact he wanted to make her happy, but knowing he could NEVER grant this request. 

"Alberto, you're going to take Maria to a party tonight? Oh, I think that's nice for your first date, and Maria said the boys were going already so that's perfect," said Annie with a smile on her face.

Joe and Frank looked at their sons, then at Alberto and thought back to the talk from last night. Joe shouted, "THERE WILL BE NO PARTY TONIGHT." Frank laughed at the relieved look on Alberto's face, while Joe looked like he was going to kill Alberto first then his sons and nephews.

"Gattina, your father is right; we are coming over to your house on Sunday night to discuss the rules. I don't want to get your father upset with me by breaking one by mistake," said Alberto. "Nice recovery," said Dominic as all the boys laughed.

Maria wondered what had gone wrong, and asked Sophia through the bond, "What went wrong? I asked him in a pleading voice, gave him the puppy dog eyes and stroked his arm. Maybe it was because I didn't tear up?" Sophia replied, "Maybe it's because you didn't let him scent you to reassure him, he might be jealous of the other people there. Next time, let him scent you like we were told, see if that helps." 

"Daddy, would it be okay if Alberto took me to dance class on Monday?" asked Maria.

Before Joe could respond, Alberto jumped up, knocked over his chair and said in a jealous tone, "Dance class, what kind of dance class? What do you wear to this class? Who is going to be there? Are there going to be boys there? It's bad enough other boys are going to be looking at you while you're cheerleading, and I want your cheerleading skirt longer."

Damian started banging his head on the corner of the table and said, "Not again, I can't take two whiny intended mates, somebody just kill me now." The Carlucci's were laughing as this was basically the same reaction that Anthony had, it was like a bad case of déjà vu.

"Relax bud; it's the same classes Gabby takes, or have you forgotten you've seen Maria there a hundred times. It's the same group of guys every week and it never bothered you before," said Vincent laughing at his friend.

"I know I've seen her there, but now I don't want anybody else to see her there. That was before, and now it's all different, maybe the other guys could look somewhere else," said Alberto, as he paused a thought came to him, "We could read, yeah that's what we'll do, I'll talk it over with Ant and all the guys will read books instead of watching them.... I'm losing my mind, aren't I?" The male members of the Clan nodded their heads as they started laughing. 

Maria got up and stepped into Alberto's side and let him scent her, just like Sophia had suggested and he started calming down immediately. She said, "Anthony brings Sophia to class, and you can bring me and my brothers when you take Gabby. I've been taking dance classes with Sophia since we were three and it's something I really enjoy, and I'd like it if you could share it with me. Please?"

Alberto looked at his intended mate and swallowed noisily and said in a raspy voice, "Anything you want, Gattina, what time should I pick you up?" The Carlucci boys all looked at each other while rolling their eyes and laughing at how quickly their friend had caved.

"Don't even think Dad will let her near your Harley, if he finds out she was on it, you won't be prepared for the level of ballistic he reaches," said Lorenzo with a serious expression on his face. Joe glanced down the table and raised his eyebrow at Alberto and shook his head no. 

"I guess I'll talk to my Dad about getting a truck then, because I want Maria with me when we go to dance class, practice and school," said Alberto. Carmelo said, "I will call Vinnie at the Ford dealership tomorrow Alberto." 

Damian looked at the two of them still standing together and said, "I have to be the first one to say this. Do the two of you realize how ridiculous you look together? Seriously, Luna picked the two of you as mates?"

"Dude, look at the two of you in the mirror over there," continued Damian. "Maria is 5'5" and 115 pounds. And you, well you're 6'5" or 6'6" and about 330 pounds. Maria has straight black hair she uses head bands and bow things or whatever they are called, you have a Mohawk dyed platinum blonde with the ends dyed Kool-Aid red. Maria is a cute perky petite cheerleader who is scared of butterflies, and you are a brawny son of a bitch linebacker who instills fear in every opponent we face. Talk about your opposites attracting."

"Yeah," continued Vincent, "Maria is more Vogue, you are more Bikers and Babes Weekly. Maria is more KEDS and ballet slippers; you're more, shit-kicker boots. Maria is dance recitals; you're biker bars and wet t-shirt contests. She is color coordinated outfits and matching accessories, you're ripped jeans and t-shirts with beer slogans and Harley logos."

Maria said in a huff to her brothers and cousins with her eyes narrowed in such a way they knew they would be in trouble later, "I think we look good together, what do you think Alberto?" He looked at her adoringly and said, "I think we look perfect together, but anything you want me to change I will."

Maria leaned into him so he could scent her again and she whispered to him, "I like you just the way you are. I think our differences are fine, now we just need to find out what we have in common and proceed from there." He nodded his head in agreement; at this point he would agree with anything she said, he wanted her to be happy since he disappointed her about the party. 

"Vin, do you think he'll smother her when they, uhm, uhm well you know," Victor said in a voice barely above a whisper with a worried look on his face for his twin.

"When he had her pinned up against the wall, we couldn't even see her, and he'll probably crush her if he lies on top of her or maybe break her in half" added Salvatore echoing Victor's concern as he also whispered quietly to Vin.

"Girls are tough, especially Weres, but this isn't something we should be talking about here, the two of you will ride home with Dom and I and we'll have a talk. Okay?" said Vincent whispering just as quietly as both boys nodded their heads still looking at Maria and Alberto with concern. "Don't let Dad or Uncle Joe hear things like that about the girls, okay? If you have questions, you come to Dom or me."

Sophia glanced at the clock and her eyes opened in terror as she jumped up from her seat knocking over the chair and let out an ear-piercing scream, making the men jump up from their chairs ready to face whatever threat was about to descend on them. In a matter of seconds, the women were pushed against the wall with the men forming a protective perimeter around them. Every male there had their claws extended, amber eyes glowing, ready to shift.

They looked around the restaurant wondering where the threat was coming from and seeing nothing except the kitchen staff also prepared to fight, one of them had his hand on the button to lower the steel over the windows. 

Frank hollered at Sophia, "What is it? Where is the threat? I don't see or smell anything out of the ordinary. What are you sensing? Is it your wolf? Did she sense something?" The men never let up from their protective stance; all of them had their noses in the air, sniffing for a hidden threat and detecting nothing.

"Daddy, do you see what time it is? It's 5:30, and I have to be at Anthony's by 7:30," she said in a whining tone. "I'll never have time to get ready."

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF LUNA," shouted Frank. "Stand down everyone."

He turned and stared at his daughter, "Sophia Rosella Carlucci if you EVER scream like that again without a viable threat, you will wish hell hounds were after you instead of me!!!"

Upon seeing his daughters pout and her eyes tearing up, he looked at her and said sternly, "Do not start with the histrionics; I am not in the mood. You were taught better, more then that, YOU KNOW better than to scream like that. Now go and apologize."

"Yes Daddy," said Sophia with her head bowed down. She went up to Mr. Moretti and apologized and by the time she had apologized to everyone, it was almost 6:00. Frank and Joe told their families to get in the vehicles and they would be outside in a moment. Maria and Alberto quietly said their goodbyes and exchanged cell phone numbers so Alberto could call when he got off work, and he scented her before she got in the truck. He then stood outside and talked to her and her family through the window. There was absolute silence in the truck containing Rose, Sophia, Gianni and Marcus. 

"Well Frank and Joe, when your families come in, there's always excitement, but nothing like this," said Carmelo with a laugh. "A declaration, a possible threat, which actually was a good drill for everybody involved, I think we all had a pretty good response time. You've taught everybody well, though maybe next time we can do it somewhere other then my restaurant." Frank and Joe slapped him on the back and both laughed quietly.

"My apologies again, old friend. We'd better get going, I feel it's going to be a long ride home for one little lady," said Frank with a grimace.

The first ten minutes it was deathly quiet in Frank's truck. Finally, he looked in the rearview mirror at Sophia, who had her head bowed down. He said to her, "Well young lady, do you have anything to say to your mother and me?" 

"But Daddy," was as far as she got before Frank interrupted her.

"I don't want to hear anything coming out of your mouth that starts with 'but Daddy'," said Frank in a near shout as he pounded his palm on the steering wheel. "If you noticed it was getting late and you wanted to go home to get ready, that's all you had to say. NOT scream and act like a child. We were ready to tear apart anybody who would have come into the restaurant because of you."

Everyone was quiet again, Gianni and Marcus shooting glances at each other over Sophia's head. They hadn't seen their father this mad in a long time but they completely understood his reaction, their wolves were still pacing and agitated. 

"I would like to cancel your dinner date tonight, but I won't out of respect for the Rossi's. I know they went to a lot of trouble, so the three of you will go over as scheduled, but will only stay for 30 minutes after dinner is over. This is your punishment Sophia. Normally you would have been allowed to stay later, enough time to talk and watch a movie, but not tonight," said Frank with a firm tone in his voice. "You will learn that thoughtless actions have consequences. Be thankful I do not take away all visitations with Anthony." 

Sophia sat quietly with her head bowed, she knew she was wrong, and the worst part was she knew her Father was right in being mad at her. If she had done something similar with Anthony and her brothers, they would have reacted in the same way, to protect her and the women at all costs. She was ashamed at what she had done and disappointed in herself for causing her Father to get this upset.

The rest of the trip was completed in silence. When they got home, Sophia hugged her father as she cried quietly and said, "I'm sorry Daddy, I never want you to be upset or disappointed with me again."

He looked at his little girl, who was almost an exact replica of his Great-Aunt Sophia who had died in the Were War and said to her with his voice cracking with emotion, "Disappointed? Little one, I was never disappointed. I was afraid, terrified and angry there was a possible threat to my family, especially to you. The thought of something happening to my family and not being able to protect them terrifies me. You know this is why Alpha Carlo insists Uncle Joe and I train the Pack the way we do and why the rules are in place for our protection. You know the history of this Pack and what the last Were War cost us not only as a Pack but as a family. We will not let what happened last time, happen ever again."

He pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly, wanting her always to stay safe and protected. "I love you little one, and would lay down my life to keep you safe, my life would not be worth living without you. Now, I think you have a date to get ready for," he said as he kissed her forehead. She smiled at him through her tears as she ran into the house.

While Sophia was getting ready, Frank went into his study and pulled out his grandparent's photo album and found the picture of his Great-Aunt Sophia. He remembered the stories his grandparents had told him about her, especially the story of her changing her name from Sofia to Sophia when she reached the age of 16. She had developed an obsession with Greek mythology specifically, Sophia, the Goddess of Wisdom insisting everyone write her name that way and Frank honored her memory when naming his daughter. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 06



Frank decided to have a talk with Carlo and Joe, he had a feeling even though the younger generation was trained as well as they could be, the motivation and purpose of 'why' had disappeared or become diluted over the years. This year marked the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the treaty which ended the Were War and the start of peace among the Packs, but South Mountain Pack had never let its guard down. After all they lost; they could not afford to be complacent and would never be. Frank continued to flip through the photo album, seeing Carlucci family members and even whole Pack families that had been killed and vowed to himself, Never Again. 

Forty-five minutes later, Sophia was ready to go to Anthony's for dinner. The spaghetti strap dress had a sage green background with small swirls of different shades of beige; with it she wore a cardigan and ballet slippers of the same shade of sage green. Her jewelry consisted of platinum earrings and Swarovski bracelets in varying shades of green and beige.

The short drive to the Rossi's was pleasant, as Gianni and Marcus made her laugh with stories of Anthony from when they were younger. Anthony was waiting for them to pull up, he opened Sophia's door and scented her deeply after helping her out. "You look beautiful Arachide, I missed you today," said Anthony as he took her hand. "You look nice too, and I missed you also," said Sophia as she looked at Anthony; he was dressed in a pair of khaki's and a blue polo shirt that made his shoulders look even broader then normal.

He greeted her brothers with fist pumps and asked how their day had gone. Gianni said, "Interesting, you are not going to believe who Maria's intended mate is."

"Somebody made a declaration for Maria? Who?" said Anthony.

"Nope, you have to wait, and why are you calling my sister 'Peanut'?" said Marcus. 

"Because when I think of her, I think of the Peanut Butter cookies she made just for me. They were sweet just like her and they made me happy, just like she does," said Anthony smiling at Sophia as she giggled and blushed happily. "Let's go inside, we have appetizers ready and you can fill us in on Maria, I can't wait to hear this."

Anthony and his mom got the appetizers out of the warming oven and placed them on the breakfast bar. There was Italian bread cut into bite-size pieces accompanied by a variety of dips including creamy asparagus, artichoke with sun-dried tomatoes, basil cream cheese with prosciutto, and then mini meatballs with marinara. There were also tomatoes filled with mozzarella and topped with crab meat. The boys dug into the food like they were starving, while Sophia fixed herself a small plate. 

The chicken had already been pounded, seasoned and placed in the refrigerator to marinate earlier, so Anthony pulled it out getting ready to bread it and he put some oil in the pan on high to heat it. He checked the large stockpot and saw the water was ready to be put on a boil for the Angel Hair pasta when the time came. The gravy was simmering away on the back burner and he was glad his mom had helped him with that earlier. He then turned to the Carlucci's and said, "Okay, I've waited long enough, tell me about Maria and her intended mate."

"Somebody made a declaration for Maria? When? I hadn't heard anything yet," said Alpha Carlo with a grin.

"Well, sir it only happened a couple of hours ago," said Gianni with a grin. "Go ahead, and take a couple of guesses as to who you think it could be."

The next several minutes were spent with the Rossi's throwing names out, trying to guess Maria's intended. Gianni looked at the stove and shouted, "FIRE." 

Anthony had forgotten to turn the heat down, and flames were shooting out over the top of the frying pan. Anthony grabbed a towel and tried hitting the flames which only succeeded in setting the towel on fire, which he then threw in the sink igniting the curtains. His father grabbed the lid and tried to throw it on the pan, knocking some of the oil onto the counter and spreading the flames. Madame Gina calmly went over to the fire extinguisher and proceeded to put out the fires. She looked at Sophia and grinned as she turned the exhaust fan on high. 

"Okay, it looks like dinner will be delayed a little while Anthony and his dad clean up. Tell me who is Maria's intended, it's killing me not to know," said Madame Gina calmly as if nothing untoward had happened.

"Alberto," said Sophia while grinning back at Madame Gina.

"Alberto?????? Carmelo and Rita's son, Alberto? Really? I would never have guessed him," said Madame Gina laughing. "Oh my, they are complete opposites in personality and looks, but I think they would be good together."

"What was your Uncle Joe's reaction to all of this? I can't imagine he took it well," said Alpha Carlo as he finished scrubbing down the wall to get the foam and oil off. Anthony had already cleaned the pan and was breading the chicken, embarrassed he had set his mother's kitchen on fire. 

"He told Alberto, 'If you hurt her, I will kill you and they will never find your body' and nobody doubts he is serious," said Marcus and everyone started laughing.

Anthony and his father started heating the oil again slowly this time, Carlo reassuring his son not to let the small incident bother him and Anthony felt better and got some of his confidence back. They fried the cutlets up, covered them with gravy and mozzarella then Anthony went to put them in the oven, mistakenly putting them in the broiler and turning it on. They rejoined the group at the breakfast bar and when Anthony saw he had 10 minutes left on the timer, he turned the boiling water on high and put the pasta in. 

Sophia, Gianni and Marcus told the story from the time they walked into Carmelo's pizza parlor right up until Sophia screamed. Everyone laughing at what happened and Anthony was distracted by scenting Sophia and listening to her talk when he noticed the pot boiling over; he hurried over, turned the gas off, and drained the pasta. It came out in one large congealed lump; he had forgotten to stir it. As he looked to his mother for help, smoke started slowly coming out from the sides of the oven. His mom calmly went over turned off the broiler and the gravy on the stove, got a fan out of the hall closet, opened the back door and sat back down at the breakfast bar. 

"Okay, we'll give it about ten minutes to clear out some of the smoke, then we'll put the appetizers away and head on out and get some Chinese food," she said with a smile on her face.

Anthony stood dejectedly by the sink; he couldn't believe what a mess he made of his first dinner for Sophia. Madame Gina noticed him standing there, and looked at Sophia and motioned with her head towards him. Sophia got the hint and walked over to him, and whispered, "The appetizers were really good, and we had Italian for lunch at Carmelo's, so Chinese food sounds good to me. Anthony, look at me, I don't really care what we eat, as long as we are together."

"Really, you don't mind going out for dinner? I'm sorry I made such a mess of things; it came out perfect when I practiced this week. I can't seem to concentrate on anything when you are close to me; all I want to do is hold you and scent you. Dad says it will get better with time and I won't feel this overwhelming need to have you planted against my side, but I hope it never goes away," Anthony whispered into her ear. Sophia looked deeply into Anthony's eyes then tilted her head so he could scent her neck. He growled low in his throat and scented her deeply, both of his hands buried in her hair, as Sophia pressed as close to him as she could.

Carlo looked at Gianni and Marcus and said in a quiet tone, "It's going to be a long three years for them. We need to increase the physical training for Anthony to help get some of the suppressed tension out, if not he's going to go insane." Both boys nodded their heads in agreement. 

Madame Gina opened the broiler and got the blackened chicken out and put it down the disposal. Everyone started carrying the plates and the little bit of food that was left to the sink. Anthony turned with the dish of marinara sauce and ran right into Sophia, dumping the contents down the front of her dress and cardigan. 

Everybody stopped what they were doing and stood there not saying a word. "Damn it," hollered Anthony, "I'm so sorry Sophia, I can't do anything right."

Sophia looked at him and then burst out laughing, "Well, I won't ever forget this night. Gianni can you please go to the truck and bring in my 'go bag' for me and I'll be ready in just a few minutes. Alpha Carlo could you please let my Daddy know about the change in plans." Madame Gina brought Sophia into the spare bedroom to help her change and they looked at each other giggling quietly. 

"Not a word, not one word," said Anthony as he looked at Gianni, Marcus and his Dad. The four men stood there staring at one another for several moments, before Gianni started laughing, followed shortly by the other three men. 

"At least you didn't give her food poisoning," said Marcus laughing hysterically. 

Carlo used the bond to contact Frank, "We had a change in plans, after the oil fire, burning the chicken to a crisp, congealing the pasta and Anthony dumping food down the front of Sophia's dress we have decided to take your children for Chinese food. Sophia wanted me to let you know of the change in plans; she is changing her clothes right now."

Frank replied laughing, "Sounds like a night to remember. Have fun at dinner and tell the kids to come straight home after. I'd like to talk to you soon about the Full Moon Ceremony, but we'll do that tomorrow."

Sophia and Madame Gina came back into the kitchen, Sophia had changed into jeans and a pale mauve twinset, Anthony thought she looked adorable. 

Alpha Carlo said, "Sophia, I spoke with your father, he said to have a good time at dinner, but to go straight home after." Sophia smiled at him and said, "Thank you Alpha Carlo."

They took two vehicles, the kids in one and the Alpha's in the other and met at the local Chinese restaurant that was also owned by a Pack member. The Chang's had moved and joined the pack twenty years previously when their oldest son was accepted to the U of MD on a full engineering scholarship. They had come out to visit their son and met his new friends from South Mountain Pack who extended an invite to join them for a Pack Dinner. They were impressed with the friendliness from all the Pack members they met, loved the mountainous region and decided to join the Pack and never regretted it for one moment. 

When they entered the restaurant it was crowded due to it being a Saturday night, but a table was quickly made available for the Rossi party. Mr. and Mrs. Chang came over and congratulated Anthony and Sophia on their declaration which they both thanked them for. They ordered their food and proceeded to have a nice dinner and to Anthony's relief nothing bad happened. 

After dinner when they were getting ready to leave, both sets of chaperones waited in the vehicles for Anthony and Sophia to say goodbye. They could still be seen, but they had the illusion of being alone. Anthony was scenting Sophia deeply as he again apologized for the dinner fiasco and she just giggled. They were content not to say anything; just being close to each other was enough for them. Gianni rapped on the window and pointed at his watch, causing Sophia to say, "I have to go Anthony, will I see you tomorrow?"

"I have to work in the morning and we have training in the afternoon. I'm not sure what time it's going to end since it's a special training session. Then we have the meeting at your Uncle Joe's about Alberto's declaration. Will you be there?" asked Anthony, as he slowly released her from his grip. Sophia said yes, she would be at the meeting for the women. He opened the door and helped her into the truck and said goodnight to her brothers.

"Next time Sophia comes for dinner, we'll make lasagna beforehand, this way dinner will be prepared before she comes over, okay Anthony?" said his mother.

"I'm sorry about making a mess out of the kitchen and catching the curtains on fire, when we practiced earlier in the week, it went perfectly," said Anthony.

"Things happen son, the first time I made dinner for your mother; she ended up with food poisoning. Cheer up, you may have ruined your intendeds clothes, but at least you didn't almost kill her," said Carlo as everyone started laughing.

When Sophia and the boys reached their house, Frank and Rose were waiting in the kitchen to hear the details of how the dinner date went. All three children gave them a play by play of what happened and everybody was laughing. After they were finished telling the story, they went downstairs to play video games and Sophia kicked both boys' asses. 

Frank and Rose went back into his study, and resumed the position they had been in before hearing Marcus's truck pull up. Frank reclined against the arm of the sofa, his left leg on the couch and his right foot on the floor with Rose's back against his chest. She quietly read one of her erotic romance novels to him, the ones Sophia didn't have access to. His arms encircled her waist as he scented her neck and hair, thanking Luna for bringing this woman into his life. "Mark that page, after we make sure the boys get home safe, we'll go out in the woods and try that. Make sure to bring your hat," whispered Frank as Rose giggled like a schoolgirl. 

The next day was a quiet one, both Carlucci families had gathered at Frank's house after grocery shopping to have a cookout before the boys training session. Sophia and Maria sat quietly off to the side and talked about their intended mates; the boys played football and horsed around in the pool splashing their sisters until the girls finally joined them. The adults quietly sat in the shade, listening to Frank as he voiced his thoughts about the upcoming meeting with Carlo regarding the Were War and having a ceremony to honor those the Pack had lost. Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

"Each family could come forward and recite the names of their family members that were lost. For the whole families killed, Carlo could read their names," said Annie.

"We could also light a candle on the Altar for each name read, this way the children will realize just how many members we lost. Seeing is more memorable than just hearing," added Rose. 

"Carlo could give a history of the Were War and Frank and I can give security updates the Pack has instituted to ensure it would never happen to us again, from the training, security updates of each home and business, to preparing 'Go bags' and safe houses. The idea is not to cause anxiety but to reassure them of the safety of the Pack," said Joe.

Frank and Joe looked at their children and the thought of them being in danger put their wolves on alert immediately, they started pacing back and forth and growled loudly, their fur standing on end. Their wives put their hands on their arms to calm them down, but the danger scent hung in the air. The Clan stopped playing in the pool immediately, glancing around the yard scenting the air finding nothing but the scent put out by their fathers. Nevertheless all the children exited the pool with a single command from Vincent. Dominic carried Sophia and Lorenzo carried Maria as they ran to their fathers. 

Frank and Joe stood up growling as their children approached, scenting the fear and concern radiating off them. The boys were in a defensive barrier around Dominic and Lorenzo who carried their sisters, Sal and Victor out front, while Gianni, Enzo and Gino were on the left flank, Damian, Paulo and Michael on the right flank and Marcus and Vincent bringing up the rear. 

"What is it Dad, we didn't scent or notice anything," said Vincent, as the rest of the boys continued to surround Sophia and Maria.

"I'm sorry everyone, Uncle Joe and I were angry about something and our wolves perceived it as a threat to the family. We weren't even aware we had put the danger scent in the air," said Frank as he looked at his family and apologized. 

"I want to apologize too," said Joe then turned to Frank. "I'm not quite sure why our wolves got so agitated, but I know mine went from contentment to danger in seconds, as close as our two wolves are connected, they may have fed off of each others anger." Frank looked at him and nodded in agreement. 

"It may also have to do with our daughters finding their mates and them being overly protective because of it or perhaps the incident at Carmelo's," added Frank. "Our wolves may have still been on edge and responded to our agitation even more quickly then normal, though what we were thinking of shouldn't have made our wolves respond as they did."

"Regardless of the reason, we apologize again for upsetting everyone, though I am proud of how quickly everyone responded to the danger scent," said Joe as he looked at each of the children. "Vincent, what command did you give to get everyone out of the pool so quickly?"

"PROTEGGERE," replied Vincent. "We didn't notice anything other then the danger scent from the two of you, but it was strong. Was there anything we did wrong or could have done better?" Everyone looked at Frank and Joe for an assessment on how they reacted.

"Everything was done exactly as you were taught," said Frank with a note of pride in his voice. "Reaction time was excellent; the defensive barrier around the girls was scanning the surrounding area, not just focused on what was in front of you. Do any of you have any questions or concerns?"

The Clan looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, then Damian spoke up, "When are we going to eat, I'm starved." Everyone started laughing and they sat down and ate, everyone laughing and talking at once, though the men were careful not to let the women know the true reason behind the special training session.

Three hours later, all the boys aged 6 to 21 along with their fathers, were assembled in the training hall. Joe led the boys in their warm-ups then broke them down into groups according to skill levels. Frank and Carlo stood quietly to the side and talked about Frank's idea for the Ceremony and Carlo agreed readily. Training proceeded as normal for the next two hours: learning offensive and defensive moves and countermoves.

Frank told everyone to take a 15 minute break and then sparring would commence. The boys cheered as this was their favorite part of training, as they could step up and test their skills against each other in individual challenges. The Clan, Anthony and Alberto noticed Scott huddled with his two buddies, Joel and Jeff and knew Scott would call out Anthony, which was even better as far as they were concerned. This way it would look like Scott was against Anthony's declaration of Sophia and had a personal vendetta against him. 

Anthony said to his father, Frank, Joe and the boys through the bond, "I think Scott will challenge me tonight. He is over there with Joel and Jeff whispering and he keeps looking at me. I can't wait to kick his ass."

Carlo replied, "Let him make the challenge and ask why he is challenging you. Even if you have to make him angry, try and get him to admit that his staring at Sophia is against acceptable behavior." 

Frank went and brought the chalkboard in and told the boys to write down their list of sparring challenges and Joe would pick five matches. The boys aged 16 and younger sat down since they knew only the more experienced older boys would be fighting. All of the Clan, Anthony, Alberto and Angelo stood to the side, shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed not talking just staring at everyone. 

In the end, only five matches were on the board: Dean Benedetto against Vincent, Joel Mendez against Gianni, Jeff Martin against Lorenzo, Ethan Reeder against Dominic and Scott against Anthony. When all the names were posted, the training room was silent and then talking broke out excitedly. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 06



Dean and Vincent met in the middle of the mat, shook hands and started circling each other. They were evenly matched in height, both being 6'3" and weighed about the same at 220 pounds. Their main difference was in their fighting style; Dean was a brawler while Vincent was more cunning. Dean came in high and Vincent easily sidestepped and brought his knee into Dean's stomach knocking the wind out of him. As Dean lowered his chest to absorb the blow, Vincent brought both interlocked hands down upon the back of his neck knocking Dean to the floor. Vincent then rolled Dean onto his back and forced him to submit. His time was under 45 seconds.

Joel and Gianni were up next, both evenly matched at 6'1" and about 200 pounds. Gianni offered his hand and Joel just nodded at him. Gianni thought to himself, "If that's the way he wants it, fine." Joel came at him with both hands raised, Gianni braced himself, grabbed Joel's right hand, spun him around twisting his arm behind his back. He then used this momentum to flip Joel onto the mat; he then landed a series of blows on Joel's stomach knocking the air out of his lungs. Gianni walked around Joel until he got back on his feet then he did a roundhouse kick and knocked Joel out. His time was under two minutes. 

Jeff and Lorenzo shook hands and stood there for several seconds sizing each other up. Both were 6'1", Jeff had the weight advantage at 220 pounds to Lorenzo's 200 pounds. Jeff narrowed his eyes and said to Lorenzo, "I'm gonna kick your ass." Lorenzo looked at him, smirked and said, "In your fucking dreams." Jeff growled and both boys started running at each other, at the last second Lorenzo ducked low and to the left wrapping his right arm around Jeff's midsection throwing him to the mat, he rolled to his feet and waited for Jeff to get back up. As Jeff staggered to his feet, Lorenzo landed a series of blows to his midsection, as Jeff's chest came down, Lorenzo brought his knee up and broke Jeff's nose propelling him back onto the mat. His time was 2 minutes only because he wanted to toy with Jeff. 

Ethan and Dominic met and shook hands, both were 6'3" but Ethan outweighed Dominic by 30 pounds. Ethan charged at Dominic trying to overpower him with his weight difference, but Dominic was much faster as he rolled under Ethan's outstretched arms and kicked him in the back of his legs knocking him onto his knees. Dominic then jumped onto Ethan's back pulling on his left arm until the sound of his shoulder dislocating reverberated throughout the room. His time was 25 seconds.

Frank called for a ten minute break to let Dr. Sullivan finish tending to the injured boys. Joel had already regained consciousness and Jeff's nose had been reset before it started to heal. Ethan's arm was popped back into the socket, Dominic helping to hold down his friend as there were no hard feelings between the two of them as they both knew when you were chosen to spar you went all out. Lorenzo and Gianni both went to Joel and Jeff and shook their hands, both knowing whatever grudge Scott had tried to start was now finished, as Joel and Jeff both went into a submissive pose when they shook hands. Dean and Vincent were both quietly laughing as Vincent told Dean about Alberto's declaration of Maria.

Carlo pulled Scott's father, George Hammond to the side and asked if he knew about the situation between Anthony and Scott. Mr. Hammond said he knew Scott was upset over some girl but that was all he knew so Carlo filled him in on what Scott had been doing over the last week since Anthony's declaration for Sophia. Mr. Hammond hung his head in shame and Carlo said the boys would clear the air once and for all, after today the matter would be finished or Scott could face sanctions.

Joe brought all the younger children under the age of 15 into the observation room, where they could see the fight, but not hear what was going on. He had one of the older men pass out snacks instructing the youngsters to have a seat on the bleachers and to watch the match as Anthony was one of the more skilled fighters. 

Frank nodded his head to Scott and Anthony. The training room was deathly quiet as the two strode to the middle of the mat. Anthony stood at 6'3" and 230 pounds of pure muscle, while Scott was 6'2" and 260 pounds of muscle with an obvious covering of fat. While Anthony had a well defined 8-pack, there was no muscular definition in Scott's abdomen. Where Anthony had broad well defined shoulders, Scotts were more rounded and without obvious muscle tone. 

Anthony held out his hand and Scott refused to shake it, he glanced at his father who obviously was embarrassed at his refusal and was berating him through their bond. Scott then reluctantly shook Anthony's hand. Anthony said, "Before we start, I want to know why you challenged me. I thought the issue between us was resolved."

"THE ISSUE? YOU FUCKING MY GIRLFRIEND IS AN ISSUE?" screamed Scott. 

"She was never your girlfriend Scott; we asked if she was your girlfriend and she said she didn't know who you were. She was a girl who let not only me fuck her, but Gianni and Lorenzo in the same night and this is the girl you are going to destroy a friendship over?" said Anthony. 

"She wanted me and you took her away from me, she wanted ME," shouted Scott as he pounded his hands on his chest. "You took something from me, so I'm going to take something from you." 

"Is that why you have been staring at my Sophia even knowing I have declared myself to her? She is my intended MATE Scott, the woman I have pledged myself to love and protect for the rest of my life," said Anthony in a near shout. "What do you hope to achieve in this challenge? Do you think if you win you get Sophia? You will NEVER win against me and you will never have Sophia. She is MINE." 

The assembled crowd upon hearing the last two exchanges gasped loudly and whispers were heard that Scott had tried to come between two intended mates. 

"I want her; you don't deserve to have her. Just because you are the Alpha's son doesn't mean you should get everything you want," said Scott while clenching his fists at his side.

"I didn't choose her; it was preordained by Luna with the mating pull. You know what the mating pull is, don't you? It is when two halves become whole and they cannot be broken apart except by death," said Anthony. "I have been given nothing, I work hard for everything I get and achieve. I have to prove everyday I am worthy to lead this Pack when my father steps down."

"YOU CAN STOP THIS NOW SCOTT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHALLENGE ME, BACK AWAY FROM SOPHIA. SHE IS NOT YOURS, NOR WILL SHE EVER BE. SHE IS MINE," shouted Anthony giving Scott one last chance before he started to fight him.

"I WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO YOU, AND I WILL HAVE SOPHIA," shouted Scott as he lunged at Anthony. Anthony roared out a growl grabbing Scott in midair by the right arm in an arm bar and flipped him down onto the mat where Scott landed with a thud. Scott rolled to his feet slowly shaking his arm and holding his shoulder while Anthony narrowed his eyes and watched him. 

Scott again came running at Anthony who braced himself. Scott threw a reverse punch but Anthony blocked it, grabbing him in a wrist lock while utilizing his momentum he pulled Scott off balance right into a knee strike to his abdomen. Before Scott could catch his breath, Anthony interlocked his hands and hit Scott between his shoulder blades before rolling to the side leaving Scott gasping for breath. Anthony backed off, waiting to see what he would do next. Scott came charging towards him again, this time he picked Scott up, lifting him over his head and threw him several feet away, Scott landing on his back and grimacing in pain while Anthony was barely breathing hard. 

Anthony decided to take the offensive this time as soon as Scott was on his feet. He started to circle Scott and when he saw an opening, he delivered a stunning series of blows to his abdomen, back and kidney area, his fists moving so fast they were a blur even for the advanced eyesight of the audience. He moved away leaving Scott grimacing in pain on his knees, his torso and back bright red with dark bruises already forming. Anthony stood there rolling his neck back and forth and flexing his hands, again waiting for Scott to get to his feet as this wasn't about sparring; this was about domination, showing his superior strength and fighting skills not only to Scott but to all the assembled males. 

Scott slowly rose to his feet breathing heavily, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs and suddenly ran towards Anthony who wasn't fooled by the ploy. He stepped to the side, ducking under Scott's arm and kicked his foot right into Scott's hip, causing his leg to go numb and Scott dropped to the floor. Anthony walked around Scott giving him time to recover and he slowly got back to his feet, favoring his left leg. Anthony came running towards Scott and before he could react Anthony had swept his legs out from under him, bringing his left arm around breaking Scott's nose. 

"Will you submit, Scott and stop your unwelcome pursuit of Sophia or are we going to continue?" asked Anthony, standing with his arms crossed over his chest reminding everyone of his father in his looks and posture. Scott rolled to his feet blood dripping from his nose; he extended his claws and shifted into his hybrid form. 

A collective gasp was heard as the use of claws and shifting was not permitted in sparring. George came to his feet, shouting at his son to stop, but Scott was beyond all reasoning at this point. He wanted to hurt Anthony as much as he had been hurt. Alpha Carlo also got to his feet, shouting at Scott to stop, using the Alpha tone. Scott dropped to his knees and held his head as he obeyed the command and also realized how far he had let jealousy take him. 

Anthony waved both fathers back, this needed to be stopped today and he had to be the one to stop it. Through the bond with his father he said, "Dad, release Scott from your command, I know what I'm doing." Carlo stared at his only son intently, then nodded his head and released Scott from his command.

Anthony stepped forward and said to Scott, "Think carefully of what your next move is going to be. You have already broken the rules of sparring by shifting and baring your claws, you have violated the sanctity of the mating pull by pursuing my intended mate. I don't want to hurt you my friend, but if you pursue this, you leave me no choice." Anthony extended his hand to the boy he had called friend since childhood; Scott looked up at him with tears in his eyes and grabbed it. Anthony hauled him to his feet and they stood staring at each other for several seconds before embracing and moving apart. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of those things I said about you or Sophia," said Scott as he slowly turned and walked away from Anthony. "The evening we met Amy at the basketball game, she came after me. With all those guys there, she came up to ME, and that usually doesn't happen and I let her get under my skin and almost ruin our friendship, I'm sorry Anthony."

"Scott, I told you that night at the bowling alley, if I had known you wanted her, I would have told her to get lost. I value our friendship way more than getting a piece of tail. You've got to let it go, she tried playing both of us and ending up losing," said Anthony with his hands on his hips. "What I need to know now is, can we move forward from this? Are you going to stop your pursuit of Sophia?"

"Yeah, I was only looking at Sophia because I knew it would piss you off," said Scott with a laugh. "Since you felt the mating pull, you have been acting like a raging lunatic and not just with me. When it wasn't directed at me, it was actually fun to watch." 

"Well, you certainly didn't help things. So, we good now? Anything else we need to clear up?" asked Anthony with a smile on his face. "We're good," said Scott coming up to Anthony and shaking his hand. Anthony told him to have a seat on the bleachers since there was one more thing he needed to do. 

Joe motioned for the youngsters to rejoin them in the main training room; the room was filled with quiet conversation for several moments wondering what Anthony was going to do next. 

"Alberto, come up here with me please," said Anthony. Alberto came running up to Anthony bumping fists when he reached him. "As everyone knows by now I have made my declaration for Sophia and Alberto has made a declaration for Maria. Does anybody else have a problem?"

All the male members of the Clan, plus Angelo came out to the center of the mat, Frank's family standing beside Anthony and Joe's family standing beside Alberto to show their support and approval of the declarations. None of the assembled males in the audience said a word, just glanced around wondering who would be stupid enough to go against Anthony or Alberto, let alone the Carlucci's and Angelo. 

Alpha Carlo, Frank and Joe strode out to the center of the mat, smiling at the boys and told everybody to have a seat. Once the boys had settled back down onto the bleachers everyone waited for Alpha Carlo to speak. 

"I have heard the rumors wondering what is going on at the old Damiani home, about the increased security for the school and the protection detail we are putting together," said the Alpha to the assembled crowd and also projecting out to the entire Pack through the bond. "I will not go into details at this moment, but I will let you know we will be welcoming a new family into the Pack this weekend at the Full Moon Ceremony. Attendance to this event will be mandatory for all; I don't think anybody wants to miss this introduction." As he said this, he looked at Frank and Joe and all three of them smiled. Everyone wondered who it could possibly be to cause the increase in security and speculation would run rampant the following week.

"I want to remind everyone to check their training schedules; we have added several new courses. Ed Giovanni, who works for the FBI, recommended we add a defensive driving course, this is mandatory for everybody age 16 and up, adults included. The course will be broken down into two sections, classroom and practical. The classroom section will show how to detect if you are being followed, what to note about the vehicle or vehicles following you and what steps to follow. The practical will be hands on experience in evasion and escape," Carlo said. 

"George Reeder, who works for Homeland Security, recommended a course on Urban Camouflage, basically how to blend into your surroundings in case of emergency and you are on the run. This will be all classroom experience and will involve how to dress and act like those around you, so we don't stick out like tourists. For this exercise, everyone will be required to bring their 'Go-bags'. If you have any questions, contact Frank or Joe," Carlo said as he then broke the bond with the rest of the Pack.

"Boys, everyone did a great job and the next practice will be an overnight training session starting Friday at 4 PM, where we will go out into the woods to practice tracking, evading a pursuit and sending out false trails," said Joe. A cheer went up from the boys upon learning of the overnight training session, as hard as Frank and Joe pushed them during training they always tried to make it fun too.

"All boys and girls from ages 6 to 21 will attend, fathers also. We will have a cookout to start the evening, and then start with tracking and evading and progress from there as the night goes on," said Frank. "We will be practicing in the woods behind the Alphas home, mine, Joe's, the Belluci's and the old Damiani spread. This area encompasses almost 2000 acres and should provide enough terrain and streams to provide good training." 

"Command central will be Frank's house, since he has the biggest pool," said Carlo with a laugh. "If you feel uncomfortable leaving the little ones and your mates unprotected overnight, they will be welcomed at either my home or at Joe's. Phillip and Matt will be in charge of providing security for them. I am sure our mates will be glad to get away from us for a while." All the older men laughed at this, knowing their mates would welcome the chance to get away from them.

"Frank will send an email with the supplies you need, but camping gear is definitely on the top of the list. I will need to know if your mates and little ones are going to be staying so Annie and Madame Gina can make the proper arrangements," said Joe with a smile. 

"We should be finished with our training session at dawn on Saturday morning and will have breakfast with the women and little ones. This leaves plenty of time to get some sleep before the Ceremony, which will start at 5 PM. We have a wide variety of activities lined up for the youngsters and a special ceremony honoring the signing of the treaty ending The Were War. Any questions? If not then everyone is free to go," said Carlo. No one had any questions; everyone was talking excitedly at the news of the new family arriving and the new training courses as they left. 

Frank, Joe, Carlo and Carmelo looked at their sons still standing around talking. Joe said, "Okay guys, everybody load up, don't bother taking showers, you can just jump in the pool to clean up, we have food ready and our women are waiting on us." With thoughts of Sophia and Maria, Anthony and Alberto raced out of the training room everyone else laughing at their eagerness to see their intended mates. 

There was baked ziti, lasagna, stuffed peppers, chicken Alfredo, antipasto, meatballs, hot and sweet Italian sausages, roast beef, Virginia ham, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, au gratin potatoes along with freshly baked bread. Anthony and Alberto made sure to scent their intended mates as soon as they entered Joe's house, then the boys descended on the food like a horde of locusts acting like it had been days instead of hours since they had eaten. When they were finished loading up their plates, the only food left was crusts of bread. 

The adults shook their heads and laughed, while Sophia and Maria stood there with their mouths open, they couldn't believe the boys were eating that much food. Their mothers knew better though and just smiled and turned around to get more platters. Rita, Carmelo's mate said, "And you men wonder why our food bills are so high."

After everyone had eaten, it was decided since Maria had been informed of the rules for dating only the week before and Alberto already knew them, they would hold both talks together out on the patio. 

"Do either of you have any questions before we start," asked Joe with a smile towards his daughter. Both Maria and Alberto shook their heads no, as Alberto leaned in to scent his intended making Maria giggle and blush.

"Anthony and Alberto, the first thing we have to determine is do you both feel comfortable having your intended in the others company if you are not there," said Carlo. "You both are good friends and the girls are cousins, but we need to know if your wolves feel comfortable knowing your intended is in the presence of an unmated male. The only way we know is to try and see what your wolves do."

Carlo instructed Alberto and Anthony to move to opposite sides of the pool and for Maria to go to Anthony and Sophia to go to Alberto. A low growl was heard from both boys, but no other sounds and movements so Carlo asked what their wolves were doing.

"My wolf is sitting there alert, he doesn't like Al being near our mate but he knows he will protect her," said Anthony. Alberto said his wolf felt the same. Carlo then instructed Angelo to go and stand next to Sophia and asked Anthony what his wolf was doing. Anthony again growled low and said, "He really doesn't like Angelo, sorry about that Ang, but he is putting up with him because he knows he will protect Sophia also."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 07



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

*

Friday morning was a busy day at Robertson's Sporting Goods Store; it was full of anxious fathers and their youngsters checking the list Frank had emailed against what they needed to buy: family size tent, sleeping bag, hiking boots, swimsuit, towel, shorts, t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants, backpack with supplies for the session.

It was hard to tell who was more anxious and excited, the fathers or the youngsters. The youngsters were excited because it was an overnight training session and they were going to be away from home, some for the first time. The men were excited for some male bonding time and had their own mental checklist: alcohol, cigars and money, because when the men got together, Poker topped their agenda, specifically Texas Hold-Em. They knew while the youngsters were training they would be busy, but when the youngsters went to bed, drinking and socializing would commence without their mates to monitor them and it was time to let off some steam.

At noon, Alpha and Madame Alpha Rossi rang the doorbell of the Miller household as the sounds of laughter and girls squealing could be heard from inside the home. The Rossi's looked at each other and laughed, as the door was opened by Todd who welcomed his new Alpha's into the home. Todd brought Holly forward for a formal introduction and she thanked the Alpha's for the stocked refrigerator and cabinets, saying it was completely unexpected but extremely welcome. Todd's mother and father, Nana Ellen and Papa Mike were the next to be formally introduced. As each adult was welcomed and scented by the Alpha's they felt the Alpha Bond grow, like tiny gossamer threads linking them to each other.

The house had gotten eerily quiet and the Alpha's looked up to the second floor landing and saw ten beautiful girls staring down at them. The first thing the Alpha's noticed was their eyes, grey eyes so light in color they appeared silver. They had jet black hair pulled back into ponytails, and it was so dark it appeared to have blue highlights as the sun hit it from the upper foyer window and they were so fair it looked like they hadn't been in the sunlight for years. They were all dressed alike, beige shorts with white t-shirts with 'Miller' written across the left chest pocket. The Alpha's smiled at the girls hoping to ease the anxiety evident in their eyes.

Todd had noticed where the Alpha's were looking and upon seeing his daughters, he smiled and said, "Millers, step forward." The girls came down the stairs and lined up according to age, waiting on their father to introduce them to their new Alpha's.

"Alpha Rossi, Madame Alpha Rossi I would like to introduce you to my daughters Brianna, Morgan, Caitlin, Erin, Kelly, Aislin, Fallon, Shannon, Fiona and Maeve," said Todd with pride in his voice. As each name was announced, each girl stepped forward with her head bowed and let the Alpha's scent her, feeling the bond grow.

Holly asked the Alpha's to join the family in the living room to get more comfortable and refreshments were brought in and served.

"Did you find the directory on the counter? Phillip, who runs the floral shop, put it together when he and his mate Matthew moved here, they wrote everything down they felt was useful and we have expanded on their idea so you can easily navigate your way around. It contains directions and information to The Manor House, training areas, high school, shopping, restaurants and many more businesses. There is also a complete list of Pack members including names, position, addresses, and phone numbers. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call anyone in the Pack," said Alpha Carlo.

"Tomorrow night you will be formally introduced at the Full Moon Ceremony," said Alpha Carlo. "Up until that time, I would like for you to remain at your home and get settled, as we would like to make your introduction a surprise. Todd, in the discussions we had, I don't believe you mentioned how old your daughters were, just that they were teenagers."

Holly replied, "Brianna and Morgan are 17, Caitlin and Erin are 16, Kelly and Aislin are 15, Fallon and Shannon are 14, and Fiona and Maeve are 13. This will be Kelly and Aislin's first shift. In our old Pack, the youngsters that hadn't shifted were excluded from the ceremony and were sequestered, so this will be new to them."

"We believe all members should be included in the ceremony, no matter how young they are. There are activities for the youngsters and they do s'mores over the bonfire, have a sing-along, play games or just socialize," said Madame Gina.

"When it is time for the Pack Run, each family has their own cabin to change and shift if they want privacy and you will temporarily be assigned the guest cabin until one can be built for you. First time shifters are brought to a clearing to be surrounded by their family while they undergo their change while maintaining privacy," said Alpha Carlo with a smile to the girls.

"Girls, on Sunday you will be given a tour of your new school by Principal Richards. I know not all of you are old enough to attend high school, but I think it best if all of you take the tour. We have one of the highest rated high schools in the State of MD, and our students consistently test in the upper 10% and we expect all of you to maintain those standards," continued Alpha Carlo.

"To welcome you, we have bags for each of the girls containing t-shirts, shorts and sweatshirts with the school logo on them. From Aldo, who is head of school security, there are binders with school rules and emergency procedures. There are also gifts from local Pack businesses," said Madame Gina. "If it's okay with your parents, you are welcome to look at them now." With a nod from Todd, the girls ran out of the room to get the bags from the foyer and came right back opening them and whispering to each other over the contents.

"In the upcoming week, everyone will be assessed by Frank and Joe Carlucci, who are in charge in Pack security, as to your skill levels in defense and combat. We have training sessions weekly for defense and physical combat and we also have training sessions for First Aid, cooking classes for the men, auto mechanics, survival skills, hunting and tracking and we have recently added defensive driving and Urban Camouflage," said Alpha Rossi. "Todd, as a Beta coming from another Pack, if you find we are missing something in our training, please let us know. We are always looking for new ways to improve the safety of our Pack."

"Girls, why don't you go upstairs and finish unpacking, there are things the adults need to talk about regarding Pack policies," said Todd. Each girl grabbed their bag and smiled shyly as they thanked the Alpha's as they left the room.

"Let's go into the study, its sound-proof so we can continue this conversation in private," said Alpha Carlo. "This will also give me a chance to show you how your security system works. There is a hidden camera in the vent system in the hall so we will see the girls if they need you." He showed the Millers where the access button was to open the security panel and powered the system up, lights started flashing and monitors came to life.

Alpha Carlo, Todd and Papa Mike walked around the house and made sure all the windows and doors were securely locked and warned the girls not to open them as they were testing the security system. Todd told the girls they would be in the study if they needed them, but not to need them for a while. All the girls smiled at their Dad, this was another expression of his that he liked to tell them a lot.

"I would like to invite the two of you to join us on Tuesdays at The Manor House for the women's lunch group. Everyone brings their own lunch and we take turns making dessert. It gives us a good opportunity to catch up on Pack gossip and to be quite honest, a good opportunity to get away from our mates," said Madame Gina with a laugh as they waited for the men to rejoin them.

The men went back to the study and Alpha Carlo showed the Millers how to use the security system. He gave them a diagram of the house showing the placement of the hidden cameras and audio systems and also where all the alarm buttons were located. Alpha Carlo said when they were done talking he would show the whole family how to access the safe room which contained dedicated telephone, electrical, plumbing and air systems as well as a backup battery-powered generator.

"Damn, whoever designed these safety features has got to be paranoid and probably psychopathic. There are safety measures backed by more safety measures. I've never seen anything like this before, have you Dad?" asked Todd. His father shook his head no and was staring at the hidden panel where the system was located, still trying to figure out how it had been concealed behind the built in bookcase.

Alpha Carlo started laughing, "You have described my top two Beta's perfectly. As I told you before, Frank and Joe are also your neighbors. I know they are anxious to meet you to get your opinion on the security used in your previous Pack. Now what was it you wished to discuss?"

Todd looked at his wife and parents and they nodded at Todd who took a deep breath and said, "Alpha Rossi, please forgive me for this, but there is something I need to ask to make sure of for the safety of my family. My daughters are my life and I will do anything to protect them. The bonds and commands I had with my previous Alpha have been broken and this is enabling me to speak about this for the first time."

"Alpha, you told me when I first approached you that your Pack doesn't participate in a mate rut, correct? I know a mate rut is normal for most Packs, but not the way our former Pack did theirs," Todd took another deep breath and grabbed Holly's hand as he continued, "All of the unmated females were forced to service the unmated males from our Pack and two others as soon as they turned 18 and this would continue until they were claimed by their mates. The thought of our daughters being raped and forced to participate in this was the reason we wanted to leave our old Pack. I am sorry I couldn't tell you everything when I approached you, but I was desperate and bound by the Alpha command."

Carlo tilted his head back and growled loudly, his fists clenching and unclenching. Gina immediately grabbed his hand to calm him down and it took several minutes before he got his wolf under control. Todd looked at him and misinterpreted his response thinking his Alpha was mad at him and tilted his head in a submissive posture but Carlo waved it away and said, "Todd, I am not mad at you. It makes me furious female Weres are treated this way in your old Pack."

Carlo sat back and thought about the Miller girls, he couldn't imagine the desperation Todd and Holly had felt in trying to protect their daughters, and he didn't even want to think of Frank and Joe's reaction when they heard this news. He asked Todd if it was okay if they came over so they could hear this and Todd nodded his head. He contacted them through the bond and told them to come immediately. His next thought was the Alpha Council; they had to be made aware of this, but he needed all the information before making the call.

Frank and Joe arrived within minutes, introductions were made and Carlo brought them up to date on what Todd had told him. Both men acted as Carlo had predicted, low growls were coming from their throats at the thought of their daughters being forced to have sex with numerous men.

"Let me start off by saying NO ONE is forced to have sexual relations in this Pack and if we find that any male forces a female they are brought before the Tribunal. We teach our males that female Weres are to be protected, respected and cherished and you will find the males are extremely protective of the females in their family and their intended mates," said Alpha Carlo.

"Todd, I have to let the Alpha Council know about this situation, and I will contact them as soon as we leave here. This goes against every edict the Council has initiated to protect females and their safety will be the Councils first priority. The second priority will be finding everyone who is guilty and bring them before the Tribunal for judgement," stated Carlo firmly. "I cannot believe this has been going on and the Council was unaware of this."

"Alpha, we were forbidden from talking about this through the Alpha Command. Also no one attended Council meetings, except the Alpha, his brother and the top Beta. I was only able to attend the last meeting because the top Betas were unable to go and I was asked," said Todd with his head bowed. "All communication in and out of the Pack is also monitored, remember I had to talk on a payphone and I was afraid of being discovered. Very few people are allowed to leave the Pack grounds without security people monitoring their every movement."

"We have been trying for the last three years to make arrangements in secret for us to leave before our daughters came of age. We knew with South Mountain Packs reputation you would be strong enough to protect our family, but if you would not have accepted us before Brianna and Morgan turned 18, we would have left in the middle of the night with nowhere to go," as Todd said this he put his arm around Holly and held her tight.

"Son, you would not have been alone, we would have gone with you anywhere and done anything to protect you, Holly and our granddaughters," Papa Mike said as he looked at his son. Todd looked at his father and nodded his head as tears gathered in both of their eyes.

"You told me on our first meeting there were other families that wanted to leave, correct?" asked Carlo.

"My sister Sage and her family," said Holly with tears in her eyes as Todd continued to hold his mate. "My parents stayed behind to help protect them, their oldest daughters are thirteen. I didn't want to leave them behind, but Sage and her mate convinced us to leave while we had a chance to save our daughters. I promised them if they weren't safe by the time the twins turned seventeen, we would go back and kidnap them if necessary."

"Alpha Rossi, there are other families also," said Papa Miller. "All of the families with daughters are scared, but it is not just the girls who are being harmed by this either. If the girls do not come forward to be presented to the unmated males, then their fathers, brothers even grandfathers are brought into the combat circle with their hands tied behind their back and forced to fight until the girls present themselves. Most of the girls come forward immediately because the males are helpless, and they know from past experience some males have been left crippled and maimed for life and there have even been a few that have died."

"You know about the girls that ran away; we think they were sold to rogues because their parents spoke out. This is how they exert control, they threaten the parents with the children, and they keep the children under control by harming the parents," said Todd as he grimaced. "Our girls didn't even sleep in our quarters; all the children were housed in one large room on bunk beds so they had complete control of them."

"How long has this been going on?" asked Frank who was clenching and unclenching his fists.

"The last five years. Alpha Davis is getting old and I have a suspicion he is being drugged by his brother Charles. Charles is a sadistic lazy arrogant bastard and has pretty much taken over, and is letting two of the surrounding Packs worm their way in. Anyone who tries to protest or leave is sanctioned by Charles' special security force and whole families have even disappeared. The story they present is they moved away, but we know better," said Papa Mike with a helpless look in his eyes.

"I'm still not sure why they allowed us to move away, unless they thought we were already under your protection Alpha Rossi and you would raise questions if we were not allowed to move or something happened to us. I know for a fact Charles and his security force are scared of you and particularly Frank and Joe," said Todd as he looked at the three men.

"Yeah, we know Charles. When we attended sabbaticals years ago, Carlo, Frank and I were chosen to spar against him and eight of his Pack members, nine against three. Frank broke his leg with a sweep, and Carlo broke his arm when he threw him across the room. I didn't get a piece of him, but I took down several of his Pack mates," said Joe with a smirk on his face. "I'd like to get a piece of him now." Carlo and Frank nodded their heads in agreement.

"Until this matter is resolved, we will take extra precautions to ensure your safety and we will go over the increased security requirements with Matt and Phillip tomorrow. I will make sure the Council is discreet, but word may still leak out and I wouldn't put it past Charles to send some of his more zealous security people here to observe you and your family," said Alpha Carlo.

Todd looked at his wife and parents and they nodded their heads, "This sounds fine to us, anything you feel is appropriate we will do. After the stress our girls have been forced to live under for the last five years, we just want them to be normal teenage female Weres. You know what I mean, worry about clothes, boys, makeup, school and whatever it is that makes them giggle so much. We haven't heard them giggle much in the last five years and I could have listened to them for hours this morning. They are good girls, but they've had to mature faster then they should have watching their older friends being forced to..." Todd couldn't finish as he hung his head down and Holly rubbed his shoulder and grasped his hand tightly.

"Todd, those granddaughters of mine are stronger then you think, and they realize everything you and Holly have done to protect them," said Nana Miller firmly. "I can feel the change in them already, it's been a long time since I've heard them laughing and as we sat in the kitchen earlier, it was the most beautiful music I have ever heard." All the adults smiled, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Have you had a chance to check your belongings to see if any listening devices were implanted in them? Knowing how devious Charles is, I wouldn't put it past him to do this," said Frank looking at Joe who nodded in agreement. "Don't worry this room is soundproof, so is your basement rec room and the safe room. The rest of the house being made of concrete, steel and rebar naturally distorts sounds waves."

"You must be the paranoid one," said Papa Miller with a laugh as Todd shook his head no and said, "We never thought of anything like that."

"I'll give you a wireless detector, I have a spare in my truck," said Joe. "Make sure you run it over everything you brought with you and make sure you do your cars. You should check your house when somebody comes over you are unfamiliar with and also do random checks."

"You must be the psychopathic one," said Todd as he smiled. "We've never seen security measures like this before. What we have in the house is more then we had in The Lodge, at least as far as I was aware and I was number four Beta."

"Every family has a wireless detector and Electronic Surveillance is one of the training sessions you will take," said Frank looking at the Millers. "The course is designed to detect and disable listening and tracking devices, and also how to plant them. It is taught by a Pack member who is a former CIA agent."

"We will talk about the training classes tomorrow evening, right now we have to get ready for tonight's training session. We would have had your girls join us if we didn't think it would cause a disturbance," said Joe with a laugh. "Your family is the first we have known that has more then one girl."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 07



"We will introduce your security detail tomorrow night. They have already been screened to make sure they understood the temperament of the teenage female Were. The poor guys had to follow several Pack members daughters for a week of shopping, dance classes, training sessions, bowling, roller skating, swimming, dates and cheerleading practice," said Frank laughing.

Frank and Joe looked at their watches and said they really had to go; they only had two hours to finish preparing for tonight's training. Both men made sure Todd had their contact information and they reminded him to set the alarm as soon as the Alpha's left and to remain around the house until tomorrow.

When they left, Todd looked at his Alpha and said, "Well, those two are quite a pair, aren't they?" Alpha Carlo nodded and started laughing and replied, "You don't know the half of it. Wait until they get to know you better and you get to really see how their minds work; sometimes they scare the hell out of me and I've known them since we were toddlers." At this statement everyone started laughing.

Alpha Carlo looked at the monitors and said, "I think your daughters want you." Everyone turned to look at the wall of monitors and saw Brianna standing before the study door, and then one by one she was joined by her sisters who started looking at the study door, then talking quietly to each other. Alpha Carlo got up and turned on the audio. "You knock" "No, you knock you're the oldest" "Daddy said not to disturb him" "This may be important though" "He'll want to see this".

Todd opened the door, anxious to see what had his daughters so upset. Brianna looked at him with fear evident in her eyes and said, "Daddy, we were unpacking your clothes and I found this note. It was addressed to you so I didn't read it, but its in Charles' handwriting."

Todd took the note and he and Carlo scanned it quickly, both throwing back their heads and growling loudly as Carlo sent a message to Frank and Joe to return immediately. The note was passed from adult to adult as the girls looked on with terror in their eyes at the reaction the note was getting. Holly, Madame Gina, Nana and Papa went to the girls to reassure them they were safe, that Alpha Carlo and the Pack would protect them.

The girls looked at their Alpha who at that moment terrified them until he said quietly, "Don't worry little ones; I give you my vow everything will be alright." One by one they nodded their heads, convinced he would do as promised.

Todd hugged his daughters and after giving them his promise also, he sent them down to the rec room with Nana telling them the adults had to talk. Realizing he hadn't swept the room for listening devices as Joe had instructed, he warned them not to talk out loud, but to use their bond to communicate. The girls looked at him with questions in their eyes, but obeyed him immediately.

Within minutes the Carlucci brothers were knocking on the door and were ushered immediately into the study by Papa Miller. "What happened," said Frank looking around the study, "Are the girls okay?" Carlo handed the note to Frank and Joe:

Todd,

I know you are no longer compelled to obey the Alpha command to keep quiet about Davis Pack business, but remember Holly's family is still here. It will be easy to destroy them one daughter at a time and make them disappear forever; a simple matter of informing the Pack they decided to join you and no one will ever know.

Don't think we would stop with Sage and her brood either. Carlo and his henchmen don't scare us; we could come in there anytime and pick off your daughters one by one starting with Brianna. I've wanted her for years and I hope you'll be able to hear her scream for you as I tear her apart.

The choice is up to you. Run your mouth and kill your family or keep quiet and they will live. For now. We have people watching so think before you make a choice you will regret for the rest of your life.

Charles

"That arrogant fucking bastard," said Joe with a growl as he, Frank and Carlo looked at each other. "No one threatens somebody in our Pack," answered Frank with an accompanying growl. The Millers looked at each other and weren't sure who to be more scared of; Charles, their Alpha or the Carlucci brothers.

Carlo was already on his cell talking to Alpha Council President Roberts and informing him of what had taken place. Everyone sat quietly and with their advanced hearing they could hear both sides of the conversation, though with the screaming the President was doing it really wasn't necessary. They could hear people running in and out of his office as he shouted for the Security Director and all the information that could be gathered about Davis Pack and he asked Carlo what other Packs were involved. Carlo quietly asked Todd if he knew the specific names of the Packs.

"The Carlsbad and Grant Packs both from New Mexico," said Todd. "They have moved several of their families into Davis Pack over the last several years. The Lee, Franklin and King Packs in Texas were not involved. Charles was worried they were too powerful for him to control."

The Councils onsite security force was mobilized immediately and they heard President Roberts saying he wanted to be wheels up in two hours and their destination was Brownwood, TX, which would take approximately three hours flight time. The security forces would do an initial recon of Davis Pack this evening and start setting up the base of operations. He told his SD to put all three of the Alpha's from the other Texas Packs along with their security forces and medical personnel on alert, and to tell the Alpha's he would personally call them in a few hours.

The President and SD said tomorrow night was the perfect time for them to plan a raid as the Full Moon Ceremony was taking place as they could recon what was going on at Davis Pack and act immediately. Even if nothing illegal was going on, the note Charles had written to Todd threatening Holly's family was enough for them to ensure their safety and the wellbeing of the other families.

Carlo asked President Roberts if he needed some assistance from the security forces of South Mountain Pack as Frank and Joe both sat up and nodded their heads yes.

"Carlo, I would like nothing better then to get those two insane Beta's of yours out here to kick some ass, but if Charles has people watching your Pack they would notice if your top two Beta's suddenly disappeared," said President Roberts. "You must continue your training session and the introduction tomorrow night as you had planned when you sent in your briefing. If there is any deviation it may alert them and put Holly's family in danger."

Reluctantly Carlo, Frank and Joe agreed to stay at home and carry on as normal. President Roberts asked the Millers to keep the line open so he could call with questions regarding the layout of Davis Pack and get more information about the families in danger. He also said he would keep Todd and Carlo updated, but he had to get off the line to get ready for their flight.

All of the adults, except Carlo were stunned at the speed in which President Roberts reacted. He alone knew the motivation behind the Presidents reaction which was the kidnapping, rape and murder of his sixteen year old sister by a spurned male; a trusted family friend, HIS best friend and to this day he still felt that betrayal. This was why the Council had so many policies regarding the protection of underage female Weres; he never wanted another family to go through what his family had, even all these years later he still mourned her loss and blamed himself.

"Okay, Frank and Joe you have a training session to get ready for. I will show up as I normally would with Anthony. Gina, you need to finish getting ready for the women and little ones to come to The Manor House," said Carlo.

"When we leave, lock the house down and do not leave for any reason. We will be roaming around in the woods all around Joe's and Frank's properties and the edge of yours, so I doubt any of Charles' men would be around," said Carlo. "I also want you to check everything, and I mean everything for any listening devices or hidden cameras, if you find them don't do anything, but let me know and I will have Frank and Joe disable them. Is that understood?" All of the Millers nodded their head in agreement.

"Now we need to find an excuse as to why Frank and Joe came hurrying back," said Madame Gina. "I have a cake you can take to the training session this evening," said Holly. While they went to gather the cake, Carlo showed Todd how to access the safe room which was located behind the washer and dryer. Todd couldn't wait to show his Dad this, but first he would have a little fun and see if he could find it.

Several minutes later, Todd stood at the front door saying goodbye to his Alpha's, Frank and Joe. They stood there laughing and shaking hands as they normally would at the end of a visit. Frank and Joe good naturedly telling Todd they couldn't wait to spar with him, Todd looked at the two of them and said, "I better make sure my life and health insurance policies are up to date." Frank, Joe and Carlo started laughing with Frank saying, "I think I'm going to like you, you'll fit right in."

A little over an hour later, Frank's backyard was overrun with youngsters and their fathers as they set up their tents and prepared for the training session. The youngsters had basically the same clothing; hiking boots, camo hats, shirts and shorts or cargo pants, even their backpacks were camo. The girls had their hair in either ponytails or pigtails, though Frank laughed when he saw the dark green and beige ribbons.

Joe was handing out team assignments; each older family was paired with a younger one and the families with three or less youngsters were put in as needed for balance. He told each team to get together to start strategizing while they waited to eat.

Franks brood was paired with Larry Costello's children; five boys and one girl, Reggie (10), Mick (9), Derek (8), Lou (7), Wade (6) and Jackie (6). Frank watched as Larry anxiously looked at his children surrounded by his much larger sons and laughed to himself.

Joe's youngsters were paired with the Moretti's, and Barry Costello's four boys and one girl, Troy (9), Roger (8), Danny (7), Don (6), Toni (6), as well as Harold Poffenberger's sons, Cal (6), Brady (6). Barry and Harold both had the same look on their face, as if they were thinking, "These kids could crush mine in a second." Toni looked up at Alberto and Angelo and asked, "Are the two of you giants and what's up with your hair? You look like roosters." Everyone started laughing and Maria bent down and hugged her.

As Frank looked at his kids, they sat down and Sophia put little Jackie in her lap, whispering in her ear as the little girl started smiling. Vincent was telling each Costello boy where to sit, pairing the older boys with him and Dom and then going down by age. He looked at the other teams and noticed the same thing happening in each one. Carlo, Joe and Frank looked at each other and nodded, the old were teaching the young.

Carlo hollered, "Food" and everyone started lining up with the older children again guiding the young ones and then going back to their circles to continue talking. When they finished eating, Carlo, Frank and Joe stood up and called for quiet so the rules could be explained.

"Every team has been assigned a number and we will pull two numbers out at a time, one to evade and one to track. You can use any evasion tactics but you must stay within the boundaries. After your team has been caught, you will come back here," said Joe. "Make sure the young ones refamiliarize with the other teams scent and the evading team will be given a twenty minute head start. Questions?" Excited chatter was heard from the children, but no questions.

"Alright then, Alpha Carlo will pick the numbers," said Frank. Carlo picked out eight pairs of numbers and wrote them on the chalkboard. As he read off each pairing, each team stood up and moved to the side with the older boys trash talking to each other. As fate would have it, Anthony's team was paired against Sophia's and Vin elected to evade first.

Anthony's team consisted of the Whitmer, Benedetto, and the Reeder families. Joel Whitmer had three boys and one girl, Alec (9), Alex (7), Aaron (6), Abigail (6), and Jerry Whitmer had twin boys, Hayden (7), Hunter (7). Dean, Reggie and Mary Benedetto as well as Jim, Patrick, Ethan, Bob, Harry and Emily Reeder were all friends of Anthony's.

The evading team lined up in a row and the younger members of the tracking team walked down and recommitted their scents to memory. Anthony made a show of growling every time one of the young boys scented Sophia; making them smile and he looked at Jackie and Abigail and winked at them. Abigail asked Sophia with a giggle, "Is your mate really jealous of my brothers and cousins?" "I think he's jealous because they are so cute," replied Sophia as she smiled.

Joe hollered, "Team 1, you have five minutes to get ready and then everyone goes out in two minute intervals."

Vin pulled his team to the side and everyone put on their backpacks; the older ones making sure the younger ones were securely fastened. He quietly talked to the young ones while they looked at him with adoration in their eyes and nodded their heads. Dom got on his knees and quietly talked to Jackie as Sal adjusted the straps on their backpacks interlocking them together so that she was against Dom's chest, facing backward and her legs were placed through the straps of Dom's backpack to hold her securely.

"Okay, Team 1 GO," hollered Joe. Vin's team took off running and Frank started laughing as he saw what Vin had done. As they took off running across the field, they were lined up as follows: Gino, little Wade, Marcus, little Mick, Dominic, Sophia, Vin, little Reggie, Gianni, little Derek, Enzo, little Lou and Salvatore. He noticed each Carlucci brother had a tight grip on Sophia's and the young ones backpacks and were basically pulling them along as their much smaller strides barely hit the ground. The last thing everyone saw was Jackie waving goodbye as they disappeared into the tree line. Frank wished he could follow to see what his family had planned.

Vin's team continued running for a mile past the tree line and then came to a stop. The older kids grabbed cedar branches and rubbed them all over themselves and did the same to the young ones. Vin told everyone to hold their breath and move upwind as he sprinkled cayenne pepper around the area and he reminded the younger ones not to talk, if they needed something to tap somebody on the shoulder.

"We good?" he asked and everybody nodded, each older one carrying their assigned younger one. They ran in a single file making sure to follow in the leader's footsteps with Sophia running between Vin and Dom as they headed towards the stream.

Lorenzo's team was in the process of being scented by their trackers and Alberto was standing behind Maria talking to her brothers, but he was so intimidating to the younger boys that most didn't want to get close to her. Finally Maria got a towel and rubbed it across her neck and gave it to the other team to scent. "I'm not happy with you Alberto," Maria whispered quietly. "But Gattina, I wasn't doing anything," Alberto said. "We will talk about this later, I can't believe you were scaring young ones. I mean really, you're jealous of them?" This made her brothers laugh hysterically. "But Gattina, I wasn't doing anything," Alberto repeated with a puzzled look on his face, which made her brothers laugh even harder.

When it was time for them to start, they followed Vin's example alternating older and younger. Everybody laughed when they saw the Poffenberger twins and Toni inside one of Alberto's 4X shirts with their heads poking out, the sleeves of the shirt tied to Angelo's and Damian's backpacks, Joe noted with relief the bottom was securely knotted to keep them from falling out. "Faster, faster," they heard Toni hollering.

Finally all the evading teams had taken off, most following a version of Vin's example, some of the older children simply running with the youngsters in their arms, though they were considerably slower.

At the twenty minute mark, Anthony's team took off and one of the seven year old twins stumbled but before he fell, Ethan Reeder picked him up and flung him across his shoulder without breaking stride. Soon all the young ones were across the older ones shoulders or riding piggyback and they were screaming at them to run faster. Joel and Jerry were still looking anxious as they stood with George Reeder and John Benedetto. George looked at the younger men and said, "Don't worry about your young ones, they're having the time of their lives, just listen to them laugh." Both Whitmer brothers started smiling then.

After the last tracking team left, the men gathered around the command table and the first thing they did was light up cigars. Most of their mates hated for them to smoke, but they were around other men and it was bonding time. The second thing they did was start placing bets as to which team was going to take the longest to track with most men putting their money on Vin's or Lorenzo's team.

Carlo said, "Gentlemen may I remind you of one fact? Anthony is out there tracking his intended mate; do you honestly think anybody will stop him from reaching her?"

"Yeah, Vincent," said Frank with a laugh. "I bet you a steak dinner at Roberto's that Vincent's and Lorenzo's teams have the longest times." "You're on," said Carlo.

"I don't remember doing this when we were young. They have class instruction, but no practical experience yet. Wouldn't it have been better to have the fathers go with the teams?" asked Joel.

Joe looked at him and slowly smiled as he answered, "It's not the actual tracking and evading they are learning, though they are putting those skills to use. The older ones are learning leadership skills and how to strategize. The younger ones are learning to trust and depend on others outside of their families, they are taught they will be protected by the Pack, but this reinforces it. All of them are learning how to work together towards a goal, how to give and follow instructions and building the bonds between their teams and also all the youngsters present tonight."

George Reeder said, "We knew how twisted, devious and sneaky Frank and Joe are and I think this proves it, teaching the youngsters without really doing anything." The men started laughing at the innocent looks on Frank and Joe's faces.

"Only they would figure out how to get a couple of hundred youngsters in the woods and have them be absolutely quiet," added Carmelo as the men continued to laugh.

Anthony's team tracked Vin's team to where the cayenne pepper was spread on the ground but they scented it too late. They were sneezing, eyes watering and noses running as they moved as far away as they could safely get with their vision impaired and bent over trying not to rub their eyes as they set the young ones on the ground.

"Water, we need to find water," said Anthony but with their senses compromised none of the kids could smell it. He felt tapping on his shoulder and little Abigail held a bottle of water and also a little pack of Kleenex. As he rinsed his eyes he noticed the Whitmer kids offering the same things to the others. As his eyes started to clear but still burned badly, he noticed what else was in her hand, Visine. "We have allergies and momma packed us a bag in case we got the sneezies," she whispered remembering his instructions not to talk. He then noticed her red watery eyes and runny nose and was mad at himself for not taking care of her first.

"Young ones," was all Anthony said, and within moments all the Whitmer kids had their eyes rinsed and were assisted in blowing their noses. Mary Benedetto made sure to rinse her hands thoroughly before putting Visine in the young ones eyes and then proceeded to the older kids. "Okay, everyone stay here, Dean and I will find out where the trail went, but I bet they went towards water," said Anthony.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 07



Lorenzo's team had done the same trick with the cayenne pepper. The tracking team led by Jeff Martin, his sparring partner from Sunday, had the same results and they wiped at their eyes with their hands which only made the irritation worse until they stumbled upon a stream.

Vin's team entered the creek several miles away and rested for several minutes. Enzo took little Derek downstream about a quarter mile to make deep footprints on the bank heading into the woods and rubbed Vin and Dom's shirts on the trees nearby. Sophia and Jackie turned their backs while the older boys stripped then shifted, and Sal and Sophia packed their clothes in their backpacks. "Your brothers are pretty," whispered Jackie as she looked at the large chocolate wolves staring at her.

Sal and Sophia strapped the young ones securely to the wolves interlocking the backpacks and used the bungee cords from their backpacks for extra security. The two youngest doubled up on Gianni, little Wade promising to make sure Jackie was safe as she rolled her eyes. Sal and Sophia climbed on Vin and Dom since they couldn't shift and they were off again.

Lorenzo's team once again mirrored Vin's team in putting out a false trail by the creek and the older kids shifted and ran in the opposite direction, Michael carrying the Poffenberger twins, Lorenzo carrying Toni and Maria, Angelo carrying Victor, Alberto carrying two younger boys and Damian and Paulo carrying one boy each with Gabby between her brothers.

The men had settled in, eaten more food and Carlo was getting periodic updates from Todd. Their talk centered on the upcoming football season, how the kids were progressing in the session, kids leaving to go to U of MD, their mates and wondering how they were doing and if they were driving Matt and Phillip crazy.

The women had decided to stay at The Manor House and everyone brought a covered dish or dessert and agreed it was wonderful to have a night without the men. After dinner, they waited for Matt, Phillip and their security team to finish doing a sweep of the area before going out back.

It looked like a Little Tikes showroom had exploded and landed there. There were play sets, playhouses, sandboxes and under a covered pavilion were play kitchen sets and numerous child size tables and chairs and two chests provided them with even more toys. It was a child's fantasy land come true and they played until they couldn't play anymore. As the little ones fell asleep, they were brought into the house and placed in the rec room with a guard at the door.

Matt and Phillip were unable to relax, their eyes continually scanning the yard as their team continued to check in as they patrolled. They took their duties very seriously, to them this showed a level of trust they never experienced in their former Pack and they were momentarily speechless when asked to be in charge of this security detail by Alpha Carlo, Frank and Joe, three men they respected more then anything. They knew they were going overboard with their security, but deep down they would feel like failures if a little one went home with a bruise let alone if something serious happened.

After an hour and a half, five teams had been tracked down and both the evading and tracking teams started returning, the young ones getting piggy-back rides. They were a mess; clothes torn, covered in dirt and mud, twigs and leaves in their hair, bruises and cuts covering their bodies but they were all laughing. Joe told everybody to wash off with the hose, go see Dr. Sullivan to get their cuts looked at and then jump in the pool, get some more to eat or take a nap if needed. Excited conversations could be heard as the youngsters replayed their adventure to their fathers. The fathers looked at Frank, Joe and Carlo understanding perfectly what Joe had been saying earlier.

After two hours, Vin's team stopped near where they sprinkled the cayenne pepper. The young ones were unhooked, Sophia and Jackie turned while the boys shifted and put on shorts. "Everybody ok?" whispered Vin, looking at the young ones. Jackie whispered, "I'm ok, but my behind hurts." Everyone put their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing out loud. "We'll take five," said Vin as everybody opened their backpacks to get energy bars, snacks and drinks.

Anthony's team was having very little luck, as soon as they thought they were gaining ground the trail would end and they had to backtrack. When they found the trail again, Vin had them literally running in circles each loop getting smaller, after the third circle Anthony noticed a pattern as each loop had one less set of prints and the depth had changed. Anthony called a halt and whispered, "They are veering off somewhere a couple at a time, and we have to find it."

They sat the young ones on a boulder near the outer circle as the older ones started looking for tracks and a scent. Ethan saw Alex and Alec waving at him and he went over thinking someone was hurt. Abigail whispered, "I had to make a tinkle and my brothers took me there," pointing to a boulder twenty feet away. Alec whispered, "We smelled Vin on the tree and came right back to tell you." Ethan waved the older ones over and explained what the Whitmer's found.

Anthony immediately scented Sophia on the tree and inhaled deeply closing his eyes. He realized the Carlucci's had jumped onto the boulder then used the overhanging branch to climb over to the tree leaving no scent or tracks on the ground. "Good job, we'll eat and take five" he whispered to the young ones, giving each a fist pump. The older kids got energy bars out of their backpacks prepared to share with the young ones but to their amazement, they got sandwiches, cookies, carrots, pretzels and Sunny D out and placed them on the boulder. "Momma made extras," whispered Alec as he gave a sandwich to Abigail, Mary, Emily and his younger cousins and brothers before offering them to the older boys.

"We've got to see what else they have in those backpacks," whispered Harry Reeder. Anthony asked if they could look and the young ones immediately handed them over. Every one of the backpacks had a small first-aid kit, clothes, bungee cords and zip-locks in varying sizes.

A small bottle of dishwashing liquid, flashlight with extra batteries, pine scented air freshener, baking soda, glue, a small tool set, duct tape, a 50' coiled length of rope, a 6' length of garden hose, thermal blankets, magnifying glass, mirror, a small whisk broom, a pack of baby wipes, 25' measuring tape, binoculars, carabiners, a compass, glow sticks, a bulb syringe, a topographic map of the area, a roll of heavy duty trash bags and cayenne pepper, garlic and cinnamon spices were pulled out of the bags.

"I'm the oldest, I have the stuff the little ones shouldn't, " whispered nine year old Alec, as scissors, 5-in-1 tool, small hand-held garden spade, flares, Swiss Army Knife, a box cutter, 2-pk of lighters all in their original packaging were pulled out of his backpack.

"Who packed these bags, M and Q's love child?" whispered Harry, as the older kids laughed quietly. Alex whispered, "I don't know who Emma is, Daddy and Uncle Jerry did." The older kids started laughing harder and Anthony looked at them and they immediately stopped laughing, as he said, "Ok, let's repack the bags." Each young one grabbed the specific items from their bags; Alex explaining their Daddies made them memorize who had what items so they could get to them quickly.

The third to last team, which was headed up by Scott was caught purely by chance. Scott's team had backtracked, but the tracking team had failed to notice the false trail, so they ran right into Joel Mendez's team who were sitting and taking a break. After being pursued for more than two hours, Scott couldn't believe his bad luck; he really wanted to prove that he was capable of leading a team and proving his skills. Instead of getting mad, he accepted his defeat with grace and was determined to prove himself in the tracking session. When they returned to Frank's yard, his team relaxed but spent their time working on a plan.

The Clan had spent the last week strategizing their battle plan; determined one of their families would win. It didn't really matter which one, as they considered themselves one complete unit, they were good alone but together they were better. It was the way they were raised by their parents; as soon as they were born they were all placed into a crib together, little sets of hands reaching out for each other. It didn't matter if they grabbed their cousin's hands or their brothers or sisters, the bond had been established at birth and Vincent and Dominic watched over them every step of the way. This was why they always had the edge over everyone; they thought as one, felt as one and moved as one.

Lorenzo was in his element; his team was running smoothly and had just finished a break. Alberto noticed Maria putting a Ziploc bag containing dirty shirts and shorts into her pack and asked, "What's that?" Maria whispered, "We didn't tell anyone because we didn't know who we would be teamed with. These are extra clothes from the other part of the Clan, to confuse the scents. We'll exchange clothes when we meet up with them."

The older kids shifted back to wolves, Damian carrying Toni and Maria took the lead with Alberto and Angelo at the tail end; they had twenty minutes to get to their meeting spot and still had to make sure they weren't tracked in the mean time.

Vin's team finished their break and the boys shifted back to wolves, the young ones were strapped on and they took off running. He was taking his team in a wide arc moving them further away before closing in to the prearranged spot to meet up with Lorenzo's team. He wished he knew how many teams were left.

Anthony's team picked the trail from the spot the young ones had found. They had shifted to their wolves and took off in pursuit but this time they didn't run flat out, they were going a little slower determined not to get fooled again with false trails.

Jeff Martin's team had just about given up in their pursuit of Lorenzo's team. It seemed like they had been over the same area numerous times, losing the trail several times before it appeared out of nowhere, it was as if they just fell out of the sky. His team was taking a much needed break to rest and discuss strategy.

Damian was running around the ruins of an old farm house that had been destroyed in the Battle of South Mountain during the Civil War. When the family decided not to rebuild and moved out west in 1862, this was one of the many homesteads South Mountain Pack had purchased. He led the team around the ruins of the barn when he, Toni and Maria disappeared with their screams echoing behind them.

Lorenzo and the others immediately halted and he shifted back moving carefully to where they disappeared noting the deep hole, he hollered for his brother and sister and also tried the bond, after getting no response, he immediately tilted his head back and let out a distress howl. Victor hurriedly unhooked the young ones so everyone could shift and dress. Angelo, Paulo and Michael were fighting to keep Alberto from the edge of the hole, as his only thought was to get to Maria. Gabby moved the young ones away so they couldn't see what was going on, but they were worried about their sister.

Vin and his team immediately stopped upon feeling Damian and Maria's pain and when they heard Lorenzo's howl, Vin answered immediately. Sal told the young ones to hold on tight, they would be moving as fast as the boys could run. The young ones nodded, understanding immediately something bad had happened and leaned forward wrapping their hands tightly into the fur of the wolves shoulders.

The men were laughing and Frank and Joe were filled with pride realizing the two Carlucci teams were the last ones left. Both felt Damian and Maria's pain and they took off running shifting midstride, Larry and Barry Costello right next to them as they felt Toni's distress. They were halfway across the field before hearing the distress call and Joe responded immediately, he opened his bond to Maria, feeling only her pain and when he tried Damian he didn't feel anything.

Carlo looked at George Hammond, Scott's father, and told him, "Get everybody inside and lock it down." Frank and Joe heard the others behind them and recognized the rest of the fathers whose children were still out there plus Dr. Sullivan.

Annie and Rose were sitting with the women laughing at the antics of the little ones. Sensing Maria and Damian's pain, they grabbed each others hand and felt their mates urgency to get to the children, seconds later they heard Lorenzo's distress call.

Anthony's team immediately shifted direction upon hearing Lorenzo's howl, and he felt relief when he heard Vin's response. He sent his response and it was followed within seconds by Jeff Martin's.

Matt and Phillip upon hearing the call ordered everyone into the house, they had been made aware of the situation with the Millers and weren't sure if this was a diversion. The women grabbed the little ones rushing inside and Matt ordered the house to be locked down. As an extra precaution, the women went into the basement and the little ones were moved from the rec room into the safe room with six men guarding them. The door to the basement was alarmed and Matt, Phillip and the rest of the team watched the monitors and patrolled the house. When everything was secure, he contacted his Alpha.

"Alpha Carlo, we heard the distress call. Everyone is secure and we have locked the house down. Is there anything else we need to do sir?" said Matt. "Thank you and make sure the women and little ones stay safe at all costs. Let me know if you need more security and I will send more men. We are on our way to Lorenzo now and I will update as soon as we know anything," replied Carlo.

"Todd, we had a distress call from one of our teams, we are on our way there now. Make sure your house is locked down, I will notify you of what is going on" said Alpha Carlo. "Yes sir, we locked it down as soon as you left," responded Todd.

The men at Frank's house were getting messages through the bond from their mates that they were safe. They were waiting for their Alpha to tell them what he needed, until then they made sure the house was secure and the youngsters were safe.

Vin's team was the first to reach Lorenzo's. Everyone unlocked the young ones as quickly as possible and Sophia brought them over to Gabby while the boys shifted and put on clothes. There had still been no response from Damian, Toni or Maria and Alberto was pacing back and forth barely keeping his wolf at bay he was so filled with distress. Vin got a flashlight, but even with that and his advanced sight all he could see was shadows.

Anthony's and Jeff's team showed up moments later. They shifted and dressed as Lorenzo filled them in on what had happened, as Anthony was going to comfort Sophia he remembered the contents of the Whitmer's packs and asked who had the glow sticks. They were in his hands in seconds and he broke two of them and threw them down the hole, making sure not to step to the edge, but to be on his belly as he looked over, Lorenzo, Vin and Dominic scooted to the edge also.

In the eerie green light, they could see them about 25 feet down. Damian had tried to protect Maria and Toni as he was on the bottom with his right arm around Maria's head and Toni was cradled against his chest with his left arm, his hands interlocked and holding them in place. "Do you all see what I see?" asked Anthony quietly and they nodded their heads.

"Dad, we can see Damian, Maria and Toni at the bottom of what looks like a dry well at the original Reeder homestead, they're about 25 feet down. Maria's left arm is broken and so is Damian's right leg, we can't see any injuries on Toni but she is crying. Maria is moaning but Damian isn't doing anything, he is breathing though it's shallow," said Anthony to his Dad, Frank and Joe.

"Okay son, we should be there in about fifteen minutes and we have Doc with us," replied Carlo as he opened the bond to include all the men who were with him.

Dr. Sullivan contacted his mate at the clinic and explained what happened. He told her they needed backboards brought to the Alpha's house since it was closest to where the youngsters were, and to get the operating room ready in case they needed it. She said everything would be there in 10 minutes and they would have the operating rooms on standby.

Carlo contacted George and told him to send men to his house to pick up the supplies and bring them to the Reeder homestead and for him to let Matt know what was going on.

"Anthony, is there any way you can get to them? I need you to do the assessment until we can get there," said Doc. "Yes sir, there's not much room down there, it's only about 5 foot in diameter so one of the girls would be better since they are smaller then us," said Anthony.

Anthony told everyone what Dr. Sullivan wanted, Sophia said she would go since she had completed her third level First Aid course and everyone agreed. Before Anthony could ask, the Whitmer kids handed him rope, carabiners, a flashlight, three thermal blankets and a first aid kit as everyone else stared in amazement. "You've got to see what else they have in those backpacks," Ethan said to the other older ones. "You won't believe it."

"Okay Doc, Sophia is going to assess them, and I'll let you know their condition as soon as possible," said Anthony. Vin and Dom were securely roping Sophia as Gabby emptied a backpack and loaded it with the needed supplies. "We'll need the garden hose too," said Anthony and it was in his hands in seconds.

"I'll be waiting, we're a little over eleven minutes out," said Doc. The men were running at full speed, Frank, Joe and both Costello fathers already contacting their mates to let them know what was going on.

Anthony and the Carlucci's slowly lowered Sophia from one side while Angelo and Alberto laid on the opposite side each holding one end of the garden hose pulling the rope towards the center since they were worried about the sides collapsing. A full minute passed before they heard Sophia say, "I've reached bottom. Give me a second to unhook myself and get the flashlight and everything out."

She went to Toni first, who was crying softly. "Hi sweetheart, it's Sophia, where are you hurt?" asked Sophia in a soothing voice. "My foot hurts," she said, "Damian held me but when we hit bottom, he landed on my foot." "Okay, can you move it, or does it just hurt?" asked Sophia as she quickly ran her hands over Toni. "I can move it, I'm not hurt anywhere else, Damian protected me real good," Toni said. Sophia got the flashlight and shone it in her eyes, noting her pupils were equal and reactive; she hollered her assessment to Anthony.

She moved to Maria next, noting her broken left arm and being careful not to bump it, "Maria, can you open your eyes for me?" Maria slowly opened her eyes and said, "Is Toni okay? How is Damian? My arm hurts and I want Alberto." Hearing what Maria said, Alberto's wolf began to pace back and forth and growl, their mate needed them and they couldn't get to her. Alberto hollered down, "I'm here Gattina, waiting for you but we need to make sure you aren't hurt worse."

Sophia shone the light in her eyes and saw her pupils were equal and reactive. "I'm okay; except for my arm and my hip. My arm broke when I pushed us away from the wall, that's when Damian broke his leg, I heard it break. Check him out please, Sophia, he saved us both, he held us the whole way down."

Anthony hollered, "I already told Doc, they should be here in about seven minutes."

Sophia looked at Damian, startled that he was watching them; she first checked his eyes, which were both equal and reactive. He said, "My legs broke, my shoulder hurts, and I'll have a bruise on my ass, I mean behind from landing on Toni's shoe, other then that I'm good. You might want to ugh, cover me up, I'm kinda naked here. I shifted as soon as we started falling to protect them." Anthony hollered down, "I told Doc, they'll be here in five minutes."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 08



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

If anyone would like a 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 




Promptly at 4:45 PM, families started to arrive at The Manor House to begin the ten minute walk to the Sacred Ceremonial Grounds located on the original homestead plot of the Rossi family when they emigrated from Italy in 1778. Fifteen families had joined the Alpha's second son to start a Pack in the America's, giving them opportunities they never would have realized in their old Pack. The family ties were still strong between the Packs and both Alphas' considered each other an ally.

The Whitmer, Poffenberger and Costello families arrived within minutes of each other and as soon as the young ones were out of the SUV's they ran up to each other, bumped fists and started talking as if finishing a conversation they had been in the middle of. The adults smiled as they heard fragments of their conversations. "Vin said..." "Well, Dom said..." "Ant said..." as they talked about the training session and afternoon adventure. 

"Have you noticed a change in the way the boys are treating their sisters?" asked Joel.

"Now that you mention it, yeah we have. Cal and Brady used to treat Brooke like she had cooties," said Harold of his four year old daughter. "When they got home today they let her pick a cartoon to watch and I about fell over."

"Look at how they are acting now," said Barry as the adults looked at their offspring. The boys were holding their sisters hands and pulling them along to keep up with the other children, offering words of encouragement and being patient with their much smaller strides. The little girls were smiling and basking in their brothers' attention and talking nonstop. 

"We were hoping Haden and Hunter didn't kill Hope with how rough they are with her, now they are holding her hands and helping her walk," said Jerry of his four year old daughter. 

Joel said, "Our young ones haven't stopped talking about Anthony and how he looked after them on the training session."

"Well, if they are going to emulate anybody, they picked good role models," said Larry. "A future Alpha, his mate and top commanders."

"Did you see the way they greeted each other with fist pumps? It's adorable," said Barry's wife, Diane.

The Clan, Anthony and the Moretti's were sitting around the edge of the clearing talking when the young ones got there. Reggie Costello immediately went over, the rest of the youngsters following him; he was on a mission and needed to talk to Vin. The boys greeted each other with a mixture of fist pumps and head nods, while the girls hugged each other. 

"Your family is called the Clan, but does that include Ant, Angelo, Alberto and Gabby? Do you call yourself something else when they are with you?" Reggie Costello asked while the boys waited for their sisters to sit in somebody's lap. As soon as they were settled they went and sat near them.

"Well, we've never talked about it," Vin answered as he leaned back against a tree positioning Hope between his outstretched legs, his wolf instantly on guard to protect the little one. "We were always called the Clan, even before Anthony and Alberto made their declarations. Do you know what the word 'Clan' means?"

"Not really," said Reggie. "I figured it was just a name you were given."

"Clan means family or children depending on who you talk to," said Dominic settling Jackie in his lap as he scented the air for any threat to the young one. "In a way Anthony and Alberto are now part of the Clan, because they will be mates with our sisters. Angelo and Gabby would be included because they are Alberto's family. So, I guess it would be up to them if they wanted to be part of the Clan."

Alberto, Angelo and Anthony shrugged their shoulders and looked at each other while Gabby furtively glanced at Sal before shrugging her shoulders. Angelo said, "Doesn't matter to us. Does this mean we get hazed and have membership cards?" The older ones laughed, while the young ones looked confused.

"Don't mind Angelo, he was trying to be funny and failed miserably," said Damian as Toni leaned back into his chest, his arms curled protectively around her. "I would have said, does this mean we get to learn super secret handshakes and get a decoder ring?" The young ones started laughing, and Damian looked at Angelo with a superior smile, while Angelo leaned back and mouthed 'fuck you'.

"Apparently your sense of humor needs to grow up and stop watching cartoons," said Anthony. While everybody laughed, he scanned the surrounding area as he placed Abigail protectively between his bent knees.

"Well, we talked it over and we want a name too," said Troy Costello as the young ones nodded their heads. 

"Okay, what did you have in mind?" said Lorenzo as he sat cross-legged with Brooke leaning against his chest. She was whispering to him, and asking him if he liked her new shoes which were light pink with little flowers embroidered on the top. He lifted her foot into his hand and noticed how little it was, it was barely bigger then his palm. He felt his wolf come forth intent on protecting the little one at all costs. 

"Something similar to the Clan, so when people hear it, they think of us," said Reggie as he leaned back in the same manner as Vin. 

"Well, let's hear some of the names you came up with," said Sal as he glanced around the group, his gaze rested momentarily on Gabby, with the sun peeking through the treetops her shoulder length curly auburn hair glinted with gold highlights. 

The little girls got into the spirit of things and said "Puppies" "Unicorns" the boys said names like "Yankees" "Orioles" "Cowboys" "Ninjas". 

"You should think of names that have something to do with all of you," said Paulo quietly as he lifted his head from his laptop, busy working on a new website design for Roberto's Restaurant.

"Paulo's right," said Michael of his twin. "The crew of you needs to decide on something that fits all of you, not just the boys or girls." 

Anthony looked up and said, "That's it, how about the Crew?"

"What does it mean?" asked Alec as he mimicked Anthony's posture and expression. 

"A Crew is a group of people who do things together, like sail on a boat, or fly a plane," said Maria as she leaned into Alberto's side.

"I like it," said Reggie, "I think we should vote on it." The twenty-five members of the newly named Crew nodded their heads and the girls enthusiastically clapped their hands. Years later when the Crew was mentioned, Pack members would shake their heads, smile and wonder what they had done this time.

Sophia, Anthony, Gianni and Marcus went to get something to drink and Abigail decided to stay with Vin and her cousin Hope. Joel and his wife Veronica came over and said, "We want to thank you for the attention you've paid to our young ones."

Sophia said, "It was our pleasure Mr. and Mrs. Whitmer. Do you mind if we do it again, maybe make it a regular thing once or twice a month?"

"As far as taking them out with you, just let us know when you want them and we'll arrange it," said Joel. 

"Do you want them to eat with us tonight?" asked Anthony. Veronica said, "You really wouldn't mind? I can't remember the last time we were able to have a grown up conversation around dinner, it'll be almost like it was when we were dating. Thank you again." 

Anthony looked over at the Crew's parents as the Whitmer's rejoined them and imagined himself, Sophia, Alberto and Maria years from now with little ones. He looked at his intended and his heart started racing as he thought, 'Damn, I really love her.' He pulled Sophia into his side and deeply scented her, growling low in his throat. She pulled back and looked into his deep brown eyes and whispered to him, "I can't wait until we have young ones; I want little boys who look just like you."

"I want a little girl who looks just like you," whispered Anthony, "with curly black hair and emerald eyes. You have the most beautiful eyes, they remind me of the field behind our house, and it is an endless sea of sparkling green in the spring when the sun shines on it right after the rain. Your eyes sparkle like that when you laugh and I love looking into them, they calm me down while exciting me at the same time."

Sophia blushed and said, "I can't wait until we are able to kiss. When I'm alone, I wonder what it will feel like." Anthony answered with a husky growl, "Arachide, you're killing me here. The thought of kissing you and holding you brings me to my knees, this year cannot move quickly enough for me." 

"Come on you two, enough of the lovey-dovey stuff, we're going to be eating soon. You're making me nauseous and I really don't want to vomit beforehand," said Gianni as he lightly punched Anthony's shoulder. 

They went back to the others and Anthony told the Crew they would be eating together, and had to behave so they would be allowed to do it again. The young ones nodded their heads and told him they would behave.

At 5:30, Carlo said to Frank, Joe, Matt and Phillip through the bond, "The Millers are almost here. Go and meet them near the trail and I will get the Pack ready for the introduction. Wait until I call for you to bring them out, I want to get the rest of the detail ready." The men looked at their Alpha and nodded their heads. 

The men headed down the trail and met the Millers about a quarter mile from the Ceremonial Grounds. Introductions were made and the girls smiled shyly at the men, their anxiety apparent in their eyes and the men could scent it in the air. Frank smiled and hoping to ease the anxiety said, "We've been looking forward to meeting all of you. You'll be meeting my daughter Sophia, and Joe's daughter Maria, they are both 15 and I hope you become friends."

Matt and Phillip told the girls they were in charge of their security detail and asked Todd and Holly if the security detail could take the girls out to dinner one evening during the week to get to know them better. Their easy going attitude relaxed the girls and soon they were smiling at both men. 

Brianna asked with a bright smile, "What kind of restaurant would we go to? We've never been to a real restaurant before. On our drive here Daddy let us eat fast food; it was the first time we had that so we ate at a McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell and Long John Silvers. It was good but greasy and gave Papa Mike gas." The men laughed at her candid reply and Papa Mike laughed harder then anybody.

"We've never been to a Mall either, could we go there too?" asked Kelly with a questioning looks. "I want to wander around and see what all the fuss is about and what exactly teenagers do there for hours."

"And the movies, we've never been to a movie theater either," said Fallon excitedly. "I'd like popcorn, real movie theater popcorn. OOH and Juju Beans whatever they are, in the movies we watched they always order popcorn and Juju Beans."

"Can we go to a game?" asked Caitlin, the excitement evident in her eyes. "I want hot dogs, nachos and soft pretzels. Oh, and one of the ushers to throw peanuts at me like we see on TV. It has to be baseball though; we hate the Redskins since we're all diehard Cowboys fans, Daddy made sure of that, and I just don't like the Ravens." As Frank and Joe looked at him with raised eyebrows, Todd lifted the sleeve of his shirt to proudly display his star tattoo and Papa Mike displayed a matching one. 

"I want to go to an ice cream place, like Baskin Robbins or Dairy Queen. We've only ever had chocolate or vanilla and I want to try every flavor they have. You'll probably have to roll me out," said Erin as everyone laughed. 

"Could we go to an amusement park? I want to go on a roller coaster or that tower drop, though I'll probably get sick. I got sick in the car and Papa Mike had to pull over," said Shannon as she blushed. "Though in my defense it was the first time we had been in a car on a highway and I was all the way in the back plus Papa Mike had gas and that didn't help." Everybody was laughing by this time and Papa Mike was leaning up against a tree he was laughing so hard.

"Can we eat Chinese food? I'd like to learn to eat with chopsticks," said Aislin as she tilted her head lost in thought, "and I have no idea what to order, what exactly is Moo Goo Pan? And does it always come in those little white containers?"

"I know it sounds weird, but I'd like to go to a grocery store," said Maeve as her sisters started laughing. "What??? The only cereal we've ever had is Cheerios and Corn Flakes; I'd like to pick out my own cereal. And Pop Tarts, I want Pop Tarts." 

"Can we go putt-putt golfing and race those little cars?" asked Fiona with a big smile on her face. "You'll have to show us how; none of us have ever driven anything before and Daddy said he's never going to teach us to drive. I'm not exactly sure what 'menace to society' means but that's what Daddy said we would be." Standing behind his daughters Todd vehemently shook his head no and had a grimace on his face, but when his daughters turned to look at him, he was smiling. 

"I'd like to tour Washington, DC, see all the museums and monuments. We watch NCIS all the time, Gibbs and McGee are yummy," said Morgan as she giggled and her sisters nodded. Todd muttered, "We've got to monitor their TV viewing more." 

"Basically we've never been anywhere or done anything. The only thing we know about life is through the TV, but we want to experience it for real now. I can only remember leaving the Pack grounds twice before we left to come here, so even riding in a car is a novel experience," said Brianna as she looked at Matt and Phillip sheepishly. 

Matt looked into the girl's eyes and said, "What I want you to do tomorrow morning is make a list of the things you want to do and we will go down the list and get them done, ok? No matter how silly your sisters may think it is. If it is important to you, then it is important to us."

"As long as it's okay with your parents and grandparents," Phillip added as he smiled at the girls. "In fact, they may want to come with us on some of our outings. Though I will warn you, we won't get everything done in one day." Without trying and without being aware of it, Matt and Phillip had won their hearts by not being overbearing or making them feel like naïve young girls, they had listened to what the girls had to say and treated them like adults.

Alpha Carlo stood in the middle of the clearing and called for silence and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and gathered in front of him in a semi-circle at the edge of the clearing. 

"My fellow Pack members, we have many reasons to celebrate and be thankful. Fifty years ago, a treaty was signed ending the Were War, bringing a resolution to the years of conflict and peace has since reigned over our Nation. We also celebrate the continued success of our Pack, a successful training session by our youngsters with new bonds forming, declarations have been made, youngsters will experience their first shift and we wait anxiously for the arrival of little ones within the next few weeks that will ensure the continuation of our Pack into the future."

"We are also celebrating the arrival of a new family, one unlike any of us has seen before. It is my hope they will find peace and happiness within our Pack and I know we will do our best to make them feel welcome," Alpha Carlo said. 

"Tragic circumstances have brought them here, which will NEVER be tolerated within our Pack. They came to us for protection and a desire to be free of the immorality and corruption in their previous Pack which included the rape and subjugation of unmated females and isolation and intimidation of families. Their parents and grandparents mercifully got their children out before this happened to them, but there are many unfortunate females still living this nightmare and the Alpha Council has been notified and are handling the situation," Alpha Carlo continued through the bond to the adults. 

As he glanced around the clearing, he noticed the men had their fists clenched and the tension had ratcheted up several degrees. The women had concern and indignation on their faces and some were also clenching their fists. He emitted a calm feeling through the bond and saw the tension ease out of everyone's posture.

"Many of you have been wondering about the new security detail and the increased security at school but after I introduce the new family, I'm sure you will understand why all the precautions have been put into place," said Alpha Carlo with a smile. "Frank, Joe, Matt and Phil please bring out the newest members of South Mountain Pack...the Millers."

"South Mountain Pack, may I introduce Todd and Holly Miller and their ten daughters; Brianna, Morgan, Caitlin, Erin, Kelly, Aislin, Fallon, Shannon, Fiona and Maeve. Also joining the Pack are Todd's parents, Nana Ellen and Papa Mike," said Alpha Carlo as the Millers stepped into the clearing.

There was stunned silence from everyone. Their security detail gathered in a loose semi-circle behind the Millers, and Frank, Joe and Carlo waited to see the reaction from the assembled young males. 

Nothing.

Absolutely Nothing. 

There was interest, plenty of interest and curiosity, but no one spoke. The assembled Pack members were looking around curiously as if sensing something was about to happen, the tension was so thick in the air even the young ones could sense it and moved closer to their parents. The silence and stillness hung in the air for minutes that seemed to drag on forever. 

The Miller family stood still, as if afraid to move, their eyes scanning the crowd and then Carlo, Frank and Joe noticed it...Brianna and Morgan were focused on two individuals. Carlo, Frank and Joe swung their heads to see who they were looking at. 

Vincent tilted his head back and took a deep breath, the smell of cinnamon rolls inflaming his senses. His eyes dilated as he pushed Salvatore, Alberto, Anthony and Gianni out of his way causing the Clan and the Crew to topple over like bowling pins. He sprinted across the clearing breathing deeply, growling loudly and hollered "MINE" as he raced towards the Miller girls. 

Dominic had his eyes closed, the scent of gingerbread completely overwhelming him, his hands clenching and unclenching. He opened his eyes and his pupils were completely dilated as he emitted a loud growl. Anthony rolled Sophia and several of the young ones out of the way as Dominic jumped over the remaining pile and sprinted behind his twin also loudly hollering "MINE". 

Carlo said to the assembled men around the Miller girls, "Don't get in their way, you can't come between them when they feel the mating pull. Just make sure the girls aren't hurt." The rest of the Miller girls stepped to the side to get out of the way of the two large incoming males, who resembled out of control freight trains.

Brianna took one look at Vincent charging towards her, her silver grey eyes huge in her face; she turned around and started running back down the trail. "Don't run," shouted her father and Alpha Carlo, but Brianna didn't listen to them. Vincent grinned and his wolf howled in delight, their mate wanted to play and he wouldn't disappoint her. He took off down the trail after her and Todd pursued them moments later followed by half of the security detail. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 08



Morgan stood still as Dominic raced towards her, bracing herself for the expected impact. Instead of slowing down, he lowered his shoulder, arms enclosing her waist and flung her over his shoulder knocking the air out of her as he sprinted into the woods. The remaining members of the security detail took off after them.

Frank looked at Joe and said, "You go after Dominic, I'll go after Vincent. Papa Mike, you stay here with the rest of the girls." 

The remaining members of the Clan got to their feet and made sure the Crew was okay. The little girls were giggling about Vinnie and Dommie acting silly as their brothers helped brush the dirt and grass off their clothes. Once they made sure their intendeds were okay, Anthony and Alberto glanced at each other and started laughing so hard that Anthony was holding his side and Alberto was gasping for breath.

"It's about time they found their intendeds, maybe now they'll give us a break," said Anthony as he continued to laugh. "I hope their mates cause them as much pain and suffering as ours do."

"I hope they'll be as miserable as we are," gasped Alberto as the rest of the male members of the Clan started laughing not just at Alberto and Anthony, but at the looks on Maria and Sophia's faces.

"Miserable? Miserable Alberto Moretti??? I'll show you miserable...you...you..." shouted Maria as she waved her hands in the air so upset she was unable to continue.

"Pain and suffering Anthony Rossi??? You haven't BEGUN to see pain and suffering yet," said Sophia with her eyes narrowed and hands on her hips.

Before either Anthony or Alberto could say anything, Sophia said, "Come on girls." The girls headed across the clearing with Paulo, Michael and Lorenzo laughing behind them. The last thing they heard was Sophia muttering, "Pain and suffering my ass..." and Maria saying, "Miserable son of a..."

Anthony and Alberto were scowling as they watched Maria and Sophia head across the clearing towards the Millers. Both boys moved quickly to follow them with the howls of laughter from the Clan echoing in their ears. 

Morgan finally got her breath back and started hitting Dominic on the back. He continued to ignore her, the only sign that he noticed was his increased grip on her legs. She wasn't scared because she knew Matt and Mr. Carlucci weren't far behind them and after several moments she said, "Hey, tall dark and devastatingly handsome, are you going to put me down sometime? Or are you going to give me a tour of the woods? I can't see much of the scenery except for your ass, though I will admit you have a really nice ass. Can you at least tell me your name?" 

Dominic finally saw what he was looking for and ran to the edge of the creek bed and sat Morgan gently on a boulder as he stood between her legs making sure there was plenty of distance between their bodies. He looked deep into her silver grey eyes hollering, "MINE" as he leaned down to deeply scent her neck and started pulling her black hair out of her braid to run his hands through it.

"Stop doing that to my hair, it took Brianna a long time to braid it," Morgan said as she swatted at his hands and pushed on his shoulders. "I know I'm yours, I knew as soon as we walked into the clearing. But you still haven't told me your name." 

"Dominic Carlucci, I'm 18, 6'3", 230 lbs, Senior in high school, I have six brothers, Vincent, Gianni, Marcus, Enzo, Gino and Salvatore and one sister Sophia, my favorite color is green, I have a Ford F-150, play football, basketball and baseball, I'm going to the University of Maryland next year to study Architecture to help with our family company, Carlucci Construction, my mother and father are Rose and Frank, my favorite foods are steak, baked potatoes and broccoli, my favorite dessert is banana cream pie, I drink sweet tea with lemon, hate carrots, my favorite movie is 'Rounders', I'm Italian, my twin Vincent was chasing your sister, I like to bowl, go swimming, I'm at the top of my training class, I can't seem to shut up, I know I'm rambling but you smell so damn good, like gingerbread and it smells so good to me, what's odd is I never liked gingerbread until now and now I cant get enough of it, what else do you need to know except that I want to kiss you, I will always protect you, give you everything I possibly can and making you happy is my goal in life."

"Whoa, slow down big boy. Did you really mean that you want to protect me and make me happy? You're not going to force me to do things I'm not ready for?" Morgan asked as she looked deep into his emerald green eyes, her hands on his shoulders still holding him away from her. 

Dominic gazed back into her fear filled silver eyes and took a step back, stating firmly, "I would never do anything you are uncomfortable with, to cause you pain or to hurt you in anyway would be like ripping out my own heart. Zenzero, keeping you safe and happy became the number one goal in my life as soon as I realized you were my mate. Nothing I do in my life will be more important to me, and it will only increase when we have little ones. The safety and welfare of my family will ALWAYS be the priority in my life." 

Dominic tilted his head and scented his Uncle Joe and the detail standing on the other side of the tree line. "Could you please give us a couple of minutes, Morgan and I are talking. She is scared and I am trying to reassure her that I would never hurt her," he said to his Uncle. 

Joe closed his eyes before answering, "Dominic, remember what Alpha Carlo said. She was never raped, but friends of hers were and I'm not sure of everything she saw, so take it easy and reassure her. Her wolf will sense she is safe with you, but you have to give it time." 

Morgan looked at him with tear filled eyes, swallowing nervously before saying in a whisper, "Can we go slowly, like really slow? I'm really scared and I would like to go out on a couple of dates to get to know you. Maybe then we'll have our first kiss, but I want to do things at my pace, there are things I'm just not ready to do."

"Anything you want, I will do. We will go as slow or as fast as you like, the only thing I ask is you tell me if you are uncomfortable, scared or I do something you don't like. I will be honest with you, sometimes my need to be with you will overwhelm me, but as soon as you tell me to stop, I will," Dominic cupped her face in his hands as he watched the fear slowly leave her eyes to be replaced with happiness.

"Now, I would like to scent you again and I think your wolf would like to scent me also. Are you okay with that?" he asked softly. She glanced away before shyly nodding her head.

Dominic reached out and held her hands as he slowly moved towards her, searching her eyes for any hesitation or doubt. They stared into each others eyes and when he sensed she felt comfortable he brought her hands up and placed them on his shoulders. He placed his hands on her waist and looked into her eyes when he heard her sharp intake of breath. He didn't move his hands, just continued to let them rest lightly on her waist as he stared into her eyes, a gentle smile on his face. She sighed deeply and nervously nodded her head; he leaned forward and scented her deeply, growling low in his throat as he felt her tentatively scenting him. 

Morgan inhaled deeply several times, cedar, he smelled like cedar and it was overwhelming her. Her wolf was prancing back and forth in delight; she knew their mate would protect them and their little ones. "I think you held me upside down too long, I'm getting dizzy."

Dominic started to laugh and said, "That's from scenting me so deeply, you're hyperventilating and that's why you're dizzy Zenzero. It's okay, just take slow deep breaths instead of quick ones, I'm not going anywhere without you by my side." 

"What was that name you called me Zen something?" asked Morgan as she continued to scent his neck, following Dominic's advice. Her hands started running up and down his muscular arms causing him to growl deep in his throat.

"Zenzero, actually it should be Pan di Zenzero which means gingerbread, but I shortened it to Zenzero which means ginger," he answered keeping his hands on her waist to maintain the distance between them as she was trying to pull him closer. 

"You've got to stop that, you have no idea the effect you are having on me and I'm trying not to lose control. Zenzero if you don't stop, then that first kiss is gonna happen, and I'm trying to do things at YOUR pace, but you are making it very difficult," said Dominic as he tried to reason with her and even though it went against every instinct he had he was pushing away from her. 

"I can't seem to stop myself. I want to get closer to you and I'm not sure why, I don't even know you," said Morgan continuing to run her hands up and down his arms.

"That's exactly why we have to stop, it's the mating pull you are feeling," said Dominic with a groan as Morgan ran her hands through his hair. "When we have our first kiss, I want it to be because you want me as much as I want you, and I don't want you to have any regrets." 

Dominic said in a deep husky growl, "My Uncle Joe and your detail are waiting for us behind those trees. We'll make plans for our first date when we get back to the clearing and if you'd like, we can double date with Brianna and Vin. Go out to dinner, movies or bowling, whatever you want." He gently lifted her off the boulder and waited until she was able to stand before he let go of her.

Joe and the security detail were standing there with their arms folded across their chests as Dom and Morgan came through the trees towards the trail. Joe stared at his nephew with his eye brow raised and even though Dom knew he was probably in trouble for running off with his intended, he looked at his Uncle and smiled. 

"Are the two of you okay?" asked Joe quietly. Dominic and Morgan quickly nodded and Joe continued, "Good, they are waiting for you at the clearing. Dom, if I were you, I'd wipe that smile off your face before you meet your intendeds father."

As they walked away, Joe put his hand on Dominic's shoulder and gently squeezed letting his nephew know that everything would be okay. Dominic looked at his Uncle and thanked Luna for the two strong male influences in his life; he knew that no matter what happened his Dad and Uncle Joe would be standing behind him. 

***

Vincent kept his mate in sight, allowing her to keep running before his wolf tired of the game. He ran to her side, grabbed her waist and twisted in midair to land on his back taking the brunt of the fall. "MINE" he hollered as he scented her neck and hair.

"Dumb ass, I know I'm yours, I knew before you did," said Brianna. "Do you have any idea how ginormous you are? Did you have to charge at me like that, you scared the bejeesus out of me? You couldn't just walk over and introduce yourself? What is your name anyway? Or do I keep calling you Dumb Ass?" 

"Vincent Carlucci, my parents are Frank and Rose Carlucci," he said as he continued to scent her neck, running his hands up and down her back. "Cinnamon rolls, that's what you smell like, I love cinnamon rolls, when my mom makes them, she makes five batches at once because I can't stop eating them, when we go to the mall I always buy a couple cause they are so good, I shouldn't be holding you like this, I don't even know how old you are but right now I don't care, I just can't let you go and I know I should, you smell so good and I just can't think of anything but holding you in my arms, I know I shouldn't, I'm glad the rest of the Clan isn't here especially Damian because he would just laugh at me because I can't seem to stop rambling, I don't know how to stop, now I know what Ant and Alberto are going through, those poor bastards, I probably shouldn't have cursed in front of you..."

"Vincent, Daddy is coming and I'm not comfortable with him seeing me lying on top of you like this. I don't know if I'm ready to be lying on top of you like this, it's making me feel weird and my head is spinning," said Brianna, interrupting Vincent as she struggled to get out of his arms. Vin immediately let her go and helped her to stand then he sat down on a tree stump and pulled her between his outstretched legs being careful to leave plenty of room so their bodies weren't touching. 

"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable Cannella; can I hold you and scent you? My wolf is pacing back and forth from chasing you and I think that will calm him down," said Vincent as he put his hand under her chin so he could look into her eyes. 

Brianna looked into his emerald green eyes before shyly lowering her gaze, she hesitated a few seconds before she stepped back into his arms and whispered, "What is that name you called me?" While Vincent was scenting her, she was breathing in his pine scent and it was making her dizzy and flushed at the same time, without her realizing it, her arms moved around his neck pulling him closer and he placed his hands on her hips, holding her lightly.

"Cannella means cinnamon," answered Vincent with a smile on his face as he scented her response to being near him. "I want to kiss you so bad right now, but I know you aren't ready, so we will wait until the right time and only you will decide that." 

He scented the air and then lowered his head until their foreheads were touching, "For our first date, we will go out whenever you want and do what you want. We can double date with Morgan and Dominic, and of course we'll have chaperones with us. Now I need you to step back so we can calm down before our fathers get here, I don't think either of us wants them to see us like this."

"What do you mean, what are we doing?" said Brianna leaning in to scent his neck as her fingers moved to play with the hair at the nape of his neck sending shivers down his spine, and he wasn't positive but he would swear she licked his neck.

"Oh, fuck it. Don't stop Cannella, don't ever stop," moaned Vincent as he pulled her in closer to him, holding her head with his right hand as his left hand remained on her hip. He tilted his head so she could scent him deeper, his eyes flashing amber with streaks of emerald as he struggled for control.

"Vincent...do you think it's time for that kiss now?" she shyly whispered as she continued to bury her head in his neck.

Without saying a word, Vincent cupped her face between his two hands and slowly lowered his head looking deep into her silver eyes before they closed. He tilted her head and lightly brushed his lips over hers increasing the pressure when he felt no resistance. Gently nibbling on her lower lip he slipped his tongue into the warm moist heat of her mouth when he felt her sigh. She stiffened in his arms for a second before letting out a low whimper and hesitantly touched his tongue with her own. Vincent growled deep in his throat and lowered his left hand to her waist and pulled her closer, his right hand buried in her hair as he deepened the kiss. 

Brianna was lost in a swirl of confusing emotions and sensations, she couldn't seem to gather her thoughts except for one, and that was to get closer to Vincent. She was running her right hand through his hair and her left hand was running up and down his back and shoulders feeling his muscles ripple as he moved. 

Neither of them noticed the men arriving and Todd loudly cleared his throat, then cleared it again louder a second time. The security detail started laughing quietly as Todd said, "BRIANNA." This still got no response so Todd put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. 

Brianna jumped out of Vincent's arms and said, "Oh Daddy, Mr. Carlucci we were just... uhmm... talking...uhmm...Vincent was telling me he likes cinnamon rolls..." As she noticed all the men standing there her face flushed scarlet in color.

Todd looked at his daughter and said with just a hint of sarcasm, "Talking about cinnamon rolls, huh? Apparently Vincent really likes cinnamon rolls."

Frank looked at his son and said, "Yeah, we could see how engrossed in conversation the two of you were." Vincent looked at his father as he also blushed scarlet but he had a smile on his face as he pulled Brianna towards him again. She turned around and swatted at his hands mouthing "Stop" to him while she giggled. 

Todd turned towards Frank and said, "So, is he yours or Joe's? And the other boy that was running across the clearing is obviously his twin."

Frank sighed loudly and said, "They're mine, my oldest set of boys and they're 18. This one is Vincent obviously and the other one is Dominic. Please tell me the girls are at least 16."

"They're 17 and will turn 18 in June," said Todd with a smile as he looked at Frank. 

Both men looked at Brianna and Vincent who were staring into each others eyes and Frank said, "Okay you two, let's head on back to the clearing. Your Uncle Joe is bringing Dominic and Morgan back, your brother decided to go for a run with Morgan over his shoulder." 

"I was hoping my daughters would find mates when we moved here, but I didn't think it would be this quick. It's going to get interesting, isn't it?" said Todd as everybody started walking up the trail, Brianna and Vincent holding hands and stealing glances at each other. 

"You have no idea," said Frank as he started to laugh. "How much do your girls know about the dating rules? Vincent and Dominic know them, but after meeting your daughters I think they forgot everything. I'd be surprised if they remembered their names."

"I can't really say anything, when I realized Holly was my mate it was at a picnic at The Lodge," said Todd with a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his face. "I knew her my entire life and all of a sudden it was like I had to make her mine. I ran towards her and knocked her father and the Alpha into the fountain in the courtyard, just barreled right through them. I got into so much trouble for that, but when I kissed her for the first time, it was worth it." 

"I know exactly what you mean, our parents are best friends with Rose and Annie's parents so they were constantly around and Joe and I barely tolerated them. Then one day at school it changed," said Frank with a smile on his face. "We were in the cafeteria and Rose was with friends studying and John Benedetto bent towards her to look at her notes and I completely lost it. I went into a jealous rage, picking him up and throwing him across the table knocking lunch trays and books everywhere. Rose started screaming and I tackled her to the ground. It took Carlo, Joe and five other guys to get me off her and we've been inseparable since. A week later Joe felt the pull for Annie, but I'll let him tell you that story." 

"So, this is identical twins falling for identical twins, just like you and Joe? In our previous Pack, only the girls were born as twins, all of them identical, the boys were all single births," remarked Todd.

"In our Pack, it's a mix. Every family has several males and then once a female is born, the births stop and no one can figure out why. The only consistency is when a female is born, she has a male twin. The only exception I can think of is Gabby, she was a single birth. Oh, and Angelica, but she was stillborn," said Frank as Todd looked at him with a questioning look on his face. 

Frank continued in a whisper, "Gina was in an accident when she was almost eight months pregnant and had an emergency C-section, but Angelica didn't survive. It was a very dark time for our Pack and we do not talk about it. Even with all the births in our Pack, no one will use that name out of respect for the Alpha's."

Both men remained silent after that, lost in their thoughts as they entered the clearing. Frank noticed Joe introducing Dominic to the older Millers while Rose, Annie, Carlo and Gina stood there smiling. Frank motioned for Vincent and Brianna to follow them as they headed in that direction, his eyes scanned his other children as they stood talking with the Miller girls, he noted Anthony and Alberto standing behind the girls with their arms crossed over their chests and scowls on their faces. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 08



More introductions were made, both Vincent and Dominic apologizing to Todd and Holly for their inappropriate behavior and felt relief when Todd smiled at them saying, "It's okay, just don't let it happen again. Treat my daughters with respect and I won't have to hurt either of you." "Yes sir," both boys replied as they took in Todd's 6'4", 240 pound frame. 

"Go ahead and join the others," said Frank as he smiled at his oldest sons. "We need some time to talk things over. See if you can find out what's going on with Anthony and Alberto and clear it up." "Yes sir," both boys said as they held out their hands for their intendeds.

As they approached the group of youngsters Hope squealed, "Vinnie," as she launched herself at him. He let go of Brianna's hand to pick her up as she said, "You was bad, you knockeded me down and gots my new dwess dirty. Dommie was bad too, but he pwomised Jackie extwa ice cweam. Antny said its cause you found your gurlfwiend, so do I get extwa ice cweam too?"

Vin started laughing and said, "Would you like to meet Brianna? I'm sure she would like to meet you, and yes you can have extra ice cream as long as you eat your dinner and drink your milk." Hope laid her head on his shoulder as she smiled shyly at Brianna as she whispered to him, "She's pwetty, like my dolly."

The Miller girls were having problems remembering who belonged to which families, so Anthony suggested the families stand together. Everyone broke into their respective families but when it got to the Carlucci's, they were still confused because they looked almost identical. 

Gabby smiled and said, "Try and remember this and it'll help. Mr. C's youngsters have curly hair, dimples on the right side of their face and are right handed; Mr. JC's youngsters have straight hair, dimples on the left side of their face and are left handed, they're like mirror twins." The Miller girls were swiveling their heads back and forth between the two families.

Damian started singing, "Still, they're cousins, identical cousins and you'll find, they laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike." His family started cracking up laughing while the Miller girls looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Oh, come on," he said while he grinned. "The Patty Duke show. You've never heard of it? It's a cinematic masterpiece....Oh never mind."

"I'm hungwy Vinnie," whispered Hope. Vin looked around and saw the buffet was set up and said, "Okay older ones get your young ones and let's head over and get some food. We'll talk while we eat and everyone can get to know each other."

All of the youngsters got in line and loaded their plates before making their way back over to their spot in the clearing. Maria and Sophia got blankets from their cabin so the older girls would have a place to sit and be more comfortable. The boys leaned up against trees with the little girls leaning up against them and chattering nonstop. Across the clearing, the parents kept a close eye on their youngsters. 

"I forgot how much little girls talked," said Vin as Anthony opened the bond to include Alberto and Angelo in addition to the Carlucci boys. "Are they ever going to stop? What is up with Brooke and her shoes, she's been talking about them all day. Hope's lisp is adorable, but I don't understand half of what she says and Jackie, Toni, and Abigail talk just to hear themselves I think." 

"Did you see how little Brooke's feet are? I'm not sure how she can stand up, they're so little. She just got new kicks and wants to show them off, so give her a break dude," said Lorenzo as he held Brooke upside down by her ankle so the boys could see how little her foot was. She squealed in delight with a big smile on her little face and then launched into a whole new discussion about her shoes, causing the boys to groan even as they were smiling.

"Okay, now that we got the pleasantries out of the way; Ant and Alberto, what the fuck is up with the two of you? Whatever it is, Dad wants it taken care of before the ceremony," said Dom as he glanced at them. Vin and Dom listened as Anthony explained what was said and the girls reaction. 

"So, have you tried talking to them?" asked Vin as he opened Hope and Hyatt's cartons of milk. Hyatt insisted he could hold his, so he held Hope's while she drank. Neither twin was eating much, they were too excited and talking too much, so every time they opened their mouth to talk, Vin popped a bite of food in. Lorenzo saw what he was doing and followed his example with Eddie and Brooke, feeding them like little birds. 

"You know them Vin, they won't listen to us when they are this mad. We figured we'd let them cool down a little and then straighten it out," said Anthony as he wiped Abigail's face. Vin nodded his head in agreement and then said, "Okay, but take care of it after dinner."

"Sophia, what are the boys doing with the young ones?" questioned Maeve as the older girls stopped eating and talking as they looked over at the boys. 

"It's what they do," stated Sophia with a shrug. "You notice how each little girl has picked out one of the boys? We're taught when we're young if our fathers aren't around to position ourselves with a dominant male for protection. The little ones, like Hope and Brooke are especially vulnerable because they haven't begun training yet."

"They willingly do it? The men in our old Pack would never feed or take care of the young, except for their own and some not even then, they would consider it beneath them. As far as protection, they never did anything to protect us, the only ones that did was Daddy, Papa Mike, Papa Conall and Uncle Nick," said Morgan as she watched Dominic cut Jackie's hot dog into smaller pieces. Anthony, Vin and Dom looked at each other noting what she inadvertently said of having never been protected by her previous Pack. 

Dominic smiled at his intended and said, "We feel it's an honor they are comfortable around us and their parents trust us enough to protect their young. As far as being 'beneath' us, nothing is further from the truth. All children must be protected, but especially the girls, without them our Pack would cease to exist."

"Plus, it shows our intendeds we would make good fathers, it shows we can feed and protect them, its part of the natural nurturing instincts of males," said Anthony as the older girls looked at him with their mouths open in surprise. "What? Did you think the only thing we thought of was sports and fighting each other?"

"We are very sensitive, gentle, kind, caring souls. It hurts my feelings to think any of you would think otherwise," Damian said as he pretended to wipe tears from his eyes.

There was stunned silence from the Miller girls as they glanced at each other unsure of what to say or do.

"You're full of crap is what you are Damian Carlucci," laughed Gabby as she threw her napkin at him. He lunged for her ankle and pulled her towards him, throwing her shoe at Angelo, he began to tickle her foot. She was giggling but asking him to stop between giggles as Angelo looked on and told her, "You call people crap, you gotta pay the price, little sis."

"LEAVE HER BE DAMIAN," demanded Sal, surprising everyone, but most of all himself. "I mean...she asked you to stop, so leave her be." Damian let go of her foot and apologized as Gabby blushed at finding herself the center of attention.

"It's okay Damian, nothing you haven't done before," murmured Gabby as she got her shoe from Angelo. She rejoined the girls on the blanket who had started talking about the upcoming first day of school and training classes.

"Sal, is there something you need to talk about? You are way too young to be feeling a mating pull, so what's up?" asked Vin, Anthony had never closed the bond so all the males heard the question.

"Nothing, Damian was being rough with her and she's so little and delicate. I don't even like her, its just that she's so, oh forget it... Why can't I say something without everyone making a big fucking deal out of it?" he belligerently asked as he glared at his brother. "I mean she's not even usually nice, she's a spoiled brat and...." 

Sal stopped talking as he heard Alberto and Angelo growling low in their throats as they stared him down. "Listen up, that's my fucking sister you're talking about, nobody and I mean NOBODY talks about her like that," snapped Angelo.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that... oh never mind... nobody would understand anyway... but I like Gabby, just not in that way," stammered Sal. "I mean she's cute, beautiful even, her hair smells nice and it shimmers in the sunlight, and she's got eyes like liquid chocolate with little streaks of green that sparkle when she laughs, and her freckles are kinda cute, but I've never, well you know...looked at her that much...or never really noticed her as a girl...just leave me the fuck alone guys, okay?... She's cute okay, but she's old, and I really don't find her attractive, so drop it."  

The boys stared at him in astonishment and then Paulo astounded everyone again by saying, "For someone who doesn't look at her much, you sure noticed a hell of a lot. Gabby was my partner in Chem Lab last year and I never noticed she had freckles or shimmering hair. Hell, I barely noticed she had brown eyes, let alone they were like liquid chocolate with streaks of green, whatever the fuck that means. I'm glad you weren't really looking at her or never really noticed her as a girl, I'd hate to hear what you noticed then."

Gabby was putting her shoe on when she felt somebody staring at her; she looked up and saw the older boys staring at her intently, except for Sal who was holding his head in his hands. "What? What is wrong with all of you? Why are you staring at me? Do I have food on me, or is my hair messed up? What?????"

Damian replied laughing, "Nothing Gabs, we noticed how grown up you got over the summer while you were in Italy. Somebody mentioned how your hair shimmered in the sunlight and how cute your freckles were. I'll bet your brothers have a hard time keeping the guys away from you at work." 

As he finished talking, he glanced over to see Sal's reaction and wasn't disappointed; his hands were clenching and unclenching. He caught Vin's eye and jerked his head so Vin could see his reaction too. He was too young to feel the mating pull, but Sal was certainly feeling something for Gabby. "Oh, I'm going to have fun with this," he thought as a huge smile broke over his face. 

After dinner, Doc came over to Damian and Maria and said it was time to remove their casts. They followed him to the small cabin set up as a clinic, since it wasn't unusual for injuries to occur during the Pack run or with the young ones running around. He removed both casts and said they could shift as it would help in the healing process, but he didn't want them doing more then walking or a slow run. 

Hope had climbed back onto Vin's lap curled up and was half asleep; he looked at his intended and held his hand out to her. Brianna smiled at him and came over, leaning into his side and they talked quietly so they didn't disturb the little one.

Dominic watched his intended as she talked with Sophia and Gabby about school, dance classes and things girls did that he didn't understand. Jackie was lying on his chest, fighting sleep as he was gently rubbing her back. When Morgan noticed him watching her, she smiled shyly and got up and came to sit next to him and whispered, "Okay big boy, have you thought about our first date? How are you going to impress me? Where are we going and what are we going to do?"

Dominic laughed quietly and whispered, "We will do whatever you want, whenever you want. You tell me what kind of food you want and what you want to do afterwards, we can go bowling, roller skating, the movies or we can take a drive through the mountains. Whatever you want to do, I will make it happen." She giggled and said she would like to go eat at a real Pizza place and then go bowling. They sat quietly talking and made plans with Brianna and Vincent for the next weekend. 

After Maria came back to the clearing, Alberto went and sat near her. She ignored him at first then leaned into his side and he scented her neck deeply. He said, "I missed you Gattina, I don't like it when we argue. I didn't mean any disrespect to you, but to be honest I am miserable." When she stiffened against him, he continued, "Let me finish, please. I'm miserable because I want to hold you and kiss you and I am unable to. I'm miserable because I want to be with you all the time and I can't. That's why I am miserable." 

"Oh, Alberto," Maria sighed as she snuggled against his side. He put his arm around her shoulder holding her tightly as he scented her deeply he thought, "Three years, three years, I can handle that and then she'll never leave my side."

"Sophia, can I talk to you please?" said Anthony as he looked at her as she sat on the blanket with the older girls. She rolled her eyes and looked away before getting up and sitting next to him, but not touching him. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, it came out wrong. The pain and suffering I was referring to is mine and has nothing to do with you being my intended, well that's not right either. Damn, I can't seem to say anything right."

"I think I know what you're talking about, you are used to being with girls and doing things with them and you can't with me. It's because I'm so young, isn't it? You regret feeling the mating pull for me, don't you?" Sophia said her voice trembling as she agitatedly plucked blades of grass. "I don't want to think of you going out and doing those things with other girls Anthony, the thought of you being with somebody else makes me sick to my stomach." 

"Arachide, being with you means everything to me, you are my life and I cannot picture a future without you by my side. Yes, I am frustrated because I can think of nothing else but kissing you and holding you," Anthony stated firmly as he reached over and put his fingers under her chin so she could look at him. "I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I haven't been with other girls, but I want you to know I will never be unfaithful to you, you are mine and I am yours."

Sophia smiled shyly at Anthony and leaned into his side, tilting her head so he could scent her. Anthony took full advantage and pulled her as close to him as he could while he buried his hand into her curly black hair. He growled low in her ear and whispered, "I could stay like this all night."

Gabby and the Miller girls continued to talk quietly about nothing and everything, just like teenage girls normally do. The Millers were fascinated with her stories of Pack life, dance classes, school, bowling, training, parties and had endless questions to ask. Gabby was very patient and never made them feel bad about their not knowing about things she took for granted. She noticed the boys watching and listening to them, so she included them in the conversation and soon everyone was laughing and joking. 

***

Across the clearing, Frank watched the youngsters as they walked back from the food line and said, "Well, it looks like everyone is getting along. Why don't we get some food and get to know each other better, since we're going to bes. Matt and Phillip, you're going to join us, aren't you?" 

"We don't want to intrude Frank," said Matthew. "Nonsense," said Alpha Carlo. "You two are as involved in this as anybody, plus we enjoy your company." With pleased smiles on their faces, Matt and Phil followed the Carlucci's, Rossi's, Moretti's and Millers.

After everyone was settled at the picnic tables, Carlo said, "Aldo has got a lot of work ahead of him shifting the bunk arrangements now." Everyone started laughing, except for the Millers who looked perplexed. Frank quickly explained to them about the safe room at the school and how the bunk assignments were done. With Vin and Dom making declarations for Brianna and Morgan, those arrangements had to be redone for the third time. 

"You have a safe room at the school? It's got to be huge," said Papa Mike. Joe nodded his head as he quietly talked the schematics over with him and told him he would be at the school tomorrow and would personally go over the plans with him.

"We also need you to become familiar with our territory. Our main base of operations is Washington County, but we also control Frederick, Allegany and Garrett Counties. We have safe houses located throughout our lands; one for each family and you will be shown your house this week. The property records for these lands are not registered to anyone in the Pack and there is no way they can be traced to us," said Alpha Carlo."

"The safe houses look like normal cabins and vacation homes, but are constructed with safety in mind, even more then our homes. We figured if we had to seek the protection of these homes, then we had to amp up the security," said Frank with a smile at Papa Mike. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you do in the Pack?"

"Before I was forced into retirement by Charles, I was in charge of maintenance," said Papa Mike. "I had my own electrical business for 25 years and Charles forced me to sell it last year and the Pack kept the money. What the little bastard didn't realize was Ellen and I had been hiding money for two years prior, and even after the sale we didn't tell him the full price I got for the company. The new owner and I worked out a deal on the back end, we listed a price on the sale papers, but he also paid me in cash that wasn't shown." 

As Frank, Joe and Carlo looked on in astonishment, Todd started laughing and said, "We told you we planned on escaping for three years, we wouldn't have gotten far without money. How did you think we paid for the house? That reminds me, we need to take the rental cars back and buy new cars." 

"I never even thought of it," said Carlo with a grimace. "I should have asked if you needed help getting here. For that I apologize, I have no excuse for my lapse, I just never thought about it."

"Alpha Carlo, don't let yourself be upset. When we asked to join the Pack that was one of the first things you asked," said Phillip. "Everyone knows how much you care for your Pack members." 

"Thank you Phillip. I do need an assistant, I cannot let details like this slip through again," Carlo stated as he looked at his mate, who was nodding her head.

"We'll introduce you to Vinnie, he owns Pinelli Ford which is where everyone gets their cars," said Matt. 

"Papa Mike, would you be interested in doing electrical work for us? We have been relying on subcontractors, but would really like to start our own subdivision, so would you like to head the department? Or if you want to restart your business, then you would be one of our subcontractors. You would naturally have to get licensed first, but that shouldn't be a problem," said Frank as Joe nodded.

"I'm too old to run my own company, but I would definitely be interested in heading the department. There shouldn't be any problems with transferring my license, I ran my business for 25 years and never had any complaints registered with the state," stated Papa Mike proudly.

"What are you going to do Todd? You're an environmental engineer, right? When we first talked you said you got transferred here, but was that part of the cover?" asked Alpha Carlo.

"Since the budget cuts, a lot of analysis is done by subcontractors for the EPA and that's what I do. They send me test results and I run the analysis on them and put reports together, so I work from home," said Todd. "It'll be helpful once Holly and mom get the coffee shop up and running. I'll be able to help them and the girls will also be working in it."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 09



I would like to thank everyone for their patience in waiting for this chapter while I was recuperating. Your kind emails and words of encouragement really made me smile when I needed it the most. To my editor, hcsd1710 there are no words to thank you for your help and encouragement not only for the story but being there for me when I needed someone to talk to.

Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

If anyone would like a 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

*

"Carlo, Roberts here," said President Roberts. "It's finished, but we have a problem...With the arrest of Davis, Charles, the top Beta's and more then half the men, there is no one here to lead the Pack. The remaining Pack members want the Millers to come back and Todd to become Alpha. Are any of the Miller's there?" At Todd's look of surprise, Carlo raised his eyebrows to him and motioned with his head for everyone to follow him into the Carlucci's cabin.

"Yes sir, Holly, my father and I are here," said Todd.

"Holly's family is safe. The code word helped immensely, we got Conall alone earlier in the evening and told him our plans. He told those he trusted and when we surrounded the Grounds hollering the code word, they fell to the ground. When the males saw our numbers they surrendered without incident except for Charles who broke his leg trying to escape. The young ones were sitting in the dungeons waiting on us and the little ones had notes in their pockets with the names of their parents. Give Holly our thanks, though I suspect some of the other Packs wish they had put up a fight," said President Roberts as he laughed.

"President Roberts, this is Holly. I want to thank you for rescuing my family; can you please give them our number so I can speak to them? I know they are fine, but I'd like to talk to them," asked Holly with a tremor in her voice as Todd hugged her.

"Already done, but they won't call until Noon at the earliest. We've got a lot to do making sure we have all the guilty apprehended and we need everyone's input," said President Roberts.

"To continue, after we finished with Davis Pack, we raided the Carlsbad and Grant Packs. We arrested the Alpha's, Beta's and...well basically we took every male over the age of 16. We didn't have time to figure out who was guilty and who wasn't, that will be done at Council headquarters. Which leads me to my next point, those Alpha's are guilty even if they didn't physically touch any female, they knew about it and did nothing to protect the innocent. Those two Packs need strong leadership and as you know Frank and Joe are at the top of the candidates list." Frank and Joe's eyebrows shot up at this and Carlo looked at both of them with a smile on his face and shrugged his shoulders.

"My SD is in charge of transport back to Council headquarters; we've chartered three 747's since we have over six hundred prisoners. I'll stay here and oversee the three Packs and I've called the top Council advisors to come help with this clusterfuck. Speaking of which, I've got to get off the phone and deal with a thousand things, not to mention the fact I'm exhausted. Frank, Joe and Todd you have two weeks to decide, I want the new Alpha's initiated at the next Full Moon Ceremony. One last thing, Carlo make yourself available Monday afternoon for a teleconference and have your level Four and level Five Beta's there as well," President Roberts finished the conversation and hung up.

There was silence for several moments after the phone call, and then Carlo looked at Frank, Joe and Todd saying, "It seems like the three of you have a lot to discuss with your mates and families in the next couple of weeks."

"What was he talking about us being at the top of the candidates list?" asked Frank with a puzzled look on his face.

"For the last year, the Council has been putting together a program called 'Continuity of Pack Existence' or COPE for short. It's loosely based on the Continuity of Operations which ensures the Government is able to function even when faced with war, terrorism or unforeseen disaster," said Carlo as he looked around the room. "Each Pack has their own hierarchy, but what happens if the Alpha and his or her top people are killed or deemed unfit to rule a Pack? What if there isn't anybody left within the Pack capable of being an Alpha? What happens to the Pack?"

Everyone continued to stare at Carlo, and then Papa Mike got up and let Nana Ellen in. "I didn't think you'd mind if I asked Ellen to join us, she asked Matt and Phil to watch over the girls while they sleep," said Papa Mike.

Carlo nodded his head and said, "Good morning, I assume Papa Mike told you everything?" At her nod, he continued, "The first thing we did was put together a list of candidates powerful enough to lead a Pack. We looked at overall strength, training skills, family dynamics, ability to work with others and overall leadership skills. To be blunt, Frank and Joe in any other Pack would be Alpha's. Rose and Annie would make excellent Madame Alpha's; they are kind but firm, compassionate, able to lead the females and youngsters." Frank and Joe were standing behind their mates and without looking at each other they both reached out and placed their hands on their mates' shoulders.

Seeing this Carlo said, "The only concern was that you two are too close, closer then identical twins almost clones. Look at how the two of you are standing; everything is identical, right down to the scowl on your faces." Carlo watched as Frank and Joe studied each other, as Frank went to push his hair back with his right hand, Joe was making an identical move with his left hand without realizing it.

"The concern was in your need to be close to each other you would unite the two Packs, basically making them one large Pack with two Co-Alphas. Now that the position of the two Alpha's in New Mexico has opened, I know those concerns will be brought up, especially since they border each other," said Carlo as he continued to stare at his top level Beta's. "If you do take the Alpha positions, will you be able to keep your Packs separate? Can you function without seeing each other or will your wolves suffer from it? Can you leave your Pack behind? Another solution would be for one of you to become Alpha, and the other his top Beta, but which one of you?"

"What I am going to ask you to do may sound odd, but starting at 5 PM on Friday and finishing at the start of the football game on Saturday, I don't want your families to have any contact with each other. No cookouts, no talking through the bond, no movies, no phone calls, no excursions out for the boys, no trips to the Mall. Nothing... The two New Mexico packs are far enough apart that your bond wouldn't work anyway, so this will give you a chance to see what it feels like. More specifically for your wolves to feel like being separated from each other," stated Carlo.

"We have a lot to think about in the next two weeks little brother," said Frank. "We need to talk things over with our mates and youngsters. I know Sophia and Maria won't want to leave Anthony and Alberto. What happens with Brianna, Morgan, Vincent and Dominic? What happens with our employees and our business?"

Joe slowly nodded his head as he said, "We also have to think about school. Do those Packs have schools and sports? What about college? My head is spinning thinking of everything involved."

Todd looked at Holly and seeing her nod, he said, "Uhmm guys, I don't want to add to your burden, but...Caitlin and Erin hinted that two more of your sons are their mates. We have no idea who, they said they weren't ready yet but they would be soon." Rose and Annie had big smiles on their faces as they grabbed Holly's and Nana Ellen's hands.

Looking out the front door Rose saw the youngsters starting to stir and said, "The ravenous beasts are awakening, I hope Mitchell's crew made a lot of food."

Gina walked to the door and looked out saying, "The new kitchen is working out well, and I wish we had put it in years ago. Mitchell was raving about it earlier and he said it was much easier for his staff not having to leave in the middle of the night to cook the food and bring it back."

"You have all these cabins, a couple of Pavilions and the kitchen, how do you keep this area from being detected?" asked Papa Mike.

"We're at the base of the mountain, surrounded by hundreds of acres of woods. The only trail here is from The Manor House and the surrounding land is owned by Pack members. The buildings are painted the colors of the forest; even the shingles are varying shades of green and beige, like camouflage," said Carlo. "In the last twenty years we planted over five thousand evergreens so from the air the patches of green wouldn't stick out."

"I know what you really are asking," said Joe with a smile. "Yes, there is a safe room here and another in Allegany County. It's designed to hold the entire Pack with enough supplies to last five years, and it was built over thirty years using designs for Mount Weather and The Greenbrier. We'll give you a tour later this week."

As the Millers looked at them with astonishment on their faces, Frank said, "Before you ask, yes we are paranoid, but with the proximity to Washington, DC, we need to be prepared. Preparation is the key to everything."

"How the hell did you get plans from Mount Weather and The Greenbrier? I know The Greenbrier is now open to the public, but Mount Weather is still functioning," asked Todd.

Everyone stopped talking as the youngsters came into the cabin, inquiring when breakfast would be ready. Carlo said, "Clean up around the bonfire first then get washed up; girls use the Millers cabin, boys use the Moretti's and my cabin. We'll meet you out front in ten." The Carlucci's grabbed their backpacks as the youngsters hurried out the door to obey.

"We'll go with the girls," said Nana Ellen as her and Papa Mike got up and followed the girls out of the cabin.

"As far as getting plans, that was no problem since we've had a Senator in the Pack for the last forty years. The Martin family is involved in politics, first Curtis was a Senator and when he retired his son Clayton took over. He was the one who offered to do a ribbon cutting when you officially open your business," said Carlo smirking as he looked at Frank who had a scowl on his face.

"Big fucking deal, he's hoping to get more press to help his re-election. I know he's Pack, but I hate having his damn re-election signs everywhere I look," snapped Frank in a sarcastic tone.

"It's been almost twenty-five years, you can't let it go?" asked Carlo glancing at Joe and Carmelo as they started laughing as Gina, Rose, Rita and Annie sat silently shaking their heads. Todd and Holly were waiting to see what was going on and afraid to interrupt.

"Fuck no. It could be fifty years and I still won't forget," said Frank as he glared at Carlo, Carmelo and his brother.

"Frank, as your brother and possible clone, I support everything you say or do, but this is ridiculous," said Joe as he continued to laugh.

Seeing the looks on the Millers faces Carmelo said, "About a month after Frank made his declaration for Rose we went to the pond to ice skate. The older guys were near the bonfire talking while the younger ones including Gina, Rose, Annie, and Rita were skating. Clay's foot got caught in Rose's scarf knocking her down and he fell on top of her. As he was helping her up she started to fall again and Clay grabbed her, accidently touching her breast..."

Frank banged his fist on the table as he interrupted, "That's what I'm talking about; he felt her breast before I was allowed to, plus I can't get the image of him on top of my mate out of my mind. Do I need to go on?"

"I keep telling you it wasn't like that. It was twenty below with the wind chill and I had on a bra, long johns, a t-shirt, your sweatshirt and your varsity jacket. How much do you think he actually felt?" said Rose laughing quietly.

"Doesn't matter, he felt you up with malicious intent," said Frank with a grimace as everyone burst out laughing. "Malicious intent, that's what it was."

"Frank, you've lost your fucking mind. Clay was 16 at the time and scared to death of you and you think he did it on purpose?" asked Carmelo as everyone continued laughing except Todd.

"I agree with Frank and have a theory about this...I think he did it thinking it was Annie, and maybe he felt up the wrong twin with malicious intent," said Todd with a serious expression on his face as Holly reached over and whacked him on his arm.

Joe swung his head around growling and shouted, "THAT SON OF A BITCH!"

Todd leaned out of Holly's reach as he continued, "OR it could have been Gina or Rita he was after, you did say they were skating together. Who knows who he meant to feel up, especially since he did it with malicious intent, maybe he wanted to knock them ALL down and feel EVERYONE up with malicious intent." He looked at the men who had scowls on their faces, their hands clenching and unclenching as their growls were getting lower and more menacing.

Holly leaned forward almost falling out of her chair and whacked him on the arm again saying, "Do you see how upset you got everybody? Are you happy?"

Todd moved to the door of the cabin with a huge smile on his face, rubbing his hands together gleefully and said, "I'm ecstatic, my job here is done. Let's go eat. ..." Then he took off running, laughing hysterically when he saw the expressions on the men's faces as they realized what he had done and how he had played them.

The men raced out the door hollering, "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS" "YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE" "WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU" "YOU'D BETTER FUCKING RUN YOU BASTARD".

Their youngsters stood in the clearing with their mouths hanging open as they heard their Dad's hollering as they chased Todd. They heard a commotion at the cabin and looked to see their mothers falling through the door landing on top of each other laughing uncontrollably.

Damian looked around and said, "What the fuck did we miss? We weren't gone that long."

They watched as Todd barely missed getting tackled by Carmelo as he hollered, "Hey Vincent and Dominic, how about a little help for your future father?"

The girls moved towards the cabin as the boys charged across the clearing. They had no idea what was going on, but didn't want to waste the opportunity to gang up on their fathers. It was a free for all as they wrestled while Todd watched laughing hysterically. Frank and Joe disappeared under a pile of their sons; Anthony jumped on Carlo's back placing him in a choke hold, and Alberto was sitting on Carmelo's back holding him in a headlock while Angelo had him in a figure four leg lock.

The Miller girls were jumping up and down and Fallon said, "This is better then the WWE, back when it was good when Stone Cold Steve Austin was in it."

"It's like the Royal Rumble, but real. Momma, can we join them?" asked Shannon.

Without waiting for a reply the girls ran across the clearing to their mother's delight. The Miller girls launched themselves at their father, knocking him over and pinning him, while Sophia, Maria and Gabby joined Anthony in the fight against Carlo. Their mother's cheers and the shouting from the pile attracted the Packs attention and within moments the majority of the Pack had joined the melee.

It was old versus young, fathers against their youngsters and they were having a blast. The fathers weren't fighting to injure the youngsters, just playing as they fake body-slammed them, picked them up over their heads and spun them around or pretended to be knocked down by the young ones. There were growls mixed in with laughter from the males, excited screams from the young ones, hollering from the girls and shouts of encouragement from the women and little ones watching. After ten minutes most of the men were on the ground, bowled over by the sheer volume of youngsters.

Twenty minutes later, Mitchell approached the group and hollered, "BREAKFAST IS READY, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO EAT?" The youngsters immediately got up, the older ones grabbing the young ones and little ones hands and ran across the clearing towards the Pavilion where the buffet was set up. Their fathers were left lying on the ground, each of them still laughing as their wives walked over to offer them a hand to get up.

"Mitchell has good timing, I think the youngsters were starting to whip our asses," said Joe as he continued laughing. "There's just too many of them."

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but that was the most fun I've had in a long time. I don't know who or what started it, but thanks to whoever did," said Clay Martin. Frank, Joe, Carlo, Carmelo and Todd looked at each other and burst out laughing as they grabbed their mates and hugged them.

"Okay everyone, I think we should get over to the food line before the youngsters eat everything in sight," said Carlo as they walked to the Pavilion.

Almost two hours later, breakfast was done, the kitchen was cleaned, cabins were closed up, trash bagged up and thrown in the back of several trucks and families started to leave.

As they arrived at The Manor House, Matt and Phil made plans to meet with the Millers at 11 to go over the girls schedules for the week and have lunch before heading over to The School House. Carlo and Gina were heading over to The Cottage to meet Marco and Anna. The Millers got in their cars, Vin and Dom with them to show them the shortcut to their house from the Rossi's.

Anthony moved Sophia to the front of the garage door as everyone was talking. He pulled her into his side scenting her neck and whispered, "Have I told you how much I like seeing you in my sweatshirt? Knowing the fact that you carry my scent is driving me crazy, by the time you turn eighteen I'm gonna be a lunatic."

Sophia blushed and said in a shy voice, "It makes me feel closer to you. Uhmm, can I have one of your t-shirts to sleep in? I liked sleeping in the sweatshirt but I'll get all hot and sweaty in bed."

Anthony closed his eyes and threw his head back, hitting it repeatedly on the garage door as he continued to replay what Sophia had said in his head. He felt sweat beading on his forehead and his heart was racing, he knew he needed to get his emotions under control but the close proximity of Sophia wasn't helping matters.

Maria and Alberto walked up and Maria said, "Are we interrupting anything? We wanted to talk about going on a double date, maybe Friday night we could go to dinner then movies or bowling."

Alberto took one look at Anthony's face and broke into a grin as he saw they were clearly interrupting something, sweat was beading on Anthony's forehead and his breathing was a little ragged. He asked, "Ant, you okay? You're looking a little flushed there buddy."

"Sophia is gonna fuckin kill me before she turns eighteen," replied Anthony with a grimace as he replayed the short conversation to Alberto. Seeing Alberto grin at his discomfort he said, "Need I remind you that you have the same three years to wait as I do? Plus you're going to college next year and won't be able to see your mate everyday and she'll be at school, dance class, training classes and football games in her cheerleading uniform without you."

The grin abruptly fell away from Alberto's face and was replaced with a scowl as he replied, "Thanks Ant, you ruined my whole fucking day. You can bet on the fact I'll be coming home every weekend or meeting the team wherever they are playing. I'll be around so fucking much Maria won't have time to miss me."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 09



"You feeling miserable?" asked Anthony as Alberto nodded his head, "Good, they say misery loves company and I feel much better now. Now we have to get Vin and Dom feeling miserable too, they've been too fucking happy since they met their mates and it isn't right."

The boys looked at each other deep in thought and then as one said, "Cheerleading."

"Follow my lead," said Alberto as Anthony nodded. He looked at his mate and said, "It would be nice if the Millers could join some kind of team to help them feel welcome in the Pack. I guess they could join the girls' soccer team, but I don't even know if they play."

"Yeah, that would be a great idea if there was something they could join," said Anthony as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why can't they join the cheerleading squad?" asked Maria. "There's still plenty of time for them to learn the cheers and routines. I'm sure the rest of the girls wouldn't mind teaching them and it would really make them feel welcome."

"Oh Maria, that's a wonderful idea," Sophia said happily, "let's go talk to Gabby, since she's the Varsity Co-Captain. We should have thought of this last night."

As the girls went to talk to Gabby, the boys high-fived each other and Alberto said, "If Vin and Dom ask us, we can honestly say Maria and Sophia came up with the idea and they will back us up all the way. I feel kinda sneaky, this is something Damian would do, but I don't feel bad about making Vin and Dom miserable."

They watched as Sophia and Maria talked to Gabby who was nodding her head and then all three girls started jumping up and down. The Carlucci boys and Angelo made their way over to the garage door shaking their heads and grinning.

"Vin and Dom are going to blow a gasket when they find out their mates are going to be cheerleaders," said Angelo looking his twin in the eyes he saw the mischief there and broke out in a matching grin.

"I definitely want to be there when they find out," said Damian as he was grinning. "I wish I had thought of suggesting it, I can't believe Maria and Sophia came up with the idea, it's almost as if they had a little help..." he glanced at Anthony and Alberto and seeing the grins on their faces he burst out laughing.

"We didn't do anything, we were just talking about ways to make the Millers feel welcome and Maria is the one who suggested cheerleading," said Alberto as he shrugged his shoulders, "Ask her or Sophia and they'll tell you the same thing."

Paulo grinned and said, "Plausible deniability, I like that."

"I'd forgotten Gabby was the Varsity Co-Captain," said Sal quietly, though all the boys heard him. He continued to stare at her, as if sensing his eyes on her she looked up and smiled causing him to inhale sharply as his heart slammed in his chest. "Damn, she's beautiful," he whispered, not meaning to say it out loud.

"Stop staring at my sister. I told you before I didn't like it and you'd better fucking stop," said Angelo angrily and the boys stopped laughing as they saw the look on Sal's face as he frowned at Angelo. The girls stopped talking and stared at the boys wide-eyed trying to figure out what was going on.

Sal stared at Angelo before walking up to him and said belligerently, "And what the fuck are you going to do if I don't?" The boys got quiet as they realized Sal was serious and wasn't going to back down. The tension ratcheted up as they stood facing off against each other, their size difference making the situation even more serious, Angelo was 6'5" and 330 pounds, while Sal was 5'9" and 170 pounds.

Sal felt his brothers and cousins lining up at his side, he waved them off but they refused to move and then he saw Alberto move to stand beside Angelo. Seeing their sons line up and the attention of the girls on the boys, the parents stopped talking and paid attention to what was going on in front of the garage.

"You do realize I could snap you like a fucking twig, don't you?" snarled Angelo.

"I know you could try," Sal snapped back and continued to glare at Angelo.

Carlo said to the men, "What the fuck is going on? There's been tension between those two all night; I think it was because of Gabby."

"You don't have your big brothers here to fight your battles little boy," said Angelo with his eyes narrowed and his huge hands clenched in fists.

"Who fucking said I needed them? I may be smaller then you, but I'm pretty sure I could take you," Sal said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Gabby was furious and said, "Angelo, I swear to Luna if you hurt him I'll cause you unimaginable pain. I'll come into your room when you're least expecting it, cut off your bits and pieces, shove them down your throat and THEN I'll kill you." Angelo's eyes widened in astonishment then narrowed as she continued her tirade, "Don't fuck with me, I'm serious Angelo. LEAVE HIM BE."

Anthony pushed his way between the two, holding them both at arms length; his eyes took on an amber hue as he said in a deep commanding timbre, "ENOUGH, back the fuck off NOW. Angelo, he didn't do anything wrong, and Sal stop being so fucking hotheaded. Meet me behind the garage in five, we need to re-establish our bond, and we are going on a run as wolves to do it." He stared into each boy's eyes until they lowered them in submission then went to his mate so she could calm him down.

As he pulled Sophia to his side to scent her neck he sent a message to Vin and Dom, "We've had a slight altercation here. Meet us at my cabin in thirty minutes; do not speak to your family until you get here."

"Yes Anthony," both boys replied acting instinctively to the firm commanding voice Anthony used.

Gabby ran over as the boys separated and pushed Angelo in the chest, he didn't budge, but the intent was obvious. She continued to glare at her older brother then spun on her heel and walked over to Sal, cupping his face in her hands she looked up into his deep emerald eyes said, "You're not hurt are you?"

Sal swallowed nervously as he stared into Gabby's liquid chocolate eyes and stammered, "Uhmm... yeah...ugh ... I'm uhmm ... I ugh... yeah, I'm okay." He felt sweat breaking out on his forehead, his palms were suddenly clammy, his heart was pounding in his chest and for some odd reason he felt like throwing up. 'I wonder if I'm too young to have a heart attack?' he thought to himself. His wolf was sitting with his head looking off to the side as if embarrassed then rolled onto his back in total submission leaving Sal more confused then ever.

Letting go of his face, she squeezed his hand and went to rejoin Maria. Watching her as she walked away, Sal once more felt a weird satisfaction that she was still wearing his sweatshirt and he smiled seeing 'Carlucci' emblazoned across the top of her backside. When she turned suddenly seeing him staring at her, she smiled again causing him to blush scarlet and he got so dizzy he thought for a second he may pass out and he wondered if this is what it felt like to have a stroke.

As the men continued to stare at the boys Frank said, "Anthony handled that well. The argument was obviously about Gabby, Angelo was being protective but I wonder what Sal did to set him off and what all the posturing was about."

"Real smooth there Romeo," murmured Victor as he began to laugh. "Could you uhmm...be anymore...uhmm... awkward? Dude, it was embarrassing listening to you trying to talk."

"Shut the fuck up Vic, I want to see how smooth you are when a pretty girl is talking to you. You'll probably have a total meltdown, grunt then pass out," said Sal as he punched his cousin in the shoulder.

Damian unable to resist said, "I wonder who is going to take Gabs to Homecoming? I'm sure a lot of guys will be asking her, hell I may ask her myself." Seeing the scowl that Sal gave him, he broke out in laughter and said, "Then again maybe not."

Seeing Anthony and Alberto walk their intendeds to the SUV's as their parents got ready to leave, the boys hurriedly walked around the side of the house to the back of the garage. Nobody spoke as they stood there with their arms crossed over their chests.

Minutes later Anthony and Alberto joined them and Anthony said, "Okay, this is what's going to happen. We're going to run to my cabin; once there we'll shift and continue running, then we'll sit and talk. Damian since you can't run yet, you will walk to the cabin. Until we are ready to work this fucking thing out, I don't want to hear one word, no arguments and no questions, keep your fucking mouths shut." Without looking at anybody he turned around and ran towards the trail, within moments he heard the boys running behind him.

Damian followed at a much slower pace as he started the fifteen minute walk to the cabins. It was weird being alone, he thought as he tried to think of the last time it happened and couldn't remember a time when he wasn't around at least one member of his family. After several minutes of continued silence he admitted to himself that he didn't like it, didn't like it at all.

Anthony set a blistering pace as they ran, completing the run in less then five minutes. Once there everyone stripped out of their clothes and shifted. Knowing Sal and Vic were still getting used to their wolves, he said, "We'll walk around the cleaning once, then pick up the pace each turn. Once the two of you feel confident to run let me know." Sal and Vic nodded their heads, remembering his edict not to talk.

After the fifth run around the circle, both boys felt confident and chuffed to let Anthony know they were ready, without responding he led them on the wide trail into the woods. They ran for twenty minutes, up and down South Mountain, Anthony making sure Sal and Vic were able to keep up with the more experienced boys before circling back to the pond near the Ceremonial Grounds. Anthony wasn't surprised to see Damian, Vin and Dom already in the water and without missing a step, he jumped off the edge of the dock shifting in midair as he dove in, with the boys following him.

Sal and Vic were the last two in line and tried to shift in midair like the others but weren't as successful. Their wolves hit the water with a huge splash drenching the older boys and they started paddling towards shore before they successfully shifted. Sal said, "I guess we need to work on that a little." Seeing the two cousins laughing at each other and themselves, the other boys smiled which broke the tension.

The boys continued to be silent, letting the cool water soothe their overheated bodies and tempers. Five minutes later Anthony said, "Time to head to the cabin." The boys exited the water and walked the quarter mile to the cabin letting the sun and slight wind air dry them. When they arrived at the cabin they slipped on their shorts and Anthony motioned for them to move to the edge of the clearing where they had sat the night before.

Anthony stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the boys in front of him. "Before we get started, let me bring Vin and Dom up to speed as to what happened," he said projecting what occurred earlier. He closely watched them and wasn't surprised when he heard their low growls as they glared at Angelo. Both boys then looked at their brothers and cousins and nodded their heads letting them know they did the right thing in backing Sal.

Drawing a deep breath Anthony said, "Sal, do you want to let us know what is going on with you and Gabby?"

Sal swallowed loudly and said, "Ant, I honestly don't know. Everyone keeps saying I'm too young to feel the mating pull and my wolf is as confused as I am apparently. When Gabby was talking to me, he was acting embarrassed and then laid on his back in a submissive pose. What the fuck does that mean? What does your wolf do around Sophia?"

Anthony rolled his shoulders and said, "Sal, first thing, do you know what it means to be mates? Not just in the 'we will be together for the rest of our life' kinda way, but everything else it means?"

"Well, yeah...kinda. I mean I see the way our parents act, and I've seen the way you and Alberto act like idiots around the girls. It doesn't seem that hard," Sal said as the boys started laughing at his description of Anthony and Alberto.

Anthony smiled at him and said, "Well, your sister does seem to bring out the best and worst in me, sometimes at the same time. Meeting your mate makes you feel like you are finally complete, like that piece of you that was missing is finally found. It's the best and worst feeling in the world. I can't remember where I saw this, but it describes it perfectly, 'it's not the person you spend your life with, it's the person you can't live your life without'."

"Hallmark?" Damian asked with a lopsided grin on his face as Anthony shrugged.

"You're right though, it does make us act like idiots. Big giant possessive idiots who can't seem to control our anger and who ramble like crack heads on meth," said Alberto with a scowl. "Look at me; I'm a big strong guy who rides a Harley for fucks sake. When I walk into a biker bar, the guys in there don't fuck with me because I scare the shit out of them. And you know what scares me? My 5'5", 115 pound kitten, she scares the fuck out of me."

As the guys were laughing, Alberto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Go ahead and laugh, I'm not ashamed to admit that my Gattina means the world to me. That I live to make her happy and when she smiles at me I feel like my chest is going to burst open. If I'm not with her, the only thing I think about is her. If she wants something, I'll do everything in my power to get it for her. When I hold her and scent her all I think about is ripping her..."

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, DUDE. THAT'S MY SISTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT," shouted Lorenzo as the rest of the Carlucci's snapped their heads towards Alberto and narrowed their eyes. "It's bad enough we have to see you scent her, we don't want to know what you're thinking. That's just beyond disturbing."

Alberto looked at Lorenzo and grinned saying, "Sorry, I ugh kinda got carried away there a little. It's just your sister is so fucking beautiful and her scent drives me insane. If we're being honest here guys, I have to tell you I have a calendar on the computer marking down the days until her 18th birthday."

"STOP, JUST STOP," shouted Damian. "None of us want to hear that. We don't even want to know about the two of you having relations until she is in the clinic ready to pop out your little ones. Then and only then we may be ready to hear that you even kissed her."

"You think my little ones are going to magically appear inside of her?" asked Alberto as he threw back his head laughing.

"Only if you use your magic wand on her, bro," said Angelo as he started laughing.

"I have to confess I have a calendar countdown too," said Anthony as he laughed. "I thought I was the only one who was twisted and disturbed, I'm glad I have company." Alberto leaned over and high-fived Anthony, both of them smiling broadly, while the Carlucci's scowled.

"That is wrong, just wrong on so many levels," said Gianni as he shook his head as Anthony, Alberto and Angelo continued to laugh.

"Can we get back to me now?" said Sal. "I thought we came up here to talk about me, not the two of you doing unmentionable stuff to our sisters. That's just gross."

Ant stopped laughing and said, "Sorry Sal. It sounds to me like your wolf understands she is your mate but isn't ready to accept it yet. He wants to make sure you're not only physically mature enough to be able to care for and protect your mate, you need to be emotionally mature enough to handle the responsibility."

Alberto leaned back against a tree and nodded his head saying, "Like Ant was saying, it's not just a matter of protecting your mate which will come in time as you grow bigger and stronger; it's a matter of being able to provide for her emotionally and being able to provide for her welfare, such as providing a home, everything she needs and eventually everything your little ones will need."

Angelo glared at Sal and said, "Whatever...I don't like HIM sniffing around my sister." He glanced at Alberto and said, "I mean our sister. It's not right, she's only seventeen."

Vincent raised his eyebrow saying quietly, "And what is the matter with my brother? Your sister doesn't seem to mind; in fact she seems to be encouraging him. As far as Gabby being seventeen, so what? Our sisters are only fifteen, and Maria is the intended mate of YOUR brother, and neither of you have a problem with that obviously."

Seeing the look on Vin's face, Sal said hesitantly, "Seriously though, what am I supposed to do? Is Gabby my first crush and is this what you guys felt like when you first started noticing girls and thinking about...you know like sex and stuff?"

"First off, don't mention my sister and sex in the same sentence," snarled Angelo. "Second, you just turned fifteen for fucks sake. What do you think you can do? You can't even drive..."

Vincent put up his hand stopping Angelo, staring intently into his eyes he said quietly, "Angelo, we've been friends since we were little ones and out of respect for that friendship I'm going to be nice about this...But if you talk to my brother like that again, I swear to Luna I will come over there and beat the fuck out of you."

He stopped speaking for several moments as he continued to stare at Angelo and said louder, "We still need to discuss what happened earlier, Sal may have been stubborn about standing up to you, but what exactly did he do wrong? So, he looked at your sister and said she was beautiful. Did he harm her in any way? Did he say something that insulted her? No. You were the one who stepped over the line, letting a harmless remark get out of hand and get to you. You took advantage of a fifteen year old and our absence to try and bully him. That is not going to happen ever again, ARE WE CLEAR ON THAT?"

Angelo didn't respond, his hands were clenched and his body language radiated anger as he looked away from the oldest Carlucci boy. Vin gave him a minute to answer and when no answer was forthcoming he said again, "DID I MAKE MYSELF FUCKING CLEAR ON THAT OR DO WE SETTLE THIS HERE AND NOW?"

Anthony didn't interrupt, he knew how protective Vin was of his family and he was extremely upset Angelo had picked a fight with Sal, the youngest male member of the Clan. This was something that had to be worked out between the two of them.

Angelo drew a deep breath and said, "Yeah, you made yourself clear. It won't happen again, but I still don't like the idea of him chasing after our sister."

Anthony looked at the Moretti's and quietly said, "And what if Gabby is the one who is doing the flirting and chasing?"

"What are you saying about my sister? You think she is encouraging him?" asked Alberto with a look of disbelief on his face. "She's only seventeen and has never even been on a date. How the hell would she know how to flirt or encourage him?"

"Yes, I think she IS encouraging him. Calm down and look at this objectively and not as her brothers," instructed Anthony. "Last night when we were sitting at the bonfire, she came and sat next to Sal. She smiled at him several times and she was definitely flirting with him at the bonfire. Did either of you notice that?"

"Well, yeah," admitted Angelo. "But I don't think she was doing it on purpose, she was just being nice, wasn't she?"

"In my limited experience with women," said Damian as everyone laughed since there wasn't a girl Damian met he didn't flirt with. "They instinctively know how to flirt. They do that hair flipping thing, give that cute quick side-eye then glance away, they giggle at things we say that aren't funny, give that light touch on your forearm, do that thing where they catch their lower lip between their teeth, and tilt their head to show the line of their neck."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 09



The boys stared at him for several moments before they started laughing. "You honestly think girls act like that? Our sisters never acted like that, you are losing your mind," said Dominic shaking his head.

"Alberto, answer this question...when Maria brought those brownies to you at practice, what did she do?" asked Damian with an innocent look on his face.

Alberto leaned back and thought for a moment before saying, "She acted real shy, giggled a lot, then blushed and when she glanced back over her shoulder at me she tilted her head and smiled." He got quiet for a moment and said, "Fuck, she was flirting with me and I didn't even realize it."

"Anthony, think back to the birthday party, play it back in your mind and think of what Sophia was doing all night," said Damian as he leaned back on his elbows.

"Alright," said Anthony closing his eyes replaying the night in his mind. "She is with the other girls...wait a minute...she's staring at me and giggling. When Mom and Dad got there she thanked us for the gift and tilted her head smiling at me. Now she is at the edge of the pool talking with Maria and glancing at me, twirling her hair and giggling. She's walking by me and giving me a side glance with her mouth slightly open and her head is tilted, like she wants to say something and that's when I knocked her into the pool..." He bolted upright and said, "She was flirting with me the whole fucking night. How the hell did I miss that?" He turned to Damian growling loudly and demanded, "How many other guys have you seen her flirt with? I want to know who it was and what they did."

"Jealous much?" asked Damian calmly. "Sophia never flirted with any other guys. If you hadn't of knocked her into the pool, she would still be trying to get you to notice her. Like I said, they don't have to have experience to flirt."

"In my defense, I never expected Sophia to be flirting with me. Damn bro, she was your family and off limits, totally against the code. Even though I thought she was beautiful, I would never have done anything or pursued her," explained Anthony. Alberto nodded his head in agreement.

The boys got quiet and then Angelo said, "Okay, you made your point and suppose, just suppose, Gabby is flirting with Sal. I think she is doing it just to like you know...maybe get some kinda practice in. She can't be serious, can she?"

Anthony shrugged his shoulders and looking at Sal he said, "Sal, what exactly have you felt towards Gabby?"

Sal leaned back before saying, "Well, when she smiles at me, my heart feels like it's going to pound out of my chest. I liked seeing her in my sweatshirt, knowing she carried my scent..." he was interrupted by Victor who hollered, "I KNEW that's why you gave her your sweatshirt."

"And it felt good to see my name on her backside, I guess I feel kinda protective of her..." he was interrupted by Damian who said, "You think? You about tore my head off when I was tickling her foot."

"And I guess I have been paying a bit more attention to her then I admitted. I mean noticing things with her you know being a girl and all..." he was interrupted by Paulo who said sarcastically, "Really? Liquid chocolate eyes with streaks of green? I don't think any of us were fooled by your protests after that remark."

"but when she was holding my face I got sweaty, clammy and felt like throwing up..." he stopped as the boys started laughing and he blushed slightly as he continued, "then when she turned around and smiled at me I got really dizzy and felt like passing out."

"That sounds more like the flu," said Damian as the boys continued to laugh, "or a bad case of food poisoning."

"It might be gas from the raw deer your wolf ate," said Michael with a straight face before breaking out in laughter, his twin Paulo leaning over and giving a high-five.

"Fuck you guys, I'm trying to be serious here and you're talking about gas and food poisoning," fumed Sal. "I'm the youngest here, but apparently more mature then you bunch of buffoons." His tirade had the opposite effect as everyone was laughing so hard that even Sal joined in.

After several minutes, the laughter died down and Angelo said, "Okay, so what do we do about Gabby and Sal?"

"What do WE do? We do nothing. If Luna has decreed they are mates, then there is nothing or no one that will come between them," stated Anthony firmly. Seeing the disgruntled looks on the faces of Alberto and Angelo, he said, "Alberto, how would you feel if you knew Maria was your mate and her family kept you separated?"

"I WOULD FUCKING KILL ANYBODY THAT TRIED TO KEEP HER FROM ME, SHE IS MINE," he snarled angrily. The thought of his mate not being with them set his wolf on edge, his claws came out and his eyes shifted to pure amber. Loud growls sounded throughout the clearing and the boys stayed perfectly still, afraid the slightest movement would set him off.

"Alberto, you need to calm down NOW," commanded Anthony.

After several tense moments, Alberto's claws retracted and his eyes reverted back to his normal chocolate eye color. He threw his head back and drew in several deep cleansing breaths saying, "I'm sorry, but the thought of being kept away from Maria isn't something my wolf or I will tolerate." He took a long look at Sal before saying, "We won't stop you or come between the two of you, but I want to make one thing clear, you will respect my sister. If I find out you did something to hurt her or cause her any pain, I swear to Luna I will rip you limb from limb."

"Uhmm, okay," Sal said hesitantly. "But what exactly AM I supposed to do? I have no idea...do I ask her out? Ignore her and hope it goes away until I'm older? Keep going on as we are, whatever that is, and see what happens? I need some help here guys. You all are older and more experienced, so tell me what to do."

The guys sat there and looked at each other, several of them opening their mouths to say something and then quickly stopped. They appeared lost in thought, except for Damian who sat and watched everything.

When the silence stretched for five minutes he finally spoke, "How the hell do any of you manage to talk to girls, let alone get dates? Do any of you have a clue?" As everyone turned to look at him, he shook his head in disgust and said, "Sal, don't do anything, act normal and let Gabby take the lead. She has all the power, girls always have all the power, whether we want to admit it or not. If she flirts, flirt back. If she jokes, joke back. If she acts possessive then act the same way. You need to respond to what she puts out there. You need to let her know you are listening to her, not just hearing what she says. You need to reassure her you value her as a person, not just as a girl or sex object, but you also need to tell her how nice she looks and compliment her outfits without objectifying her. You need to always be a gentleman and open doors and treat her with respect without being too overbearing or dominant, which will be the hardest part with us being Were's. Basically, until you both are older you need to let your feelings develop and grow for each other, since your wolf doesn't know for sure if she is your mate or not or isn't ready to accept it."

The other boys stared at him in amazement, after all this was Damian who never took anything seriously. "What???" he said with a smirk on his face. "Sitting with Maria and Sophia for hours on end and being bored out of my mind, I started reading those damn magazines our Mothers buy. You'd be surprised what you can learn from Cosmopolitan and Vogue, especially when they have the 'What women want from relationships', 'What men really look for' or 'What will drive your man crazy' articles. They are very enlightening."

Stunned silence met his announcement and then Michael said quietly, "Uhmm, where exactly does Mom keep these magazines? Purely for scientific research of course." The boys started grinning at the innocent look on Michael's face.

"Fuck that. I'll hack into their mainframe and pull out the most read articles that center on men, what women want from men, just give me some keywords to look for. Soon as I'm done, I'll email it to everybody," said Paulo quietly looking at his hands.

"Can you seriously do that?" asked Angelo as he stared at Paulo.

"Have you seen the setup he has in his office?" asked Michael. "It makes what Penelope Garcia has looked like she is internet-challenged. He's got wall to wall screens, and well to be honest I have no idea what the hell everything else is, but it's fucking awesome."

"So, that's what you're going to college for, Computer Science? I remember last year you were taking some computer courses at Hood College. Are you still going to be doing that this year?" asked Alberto as Paulo squirmed with the attention being paid to him.

"Yeah, I'm going to be doing the same thing this year. Three classes at Hood, two on Monday and Wednesday mornings, the other one on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Friday mornings I have computer lab, the rest of the time I'll be back at school," said Paulo quietly.

"Why even go to high school, why aren't you enrolled full-time in college?" asked Angelo.

"Mom and Dad want me to have normal high school experiences. Plus, if you haven't noticed, I'm kinda quiet around people and I don't want to be known as more of a computer nerd then I already am," Paulo said looking at the ground.

"Paulo, look at me," said Vin forcefully. "No one thinks of you that way. We're amazed at what you can do behind a keyboard or with any kind of electronic equipment. You have a special gift and should never be ashamed of it."

Paulo looked at his oldest cousin and smiled saying, "Thanks Vin, I'm not ashamed of it, but I wish I was a little more outgoing like the rest of you. Every time somebody wants to do something or go somewhere, they always have to pry me out of my office and away from my keyboard."

"Are you guys aware that Paulo handles cyber-security for the Pack?" said Dom proudly. "He also designed all of the Pack business websites and makes sure the Pack website is safe and secure. I have no idea what he does, except he makes sure only Pack members can access the site and monitors any attempts by outsiders to gain access. I know its way more complicated then that, but that's all I understand."

"No shit," said Angelo with an amazed expression on his face. "What are you going to do when you graduate?"

"Well, Dad and Uncle Frank want to start a security company under the Triple C banner. Currently Triple C is a subcontractor to install security systems for an outside company," said Paulo. "What they want is to provide a comprehensive security package for home and business including cyber-security. I would be in charge of the IT side of it, making sure their computer systems are protected against, well...people like me."

"Your fathers talked to me during the hunt about my plans for the future. They suggested I study Fire Protection Engineering at U of MD," stated Alberto. At the look on his brother's face he continued, "I wanted to talk to you later about this, but after we graduate we could start our own company, Moretti's Fire Protection Services and Mr. C and Mr. JC already agreed we would design, install and maintain the sprinkler systems for Triple C."

"No shit," said Angelo. "That would fit perfectly with my degree in Mechanical Engineering. That would be so fuckin cool for us to have a business together."

"You two will be working closely with Vin and I then," said Dominic with a grin. "I'm going to study Commercial Architecture and Vin is studying Residential Architecture. Dad and Uncle Joe want to split the business into two divisions within the next ten years, Residential and Business/Commercial."

"Don't forget me," said Lorenzo. "I'm going to study Historic Preservation. Our Dads feel the next big movement is for historical preservation and since I like history it will fit me perfect."

"Are all of you going to work for your Dad's company?" asked Angelo.

"Kitchen and Bath Design," said Enzo. "Going to Montgomery College for two years to get my Associates, then U of MD to get my Bachelor's in Marketing. I've always liked doing puzzles and Dad said designing them is almost the same thing, getting all the pieces to fit."

"Accounting, specializing in bookkeeping and payroll," said Gianni. "Aunt Annie said that would be good for me, since I'm very methodical and detail oriented."

"Law," said Marcus with a grin, "Mom said it would be good since I like to argue and I could get my brothers out of trouble when needed, but I'm getting my degree in Business and Contract Law."

"Criminology and Criminal Justice, specializing in security," said Gino as he smiled. "Uncle Joe said it would be a great career for me since I'm sneaky and always looking for trouble, and usually find it."

"Same here, except I'm not sneaky or underhanded like Gino," said Michael as his cousin punched him in the arm. "I'm more of the paranoid guy watching everybody, like our Dad's."

"I want to get more into the physical aspects of construction, more along the lines of plumbing and HVAC," said Vic. "Mom and Dad are still insisting I go to MD to get a Bachelor's degree though they are leaving the choice up to me."

"I want to do the electrical side of the business," said Sal. "Our Dad's are starting a new department instead of relying on subcontractors and by the time I get enough experience I should be in a position to help run it. I have to get my Bachelor's degree too, but I think I'll do something in Electrical Engineering."

"Well, you all know what I'm going to be doing, running Rossi's Grocery Stores. Dad and I have big plans, we want to sell more organic products and update the look of the stores. I'm going to MD to study Business Management with an emphasis on Accounting and Marketing," said Anthony as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The boys looked at Damian since he was the only one who didn't volunteer what he wanted to do. He smiled saying, "I wanna be a rock star," flashing the Corna, the universal sign of metalheads and rockers.

"Dude, you can't even fucking sing," said Lorenzo as he started to laugh.

"You don't play an instrument either and you have no rhythm," said Gianni as he fell over laughing. "You dance worse then Elaine from Seinfeld."

"You are so musically challenged you can't even load the CD player," said Gino as he leaned back laughing.

"Okay...well thanks for killing my childhood dreams," Damian said with a smile on his face. "I guess I'll do what comes natural then and go into Communications specializing in Public Relations; Aunt Rose said it would be a good career because I'm outgoing and people naturally like me for my personality and charm." As the boys rolled their eyes he continued, "Gentlemen, I will be the face of Triple C...since I am so much better looking then all of you."

"Luna help us all, we'll go bankrupt if your ugly ass face represents Triple C," said Dominic as he burst out laughing. "You're the ugliest one out of all of us."

"It kills me when you say things like that to each other," said Anthony as he grinned. "The twelve of you are almost identical...same hair, same eyes, same dimples, same build...damn you all even act alike. Every one of you is a miniature of your fathers, and they are carbon copies of each other."

"Sophia and Maria are the same way, they look exactly like the rest of you, just a more feminized softer version," said Angelo, looking at Anthony and Alberto he started laughing hysterically.

"What??" Anthony and Alberto both asked at the same time.

All of the boys continued to stare at him in bewilderment as Angelo laughed so hard he was gasping for air saying, "Sophia and Maria. Longer hair, dresses, dimples, green eyes, exactly the same...like kissing Damian in drag..."

As Angelo's words penetrated into their brains, Anthony and Alberto looked at each other in horror while the Carlucci's were rolling on the ground laughing.

"Fuck," hollered Anthony as he shook his head in denial, his hands closing over his eyes. "You're all sick, fucking sick. When I hold Sophia, I am NOT thinking about Damian in drag. Oh Damn...now that I've said it out loud, I can't get the visual of Damian with a wig on out of my mind. I need some bleach for my brain."

"Son of a bitch, thanks for that visual," yelled Alberto. "Damn, why did you do that? Now when I'm thinking of my intended I'm going to be picturing Damian. Fuck my life, as if waiting three years to claim her isn't enough torture."

"Anything I can do to help get your minds off mating our sisters is appreciated by all of us," said Damian with a smirk. "Now that is a visual none of US wants to see."

"Think of Damian in drag as the ultimate form of cock blocking," said Marcus as he laughed.

"I don't think there's enough bleach in the world to get those images out of my mind," said Alberto with a grimace. "Putting my beautiful intended together with Damian like that is cruel. My intended is gorgeous and doesn't resemble him at all."

"Face it, they're Damian just shorter with less muscles and better accessories," said Lorenzo as he started laughing again.

As the boys continued to laugh, Damian got quiet and his brows drew together as if in deep thought. "Wait...wait just a damn minute...I've got eleven brothers and cousins why am I the one in drag? Why me?" whined Damian.

"It took you five minutes to realize that? You didn't realize we were laughing at you, not with you, as well as torturing Anthony and Alberto," said Vin as he grinned. "Triple win for us boys."

Anthony and Alberto looked at each other and slowly smiled thinking of Vin's reaction when he found out Brianna was going to be a cheerleader. Suddenly they didn't feel so bad about it after all...not at all.

The boys continued to talk in a comfortable relaxed attitude, their close bond once more established. Thirty minutes later, low grumbles started to be heard and finally Angelo said, "I'm starving; let's go grab something to eat."

Vin sent a message to his Mom, "Hey Mom, we're hungry...do you think you can make us something or should we go to the Diner?"

"Come to the house, we made brunch for everybody. We figured you would be hungry after your run and tell the boys they are welcome," said Rose.

"Thanks Mom, have I told you lately how good of a Mommy you are?" Vin asked cheerfully.

"Flatterer, but I'm not going to tell you what we made. You'll have to wait to see, but I think you'll be happy," replied Rose.

"Mom and Aunt Annie made brunch for us. I think she made cinnamon rolls and Aunt Annie made her famous Eggs Benedict but Mom wouldn't say for sure," said Vin happily and with that announcement they picked up their walking pace.

"How is your leg doing Damian? Think you'll be ready for the game on Saturday? Or will you have to sit out?" asked Anthony as he watched Damian's gait and didn't notice any limp.

"It feels fine; Doc wants me to skip practice Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday I can start to run, but no contact until I get x-rayed Saturday morning," he responded with a shrug. "The shoulder is already healed, what's sore is my ass from landing on Toni's shoe." He got quiet for several moments before continuing, "I still feel really bad for letting Maria and Toni get hurt, I should have done more to protect them."

"You had at most a couple seconds to react before you reached the bottom of the well and you did everything you could," said Anthony firmly. "No matter how much training our fathers give us, there is always the unexpected and falling 25' into a dry well ranks up there in the unexpected category."

"I know, but..." replied Damian before he was interrupted by Alberto.

"No buts, that was my intended and if I felt you should have done more believe me I would have told you so. Maria said she pushed away from the wall only because you were busy shifting and grabbing her and Toni. That's how she broke her arm, not from the fall," said Alberto firmly. "The only injury Toni got was her foot was a little sore from your fat ass landing on it, but other then that she is fine."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 10



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

I am getting to the stage where I need a final name for the Miller's Bakery/Coffee shop. Post your name suggestions in the comments and the one chosen will get an advance read of an upcoming chapter. My favorite names so far are: Decadent Desserts (submitted by FA_JF); The Sweet Indulgence (submitted by 1301866); Sweet Scents Bakery (submitted by anonymous-let me know who you are); The Blarney Scone (submitted by MyrtleBeachFanatic); Sweet but Sassy (submitted by pizie71).

If anyone would like a 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 





Carlo threw his head back taking deep breaths as he leaned against his truck, his eyes turned pure amber and his body shook as he tried to control his rage. He could feel his wolf wanting to surface and it took every ounce of control to stop it, but he could not stop the feral growl that tore out of his throat or his claws from appearing ready to tear into any perceived threat. Aldo immediately tilted his neck in a submissive pose and forced his body to stay still, even though he was terrified. He had seen his Alpha mad before, but nothing like this. 

Several minutes passed before Carlo finally felt in control. He looked at Aldo who was still standing in a submissive pose and nodded at him acknowledging it. Carlo rolled his neck and flexed his shoulders to relieve the last bit of tension before saying, "We cannot let that happen Aldo. Let me rephrase that, we will not let that happen. We lost too much last time for it to ever happen again."

They stared over the school grounds at the surrounding woods noticing the approach of fall as the leaves were beginning to lose their vibrant green and change color. Low hanging clouds obscured the top of their beloved South Mountain, and there was a slight chill in the air as they watched a lone Coopers Hawk fly from its perch. 

Carlo said quietly as if afraid to disturb the stillness in the air, "I need to know exactly what you felt and when you felt it."

Aldo took a deep breath and began, "I had been here earlier making sure everything was ready for the Millers and did a last walk-through for tomorrow. We checked yesterday morning, but you know I like to do my own final walk-through. Everything was fine, nothing stood out and I didn't get any feelings until I got home and was sitting down to lunch." He stopped and frowned as if to gather his thoughts and then glanced at the woods once more as if they were a calming presence.

"The pulse was so faint I ignored it, I thought it was just me being wound up with school starting and then my wolf started pacing back and forth growling which made me focus. I closed my eyes to concentrate and got this sharp sudden burst of emotion and then it was gone and only the faint pulse remained," Aldo said as he rubbed his arms as if warding off a chill. "The feeling I got was one of impending death and grief and my wolf was howling in pain." 

Aldo glanced at Carlo and continued, "I went to my office and put on a relaxation CD and concentrated on the feeling hoping to narrow it down, you know how I sometimes sense when someone in the Pack is ready to die. But when I concentrated I realized it was different, it was too strong for one death, it was a feeling of many deaths. I stayed there for over an hour and still couldn't narrow anything down, the only thing I could feel was the faint pulse." Aldo once again got quiet and Carlo didn't say anything, knowing Aldo would continue when he was ready.

"At The School House, I still only felt the pulse but when the Millers got here it sped up momentarily as if it was feeding off their energy. During the tour, nothing happened until we got to the sleeping quarters, this time the emotion was much stronger and I could feel it in the air surrounding me, especially around the girl's bunks," Aldo said as a shiver ran down his body. "It was stronger because as they were gathering more supporters they had to change their plans to include all the females, not only the Millers. Initially they were focused on greed, lust and most of all anger, but now they wanted revenge. The feeling of revenge was odd too, it was almost like it had been festering for years and it was almost overpowering the other emotions." Aldo hesitated before finishing, "Carlo, they know our history and what would cause us the most pain."

Carlo was quiet as he absorbed what Aldo said. "Everyone knows our history and the rampage we went on after our females were massacred. I remember Grandpa telling me the stories of when they passed judgment on the Alpha's and Beta's responsible, that was his first duty as the newly elected President of the Alpha Council."

Carlo closed his eyes as he replayed the scene in his head his Grandpa had projected to him when he was old enough to understand at the age of fifteen. "They were strung up with silver chains and the fathers of the girls who were killed went up one by one and clawed them saying - This is for my daughter and then said her name and how old she was. After the last man was finished, Grandpa stepped forward and castrated them, removing not only their balls but their dicks, saying - This is for defiling the daughters of South Mountain Pack. As they opened their mouths to scream, silver pellets were forced down their throats to burn them from the inside."

They looked at the trees again as Carlo took a deep breath before continuing, "Our men had been careful to inflict cuts causing the most pain without being fatal and then silver was dripped into their wounds to prevent them from healing. By the end they were begging for mercy and Grandpa asked how much mercy had been shown our females. It took them days to die and Grandpa said they didn't deserve to be returned to Luna and the After Life so they were dismembered and the pieces scattered for the wild animals to feast on so they couldn't be given a funeral pyre."

They were silent as they watched the Cooper Hawk turn towards his nest, his prey hanging limply below him. The low hanging clouds over the mountain had dispersed and the sky was once again a brilliant blue. 

Carlo appeared lost in thought as he said with a grimace, "Not many people know this, but their dicks and balls were put into individual jars and labeled with their names. They are kept on display in the hallway leading to the Alpha meeting room at Council Headquarters. It's a not very subtle reminder of the penalty for rape and violating Council policy."

Silence descended as the men stared over the grounds of the school at the perfectly manicured lawns, the centuries old growth of shrubbery, the glistening drops of water as they cascaded down the fountain and they rested on The School House which had taught generations of Pack members. 

"Did you know my Grandma felt guilty her entire life for not being there? Grandpa broke his leg the day before and she snuck over to his house to see him, even though her parents told her not to. She was leaving his house to go to the party when the alert went out," said Aldo quietly. "Grandpa said she was never the same, that her spirit started to die that day, because she couldn't live with the guilt."

Aldo hesitated for a moment before continuing, "My Diana is only 13 and not in school yet, but the thought of something happening to her or to any of the youngsters makes me furious. I say youngsters because you know as well as I do the boys will fight to the death to protect their sisters and intendeds." 

Carlo nodded his head in agreement and thought of his only son and what he would do to protect Sophia and the other females.

Aldo looked at Carlo and stood up to his full height of six feet before saying in a quiet but firm voice, "My family was one of the original fifteen that came from Italy looking for new opportunities and a brighter future for their youngsters. For over two hundred thirty years we have followed the Rossi family and never wavered in our loyalty to them or to our Pack. I will do whatever you want or whatever you need me to do Alpha Rossi, you can count on me."

"Thank you my friend," said Carlo, his voice raspy with emotion as Aldo reaffirmed his pledge of loyalty. "The Di Franco family has always been one we could count on and has been an integral part of this Pack since the beginning." 

The two lifelong friends got quiet again and turned to look at The School House grounds before Carlo said, "Before the meeting tomorrow, I want you to think of other ways to defend The School House. You have worked here for over twenty years; you know it better then anyone." 

With that statement Carlo shook hands with Aldo and got into his truck and started the drive to his house lost in his thoughts.

*****

Frank and Joe were quiet for the first several minutes back to Frank's house. Frank leaned forward turning down the class rock music and before he could say anything Joe said, "Did you get a weird vibe from Aldo? I've never seen him that talkative."

"Yeah, I was just going to say the same thing," said Frank as he rubbed his temples. "Almost like he was going overboard in trying to reassure the Millers but it felt like he was really trying to reassure himself."

"Well Carlo stayed behind with him, if there's anything going on he'll let us know," said Joe as Frank nodded. Both brothers got quiet, grateful for the silence because as soon as they reached Frank's they knew there would be none.

As they pulled in front of the garage, they could hear the youngsters shouting. The brothers smiled at each other and ran through the mudroom into the garage. They tore off their clothes, pulling on basketball shorts and a t-shirt before sprinting back outside. Running past their mates, they shouted, "Love you," before letting out howls and jumping on top of the pile of youngsters. 

Annie and Rose started laughing at their mates behavior. Knowing the stress they were under with work and Pack duties, they knew they needed this down time to de-stress and play with the youngsters. They looked at each other, smiled and teed up another ball. 

*****

Matt and Phil led the way into Robertson's Sporting Goods, holding the doors for the Millers. John (JR) and Carol knew they were on the way and Matt wasn't surprised to see them waiting. The Millers had already been introduced to the Robertson's since JR was part of the girls protection detail, since he worked full time at the store he would help on his days off and in the evenings as needed.

Carol smiled at Holly and said, "I think it would be easier if we broke into groups. One to try on uniforms and the other to try on shoes, if not you'll be here all day."

Holly smiled at her and said, "Oh that is a good idea. Brianna, Morgan, Caitlin, Erin, Kelly and Aislin come with me and Nana Ellen, the rest of you go with your Dad to pick out shoes. Papa Mike, go look at the fishing gear, we'll call if we need you. Phil you come with me and Matt you go with Todd." Without saying anything, the Millers proceeded to the areas they were directed to by Holly.

Phil started laughing and said, "Holly, you remind me more and more of my twin all the time. She directed people too; she always said it was more polite to say she directed them then telling them what to do." 

Holly looked at Phil and smiled, "Sorry guys, but with this group somebody has to tell them what to do, if not we just follow each other. Matt, you may want to help the girls with their shoe selection, in our old Pack they weren't given options, they only bought one style of shoe and all the youngsters wore them. I think when they see the selection they will either go wild or won't know what to do. I know Todd won't know, he'll buy them what they want instead of what they need."

The three of them looked at the shoe section and saw the girls and Todd staring at the shoe wall not doing anything. Matt said, "I'll make sure they buy the right shoes, I know what the girls wear." He hurried over to the shoe wall and selected several styles for the girls to look at and Holly saw them nod their heads and start smiling.

Holly, Nana Ellen and Phil walked to the uniform section and Phil said, "You know, that's a typical father response and I remember my father doing the same thing to my sister whenever she pouted. She sure knew how to twist him around her little finger and get whatever she wanted."

Holly smiled and said, "I haven't met your sister, have I? Did she move with you?"

Phil said quietly, "No, I haven't seen or heard from Madeline since we left. I tried calling, sent her emails and even wrote her a letter but haven't received a response. She was pregnant with her first little one and I don't even know what she had. Matt tried contacting his family too, but hasn't received any replies either."

Holly got quiet and squeezed his hand saying, "I'm sorry Phil. Why did you leave your old Pack? You don't have to tell me if you don't want too."

"It's not a secret, everybody knows. Well, the basic story anyway," he said quietly. "When Alpha Moeller and our old Pack found out we were mates, he demoted us to Omega's and forbade us to see each other any more. We were constantly watched and would get disciplined when we would look at each other or tried to talk; they thought by beating us it would take away our need to be together." 

He got quiet and cleared his throat before continuing, "They made us choose who they would beat and Matt always said to beat him since he was bigger and stronger then me. They forced me to watch by restraining my arms and head, prying my eyes open when I tried to close them. In my nightmares I can hear myself screaming and begging them to stop, but they never did, they only stopped when he passed out." 

Holly gasped and grabbed Phil's hand, tears shimmering in her eyes. Phil looked at Matt and a small smile crossed his face before it was replaced by sadness as he continued talking, "Right before he would pass out, he would look at me and mouth the words, 'Always together, until the end'. Every scar he has on his body is because of me...he says it is a testament to how strong our love is and that no matter the obstacles we were meant to be together."

Phil watched as Carol showed the girls and Nana Ellen uniform pants and continued, "This went on for five years. Five years they tried to keep us apart, but no matter how hard we tried we couldn't stay apart. The need to be together couldn't be denied even if it was a glimpse of each other or a touch of the others hand when we passed in the hall. When they found out we still loved each other despite the beatings and punishments, they beat us until we were unconscious. When we came to they banished us, giving us 24 hours to leave."

"We were terrified of where we would go and what we would do, and then Matt remembered Alpha Carlo from a Council Meeting. He was our last hope, our only hope actually," Phil said taking a deep breath, his voice breaking with emotion. "One of the Omega's helped Matt with his phone when she brought in our lunch and Matt called Alpha Carlo at his store and told him what happened. Without hesitation he welcomed us into the Pack and asked three questions, 'Are you safe, can you get your belongings out safely and do you need help?' When Matt told him about the last beating and how bruised and battered we were, Alpha Carlo got quiet and told us to stay in Matt's room until further notice."

Phil stopped talking again for several moments and then quietly continued, "Within minutes Alpha Carlo called Alpha Moeller and told him we were now under South Mountain Packs protection. He was infuriated we found another Pack so quickly and came to the room screaming at us but he was afraid to beat us anymore so he decided on a different punishment, something he thought would hurt us even more. We watched while they packed Matt's belongings, labeling the boxes with his name and they brought in boxes labeled with my name from my room. After they were done he told some of the guards to bring them out front. We thought he was making it easier for us to leave, since our belongings would be outside, all packed and ready to go." 

"We sat for three hours and no one would tell us what was going on, then there was a knock on the door, it was Frank and Joe," said Phil quietly. "Alpha Moeller refused to let us wear clothes they had provided for us, so the guards stripped us. This was to be our final humiliation, walking out of the Pack naked. I was so upset I started crying, it was the final insult and I couldn't take anymore." 

Phil looked at Matt as he helped the girls pick out shoes and said, "Frank whispered to me not to give them the satisfaction of letting them see how upset I was. I knew he was right; they had taken enough from us already. Frank and Joe stripped off their shirts and shorts and then dressed us, since both of my forearms were broken and Matt's shoulder was dislocated and his right arm was broken. I was mortified, but Joe whispered to us not to worry, we were now part of South Mountain Pack and they took care of their own." 

"When we walked outside, that's when we realized why our belongings had been boxed up and what Alpha Moeller had planned. There was a bonfire in the courtyard and as soon as they saw us on the porch they threw the boxes they had carefully packed onto it and everyone started screaming at us calling us fags and queers. Frank whispered, 'Don't let them see any reaction, it's just stuff, and remember what George Carlin said about stuff'. We looked at each other and started smiling," said Phil with a grin. 

"I think that infuriated them even more," Phil got quiet again and looked at the girls going in and out of the changing rooms while Nana Ellen supervised. "Two Pack members stepped forward to hit Matt and me, but Frank and Joe put us behind them to protect us. Frank knocked out the first guy with one punch and Joe picked up and threw the other one and the rest of the Pack stepped back. Frank shouted we were under the protection of Alpha Carlo Rossi, the Carlucci Brothers and South Mountain Pack and anybody who harmed us would face their wrath." 

"Frank and Joe were larger then life to me, making threats to take on a whole Pack," Phil said as a grin crossed his face. "Did I mention Franks boxers were Tweety Bird and Joe's were SpongeBob? It was freakin hilarious looking back on it as they faced everyone wearing boxers and construction boots." 

"The threat worked though, the Pack parted like the Red Sea. Once we got to the gates of The Compound, I saw why they had backed down. Frank and Joe weren't alone, there was ten more Pack members waiting and it was an intimidating sight; they were standing there with their arms crossed over their chests and scowls on their faces and they didn't even crack a smile when they saw Frank and Joe. We loaded up in the cars they had waiting and drove to the local airport. Alpha Carlo had sent them in a private plane to get us out of there and as soon as we were in the air, Doc started to take care of our injuries."

Phil got quiet again, a serious expression crossing his face as he said, "Alpha Carlo acted without the permission of the Alpha Council and authorized his Pack to enter another Packs territory without permission. Frank and Joe volunteered to come and get us, knowing not only would they would be entering another Packs territory without permission but actually entering The Compound. Carmelo, Doc, JR, Vinnie, Aldo, Fred, Larry, Barry, Jerry and Joel all put their lives on the line for us." 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 10



Tears streamed down his face as he said, "That's why we are so loyal to the Pack and especially Alpha Carlo, Frank and Joe. They believed in us and protected us when our own families turned their backs on us. They didn't even know us and took better care of us then people that were supposed to love us unconditionally. I love my family, but I don't think I can forget or forgive them for what they did and didn't do."

Holly didn't know what to say so she did what felt natural, she put her arms around him and hugged him as they cried. Todd and Matt feeling their mates distress looked at them to make sure they were okay. 

Todd asked worriedly, "Hols, are you okay?"  Holly replayed the conversation to Todd and he visibly stiffened, horrified at what Matt and Phil had gone through. "Take care of him, he needs you," he sent quietly as he moved Matt away from the girls and explained what was going on.

Matt continued to look at his mate while the girls continued to try on shoes. He said quietly, "I'm glad he's finally talking to somebody, he's always refused to tell anyone what happened. He keeps so much inside of him sometimes but I know how much he hurts and until he faces the truth it won't get better. Even now he is still protecting those he loves, including me and there are still secrets he hasn't divulged." 

Todd looked at him with understanding in his eyes and said quietly, "I think you need someone to talk to also and I'm here for you. You can't always be the strong one, sometimes you have to share the burden before it overwhelms you."

Matt looked at Todd before glancing away, tears evident in his eyes. He cleared his throat and said in a raspy voice, "I think I'd like that, I miss having an older brother to talk to. After my sister died in a car accident, Jimmy and I were inseparable until he found out I was gay. Afterwards he wouldn't even look at me and he refused to let his mate Gloria talk to me or my nephew and niece come near me."

"Even now Phil is trying to protect me," he continued in a quiet voice. "He didn't tell Holly that one of the men who would restrain him was my brother. My own fucking brother would stand there and watch them beat me and did nothing to protect me or my mate. How can Phil forgive me for that? How can I forgive myself?"

Todd sent a message to his Dad, "Dad, can you come and be with the girls, I'm having a conversation with Matt and it's pretty important." 

"On my way," Papa Mike responded without question.

Todd drew a deep breath and said, "Matt, there is nothing to forgive. Phil knows it wasn't your fault, the fault lies with your brother. You didn't make him restrain Phil, he did that on his own. You didn't make him stand there and watch you get beaten, it was his choice to do nothing to protect you or your mate." 

"When Frank and Joe were escorting us out, I saw my whole family there. I tried to say goodbye but they glared at me and walked away, like I was a piece of trash they couldn't wait to be rid of. I said I love you and they never even turned around to look at me," Matt rasped out, tears falling down his face. 

Todd pulled Matt into his arms as he whispered, "I'm sorry your family let you down when you needed them, families are meant to love and protect each other and I'm sorry you didn't have that." 

Leaning back Todd looked Matt in the eye and said, "Those people can never hurt you again, unless you dwell on the past. You have to focus on the present and your future. You have a mate who loves you and a Pack who care for you and love you. They love you because of what you stand for and who you are, not what they want you to be. In the end that is the most important thing." 

Matt took a deep breath as they let go of each other and said, "I never thought of it that way. When we got here, the Alpha's insisted we stay with them while we healed, even though they had a house ready for us. When we opened the shop there were so many people helping us we could barely move, not because they had to be there, but because they wanted to."

Todd smiled at him and said, "Sometimes it takes seeing through a different pair of eyes to realize what is in front of you. I could tell how much you mean to everyone at the Ceremony and the protection details you are assigned. Do you think you and Phil would have been put in charge of the women and little ones if they didn't have absolute faith in you? They trusted you with the things they love the most."

Todd looked over and saw Brianna in her full school uniform and smiled before continuing, "I've only known you for a day, but seeing the confidence the Big Three have in you, I can say I fully trust you and Phil with the safety of my daughters. I've only entrusted them with family and I've always wanted a baby brother to boss around, I guess this means I have two now." 

"Thank you big brother for everything and you were right, I did need to talk to somebody," Matt said with a smile and then asked, "The Big Three?"

"Yeah, Carlo, Frank and Joe, the biggest three I know of. And you're welcome, but 

as your big brother you will find I am generally right, just don't tell Holly." As the two men started to laugh Todd glanced at his daughters and said, "Now, if you don't mind, let's move over to the girls, I don't want to go bankrupt buying shoes."

Matt laughed even harder when he saw the boxes piled in front of the girls and said, "I think it's too late."

They moved over to the shoe section in time to hear Papa Mike say, "Okay, so we're in agreement then? You each get one pair of Topsiders, KEDS, Converse and Timberlands. Plus, you'll get two pairs of ballet flats at the mall, since they don't have those here."

"Papa Mike, can we substitute shoes? Since I won't be in school, I'd rather get some running shoes," said Shannon.

"Crap, I forgot about other shoes you need. Alright, here is the updated agreement," said Papa Mike while the girls got quiet to listen. "Everyone will get what we agreed on earlier plus running shoes, snow boots and a pair of sandals. Plus the two pairs of ballet flats at the Mall and one other pair to be named later, okay?" 

The girls nodded their head in agreement going over to their individual piles to make sure they had what Papa Mike said as JR called over more help to bring out more shoes for the girls to try on.

"Why don't you just hand them a credit card and let them buy anything they want?" asked Todd as his daughters started to smile, used to them arguing. 

"What? I have things under control," said Papa Mike with a frown on his face.

"Under control? They have two feet, they can only wear one pair at a time, why do they need so many?" asked Todd. "And what the hell is 'a pair to be named later'? This isn't a baseball trade for players from the minors."

"Because they do, that's why. Don't argue with me, I'm your father and their grandfather and if I say they need ten pairs of shoes, then they get ten pairs of shoes. Argument over," stated Papa Mike as he glared at Todd while the girls giggled and Matt tried not to laugh. JR looked at the ceiling with a big smile on his face.

"Whatever," Todd said throwing his hands up in the air. "You explain it to Holly."

"Oh crap, I forgot about Holly. Maybe she won't notice," said Papa Mike worriedly as he thought of his daughters reaction as everyone started to laugh.

Todd said, "Yeah right, like Hols won't notice seventy pairs of shoes at the checkout or being brought into the house." 

"What won't Holly notice?" Holly asked causing Todd, Papa Mike and Matt to jump while the girls giggled. 

"Ugh, nothing Hols. We were deciding on the shoes they needed and it's a lot more then we thought. You know with training, snow and giving them options so they don't have to wear the same pair to school everyday," said Todd with a shrug.

"I knew they'd need more then a couple pair. I'm surprised the piles are so small, I figured the two of you would buy them one of everything," said Holly with a smile.

Nana Ellen walked over and said, "The uniforms are done and being bagged, Carol suggested we get them five shirts and pants and two cardigans. With Holly and I being busy getting the store up and running, we won't have to do laundry as often." 

Papa Mike smiled at his mate and said, "Good thinking, but I still think we should get another washer and dryer. It'll take forever with one set." 

The next hour was spent finalizing shoe selections. The girls after only ever having one style shoe in one color were amazed and delighted to get shoes different from their sisters. 

"At our store, we sell different color shoe laces, so you can individualize them even more. Sophia and Maria come in all the time to get them to match their outfits," said Matt with a smile on his face as the girls started talking excitedly.

Todd rolled his eyes, "Thanks, as if standing here for an hour listening to them debate about what color shoes to get isn't bad enough, now I'm going to have to listen to them decide on shoe laces. Not to mention the hair ribbons and other assorted crap." He turned to Matt and glared at him saying, "I thought you were on my side." 

"Aren't younger brothers supposed to torment their older brothers?" Matt said with a grin bumping against Todd's shoulder. 

"I think we're finally done," Holly said with a relieved look on her face. "Let me check everyone's pile one last time and then we can bring them to the register." 

JR ran the register as Holly had each girl write their names on their shoe boxes so there wouldn't be any arguing later. "Okay, your total after discount, plus tax comes to $6,221.65," said JR with a smile. 

Todd looked at his daughters and said, "Which one of you is paying?" Holly whacked him on his arm and his daughters groaned as he got his credit card out. 

After the boxes and bags were loaded into the vehicles, Carol said to Phil, "I'll see you and Matt on Wednesday, the usual time still okay?"

"Unfortunately, we'll have to miss meatloaf and mashed potato night. Darn it, and you were going to make broccoli casserole this week, weren't you? I love that," Phil said with a sigh. "The girls have training and assessments Wednesday and Frank and Joe want us there to help evaluate them."

"Once school starts, the girls training class begins at 3:30. They should be done by 7 and JR gets home at 7:30, so you have plenty of time," said Carol with a smile. "I was going to try a new Apple Crisp recipe with a cinnamon honey glaze and serve it with French vanilla ice cream from Fred's."

"If you don't mind holding dinner, then yes we will come over as usual. We'll bring the ice cream though," said Phil with a big smile. 

JR patted Phil on the back saying, "I swear she looks forward to dinner with the two of you more then she does with me. She'll hold dinner for you, but what do I get? Leftovers in the oven."

Carol put her hands on her hips and said, "Well, they treat me better then you do. They bring me flowers and after dinner they help with dishes." 

"Well of course they bring you flowers, they own a damn flower shop," said JR as everyone started laughing. "And they help clean the dishes because they are thankful they don't have to eat their own cooking."

Seeing the confused looks on the Millers, Carol said, "When it was discovered Phil and Matt couldn't cook, they got invited by several of the families for dinner and that's when the trouble started." She looked at Phil and Matt who were grinning. "They would bring flowers and help clean up and the invitations poured in. That's when the arguments started over where they would go, so now Madame Gina sends out a schedule at the beginning of every month, but Wednesdays are reserved for me and my meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Phil loves them."

"Not all stereotypes are true about gay men," said Phil with a smile. "Neither of us can cook, the first couple of weeks on our own we existed on Pop Tarts, sandwiches and cereal and we still ended up with food poisoning. In the last two years we've blown up four microwaves, destroyed five toasters and set the stove on fire twice. I'm still not sure how it happened the second time when we weren't even using it. We haven't even tried to use the oven, we're afraid of it." 

Todd was laughing so hard he had to put his hands on his knees. "Tell me you can at least cook on a grill, every man can cook on a grill. I think it's ingrained in our DNA or something."

Matt started blushing and he took a deep breath before saying, "Well, we HAD a grill, it was a housewarming present from the Carlucci's. Luckily, it was on the pool deck when it uhmm, kinda blew up. Madame Gina forbids us to try and cook anymore; I think she's afraid we'll burn down the house." Everyone was laughing so hard even Matt joined in.

Phil looked at his watch and said, "Ooh, if we want the girls to get their headbands and ribbons we'd better get going. Carol, remember we'll pick up the ice cream and we'll be there as quick as we can on Wednesday."

The Millers quickly thanked JR and Carol for their help and then piled in their vehicles and followed Matt and Phil to their store which was a few minutes away.

*****

Frank and Joe continued to play Carlucci golf with the youngsters for thirty minutes and then Frank said, "Let's take a break, we need to have a talk. Damian, grab some waters and juices from the kitchen, the patio fridge is filled for tonight's guests."

The youngsters immediately moved towards the patio and Damian helped take their gloves and helmets off. After he was finished he went into the kitchen and brought out armfuls of drinks for everyone. Alberto, Angelo and Anthony talked quietly while the rest of the Clan sat silently, wondering what was going on. 

Frank, Rose, Joe and Annie sat staring at each other without talking. When it felt like the tension had reached a breaking point and even Anthony, Alberto and Angelo could feel it, Frank and Joe stood up.

"What we say here today has to be kept quiet. There are only a few people who know and until a decision is made, I want it to remain in the family," said Frank who made eye contact with each of the youngsters and saw them nod their head.

"Mr. C, do you want me to leave?" asked Angelo. "You probably want Ant and Al here because of the girls, but I won't be offended if you want me to leave." 

Joe smiled at him and said, "Angelo, since your brother is the intended of my daughter that makes you family, but you don't get a vote."

"I can live with that," he replied smiling as he leaned back in his chair.

Frank explained everything that happened with the Davis, Carlsbad and Grant Packs and didn't leave out any of the details; he wanted them to be aware of everything involved with the Packs. The youngsters looked horrified and he noticed Sophia and Maria were being held close to their intended's sides. 

Joe waited several moments before he told them of the proposal from the Alpha Council that he and Frank become Alpha's of the New Mexico Packs, and Todd become Alpha of Davis Pack. Silence descended over the patio as the youngsters absorbed the announcement and then they started to talk at once.

"What does that mean exactly?" "Are you going and leaving us here?" "Are we all going?" "What if we don't want to go?" "What about our plans for the company?" "What is the Pack like?" "What's their security like?" "When do you have to make the decision?" "What do you know about the Packs?" "Does this mean we would be in two separate Packs? We've never been apart before" "What about my intended? I won't leave Brianna" "I won't leave Morgan, so what does that mean for me?"

Frank and Joe looked at their daughters who hadn't said anything, but both were crying. Anthony stood up and pushed Sophia behind him, pinning her between the wall and his back. He looked at Frank and a feral growl escaped his throat as his eyes turned pure amber, his arms were fully extended with his claws out and the seams of his shirt were straining as he was trying not to shift. 

Alberto grabbed Maria backing up against the wall next to Anthony. He cradled her in his arms, deeply scenting her neck as he also let out a feral growl. He looked at Joe and his eyes turned amber and his body started to shake as he fought the shift.

"MINE," they shouted, enraged at the thought of being separated from their mates. 

"Oh fuck," said Frank and Joe quietly.

The Clan stood up quickly, intent on protecting the girls and Anthony and Alberto swung their gazes towards them and growled, this time it was deeper and more forceful. Frank said, "Boys sit back down; their wolves perceive us as threats to their mates. Rose and Annie move to the doors, do it slowly and do not make eye contact with them." Rose and Annie got up, displaying their necks to Anthony and went to stand at the French doors.  

Frank said, "Their wolves are about to come out, they're losing control and I don't want to fight my future son. I think the girls are the only ones who can calm them down."

"That's going to be difficult since the girls are so upset," answered Joe as he stared at his daughter who continued to cry in Alberto's arms. Frank heard Sophia crying too and her arms were encircled around Anthony's waist.

"Calm down boys, we don't want to fight you. Alberto please put Maria down, I know you don't want to hurt her but your wolf is very close to the surface," said Joe in a calm voice and he moved his hands up as if surrendering. "If you shift, she could accidentally get hurt and I know you don't want that."

Frank put his hands up and said quietly, "Anthony, I don't want to fight you son, but my wolf is on edge and I'm barely controlling him. I need you to calm down and I need to see my daughter, I want to make sure she is okay, I can hear her crying." 

Alberto growled even louder as he pulled Maria tighter to his chest. Maria responded by curling up tighter against his chest as she scented his neck and her injured arm moved up and she caressed his cheek with her hand. At her touch he glanced down at her and said, "I would never hurt my mate. You're the one who is hurting her by trying to take her from me, and I will not allow us to be separated."

Anthony continued to glare at Frank and said in a commanding tone, "You will not take my mate from me. She is mine and will stay here with me, she is the future Madame Alpha of this Pack and she stays here." There was such power behind his voice that everyone shivered and tilted their neck in a submissive posture. 

Joe rolled his neck and tried to calm his wolf down; he was pacing back and forth, his fur standing on end at the threat to his daughter. "Maria, I need you to tell Alberto you're okay so he can calm down. Please sweetheart, listen to me, I don't know how much longer I can keep my wolf at bay while you are in danger and I do not want to fight with my son."

Alberto looked down at Maria. "I'm okay Leone, I just don't want to leave you," she sobbed into his neck while she continued to caress his cheek. "Put me down before Daddy fights with you, please. Daddy just wants to make sure I'm okay."

Anthony pulled Sophia in front of him so her back was against his chest; his arms encircled her waist as he scented her neck. His claws had retracted but his eyes were still amber as he glared at Frank and the rest of the males. Sophia was crying and he whispered to her, "Please stop crying Arachide, you're breaking my heart."

"Please Daddy, don't take me away," Sophia said as she looked at her Father, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to leave my mate, please Daddy."

"Come here, little one," said Frank with a raspy voice, holding his hand out to her. Anthony released Sophia and she ran to her Father and he picked her up, cradling her in his arms, sinking onto a chair and rocking her. "Little one, I didn't mean to get you so upset. We're only talking about this, nothing has been decided. We'll make the decision as a family, like we always do. I'm so sorry, please stop crying."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 10



Alberto slowly lowered Maria to the ground, making sure she was able to stand before letting her go. Joe held his arms open and she ran to him just like she had when she was a little girl and her brothers and cousins had scared her. He picked her up and held her tight against his chest, his hand rubbing her back and whispering to her, "I love you so much Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I made you cry, I didn't mean to."

Rose and Annie moved to hug their daughters, knowing instinctively that's what they both needed, a hug from their mothers and a shoulder to cry on.

Several minutes later, they heard movement and Damian said, "I thought you could use this." He placed beers in front of the men and a glass of wine in his Mom's and Aunt Rose's hands. He returned to the kitchen and brought out iced tea and tissues for Sophia and Maria and gently kissed their foreheads. "Don't get used to me being nice to the two of you, I like it better when I'm torturing and scaring you better." 

"You're a big softie Damian, you don't want anyone to see how nice you really are," said Sophia as she hiccupped and Maria nodded her head. 

"Of course not, I have a reputation as a bad-ass to uphold," he said with a smirk. 

Lorenzo said, "A bad-ass? Seriously? When the hell have you ever been a bad-ass?"

"Did he say bad-ass or fat-ass? Cause I would agree if he said fat-ass," said Gianni as everyone started to smile, relieving the tension. 

"Shut the fu-...fudge up Gianni," said Damian as he glanced nervously at his mother. 

Marcus laughed loudly and said, "Some bad-ass you are, you can't even curse in front of your mother." The boys started laughing so hard that Sophia and Maria joined in along with their parents; even though Anthony and Angelo were laughing they still kept their eyes fixed on their mates.

"Whatever, I can be a bad-ass and a Momma's boy at the same time," said Damian with a smile. He looked around the patio and said, "Now that I have everybody laughing again, why don't we finish our conversation."

Alberto and Anthony moved back to their chairs, both of them crossed their arms over their chests and stared at their intended's fathers. Sophia and Maria kissed their parents and rejoined their mates, holding their hands and leaning against their sides.

"We did a little bit of investigating about the Packs and here is what we know so far," said Frank quietly. "Neither Pack has a school, so you would have to attend the local public school which is two hours away or be homeschooled. The youngsters are supposed to attend New Mexico State University and there is a campus in Carlsbad, but in the last twenty years no youngsters from either Pack have gone there." 

"Both Packs live in Pack houses with a communal kitchen, Grant owns almost 1,500 acres and Carlsbad owns 2,000. Both grow their own food, Grant has a herd of cows and Carlsbad has a herd of buffalo, and they trade meat with each other and barter for other goods. Now here is where it gets interesting," said Joe with a frown. "Grant has less then $150,000 in the bank and Carlsbad has less then $95,000. No one in either Pack holds outside jobs and they apparently have no source of income, there are no businesses registered in any of the Pack members names. From what we could find out, whenever they need money, they sell a piece of land."

Frank looked at Joe and said, "I find that last part hard to believe, how do they pay property taxes, utilities or buy vehicles? Remind me to tell Carlo to have President Roberts look into the financials of both Packs, something isn't right. They must have another source of income that isn't documented and it's probably illegal." 

"As far as security, we have no clue. Neither Pack has allowed anybody on their lands in over fifteen years. We got the majority of information from the required reports submitted to the Alpha Council, and those may be entirely false. Hopefully, with President Roberts and his advisors there, we will be able to get more information soon," said Frank as he looked at Joe. "Joe and I were planning on flying out this week to get a better feel of the Packs. If things progress further, then all of us will fly out later. Is there anything we forgot?"

Joe nodded his head as he looked at the youngsters, "The distance between the Packs is too far for our family bond to work. To make sure we can handle the separation of families, Alpha Carlo wants us to do a trial separation. Starting at 5 PM on Friday and ending Saturday before the football game, we are to have no contact with each others families. No movies, bowling, shopping, talking through the bond or on the phone. Nothing, you are to have no contact with each other."

"But Daddy, we were supposed to go on a double date this Friday with Maria and Alberto," said Sophia as she looked at Frank with a pleading look.

"Please Daddy, it's my first date," begged Maria. "We were going to meet Alberto for dinner and go bowling. It was going to be a perfect first date and now everything is going to be ruined." 

"Oh fuck," said Frank and Joe looking at each other not wanting to disappoint their daughters again. 

"If its okay with the girls, we'll move our date to Saturday night," said Anthony as he looked at Alberto, Sophia and Maria who nodded their heads as Frank and Joe let out a sigh of relief. "We can't disobey an order from my father, and if he wants you to do this, then he has a good reason." 

"What happens to Dominic and I if you decide to become the Alpha? I don't want to leave Brianna and I know he doesn't want to leave Morgan," questioned Vincent as he stared at his parents.

"If you choose to follow Brianna and Morgan, your father and I would support that decision. Both of you are over eighteen and are capable of making decisions that would be best for you and your mate," said Rose as Frank nodded. "That does not mean you can start to do whatever you want now, you are still my sons and I will always have a say in what you do, especially since you both still live under my roof." 

"Yes, Momma," both boys responded with a smile.

"Before the two of you say anything about the girls staying here, remember they are only fifteen. The final decision of where they will live is up to us, we will not be separated from our daughters while they are so young," said Annie as she looked at Anthony and Alberto, as Joe, Frank and Rose nodded their heads.

"That's not fair, Vin and Dom get to do what they want," said Sophia with a frown on her face. "Anthony can't come with us because he is the Alpha-heir and his responsibilities and mine are here."

"Sophia, they are older then you and are capable of taking care of themselves, you aren't. Once you turn eighteen and are an adult, then you can make your own choices, until then your mother and I have the final say," said Frank firmly as Sophia huffed and turned her head away. 

"Young lady, you'd better get your attitude under control. We are putting up with it right now because we know you're upset, but I will not tolerate you disrespecting us like that. Do I make myself clear?" said Rose as she stared at Sophia.

"Yes, Momma," said Sophia in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you and Daddy and I'm sorry Aunt Annie." Rose and Frank nodded their heads and when Rose turned towards Annie, Frank winked at his daughter and Sophia answered with a smile.

"President Roberts gave us two weeks to make a decision. I want all of you to think about this and we will have more meetings as information becomes available. As far as Triple C, we will not make a decision about the business until we decide if we are taking the positions or not," said Joe. "We don't want any of our employees worrying about their jobs while we are making this decision. Any more questions?" 

"Dad, do you want me to see what I can find out about the Packs?" said Paulo quietly. "Give me the emails for the Alpha's and I'll have some info for you in a couple of hours."

Frank and Joe looked at each other before Joe said, "Yes, but do it tomorrow after practice. We want you to enjoy the rest of today." Paulo nodded his head in agreement, already thinking of what programs to run.

"Let's go finish our game," said Frank as he stood up and finished his beer. "I think we need to forget about this for a little bit and have some fun."

"And by fun, your father means beat the crap out of each other," said Rose laughing.

*****

Upon reaching his home, Carlo immediately sought out Gina who was waiting for him in the kitchen. He held her tightly against his broad chest as he scented her and he felt some of his agitation slowly disappear.

"What's the matter? And don't tell me it's nothing, I could feel your agitation through the mate bond," she said quietly.

"Come into the office with me, my love. I have a lot to tell you," answered Carlo as he held her hand and led her down the hall.

After making sure his mate was comfortable on the black leather sofa, Carlo told her everything that happened at The School House. He paced back and forth in front of her, his agitation evident in the scowl on his face, his arms waving through the air and the amber tint in his eyes.

When he was finished he looked at Gina and saw tears running down her face and immediately went to her and held her. "Carlo, we can't lose any of the females and if anything happened to Sophia, Anthony would never get over it," cried Gina.

"I know, and we'll do everything in our power to prevent it. But we need to prepare and get ready starting now, so I'm going to call a meeting of the men tomorrow evening and we'll have a Pack meeting on Tuesday," said Carlo gently.

"Why are you splitting the meetings up? You should tell everyone at the same time," said Gina as she looked into Carlo's eyes.

"I'm doing it this way because I know the men's reactions will be filled with rage. Their protective instincts will come out and they'll be anxious to keep their families safe," said Carlo as he rolled his shoulders. "When Aldo told me, it took me almost five minutes to calm myself and my wolf down before I started to think clearly. What I want and what the Pack needs is for the men to get enraged and then formulate a plan to prevent this from happening. They won't be able to do that if they are busy soothing their mates." 

"Carlo, the women are just as protective of their families as the men and we may have some good ideas too," Gina said firmly as she stroked Carlo's cheek to calm him. "I don't agree with your reasoning to separate the meetings but I can see why you want it that way. Promise me at the Pack meeting you won't hold anything back, we need to know everything that is going on, we are stronger then we look."

"I promise, but you have to understand, we know how strong our mates are but our first thought is to keep you safe. I could not live without you and the thought of you being hurt is something I cannot tolerate," Carlo said looking in her deep brown eyes. "What I need you and the other women to do is to think of ways to help, without putting yourselves in danger." 

Gina leaned in and kissed Carlo gently and then tilted her neck so he could scent her. "I know you want to protect me, but I am Madame Alpha of this Pack Carlo and the Pack will look to me for guidance. I will not be put into a gilded cage; those are my Pack members that are in danger and I will not be kept in the dark."

Carlo inhaled deeply, her scent of cherry cordials never failed to soothe him or his wolf. "I promise my love, you know I could never do anything to upset you."

"I will hold you to that promise," replied Gina already thinking of items that needed to be done in preparation of the upcoming battle. 

"Now we need to get ready to go to Frank's, I know we'll be early but I need to talk to Frank and Joe before I talk to their families and more importantly our son," said Carlo with a grimace. "I have to tell my best friends their daughters are going to be one of the main targets. Frank, Joe, Anthony and Alberto will go ballistic; then we have to deal with Vincent and Dominic who are intendeds with two of the Millers."

"How do you know Sophia and Maria will be one of the main targets?" questioned Gina. "Aldo didn't mention them specifically or did I miss something?"

"Sophia will be at the top of the list because she is the Alpha-Heir's intended mate and the Second in Command's daughter. Maria will be second on that list because she is the Third in Command's daughter," answered Carlo as he held his head in his hands. "Centuries of warfare history have proven they will be the main targets. Even if Frank takes the new Alpha position in New Mexico, Sophia will still be a target since she is Anthony's intended." 

Gina stood up with a firm resolve and said, "Well then, we have to make sure that doesn't happen. I will NOT let anything happen to my son's intended or to my best friend's daughters or the other females in this Pack. I'll call my brother tomorrow; at least we know we have his Pack as allies." As Gina walked towards the door; she stopped and said, "Carlo, it's time for you to call in the centuries old marker. I'll get everything ready for us to leave while you make the call." 

Understanding dawned in Carlo's eye and he pulled Gina into his chest and kissed her gently before saying, "I can always count on you to think clearly my love. I had forgotten about the marker, but they are honor bound to respond to it."

Carlo watched as Gina left his study and then moved the sofa and braided area rug. Two hundred year old oak floor boards stared back at him reminding Carlo of the history of The Manor House and he thought of the generations of Rossi's who had occupied the home and the generations to come. 

He extended one claw and gently inserted it into a seam and moved it around until he heard the locking mechanism click. He sat back on his heels as a four foot section separated and he lifted it up exposing the safe underneath. His hands automatically turned the dial without thought as he remembered the circumstances that lead his Grandpa to show him the safe and making him memorize the combination when he was fifteen.

Memories flooded over him as he thought of that day, the second worst day of his life. He closed his eyes as the feeling of loss washed over him even though almost twenty seven years had passed since he lost his parents when their plane went down on the way to an emergency Alpha Council meeting. The lessons his father and his Grandpa had taught him rolled through his mind and he hoped they would guide him through the upcoming battle. Thoughts of his Grandparents filled him with a sense of calm as he remembered their guidance and support as they took over the Alpha duties until he finished school and was mature enough to take on the responsibility. 

The one constant throughout everything he had been through was Frank and Joe. Minutes after the Alpha connection had been severed when his parents died; Frank and Joe were at his door, out of breath from their frenzied run to his house, knowing he would need them. They sat with him, cried with him, made him eat, talked with him about nothing and everything but most importantly they were just there. They had always been there for him, from the day they were born when he was two months old and Frank was placed on his right side and Joe on his left in his crib.

As he extracted the document he was looking for, his thoughts turned once again to Frank and Joe and a feral growl escaped him as he thought of someone daring to harm his best friend's daughters and his sons intended. The growl got louder as he thought of the threat to the other females and he closed his eyes and calmed his wolf down promising him it wouldn't happen. 

He sat down behind his desk and closed his eyes calming himself down before opening the protective oil skin casing revealing a leather document pouch. He carefully removed the fragile document which was written in Old World Italian and studied it carefully. The wording had to be correct and formal since he was invoking a centuries old promise and he didn't want to make any mistakes. He remembered his Grandpa telling him he had invoked the marker during the Were War and they had honored the marker but refused to accept it, telling his Grandpa to keep it for another time. He read the document twice, made notes and then picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Dante Eduardo Rossi, Alfa di Rossi Pack, dominatore del Lazio, in Italia, questo è Carlo Eduardo Rossi, Alfa di South Mountain Pack, dominatore della Western Maryland, Stati Uniti. Sto invocando il marcatore dato a Giacomo Eduardo Rossi di Giuseppe Eduardo Rossi, che porta la data del primo settembre, nel 1777. Onore a voi, il vostro obbligo di questo marcatore?" Carlo asked as he held his breath. 

("Dante Eduardo Rossi, Alpha of Rossi Pack, Ruler of Lazio, Italy, this is Carlo Eduardo Rossi, Alpha of South Mountain Pack, Ruler of Western Maryland, United States. I am invoking the marker given to Giacomo Eduardo Rossi by Giuseppe Eduardo Rossi, dated the First of September, 1777. Will you honor your obligation to this marker?")

Carlo heard Dante clear his throat before saying, "Sì mio cugino, mi pregio il marcatore senza dubbio."

("Yes my cousin, I will honor the marker without question.")

Carlo quickly explained in English the situation to his cousin who listened without interrupting. 

When Carlo finished Dante said in English with a thick Italian accent, "We leavea to comea soon to go to da meeting of da men, to helpa strategy your plans, no? I bringa fifteen bigga stronga men to as you say get the lands where your lay." 

Carlo started laughing and said, "What the hell is the matter with you? You speak better English then I do."

"Oh cuz, at least let me have a little bit of fun, I like playing the ignorant Italian who don't speaka da good English," said Dante laughing. "I was going to call you this week, my new Gulfstream is ready and since I'm overdue for a visit I figured I would swing by. I notified the European Council last week, but I left the exact dates open. I'll notify them I'm leaving tonight as soon as we get off the phone."

"I'll notify the Alpha Council of your visit and I'm sure President Roberts will have someone pay an official visit while you're here," said Carlo as he leaned back in his leather chair. "Give me a call when you're thirty minutes from Hagerstown Regional Airport and we'll be there to pick you up and naturally you'll stay with us. I'd love to chat, but I have to talk to Frank, Joe and more importantly my son."

"Give them my best and tell them I'll be bringing their cousins with me. I don't think I could keep them away once they find out about the threat to their family and the other females," said Dante with anger in his voice. "We'll stay for a week or two so we can go over plans, and then we'll come back every couple of months so it's not obvious when we arrive when the battle happens." 

He got quiet before he continued in a firm voice, "Oh and Cuz, the marker is still good. You don't need to call it in for this, we always protect our own. Those fuckers will learn they messed with the wrong family, stupidi Bastardi." 

"Dobbiamo proteggere la confezione e la famiglia sopra ogni cosa," both men recited the Rossi family creed before hanging up.

("We protect the Pack and family above all else.") 

Carlo leaned back in his chair and exhaled loudly. Having the Rossi Pack on their side greatly tilted the advantage in their favor. Dante had one of the largest Packs in Europe, numbering almost two thousand and was the Italian Representative to the European Council. He glanced at the clock on the wall and hurriedly put the document back in the safe, replacing the floor boards, braided rug and sofa before rejoining Gina in the kitchen. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 11



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

These are the finalists in the contest to name the Miller's Bakery/Coffee shop, post your choice in the comments and the one chosen will get an advance read of an upcoming chapter. My favorites so far are: Decadent Desserts (submitted by FA_JF); The Sweet Indulgence (submitted by 1301866); The Sweet Life (submitted by MissPrissBliss); Decadent Delights (submitted by Tasha); Sweet but Sassy (submitted by pixie71).

The complete list of Pack members is on the blog, but if anyone would like an excel spreadsheet of the 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

*

Frank drove to Joe's house and walked around the garage to the pool house where Joe was waiting, he dropped his duffle inside the door and without saying a word they started running, following a path they had worn down over the last twenty five years. When they were halfway through their ten mile run, Joe said, "I was up most of the night trying to sort things out. I know Charles has to be a part of it, but I feel like there is someone else involved, so who is it?"

"I could feel your agitation and was thinking the same thing. Aldo said something we need to clarify...," Frank was saying as he was interrupted.

"That the feeling was one of revenge and it had been festering for years," finished Joe as he looked at his brother for confirmation.

Frank stopped running and said, "Exactly. I was going over who the Pack has had issues with since Carlo became Alpha and I couldn't come up with anybody. There were some small things, getting contracts for business deals, but in others they got the contracts. Personally, we've had to fire some employees, but they were human. The only Pack I could think we've had a problem with was Matt and Phil's, but is that enough to wage war? I don't think so."

"So the question remains, who hates our Pack enough to wage war against us and try to kidnap our females, and more personally come after our daughters?" asked Joe as his eyes started to turn amber again. "Who would be that fucking stupid?"

Frank looked at the sky and said quietly, "Let's finish our run; we need to be at The School House by 6, and we need to stop by The Diner and pick up breakfast for everyone." The brothers continued their run, lost in their thoughts. Twenty minutes later they were in the shower room and picked up their conversation as if they had never stopped.

"I think the answer lies with the elders. We need to talk to them after the meeting tonight, even though we are taught Pack history, they know the true stories behind the official story," said Joe with a frown on his face.

Frank started laughing and said, "Okay Paul Harvey, we'll talk to the elders. Now hurry or we'll be late." They hurried through their shower and got dressed in light silvery-gray polo shirts with a navy blue embroidered Triple C logo on the left breast and their favorite Lands End Chino shorts in navy. Without speaking they put on construction boots and gray with navy embroidery Triple C baseball hats, as they were putting on their watches Frank looked down and laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Joe as he grabbed his dirty clothes and threw them in the hamper as Frank put his into the duffle before zipping it closed.

"I realized how often we dress alike. We hated when Mom would dress us alike, now we do it all the time," said Frank as he waited by the door.

"Blame our mates, they buy most of our clothes, and you can't count dressing for work since we work together," said Joe making sure everything was turned off. "And Annie and Rose picked out the work uniforms, including the color and logos."

"It's been two years since we changed the uniforms, and I have to admit it does make us stand out from other construction companies. Having everyone dressed in gray t's with a small logo on the left front and a larger logo on the back, navy cargo shorts or pants, the baseball hats, and the silver trucks with the blue Triple C logo. They did a good job," said Frank with a smile as they walked to his work truck.

"You forgot the windbreakers, winter jackets, hoodies and crew-neck sweatshirts," Joe said as he started laughing. "To think all of that started because we mentioned we were thinking of getting new t-shirts for the work crew."

Frank looked at his brother before pulling out of his driveway and said, "I'm not sure who was more surprised when a week later they called a meeting and handed out the new uniforms, you, me or the work crew."

"One thing for sure, they never do anything little," said Joe with a smile and leaned forward turning up the volume as 'Don't fear the Reaper', one of their favorite songs came on the classic rock station. As soon as the song ended the brothers looked at each other and laughed as Joe said, "Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of the night our parents forced us to take Annie and Rose to the movies. Remember, we'd just gotten our licenses and they said we couldn't use Dad's car the following weekend unless we took the girls to the movies while they went to a Pack meeting."

Frank was laughing so hard he could hardly talk, "And we agreed as long as we could pick the movie. The girls had no idea what 'Halloween' was about and you told them it was a movie about a small town with a really cool Halloween tradition. I can still see them sitting there, with their mouths hanging open, hands covering their eyes and screaming so loud I thought my eardrums would shatter."

"And we knew Carlo was in the parking lot waiting on us after the movie, and you told him to hide to scare the girls, they wouldn't get in the car until we checked the trunk and looked under it to make sure nobody was going to get us, and you told Carlo to sneak under the car, and when you got on your hands and knees to look he pulled you under the car and you screamed 'Run girls run, he's got me', and all they could see was your legs twitching and you kept screaming, then you stopped and Carlo dumped his coke so it looked like a pool of blood coming from under the car," said Joe laughing so hard he was gasping for breath.

Frank took off his Oakley sunglasses and wiped his eyes as he remembered looking from under the car seeing Rose and Annie's feet as they ran through the parking lot screaming as loud as they could. After Joe got him and Carlo out from under the car, the three of them were laughing so hard they had to sit down. "Remember where we found them? They were hiding in the women's bathroom in the Montgomery Wards next to the theater," said Frank laughing. "It took us fifteen minutes to calm them down so they would get in the car, and they didn't talk to us the whole way home."

"They got us back though," said Joe with a smile. "They told their parents and ours we would take them to Longmeadow drive-in the following weekend to see 'Grease' since it wasn't playing in the theaters anymore. Annie was glaring at me saying 'Isn't that right, Giuseppe, since we had such a good time tonight.' She considers 'Grease' our first real date, even though we didn't talk to them the whole night."

"We talked to them," said Frank with a smile. "I distinctly remember telling them to shut up several times when they started singing and when Rose said she was hungry; I said 'Tough luck' and kept eating my popcorn. When Annie said she was thirsty and wanted some of your Big Gulp, you told her 'No', and drank the whole thing and threw the cup on the seat." He glanced at his brother before he continued, "And when Annie said she had to use the restroom, you got the cup off the seat and handed it to her and said, 'Use this'."

"Damn, we were dicks, weren't we? It's a wonder they accepted us when we made our declarations," said Joe with a laugh. "I remember JR came over with his sister and took them to the restroom and I got irritated when he put his hand on Annie's arm when she tripped. I didn't realize it was the start of the mating pull and a little over two years later, I'd want to kill any male that put their hands on her."

They got quiet as they thought of their mates and Frank cleared his throat and said, "By the way, I talked to Sal last night and asked him what's going on with him and Gabby. He said he has no clue but feels protective of her and kinda likes her. I told him to respect her and remember he's only fifteen years old."

"Does he know Gabby's planning on studying in Italy for two years to get her degree?" asked Joe as they pulled into the side parking lot of The Diner and he began to smile. For some reason his brother hated to go in reverse, so he always drove around the parking lot so he could pull through, parking hood out and wouldn't have to reverse out of a spot.

Frank sighed loudly and said, "I didn't mention it. Gabby still has two years of high school, then a year of college before she would leave. If they are mates, and I'm thinking they are, then they're going to have enough trials to get through and I don't want to start worrying Sal from now. I'll be right back; Carlo already called the order in." He opened the door and walked around the truck and stopped next to Joe's window and said, "The question will be will he love her enough to let her go? I don't mean let her go to Italy since that would be her choice. But will he love her enough to put aside his need to be with her so she can fulfill her lifelong dream? Sal would be eighteen when Gabby would leave, and I know at that age my need for Rose was overwhelming...I don't think I could've done it."

Joe watched as his brother walked into The Diner and thought of his own need to be with Annie after he felt the mating pull. He closed his eyes thinking back to that time; how possessive he was, how she would sit for hours on his lap reading a book while he scented her neck, and he remembered several nights when he slept outside her bedroom window because he couldn't stand to be apart from her and he knew without a doubt he wouldn't have been able to let Annie go.

Frank opened the rear door of the truck and placed the box inside before getting behind the wheel of his work truck. As Frank pulled out of the parking lot, Joe said quietly, "I wouldn't have been able to let Annie go either." He glanced once more at his older brother before turning his head to look at the buildings they were passing without really seeing them. He cleared his throat before he murmured, "We need to talk to Anthony and Alberto and tell them we were wrong, we shouldn't have told them the way we did. They're our daughter's mates and we should've respected them enough to tell them in private. If Pop told me he was taking Annie away from me, I would've ripped his fucking head off."

"There for a minute, I thought they were going to, or at least try," said Frank nodding his head as he thought back to Anthony and Alberto's reaction. "I agree with you, we need to apologize. Do you think we should pull them to the side at The School House or maybe take them out to dinner before the meeting tonight?"

"We'll talk to Carlo, I'm not sure what he has planned or what time Dante is getting here and he wants us to go with him to pick them up," said Joe. "Either way, we'll apologize this morning and arrange to go out to dinner with them and talk things through a little more."

Frank got quiet and asked, "Are you having trouble separating little Alberto Moretti who grew up with our sons and the grown Alberto Moretti who is your daughters mate? When I see Anthony with Sophia, I still see the four year old little boy who cried when Carlo told him he couldn't train with the older boys."

"But he proved Carlo wrong, the following week he came to training with Carlo like he usually did and stood up challenging the older boys and when he beat several of them Carlo had to give in and start training him," said Joe with a smile. "He was a determined boy and stood up to his father, just like he did yesterday."

"It surprised me how forceful he was with Carlo, and the power that was coming off of him was almost overwhelming," Frank said in amazement. "Have you really looked at Anthony lately? Damn, the boy is only seventeen, but physically looks years older. I think he's even taller then Vincent and Dominic now, he weighs more and his muscle definition is unreal. The way he picked up Scott and threw him surprised me and Scott weighs like 260."

"Since we're talking about him, I want to bring something up," said Joe as Frank glanced at him. "I think Anthony, Vincent and Dominic should be moved to the men's training classes. They can only practice on each other and I think by keeping them in the boys training class, we're holding them back."

"I was thinking the same thing, but I think we'll test all the boys next week for new placements. We'll have to increase their training anyway and testing them will give us a better look at their strengths and weaknesses. I have a feeling a few of the boys will surprise us," Frank said as he rubbed his neck. "We'll talk it over with Carlo, he has the final say. We're almost there, anything else you want to talk about?"

"Well...yeah...Annie and Rose seemed awfully calm yesterday, almost too calm. Do you think they're planning something?" Joe asked turning to look at his brother.

"I don't think they're planning something, I know they're planning something," said Frank with a laugh. "The problem is, we'll only know about it when they're ready to tell us. Those two are more sneaky, stubborn and hard-headed then any two women I've ever met."

Joe started laughing as he said, "I guess they have to be since they've put up with us for the last twenty-three years, almost twenty-four."

"Speak for yourself baby brother," said Frank as he braked to a stop in front of the gates of The School House. "You may be hard to get along with, but I'm not."

Jeff Mendez, Joel's father, stepped out of the guard house and put on his sunglasses as he walked to the truck, clipboard in hand. He had seen Frank's truck coming down the road a half mile away and decided to have a little fun. He walked to the front of the truck and wrote the license plate on his clipboard and radioed it to the control room. Ignoring Joe as he walked by the passenger side, he continued walking around the truck and saw Frank watching him in the side view mirror as he walked from the rear of the truck.

"Good morning Gentlemen, May I see your identifications and may I ask what your business is today at The School House?" said Jeff in his most professional tone as he stood slightly to the rear of the drivers side window.

"Well, Mr. Mendez," said Frank as he continued to look straight ahead, "If you don't let me through this fucking gate, my business will be in seeing how quickly you can run while you have my foot up your fat ass."

"I see you're as polite as ever, Mr. Carlucci," said Jeff with a laugh. "The two of you are the last on the list; everyone is waiting in the visitor's parking lot."

"Are you joining us?" asked Frank as he turned to smile at Jeff.

"I'll be there as soon as my replacements get here, they're getting final instructions from Aldo," said Jeff scanning the road. "The whole security team is waiting and we've already secured The School House and grounds."

"Good, here comes Duke and Jerome," said Joe as he looked towards the front of The School House. "How are they working out? I know they're young and only Level 4 Delta's, but during training they followed directions well and are good fighters."

Jeff smiled as he looked at the young Bellucci's as they ran down the long driveway. "They're doing a good job, whatever Aldo or I have asked them to do they've done without hesitation. They want to talk to the two of you; they want to see if they can pass the Level 1 Beta test. They've been studying Martial Arts for the last year and both graduated from the Police Academy with honors."

Frank watched as the iron gates slowly slid open and the Bellucci's ran through. Dark brown hair cut in a short military style topped their 6'1" frames; broad shoulders strained their work shirts and their light brown eyes were bright with excitement. "Morning Mr. C, Mr. JC," they said at the same time before heading into the guard house and grabbing headsets and radios. They walked out stopping beside Frank's truck, hurriedly putting the headsets on and clipping the radios to their belts.

"Alpha Carlo said you had sandwiches from The Diner," said Duke scanning the road. "Mom made us breakfast but we didn't eat much, we were too excited."

"Yeah, we only had 20 pancakes and a couple pounds of sausage," said Jerome with a shrug as he adjusted the collar of his brother's polo shirt.

"Well, we wouldn't want you two to starve to death, reach in the back and get four sandwiches each. They're all the same, Diner Specials," said Frank with a smile as Jerome opened the rear door of the truck and got the sandwiches out.

Joe looked at Duke and said, "How are your mates doing?"

"Big, round and cranky," said Duke with a proud smile. "Emory's craving the weirdest shit and gets cranky when she can't have it, like Chinese food at 3 in the morning. She's due in a little over a month so she's having a hard time moving around, but Doc said the little one is healthy and gonna be big, probably around ten pounds by delivery."

"Nauseous," said Jerome with a grimace. "If Cynthia looks at food, smells food, or even thinks of food she's hurling, which makes things difficult because all Emory wants to do is eat. Mom and Doc both say it should go away soon, but she's walking around the house with a trashcan."

"Rossi's sells hard ginger candy; it was the only thing that helped Jody with the morning sickness," said Jeff as he patted Jerome on the shoulder. "Check with Doc first to make sure she won't have any problems, but it's a natural herbal remedy."

Jerome was silent for several moments before saying, "Thanks Jeff, Mom's gonna call Doc this morning. Cyn says if she barfs one more time, I'm cut off forever and I'd better get real familiar with my right hand."

The men started to laugh remembering their mates telling them the same things and Duke said, "Wait a minute, you're left handed."

"I know, but this thing is so big I need to use both," said Jerome with a smirk as he cupped his groin.

"I've seen that pea-shooter you've got and I'm surprised you'd need two fingers, let alone two hands," said Duke rolling his eyes at his younger brother as the men roared with laughter.

"On that note, we're getting out of here. You'd better hop in the truck Jeff, we're gonna be late," said Frank as he continued to laugh.

"Everyone's here for the meeting so there shouldn't be anybody else arriving until the youngsters start arriving at 8:30. I'll be down around 8 or 8:15 to go over last minute instructions and stay until all the youngsters arrive," said Jeff as he opened the rear door of the truck. "If you have any problems, radio it in."

"Yes, sir," Duke responded as Jerome waved before he opened one of the breakfast sandwiches and took a big bite.

As soon as they pulled through the gates, they started to close and Jeff said quietly, "What's going on? Aldo was very quiet yesterday afternoon when he called us back to go over security measures, building plans and re-inventory the food supply in the safe room. When I asked what was going on, he shook his head and frowned."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 11



Frank and Joe looked at each other before Frank answered, "Everyone will find out tonight Jeff. Right now we're concentrating on ways to beef up security at The School House without making it look obvious we are."

"Well, that's cryptic as all fuck," said Jeff with a frown shaking his head. "I should be used to it with you Carlucci's. You haven't changed since you were in diapers, always looking at each other before talking or answering questions, and when you do answer a question it doesn't make sense."

"Fuck you, Jeff," said Joe with a laugh. "You're three years older then us; you could barely wipe your own ass when we were in diapers, and we make perfect sense."

"Well, of course you agree with your brother," muttered Jeff as Frank and Joe looked at each other again. "I wouldn't have expected anything else out of the two of you, and your youngsters are just as bad."

"We'll take that as a compliment," Frank said with a smile pulling into the visitor's parking lot and parked his truck hood out, ignoring Joe as he rolled his eyes.

"Bout time you got here," said Carlo with a frown as he looked at his watch, his new Personal Assistant, Marco Moretti by his side with a notebook in his hand. "Two more minutes and you would have been late." Frank glanced at Carlo questioningly as Jeff put the box of sandwiches on the folding table.

"Who peed in your Cheerios?" asked Joe as the men glanced at each other, knowing only Frank and Joe could talk to Carlo like that. They had been wondering what was wrong with their Alpha besides his widely known hatred of waking up early and they eagerly awaited Carlo's response.

"Don't start with me, Carlucci," said Carlo as he glared at Joe. "I'm tired, hungry, irritated and horny, and not in that order."

"This'll help with the hunger," Frank said shoving a sandwich in Carlo's hand. "But I'm not helping with the horniness; you're on your own there." The men began to laugh as Carlo glared at Frank.

"And you're always fucking irritated in the morning," Joe stated with a smile as the men laughed louder.

"Fuck you, in fact... fuck you both," said Carlo irritably as he continued to glare at the Carlucci's. "You know I don't do early mornings, and you purposely sat at the damn gate running your jaws while I was standing here starving." He took a big bite of his sandwich and let out a groan before saying, "These sandwiches are the only thing that makes waking up at 5 AM tolerable."

The men nodded and contented groans could be heard as they ate The Diner Specials, which consisted of two sausage patties, six slices of thick-cut hickory smoked bacon, two slices of thick Canadian bacon, crispy hash browns and scrambled eggs topped with a spicy Hollandaise sauce in between two pieces of thick sliced Texas Toast. "I ordered enough for everybody to have four each, so eat up men," said Carlo as he reached for another sandwich. Ten minutes later all the sandwiches were gone and Carlo said, "Damn, I should have ordered more, I'm still hungry."

"Look in the bottom of the box. I had them put in a tray of pancake rollups," Frank said with a smile at the look on Carlo's face. "I told them to add it to your bill."

Carlo hurriedly moved to the table and tore the box apart as he grabbed the foil tray and placed it on the table. He lifted off the lid inhaling deeply before grabbing one and taking a big bite before motioning the other men to get some. "Frank, this is why you're second in command," said Carlo as he glanced at the elder Carlucci brother. "You anticipate what I need and take appropriate action."

"Thanks, but I'm still not helping with the horniness thing," said Frank with a blank expression on his face as Carlo broke into his first smile of the morning.

"I'm not even going to respond to that," said Carlo shaking his head. "Alright gentlemen, now that we've been fed, the purpose for our early morning meeting is to beef up security here at The School House. Aldo said you went over the blueprints of the school, the grounds and camera placements in the surrounding woods. Did you come up with any new ideas?"

Aldo rolled out the blueprints for the school and pulled out his ever present notebook before saying, "One thing we had to consider was since the building and grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, we can't change the facade or the look of the grounds without getting approval to make them historically accurate. Taking that into consideration, we did come up with a few ideas. Jeff you want to explain your idea for the doors?"

"All of the doors are solid steel with solid steel frames, but we think they could be enforced even more. If you think about it, the only thing holding the door is a lock, two brackets and hinge bolts. This is just for demo purposes, the pieces we would use would be solid steel," Jeff said as he reached under the table and pulled out three braces and a piece of wood. "We put braces on the sides of the door frames, one on the door and if a threat comes, we insert the bar."

Frank picked up the braces while Joe asked, "Have you tried it yet?"

Aldo smiled and said, "We need to replace the wood doors on the building SMI just bought in town. We tried the first door and broke it down with one kick then Jeff installed the braces on the second door and it took almost a half hour to kick the door down and remember that was with cheap aluminum brackets, a wood door and a wood bar. It's a low tech solution, but it works." Aldo extracted a paper out of his notebook and said, "Here is the information and I checked to make sure the screws are solid steel. We figured one setup for each door would be sufficient."

"Did you hit it with your shoulder or just kick it?" asked Frank as he picked up the supply order list and studied it. "And was it only in one spot, and what was the location of the kick?"

Aldo saw where Frank was going and sighed before saying, "We only kicked the door in one spot since the same person did it and it was about a foot from the lock."

"Here is my suggestion; we use three setups for each door. One shoulder height, one above the lock and one midway between the lock and the floor," said Frank as Joe nodded his agreement. "If we use three setups, the pressure will disperse almost evenly across them, creating an even stronger barricade."

"Good job guys," said Joe with a smile as he looked at the security team. "We'll look over the list and order the strongest ones they have available. I think we'll get a wider bracket for the door since that will be where the most pressure would come from." Carlo nodded his head as Aldo and Marco made notes.

"I got this next idea from the History Channel," said Aldo with a smile. "They did a special on Vlad the Impaler and they said he had hundreds if not thousands of bodies impaled on the road leading up to and surrounding his castle."

"Impaling our enemies on school grounds? A bit drastic but I like the idea," said Joe with a wicked smile. "That definitely would send a message not to fuck with us."

Aldo grimaced and said, "You're a sick fuck Carlucci, I was talking about putting spikes in the shrubbery."

"Oh, I guess that would work too," said Joe with disappointment laced in his voice.

Frank gave his brother a 'What the fuck is the matter with you' look and said, "I think I understand what you're talking about. We place spikes inside the shrubbery so if they jump from the top of the wall they get impaled."

"Exactly, we measured and it's approximately 14' from the wall to the outer edge of the shrubbery, a distance easily managed by a full-grown wolf. Our advantage is the top of the wall has spikes, which means they won't be able to get a good foothold so their jumping distance will be cut short," Aldo said pointing to the wall. "Last night in the gym we measured out the distance, put brown boxes in place to mimic the shrubbery and jumped with the same height and foothold handicap. Most of us were only able to jump around 12', the longest was Jerome who jumped 13'. We could do the same for the outer perimeter, except we place the spikes against the wall."

Jeff continued as Aldo flipped through his notebook looking for something, "We also want to install an ornamental iron railing in front of the shrubbery. If you remember when the U of MD Arboretum Members came they recommended a railing to protect the shrubbery since it is one of the oldest examples of Pyracantha in the state. We have an idea to install it so it won't look suspicious."

Aldo found the paper he was looking for and said, "We thought the best way would be to publicize it, have an article in The Herald Mail, The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun. Emphasize we are preserving it according to the wishes of the Arboretum Members. I have the list of people they recommended who specialize in period iron work." He glanced at the wall and said to Carlo who opened the link to include Frank, Joe and Carmelo, "I'm sure they know what the grounds look like. If we do this openly, they would be less suspicious then if we tried to hide it."

Carlo glanced to the wall and said to the four men, "You're right Aldo, if we hid the work, it would look suspicious. Doing it openly and with the press involved makes it seem as though nothing is wrong."

"Send the list to Madame Gina," said Carlo as Marco and Aldo made notes. "She'll contact them to be here for the press conference and we'll inform them the contract will be awarded once they submit the designs and bids. We'll invite the Arboretum Members, the Maryland chapter of National Register of Historical Places, the Washington County Historical Society as well as the press you mentioned. If the press gets their quotes directly from them it will carry more authenticity then from us." He glanced at Frank and smiled before he continued, "Of course we'll invite Senator Martin and some other elected officials."

Frank rolled his eyes as he said, "What else have you guys thought of?"

Jeff pointed to the portico and said, "Once they realize they can't get in through the first floor, the logical thing is to try and go in the second story windows. Security is usually tighter on the first floors and most people don't protect the upper windows, so we want to give them a surprise on the portico roof."

"It can't be anything big, something as simple as a piece of plywood painted black with nails protruding through it," said Aldo shrugging his shoulder. "We can cover it with tar paper to look like the existing roof." Frank, Joe and Carlo nodded their heads in agreement.

"Now to the security cameras," said Aldo looking into the woods. "The outer 500' of the perimeter is covered but we should extend it out further. They'll expect cameras close to the grounds, so the new cameras need to be concealed even more. They will be running towards the school, so I suggest we place the cameras the same way."

"Sneaky, I like it," said Joe with a smile. "By positioning them that way, we see which direction they're going. I suggest we re-arrange some of the landscape to funnel them where we want them to go. When we run as wolves, we naturally go the way of least resistance."

Carlo nodded his head and said, "We'll have the whole Pack help in doing this, the men and older ones can move the larger rocks while the women and younger ones move the smaller rocks and plant shrubbery to make it look natural. I trust the women's judgement in landscaping better then ours. Even the little ones can help; they can throw rocks around to make it look natural. Frank, plan for us to do this the day of the next Full Moon Ceremony."

Aldo dug into another folder and pulled more papers, "Here are the latest cameras available. They're wireless and can be hidden almost anywhere, and some are available in rock decoys, hollowed out logs and there is one designed in a birds nest."

Carlo picked up the papers and thumbed through them before saying, "It's 6:45, let's take a look at the shrubbery and portico before the youngsters arrive. I was going to have us go into the woods and plan what we are doing, but we will do that tomorrow. Frank, Joe, Carmelo and I have something to do this afternoon." The men hurried and cleared the papers off the table before dismantling it and bringing it inside, as Carlo, Frank, Joe, Carmelo, Marco, Aldo and Jeff walked to the perimeter wall Carlo's phone rang.

"Rossi here," answered Carlo motioning for Frank and Joe to stay while the others kept walking. "Yes, I understand...you haven't found anything?... yes, he'll be here this afternoon...he's picking up his new Gulfstream...official reception Thursday evening here...yes, I'll have Gina contact your secretary, we'll talk Thursday."

Carlo sighed as he looked at Frank and Joe and said, "Dante's visit is already making its way through the Alpha Council after the email I sent. President Roberts will be here to greet him officially on Thursday and wants to have a small reception. Since he'll be here in a couple of days, he's cancelling the teleconference this afternoon, which is good because we have too much to do."

*****

"Hurry up; you're going to be late. Breakfast is ready and your cousins should be here soon," shouted Rose as she walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge taking out pitchers of milk and orange juice and placed them next to the warming trays which contained hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and waffles. "What am I forgetting?" she mumbled to herself and hearing the timer go off she smiled and turned around pulling the biscuits out of the oven placing them in a basket. Lost in her thoughts wondering how things were going at The School House, the sound of the mud room door opening startled her but she relaxed as she scented her sister, nephews and niece entering her home. Glancing at the alarm panel on the wall, she saw Annie had reset the alarm and relaxed once again as she put the sausage gravy the boys loved so much next to the biscuits on the breakfast bar.

Annie walked into the kitchen rolling her eyes as she approached Rose and gave her a hug before she sighed and said quietly, "I'm so glad it's your week to cook, they would have been eating cereal if it was my turn. I never thought I was going to get Maria out of the house and the boys were almost as bad."

Rose said with a smile, "I'm exhausted, Sophia's been up since 5 fixing her hair and trying to pick out what shoes to wear, the boys have been whispering back and forth about something and being very secretive. They're up to something, I know it."

Before Annie could answer, Rose's youngsters were running down the steps and barreling into the kitchen. "We're here," said Vin grabbing a plate followed by the rest of the youngsters. The next several minutes were chaotic as they grabbed food out of the warming trays and made their way to the kitchen table.

"Did you ask your mom yet?" Gianni asked quietly as he glanced at Annie and Rose who were talking quietly by the stove drinking coffee.

"Not yet, we'll wait until she's in a better mood," answered Lorenzo quietly as he reached for the butter for his pancakes.

"What's going on?" Sophia asked Maria who shrugged her shoulders.

Gianni glanced around the table and said quietly, "Not that it's any of your business but next time we have a Friday game, we want to go watch the Terps play football on Saturday, you know make a weekend out of it at College Park."

"Oh, that would be nice," said Maria cheerfully as she smiled at Sophia. "We could wear some of the new Terps gear we got."

The boys turned to glare at their sisters as Marcus said, "The two of you weren't invited, this is a guy's only weekend."

"No adults either," said Damian with a smirk as the boys grinned at each other.

"You are delusional if you think that's going to happen," stated Sophia as she raised her eyebrow. "Maria and I would have better luck asking if we could go to DC by ourselves then you have in hanging around College Park without supervision."

"I agree with Sophia. They'll never let you do it, not gonna happen, they'll never allow it," said Maria glaring at the boys. Looking at the disgruntled looks on the boys faces she started to laugh hard and snorted as Sophia took a big drink of milk. Hearing her cousin snort made Sophia laugh and choke on her milk which she coughed out over the table which made the girls laugh even harder at the looks of disgust on their brother's faces.

"That's real attractive, one is snorting and the other is spitting milk everywhere," said Lorenzo shaking his head. "And they call us pigs."

"We didn't call you a pig, your girlfriend did," said Maria with a twinkle in her eye as Sophia nodded her head in agreement.

Lorenzo's eyes were wide as he opened and closed his mouth several times before he sputtered, "She's not my girlfriend, I don't like her and I'm not interested in her."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," said Sophia glancing at Maria before turning her emerald gaze to Lorenzo. "Well, I guess it won't matter then on Saturday when she's in her cheerleading outfit at the game. I'm sure the boys from the Shenandoah Pack will be interested in her."

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed and he said angrily, "What she does and who she does it with isn't my business. My only job is to protect her when I have to."

"Glad to hear it, I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a plastic spoon then to sit through another dating rules meeting any time soon," said Damian with a grin as everyone at the table started laughing. "Seriously, we need to talk with Alpha Carlo about this, he should print everything up, have the two intendeds read it, sign it in blood if needed and that's it. In and out in two minutes and it's done."

"We're not talking about how long it takes you to have sex," said Lorenzo with a laugh as Damian threw a biscuit at him.

"Whatever, I'm not the one who snotted all over a girl yesterday and then got jealous cause she was wearing Gianni's shirt. Plus, you were watching her the whole time she was here, even when you were pretending not to," said Damian as he stared at his twin. "Admit it, you like the girl, open up to your feelings and embrace it."

"Who the fuck did you turn into all of a sudden? Dr. Phil?" asked Lorenzo with a snarl. "I have no feelings for her...well, I'm attracted to her, but that doesn't count and I wasn't jealous when she had Gianni's shirt on, it just bothered me a little."

Before Damian could respond, Rose said loudly, "Finish up breakfast, you have about five minutes before Anthony and the Moretti's get here."

"And we have pictures to take," Annie said as the youngsters groaned at her announcement. "I don't want to hear it, it's a Carlucci family tradition and if anyone misbehaves, you won't like what I do." The youngsters quickly finished their breakfast, putting their plates in the sink and hurried onto the front porch.

"Positions everyone," said Annie waving her hands as they moved to their assigned places on the steps of the porch. Sal, Sophia, Maria and Victor in front, Enzo, Gino, Gianni, Marcus, Paulo and Michael in the second row and Vin, Dom, Lorenzo and Damian in the last row. Annie took several pictures and as she snapped the last one, Anthony and the Moretti's pulled into the driveway.

While they waited for Anthony and Alberto to finish greeting their intendeds, Rose said to Annie, "Can you take a picture of Sal and Gabby without them seeing you?" Annie nodded her head and looked at her youngest nephew and Gabby who were standing to the side of the porch. They weren't talking but were smiling at each other and Annie quickly took several shots of them. After positioning Anthony and Sophia she quickly snapped their picture and then did the same for Alberto and Maria.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 11



Rose looked at her watch and said, "Time to head to the Miller's. Remember to behave yourselves and Sophia and Maria, I'll be there at 3:30 to pick you up."

"Remember your fathers are there if you need them," said Annie and she hesitated before saying, "Boys, please watch out for your sisters."

"Like we would let anything happen to them," said Lorenzo pulling Maria's braid until her back was against his broad chest; his arms encircled her shoulders as he rested his chin on her head. "They may be annoying as hell, but for some strange odd reason we love the little munchkins."

Maria giggled as she said, "And for an even odder stranger reason, I love all of you too."

Gianni pulled Sophia's ponytail bringing her close to him as he hugged her tightly. Kissing her forehead and hearing her giggle, he added, "How else would we entertain ourselves if we didn't have them to torture and harass?"

"As long as WE are the only ones torturing and harassing them," Vin said quietly as he straightened his shoulders and looked at each of the males. "The School House has security in place but I don't want somebody else responsible for OUR sisters safety. They are OUR sisters, OUR responsibility. Our Dad's didn't give us special instructions to make sure they stay safe, but we know what we have to do. I don't want them left alone for any reason, I want one of us with them at all times." The boys stood up straight, all sense of teasing gone as they nodded their heads.

"Gabby this includes you too...you are as much a part of this family as our sisters," Dom said as he glanced at Sal. The three girls looked at Dom and nodded their heads, they had listened to what their Alpha said yesterday and knew the danger they could be in so they didn't argue or offer resistance.

Vin looked at the girls and smiled as he said, "We also need your help. The Miller girls are going to be overwhelmed with school, training and the news Alpha Carlo told us yesterday. We need you to be there for them, to talk to them, ease their concerns but most of all be patient and help guide them."

Gabby looked at Vin and said, "We'll make sure they understand and we'll do whatever we need to keep them safe." Sophia and Maria nodded their heads as their brothers gave them one final kiss and released them.

"I know you will protect each other and remember you have the strength of numbers and your love for each other. We'll follow you over to the Millers, I want to get more pictures," said Annie smiling as she heard the youngsters groaning.

As they went to their assigned vehicles, Ant saw the look on Sal's face as he watched Gabby get into a different vehicle and opened the bond to the boys saying, "Victor and Sal, switch vehicles."

Sal turned to him with a smile on his face and said, "Thank you, Ant."

"No problem, use this time to talk to her and get to know her, find out what makes her laugh. Damian and Lorenzo will be in the SUV with you, so they will help you and Angelo, I expect you to be nice," said Anthony as he helped Sophia into the front seat of his truck and put her backpack on the carpet near her feet. "Oh, and I'll keep the bond open so we can keep in contact with each other at school."

"Do I have to be nice?" asked Angelo with laughter in his voice before his tone turned serious. "After yesterday when he comforted her when she was upset and stepped in front of her to protect her, he has my support. As long as he treats my sister with respect he won't have any problems with me."

"Thank you, Angelo that means a lot to me," said Sal. As he went to climb into the SUV, he saw Gabby sitting in the middle of the third row seat and asked, "Where do you want me to sit Angelo?"

"Next to my sister, dumb-ass. What is the purpose of having you ride with us if you can't talk to her?" Angelo asked with a smile on his face. "Lorenzo will be back there with you, I'll sit in the middle with Damian and chaperone."

The first two minutes of the four minute ride to the Millers was nerve wracking for Sal. He could hear low murmurs from the front as Alberto and Maria talked quietly but every time he turned his head to say something to Gabby, it seemed as if she was going to say something and instead she put her head down and blushed. So he said nothing, just kept glancing at her and looking away while she glanced at him and put her head down.

After watching them do this for two minutes Lorenzo said, "I can't take this anymore, Sal say something to Gabs before we get to the Millers or I'll tell her an embarrassing story of when you were a little one."

Sal's face flushed bright red as Gabby turned her gaze on him and smiled. He wracked his brains thinking over the advice the guys had given him yesterday and said in a rush, "You look beautiful in your uniform." He was proud of himself that he didn't stutter, and the compliment that he paid her made sense.

"Thank you, Salvatore," said Gabby shyly as she tilted her head and then a teasing sparkle came into her eyes. "You're not going to tell me my cardigan matches my eyes?" Alberto, Lorenzo and Damian started laughing as they remembered Sal's fumbling attempt to give her a compliment yesterday.

Sal smiled at her and sat up straighter as he got more confidence in himself, "No, while the blue compliments your skin tone and brings out the red highlights in your hair, your eyes are a rich liquid chocolate brown with streaks of green and they are sparkling right now because you are smiling."

"Oh," gasped Gabby as her face flushed bright red and she ducked her head down. She took a deep breath and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she started to smile. "I didn't think you had noticed."

He leaned in and whispered close to her ear, "I've noticed a lot of things." He sat back and smiled before he looked at Damian who smiled back at him.

"We're here, everybody out," said Alberto as put the SUV in park. The entire Miller family were waiting on the front porch, the girls talking excitedly as Phil took candid photos of them like a proud uncle, while Todd was demonstrating to the younger girls the proper way to apply a choke hold using Matt as his victim. Nana Ellen and Holly were making last minute adjustments to their uniforms and checking their backpacks to make sure they had everything and Papa Mike was handing each of the older girl's money. It looked like chaos but every one of them had smiles on their faces.

Within minutes the youngsters were lined up according to Annie's instructions, after taking one picture and looking at it, she moved them around and was finally satisfied. Five minutes later, Annie and Phil were satisfied with the pictures they had taken and Vin took his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time.

"Before we leave, I want to have a short meeting," Vin said in a loud commanding voice drawing every ones attention. "We need to go over some rules before we get to The School House because I don't want any arguments once we get there." He stopped talking and looked at each of the Miller girls who stared back at him. "We don't know who or what is behind this threat and even though The School House is secure, we would feel better if one of us was by your side at all times. Once you get tested for your class placements, I will ask Alpha Carlo and Aldo to allow us a short break so we can work a schedule out as to who will be part of your protection detail to get you to, during and from class."

Dom said firmly, "I don't care if you're in the restroom, they will wait outside the damn door for you. If any of us sees one of you by yourself, there will be hell to pay, for you and the boy who is supposed to be with you. Do we make ourselves clear?"

"Is this really necessary?" asked Erin as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I really don't want him, I mean somebody following me." As she finished her last statement she glanced at Lorenzo and then looked away blushing.

Lorenzo rolled his eyes and before he could say anything, Gabby stepped forward and said, "Yes, it is necessary. You heard Alpha Carlo yesterday and what could possibly happen to all of us. These guys..." Gabby stopped and took a deep breath as she waved her hand to include the young men and then continued, "These guys are OUR brothers and THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO KEEP YOU SAFE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? THEY WOULD DIE TO PROTECT YOU AND YOU ARE SO UNCARING AND SO UNGRATEFUL TO THEM THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY."

Gabby stared at Erin before looking at the other Miller girls, Brianna was standing next to Vin and Morgan had her face buried in Dom's neck. "Do you have anything to say in your defense? Because I really want to hear it," she continued.

"Well, I... it'll make me uncomfortable," stammered Erin as her face flushed red.

"MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE? DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME? THIS IS SERIOUS SHIT HERE; WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING KIDNAPPED, RAPED OR MURDERED AND THE ONLY THING PREVENTING THAT... IS THEM," shouted Gabby as she once again pointed to the boys. "YOU DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND DO THEIR OWN STUFF INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING US AROUND?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about any of that," murmured Erin, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I just want to be normal and be happy."

"That's fine, but while you're being normal and happy, don't put my family and friends in danger because you are too stubborn and too selfish to follow some simple rules designed to keep you safe," said Gabby with her eyes narrowed. She looked at her brothers and said, "Car! Now!" Without another word she climbed into the SUV and without saying anything everyone assigned to that vehicle climbed in.

There was silence for several moments before Todd said, "Girls, I expect you to follow EVERY instruction Alpha Carlo, Frank, Joe, Aldo and the boys give you and we will have a talk this evening when we get home from the men's meeting. It's time to get going." He walked to his car and got in and waited for his Dad, Vin, Brianna, Caitlin and Erin to get in his vehicle and he watched as Matt and Phil got in their vehicle followed by Dom, Morgan, Kelly and Aislin.

Papa Mike stuck his head out of the SUV and said, "Remember to lock the doors and put the security system on. I'm not sure when we'll be back." Nana Ellen and Holly nodded their heads as they waved goodbye to Annie and Rose. Once everyone was ready, the caravan pulled out of the driveway and headed to The School House.

"Well, that went well," Damian said sarcastically, as they pulled out of the driveway. "Gabs, without your patience and understanding there could have been shouting and tears...Oh wait...there was shouting and tears."

"At least I wasn't the one that made her cry this time," said Lorenzo as he turned to look out the window, the image of Erin's glassy eyes replaying in his mind.

Gabby started blushing and said, "I didn't mean to make her cry, I may have been a bit more forceful then what I intended."

"Ya think?" asked Damian, raising his eyebrow before he started laughing. "Hell, Freddy Krueger would have started to cry if you hollered at him like that." The boys started to laugh and Maria shivered, she hated horror movies.

"I got to ask, what the hell got into you?" asked Angelo still laughing as he turned around to look at his younger sister. "Are you getting ready to get your period or something? Cause you acted like a total PMS'ing raging bitch."

Alberto choked and the SUV swerved before he got it back under control, Maria turned in her seat with her mouth hanging open, Lorenzo, Damian and Sal stared at Angelo then Gabby then back to Angelo. Gabby was staring at her brother with a murderous expression on her face as she hissed, "I can not believe you said that, especially with Salvatore sitting here next to me. You've embarrassed me for the last time in front of him, you...you..." and she launched herself at him, putting her brother in a chokehold.

"OH, SHIT," Sal shouted as he grabbed her waist to pull her back as Lorenzo tried to get out of the way of her feet as she tried to get a foothold and Damian was laughing so hard he hit his head on the window before falling out of his seat.

Anthony reminded everyone to lower their windows as he pulled up to the gate. A guard came to each window and glanced inside as Anthony said to Jeff, "Rossi, Anthony. Carlucci's Sophia, Victor, Enzo and Gino." Jeff checked each name off on the clipboard and radioed for the gate to be opened, as Anthony went through the next vehicle pulled up, stopped and repeated the procedure.

Alberto watched them for several minutes in the rearview mirror and heard the sounds of fabric tearing; the oomph's and grunts as flesh hit flesh, Lorenzo and Sal swearing and Damian laughing. He had finally had enough and shouted, "STOP IT NOW. Angelo, apologize to our sister, Gabby calm down, Damian stop laughing, Sal pull her back, and Lorenzo sit your ass down. We're almost at the gate and I don't want to explain to our Dad's why you're fighting, so pull yourselves together and straighten your uniforms out." They pulled up to the gate and as soon as Jeff, Duke, Jerome and Austin Sabatini saw them, they started to laugh. After checking their names, they went through the gate and the men started laughing louder as Gabby launched herself at her brother again.

"Why did you say our names that way?" questioned Sophia as she started to get nervous as they waited for the others in the student parking lot.

"It's another subtle measure of security," answered Gino as he rummaged in his backpack for his comb. "We say the last names first, and if something were wrong, we would say first names then last names. Like I said it's subtle, something they wouldn't pick up quickly."

"There's a lot going on that I don't know about security, isn't there?" asked Sophia as she looked at her intended and her family.

Enzo rolled his eyes and said, "You don't know a third of the stuff we do to protect you. We've been doing it so long you think it's normal."

"Oh," Sophia replied as Anthony grabbed her hand and squeezed it to reassure her. The last vehicle to pull in was Alberto's who parked next to Anthony and everyone moved in front to wait on them to get out, and when they did the youngsters and the adults present looked at them in astonishment.

Damian opened the right rear passenger door and fell laughing hysterically onto his back with a black eye, a bruised cheek, his cardigan halfway off, blood on his shirt and the left sleeve of his shirt torn. Angelo opened the rear driver's side door and fell out landing on his hands and knees with blood dripping from his nose onto the asphalt, his cardigan completely off, half the buttons and the right sleeve were missing from his shirt, scratches were on his face, his lip was split open and Gabby was on his back holding him in a chokehold. The right side of Gabby's hair was flying around her face since she only had one barrette in her hair, her left arm was in the sleeve of her cardigan while her right arm was out, her right shoe was missing and she was muttering, "You son of a bitch...". Sal was next out of the SUV with footprints over his shirt and cardigan, scratches on his face, a bloody nose, a black eye and blood on his uniform shirt. Lorenzo calmly got out of the vehicle with a bloody split lip, a black eye, a bruise on his left cheek, footprints on his shirt and he was holding Gabby's shoe in his hand.

Alberto looked at them and shook his head while Maria put her hand over her mouth to hold in the laugher. Sal pulled Gabby off Angelo's back and the five of them slowly walked to the front of the SUV as a voice loudly boomed, "Does anybody want to tell me what happened?"

Five youngsters stared at their Alpha and their mouths opened and closed several times before Gabby said quietly with her head down, "It was a minor disagreement, Alpha Carlo. Angelo said something I didn't like, and when I went after him the Carlucci's tried to hold me back from beating the hell, I mean heck out of Angelo." She looked at Lorenzo, Damian and Sal saying quietly, "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You did all that?" Carmelo asked Gabby and she nodded her head before looking back to the ground. He looked at the bloody faces of the boys and the condition of their uniforms and took in Gabby's shoeless foot, mussed cardigan and missing barrette, but otherwise she didn't have a mark on her. "Angelo, what did you say?"

"Uhmm, well...I kinda maybe might have asked her if she was on her period and I may have said she was a PMS'ing raging bitch...or something along those lines," muttered Angelo as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. Damian started laughing again but one glare from his father shut him up.

"Angelo, you deserved the beating your sister gave you," said Carmelo with a frown to his son. "Now give your sister a hug, find her barrette and Lorenzo give her back her shoe. The rest of you clean up before you go into The School House."

"Hey, Ant could you take a pic of us? This way we'll have a before and after shot of our first trip to school after Hurricane Gabs hit," said Damian with a big smile on his face. The five of them grouped together, Lorenzo still holding Gabby's shoe, as Ant took the pictures everybody started laughing at the ridiculous sight they presented. After Ant was done, they started to clean up their uniforms as much as they could.

"Well, that was fun, I can see riding to school with this group is gonna be a blast. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow, but I'm going to make sure I bring a helmet with me," said Damian cheerfully as Angelo glared at him.

The youngsters turned around and stared at him and Lorenzo sighed loudly before he shook his head and said, "Okay, I'll ask, why do you need a helmet?"

"To protect this stunning vision of pure male perfection, of course," Damian responded with a serious expression on his face before he started to smile as he heard the groans from his family. "But a broken nose may enhance the bad boy image; make my rugged good looks stand out even more." He looked at Caitlin and when she blushed, he started to laugh and as he walked past her he nudged her with his shoulder and laughed even harder. As he walked to the front door he was pleased with her reaction for some reason.

Gabby glanced at Sal as they followed Damian, seeing his black eye that was already turning green and yellow and the cuts slowly disappearing, she murmured, "I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to hit you or anything."

"That's okay, I wasn't worried about me getting hurt, I was only worried about you," Sal whispered back and then he blushed. "I didn't mean to grope you; I was just trying to get a hold of you to pull you back."

"Well, I was hoping that was your hand, and not your cousins," Gabby giggled and quickly looked at her two brothers hoping they didn't hear Sal. Realizing what she said and seeing the surprised look on Sal's face at her response, she blushed and said, "I can't believe I said that, I didn't mean it like that, I mean I'm glad it was you and not Lorenzo and Damian, especially Damian, not that I wanted you to do that, well at least not right now, I mean ... I don't know what the hell I'm saying."

Sal started to laugh as Angelo turned around to look at them and narrowed his eyes. "It's okay, I won't tell if you don't," he whispered into her ear while Gabby started to giggle again and this time Alberto turned around to look at them.

Principal Richards and Aldo greeted them as they walked through the front door and gave them a binder with their name and homeroom number on it. Vin led them up the east stairwell to the second floor and explained the homerooms were grouped according to family and mates and intended mates were placed together. Excited voices and laughter could be heard as they walked down the hall to the last classroom on the right, the largest one on the floor to accommodate the twenty-four of them.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 12



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

The complete list of Pack members is on the blog, but if anyone would like an excel spreadsheet of the 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 





Forty minutes later Joe and Victor were pacing frantically back and forth in the waiting room of Doc's clinic while Annie and Alberto were in the examination room with Maria. Joe could feel his agitation rising with every step he took...that was HIS daughter in there and he didn't like the feeling of being replaced, pushed aside, usurped by that...

"Joe, your daughter wants to see you," said Doc motioning for Joe to follow him.

"About fucking time somebody remembered I was here," muttered Joe angrily as he hurried after Doc. 

Victor sat in one of the hard-backed chairs and said, "Sal, we don't know anything yet, Doc just came to get Dad, Maria was asking for him. I'm really worried."

"You want me to come there? Everybody else went home, Madame Gina says they'll do the safe room tomorrow, but the family is here," replied Sal. "Mom and Dad were waiting to hear from your parents."

"Maybe Aunt Rose, Uncle Frank and you," said Victor. "I think Dad's about to lose it, when we were here in the waiting room, he was so angry I thought he was going to pop a vessel."

Sal quickly relayed the information to his family and before he finished his mom and dad were running out the door. "We're on our way; see you in a couple of minutes."

"Sit down, Joe," said Doc as they walked into the large examination room. He nodded his head but first hugged his daughter and seeing her holding hands with Alberto, he felt the anger build up in him again as he thought that should be him comforting his daughter. Annie could feel her mates' agitation and gently rubbed his forearm to try and calm him down. 

"I took three x-rays and they show Maria has a Class IV Monteggia Fracture and I recommend she have Open Reduction Internal Fixation Surgery," said Doc as he looked at Joe before pointing to her x-rays. 

"Doc, I don't understand a fucking thing you just said," said Joe as he started getting upset again. 

"Basically, the first break to her ulna wasn't fully healed and when she fell, the stress re-fractured the bone and caused the radius to fracture and dislocate at the elbow. I feel surgery to insert two titanium plates would give the bones extra stability while they healed," said Doc as he pointed at the x-rays. "Once the breaks are fully healed, she would need another surgery to remove the titanium plates."

Joe looked at his daughter who was hooked up to an IV and appeared to be resting and said, "Can you do the surgery here?"

"I could do the surgery Joe, but I've only ever done one like this before and that was in Med School," said Doc as ran his hand through his hair. "I had Carlo contact Alpha Parr, their Pack has one of the best orthopedic surgeons on the East Coast and he's on staff at Johns Hopkins as well as Union Memorial Hospital. They are willing to send the Doctor here, so I can observe to remove the plate later."

"How soon can he get here?" asked Joe as he winced when he saw Maria's face grimace in pain.

"Alpha Parr has a helicopter so they can be here in less then an hour," said Doc as he adjusted the drip on Maria's IV, and then was silent for several moments. "Carlo said they'll be here in less then forty minutes, they left when he contacted them and they are bringing a surgical team with them. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish getting the operating room ready and then I'll come in and finish prepping Maria." He nodded at them and quickly left the room.

Joe continued to stare at his daughter and then abruptly got up and left the room returning minutes later with Frank and Rose. He told them everything Doc had said and the two brothers stared at each other and Frank said, "What do you need us to do? The youngsters are at the house with Ric, Rocco and Luc so they're fine."

"There's nothing to do, my baby's getting operated on and there's not a fucking thing I can do. I've never felt so damn helpless in my entire life," said Joe grabbing his hair as if he was going to pull it out by the root a handful at a time.

"Dad, I hate bothering you, but how's Maria doing?" said Vin and Frank could hear the concern in his voice.

"They're getting ready to take her into surgery, we're waiting for the surgeon to arrive from Parr Ridge Pack and I have no idea how long the surgery is going to take," said Frank to the youngsters. "She's on some pretty strong pain meds so she's pretty much out of it now." 

"Do you need us to do anything, Dad?" asked Vin worriedly. "How are Uncle Joe, Aunt Annie and Alberto holding up?" 

"Your Aunt is calm, Alberto is holding onto Maria's hand with a death grip and your Uncle is losing his fucking mind," said Frank as he glanced at his brother who sat staring unblinkingly at Maria. "I'll let you know what's going on as soon as we hear anything else." 

Seeing Maria grimace again, Joe jumped to his feet and ran to the door shouting, "DOC, GET YOUR FUCKING ASS IN HERE NOW."

Doc hurried in and immediately went to Maria's side and checked the pulse in her broken arm and the monitors before looking around and asking, "What happened?"

"SHE'S IN FUCKING PAIN, DO SOMETHING," shouted Joe as he waved his hands in the air.

Maria exhaled loudly and said with her eyes closed, "Calm down Daddy, you're making me more nervous. I'm okay, it just hurts when I move it when I'm sleeping and it wakes me up."

"Joe, I can't give her any more pain meds. I don't want them to interfere with the anesthesia," explained Doc while he checked the IV line again.

"Well, where the fuck are they? They should have been here by now," Joe said angrily as he waved his arms in the air again.

"It's only been twenty minutes Joe, they'll be here soon. Now I'd like everyone to leave the room, except for Annie and Rose. We need to start prepping her," said Doc in a firm voice.

If possible Joe got angrier and said, "WHY ANNIE AND ROSE? WHY CAN'T I STAY? I'M HER FATHER DAMNIT, I WAS THERE WHEN SHE WAS BORN, I FED HER, I CHANGED HER, I TAUGHT HER TO RIDE A BIKE, WHEN SHE WAS SCARED AT NIGHT SHE RAN INTO MY ARMS, WHEN SHE FELL DOWN AND GOT HURT I KISSED HER BOO-BOOS AND MADE IT BETTER. SHE'S MY DAUGHTER FOR FUCK'S SAKE."

"Joe, you need to calm down," said Annie in a soothing voice as she rubbed her hands up and down his forearms.

"Fuck calming down, they're trying to take my daughter away from me," Joe said angrily as his claws started to extend. 

"Joe, you're losing it baby brother. Nobody is trying to take your daughter away, they need to prepare her for surgery," explained Frank in a calm voice. "She's a teenage girl, she'll be uncomfortable with you in the room when they undress her to put on a hospital gown and I'm sure you'll see her before the surgery."

Before Joe could reply, Carlo walked into the examination room and said in a calm firm voice, "They'll be landing in fifteen minutes, Frank, Joe and Alberto will you accompany me outside? We need to check the helipad quickly to make sure it's safe for them to land." When Joe made no movement to follow Carlo's instructions, Carlo said in a firmer tone, "JOE."

"Huh?" Joe said as he looked at his Alpha, noticing him for the first time.

"He's losing it Carlo, look at his eyes," said Frank as he continued to stare at his brother whose eyes were flickering between green and amber. "Come on baby brother, we need to make sure it's safe for the helicopter. Let Rose and Annie help get Maria ready and by the time we're done she'll be changed into a hospital gown and you can come back in."

"I'll be fine Daddy," whispered Maria as she slowly opened her eyes and nodded her head. 

Joe looked at Annie and said, "You promise she'll be here when I get back?"

"I promise Joe, now go," said Annie as she hugged him tightly.

When the men got outside, Carmelo, Angelo and Vinnie were walking around the helipad. Seeing the angry look on Joe's face, the men didn't ask about Maria but glanced at Frank who shrugged his shoulders as he turned his head to look at his brother who was staring off towards the top of South Mountain. 

"I'm glad we installed the helipad when we built the Clinic," Carlo said as he glanced at his watch. "Remind me tomorrow to buy a fucking helicopter, we should have one here at all times. Dante can help me pick one out."

Frank looked at Carlo and nodded his head and then said, "Where is he? I just noticed he's not with you."

"He's in the Archive Room, said he needed to look something up," said Carlo with a shrug. "The whole way back from your house, he kept muttering something about myths and legends. I asked him what he was talking about but he said he had to make sure before he said anything."

Frank glanced at Carlo with a questioning look but shook his head as if to clear his thoughts before looking at Carmelo as he asked, "Were the safety checks done?"

Carmelo nodded his head as he glanced at the checklist in his hand and said, "The area has been swept, we checked the surface and there is no debris, Vinnie checked the windsock on the roof to make sure it is free to move around and the perimeter lights are turned on and are all functioning."

The men got quiet as Carlo's phone rang, "Rossi here...five minutes...the helipad is ready for you to land...we will be waiting." He glanced at the men and said, "You heard my part of the conversation, Joe go and see Maria."

Joe spun around running into the building and he noticed Victor and Sal in the waiting room. Seeing the concerned look on their faces he motioned with his head for them to follow him and they ran down the hall to Maria who was now lying on a stretcher, her hair in a surgical cap and she was wearing a hospital gown.

Frank glanced at Alberto and walked over to him saying quietly, "Let Joe have some time with Maria and then you can go in. He's not upset with you; he's worried about his daughter." Alberto nodded his head and Frank looked at him and smiled, "You think you're protective of Maria now? Wait until you find out she's pregnant and when the little one gets here, you'll go nuts worrying about everything. As they get older the worry never goes away, you just get used to it."

"They're coming," said Vinnie as he pointed to the top of South Mountain where a helicopter became visible.

"Doc, they'll be here in a couple of minutes," said Carlo as the men moved into the back door of the Clinic so they would be out of the helicopters rotor wash. Within minutes the helicopter landed and out stepped three men and three women who grabbed bags before ducking and running into the building.

"Where is the patient?" a tall black haired man with light brown eyes asked in an arrogant tone as he glanced at his watch and shook his head.

Seeing the look of anger starting to build on Carlo's face, Frank said, "I'm not sure if you remember me Eric it's been several years, I'm Frank Carlucci and the patient is my niece Ma ..."

"Kindly address me as Dr. Parr and I know who you are and I don't care, now take me to the patient," said Dr. Parr as he interrupted Frank. He sighed loudly before narrowing his eyes as he glanced at his watch again. "I want to get the surgery done as soon as possible and get out of here; I have tickets to the Symphony tonight, this couldn't have come at a worse time."

Frank took several calming breaths and said, "Please follow me and I'll take you to my niece." 

As they walked into the room Doc Sullivan came forward and said, "Thank you for coming Dr. Parr, this is Maria Carlucci, she is the daughter of..."

"As I mentioned to the other one, I don't care who she is the daughter of. Let me look at the x-rays then I would like to scrub in," said Dr. Parr before moving to the wall where the x-rays were illuminated. Hearing movement behind him, he turned and saw Carlo, Alberto and Alpha Parr walk into the room and seeing Alberto go to Maria's side and hold her hand, he said, "She's awfully young to have a mate."

Alberto stood up to his full height of 6'5" and said angrily, "I am her intended mate; I made my declaration weeks ago." 

Without acknowledging Alberto, Dr. Parr turned to Doc and said, "Is there a history of violence or abuse? The fracture doesn't seem normal; it's almost as if there was a lot of pressure applied to the bone."

Doc and Frank stepped in front of Joe and Alberto who were growling angrily. Carlo strode forward anger apparent in every step until he stood in front of Dr. Parr and he said in a clear commanding tone, "She fell in front of young ones and her family while playing tag. Let me make this clear to you Dr. Parr, there has never been and will never be violence against women in our Pack."

"Cousin, if I were you, I would stop the arrogant condescending attitude and do your fucking job," Alpha Savannah Parr said angrily, her light blue eyes flashing amber as she stood to her full height of 5'9". She turned to Carlo and said quietly, "Carlo, Joe, Frank and Maria's intended mate, I apologize for my cousin and will take his attitude into consideration when we discuss repayment."

Dr. Parr rolled his eyes and looked at Doc before saying, "I need to scrub." Without waiting for a response he walked out of the room, shouting angrily to his colleagues to find out where they were.

"Again, I apologize for my cousin," said Savannah, rubbing the back of her neck as she glanced around the room. "In his defense he is a brilliant surgeon...and I wish I could say he didn't usually act this way, but unfortunately he's like this all the time. My Pack is used to it, and we ignore it...we tell ourselves he's just been in a very bad mood his entire life." As Savannah began to laugh the tension disappeared from the room and they began to relax. 

Doc Sullivan came in the room and said quietly, "It's time to move Maria to the operating room now." Annie, Rose, Frank and Joe leaned down and kissed her and then moved back to give Alberto some privacy. 

Alberto scented her neck deeply and once he calmed down he leaned back to look deep into her emerald eyes which were fluttering open and closed as she struggled to stay awake. His hand gently tucked stray strands of hair into her surgical cap before moving down to caress her cheek as he whispered, "I love you, Gattina." 

"You should, I'm fabulous," she whispered as she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Hearing Maria's response to Alberto's declaration, the four elder Carlucci's started laughing quietly while Victor and Sal rolled their eyes. 

As Doc and one of Dr. Parr's assistants rolled the stretcher out of the room, he stopped and looked at the Carlucci's and Alberto before saying, "I'll make sure she's well taken care of."

"Thank you, Doc," said Annie softly as she clung to Joe's arm who continued to stare at his little girl. He stepped out into the hall and watched as they brought her into the surgical suite and terror gripped his heart.

"They're taking her into surgery now," Frank said to the youngsters. "I'm still not sure how long the surgery is going to be. Could you come pick up Victor and Sal? They don't need to be sitting here."

"Okay Dad, Dom is on his way," said Vin as his twin grabbed his keys and hurried out the door. "We're gonna start supper; let us know if you hear anything."

Ric, Rocco and Luc watched as the youngsters finished cleaning the kitchen before Sophia looked at the list on the fridge. Within minutes Vin and Lorenzo were cutting bite size cubes out of several large pieces of venison, while the other youngsters started cleaning, peeling and chopping carrots, celery, potatoes and onions. As Vin and Lorenzo cut the meat, Marcus dusted them in flour and assorted spices before sautéing them and adding them to the vegetables in the two x-large crock pots.

"It says vanilla cake with strawberries and ice cream for dessert, right?" asked Enzo. He saw Sophia nod and got the Kitchen Aid mixer out of the closet as Michael came over with four boxes of cake mix and two large sheet pans. Within thirty minutes the cakes were in the oven, the stew was in the crock pots and the strawberries were cleaned and soaking in syrup. 

"Damn, these youngsters can cook," said Ric with a smile on his face which quickly changed to one of concern as he saw the look on Damian's face as he was staring out the back windows. "What's up Damian?" 

Damian sighed and shook his head as he said quietly, "It's my fault my baby sister is in the hospital getting operated on. I was supposed to protect her and I failed."

Vin came to stand next to him and said, "Let me ask you a question...If Maria had been running in her wolf form and fell into that dry well, what do you think would have happened to her?"

"She could've been seriously hurt, maybe even killed," said Lorenzo as he stood on the other side of Damian. "We've talked this over before; no one blames you for Maria getting hurt. What you did to save her and Toni was amazing; you took the full brunt of the fall, protected their heads, put Toni on your chest and held tightly to Maria so she landed on you. What more could you have done?" 

Damian glanced at Vin then Lorenzo and they saw the gleam of unshed tears as he whispered hoarsely, "But she's my baby sister, I should've done more."

Lorenzo shook his head and said, "It was only bad luck that you were in the front with Maria and Toni, any of us could have gone down that well with disastrous results. What would have happened if Michael had fallen down there with Cal and Brady? They're only six and Michael isn't as strong as you."

"Hey, I may not be as strong, but I am smarter," said Michael good naturedly as his family started to laugh. "Damian's the only one I know of who had to retake his Italian language placement test, and that's pretty bad since he's been speaking Italian since he could talk."

A reluctant smile crossed Damian's face as he said, "I still say my answers weren't wrong, they weren't prepared for my creativity."

Vin started to laugh and said, "When they asked him to translate the line I dolci è meglio mangiare e gustare il sapore (Desserts are better left to eat last and savor the flavor) do you know what this idiot wrote?"

"'Leave the gun. Take the cannoli'," shouted the Clan as they started to laugh.

"Oh, this one was better," said Lorenzo as he continued to laugh. "La famiglia è composta da molte persone che hanno un solo obiettivo che è quello di amare e onorare l'altro. (A family is comprised of many people who have but one objective which is to love and honor each other)."

"This dumb ass wrote, 'Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.' Alpha Carlo was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe, but he still made him retake the test," said Gianni as he held on to the chair because he was laughing so hard. 

Ric, Rocco and Luc were laughing and Ric said, "They made you take the test again? I can't believe that."

"I know, I mean the answers weren't textbook, but the sentiment was there," said Damian with a smirk as he looked at Ric and then he smiled at Rocco. "So, when are we gonna have a men's night out, you know go to a couple of clubs and stuff?"




South Mountain Pack Ch. 12



"Uhmm...maybe when you're finally a man," said Rocco with a straight face as the Clan burst out laughing.

"Oh my dear cousin, I could show you things that Dad and Uncle Frank have no idea about, things that would make your hair turn as gray as your brothers," said Damian with a wicked smile.

Ric started to smile as he said, "You scare me Damian, you really do scare me. You remind me of one of those people they profile on that show 'Criminal Minds'. "

"I'll take that as a compliment," Damian said with an evil smile. "How about we go downstairs and play poker while we wait?" At his suggestion everyone smiled and headed downstairs after checking one last time to make sure the house was secure.

***** 

Dante had piles of historical books on the table in front of him in the Archive room but he couldn't find what he was looking for, everything South Mountain Pack had dealt with North American Pack life and culture as well as basic Were history. He did find several ancient texts that dealt with the formation and history of Rossi Pack, but they were of no help. Frustrated he ran his hands through his hair and getting his cell phone out he dialed the Archivist at Rossi Pack. 

"Nick, I want you to send everyone out of the library and lock the door now," Dante said briskly. "I will wait until this is done before we continue this conversation."

"Yes Alpha," said Nick without hesitation. Dante heard several people in the background muttering their displeasure until Nick told them their Alpha had ordered them to leave. Minutes later Nick was back on the line and said, "The library is cleared Dante, and I took the precaution of moving into my office and swept it for bugs. What do you need me to do?"

"I want you to find all the information you can find out about the lost line of Moray," said Dante quietly.

"The Guardian line of Moray? Are you serious?" asked Nick in an incredulous tone. "They disappeared around seven hundred years ago, and there have been hundreds if not thousands of people looking for them ever since. Their believers fall into two categories, the first - for them to be found to lay claim to their rightful place as rulers of their land and the second - for them to be found so they can be killed so they won't lay their claim as rightful rulers of their land. Dante, anybody remotely linked to the line could be in grave peril."

Dante exhaled loudly and said, "I know what is at stake here and this has to be done in absolute secrecy Nick, no one must know you are doing this not even your mate. Let me know what you find, call me anytime." After he hung up, he went to the kitchen intending to get a beer and return to the Archive room, but after glancing out the back windows and seeing the beautiful mountain engulfed in fall colors he changed his mind. He sat staring out the window, slowly sipping his beer thinking, 'If I am right, they are in even greater danger then we originally feared.'

*****

They were in the staff break room and Rose and Annie sat holding hands as they listened to the repayment discussion which had been going on for at least thirty minutes. Carlo had offered to repay the fuel and other costs for the helicopter and for the time and skill of the surgical team, but everything Carlo offered Savannah shook her head no to. 

"I can't believe I'm sitting here discussing this when my baby is getting operated on," Joe said angrily. "Savannah, just tell us what you want, I don't have the patience to sit here and bargain with you right now."

Savannah sat back and stared at Joe and Frank and said, "I want the two of you to come to my Pack and help train us."

Silence ensued after her announcement and Carlo leaned forward and put his forearms on the table and said quietly, "May I ask why?"

"Can we talk freely here?" Savannah asked before looking around the room. Frank got up and before shutting the door looked to Alpha Parr for her permission since her bodyguards were stationed outside, she nodded her head. 

"Let me start off by reminding you that we have been sworn allies for over a hundred forty years. When those bastards came for your females, we were the first to come to your aid and fought alongside you when we found where they were being held," Savannah said as she sat up straight. "We continued to fight alongside your Pack until justice was handed down and those bastards executed."

"Your help was invaluable during that dark time," Carlo stated as he stared Savannah in the eye, Alpha to Alpha. "And may I remind you that when your Pack arrived from Georgia during the Reconstruction Period, we sheltered you and helped you establish your territory. Our history together is long and I hope we can continue being allies as well as friends in the future." 

"That goes without saying Carlo. The treaty our great-great-great grandfathers signed carries more weight with me, then anything the Alpha Council has established," said Savannah in a steely voice that she used with great skill as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the state. "I was going to tell you when our schools played their football game next week, which would have allowed me time to gather information, but since I'm here I'll tell you what I do know."

"Go on," said Carlo as he sat back and crossed his arms across his broad chest with Frank and Joe unconsciously mimicking his posture as they studied the female Alpha sitting before them. Even though they had known her all their lives and had become good friends at U of MD, when she was a freshman and they were seniors, they could see the difference in her since she became Alpha. She was more commanding in her demeanor and exuded a quiet confidence but the look in her eyes definitely said, 'Don't fuck with me'. 

"I received a call from Charles Davis last week," upon her announcement, Carlo, Frank and Joe sat up straight. "I thought it strange for him to be calling me, I've never said more then 'hello' to the man, but nevertheless I took the call...and I'm glad I did." Savannah took a long sip of her soda and waited for Carlo, Frank or Joe to say something, but they sat quietly.

"He said a new family was coming into your Pack and asked if I could keep an eye on them because one of the girls was his son's mate. I thought that was extremely strange for a couple of reasons," Savannah took another sip of her soda before continuing. "As far as I knew, Charles had no youngsters and was unmated; no male would let his mate move to another Pack; and finally, why ask me? Why not ask you for updates and if the female was his sons mate, wouldn't they be in contact with each other?" 

Carlo hesitated, choosing his words carefully before he spoke, "As far as we know, none of the females are mates of anybody from Davis Pack. In fact the two oldest, have found their mates with Vincent and Dominic, Frank's oldest boys." 

"Congratulations to you and your boys," said Savannah with a smile before turning serious again. "Our conversation lasted less then five minutes, but it was what he said at the end that got my attention. He said if I wasn't willing to do this 'favor' for him, then he would find somebody among his 'followers' who wasn't averse to doing what was needed. I didn't like the implied threat so I told him our Packs weren't closely tied to each other and if I called or came over it would be suspicious. I did tell him if I heard anything unusual, I would call him and I left it at that."

Carlo, Frank and Joe sat back in their chairs and after several minutes Frank said, "You still haven't told us why you want us to train your Pack."

"After I received the email from President Roberts about the raids and thinking back to the conversation I had with Charles, I called a Pack meeting. We discussed what was going on and by unanimous vote agreed to honor the treaty and come to your aid if needed," Savannah stated as she looked at Carlo. "As far as why we need your help, it's simple...we've gotten complacent over the years and our training has suffered, going to the gym and being in shape isn't the same as being trained to fight. If Charles has 'followers' and they are coming here intending to do your Pack harm, we want to be able to fight with the same skill you have and not be a hindrance."

"Thank you for your renewed support and you know we would do the same, old friend," said Carlo quietly. "Do you know if Charles contacted any other Alpha's, we haven't heard from anybody else?"

"I don't know, Carlo," Savannah stated as she shrugged her shoulders. "He didn't say and I didn't ask. Looking back on it now, I probably should have, but all I wanted to do was get off the phone, I didn't like his attitude at all."

Carlo looked at Frank and Joe and they nodded their heads, "We will accept the terms of repayment, obviously Joe will be busy with Maria, but Frank, Carmelo and Vinnie should be able to start the assessments. Let me call you later in the week once we get a schedule worked out." Before Savannah could reply, there was a knock on the door and Frank got up and opened it. "Alpha Parr, let me introduce you to Alberto, Angelo and Gabriella Moretti, Carmelo and Rita's youngsters, Victor who is Joe's youngest son and Sal who is Frank's youngest son." 

Savannah shook their hands and said, "Alberto, I'd like to apologize for my cousins remarks. It's obvious looking at the two of you that you care for your mate."

"Thank you, Alpha Parr," said Alberto as he glanced at Alpha Parr, but not making eye contact, before glancing at his Alpha. "Do you know how much longer it's going to be? Have you heard anything?" 

"Nothing yet," said Carlo, motioning for them to sit down. "Doc, how are things going? Any idea of how much longer it's going to be?" 

"Dr. Parr said maybe another hour and a half," replied Doc. "She's doing well, we've fixed the dislocation and are getting ready to set the titanium plates, the prep work is almost completed. I set up the digital recorder so I could record the operation and Dr. Parr will come back to take the plates off when its time."

Carlo relayed the information and their talk centered on football and general Pack gossip for the next two hours. Gabby leaned forward and said, "I hope I'm not being rude Alpha Parr, but I love the name Savannah."

"Thank you Gabriella, there's a lot of history associated with my name," she replied with a thoughtful expression on her face. "My parents named me Savannah knowing by the law of Primogeniture I would be Alpha. It serves to remind me every day of how far my family has come...from slaves on a sugar cane plantation in Georgia to one of the only Packs with a female Alpha in the country." 

Doc walked into the room and said quietly, "She's in recovery, the surgery went well and you should be able to see her in thirty minutes. We'll keep her overnight and reassess things tomorrow." 

"Joe and I'll stay here with her," said Annie quickly as Joe nodded his head.

"If it's okay with you Mr. C, I'd like to stay too," said Alberto quickly. Joe stared at him with narrowed eyes for several moments before nodding his head reluctantly.

Frank quickly relayed the information to the youngsters and he could feel their relief through the bond. "Annie, Joe and Alberto are going to stay here with her. Sophia, I'm not sure what's in her 'go bag' but she'll need a big baggy t-shirt and some of those legging things, also bring whatever you think she needs to stay overnight."

"Okay Daddy, she'll probably sleep better with something of Alberto's, I'll see what she has," she replied thinking if she was in the hospital, sleeping in Anthony's shirt would definitely make her feel better.

Twenty minutes later, the members of Parr Ridge Pack were ready to leave. Dr. Parr was giving last minute instructions to Doc and said he would call tomorrow to check on her progress. Savannah nodded to Carlo and her bodyguards led the way out back to the helicopter, within minutes they were airborne and on their way home.

Five minutes later, Doc came out and said, "Joe, Annie and Alberto, she's starting to wake up and is asking for her family..." Before he could continue Joe and Alberto were racing down the hall to the recovery room, when they reached the door both tried to get through it at the same time, after pushing and shoving they fell through the door and landed on the floor. Annie calmly entered the room, stepping on both of their backs as she walked to Maria's bedside.

"As I was saying, she's starting to wake up, she's groggy and we'll keep her sedated all night to help with pain management," said Doc from the doorway as he waited for Joe and Alberto to get up. "Dr. Parr says her arm should fully healed in a couple of weeks, and he'll be back to remove the titanium plates."

"Hi, Sweetheart," said Annie softly as she kissed her forehead.

"Momma," Maria whispered groggily before falling asleep again. 

Joe and Alberto rushed to her bedside and asked in unison, "Did she ask for me?" 

"You know there ARE other people in her life besides the two of you," Annie stated as she rolled her eyes. "And to answer your question, she asked for me." 

"Are you sure she didn't ask for me?" Joe asked with a frown.

"Unless you changed your name to Momma, then no, she didn't ask for you," said Annie before muttering with a satisfied grin on her face, "You conceited ass."

Hearing laughter from the doorway, she turned and saw her family enter the room. "How's she doing," asked Lorenzo quietly. 

"Doc says she's doing fine," Annie whispered as she turned to smile at her family. 

Damian came to the other side of the bed and leaned down kissing his baby sister on the forehead. Annie saw the guilt in his eyes and said quietly, "Damian, it's not your fault, you did everything you could to protect her and Toni. It was an accident, plain and simple and I don't want to see you upset about this."

"I know it was an accident Mommy," Damian whispered in full momma's-boy mode. "But I still feel guilty...not enough to stop teasing her and making her life miserable or make me be nice to her, but I still feel guilty."

Annie smiled at him and said, "I wouldn't expect you to stop the teasing or be nice, that just wouldn't be you." She leaned forward and ran her hands through his hair and said, "And I love you the way you are." 

"Good, I think I'm perfect the way I am too," said Damian quietly with a smile.

Joe shook his head as he said, "Your mother never said you were perfect, she said she loved you the way you are."

"It was implied Dad," Damian said as he laughed. "Anyway, we brought Maria's pillow, blankie, Alberto's sweatshirt and some clothes. There's dinner for you, Mom, Alberto, Doc and whoever else is staying tonight in the break room. We made venison stew, homemade biscuits and vanilla cake with strawberries."

"We? I don't remember you doing anything, and the biscuits aren't homemade, we popped a can," said Vin with a laugh. "Though considering you could be the twin for the Pillsbury Doughboy Boy, especially with that fat ass, I guess they could be considered homemade." Hearing everyone in the room start to laugh, Maria stirred restlessly on the bed before settling down again.

"Alright, that's enough everyone," said Doc quietly as he injected some medicine into her IV line. "I want Maria to rest as much as possible to start healing. Sorry."

Frank stepped forward and said quietly, "Why don't the three of you go eat while it's warm, Rose and I'll stay with her and I'll let you know if she wakes up." One by one her family came up and kissed Maria on the forehead before they left. Annie waited until they were gone before she put Maria's pillow under her head, wrapped her in her blankie and curled Alberto's sweatshirt into a ball and placed it near Maria's face so she could scent it. 

"I'll be right back," she whispered to Frank and Rose who nodded their heads as they kept their eyes on their niece. As she walked into the break room, it looked like Joe and Alberto were having a race to see who could shovel the most food in their mouths in the shortest amount of time. "Slow down guys, she's asleep and her Aunt and Uncle are in there watching over her."

Joe got up and got her a bowl of stew and some utensils before sitting back down. "I know, but what if she wakes up and we're not there."

"Doc gave her some more medicine, and she should sleep straight through until morning," Annie said between mouthfuls. "This stew is really good; I can't believe the youngsters made it."

"I heard that Aunt Annie, I can't believe you doubted our culinary skills," said Marcus with a smile as he entered the room. "Wait until you try the vanilla cake, we used a box mix but added vanilla pudding mix and some ricotta, then we soaked the strawberries in simple syrup with a hint of crushed mint. Delizioso." 

"Why are you still here? Everybody else left but the Moretti's," asked Joe as he reached for another biscuit as Alberto got both of them some more stew.

Marcus glanced at Alberto who had started to smile and not wanting to throw Sal under the bus, he decided to try Damian's tactic, "Since Alpha Carlo cancelled the meeting this evening, Paulo went over to the Millers with Vin and Dom to deliver their new computers and update something in the security system."

"That was a good idea, Paulo and Annie were supposed to do it this morning, but helped at The School House instead," said Joe before raising his eyes to stare at his nephew with narrowed eyes. "And you stayed to tell us this?"

"Uhmm, no. I ugh, was waiting, yeah I was waiting to see if you liked the stew," said Marcus as he flushed. "I think I'll go now." He turned around and hurried out of the room to the sounds of his uncles laughter.

Annie started to laugh and said, "Joe that was mean of you, you know Gabby is still here and Sal wanted to stay with her."

"I know, but he doesn't know that I know, so I finally have something on my sneaky sons and nephews," Joe answered with a smile before looking at Alberto. "And if you know what's good for you, you won't say anything." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about Mr. JC, I just want to eat and get back to my intended," said Alberto as he reached for another biscuit.

"You know since you're my daughters intended, it's about time you called me Joe, Dad, or Pop," said Joe with a frown as Annie started to smile. 

Alberto replied with a twinkle in his eyes, "How bout Poppa Joe? It'll be a good name for the little ones to call you."

Joe choked on his stew and Annie whacked him on the back much harder then needed as she smiled. "Don't let him give you a hard time Alberto, I got pregnant the first heat after he graduated," said Annie with a smile. "If it was up to him, we would have had little ones the first heat after mating." 

"You can calm down Poppa Joe; I know Maria wants to go to college so when we have little ones it will be up to her," Alberto stated as he continued to eat while staring at Joe. When he saw Joe start to calm down he finished, "But when she says it's time, whether she's eighteen, twenty-one or twenty-five you can bet you'll be a grandfather before you even know it." Joe's face turned red again and he opened and closed his mouth several times without saying anything.

"Well, I can't wait to become a grandmother, it can't happen soon enough for me," said Annie happily as Joe turned to stare at her like he had never seen her before. "Of course after she comes of age, you'll move into the house like all youngsters do for the first couple of years. We'll have the wedding as soon as you graduate from college, having it before then would raise too many eyebrows in the human world." She nodded her head agreeing with herself and then said excitedly, "Ooh, Joe on weekends you can start work on converting the attic into a little apartment for them, I can see it now...a kitchenette, a living room, a couple of bedrooms all decorated in warm soft earth tones. Oh...and the nursery...the nursery we could decorate it in the Berenstain Bears, I've always liked them. Oh, I'm so excited, I can't wait, and we've got a lot of planning to do...I've got to call Rita and we can get started picking..." 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 12



"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Joe interrupted his mate and seeing her glare at him he sighed loudly. "Okay," he said begrudgingly, "We'll build them a little apartment, but not until she is older Annie, much older like a month before her eighteenth birthday. I can't take too much more, she only turned fifteen a month ago and you're picking out curtains. I can't handle this, I'm only thinking as far as getting through tonight without tearing something apart if I see my little girl in pain."

Annie leaned over and patted her mates hand and said, "I know, your poor little brain can only handle so much." Alberto started to choke and Joe leaned forward and whacked him really hard on the back and leaned back with a smile on his face. "Are we done? Rose said to leave the dishes and they'd clean up." She got up and made her way to Maria's room sensing Joe following her.

"She hasn't moved much," Rose said quietly as Joe and Annie walked to Maria's bedside. "Doc was just here and said her vitals looked good."

Annie smoothed the hair back from Maria's forehead as she whispered, "Daddy and I are back sweetheart. We're going to stay here with you all night and so is Alberto and we want you to sleep sweetheart so you can get better."

Moments later Alberto came into the room and Frank and Rose moved out of the way so he could stand on Maria's other side. He leaned in and scented her neck and said quietly, "I said bye to my folks, Dad's gonna deliver some pizzas to Mr. C's house later this evening."

"Speaking of which, we'd better get home," said Rose with a grimace. "The youngsters have been left unsupervised long enough, and I don't consider Ric, Rocco or Luc proper supervision. Damian is probably planning who knows what and the youngsters will go right along with it, especially since Vincent and Dominic aren't there. I already let them know they'll be staying with us tonight, it'll be easier since I have to cook breakfast anyway." 

After kissing Maria goodbye, Frank turned to Joe hugging him tightly and said, "Baby brother, let us know if you need anything, no matter what time it is I'll be here for you." 

Joe nodded his head, "Thank you big brother, I don't know what I'd do without you. Knowing you're taking care of my boys lets me concentrate on my little girl."

"Do you remember the vow you made to me the day Vincent and Dominic were born? 'I'll protect them like they were my own, until I draw my last breath'," said Frank as he stared into his brothers eyes. "And we renewed that vow every time one of us was blessed with little ones, in eighteen years nothing has changed brother, your family is mine, and my family is yours. We protect them like they were our own." Joe nodded his head and took a deep breath before moving back to Maria's bedside.

Frank was quiet the first couple of minutes on the drive back to their house and Rose feeling his anxiety said quietly, "What's the matter?"

Frank looked at his mate and grabbed her hand, "I'm sorry my love, my mind was going over everything with Maria and the Pack. I should be concentrating on you, its not often we're alone."

Rose giggled and said, "Did you read the newspaper yesterday? Longmeadow drive-in is closing for the season the end of September and I was thinking we could go."

"We went there a lot when we were dating, but I don't remember seeing the movies," said Frank with a smirk. He glanced at his mate and tried to hide his smile as he said, "If I remember correctly, as soon as the previews came on, you would jump me and I spent the rest of the movie fending you off." 

"Francesco Carlucci, I can't believe you said that," Rose swatted him on the arm and said in a huff. "One time, one time I pounce on you and you act like I was some deranged nympho trying to steal your virginity."

Frank growled low in his throat, "I loved when you would jump me." He glanced over at his mate and growled again before saying, "I have no idea how I waited all those months to claim you, especially when you would deliberately tease me. You drove my wolf and I crazy with how much you made us want you and twenty-three years later you still make us crazy." 

"We were allowed more freedom back then, we could go on double dates and our parents considered that enough protection. If they knew what we were doing, they would never have allowed us out of the house," Rose smiled at she looked at her mate with a twinkle in her eye. She got quiet for a moment before she said, "Sometimes I think we're too restrictive on the girls, and I think in our need to protect them, we're actually hurting them."

Frank looked at her and shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was a different time, things changed after Alpha Roberts daughter was murdered and when his son took over as Alpha Council President he changed the laws. If those laws had been in place to begin with, his sister might be alive, but then again she was killed by the Second in Command's son, who was supposed to protect her." He got quiet for several moments and said, "When it comes to our daughters Rose, a father can't ever be too protective." 

"And a mother will do everything within her power to protect her youngsters," Rose responded quietly as Frank pulled in front of the garage. He watched her closely as she crossed the driveway to enter the mudroom. As much as he wanted to know what was going on, he knew she would tell him when she was ready.

*****

Thirty minutes after he arrived at the Millers, Paulo finished installing the computers in Todd and Papa Mike's office. Vin and Dom were in the kitchen talking to the Millers about Maria and spending time with their intendeds and he could hear their laughter from down the hallway. Sitting back in the leather chair, he rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath before calling everyone in so he could get their retinal scans added to the database. As soon as they came in the office, he showed them how to use the retinal scanner, which was by a series of right and left clicks of the mouse and within minutes they were done with the scans. "Give me a sec, I'm almost done," he said as his fingers flew over the keyboard opening and closing screens faster then anyone could see or understand what was going on. 

"Okay, now for the website, after you do the scan, you need to log on with the password set up for your name," said Paulo as he laid a piece of paper on the desk. "Once you log in, you'll need to change the password so only you know it." The Millers nodded their heads as Paulo continued to explain, "Make the passwords something easy for you to remember but something that isn't obvious. We generally use our twins/mates favorite food, color, school subject or something like that. If you mess up and enter the wrong password, you have one chance to re-enter the right password, if you try again you'll be locked out and only I or Alpha Carlo can get you back in. Understand?" The Millers nodded their heads and within twenty minutes the family had logged in and changed their passwords as Paulo instructed.

"Now here is where the security takes place and I need you to listen carefully," said Paulo as the Millers stared at him. "If somebody forces you to log onto the website put '01' after your password, as an example if your password is 'Cheese', you would put 'Cheese01'. This sends an alert to Alpha Carlo, Uncle Frank, Dad and me that you're logging on under duress, and you won't be able to log on the first attempt, so when you re-enter it the second time, simply use 'Cheese'. The site that'll come up is fake, but it'll allow us time to take counter measures."

A smile spread across Todd's face as he said, "Is there anything you guys don't think about when it comes to security?"

Paulo shrugged his shoulders and said, "Dad and Uncle Frank try to keep up as much as possible, and I handle all the electronics, speaking of which...I have laptops for each girl and new cell phones for the whole family." Vin nodded his head and he and Dom went to the truck and brought in two boxes and Dom handed the laptops to the correct girl as Vin handed out the cell phones according to the names on the boxes. "They'll need laptops for school and they've already been loaded with the programs they'll need. The cell phones have been programmed with all the emergency numbers, a number for every family in the Pack, and of course your home phone and each others numbers. I set up a Wi-fi so you can access the internet from anywhere in the house, it's set on a scrambler so nobody can access it."

As the Millers looked at their new cell phones Paulo said quietly, "Mr. M, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to have your old phones after you transfer what numbers aren't already programmed. I want to see if there are any tracking devices in there."

"Dad and I were the only ones that had phones," answered Todd. "I have some work contacts in there, it shouldn't take me but a minute and the same goes for Dad." Papa Mike hurriedly got his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through and wrote down several numbers and handed it to Paulo and Todd did the same.

"Now here is something new and I'd like to try it out," said Paulo excitedly. "I added a feature to the phones, if you hit 'star000pound' it'll link into your security system and lock down your house. After we try it out and makes sure it works, I'll link an alarm so Alpha Carlo, Uncle Frank, Dad and I'll get an alert that your security system was emergency activated. So it's only to be used in an emergency situation, okay?" The Millers nodded their heads and Paulo smiled, "Try it."

Maeve raised her hand and asked quietly, "Daddy, can I do it? I've never used a cell phone before." 

"Sure cupcake," answered Todd with a smile. Maeve smiled widely and hit the appropriate buttons and they watched the security monitors as the house was quietly locked down. 

Holly looked up and asked Paulo, "When would we need something like this?"

"If somebody got into your house and you couldn't activate the system the normal way, if you didn't have time to activate the system while you're running to the safe room. There could be any number of reasons," Paulo said as he shrugged his shoulders. "The most important thing to always remember is to get to safety first."

Todd nodded his head and said, "How much do I owe you for all of this?"

"The computer equipment and phones were paid for by SMI, you're responsible for the phone plan, and I signed you up for Verizon, it's got the best coverage," said Paulo with a smile. "Oh and last thing, if people try and retrace any emails or websites you were on to get your IP address, I'll get an alert and it'll send them on a trip around the world."

"Daddy, can we go in the family room with our laptops?" asked Fiona as her sisters glanced at their Dad waiting on his answer.

Todd nodded his head and said, "Yes, but I think you should thank Paulo first." The girls giggled and a chorus of "Thank you's" rang out as Paulo started to blush. "How much more do you have to do?" asked Todd as he watched his daughters, Vin and Dom run out of the room.

"Since the emergency activation works, I need to upload the link to the system, and I need to install a computer in the family room for Mrs. M and Nana Ellen," said Paulo as his fingers were flying over the keyboard. "So about twenty thirty minutes I should be done." He looked up and seeing the girls, Vin and Dom had left the room he said quietly, "I installed a tracker on each laptop so you can monitor what websites they're going to and their activity online. Only you have control of it, and I'll show you how to access it." Todd moved over to the desk and Paulo showed him where the program was located and in real time he could see what the girls were doing. "The program allows you to see who they're sending emails to and who they receive them from, but it doesn't allow you to see the contents."

"How did you learn how to do all of this," asked Holly as she sat on the sofa.

"I've been playing with computers since I was a toddler. It's something natural for me; I read programs like other people read books. I like to take machines apart, figure out how they work and figure out a way to make them work better," said Paulo with a shrug. "Okay, the link to the alarm for the security system is up and running, now onto the computer in the family room." He picked up the box near the desk and followed Papa Mike into the family room and started putting the system together. Fifteen minutes later, he was done and helping the younger Miller girls with their new laptops while Vin and Dom concentrated on their intended mates.

"Boys would you like something to eat?" asked Nana Ellen with a smile. "We have leftover pork loin, mashed potatoes, and green beans. For dessert we have blueberry lemon pound cake and ice cream." Twenty minutes later, the leftovers were gone and the boys were finishing the rest of the pound cake.

Todd was laughing as he said, "Your Dads were right, you boys eat a huge amount of food. The grocery bills to feed all of you must be huge." 

"Mr. M, we've already eaten dinner, that was a snack," answered Dom with a smile. "I have no idea about the grocery bill, but we do go deer hunting every year. Even mom, Aunt Annie, Sophia and Maria bag deer, so we eat a lot of venison." 

"A snack? That was about five pounds of meat and about five pounds of mashed potatoes," said Todd with a laugh. "If the two of you are going to be eating dinner with us we'd better cook more food."

Vin laughed and said, "Whatever you normally cook for your family, double it."

"Daddy, can we play a game before the boys have to leave?" asked Brianna as she smiled at Vin.

Todd glanced at the clock before saying, "Sure, clear the table first." The girls, Vin, Dom and Paulo cleared the table while Maeve got a deck of Uno cards out of the closet. For the next hour they played and the adults smiled while they watched TV in the family room as they listened to the youngsters laugh and holler at each other. 

Papa Mike glanced at the clock and said, "I figured Matt and Phil would stop by tonight, have you heard from them?"

"I did, they're having a date night. Since the meeting was cancelled, Matt wanted to surprise Phil and take him out to dinner and a movie," said Nana Ellen with a laugh. 

Todd started to laugh and said, "Holly and I could've gone out with them, we could use a date night too." Holly smiled at her mate and glanced in the kitchen to check on the youngsters who had suddenly gotten quiet.

"Uncle Matt didn't want you to know Daddy," said Maeve with a giggle. "He said he didn't need a chaperone to block his action." Everyone burst out laughing and Maeve started to blush as she said, "Well, that's what he said...whatever that means."

"It means they're gonna kiss," whispered Fiona as she started to blush which caused everybody to laugh again.

The adults turned their attention back to the TV and Vin said quietly, "Erin, as your brother, I gotta ask, what's going on with you and Lorenzo?"

Erin froze and Brianna said, "You can't tell him Lorenzo is your mate, remember the boys don't know we can tell who our mates are before they do."

"Uhmm, I don't know Vin," said Erin as she blushed. "I think he's kinda cute but he's really irritating sometimes."

"I'll give you some advice," Dom said as he stared at her. "My cousin is the most stubborn person I know and if he gets something in his mind it's almost impossible to change it. Right now he says he doesn't like you..." Seeing her eyes start to tear up, he leaned forward and held her hand and said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you and I hate being blunt like that, but it's the truth. The best advice I can give you is to ignore him. Don't talk to him or pay attention to him, unless it's necessary like when we do training or something." 

Erin felt her heart break a little as she whispered with a catch in her voice, "He really said he didn't like me?" Feeling her twins pain, Caitlin put her arms around her and hugged her, not knowing what to say. 

Vin took a deep breath and nodded his head, "I'm sorry, but yeah he did. Give him some time like Dom said to get over whatever is bothering him." 

"Now let me add this, when Sophia and Maria told him you and Caitlin were going on a date with Patrick and Bob, he got so mad he bent his fork in half and wanted to know which one of those bastards was taking you out, his words not mine," said Dom with a shrug. "I think he likes you, but he's too stubborn to admit it."

"And you think I should ignore him?" asked Erin with a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, we do," said Vin with a smile. "When you have to talk to him, be polite. I'm not saying you have to be super nice to him, just don't antagonize him and when you're ignoring him, don't do it in a bitchy way. It'll drive him crazy."

Paulo started to smile and added, "What Vin and Dom didn't tell you was Lorenzo is also one of the bossiest people we know and he likes to tell people what to do and gets mad when they don't listen. If you watch him and Damian together it's really comical because Damian deliberately gets him upset and then will say or do something to make Lorenzo laugh. They function by being dysfunctional." He looked at the clock and said, "Guys, we got to get going, I've got work to do for Alpha Carlo." Vin and Dom nodded their heads and the three boys went into the family room and said goodbye to the Miller parents and grandparents.

"I'll walk you out," said Todd as he looked at Brianna and Morgan who both blushed as they glanced at their intendeds. When they got onto the porch, Todd looked at Paulo and winked as he said, "I got a question to ask you about the truck." Paulo looked at him questioningly until Todd motioned with his head towards the two couples who were standing quietly near the porch steps.

As Paulo and Todd walked to the truck, Vin and Dom moved their intendeds to the top step and the boys took a step down so they were almost eye to eye. Vin leaned in scenting Brianna's neck and she started to giggle before running her hands through his hair. Dom stared into Morgan's eye and whispered, "Zenzero, I'm going to lean against the railing and I want you to scent me and do what you feel comfortable with, like running your hands through my hair or rubbing my arms. I won't touch you until you tell me to, okay?" Morgan's eyes were wide as she nodded before leaning in and starting to scent his neck slowly like he had taught her. When she started to rub her hands up and down his arms, Dom could barely hold back his moan and his urge to wrap her in his arms; instead he gripped the wood railing so tight he could hear the wood creaking.

"What did you want to know Mr. M?" asked Paulo as they reached Vin's truck. 

Todd started to laugh and said, "It was an excuse to give them a little alone time. I can still see them, but at least they have some privacy."

Paulo glanced towards the porch and started to laugh as he said, "You might want to tell the rest of the girls then." 

When Todd looked to where Paulo was pointing he started to laugh and said loudly, "You guys have an audience." As Vin, Brianna, Dom and Morgan turned to the dining room windows they saw the rest of the Miller girls smiling at them. When Vin and Dom started to laugh, Maeve and Fiona made kissy faces before Holly came to the window and made them leave. 

"Daddddyyyy," Brianna and Morgan cried out which made Todd laugh louder.

"It's okay, we have to leave," said Dom quietly. "Is it okay if I scent you before we leave?"

Morgan answered in a voice so quiet Dom barely heard her, "But I wasn't done yet, I wanted to scent you some more, it makes me feel all good inside."

Hearing what his intended said, Dom started to groan and tilted his head so she could scent him. Knowing she had an audience Morgan was hesitant but inhaled deeply several times before moving back and whispering, "Okay, it's your turn." 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 13



I would like to thank pixietammy71, allie, and hcsd1719 for their help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

The complete list of Pack members is on the blog, but if anyone would like an excel spreadsheet of the 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 





Carlo picked the newspaper off the counter and after removing it from the protective plastic sleeve he glanced at it and muttered, "Fuck." He threw the newspaper to Dante who started to laugh as he read the banner headline, "Italian Billionaire lands in Hagerstown." The front page was filled with articles about Dante, his personal life, his businesses, what he could possibly be doing in Washington County and there were several pictures of him and then one of him and Carlo together. 

"It's a good thing I notified the Council you were coming. If I wouldn't have told them, it would've looked like I was trying to hide it," said Carlo with a shrug as the phone rang.

"Rossi residence," Gina answered as she poured a cup of coffee. "Yes, he is, May I ask who's calling?....Certainly Governor Branch, hold on a minute please."

"Russell, how are you doing?...Yes, he arrived Monday....No, he picked up a new Gulfstream and decided to pay a visit...Yes, very last minute...Cocktail party to welcome him?...Oh, I'm sure he would love that...I'll have my PA Marco arrange it for Thursday at 8...Yes, in Hagerstown...He'll let your Chief of Staff know the details...Yes, we'll arrange for local businesses to do the catering to highlight local products...I'm sure Senator Martin will be available...Good to talk to you too, see you Thursday..." Carlo hung up the phone and almost immediately it rang again, he sighed and said, "The madness has begun." 

For the next hour the phones rang non-stop, both house lines in addition to Carlo's cell phone often ringing at once. Newspapers both local and national, prominent business people across the state, and local, county, state and federal government officials called. Finally, Carlo had enough and sent a message to Clay Martin, "Clay, I need you to host a reception for Dante on Thursday at 8PM, send out a press release so they'll call your office and stop calling me. We've been on the phone for the last hour talking to every fucking government official that even thinks they're important. Have your Chief of Staff contact Marco and Gina to coordinate a guest list; you know who needs to be invited so there aren't any hard feelings. I want Pack businesses to cater the event, and make sure the bills come to me. Hold on a sec, Dante wants something..." 

"Long John Silvers, I want them to cater some of the food," said Dante with a grin. He got his wallet out of his pocket and searched for a business card and handed it to Gina with a smile.

"For the love of....fine, we'll get them to cater," said Carlo with a grimace as Gina was laughing. "Oh, and use this opportunity to your advantage as much as you can, since your re-election is next year. I want you to include people that are going to be beneficial to your campaign, also invite some people that normally get overlooked and will be thrilled to be invited but keep the guest list to around 600."

"Yes, Alpha and thank you," said Clay. "I'll have my Chief of Staff start a guest list immediately and he'll contact Marco and Gina at The Manor House in an hour, is that okay?" Carlo asked Gina and she looked at her schedule planner and the clock and nodded her head as she contacted the Millers and told them to meet her at 1PM at Rossi's Grocery.

"Mom, where are my Timberlands?" Anthony hollered from upstairs.

"And that's my cue to bring me back to reality," muttered Gina setting her coffee cup down on the counter.

"Before you go and help our son, remember President Roberts is coming Thursday for the official reception from the Alpha Council. Schedule that reception at 6 at the same venue but in a different room. There should only be around fifty of us there, so we can use one of the larger conference rooms," said Carlo absentmindedly. "What am I telling you this for? You know what to do; you always know what to do."

"A reception for the Alpha Council, plus a reception for 600 people with a day and a half notice...sure Carlo no problem at all," Gina said as she rolled her eyes and then a sly smile crossed her face. "After I'm done with all this, I'll give Vinnie a call and order that new SUV you promised me." 

Dante started laughing and asked, "That is not quite fair, you get an SUV and he gets a helicopter?"

Seeing the look on Gina's face, Carlo grinned and said, "Shit, I forgot to tell you I was buying a helicopter." 

Gina walked out of the kitchen muttering, "I swear they don't grow up, their toys just get more expensive." Carlo and Dante looked at each other and burst out laughing.

*****

The sky was overcast and dark grey clouds hung low over the mountain as Rose looked out the back windows of the kitchen as she cleaned some of the dishes from breakfast. The Clan was getting ready to sit at the table after loading their plates and Rose said in a loud voice to be heard over their conversation, "It's supposed to rain, make sure you bring your jackets, and when you come home you'd better not track mud in my house." 

Michael started to laugh and said, "Aunt Rose we learned our lesson five years ago when you made us scrub the floors and we haven't done it since." 

"Mom's good at giving lessons that involve us doing housework," grumbled Vin.

"I heard that Vincent," said Rose as she smiled. "Madame Gina sent a message that we're not going to the safe room today and we're going Friday instead. We have enough food in the fridge that I don't have to worry about cooking this evening, so I'll be in the office after I stop in at the clinic to see Maria."

"Have you heard from Mom and Dad about how Maria is doing?" asked Lorenzo as everyone stopped eating to look at Rose. "We didn't want to bother them; we weren't sure how much sleep they got last night."

"I talked to your Mom, Maria slept through the night, Doc's been in to see her and her vitals look good so he's going to cut back the medicine around noon so she can wake up," Rose said with a sigh of relief. "Depending on how she responds she could be released later today. They'll bring her here so Annie can concentrate on taking care of her while the rest of you also get taken care of. So after practice, you have to go to your house and get what you need to stay here a couple of days."

Sophia looked at her mom with a frown and said, "Momma, who's going to take me to training if the boys have football practice?"

"I will," said Frank as he walked into the room, followed by Ric, Rocco and Luc. All four of them were dressed in shorts and t-shirts and their hair was wet from their recent shower in the pool house.

"You trying to get rid of that spare tire before you get back to Italy?" Damian asked with a smile. "It looks like your thighs are kinda jiggly too; maybe we can look on EBay and get you a Thigh Master." The Clan put their heads down as they dissolved into laughter at the look on Ric's face.

Ric glared at the youngsters and said, "Frank, I swear to Luna I'm going to kill a couple of them before I go back to Italy, starting with Damian."

"You're welcome to try, but don't come crying to me when they whip your ass," Frank responded with a laugh. "All of them are excellent fighters, with their own individual strengths but Damian also adds sneakiness to it and brings it to a whole new level."

"Thank you Uncle Frank, I've never felt so overjoyed to be called sneaky before," said Damian happily.

Luc looked at the youngsters gathered around the table in their school uniforms and said condescendingly, "They look so cute dressed alike, like the Boobsy twins."

The Clan looked at each other and Dom exhaled slowly before saying, "Luc you're a good looking guy, thank Luna for that because you've got shit for brains. If you're going to insult somebody get it right, it's the Bobbsey Twins."

As everyone broke out in laughter, Luc shrugged his shoulders and said, "At least you've admitted I'm better looking than all of you."

"I never said that," said Dom with a snort. "I said you were a good looking guy, the kind of thing people say to be polite." He hesitated for a split second, glancing at Sophia out of the corner of his eye, "Like when Sophia asks 'Do these pants make my ass look fat?' and we say no even though her ass looks like a billboard."

Sophia gasped loudly as her brothers and cousins started to laugh. "What pants make my ass look like a billboard? Momma we're going to have to get rid of all my pants and buy new ones now."

"Think about it Shortstuff, you're 115 pounds, how big could your ass possibly be?" Vin asked as he continued to laugh. "You must be really tired this morning for Dom to be able to rattle your cage like that."

"I don't expect that from him...from Damian yes...but not from Dom," huffed Sophia as she glared at Dom.

"How did I get dragged into this conversation?" Damian asked as he reached for the pancake syrup. "Have I ever done anything to you Squirt?" 

"Don't pay attention to him Smurfette," said Lorenzo with a smile. "He's jealous that somebody has a fatter ass than him."

Sophia hissed as she stabbed at her pancakes, "I don't have a fat ass and I'm not short, I'm almost 5'5" darnit. That's normal height for a girl; I can't help it if the rest of you are abnormally large."

"Ant calls you Peanut, so we were trying to make you feel better since he isn't here, Short-stack," said Gianni as he grabbed some bacon from Enzo's plate.

"Daddy, tell them to stop with the nicknames," Sophia said with a sigh. "And my nickname has nothing to do with my height you bunch of morons."

"The next one that says anything to her will be washing my truck this weekend," said Frank with a scowl as he looked around the table. 

Rose walked in the kitchen from the mud room and said, "Sophia, I put some old raincoats in the mudroom, I'm not sure if the Miller girls have any or not." Noticing the silence she said, "What?"

"Aunt Rose, you have to wash Uncle Frank's truck this weekend," said Victor as he began to laugh before stopping abruptly at the look on his Uncle Frank's face. 

"That was meant for you guys, not your Aunt Rose," said Frank with a smile as he winked at Rose, who still looked confused but shrugged it off as she made more coffee. "Carmelo'll be with Angelo and Gabby this morning since Alberto's still at the Clinic and some of the fathers will be at The School House, along with a small work crew from Triple C." The youngsters nodded their heads and Frank looked at Sophia as he said, "The women are going to be supervising some of the training sessions today, but we'll still be in the building."

"Okay Daddy," Sophia said with a look of confusion. It wasn't unusual for the women to be involved in their training and she wondered why her Dad told her, but she shrugged her shoulders and finished her pancakes.

Vin looked at the clock and said, "They should be here in ten minutes, finish up everybody and let's get ready."

"Where's the newspaper?" asked Frank as he looked at Rose. 

"Excuse me, 'Mr. Let me Get up and Act like Everything is Normal', but I didn't have time to get it from the end of the driveway," said Rose in a huff. "I had thirteen youngsters to get up and feed, plus I already did two loads of laundry. If you want your newspaper, run to the end of the driveway and get it your damn self."

There was dead silence in the room until muffled sounds of laughter could be heard from the youngsters. Frank eyes raked his mates slim figure as his eyes flashed amber before he said hoarsely, "You know what you do to me when you get all feisty, my love. How 'bout you and I take a run in the woods before I have to leave." He leaned in and whispered, "Take your hat too."

Rose smiled as she pushed up against his chest so she could get creamer out of the fridge, "No...me and my hat are not running in the woods with you this morning, I have too much to do...maybe later if you're a good boy."

"I'M NOT HEARING THIS, I'M NOT HEARING THIS, I'M NOT HEARING THIS," hollered Damian to drown out the sounds of his Aunt and Uncle as he put his hands over his ears. 

"You know how good I can be, my love," Frank replied with a smirk.

"Why, why must you do this to us? Between the two of you and my parents, we're going to be traumatized for life. It's a wonder none of us are in therapy," Damian grumbled as he lowered his hands as the other youngsters looked at each other and started to laugh.

Frank grinned at his nephew and said, "What's the matter? We're showing you a normal, healthy happy relationship."

"I mean seriously... you're parents... you shouldn't be doing that...with each other...it's just not right," Damian replied as he shuddered. 

Frank started to laugh and said, "I'll remind you of that when you're a parent."

Before Damian could reply, Frank said, "Anthony's here." He went to the door letting him in and when Anthony sat down and started to scent Sophia, Damian started complaining again.

"And now I have to watch my best friend practically molest my cousin. Will this morning never end?" he ranted before shoving a whole pancake in his mouth.

"I am not molesting your cousin," Anthony said as he rolled his eyes. "What I am doing is scenting my intended mate and I can tell she was upset earlier." He sat back and glared at the boys around the table. "Who upset her? And why?" Sophia grinned as her brothers and cousins were suddenly interested in their plates and shoveled the food in as fast as they could.

"No idea what you're talking about Ant," said Gianni as he glanced at Sophia.

"Oh look, it's time for us to leave," Vin announced loudly as the rest of the boys got up, putting their plates in the sink before running to the mudroom.

"What did I miss, Arachide?" Anthony whispered in her ear as he grabbed the last piece of bacon off her plate and ate it.

Sophia giggled quietly and whispered back, "Nothing I can't handle. Come on, we're gonna be late." As they walked into the mudroom she glanced out the window and said, "The Moretti's are here." Vin and Dom grabbed the extra raincoats Rose had laid out, the youngsters hollered "See ya," and went out the door laughing as they ran through the light drizzle.

The Millers were already in their vehicles waiting for them, and Vin and Dom hurriedly got out of Gianni's truck grabbing the extra coats and ran into the correct vehicles before the caravan proceeded to The School House.

*****

Rose entered Maria's room with a large basket of food and Annie motioned to Joe and Alberto who were sleeping in recliners at the foot of Maria's bed. Rose nodded her head but before she got halfway across the room, as if sensing another presence in the room and not awake enough to realize it was his sister, Joe jumped up growling as he bared his claws. 

"And a good morning to you too," said Rose with a smile as she walked to Maria's bedside. She smoothed the hair from Maria's forehead and kissed her. "You look tired, why don't you rest since Joe is awake," she murmured to her sister who nodded her head. "Eat something before you lay down, I brought egg and bacon sandwiches, muffins and juice since I figured you'd have coffee here." 

"I smell food," said Alberto groggily as he got up from the recliner and stretched. "How is she? Last thing I remember is talking to Poppa Joe."

"Doc's been in, he's taking her off the meds around noon so she can wake up," said Annie as she yawned. "If everything goes okay, we can take her home this evening."

Joe's attention was riveted on Maria as she grimaced before settling back down. "Is that normal? I don't want her in pain." Seeing Annie nod her head before yawning again, he said, "Finish your sandwich, then get some rest. Alberto and I'll watch over her and we'll wake you if we need you." 

Rose settled Annie on Joe's recliner and before she could cover her with the blanket, she was already fast asleep. "She was up all night," said Joe softly. "I tried getting her to sleep, but she wanted to stay awake in case Maria needed her."

"I've got everything ready to bring Maria to my house when she's discharged," said Rose softly. "Annie'll have enough on her hands taking care of Maria, and this way it'll be easier with meals, laundry and whatnot. I'm going to the office, but I'll stop by later and Rita said she'd bring lunch." Joe nodded as he gave her a hug before he sat down and started to stare at his daughter again.

*****

The School House was full of excited chatter during homeroom as the youngsters looked over their schedules that had been placed on their desks. Vin raised his hand and Mrs. Di Franco asked, "Yes, Vincent?"

"May we use the chalkboard to work out a protection schedule?" She nodded as Vin, Dom and Anthony walked to the chalkboard and made a grid with the girls names along the left and the class periods on the top. "Okay, each girl write your schedule down and what classroom it's in, Sophia you put Maria's up too." Five minutes later, the girls were done and returned to their seats and the boys looked at the schedule talking quietly. They went over each block and wrote down the boys name who was either in the class, or had a class nearby and twenty minutes later, the schedule was worked out to Vin, Dom and Anthony's satisfaction.

"I want you to copy the whole grid," said Anthony as he looked over the group of youngsters. "You have to know where everybody is and who's protecting them, so we don't waste critical time when it's needed. Any questions?" The youngsters shook their heads as they copied the schedule down and when they were finished they talked quietly until the bell signaling first period rang.

"Hey Boss, how's Maria?" asked Joel as he met Frank in the visitor's parking lot, as the first period bell rang in the background. 

"The operation went well, Doc said she may come home today, Joe, Annie and Alberto are still at the Clinic with her," said Frank with a smile. "Thanks for the sandwich trays yesterday, we really appreciated them."

"You're welcome Boss. Glad to hear about Maria, the young ones were worried about her and made 'Get Well' cards," Joel replied with a smile. "Anyway, I brought five men with me, and left Larry in charge at the hospital. I stopped at the office and the supplies you ordered are in my truck. The cameras still haven't arrived but I checked the delivery schedule and they should be here this afternoon."

Frank nodded his head before grabbing a box out of the back of Joel's truck, "Let's start by installing the brackets in the safe room then we'll do the basement door. We're not going to install the brackets on the doors in the public areas until closer to the time needed. We still have to maintain appearances for when the Board of Ed visits; we don't want it to look like we're operating a prison." 

Joel started to laugh and said, "The youngsters may disagree, I know when I went here it felt like prison some days." Frank laughed nodding in agreement and the men unloaded the supplies before walking to the front door where they were met by Aldo who told them the rest of the men were in the cafeteria. The men walked down the hallway and set their boxes down before grabbing a cup of coffee.




South Mountain Pack Ch. 13



"Aldo, I want Ric to go over the security system in the main control room, and Rocco the one in the safe room. Since they're in charge of RI's security division, they may have some insights if we're missing something," Frank said with a frown. Aldo nodded and wrote in his ever present notebook. "The rest of the men from Italy will be in two groups, one to go over the safe room for weaknesses, the other will follow the guards as they do their normal patrols. Aldo, instruct your men to do their normal routines, this is to see what we're missing, not a criticism of them." Aldo nodded his head, he wasn't worried; his men were well trained and knew their jobs. 

Anticipating what Frank wanted, Aldo handed out pens and notebooks, "Write down anything you think we need to work on or update. At the end of the day please hand them in so we can go over the lists and see what needs improved." The men nodded their heads and proceeded to the areas directed by Frank.

Three hours later, the youngsters were in the cafeteria eating lunch and immediately got quiet when the men strolled in led by Carlo and Dante. "Relax, we're here to eat," said Carlo with a smile as the youngsters laughed nervously.

As Frank sat down, he contacted his brother including Carlo, "How's Maria?"

"Same as when you asked an hour ago," said Joe with a laugh. "Doc stopped the medicine and she should be waking up soon. What's going on?"

"Nothing much, I already told you what we were working on," said Frank. "Right now we're having lunch then we're going to start installing the cameras. Why? Do you need anything?"

"No, I was wondering what I was missing. Gina left about five minutes ago, she was on her way to Rossi's to meet the Miller's and she told me about the reception. It depends on how Maria is doing if I'm able to go or how long I'm able to stay. You may have to be there without me to represent Triple C...," said Joe as he hesitated. "And make nice with Clay, since he's the official host of the event." As his statement was met with dead silence from his brother he burst out laughing.

"Ahh, Fuck. Did you have to tell him? I wanted it to be a surprise," said Carlo as he turned his head to look at Frank and he burst out laughing. "You should see his face Joe; it looks like his head is going to explode."

"I can't believe you left that fucking detail out and that I have to be nice to Clay, that arrogant fucking bastard," snapped Frank smashing the cookie he was holding into crumbs as he glared at Carlo. 

"Oh, he's mad now Joe, he's destroying defenseless cookies," Carlo said happily. "And Joe, I'd like you to make an appearance, you don't have to stay the whole night, but there will be a lot of prominent people there and it'll do Triple C good to do the whole meet and mingle."

"I was thinking the same thing. Frank isn't the most pleasant of persons under the best of conditions, and adding Clay to the mix won't be good," Joe admitted. 

"Damnit, I'm fucking pleasant and easy to get along with," Frank thundered while Carlo and Joe started to laugh.

"Come on Sunshine, we've got a lot of work to finish. Joe, we'll talk to you later, let me know how Maria is doing and if you need anything," said Carlo as he got up and brought his tray to the waiting cafeteria worker. Glancing at his watch, he noticed the youngsters still had thirty minutes for break and walked over to the two tables with Anthony, Sophia and the rest of the youngsters. 

"Hey Dad," said Anthony with a smile. 

"We didn't talk earlier, but I expect you to be at the reception for Dante. This is part of your Alpha training; you need to be comfortable in social situations, especially when it involves business leaders, politicians and members of government. Sophia, your father and I talked it over and we feel it would be better for you to not be at the reception due to your age and the amount of press coverage the reception is receiving. There'll be enough speculation when it comes out the two of you are a couple, but we'll try and hold that off as long as possible," said Carlo with a shrug as Frank scowled. Sophia nodded her head, knowing it was being done for her protection, but she didn't like the fact Anthony was going without her. Carlo looked at his son and noting his size said, "After practice tonight, your mom will take you to get a suit, I'm sure you've outgrown the ones you have."

Dante smiled at Anthony and said, "You can have one of my handmade Italian suits Anthony, we are the same size and it should fit you perfectly."

"Thanks Dante, Dad was going to take me to Savile Row to get some custom made suits when I graduated," said Anthony as he got up and hugged Dante.

"Pfft, what do the English know of mens fashions, unless you want to look like Prince Charles? If you want true fashion, you must come to Italy," Dante proclaimed proudly. 

"Says the man who is half English and was educated at Eton and Oxford," Carlo retorted with a smile as Dante glared at him. "And who speaks the Queen's English in an upper crust accent."

Dante whispered in Carlo's ear, "Fuck you Carlo. Is that upper crust enough for you?" Carlo burst our laughing surprising everyone and seeing the other men had finished lunch, he motioned with his head for them to follow him out of the cafeteria.

Anthony glanced at Sophia and noticing her expression he leaned in and whispered, "I'd rather spend time with you, but I have to do this Arachide."

Sophia sighed loudly before saying, "I know, but..."

"Hi Anthony, Daddy told me you would be going to the reception," said Victoria Martin flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she stole a glance at Sophia. "Since no children are allowed, I was wondering if you would be my date." There was complete silence in the cafeteria as the youngsters watched the unfolding drama. Damian leaned back with a smile on his face as he thought, 'Finally, something exciting was going to happen.'

Anthony scowled as he said in a forceful tone, "Victoria, you know I made my declaration for Sophia and it's not right for you to ask me on a date."

"Did she...did she really call me a child?" asked Sophia to no one in particular. 

Damian nodded his head enthusiastically and said, "Yes she did AND she asked your intended mate on a date."

"Damian, you're not helping," whispered Lorenzo as he stared at his cousin.

"I know," Damian replied with a huge grin on his face as he leaned forward eager to hear every word.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders and looked Anthony over before saying, "You're not mated yet Anthony, things could change..."

"Victoria, I told you before I'm not interested in you. I made my declaration and Sophia is my mate, that will never change," Anthony replied in a tone that brooked no arguments.

"I'm going to be a lady and ignore what you said," snapped Sophia standing up and taking several steps forward bringing them face to face. "But listen up you blonde bimbo, Anthony is mine and if you say anything more I'm gonna beat your ass." 

"And if she doesn't, then I will," said Gabby as she came to stand next to Sophia.

"Thanks Gabby, but I don't need any help and that goes for the rest of you too," said Sophia as she stared at her mate, brothers and cousins who looked back but didn't agree with her. Knowing his brothers and cousins would be paying attention to Sophia, Sal kept watch on Gabby.

Damian laughed and said, "Ooh, it's getting good now." Lorenzo turned to stare at him and Damian said, "What? This is way better then pay per view and a whole lot cheaper. Damn...I wish I had some popcorn or chili cheese fries." 

Victoria stepped back and said in a condescending tone, "Face it Sophia, you know I'd be a much better mate for Anthony than you, after all I am a Senator's daughter." She paused and looked Sophia up and down before saying nastily, "If I need to have shelves put in my walk-in closet, I'll call your family."

"Oooh, now you've gone too far," Sophia hissed. "You can say anything about me, but when you put down my family..."

"No, she will not say anything she wants about you," said Anthony in a commanding tone as he stood up making Victoria take a step back. "Apologize to your future Madame Alpha NOW. I will not put up with anybody disrespecting my mate; do I make myself clear Victoria?"

Victoria glared at Sophia before saying through clenched teeth, "I apologize for saying in public that your family is low-class." With that, she spun on her heel and walked back to the table containing her older brothers, the Hammonds and the Mendez's who look mortified. It was obvious her brothers, Clay, Jeff and Greg, were arguing with her through the family bond by the looks on their faces and she turned to glare at Sophia who glared back. 

After what was apparently their final argument, Clay Jr. known as CJ, got up glaring at his sister who crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. He ignored her and walked over to The Clan, "Sophia and Anthony, I'd like to apologize for my sister's behavior, I wish I could say she wasn't her normal self, but we all know she's a spoiled selfish bitch. I let Dad know what she said and how she acted and she's no longer going to the reception." He ran his hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh before continuing, "He also wanted me to tell you how deeply sorry he is and to let you know we are ready for any sanctions you deem appropriate."

Anthony stared at CJ and turned to look at Victoria who continued to pout and he said, "Tell your father to get her under control. It not only looks bad for a Senator's daughter to act the way she does, it reflects badly on my father as Alpha. If your father can't control her, he will."

"Thank you Anthony," said CJ before walking back to his sister and motioning with his head the Martin's got up and followed him out of the cafeteria.

Glancing around the cafeteria and seeing most of the youngsters still staring at their table Anthony said, "The show is over, finish your lunch." 

Sophia glanced at Anthony as she sat down and said quietly, "Why didn't he use the bond to apologize?"

"Public insult, public apology," Vin answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "After Victoria made a spectacle of herself and in turn her family, her family had to offer their apology in the same manner."

"I think you should've let Sophia take her, give her someone other then us to practice her skills on," said Damian with a disappointed look on his face. "Hell, I would've paid to see that...if somebody would have brought me some popcorn, preferably hot buttered with a little Old Bay on it...Damn, I love Old Bay, I wonder if Fred could make me some Old Bay flavored ice cream."

Anthony laughed before saying, "What the hell's the matter with you? You've been antsy for days." He smiled as Sophia pushed her lunch plate in front of him. 

"I'm bored. I haven't been able to practice with the football team, haven't been able to train except for upper body work, wasn't able to go on the Pack run, wasn't able to run drills with everyone and..." he stopped and shrugged his shoulders. "My wolf is restless for some reason."

"Doc said you could start running today, right?" asked Sal reaching onto Gabby's plate and grabbing one of her fries. She swatted his hand away and giggled before giving him her plate to finish. Seeing what Gabby and Sophia had done, Brianna and Morgan passed their plates to their intendeds. Kelly, Aislin and Caitlin looked at Marcus, Gianni and Damian and they nodded their heads before grabbing the girls plates. Lorenzo could feel his agitation rising because Erin didn't offer her plate and thought, 'Fuck it, I didn't want it anyway, but she still should have offered.' 

"Yeah, I figured I'll jog around the sidelines while you all practice," Damian said with a shrug as he ate Caitlin's food. "Tonight after dinner I'll shift into my wolf and go for a run around the backyard."

Erin kept her face averted, determined to follow Vin and Dom's advice to ignore Lorenzo, but she could feel him staring at her and it was making goose bumps rise on her arms. Finally he was paying attention to her, but again it was for the wrong reason as she could feel his anger so without saying anything she pushed her plate across the table towards him and felt him pull it out of her hands. She glanced at him and was surprised to see his eyes light up before he masked the emotion, as she put her head down she felt a triumphant thrill run through her.

The boys nodded their heads and Vin said, "We'll run with you, it may settle your wolf down to run as a Pack." Damian thought about it for a second and nodded his head, ever since they had watched the little ones on Monday, his wolf had been restless and he couldn't figure out why. He glanced at Caitlin and seeing her watching him out of the corner of her eye, he winked at her and started to laugh quietly when she blushed and looked away. 

"Hurry up and finish, the bell will be ringing soon," said Anthony as he gathered his tray and Sophia's and brought them to the waiting cafeteria workers.

*****

Gina was in the cereal aisle with Todd, Holly and Fiona while they watched Maeve walk slowly up and down the aisle picking up boxes of cereal before checking them off her list and putting them in the grocery cart. So far she had thirty boxes of cereal and every flavor of Pop Tarts available.

"Daddy, I wish I would've gone with the others to Uncle Phil's shop," whispered Fiona. "We've been here a half hour and all we've seen is this aisle."

"She's almost done and you know how much this means to her. She may not want to go miniature golfing with you, but she'll do it because you're her sister," Todd whispered back. "Maybe if you helped her, she'd get done faster."

"You know I can hear you," said Maeve in a sing-song voice as she turned to look at her family. "I'm almost done Fi, I just need to get a couple more." She looked at her list, pulled a couple more boxes off the shelf and said, "I'm done."

Gina smiled and said, "You'll need some milk, so we'll go to the dairy aisle last so your milk will stay cold. Let's go to the deli and we'll sample some of the food there, then I'll show you the back of the store."

An hour later, the tour was done and Maeve was happily pushing her cart to the front of the store to check out. Her father went to help unload the cart and Maeve whispered, "Please, let me do this myself. I wanna know what the whole experience feels like to be able to come here, pick out my own cereals and the whole checkout thing, please." Todd stepped back, realizing how much this meant to her. "Do you see what's first on my list Daddy? Apple Jacks, that's the cereal you bought me for my birthday and he took it away and wouldn't let me have it. Maybe when we get home you'll have time for the two of us to sit down and finally share it Daddy."

Todd swallowed the lump in his throat before hugging her tightly and said, "I'll always have time for you Cupcake." He saw the expression on Gina's face and he said, including Holly, "She was eight when it happened, I can't believe she remembered. That's when Charles took over and prohibited us from celebrating birthdays. I thought I could slip a box of cereal in but they caught me and because I broke the rules, I was prevented from seeing them for a month."

"What happened at your old Pack seems to have affected your girls in ways we can't even imagine," Gina turned to look at Maeve who had a huge smile on her face as she was carefully bagging her groceries. "Now is probably not the time, but what happened to Morgan? She's a lot more timid than the rest of the girls." 

Todd glanced at Holly who nodded her head, "She was fourteen, even with all the restrictions that had been put in place she was full of life and wanted to know everything that was going on. During one of the ceremonies, she slipped away from where the youngsters were being held because she thought the older girls had been invited to a party and she was upset she had been excluded." Todd stopped and drew a shaky breath before continuing, "We found her hours later in the woods, rocking back and forth in a fetal position."

"She had seen her older friends being raped," whispered Holly. "She was so traumatized by what she had seen and heard that she was non-responsive for weeks and it took us months to reassure her she would be safe. That's when we started planning our escape; we had talked about it before, but after that we knew we had to get our daughters to safety."

Gina took a deep breath before saying, "I can't even imagine what she went through. Let me talk to Doc, she needs to talk with a counselor but we have to find one that is Pack related, it would probably do all the girls good to talk with a counselor." Todd and Holly nodded their heads knowing their girls needed to talk to a professional, that some of the emotional scars were buried deep.

 

"Miss, your total is $187.64," the cashier said with a smile as she watched Maeve carefully putting her bags in the cart.

"Cupcake, here you go," said Todd handing money to Maeve so she could pay. She carefully handed the money to the cashier and waited for the change before handing it to Todd, clearly pleased her Dad let her pay without having to ask him. 

After they loaded the groceries in their new SUV, Maeve surprised Gina by giving her a hug and said, "Thank you Madame Gina that was the best day ever."

"Your welcome Maeve, I truly enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you a little better," said Gina happily as she hugged her back. "Now, let's go and see the building so your family can hopefully start their bakery."

Ten minutes later they pulled into the back parking lot of their future bakery. Gina unlocked the back door and within minutes Papa Mike, Nana Ellen, Fallon and Shannon came over from Matt and Phil's shop. "Matt's on a delivery and said he'll be here as soon as he can," said Papa Mike. "Phil has to finish one final arrangement and then one of his assistants will watch the store for him."

"Since Joe's at the Clinic and Frank's busy setting the cameras up, he's sending Jerry to assess the building," said Todd as he looked over the first floor kitchen. "Dad, I want you to concentrate on what you need to update the wiring." Papa Mike nodded and headed to the basement to look over the electric panel.

Hearing a truck Todd went to the door to meet Jerry while his family went upstairs. After the men greeted each other, Todd motioned for him to go upstairs, "We need to move the stairs, they're facing the front door and we need to move them so they're in the kitchen, the floors will need to be sanded and stained, we need to pull the wood paneling down and paint and the counter that's already there will need to be removed, we'll buy bakery display cases and have a smaller counter for the register." Jerry was scrubbing furiously in his notebook and nodding his head. 

"What about floor to ceiling display cases behind the counter with a mix of angled and flat shelves? You could even have one refrigerated unit if you need it," Jerry said. "The top half would be for the displays and the bottom half would be cabinets to hold boxes and bags and it'll help to keep the heat out of the front room." Todd nodded his head as they entered the front room were the women were. Everyone watched as Jerry measured each room including ceiling height, checked the floors and walls for level, jumped up and down in several spots, tapped on the walls before going up in the attic and coming down several minutes later. 

Nana Ellen was looking around the room and said, "We can't decide which room should be the baking room, the kitchen and the cooling room."




South Mountain Pack Ch. 13



Jerry cleared his throat and said, "From a construction point of view, this should be the room where the ovens are, it's the smallest. The back room should be the kitchen since the plumbing is already hooked up, it's the largest room and you'd need the space for all the equipment and doing your baking stuff. The middle room could be used for either storage or your cool down room. None of the walls are load bearing, it's a full truss roof, so if you want to move the walls to change the size of the rooms that shouldn't be a problem either."

Todd nodded and said, "That makes sense, anything else?"

"The first floor might need to have the ceiling braced, nothing feels spongy, but the equipment you'll have up here may put too much stress on the floor joists. The floor to ceiling display case we were talking about could be built as load bearing units, but the Bosses would have the final say on that. You'll need a plumber to add extra lines, but that shouldn't be a problem, the water pressure is good," he stopped talking for several minutes as he made more notes. He pointed to the ceiling and said, "We'd put an exhaust fan straight up through the attic to vent out the heat, blow insulation into the walls to prevent the heat from bleeding through the building and also put heat resistant panels around the room. The new stairwell you were talking about, I would recommend a Half Landing Stairwell, seven treads up, a landing then seven more treads. This'll let you have more room in the sales area." He went down to the first floor and everyone followed him, he was quiet as he measured the rooms, wrote more notes and then went on the patio, walking around checking all the boards and the railings. "Everything seems sound out here, just needs power-washing."

"How much is all this going to cost," asked Todd with a raised eyebrow.

Jerry laughed and said, "Nothing for manpower. Supplies will be ordered through Triple C to get the contractor's discount and the Bosses'll give you those numbers. I'm here to make sure the building is structurally sound and I need to check the basement." He went downstairs and they could hear him speaking to Papa Mike.

Todd stared at Holly and his mother and said, "What do you think?" They both nodded their heads and Todd turned to Gina and said, "We'll buy it." 

"Good," said Gina with a big smile. "SMI will hold the mortgage; you'll work out the terms and length of the loan with Antonia Benedetto; her and John handle all the legal work for the Pack."

"Everything looks good in the basement. We'll apply for the permits as soon as the deed is transferred. Concentrate on what equipment you need to buy, don't worry about cabinets, we'll build them onsite to fit around the equipment. The countertops will be custom ordered once everything is set," said Jerry with a smile. "I'll email you the measurements for each room once I get my notes put together so you can start a rough sketch of what you want each room to look like. If you need any help with that, Triple C has an Architect on retainer." He nodded his head and was out the door and on his phone before anybody could say anything.

"Now all we need is a name," said Holly with a laugh.

"Don't forget all the work to get it open," said Papa Mike as he joined them. "Jerry told me it should take a couple of weeks, with Frank, Joe and their boys doing the majority of the work in the evening and weekends."

Gina started to laugh as she said, "Carlo is good at tearing things down, building them not so much and please keep him away from any power tools." 

The Millers started to laugh along with Gina as Matt and Phil walked in the back door and Matt said, "What's so funny?" 

Twenty minutes later, Maeve and her Daddy were on the back patio, laid out on the table in front of them were spoons, bowls, scissors and a carton of milk. "Are you ready Daddy?" Maeve asked with a serious tone.

"Cupcake, I've been waiting five years for this," said Todd matching her tone. She smiled at him before slowly reaching for the box of Apple Jacks and carefully sliding her finger under the cardboard to open the box. She used the scissors to cut the plastic bag on an angle and smiled at her Daddy before pouring cereal into each of their bowls. She carefully folded back the plastic and closed the lid before pouring milk into their bowls and sitting down. 

"You first Cupcake," said Todd motioning for her to take a spoonful.

She nodded her head and took a deep breath before having her first spoonful, "Oh Daddy, this is the best thing ever." 

"Yes it is Cupcake, yes it is," said Todd smiling, knowing she meant the cereal but he meant spending time with her and making her happy. 

*****

"Momma," Maria whispered, her voice was hoarse and she licked her parched lips. "I'm thirsty Momma and my arm hurts."

"Here's some ice chips, Sweetheart," said Annie quietly as Joe and Alberto quickly got up from their chairs and came closer to the bed. "Doc said you'd be thirsty and he wants you to suck on these so you don't get nauseous." Annie spooned another mouthful into her and said to Joe quietly, "Get Doc." Joe nodded his head and went quickly down the hall and returned minutes later with Doc. 

"Hi Maria, how are you feeling?" asked Doc as he picked up her chart and started writing down some notes on it.

Maria slowly opened her eyes and said, "I'm thirsty, my arm hurts really bad, my eyeballs feel like they have grit in them, I have a headache..." She glanced down and grimaced and said, "And who put me in this awful orange shirt? It's hideous and the color is completely wrong for my complexion."

Alberto started to laugh and said, "It's my shirt Gattina, you were restless and your mom thought you would sleep better in my shirt."

"Oh," Maria said as she blushed and then grimaced in pain as she moved her arm.

"Doc, what about the pain, is it normal? I told you I don't want her in pain," said Joe as he started to get angry again.

"Relax Joe it's normal, I took her off all the meds so she would wake up, now we can start controlling it," said Doc as he inserted some meds in her IV line. "I'll give her a scrip for pain meds so you can manage it at home. Dr. Parr is going to call some colleagues in Switzerland to find out how the titanium plates will affect her wolf if she shifts, so until he finds out he doesn't want her shifting." He turned to Maria and said, "Is the pain better?"

Maria slowly nodded before closing her eyes and falling asleep with Alberto holding tightly to her hand. "She should wake up in a couple of hours and I want to make sure she can hold food and drink down before she's discharged, so an hour after she eats she should be ready to go home." Annie nodded her head while Joe continued to stare at his daughter.

*****

"Buckle up, little one," said Frank as he drove towards the gates of The School House.

"Daddy, I'm not five, I know to buckle up," said Sophia with a sigh. "How is Maria doing? Momma said not to bother Aunt Annie or Uncle Joe."

"I know how old you are but as your father I'll always look out for you. Your cousin woke up and should be released from the hospital around 7," said Frank with a smile. "The Italians are staying to finish up the cameras and then watch football practice. Since we're alone, you have anything you want to talk about?"

Sophia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said, "Did Vin tell you what happened at lunch?"

"Yes, he did. Anthony handled it well, and you did too until you lost your temper. You're like your mother, both of you are cool and calm but when you reach a certain point it's like a volcanic explosion," said Frank as he turned to look at his daughter. "As Madame Alpha, you need to control that. You have to learn to hide your emotions; you can't let others see you get agitated, they can use that against you and more importantly against your mate."

Sophia nodded, she knew he spoke the truth and said, "I know Daddy, but she just made me so mad. Calling me a child and asking Anthony to be her date...right in front of everyone. The nerve of her."

"Vin said you threatened to whip her ass," said Frank as he tried not to smile. "You know if you threaten somebody, you've got to be able to back it up."

"Uhmm, yeah I did and Daddy you've been teaching me combat skills since I could walk; there's not a girl in this Pack, 'sides Maria that has a chance against me," Sophia said with a grin. "Come to think about it, I could probably square off against most of the boys too. Face it Daddy, you raised a frigging bad-ass."

Frank raised his hand and they bumped fists, "Of course you're a bad-ass, you're a Carlucci, but I think you've been spending too much time with Damian, you're starting to sound like him." Father and daughter looked at each other and laughed as they pulled into the parking lot of the training center.

Ten minutes later, Frank had the girls divided into their skill groups, with the Miller girls in a separate group as Matt and Phil led the warm-ups. After they were done, they sat on the mat awaiting instructions and Frank sent the fifteen year olds into one of the enclosed rooms where Rose and Rita were waiting. 

"Girls, we need you to change into your robes. We're going to practice shifting into your wolves while you're on the run," said Rose as she looked around the room. "First we're going to practice extending your claws, then changing your nose and ears. Learning how to do this will help you control the shift." 

"Close your eyes, take a deep breath and concentrate on the index finger of your right hand, now picture your claws extending, feel your wolf and let her help," instructed Rita. "Concentrate girls, no giggling. Learning to shift on the run may save your life or the life of someone you care about someday."

Frank stood in front of the girls and they immediately stopped talking. "Line up girls, we're going to practice maneuvers and then you're going to spar so we can see your strengths and weaknesses." Frank pointed to the Millers to take spots in the back. For the next half hour they practiced defensive blocks and Vinnie, Carmelo, Matt and Phil walked around the Millers adjusting their stance, shoulders, hips and arms. Frank called Vinnie to lead the exercise while he went to talk to Todd, "We're not going to do assessments on the girls tonight, there's no need since they don't have the skills the youngest girls do." Frank pointed to Abby, Jackie and Toni and Todd watched them before looking at his daughters and nodded in agreement. 

Todd said quietly, "They don't know anything about fighting; the only thing they know is basic defensive moves. And when I say basic, I mean basic...like protecting their heads and kneeing somebody in the groin."

"That's okay within months you won't believe how much they'll learn. Let's watch the young ones spar first," said Frank as he motioned for Vinnie and Carmelo to start with the youngest group which was compromised of six to eight year olds. 

After twenty minutes the girls had mastered extending their claws, whether it was one finger or their whole hand and could do it on command. Laughter rang out as they saw themselves in the mirrored wall as their noses and ears morphed into their wolves while the rest of their body remained the same. "Concentrate," said Rose softly and the laughter died down. After the girls had mastered this, Rose said, "Watch closely while I'm shifting, notice how smooth I shift from my human form to my wolf." Rose walked over to the side wall, removed her robe and started to run, on the fifth step she started to transform and was in her wolf form by the sixth. She trotted over to her robe, shifted and put it back on.

"Line up along the wall and walk across the room extending your claws," said Rose. Within five steps most had tripped over their own feet, bumped into the girl next to them or were unable to shift more then one claw. "Concentrate girls, concentrate. Come back and do it again." Thirty minutes later, the girls were able to shift into their wolves on the run, they were stumbling when their wolves landed but that would be solved with practice. "That's enough, get changed into your workout gear and we'll join the others."

Almost an hour later the last group was sparring, which was the seventeen and eighteen year olds plus Sophia. Fiona looked at Frank and asked in a disbelieving tone, "We're going to learn to do that?" The girls eyes were wide as they watched Gabby slam Jade Mendez to the mat flipping her onto her stomach, pulling both arms behind her back until they crossed at the elbows. 

Frank looked at her and said in a firm tone, "Every one of you will learn to defend yourself against people who mean to do you harm." They looked at him and nodded their heads before watching Gabby help Jade off the mat. 

Vinnie and Carmelo talked quietly before saying, "Sophia against Beatrice." 

"But...but...she's a Senior and is way bigger then Sophia," said Brianna as she glanced at Frank.

"Your first lesson girls, don't let the size of your opponent intimidate you, there are always ways to overcome their size," Frank stated. "Watch closely." Their faces showed their concern for their friend as they did as they were instructed.

Beatrice Giovanni who was eighteen, 5'8" and 135 pounds, stepped forward and Sophia shook her hand as they smiled at each other. They circled around each other before starting to run at each other, at the last second Sophia firmly planted her right foot as she brought her left knee up into Beatrice's stomach, followed by a left forearm to the back of her neck knocking her onto the mat. Immediately following her down, Sophia put her right knee in the middle of Beatrice's shoulder blades pinning her to the mat before placing her left arm around Beatrice's throat and her right hand on her forehead saying, "This is where I snap your neck."

Sophia got up extending a hand to Beatrice who said, "At least this time you didn't break my nose." The two girls looked at each other and started to laugh.

Vinnie started to smile and said, "Where did you learn that?"

"WWE...and playing golf with my family," Sophia stated with a smile and her Dad started to laugh. Vinnie had the girls line up again and asked if they needed help on anything they learned before doing warm down exercises.

Frank quietly said to Todd, "Are you ready for your assessment? I'd like the girls to watch if you wouldn't mind."

"After watching the older girls, I think some of them might be able to take me," said Todd seriously. "We didn't do anything like this. I was Fourth in Command and a Level 4 Beta, but in this Pack I have no idea what I'd be."

Matt said, "You do know who you have to spar against, right?" Todd shook his head and Matt said, "You get to spar with Frank since Joe isn't here; in our old Pack I was a Level 4 and tested as a Level 1 here." He looked at his brother before he started to laugh and was joined by the other men sitting on the bleachers.

"Oh, fuck," said Todd quietly as Frank turned to him with a raised brow.

"We're done for the night, but those who'd like to stay can watch Mr. Todd get his status level assessment done," said Frank loudly as he watched the girls eagerly run to the bleachers to sit with their fathers. They heard the door open and Carlo and the Italians came walking through and sat down.

Todd glanced around and muttered, "Well that really takes the pressure off." He drew a deep breath and moved to the center of the mats where they shook hands. Both men were almost evenly matched in height and weight but Frank was an inch taller and had more muscle definition. They circled around each other several times waiting for an opening and Frank feinted right and when Todd reacted Frank quickly moved left grabbing Todd by the arm and throwing him over his shoulder. Todd twisted his body in mid-air landing in a crouch and said, "Nice throw."

Frank smiled and said, "Not one of my best, I wanted to see how you would counter it. Nice reflexes." As Frank finished talking, Todd lunged at him but Frank quickly sidestepped grabbing Todd by the left arm knocking him off balance. Todd rolled across the floor quickly getting to his feet and into a fighting stance. "Don't just look at my face, look at how I have my feet planted and watch how my knees flex." Todd nodded and both men turned towards the door when they heard it unlock.

"Fuck me sideways," Todd muttered as the football team entered the training area and moved quickly to sit with their intendeds or sisters. "Is the whole Pack coming?"

"Not that I know of, but I wasn't expecting the boys or the Italians to show up," Frank said with a laugh before a serious expression crossed his face. "Show us what you got." He watched as Todd drew a deep breath and flexed his shoulders before they began to circle each other. Frank lunged forward grabbing Todd around his waist and Todd brought his knee up sharply into Frank's abdomen, Frank groaned but didn't loosen his hold so Todd did it again combining it with his interlocked hands coming down between Frank's shoulder blades. Frank responded by letting his legs buckle, pushing his shoulder and full weight into Todd's abdomen as he fell back onto the mat. Frank rolled off and walked around him as Todd was gasping for air while Frank was breathing normally, "Nice combo move, next time plant your foot more firmly, you'll get more leverage that way and when you bring your arms down keep them straight to get more force behind them."

Todd rolled to his feet into a fighting stance and watched Frank intently as everything Frank had told him and all he had seen of the girls training swirled in his mind. When Frank lunged at him, Todd ducked low bringing his left elbow straight up hitting Frank under the jaw and followed through with his right fist to Frank's jaw. There were gasps in the training room as Frank's head snapped to the left but Frank recovered quickly and shifted his weight to his right foot as he kicked at Todd's midsection with his left. Todd staggered back but grabbed Frank's foot twisting it and both men fell to the mat with Todd panting and Frank barely breathing hard. Frank quickly rolled to his feet and said, "You have to have the stamina to finish off your opponent. We'll be in a battle for our lives, for the lives of our mates and youngsters and we are counting on you just like you are counting on us." Todd nodded and rolled to his feet breathing hard but ready to fight.

"Do you have extra clothes with you?" asked Frank and Todd nodded. "I want you to come at me on the run and shift into your wolf. I've seen all I need to in your human form, now I want to see what your wolf can do. No lethal biting, a pin is considered jaws around the opponents neck." Todd nodded in understanding and walked quickly to the other side of the room, drew a deep breath and started running, shifting into his dark grey almost black wolf within three strides.

Frank stood in place observing Todd as he shifted and when he was ten steps away, he ran towards him and shifted into his wolf jumping over Todd and grabbing his hind legs between his front paws dragging Todd to the ground while he put his mouth on his back leg. Todd responded by arching his back and rolling left while pushing himself up getting out of Frank's hold. 

Todd could feel the agitation arising from his wolf, so he let his wolf have a little more control but was trying to temper the agitation as he knew that could lead to him being careless. He feinted left then right and when Frank moved he lunged at him, managing to pin him for a second before Frank's hind legs threw him off. "Nice feint, next time don't hesitate follow through immediately," Frank said. Todd nodded his head up and down realizing Frank was right, he had hesitated. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond. 

The complete list of Pack members is on the blog, but if anyone would like an excel spreadsheet of the 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed. 

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 

***** 

The training room was filled with anxious Pack members at 7:50 AM, none of them wanting to be late. The youngsters under the age of fifteen were in the observation room with the sound turned off so they were unable to hear and when The Tribunal commenced the curtains would be drawn. In the middle of the training room, sitting at three tables were the Martin, Hammond and Mendez families, facing them was a table with four chairs and off to the side The Elders sat in chairs. Dante and the Italians were sitting on the bleachers off to the side, so they could observe but wouldn't disrupt the proceedings. 

At 7:58, Carlo, Gina, Anthony, Sophia, Frank and Joe walked out of one of the smaller training rooms without glancing at the assembled Pack members. Frank walked to the observation room speaking quietly before drawing the curtains and pulling the door closed. Carlo, Gina, Anthony and Sophia took their seats at the head table with Carlo and Anthony taking the center seats, their mates at their sides; Frank stood on the right and Joe on the left. 

At exactly 8 AM, Carlo stood and said, "I call for this Tribunal to come to order. The charges brought against Victoria Martin, Daisy Hammond and Jade Mendez are as follows: betraying the future Madame Alpha, betraying the Alpha-Heir and betraying the Pack. According to South Mountain Pack law, the evidence will be brought forth and presented then you will be given a chance to defend yourself. After listening to the testimony The Elders will decide on your innocence or guilt; if found guilty, I will decide punishment which may range from loss of privileges to banishment from the Pack. We will start now with the evidence against you." 

Daisy and Jade started to cry while Victoria looked defiant as Paulo came forward and after hitting a few buttons on his laptop, the phone calls from Victoria to the TV station were shown on a projection screen followed by the emails sent from Daisy and Jade which confirmed Anthony's relationship with Victoria. Hearing gasps from the Pack members, Carlo shouted, "QUIET." Paulo then showed the emails from Victoria which said she and Anthony had been romantically involved for months, how happy they were and how thrilled their families were. Next, the attachments to the emails were shown: pictures of her fifteenth birthday with her and Anthony standing close; Anthony and her brothers laughing together at football practice; her and Gina together at a Pack function; and the last set of pictures were labeled 'Please use these pictures when discussing me or my family on air.' They were professional photographs that Senator Martin had recently done for his newest campaign showing the family in various 'casual' and 'official' settings. 

The next piece of evidence was provided by Anthony as he projected to those assembled Victoria's behavior in the cafeteria from the time she first approached him until CJ apologized. After he was finished, he looked to Sophia and held her hand tightly before projecting the next image...one in which Victoria had tried to kiss him at Rossi's Grocery store and it showed him pushing her away, telling her that Sophia was his mate and he would never betray her, Victoria telling him that as a Senator's daughter she was a much better mate than Sophia and that as soon as she turned eighteen she would be able to take care of his needs. More gasps were heard but were quickly masked as Carlo looked at the Pack members. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I didn't want you to have anything to worry about. I was wrong and should have told you," Anthony said to Sophia as he squeezed her hand. 

"I forgive you, but how would you feel if somebody tried to take me away from you?" Sophia asked gently as Anthony's eyes turned amber and he let out a growl. "From now on, we have to be open and honest with each other, no more secrets." Anthony nodded and returned to his seat. 

"You have heard the evidence against them, now we will hear the defense of their actions. Jade, you will go first," Carlo said in a firm tone. 

Jade, her parents Jeff and Jody and her brothers slowly stood up and tears were streaming down Jade's face as she opened and closed her mouth several times. Jeff leaned down and whispered, "Tell them the truth and tell them everything, just like we talked about last night and this morning Sweetheart." She nodded and took a deep breath as she felt her parents reach out and hold her hands. 

"Alpha Carlo, Madame Alpha Gina, Alpha-Heir Anthony and future Madame Alpha Sophia, the first thing I would like to say is I'm sorry for the part I played in betraying you. I have no excuse and should have known better, I know what I did was wrong and hope you can forgive me," she said in a low quivering voice. "I really have no defense because I was thinking of myself and not my Pack or my family so I take full responsibility for my actions and I will accept any punishment that you deem appropriate Alpha Carlo." 

"Jade, your father said you were pressured into doing this. Can you project the conversations you had to me, so I can send them to the other Pack members?" Carlo asked in a gentle yet firm voice. 

Jade lowered her head, closing her eyes as she projected the conversations she had with Daisy and Victoria. Her thoughts were disjointed and the images jumped around and Carlo said, "Relax and concentrate Jade." She took a deep breath and felt her fathers strong arm around her shoulders, her mother squeeze her hand and her older brothers Jack, Josh, Jake and Joel put their hands on her back to calm her down even more. She concentrated harder and the images became clearer. 

Victoria telling Jade and Daisy if they didn't help her that she would start rumors about them; that they were having relations with human boys, that they were disobeying their parents and Alpha by going out without protectors, and that she had found Jade and Daisy in a compromising position together. After taking a deep breath she then projected the last conversation with the three girls; Her and Daisy begging Victoria not to interfere in Anthony and Sophia's relationship, crying as Victoria wrote emails on their accounts and telling them to hit 'send' so she could say they had sent them and not her, and her threatening them again that she would disclose the rumors if they told on her. After she was finished Jade let out a strangled sob as her father engulfed her in a hug, her brothers glaring angrily at Victoria who rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh. 

Frank drew in a deep breath and shifted his gaze to Clay Martin who had his head bowed and was staring at the table. Sophia reached out for her father's hand, needing the support of not only her mate, but also her father. As soon as he felt her small hand touch his, he opened his clenched fist and held her hand, squeezing it reassuringly like he had done thousands of time since she was born. 

Carlo stared at Jade and her father Jeff and said in a gentle tone, "Is there anything else you would like to say?" 

Jody handed her daughter a Kleenex and she blew her nose before nodding her head. "I...I...just want to say how sorry I am, I knew it was wrong and I should have stood up to her. The only excuse I have is I didn't want my mate to think bad things about me, but I should have known he would believe me and not gossip." 

"Do you know who your mate is Jade?" asked Gina, closing the bond off to everyone but Jade and her mother. 

"Yes, Madame Gina, its Reggie Benedetto," Jade said quietly before she started to cry again. "He hasn't said more than hello to me in a year and after today I'm not sure he ever will." 

"Thank you for your honesty Jade, you may sit down," said Carlo as his gaze shifted to the second table. Daisy was crying silently into her father's chest as he hugged her, her mother was quietly crying and her older brothers Jay, Thomas, Nicholas and Scott were standing behind her chair glaring angrily at Victoria. 

"Daisy, do you have any additional information you would like to present?" Carlo asked gently. 

Daisy stood up holding tightly to her parent's hands, "I would like to say how sorry I am for allowing this to happen Alpha Carlo. She had us convinced our lives would be ruined if we didn't do what she wanted. I admit I betrayed my future Madame Alpha, my future Alpha, you, Madame Gina, my Pack and my family but most of all I betrayed myself and my wolf." She took several deep breaths before continuing, "I will accept whatever punishment you decide for me Alpha Carlo." 

Her father George whispered in her ear and she nodded, "The only additional information I have to present is what happened after Anthony was interviewed by the reporter." She then projected Victoria's reaction to Carlo and gasps were once again heard from the Pack members. 

"Thank you Daisy, you may sit down," Carlo said in a gentle voice as he watched George settle his daughter on his lap as he rocked her back and forth while she cried. Her brothers were on their knees as they tried to soothe their sister and their mother Laura was gently clearing the tears from her face. 

All eyes moved to the third table where the Martin family sat. CJ, Jeff and Greg were staring off into space, Clay was still staring at the table, Allison looked like she was about to cry and Victoria was examining her nails. Carlo narrowed his eyes and said in a commanding voice, "Victoria, it is now your turn." 

Victoria sighed loudly and stood up, shrugging her shoulders as she said, "Yeah, I did it." She glared at Daisy and Jade before turning to Carlo and saying in a defiant tone, "Luna had to have made a mistake... obviously I'd make a better mate for Anthony than HER. I have the social connections and status that an Alpha of this Pack needs, not HER. I am the daughter of a Senator, and she is the daughter of a cabinet maker for Luna's sake. What does she bring to this mating that will benefit Anthony? Absolutely nothing. I will bring political influence and untold benefits." 

Sophia could feel her temper starting to boil, and felt both her mate and her father squeeze her hands. She remembered her father's words not to let her temper get the better of her and took a deep breath to maintain control. "She's wrong Arachide, with you I have everything," Anthony said in a soothing voice. 

Carlo angrily said, "That's the base of your defense? That you're a Senators daughter and have political influence?" At her nod, he stood up and thundered, "LET ME MAKE ONE THING PERFECTLY CLEAR...YOUR FATHER IS A SENATOR BECAUSE I SAY HE IS A SENATOR, I HAVE MORE POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL INFLUENCE THAN YOUR FATHER EVER WILL. I CAN MAKE ONE PHONE CALL AND YOUR FATHERS POLITICAL CAREER WOULD BE OVER AND AFTER IT'S OVER NO ONE WOULD EVEN TAKE HIS PHONE CALLS. EVERYTHING YOU HAVE IS BECAUSE I ALLOW YOU TO HAVE IT, I GAVE IT TO YOU AND I CAN TAKE IT AWAY JUST AS EASILY." The assembled pack members bared their necks to him in submission. 

Gina placed her hand on top of Carlo's and he instantly felt her calming influence through her touch and the mate bond. He acknowledged the submission from his Pack and sat down staring at Victoria and seeing no remorse in her expression, he sighed loudly before saying, "Is there anything else you'd like to say?" 

"No," she said in a tone devoid of all emotion as a pout crossed her face. As she went to sit, she suddenly stood straight and said, "Yes, there is...I want extra guards posted for my protection. If those people are supposedly coming for us, what makes you think the Millers and the Carlucci's are the top targets? Anybody with a brain would realize I'd be the top target because of who I am." With that announcement she flopped in her seat, crossed her arms over her chest and started to pout. Her mother was crying quietly and reached out to hold her hand, but Victoria snatched it away while her father and brothers continued to stare off into space. 

Carlo stared at her before shaking his head, "I'm not even going to respond to that except to say no member of this Pack is better than another. We are a Pack, a family who watches over and protects each other, if anybody feels differently please stand and tell me why you feel that way." He leaned back and studied his Pack members who sat silently staring at the floor in front of the head table. 

"Before The Elders pass judgement, is there anything the three of you would like to say?" Carlo asked as he looked at Jade, Daisy and Victoria. Jade and Daisy shook their heads while Victoria was pulling at a thread on her sweater. 

Carlo stood and turned to the twenty-seven Elders and said, "Please go to the smaller training room for your deliberations." After they filed out of the room, he turned to the assembled Pack and said, "Those of you who need to check on their youngsters please do so now." As the door to the observation room opened, everyone started smiling as they heard the young ones singing 'The Wheels on the bus go round and round'. Carlo leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, wishing he were at the lake and fishing with his two best friends. 

Less than five minutes passed when Elder Arturo Pinelli said, "We've reached a decision Alpha." 

"The Elders have reached their decision," Carlo announced and moments later everyone was in their seats. Their was complete silence as The Elders filed into the room and Elder Arturo walked to Carlo handing him three folded slips of paper before bowing and returning to his seat. Carlo unfolded the slips labeled Daisy and Jade and looked at them before showing them to Gina, Anthony and Sophia. He stood and said in a commanding tone, "Jade and Daisy, please stand." 

The girls and their families slowly stood and Carlo said, "You have both been found guilty of all three charges." Daisy started crying loudly and slumped against her father while Jade's knees buckled and she was held up by her father's arm around her waist. "After watching everything that transpired, I now have a better understanding of your subsequent actions. After listening to your apologies I feel you both show true remorse and realize your actions were detrimental to your future Alpha's, your Pack but most of all to yourselves." He paused for a moment and glanced at Victoria who continued to pull a thread on her sweater. "Your sentence is as follows: a one game suspension from cheerleading and you will write an essay about what being a member of South Mountain Pack means to you." Daisy and Jade were still crying silently but nodded as Carlo paused and looked at them. "In the future you will be faced with difficult decisions and I want you to remember that doing the right thing isn't always the easy thing to do. We are judged not only by the words we say but by our actions and I hope from this day forward your words and actions reflect the loyalty I know you have for this Pack." 

Daisy bowed her head and said in a quiet voice, "Thank you Alpha Carlo for believing in me when you didn't have too." 

Jade wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Thank you Alpha Carlo for believing in me too." 

Carlo looked at both girls and said quietly, "I believe in both of you and I know how upset this has made you and your families. Since you don't have a game to go to this weekend, take the time to reflect and learn to believe in yourself again." Their families hugged them and sat back down, relief evident on their faces. Carlo watched them for several moments before picking up the slip of paper with Victoria's name on it; he read it then passed it to Gina, Anthony and Sophia. 

"Victoria, please stand," said Carlo as he turned towards her. She stood with her arms still crossed over her chest and her family stood beside her, though they looked like they wanted to be anywhere but standing with her. "You have been found guilty of all three charges, in addition The Elders found you guilty of an additional charge of betraying your fellow Pack members." Allison began crying, Clay took a deep breath and her brothers looked at the floor while Victoria tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and sighed deeply. "Your sentence is as follows: you are forbidden from participating in all Pack functions including the Halloween Dance and The Winter Festival, you will be required to attend these functions but you will sit in a room by yourself; you will be required to attend Full Moon Ceremonies, but you will not be allowed to participate in the Pack run or any Pack activities, you will stay in a cabin by yourself; you are stripped of your spot on the cheerleading squad and you are not allowed to attend any school activities including the Homecoming Dance and any games. In January we will have a meeting and if we determine you are feeling remorse and can once again become a productive member of this Pack then some of your privileges may be restored." 

"THAT'S NOT FAIR, YOU CAN'T DO THAT," Victoria shouted as Clay grabbed a hold of her arm and told her to shut up. 

"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I CAN OR CANNOT DO," Carlo's voice thundered throughout the training room and the assembled Pack members recoiled and submitted their necks instantly. "IF YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE OR TALK TO ME IN THAT TONE AGAIN, I WILL BANISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY I WAS LENIENT IN MY PUNISHMENT, IF YOU DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE BANISHED BEFORE YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT IS GOING ON." Gina again slid her hand onto his and Carlo took a deep breath looking at his Pack who still had their necks in a submissive pose. Seeing this he waved a hand at them and they started to relax. 

Clay, Allison and the boys bowed their heads and Victoria took a deep breath and nodded. She was afraid if she spoke, she would shout at her stupid Alpha again; she couldn't believe this was happening to her...she was Victoria Martin, daughter of Senator Clay Martin, not some stupid no-body. 

"Since you won't be at the game, I suggest you take the time to reflect on how you are going to make amends to the Pack, and to the future Alpha's," said Carlo in a firm commanding tone. She glanced over and looked at her mate in disdain; that's what Luna paired her with? She was disgusted by his subservient attitude and his fawning over his stupid sister. She deserved an Alpha, not some lowly Beta and she was going to make sure it happened. As she thought about what her Alpha said she decided if she couldn't have Anthony then she would have to find another Alpha. To do that she had to be able to leave the territory and plans started to formulate in her head as she thought of how she could accomplish this. 

"Since the entire Pack is here, we're going to have a meeting." Carlo motioned for the Hammond, Mendez and Martin family to sit on the bleachers and when he saw Victoria following her family, he said, "Victoria, this is a Pack function, you will go and sit in the smallest training room by yourself." 

Joe said quietly, "Victoria, follow me." When they got to the room, Joe made sure the room was completely empty and he said quietly, "Empty your pockets, give me your cell phone and your pocketbook. You will sit here and do what Alpha Carlo said, you will reflect on how you are going to make amends." Without waiting for a response he gathered everything she gave him and quietly left the room, making sure the door was firmly closed. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



"Anybody who doesn't want their youngsters included in the meeting, please send them to the observation room," Carlo said as he looked over the crowd. Nobody moved, all the youngsters who were able to understand what was going on had been told and their parents wanted them included in the meetings so they would have a clear understanding of what was going on. 

Carlo nodded and brought everyone up to date on the improvements done to The School House; what happened at the reception with Amy Briggs and the information Paulo discovered; the renewed Alliance with Parr Ridge Pack; their plans for the safe room later that day. He stopped and looked at the Miller girls and projected the revelations made by President Roberts through the bond to those over eighteen plus Anthony, he knew the girls killed by Charles had been friends of theirs and he didn't want them to find out this way. Horrified gasps were heard throughout the training room and Holly and Nana Miller started to cry quietly as they thought of the young girls who had been friends with their girls, they were comforted by their mates who also appeared shocked. "What I sent to your parents, they will disclose to you later," he said quietly and the youngsters nodded, realizing it was something bad. 

Carlo cleared his throat and motioned Paulo forward, who blushed as he walked to the table the Hammonds had been, placing his laptop on it. He hated being called out in front of the Pack preferring to be in the quiet confines of his office. He felt the comforting presence of his father and uncle as they walked to his side and he sighed before saying quietly, "I'm okay, just give me a moment." 

Damian saw his brothers discomfort and said, "Hey bro, remember that old trick about imagining your audience in their underwear, that'll relax you. No wait, that won't work since you've seen all the men nekkid already and imagining the girls naked is just wrong and imagining the moms naked is beyond disturbing. Wait a minute... I think I just threw up in my mouth." 

Paulo put his head down hiding his smile, "Thanks Damian, I can always count on you to say the most absurd shit and make me laugh." He looked at his brother saying quietly, "I know I don't say it enough, but I'm proud you're my brother." 

A crooked smile came over Damian's face, "Thanks and I'm proud you're my brother too. You amaze me constantly with the mad computer skills you have and I'm proud of the dedication you show to keep all of us safe." 

Paulo smiled at him before taking a deep breath to start explaining the new feature connecting the cell phones to the security systems and that an email would be sent out with an installation schedule since he had to upload and program each individual security system. He hit a couple of keys on the laptop and a picture appeared on the big projection screen and he said, "Originally, we wanted to put tracking devices in the youngsters backpacks and in the girls headbands and shoes, but the more we thought about it, we're going to give them to all Pack members. It would be activated in an emergency after you've been scanned for electronic devices. The device will be specific to each Pack member and will work worldwide since it's programmed to link to the nearest satellite and will send an alert to me, Alpha Carlo, Uncle Frank and Dad. I have it programmed so even if it's destroyed, once the link is broken between the electronics and the battery, there's enough of a charge left to send a split-second burst and we'll get the alarm." 

There was silence from the Pack members before Vinnie said, "That's some serious James Bond shit you've rigged up there." 

Paulo smiled at his Godfather and said, "Q would love to get his hands on this. If you notice it looks like a mesh screen, the battery and electronics are woven together and it recharges itself through motion. It's activated through pressure; press it for three seconds to turn it on and once quickly to turn it off, you can feel it snap off." 

"You can do all that, and your father still can't figure how the cruise control works in his truck," said Vinnie with a smile as Joe glared at his friend. 

Carlo slapped Joe on the back and said, "We're also working on a false bottom to the backpacks, incorporating some of the supplies Joel and Jerry put in during the last training exercise. Since it's sneaky and underhanded, I don't have to tell you who came up with that idea." The Pack turned to look at Damian who was smiling broadly and he got up and bowed causing them to start laughing. 

"Before we adjourn the meeting, is there anything you feel we need to discuss?" asked Carlo as he looked at his Pack. 

Enzo stood up and said, "I'd like to have a meeting here on Tuesday at 7 PM, with all the youngsters aged fifteen and up who'll be left in the safe room during the battle. We need to start formulating our plans." 

Carlo nodded, "The building will be made available for you, is there anything you need us to provide?" 

"Refreshments would be nice, you know snacks, drinks, steaks, a couple of roasts, nothing too big," said Michael with a smile. 

"How about pizza?" asked Carlo as he laughed while the youngsters nodded. "Anybody else?" 

Elder Marvin Whitmer stood and said, "I think we should have a meeting before each Full Moon Ceremony to keep us updated. I know you can update us by using the bond, but by being together it brings us even closer." 

Carlo nodded as he said, "We'll start having meetings at the next ceremony." He looked at the Pack again and not getting any more questions or suggestions, he said, "Okay, we'll meet at The Manor House in thirty minutes." 

The Pack members were talking loudly as they walked down the bleachers and the Hammond and Mendez families huddled protectively around Daisy and Jade. Seeing the looks that were directed towards the two girls, Sophia walked towards them with her mate and brothers following closely behind. "Can we talk?" she asked quietly and when the two girls nodded, she walked to the middle of the training room knowing the eyes of everyone in the Pack were on them. 

"I hope we can move past this," Sophia began as she reached out to hold their hands. "I've always thought of you as friends and this hasn't changed my opinion. When Anthony told everyone at practice, the two of you were the first to congratulate me and I'd like us to be close once more." Daisy and Jade started to cry and their brothers moved forward to protect them but stopped when they saw Sophia hug them. She whispered in their ears, "You don't need to say anything, I heard everything you said earlier and between friends nothing more needs to be said, okay? Now, let's go in the locker room and get you cleaned up a little." A mischievous twinkle came into her eyes as she said, "I hate to say this, but you both look a mess. Your eyes are red and puffy, your nose is red and your hair's a mess." 

Carlo, Gina, Frank and Rose looked at Sophia with approval and Carlo said quietly, "She's going to make a great Madame Alpha. Luna was wise in her choice for my son, he couldn't have asked for a better mate." 

Ten minutes later everyone had left but the Betas and the Italians since Frank and Joe were discussing what they wanted done at the safe room. Vinnie and Carmelo were getting ready to check the building and shut the lights when Joe turned to Clay saying, "Victoria is still in the small training room." 

Clay sighed and said, "We can't leave her here?" 

The men hid their smiles as Carlo said, "Unfortunately, you can't. She's young Clay; hopefully after what happened today, she'll get rid of this warped sense of entitlement she has and that arrogant attitude. If she doesn't I have a feeling someone will knock it out of her." He looked at Frank who shrugged his shoulders knowing it would probably be his daughter. 

Clay sighed and looked at Frank, "I know you've had an issue with me since I fell on top of Rose..." He stopped speaking as Frank growled loudly and he took a deep breath before he continued, "But I need your advice. We've taken things away from her, restricted her from going out, tried reasoning and talking with her, but nothing helps. What did you do with Sophia? She's such a nice young lady, polite, well-mannered and friendly. What did you do that I didn't?" 

"I'm not sure Clay," Frank said as he shrugged. "Your sons have turned out to be fine young men, but somewhere along the way Victoria has gotten it into her head that she is better than anyone because of who you are. It seems like her whole identity is wrapped up in the fact that she is a Senator's daughter, maybe you need to take her to a therapist and find out why she feels that way." 

"Thanks Frank, I'll talk to Doc and see what he recommends," Clay replied with a nod. "I guess I better get her." 

The men watched as he walked slowly across the room and Dante said, "There goes a troubled man." 

Thirty minutes later the Pack was at The Manor House to begin the ten minute walk to the safe house. Alberto picked up Maria and before she could protest, he whispered, "Let me carry you, I like having you in my arms." She nodded and settled against his broad chest. The youngsters broke into their training session groups and started carrying the young ones and little ones. 

"I swear to Luna, if you bug me one more time I'm gonna knock you out," Emory Bellucci ranted as she waved her arms around. "There's nothing wrong with me, except for the fact I look and feel like a gigantic beached whale." 

"Doc said to take it easy since the little one is due in a month Em. Let me carry you, I don't want to take the chance you'll fall and hurt yourself or the little one," her mate Duke said in a soft soothing tone. "Alberto's carrying Maria." 

"There's a big difference, she just had surgery and I'm pregnant," Emory narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Duke threw his hands in the air and moved to the side as she slowly followed the others. 

"I told you when you made your declaration she was a handful," his father, Roman Sabatini said as he slapped him on the back. "Did she tell you she got mad because I wouldn't let her help re-tar the roof of the skating rink? She threw a fit, stomped her feet and screamed like a toddler. She said I wouldn't let her on the roof because I thought it would collapse under her weight." 

Her oldest brother Austin continued, "Dad said it wasn't true, but I don't think he helped when he told her she was becoming 'unwieldy'." 

Duke watched as she slowly walked with Anna and Cynthia and said, "I don't know what to do anymore. She's hungry, but won't eat because she says she's fat or she wants food Doc says she shouldn't have or she wants it at 3 AM. She's sleepy but won't lie down unless it's on freshly laundered sheets. She gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom at least ten times and won't come back to bed until I change the sheets. During the day it's the same thing, I'm changing the damn bed twenty times a day. She's bored but doesn't do anything except watch 'The Princess Bride' and then cries. She's thirsty but only wants coffee which she can't have and hated before. I'm losing my fucking mind." 

Roman laughed, "She's yours now and you can't give her back." 

"I HEARD THAT," Emory hollered and both her mate and father looked at her with terror in their eyes. 

"Oh fuck," muttered Duke as her brothers and Dad started to laugh. He ran after her and said in a soft tone, "I only meant that you're such a nice loving mate and I love looking after you and our little one Em." 

"Yeah right," she replied rolling her eyes as she stopped walking. "Now carry me." Duke smiled as she told him she could have walked but she didn't want to get her shoes dirty, not that she could see them, but she still wanted them clean. 

When they arrived at the entrance to the safe room Joe looked at Papa Mike and said, "Can you see the entrance?" 

"Here? All I see is rocks, evergreens and trees," said Papa Mike as he spun around looking for anything that looked out of place. 

Carlo called the Millers over to a grouping of boulders and said, "Watch carefully, if you do this wrong, you'll get zapped with 100 amps of electricity." Thinking he was kidding Todd and Papa Mike started to laugh and Carlo said, "I'm serious. We wired the ground to shock anyone who's trying to access the panel without using the correct sequence. There's a ledge on the back of the boulder and underneath is a button that needs to be pressed in a certain order for it to unlatch; five quick, one long and two quick. Anything else and you'll get shocked." Carlo then pulled on the top of the boulder separating it revealing a keypad and he punched in the code. Replacing the top he moved quickly to a smaller boulder and pushing on the front it separated at the bottom, "Hitting that code will unlock the next keypad. It has an internal locking mechanism, there's no other way to access it and if you try and force it open it'll self-destruct. You must open it within twenty seconds if not it relocks and you have to do the whole sequence over. If you do it more then two times, both systems will cease to operate until Frank, Joe, Paulo or I reset the system." 

As Carlo typed the ten digit code Frank said, "I'll give you the codes later. Like the code to the website if you're under duress simply add '01' to the end and it'll send an alert to Carlo, Joe, Paulo and I. After you put in the correct code, you need to replace the top of the rock within ten seconds; if not the door to the safe room won't open. Turn around and watch the rocks." 

The Millers stared at the numerous outcroppings and within seconds one of the larger ones moved similar to an old fashioned garage door, where the top tilted back and the bottom swung upwards. Their mouths fell open and Papa Mike said, "That's fucking unbelievable. I never would've guessed the door was behind a whole outcropping of rocks. That's got to weigh a ton, how did you get it to lift?" 

"Four large hydraulic lifts, and it weighs several tons," said Joe motioning the Millers forward. "Once inside, the hydraulics can be disabled preventing the door from opening. As you can see the door is solid steel and the rocks extend over the edges so it looks like a natural formation." 

Todd glanced inside the small room and said with a confused tone, "Where's the door to get inside? All I see is dirt and more rocks." 

"There's one more keypad. Again, the floor is wired to shock anybody who doesn't do things correctly," Carlo said walking to the right side of the small area. Squatting in front of a group of rocks imbedded in the wall, he pushed one on the bottom right, one on the far left and then pressed one on the back wall. Todd watched as Carlo walked over to a rock, the size of a quarter and pressed it into the wall and a small panel opened on the floor. Carlo punched in the code and the left wall started to separate, moving back and sliding into the mountain. "They would naturally look for the door in front of them, so we put it on the side." 

"Who the hell thinks of these things? Wiring the ground to shock people? All the secret panels and sequence things, it's unreal," said Todd as Frank, Joe and Paulo walked into the security room while the other Betas quickly searched the entire safe room. Moments later, shouts of "Clear" rang out and within minutes the Pack was inside the safe room. Carlo typed in the code to bring the outer door down and they were completely sealed inside. 

The young ones moved to the corner where small tables were set up and took off their backpacks getting out coloring books, dolls, toys and books and sat quietly while the women put the little ones, newborns to toddlers, in an area with a short wall around it. The area had cribs along the wall, playpens in the center and toys scattered around. Carlo looked at his Pack and the Italians and said, "Let's get started. Victoria, please go to one of the exam rooms." She looked at her Alpha and nodded and went to the exam room sitting on the only chair and staring at the wall. 

Gina broke the women into groups; Rose - bunk rooms, Annie - kitchen supplies, Holly and Rita - food supplies, Annabelle Pinelli - linens and Teresa Giovanni - batteries and emergency supplies. Each group was assigned several women and they started inventorying and inspecting their areas. Ric and Rocco went into the security room and the Betas inspected the electric, air and water systems while the Italians checked everything. Doc and his mate, Elaine, went into the medical area and started their inventory. The youngsters kept the younger ones entertained. 

"Come on Millers, I'll give you the tour," said Vin with a smile. He showed them the four bunk rooms, the men's shower room, the women's shower room, the medical rooms, the two cell rooms, the kitchen, the dining room and the security room. 

"How in the hell did you all build this?" asked Todd as he looked around. 

"We didn't build all of it. When the Pack first arrived, they found a series of caves and used that as a safe room with a wooden door as the entrance. Over the next two hundred thirty years, we've made some improvements," Vin answered with a shrug. "We've reinforced the walls with concrete and steel beams. The ceiling has I-beams every 24" and is concrete with rebar. It's taken us years to get it like this and as new technology becomes available we update." 

Dom walked up carrying Hope and Jackie and said, "Vin, this little munchkin was asking for you." 

"Vinnieee," Hope squealed and put her arms out for Vin to hold her. He lifted her out of Dom's arm, pretending to drop her as she laughed in delight. 

"What's the matter munchkin?" asked Vin as he settled her on his hip. 

"Nuttin, I was tired of doin tha collers," she said with a big smile. "Mommy is doin tha countin wit Miss Hawlley and Daddy is wit Mister Carmellow. I's bored." 

"Why aren't you playing with Brooke?" Vin asked as Hope placed her head on his shoulder and got comfortable. 

Hope sighed loudly and said, "She's pwaying dohllies with Wenzo. She fixeded his haier weal pwetty too, puts bows and wibbons in it." Vin, Dom and the Millers started to grin as she continued, "Antny and Daymian too. Daymian letted Toni put ALL da bows an wibbons in his haier. He wooks bootiful." 

"I bet he does, how bout we go see them?" asked Vin as they walked into the main room and began to laugh. Almost every boy had bows and ribbons in their hair, even the ones that were in front of the TV playing video games or were in the corner with Marcus as he showed them defensive moves. As long as it kept the girls happy, they would put up with it. The older girls were grouped around Emory, Cynthia and the six other pregnant women and were talking about little ones. 

Hope giggled and said, "I gots one for yous too Vinnie." He laughed and put her on top of the table and bent down as she put the lilac with white polka dot ribbon in his hair and she clapped when she was done. "Yous pwetty." 

"Thank you. Jackie, where's Dom's bow? I think he needs one too," said Vin with a smirk as Dom pretended to scowl at Jackie. She giggled and pulled a red bow with little white hearts on it out of the pocket of her overalls and clipped it in. 

Dom and Vin set the little girls down and they ran back to Brooke, Abby and Toni. "I know what I wanted to ask," said Todd as he looked at Dom. "Why do you all only go to school four days a week?" 

"Well, we don't take winter or spring breaks; have teacher professional days or other things like public schools. We also start a week earlier than they do," said Dom as he shrugged. "We've always had a four day week; I believe it's written in our charter. We have off Fridays, except for the week of the Full Moon when we take off the day after; or Federal holidays, like Labor Day, so we'll be off that Monday." 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



"We do a lot of Pack stuff on the days off, special training, helping out whoever needs something, that kinda stuff," said Vin as he watched Hope. She was trying to get something out of her backpack and as it came loose she fell backwards, he started to run towards her but Gianni scooped her up before she hit the floor and cradled her against his chest as she started to laugh. 

"I got her," said Gianni sensing his brother's anxiety. "I know you've been busy so I've been keeping an eye on her and I see you got your pretty purple bow." 

"Yeah, just what I've always wanted, to be wearing a girly hair bow in front of my mate," said Vin as he rolled his eyes. "Where's yours?" 

"Mr. Drama Queen took it, said he needed it to look the most beautiful," said Gianni with a laugh. 

Vin looked around the room and spotted Damian coming from the men's locker room with Toni's brothers, Troy, Roger, Danny and Don. He had so many bows on his head that you couldn't even tell he had hair and Vin started laughing so hard that all he could do was point at him for the Millers to see. 

"He looks like a Hallmark store exploded on his head," said Dom with a laugh. 

"And that is the mate Luna chose for me," said Caitlin with a sigh before she began to laugh. "I don't know whether to laugh AT him or with him or to feel sorry for myself that we're mates. I don't think he'll ever take anything serious." 

"He'll be a wonderful mate and father," Maeve said in a serious tone. "You're serious but have a snarky sense of humor and he ...well... he is just Damian. I think you'll balance out perfectly." They watched Damian pick Toni up and blow raspberries on her cheek. 

Frank and Joe walked over to Todd and Papa Mike and Frank said, "There's one thing Vin left out, the emergency exit." Todd and Papa Mike looked confused as they followed them and watched as Joe opened an end cabinet moving the dishes out of the way before pushing in on the left interior panel revealing a keypad. He typed in an access code and they watched as the middle freezer unit moved away from the wall on rollers revealing a 3' round metal door. "This was original to the caves; we think it was a stream that dried up, it goes straight through the mountain ending in a dry well in the basement of a house the Pack owns in Burkittsville in Frederick County. We keep vehicles in the barn and garage for emergency use." 

"If this is the escape route, what's that door in the main room?" asked Todd as he turned around and pointed to a similar door that was on the back wall, partially hidden behind a bookshelf. 

"A diversion. If we need to escape, that door'll be opened letting our enemies think we escaped through there," said Frank. "I hope they're not claustrophobic, it's only 2.5' x 2' and almost four miles long before it narrows down to nothing." 

"I told you they were sneaky and they haven't even told you the rest of the plan," said Matt looking at his brother. "If something happens, one of the youngsters is going to take shirts from the girls and run to the end of the tunnel, leave the shirts then run back. This way the girls scents will make them go down the tunnel." 

"Thing is, the tunnel isn't big enough for adult wolves to run in or turn around, so they'll have to crawl in their wolf form or human form to the end and they'll have to back out," said Phil as he joined them. 

The Carlucci brothers looked at each other and smiled as Joe said, "We can't take credit for that idea. Damian thought of it when he was six. Now that I think about it, it should have been a huge clue what he would turn out like." 

"I should've known," said Todd with a grin. 

A little over an hour later everything was done: Gina had the inventory and list of supplies to be ordered; Carlo had the assessment papers from the Italians; Frank and Joe had notes of what electronic equipment Paulo needed; Doc had the list of medical supplies to be ordered; Carmelo and Vinnie had notes about the supplies needed for the mechanical equipment. "Okay everyone, we're done here. Young ones clean up your areas and make sure you have everything because we're not coming back if you forgot something," Carlo said in a loud voice. 

Ten minutes later, the Pack was ready to leave and Paulo checked the monitors before saying, "We're clear." Carlo typed in the passwords and the Pack exited as Carlo repeated the earlier process to lock the safe room down. 

As they were walking to The Manor House, Matt said, "Todd, what time are we going to the Mall to take the girls shopping?" 

"Whoever is going, I am going with you, I am hungry. Who is driving me?" Dante said eagerly. Carlo rolled his eyes and an hour later the Millers, Carlucci's, Rossi's, Gabby, Angelo and Alberto were at the Mall. Dante quickly led the way to Long John Silver's where Amanda smiled broadly as he said, "One register again Amanda." She nodded and glanced at the new cashier who quickly ran to the back to tell them Mr. Rossi was here with a ton of people. The fry cooks glanced out front unsure of 'what a ton of people' was, and as soon as they saw how many people there were, they ran to the freezer and grabbed boxes of everything. 

"You do know we have other restaurants around here," said Carlo with a laugh as Dante was finishing the last of his hush puppies. 

"None with food as good as this," Dante replied before he went to the register to pay and to talk to Amanda. "I want to thank you for being at the reception yesterday; for me it was the highlight of the evening. I know how much work it was for you and your staff, speaking of which how many workers are here today?" 

Amanda smiled, "Thank you for including us Mr. Rossi, my District Manager said it was a wonderful opportunity for us. We have six here today Sir." 

"I know they are busy, so please hand out the tips for me," he said as he peeled off thirty $100 bills before paying the $1,300 bill with his card. "We will be leaving Wednesday, but I hope to see you again several times before then." 

"Thank you again Sir," said Amanda with a big smile as the staff stepped out of the back and waved at Dante. 

Dante smiled as they walked out of the restaurant and said, "I am full and now I need to do some shopping. I need some American Levi's for myself and D & D, also some of the new Nike's, Catarina wants ..." Dante stopped talking and pulled his wallet out retrieving several pieces of paper and his eyes widened when he looked at the lists. He sighed and said in an exasperated tone, "IO giuro di Luna, i ragazzi del mio credo che non ci sono negozi in Italia. Bath & Body Works intera linea di zucchero vanigliato, sun abiti con cardigan e calzini, pantaloni capri con twin-set, Levi's, Nike's, U di MD felpe e tute, felpe con cappuccio, polo Ralph Lauren camicie e shorts ...e che diavolo è una 'moglie battitore'?" (I swear to Luna, these youngsters of mine think there are no stores in Italy. Bath & Body Works entire line of vanilla sugar, sun dresses with matching cardigans and socks, capri pants with twin sets, Levi's, Nike's, U of MD sweatshirts and sweatpants, hoodies, Ralph Lauren polo shirts and shorts...and what the hell is a 'wife beater'?) 

Vin told the Millers what was said and that D & D were Dante's sons, Draco and Drago as Ric, Rocco and Luc pulled similar lists out of their wallets. 

"It will take me hours to get all this," said Dante as he looked at Ric, Rocco and Luc who said their lists were almost as long. 

"Let me see," said Gina and Dante passed the papers to her and Rose and Annie held their hands out for Ric, Rocco and Luc. "The girls can help me pick out some outfits for Cat; she even included her size on the paper though of course it's in Italian measurements. Who does she most resemble in height and shape?" 

Dante pulled a picture and a credit card out of his wallet and handed them to Gina, "Well, you know she is seventeen, and is most similar to Gabriella. She likes bright clothes and for everything to match. Buy her whatever you think she would like. There is no limit on that card, but try to keep it around $20,000." 

Gina laughed as she said, "Dante, I could buy a whole store for that." She looked at the list again and said, "I don't see anything on here for Calinda." 

"She is getting enough," said Dante with a smirk. "The new plane is her birthday present." 

"Damn it Dante," Carlo said with a scowl. "Now Gina's going to want something besides the new SUV she ordered." Gina slowly turned her head towards Carlo and glared at him and he quickly said, "And she would deserve everything she asked for, she's a wonderful mate and mother." 

Anthony was laughing as he said, "Nice recovery Dad, but I think she's still mad." Carlo gave Gina a lopsided grin and she turned away from him, but not before he saw her smile. 

Ric and Rocco handed their card to Rose and said their daughters resembled Sophia and Maria and also liked bright colors and to spend around $5,000. Luc gave his to Annie and told her to get Nonna casual outfits yet definitely American in design and he had no limit. Ric looked at him and said in a sarcastic tone, "Of course you have no limit; Nonna will pay your bills when we get home." Luc didn't say anything just smiled which infuriated Ric. 

Knowing the girls didn't want their intendeds to see their outfits before their dates, Rose said, "Dante, why don't you take Anthony, Alberto, Vin and Dom with you to get the boys things. Everyone else will come with us." 

"As long as my intended stays safe," said Anthony with a scowl. "Sophia, I want you to keep the bond open in case you need me." 

"I'm going to be with my family plus your parents, I think you can relax," Sophia said as she rolled her eyes. "Now go, we have a lot of shopping to do." 

Four hours later, they were finally done. The Millers had gotten their other three pairs of shoes, ten outfits, swimsuits, a winter coat and their first pocketbooks with matching wallets. Sophia and Maria had gotten outfits for their dates plus several others and Gabby had gotten several outfits that Sal helped pick out. Gina, Rose and Annie bought everything on the lists and there were so many bags the men had to make several trips to the vehicles because they couldn't carry them all. They met in the parking lot and when Dante saw the bags he said, "If the other men have as much to bring back, we are going to need a bigger plane." 

"I had the clerks pack the clothes in boxes, this way they won't wrinkle," said Gina as she handed back his credit card. "Here are the receipts, I spent a little more than the budget but there were so many cute outfits I couldn't make up my mind." Dante shrugged since he had spent more then that on each of his sons. 

"I remembered why I hate shopping so much," muttered Carlo as the boys agreed. The caravan drove to the Millers and the boys carried the bags inside and Vin and Dom reminded Brianna and Morgan they would be there at 6 PM to pick them up. Carlo, Gina and Dante went to The Manor House and the Moretti's followed the Carlucci's back to Frank's house. The boys changed into their board shorts and dove into the pool while the girls went to Sophia's bedroom. 

For her fourteenth birthday Rose had re-done Sophia's bedroom, turning it from a little girls room into a room for a young lady. An antique mahogany bedroom set complete with a four poster queen sized bed complimented the lilac painted walls with white trim and the purple and flower printed patchwork quilt with matching curtains, shams, dust ruffle and bed linens. Mahogany frames with pictures of her family and Anthony were scattered along the wall and a mahogany bookcase was on the wall between her walk in closet and the door to her bathroom. 

Gabby sat in the vanity chair, Maria lay on the bed propping her arm with a pillow and Sophia flopped in the bean bag she refused to let her mother throw away. The girls laughed as they recounted the exasperated looks on the boys faces as they tried on outfit after outfit. "I know we bought some stuff, but most of the stuff we tried on was for Alpha Dante, Ric and Rocco so it wasn't our fault," Sophia said with a laugh. She looked at Maria, "At least you didn't have to be a walking mannequin, you got to sit in a chair at the doorway of the changing room. I'm exhausted." 

"Did you see Lorenzo's face when Erin was trying on her outfit for her date?" Gabby asked with a laugh. Sophia put her finger to her lips and walked to the door, looking down the hall before closing it. 

"I know, he was boiling mad," Maria said with a grin as Sophia sat back down. "He growled when she came out of the dressing room if her clothes were too low cut, too tight or too short. Damian was just as bad. When Caitlin came out in that purple dress that was a size too small I thought he was going to lose it." 

Gabby snorted as she said, "He did lose it, he screamed at her to get back in the changing room and to stop wearing clothes from the children's section." 

Sophia looked at Maria as she laughed, "You're a bad sister, telling them to go out in clothes you knew didn't fit to get a reaction out of your brothers." 

"I know, but they deserve it," Maria replied with an evil smile. "And Gabby was just as bad, telling Caitlin and Erin in a loud voice how much Patrick and Bob would like them in the dresses they finally picked." 

"What about what Sophia did?" asked Gabby with a big smile. 

"My brothers deserve it," Sophia responded with an evil laugh. The girls started laughing so hard tears were rolling down their faces. 

The boys were quiet as they threw a football around the pool, Lorenzo had been angry and Damian on edge since they'd been at the mall. "Did you see how tight..." Lorenzo started to say angrily but stopped when he saw Anthony point to his head. He nodded before continuing, "the dress was that Erin had on? It looked obscene. And the dress she's going to wear on her date with that fucking bastard? She looked beautiful in it, he doesn't fucking deserve to be with her." He threw the ball so hard at Victor that after catching it, he had to shake his hands. 

"Caitlin too, who the fuck picked out the clothes for her to try on? I swear to Luna, they had to come from the children's section, they were too tight. I felt like running over and covering her up so nobody could see her," Damian ranted as he caught the pass Victor threw. 

Vin, Dom, Anthony and Alberto looked at the boys and said, "- didn't get anything too tight, did she?" Each boy had inserted the name of their intended in the question and when they realized what they did they burst out laughing. 

Michael shook his head and smiled, "They looked beautiful, but we're not going to tell you what they bought, you have to wait and see." 

"So, what did you decide to do for your first dates?" Angelo asked as he leaned against the side of the pool. 

"We're going to Carmelo's since the girls want authentic pizza then we're going bowling since they've never been," said Dom with a smile. 

"How are they going to bowl in dresses?" asked Gino with a frown. "Especially dresses as short as the ones they bought?" 

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU SAID THEIR DRESSES WEREN'T SHORT," Vin hollered glaring at his brother while Dom growled. 

"Back off, don't get mad at me. And you asked if the dresses were tight, you didn't ask anything about the length," Gino said as he got out of the pool as Vin and Dom chased him. The other boys looked at each other with knowing smiles. 

Two hours later, Vin and Dom pulled into the Millers driveway. Vin was dressed in Levi's, a blue and white striped rugby shirt with the sleeves pushed to his elbows and Timberlands; Dom was dressed in faded Levi's, a white Polo shirt and Doc Martens. "If their dresses are too short, we'll do something besides go bowling," said Vin with a scowl. "I won't have my mate bending over in front of other guys." 

"You've said that like a hundred times, like I want my mate doing it," Dom said with a frown as they walked towards the front door. "If it was up to me, we wouldn't even be going out in public; I don't want anybody looking at my mate." 

Dom stepped forward and was about to knock when Papa Mike opened it and made a point to look at his watch as he said, "Right on time. Come on in the kitchen, the girls are almost ready." 

"I baked some brownies, would you like some?" asked Nana Ellen with a twinkle in her eye. "We tried a new recipe with cream cheese and cherries." She laughed as Vin and Dom raced to sit at the table as she handed them plates. 

"These are really good," said Vin as Dom nodded in agreement. "You're going to sell them in the bakery, right?" 

"That's the plan," said Todd as he walked into the kitchen. "We signed the papers to buy the building. Now we need to go over the design concept with your Dad and uncle then start the build-out." 

"We'll be here early Sunday to cut the firewood, the others are coming too. We figured it'd be a good workout instead of lifting weights," said Dom with a shrug before smiling at his father. "We're finishing our run here, so figure for us to get here at 6...and we'll be hungry." 

Papa Mike started to laugh as he said, "You boys are always hungry. I've never seen boys eat as much as you all do." 

"It'll slow down when we finish growing," said Vin as he finished his third brownie. 

"Or at least that's what Dad's hoping, he says he's going broke every time we get groceries," said Dom with a laugh which died quickly when they scented their mates approaching. Where they were sitting they couldn't see them but as soon as they stepped into the kitchen, both boys stood up, their mouths dropping open. Brianna was in fuchsia capris, a white silk shirt with a fuchsia and black swirl design and Keds with white lace socks. Morgan was wearing peach capris, a white t-shirt with peach fabric flowers around the neck and Keds with white socks. Both girls had their hair in braids with matching ribbons woven through. 

"I'm going to fucking kill you when we get home Gino," said Vin to his family. "The girls aren't in dresses, they're in capris. You had us worried for nothing." 

"I know," Gino said with a laugh. "Maria, Sophia and Gabby told them not to get dresses since they were going bowling." 

"So all of you were in on it?" asked Dom angrily. 

"Yeah, but it wasn't our idea, but I wish it would've been. It's classic," said Damian as he laughed. 

"We'll talk about this later," Vin responded with a snarl. He took a deep breath to calm down before he and Dom walked over to the girls and he pulled Brianna tightly to his side as he leaned down and kissed her gently. Dom held out his hand and when Morgan placed her hand in his he smiled before leaning down so she could scent him. He knew allowing her to scent him would put her at ease and he barely suppressed his growl when she bared her neck to him after she was done. 

"We ready to get this show on the road?" asked Matt with a smile. 

The girls said they'd be back and ran upstairs and Vin looked at Todd who said quietly, "They forgot their pocketbooks; they've never had one before. We had a big discussion earlier about what they should have in there; so I gave them $20, they have their school ID's, cell phones and some makeup." 

Dom nodded and said, "We'll make sure they don't leave them." He looked at Matt and Phil saying quietly, "I'd like to thank you for agreeing to chaperone. I know it'll put them at ease rather than having my family with us, especially Morgan." 

"It's no problem," said Phil with a gleam in his eye as he looked at his brother. "We figured you'd rather have us than him." Vin and Dom didn't answer but smiled making Papa Mike and Nana Ellen laugh. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



"Okay, we're ready," Morgan said softly as she walked into the kitchen. 

Todd, Holly, Papa Mike and Nana Ellen hugged the girls goodbye and Holly said, "They're your mates and they'll be overprotective but they'll want to make you happy no matter what, so relax and have a good time. Remember to listen to the boys, Uncle Matt and Uncle Phil if they sense danger." 

Todd looked at Vin and Dom giving them both a glare as he said, "You'd better take good care of my daughters." 

"We will Sir," they said at the same time before Vin said, "We'll have them home by 11." Todd nodded and walked them to Matt's SUV watching as Vin and Brianna got in the third row and Dom and Morgan in the middle. They waved before pulling away and Todd stared at the end of the driveway for several minutes. 

"They'll be fine," said Papa Mike as he put his hand on his sons shoulder. "They have their mates and their uncles with them." 

Todd sighed loudly before saying, "I know Dad, but they'll always be my babies. Erin and Caitlin are going on their first dates tomorrow and before you know it, somebody'll be making declarations for them too." 

Papa Mike shrugged and said, "That is the way of our life. So far Luna has given you two strong sons and aligned you with a powerful family that will protect the rest of our family. We have truly been blessed by her." Todd nodded and his father continued, "Now, let's go inside and work on the plans for the store a little more. Your mother is getting anxious and so is your mate." 

At the Carlucci's, dinner was being served; baked ziti, with platters of meatballs, sweet and hot Italian sausage, homemade garlic bread and salad. The youngsters were laughing while they discussed what movie they were going to watch and the adults talked quietly about everything that happened that week. 

The drive to Carmelo's was quiet for the first few minutes and Phil sensed the girls anxiety and asked, "What do you want on your first authentic pizza? Mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, onions, sausage, pepperoni, meatballs?" 

"Do we have to pick one?" asked Morgan quietly. 

"You can have whatever you want. We'll order six pizzas with different toppings so you can figure out what you like," Dom answered as he reached over to hold her hand. Seeing the confusion on her face he said, "Vin and I eat a whole pizza each and my favorite is a Supreme, that's one with everything." 

"Sounds good," said Vin as he nuzzled Brianna's neck. "What do you want?" 

"Meatballs and green peppers," she replied with a giggle. 

"I think I'd like to try pepperoni and black olives, if that's okay," said Morgan as she looked at Dom with a questioning look. 

"Whatever you want, you'll get," he replied again and felt his wolf lie down and roll over baring his belly to its mate. Twenty minutes later Carmelo was placing a large Antipasto in front of them and Dom and Vin made sure their mates were served first. Explaining what the various meats and cheeses were, they watched their reaction and noted what they liked and didn't like. 

"Your pizzas will be out in twenty," said Carmelo as he smiled at Matt and Phil. "I see you got stuck with chaperone duty." 

Matt smiled at his mate and said, "We were planning on having date night anyway because we'll be busy the whole weekend, with the football game and then cutting wood for the family on Sunday." 

Carmelo nodded, "Tell Todd my boys and I'll be there to help. I'll bring thirty pounds of sausage patties." Matt nodded and Brianna and Morgan eyes got huge as Vin and Dom laughed. 

"We eat a lot," said Vin with a shrug as Carmelo laughed before walking away. 

On schedule their six pizzas came and Morgan gasped as Dom put one slice of each on her plate. "You don't have to finish them, just try them to see what you like," he whispered. She looked at her sister and saw Vin had done the same thing for her and she watched Dom, following his motions before taking a bite of each. 

"The Supreme is my favorite but I don't like the mushrooms," she said and Dom took the rest off her plate and gave her two more slices of the Supreme after taking the mushrooms off by hand. She saw Vin doing the same to Brianna leaving her with the pepperoni. Wondering how accommodating he would be, she said, "I like the bread sticks too." Without a word, he gave her the breadsticks from his plate. "I thought the Supreme was your favorite? I don't want to take it from you." 

"It is, but if you like it then that's what you'll get," he replied as he finished another slice of four cheese while he watched carefully making sure she had enough to drink and eat. "Next time, we'll order it without mushrooms." 

"Momma was right; they will do anything to make us happy. He gave me his favorite pizza and his breadsticks," Morgan said happily to her sister. 

"I told you the same thing," replied Brianna. "But remember what else Momma said, not to take advantage of it and to make sure they're happy too. That's what mates are supposed to do." 

Morgan glanced at Dom and he whispered, "I didn't have a chance to tell you how beautiful you look." 

"You do too...I mean you look handsome," she said with a shy smile. 

Brianna pushed against Vin's shoulder and said in a teasing voice, "You didn't tell me I look nice." 

"I thought I showed you how much I liked your outfit in the SUV," said Vin with a grin as she blushed while Matt choked on his drink. 

As soon as he was able to talk, Matt said, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that or see the two of you in the rear-view mirror." Brianna's face got even redder while Vin laughed and Dom stared at his mate wondering how long it was going to be before he could kiss her, both he and his wolf couldn't wait. 

Morgan could feel his gaze on her and took a deep breath before laying her head on his shoulder as she snuggled into his chest. She felt his sharp intake of breath as he brought his arm around her shoulders and kissed her gently on the forehead. Tingles raced along her skin and she heard his growl before he whispered, "Mine." 

She nuzzled his neck and whispered, "Mine." Feeling the low growl reverberate through his chest she closed her eyes as a feeling of safety and love rushed through her before an image of that night flashed through her mind. Feeling her tense and correctly guessing what she was thinking, Dom whispered, "I will never hurt you, you mean everything to me Zenzero. Remember what I told you the day we met, that making you happy and keeping you safe are the number one priorities in my life and that will never change." Hearing the sincerity in his tone and knowing her wolf trusted him Morgan started to relax and continued to scent him. 

"You okay sweetie?" asked Phil with a concerned look on his face. 

"Just bad memories Uncle Phil, but Dom chases them away," she replied and turned slightly so she could reach for her uncle's hand. Feeling him squeeze it, she calmed down even more knowing she was surrounded by people who loved her. Sensing peace flow through her Dom looked at Phil and mouthed 'Thank you', Phil nodded and didn't let go of her hand, knowing she needed it to ground her. Dinner continued while they talked about the football game, but Morgan didn't move from her position, holding onto her uncle's hand while being held by her mate. 

Carmelo and his staff cleared the empty dishes before he came back and said, "Do you want dessert or anything else?" 

Phil shook his head and said, "I think we're done. Could you add this to our tab?" Seeing Vin and Dom ready to protest he said, "Let us pay for dinner, we'll never have little ones so the girls are the closest thing we'll ever have." 

"Thank you," said Vin with a smile. Matt and Phil nodded and minutes later they were in the SUV on the way to Bellucci's. 

At the Carlucci's, the youngsters decided to swim before watching a movie and Alberto sat on a chaise with Maria since she couldn't get her cast wet. Sophia and Gabby came outside after getting changed and Gabby laughed as she saw Sal flexing as he compared muscle size with Damian. "Nice chest Salvatore," she shouted as she took her cover-up off and put it on a chaise near Alberto and Maria. 

Remembering the instructions to compliment her, he shouted back, "You too." As the words were coming out of his mouth he realized what he was saying but couldn't stop. He froze and heard dead silence as everyone stared at him with their mouths open and he said, "Oh damn...I ugh...you know I...well, I meant...Could somebody just fucking kill me now? Just put me out of my misery please." 

To his surprise Angelo started laughing first followed by Alberto then the Carlucci's. He looked at Gabby and she was bright red, but had a smile on her face as she asked, "You like my new bathing suit?" 

Sal gulped loudly as he looked at her in the gold and black one piece swimsuit and stammered, "Ugh...oh... yeah...it...it looks...and uhmm ...and you look...well... yeah...and I mean..." He took a deep breath covering his face with his hands as he muttered, "Fuck my life." Looking at the other boys who were laughing hysterically he said, "Help me. Somebody please help me for fucks sake, I've turned into a blathering idiot again." 

"Tell her she looks amazing," said Marcus as he wiped the tears off his face. 

"And the gold brings out the highlights in her hair," added Damian as he leaned against the side of the pool as he caught his breath. 

"Take a deep breath and calm yourself down first," Anthony said as he sat down with Sophia on a chaise next to Alberto and Maria. 

Sal took a deep breath and said in a rush, "The gold brings out the highlights in your hair and you look amazing." Gabby beamed but before she could answer, Gino snuck up behind Sal and knocked him into the pool. Sophia, Maria and Gabby looked at each other and tried not to laugh as Sal came spluttering to the surface. 

When they arrived at the bowling alley, Vin and Dom bought Brianna and Morgan Dexter bowling shoes as Vin explained they bowled a lot and it was easier to have their own shoes. Seeing the admiring looks the girls were getting from other boys, Dom asked Tom Bellucci for a lane away from everyone and he agreed; he knew how jealous Vin and Dom would get if somebody approached their intendeds and he didn't want the boys to get into an argument or a fight on their date. After looking at the lanes he told them the two far right lanes were open, the family there was finished and putting on their shoes. Vin and Dom nodded and held the girls hands as they walked to the lanes, glaring at the boys who were staring at their intendeds. While they waited for the family to leave, Vin and Phil went to the lockers to get their shoes and bowling balls while Dom and Matt stayed with the girls. 

"We'll spend as much time as you need teaching you how to bowl. The hardest part is getting your steps down and sliding. After you put your shoes on, rub them on the carpet to scuff up the leather on the bottom a little, it'll help you slide," Dom said continuing to glare at the boys who were now openly staring at Brianna and Morgan. He recognized them from playing sports against them and being part of the social scene around the Hagerstown area. 

"Hey Carlucci, who're the babes? We haven't seen them around here before," Dom heard someone shout. He looked to the crowd of boys and saw it was Harry Weaver, the quarterback for South Hagerstown High School. 

Dom stood up to his full height of 6'3" crossing his arms over his chest as he replied, "They're our girlfriends Weaver, show some respect." 

"If something happens, I want the two of you behind me or Uncle Phil. Don't do or say anything to the boys, let your mates handle it," Matt said in a firm tone. He glanced around noting there were now forty boys gathered and said, "Forget that, move towards me now, but do it slow so you don't distract Dom. He needs to keep his concentration on that crowd." He nodded with approval as Brianna and Morgan slowly made their way towards him. "Phil, we need you out here now." 

"Vin, get your ass out here now," Dom said angrily. 

"Girlfriends, huh? Well, when you're done with them this evening, pass them this way," another guy hollered and the boys started to laugh and give each other high-fives and fist pumps. 

Dom turned making sure his mate and her sister were okay and sensing his brother and Phil running from the locker room, he took a step forward saying forcefully, "Shut the fuck up. I said they were our girlfriends; show some fucking respect before I beat it into you." 

Seeing Vin and Phil running towards them, some of the boys looked nervous, they had no wish to go against Vin or Dom let alone the two older men. Tom saw what was happening and called his sons, Robert, Duke and Jerome. They came running and Robert said, "Is there a problem? If not, go back to your lanes, if you're not bowling then you can leave." The three brothers stood side by side next to Vin and Dom while Matt and Phil stood in front of the girls. 

The crowd of boys looked at each other and Vin said, "My brother told you we were on a date with our girlfriends. So, I suggest you leave. If you have something to say, say it in two weeks when we play each other and we'll settle it on the field." 

"You're talking big Carlucci with all those older guys with you," said Harry Weaver as he narrowed his eyes. 

Vin raised his eyebrow and said, "And you have your whole fucking football team with you Weaver. Like I said, we'll deal with it on the field, when I have my brothers, cousins and the rest of my team with me." 

"I'm sure Lorenzo would like another go at you. Don't you remember the party last spring in Williamsport when he broke your nose and knocked your ass out because you said you couldn't wait to date his sister?" asked Dom with a smirk before his face broke out in a smile. "And by the way, she's dating Alberto Moretti... I'm sure he'd be interested in hearing what you said about his girlfriend." 

Harry visibly paled and his voice was uneven as he said, "She's dating Moretti?" Vin and Dom nodded and Harry who didn't want to appear to be backing down said in a nasty tone, "We'll see you in two weeks." The Carlucci's didn't say anything just stood there with their arms crossed over their chests. 

After the crowd of boys left, Duke looked at Vin and Dom and said in a teasing tone, "It's always something with you Carlucci's, isn't it?" 

Vin and Dom laughed as they turned to check on their mates who were peeking around Matt and Phil. Seeing the boys gone and Duke and Jerome there, Morgan asked, "How are Emory and Cynthia?" 

Duke groaned and said, "Emory insisted on coming here to help Dad do the books, but all she's done is sit at the snack bar eating chili cheese fries, cheese popcorn and nachos. I'll be up all night because she'll have heartburn." 

"And Cynthia is sitting with her, eating her weight in hamburgers and fries since she doesn't have morning sickness anymore," said Jerome with a smile. 

Morgan looked at Dom and asked quietly, "Can we see them before we leave?" He nodded quickly and pulled her into his side scenting her deeply as he felt his wolf start to calm down. After thanking the Bellucci's again, the three couples went to their lanes where they changed their shoes and the next half hour was spent showing Brianna and Morgan how to bowl duckpins. Being Were's, they had natural athletic ability and soon were bowling as if they had done it their entire lives. Brianna suggested they start a game and Morgan suggested mates against mates; Brianna, Dom and Matt against her, Vin and Phil and the men readily agreed since they were competitive by nature. 

Anthony tilted his head back, followed moments later by the boys as he said, "My parents and Dante are here, I wonder what's going on." Minutes later the French doors opened and the adults walked out onto the patio settling around the tables. Frank and Joe brought drinks for everyone and they started talking quietly while the youngsters shrugged and continued to horse around in the pool until they heard their Alpha say, "Anthony, could you come up here please." Seeing the looks on the other youngsters faces Carlo smiled and said, "The rest of you can join us too." They hurriedly dried off and joined the adults. 

He looked at Sophia, Maria and Gabby and said quietly, "I know you're probably anxious about what I told the adults today. I didn't want the Miller girls to find out about their friends in public and I wanted each parent to explain it to the younger ones." He grabbed his mates hands before he continued, "The three girls who had been missing from their Pack were killed by Charles. I'm not going to tell you what happened to them, I'll only say after hearing what happened we are more determined than ever to make sure you stay safe. It'll be up to your parents if they give you details, but believe me you're better off not knowing." 

Sophia and Maria looked to their parents and Frank and Joe were shaking their heads emphatically, and Frank said, "There's no fucking way I'm telling you what they went through. I wish I didn't know, but as Alpha Carlo said we are more determined than ever to protect you." The girls nodded and burrowed deeper into their intendeds side while Gabby reached out for Sal's hand who squeezed it reassuringly. 

Carlo looked at them and said, "This next part is confidential and I don't want you to talk about it until I fill the other Betas in then the rest of the Pack. I'll tell the Level 4's tonight and everyone else this weekend." They nodded and Carlo continued, "Doc brought up an interesting point, one you need to be aware of when you're making your escape plans...He believes with the upcoming threat the birth rate will skyrocket in the next year." Seeing the looks of confusion on their faces he said, "You know mates cannot survive without each other; but if the male dies and the female is pregnant or has little ones, their wolf will force itself to live to make sure the little one is safe since they're the last remaining part of their mate. He believes when their mates go into heat the younger men will make sure their mates conceive, not only to carry on their genetic line but to protect their mates so they don't die. It'll be instinctual with them, their wolf will take over." 

Frank sat back and sighed, "I hadn't thought of that, but it makes perfect sense. A male Were is the most protective of their mate when they're pregnant and after the little ones are born." 

"Doc's right," Annie said quietly as Rose and Gina nodded. "But it won't only be the males; the females will want to conceive too. Knowing their mates will possibly die, they'll do anything to keep a piece of them alive." 

There was silence as everyone thought of what had been said and Gina said quietly, "It wouldn't surprise me if some of the other women went into heat also; those who had stopped years before, after their daughters had been born." Everyone snapped their heads towards their Madame Alpha and she shrugged, "Think about it, their wolves know their entire family is in danger; to protect the bloodlines they may go into heat again to ensure the bloodline survives." 

Carlo stared at his mate for several moments and squeezed her hand, "If Luna blessed us with a little one I would be overjoyed; but I don't want you to get upset if it doesn't happen. You and Anthony are all the family I need and when Angelica died..." He stopped and stared at his son as he blinked away his tears thinking of his little girl and how much she had looked like Anthony. 

"I know Carlo, you don't have to say anything," Gina said quietly as she laid her head on his chest. She felt his arms encircle her and burrowed deeper into his comforting warmth and sighed in contentment when she felt her sons arms encircle both of them. Everyone was quiet as they didn't want to intrude and lowered their gazes to give them privacy. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



Minutes later Carlo cleared his throat but didn't let go of his mate and he held his sons hand as he said, "Doc's ordering extra supplies for the anticipated births, for the clinic and the safe room. He's also ordering an ultrasound machine and more medical equipment, so we need to make sure the electrical system in the safe room can support them. Frank and Joe, if you think we need it, buy another generator. Rose and Annie, make sure there are extra supplies in the safe room; cribs, diapers, and whatever else you feel is needed. He also wants everyone to take classes to make sure if the women go in labor during the battle they have the proper care. I mean everyone...boys too." He smiled at the excited looks on the girls faces and started to laugh at the disgusted looks on the boys faces. 

Enzo nodded and said, "We'll make sure to account for this when we make our plans Alpha Carlo. Gino, Paulo, Michael and I decided we would distribute duties and have regular meetings to change or update our plans as needed." 

Carlo nodded as he looked the four boys in the eye and said, "I'm not worried, that's why I put the four of you in charge. You're Carlucci's through and through, you'll always do what you think is best for the Pack." 

"Being a Rossi Alpha has always been made easier because we have always had your family standing with us. They have stood in front of us taking the brunt of the attack, at our side through the hard times and most importantly behind us to protect our backs from our enemies," said Dante as he looked at Ric, Rocco, Frank and Joe who sat up straight, basking in the praise from their two Alphas. He glanced at Carlo and Anthony before he said, "Even if you all are incredibly stupid." 

The four men, Dante, Carlo and Anthony threw their heads back and roared with laughter while the youngsters looked at each other like they had lost their minds. "What the hell kind of compliment is that?" asked Damian with a scowl as the men laughed even harder. 

Dom watched his intended in amazement; gone was the shy, timid girl and in her place was a vivacious outspoken young lady who cheered, jeered and heckled everyone. He'd never seen her like this and wondered if this was what she was like around her family and if she was feeling comfortable enough around him and Vin to finally be herself. Remembering what Madame Gina had said about her personality before she witnessed the rape of her friends, he felt like he was finally seeing the real Morgan Miller and he was completely captivated. At the end of the second game he looked at the clock and said, "We'd better go, we promised we'd have you home by 11, and it's almost 10." 

"But we can't stop, we're tied, we each won a game," said Morgan putting her hands on her hips as she frowned at her mate. "There wasn't a winner, we've got to have a winner and I know we were going to win next game and beat you." 

He pulled her into his side and whispered, "We'll finish next time, my competitive mate. I don't want to get your Dad mad at me for having you out too late and you said you wanted to talk to Emory and Cynthia before we left." 

Morgan let out a large huff, "Okay, but I don't like it." She narrowed her eyes and took a step up, bringing them almost eye to eye, "Admit it Dominic Carlucci, I was getting too good and skeered you." 

Dom threw back his head and laughed as he said, "Zenzero, last game I rolled a 168 and you had a 92. Yes, you were getting better but remember I was bowling with my left hand, if I was bowling with my dominant hand like you, I would probably have bowled a near perfect game. That would be a little suspicious so we always bowl with the other hand, just like when we play sports we always use the other hand or hold back on our athletic abilities. Appearances must be kept." 

Morgan thought over what he said and he saw the twinkle in her eye, "I still think you were skeered." She turned and ran to her uncles and stuck her tongue out at him before she started to laugh. Matt looked down and saw she still had on her bowling shoes and reminded her to change shoes and get her pocketbook. She looked up and saw Dom holding her Keds and pocketbook and she burst out laughing and waited while he brought them to her. After Vin and Phil put their shoes and bowling balls in the lockers, the group went to the snack bar where Emory and Cynthia were sitting in the back corner away from everybody. 

"How was the date?" asked Emory excitedly. "You two look beautiful." Cynthia motioned for them to join them at the table. 

"Thanks, we went to Carmelo's then came here. It was so exciting and exactly what we wanted," said Brianna with a big smile as Morgan nodded. "How are you feeling? Is the little one moving a lot?" 

Cynthia started to laugh and said, "She thought she was in labor ten minutes ago, but it was gas from all the food she ate. You should've seen Duke, he was so nervous I thought he was going to pass out." 

"She's finally over her morning sickness, so she's starting to eat everything in sight," added Emory with a smile. "At two months, she's a third of the way through the pregnancy and the little one is starting to move." 

"I can't wait until I have a little one," said Morgan quietly as she glanced at Dom who was standing with his back to them as his eyes raked the bowling alley. He heard her and couldn't help his body tensing as he thought of her round with his little one, but he didn't want to scare her by showing any other reaction. He could feel his wolf stand at attention at the thought of their mate having their little one and he started pacing back and forth. 

"Are you going to the game?" asked Brianna. "Sophia, Maria and Gabby have been giving us extra practices so we know the routines, but we're nervous. I'm afraid I'll get up there and forget everything." 

Emory frowned, "No, Alpha Carlo won't let any pregnant females, young ones or little ones off the territory. It's always been that way and this year all those deemed vulnerable will be in the safe room, he doesn't want to take any chances." 

"But we'll be at the home game in two weeks against South," said Cynthia with a smile. "We'll see you then." 

"I'll be there, if I can fit in the car," said Emory with a grimace as she rubbed her stomach. "I'll be two weeks away from my due date then. Right now he feels huge but Doc said in the last month he'll get even bigger." She looked at her stomach and laughed, "I can't see how that could possibly happen, I'm enormous." She glanced at her stomach again and started to cry, "I look like a beached whale, I'm a fat cow and my stomach is so big I'm going to burst open any second." 

Brianna and Morgan looked at each other unsure of what was going on, one minute she was laughing the next she was in tears. Cynthia leaned over and grabbed her hand and said, "You're fine, it's just the hormones talking." 

Duke came running around the corner, "Sweetie, what's the matter?" 

Emory looked at him and said in a quavering voice, "It's your fault I'm fat." 

"I keep telling you that you're not fat, you're pregnant Sweetie. That's our little one in there and as soon as he's born you'll feel better," Duke said in a calm reassuring voice. "Do you want some ice cream?" Emory sniffed as she nodded and he came back moments later with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and cool whip. He looked at the other three and asked, "Do you want some too?" They shook their heads and watched as Emory attacked the bowl of ice cream and asked for some onion rings to dip in it. 

"We've got to go, we don't want to be late," said Vin quietly as the girls hugged and said goodbye. On their way out, the Bellucci men wished them luck; it was the first football game they had missed in years. Carlo wanted extra men left behind to guard those staying in the safe room for added protection, so it would be one of the smallest crowds ever going to Shenandoah Pack. Minutes later they were in the SUV, Morgan and Dom in the third seat and Vin and Brianna in the second. Morgan was quiet as she tried not to glance at Vin and Brianna who were nuzzling each others neck and whispering quietly before they started to kiss. 

"Dom, can I ask you something?" she asked in a voice so quiet he barely heard her as she glanced at her shoes. 

He put his hand under her chin to turn her head towards him and answered just as quietly, "You can ask me anything." 

"Well, this kiss thing...you know uhmm, the first kiss...how would it...would I or you..." she stopped talking as she looked deep into his emerald eyes and saw them dilate taking on an amber tint. She heard his low growl as a shiver raced up her spine and she held her breath as his eyes lowered to fixate on her lips. Morgan made a movement towards him but Dom wasn't sure if it was from the motion of the SUV or she was leaning in. His eyes moved to stare into hers, ready to pull back if he saw hesitation or fear, even if it would kill him. Seeing nothing but excitement and trust in the sparkling grey eyes, his eyes flashed amber and he groaned as he brought his head down slowly as their lips finally met. 

The kiss was whisper soft, their lips barely touching but to Morgan it felt like Dom was branding her and marking her as his own and her wolf couldn't be happier; she was prancing back and forth in delight, her tail high in the air. The human part of Morgan was almost overwhelmed; his scent surrounded her, the heat radiating off him made her skin feel like it was on fire, the hand gently caressing her cheek was sending tingles racing over her skin and she felt light-headed from the combination of the sensations... but she didn't want him to stop. 

Dom's wolf stopped pacing and sat down howling his satisfaction at being this close to his mate and he couldn't control the feral growl that came from within him. Feeling no resistance from his mate he slowly deepened the kiss, moving his lips with increased pressure back and forth until he felt Morgan relax her lips and slightly part them; this was what he wanted and what he had been waiting for. Not wanting to overwhelm her, he continued to go slowly as he gently tilted her head to a better angle as he ran the tip of his tongue over her lower lip before sliding his tongue into her mouth. Feeling her shudder he growled again as he rubbed his tongue against hers and felt her first timid response as she mimicked what he was doing. He felt her hands settle on his shoulders and he kept one hand firmly on the back of her head and the other fisted on his leg. 

Less than a minute later Morgan started to pull back and Dom instantly let her go and leaned against the side of the SUV as he took slow deep breaths. She glanced at him with a shy grin before she hid her face in her hands. Dom laughed quietly and sat up pulling her into his side as he whispered, "That was even better than I thought it would be, it was absolutely amazing, beyond amazing." 

"Are...are you going to be kissing me like that all the time?" asked Morgan as she blushed bright red. 

"I think your Dad might have some objections if we did that all the time, though I would like to...I'd really really like to," Dom answered with a growl. "We'll kiss like that when we have some privacy and you can kiss me whenever you want to, I don't always have to be the one to start. But I'd also like to start kissing you like this whenever we want." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth and was satisfied when Morgan sighed. 

"I think I'd like that," Morgan said as she buried her head in his neck. "I...I think I'd like to do it again, if you want." Dom didn't answer, growling instead as he brought his head back down to hers and started kissing her again. 

Matt glanced in the rearview mirror to check the traffic since he had to change lanes and saw both couples kissing. He reached out to hold his mates hand, "Morgan's learning to trust again, my mate. I think after tonight we'll have a completely different Morgan to watch over, protect and love." 

Phil sighed as he squeezed Matt's hand, "Dominic and Vincent are good for them, they can help them heal after the hell they went through. Just like we helped each other and our new family has filled the emptiness inside of us both." 

"Always together, until the end," Matt said as he looked at Phil who nodded as he smiled back at his mate. They were five minutes from the Millers house when Matt spoke loudly, causing the couples to jump apart, "Anytime you want to go out again, let us know. We had a great dinner, almost got in a fight, bowled two good games and were entertained by all the goings on back there on the way home." 

Phil turned in his seat and looked at the youngsters before he started smiling, "Girls, you need to fix your hair and lipstick. Boys, you need to wipe the lipstick off your face and neck. Other than that, I think we're good." Morgan and Brianna dove for their pocketbooks to get their compacts to see what Phil was saying, while Vin and Dom laughed as they followed Phil's instructions. They pulled in front of the garage with minutes to spare before the curfew and Phil took a look at the girls nodding before they went into the house. 

They were met in the hallway by Todd who examined his daughters with a critical eye and said loudly, "Why are your lips swollen? Your lipstick's smeared too." Brianna and Morgan blushed as their hands flew to cover their mouths and their eyes were wide as they looked at the guilty expression on their mates. Dom shoved his hands in his pockets and Vin hunched his shoulders as he rubbed the back of his neck as both boys suddenly developed a fixation on their shoes. 

"Todd Miller, leave them alone," shouted Holly as she came down the hall with a smile on her face. "Don't you remember what it was like when we were dating? At the end of the evening you had on more lipstick than I did." 

He glared at Vin and Dom who were looking everywhere but at him, "That was completely different, you were my mate and THEY are my daughters." 

Holly rolled her eyes as she smacked Todd on the arm, "Todd, even for you that doesn't make any sense. Brianna and Morgan are THEIR mates." 

"Daughters trump mates," Todd said as he raised his eyebrow as Matt and Phil couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Todd glared at them before he started to laugh, "I'm losing my mind, and I think Luna giving me ten daughters has been payback for what I did when I was young." 

Holly said with a smile, "Come in the kitchen, we have cake and cookies." At the mention of food, Vin and Dom quickly ushered their intendeds into the kitchen and got excited seeing the three cakes and plates of cookies on the table. 

Vin noticed how quiet everything was and asked, "Where is everybody?" 

"Asleep," Todd replied as he poured each youngster a glass of milk. "With fourteen people in the house we have to wake up hours before everybody else to get ready. That reminds me, I need to talk to your Dad about getting a bigger hot water heater or adding another one, the one we have isn't big enough." 

Vin and Dom nodded as Holly put a big slice of each cake on plates and handed it to them. She looked at the girls who shook their heads and instead grabbed a sugar cookie. After taking a bite of chocolate cake Vin said, "I'll let him know, he can take a look at it Sunday. The Moretti's will be here to help too and Mr. M is bringing thirty pounds of sausage patties to help with breakfast. Mom is sending over two breakfast casseroles, so you'll have to heat them." 

"What's a breakfast casserole?" asked Holly as she took a bite of the vanilla cake. As Holly was talking to the boys, Todd looked at his brothers and asked them for details on how the date went and Matt and Phil made sure to let Todd know how protective and caring the boys were. 

"It's two layers of buttered bread, hash browns, cheese, sausage, onions, mushrooms green peppers and she pours scrambled eggs over it and bakes it. She serves it with sausage gravy," answered Vin as he started to eat the red velvet cake. 

Dom whispered, "I'll make sure she leaves out the mushrooms." Morgan nodded; pleased he would think about that. 

Todd looked at the clock and said, "Okay girls, time for bed. I'd like to talk with your intendeds alone." Vin and Dom swallowed noisily and walked their mates to the kitchen door giving them a kiss on their foreheads. As much as they wanted to kiss them, with their Dad glaring at them they figured that was better. 

"We'll be here at 8," whispered Dom as the girls went down the hallway, with Holly closely following them as she asked them questions about how the date went. Vin and Dom glanced at each other and slowly walked back to the table. 

"Sit down," Todd said in a menacing tone which didn't help the boys unease. Todd continued to glare at them for several minutes before saying, "The reason I wanted to talk to you is we haven't told the girls about their friends yet. We talked it over and didn't want to ruin this weekend for them, with their first dates and the football game. But I'd like you to be there when we tell them Sunday evening." 

"Yes Sir, we have training from 5 to 7, but we'll come right after," said Vin as he exhaled slowly as he glanced at his twin, knowing there was more coming. 

"I understand you almost got in a fight protecting my daughters; made sure they ate well but most of all had fun. That's all a father could ask for, but I do have one request...don't slobber all over my daughters in front of me." Vin and Dom blushed bright red and nodded as Todd continued, "I can see a lot of myself in the two of you; I know what I was like at that age and how I felt after I made my declaration for Hols and to be honest...it scares the hell out of me, they're my babies." 

"I want you to know we'll always treat your daughters with respect and protect them Sir," Vin said in a firm tone. 

Dom nodded and said, "Madame Gina told me what happened with Morgan, and I want you to know I've let her dictate the pace of everything we've done, including our first kiss. I would never do anything she's not ready for." 

Todd nodded and smiled for the first time, "That's all a father wants to hear. Now finish your cake and get the hell home. We've got a long day ahead of us and I understand since Shenandoah Pack is isolated, you'll be able to play against them full strength." Vin and Dom laughed and the five men sat and talked about football until all three cakes and the cookies were gone. 

Vin looked at the clock and saw it was almost midnight, "We've really got to go Sir. We'll be here at 8." Todd nodded and walked the four men to the door and watched the vehicles pull out of the driveway before locking and alarming the house. 

Vin and Dom entered the house quietly, reset the alarm and noticed the light under the door to their Dad's study. After knocking, they waited for permission before entering and weren't surprised to see the men having a beer. "How was the date?" asked Frank with a smile. 

"Good," Dom answered. "Ate pizza, bowled, Weaver showed his ass and we almost got into a fight, took the girls home. Oh, and Nana Ellen made chocolate, red velvet and vanilla cake and cookies too...chocolate chip, sugar and oatmeal raisin." 

"And she made brownies with cream cheese and cherries, one of the best things I've ever eaten," said Vin as he rubbed his stomach. 

The men started to laugh and Ric said in a teasing tone, "You go out with your beautiful intendeds and the only thing you talk about is what you ate?" 

Vin and Dom looked at each other and smiled as Vin said, "That's all we're telling you bunch of degenerates. See you in the morning." 

They were almost out of the room when Frank said in a loud voice, "You might want to put some Spray 'n Wash on your shirts...it'll get the lipstick stains out." They halted in their tracks as the men burst out laughing. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



As soon as they got in the laundry room, they took off their shirts, noticing the stains on their collars. "No wonder Mr. Miller was so mad at us," said Vin as he began to laugh. "I'm surprised Phil didn't let us know." 

"It's on the side towards the back, he probably didn't see it," Dom said with a shrug before he started to laugh too. "At least it's a light color and not bright red." 

"Well Gentlemen, I'm going to bed, 4:30 comes bright and early," said Frank with a grimace as he got up and stretched. "Ric and Rocco, the blankets and pillows are in the hall closet, Luc the crib is set up for you in the family room." 

"Vaffanculo Francesco, (Fuck you Frank)" said Luc in a haughty tone as the men started laughing loudly. 

At 4:50, Frank, Joe and the Italians were at the pool house when the Moretti's and Rossi's joined them. The boys, except Damian, would jog around the side yard and do light weight work since they had the game. "We've got to do this at a better time, I hate waking up so fucking early," said Carlo glaring at Frank and Joe. 

"You whine worse then Luc," said Frank with a smile as he punched his mates cousin on the shoulder. "Let's start, we're going to increase our pace, I want to do the ten mile run in forty-five minutes." The men groaned but didn't say anything as they followed Frank and Joe into the woods while the boys started their jog. 

After their workout, everyone showered and dressed; the girls in their cheerleading uniforms and the boys in their school uniforms plus ties. After breakfast, the boys loaded the SUV's with their equipment and at 8, they were pulling into the Millers driveway. Lorenzo and Gianni pulled their trucks to the side of the driveway since they would be riding with the others. Carlo said, "Todd, you need these decals on the back windows of the SUV's, it shows you're from SMP. Did you fill both tanks like Frank said?" Carlo handed him SMHS decals with the picture of the husky howling in front of the full moon. Todd nodded and put them on the back of the four new SUV's they purchased earlier in the week. "Where are the girls?" 

"Inside with Holly and Mom fixing hair bows, adjusting uniforms and other shit I have no clue about," Todd answered as he rolled his eyes. "We've been up since 5 and it's been a madhouse in there, Dad and I made sure we stayed out of the way." He looked at Sophia and Maria and thought of his daughters as he ran his hands through his hair and said to Frank quietly, "Are you sure it's safe Frank? If you say its safe then I'll feel better." 

Frank nodded and said quietly, "Shenandoah Pack...well I wouldn't call them allies, they're isolated and only follow Alpha Council laws because they have to." Seeing the look on Todd's face he shrugged, "They're not enemies either, I'd say they were indifferent and we have protocols we follow when we leave our territory. Anthony and Carlo don't ride in the same vehicle in case something happens and since I have both future Alpha's with me, Ric and Rocco will be with us for increased protection. Your daughters will be well protected, we've taken extra precautions and paired the girls with strong fighters, this week we have the benefit of having the Italians here." Frank stopped talking as he saw Damian and Annie pull in the driveway. 

"Is there anything you guys don't think of?" asked Todd. 

"We plan for everything and hope nothing happens," said Frank with a thoughtful expression as he watched Damian pull off to the side of the driveway. 

"DOC GAVE ME CLEARANCE NOW LET'S KICK SOME ASS," he shouted as he ran over to Maria picked her up and spun her around before kissing her loudly on the forehead as she giggled. 

Everyone started to laugh at his excitement except for Alberto who was scowling. He pulled her gently into his side as he scented her and whispered, "I don't like the scent of another male on you, even if it is your brother. I want you to make sure you wear my jacket or my sweatshirt so you carry my scent today." Maria remembered the conversation the night Anthony made his declaration and knew Alberto needed reassurance. She crooked her finger at him and when he bent down, she scented him and whispered in his ear, "Mine." As he straightened up, he looked down at her, his eyes half-lidded as he growled out, "Three years." Knowing what he was talking about her face flushed bright red and she giggled. 

Hearing a commotion, everyone turned to see the Miller girls run out of the house chattering loudly as Nana Ellen and Holly followed making sure the door was locked and alarmed. It was the first time the Carlucci boys had seen them in their uniforms and their mouths dropped open, they were used to seeing it on their sisters but on the Millers it looked completely different; the blue pleated skirt with white trim ended 3" above the knee and the blue short sleeve top with white decals came to the top of the skirt. They had matching ribbons in their hair, white ankle socks and white Nike cheerleading shoes with a blue swoosh. The four youngest had on SMHS white t-shirts with blue decals and matching blue capris. Vin and Dom moved immediately to their mates pulling them into their sides and scenting their necks, both boys glanced at Todd before placing a quick gentle kiss on their foreheads and Todd narrowed his eyes as Matt and Phil laughed. 

"Fuck," Lorenzo said as his amber tinted eyes raked Erin from head to toe with a predatory gleam. Seeing the look he gave her made goose bumps raise on her arms and she smiled tentatively at him and when he growled her eyes widened as she took an involuntary step back. 

"Fuck me sideways," echoed Damian as he zeroed in on Caitlin. "Every guy at Shenandoah Pack is going to be staring at the six of them and I don't blame them. She's fucking gorgeous...I mean they're gorgeous." Caitlin, Erin, Kelly and Aislin jumped up and down in excitement when Sophia, Maria and Gabby ran up to them and he said with a snarl, "Her skirt is too fucking short again and her top is too tight. What is with her and wearing children's clothes?" 

"Her outfit isn't any tighter or shorter than your sisters," said Alberto as he stared at Maria. Even though Doc wouldn't give her clearance to cheer, she still wanted to wear her uniform when she sat in the stands. He glanced at Ant and saw him staring at Sophia with an intense look on his face, "What's the matter Ant?" 

"Damian's right, everyone will be staring at our intendeds. I hope I can control my wolf when we see others staring at what's ours," he replied as his eyes flashed amber. "He's already on edge knowing his mate is leaving the safety of our territory and it won't take much to provoke him." 

Marcus walked over and nudged Ant with his shoulder, "When you're not with her, we'll be by her side. Like we always have been and always will be." Anthony nodded never taking his eyes off his mate. 

Frank and Joe looked at the sheet of paper in Joe's hand before handing it to Carlo who nodded before saying, "Fiona, Maeve, Gino, Enzo and Dante will be with me; Fallon, Shannon, Paulo, Michael and Luc with Todd; Maria, Kelly, Alberto and Marcus with Joe; Gabby, Aislin, Angelo, Gianni and Gus with Carmelo; Caitlin, Erin, Lorenzo, Damian and Salvatore with Matt; Brianna, Morgan, Vincent, Dominic and Victor with Papa Mike; Sophia, Anthony, Ric and Rocco with Frank." 

"We won't be riding together," Sal whispered to Gabby as he frowned. 

Gabby giggled and pulled out her cell phone and whispered, "We'll text each other. Next week when we go to Parr Ridge, Gus won't be here, so hopefully you'll be able to ride with us then. And I remembered to bring your hoodie." 

"Load up," announced Carlo as he and Gina moved to their SUV and minutes later they were on their way to the training center. The girls did most of the talking and in Matt and Phil's SUV, Sal sat in the third seat between Erin and Caitlin as all three texted Gabby. As they pulled in the parking lot Joe, Frank and Carlo counted the cars and Carlo said, "Vinnie and Ed, where protocols followed? Did you have any problems with the seating arrangement sent out by Frank and Joe?" 

"All protocols were followed, we had no problems with the seating assignments, and everyone has their vehicle placements. Everything is ready Alpha," said Vinnie. "I've also been to the safe room as requested, all the pregnant females, young ones and little ones are secure. George is there with Daisy and Jade, so he is in charge since he is the highest ranking Beta." 

"Let's go," Carlo said and waited for his spot in the fifty plus vehicle caravan. 

Fiona and Maeve turned and watched as each vehicle took their place. They were in the third seat with Gina so she could get to know them better. Seeing the questioning look on their face, she said quietly, "Frank and Joe give each vehicle a position; they alternate between vehicles that carry females and those that don't. If anything happens, the vehicle filled with males will do everything possible to make sure the vehicle behind them with females escapes. If you notice in front of us and behind us we have extra vehicles; that is because Carlo is Alpha, and Mr. Frank's car is the same way because he has Anthony and Sophia." 

"How long of a drive is it, Ma'am?" asked Fiona as she continued to look out the back window. "I'm sorry for not looking at you when we're talking, but I don't want to miss anything, since we've been here we haven't gone many places." 

Gina smiled at the girls enthusiasm and her eyes met Carlo's in the rearview mirror, both thinking of their daughter. "It'll take one and a half to two hours depending on traffic. As soon as we enter Virginia, we'll be met by their Betas who'll escort us to their compound, 'Hillside House'. The Pack doesn't allow any humans onto their compound and prefer to keep themselves isolated in the mountains." 

Everyone was quiet for several minutes as Maeve and Fiona continued to stare out the windows, before Dante said, "We cannot wait to see the boys play football again. We have the NFL package on satellite but it is not the same." He turned and asked the girls, "Have you ever seen a game in person?" 

They shook their heads and Maeve said quietly, "No Sir, on Sundays when we were allowed to see Daddy we'd watch the Cowboys and he explained the game to us, he always said if we understood football then we would understand men. I always hated the end of the game because they'd take us away again and sometimes we wouldn't see Mommy and Daddy for days, maybe even a week. Daddy always said he wished we could do more when we were together but they wouldn't let us." 

"They had guards at the door of the room so nobody would leave and we had to be real careful of what we said because they could hear everything," added Fiona with a shudder as she played with a fold in her t-shirt. "We weren't allowed to use our bond to talk either, Alpha Davis and Charles forbade it but Daddy could do it, but he didn't do it often because he got real bad headaches and it made him sick." 

"He would do it on our birthdays or if we were really scared, he would tell us he loved us," Maeve said in a voice so quiet they barely heard her. "We tried not to be scared because we knew Mommy and Daddy would be worried but sometimes we couldn't help it." Gina reached out and held their hands squeezing them reassuringly as she looked at the appalled expressions on the others faces. 

"Especially at night, in the dorm room," Fiona said quietly as her eyes became glassy. "The guards would stand there and watch while we fell asleep. I didn't like that at all and sometimes if I woke up in the middle of the night they'd be standing next to our bed staring at us." Carlo opened his mouth to say something but closed it when he saw Gina shake her head. His hands gripping the steering wheel were white and he glanced at Dante and saw his hands were fisted in his lap. "Daddy told us to hold each other tight when we were scared and if we felt we were in danger he'd come to us even if he got in trouble again...but we didn't want to see Daddy get hurt again, so we didn't let him know how scared we really were." 

"After Morgan was hurt, Daddy said he'd find a way for us to leave, even if we had to run away. Daddy said he and Papa Mike would always protect us and make sure nothing happened, but we were still scared," Maeve said in a quavering voice. Gina let go of their hands and put her arm around their shoulders bringing them close to her as she surrounded them with love and protection as their Alpha Female, a woman and a mother, the girls instinctively responded as they burrowed into her side. "Now we don't have to be scared because Alpha Carlo, Madame Gina, Alpha Dante, Uncle Matt, Uncle Phil plus Mr. Frank and Mr. Joe are watching out for us." 

"And the Pack Maeve, don't forget the whole Pack," added Fiona as she reached over Gina's lap to hold her sisters hand. 

Enzo added quietly, "We promise to protect you no matter what. More importantly we'll teach you how to protect yourself so you never have to be afraid again, but we'll always be there for you." A smile broke over his face as he continued, "According to Hope, it only counts if we pinky swears." He held his pinky out and Gino did the same, both girls started to laugh as they pinky swore. Enzo gave a big sigh as he said, "At least I didn't have to wear a tiara." At the girls confused look he said, "Alpha Carlo, if I project what happened, can you send it to the girls?" Carlo nodded, hoping it would cheer them up and within minutes the girls were laughing loudly as was everyone in the SUV. 

As soon as the first vehicle crossed the bridge from Brunswick, MD into Virginia they pulled into a gas station parking lot where four black Chevy Suburbans were waiting. Gina said quietly, "Alpha Carlo, Mr. Joe, Mr. Vinnie and Mr. G will get out and be officially welcomed onto the territory. Mr. Frank won't get out because if anything happens, he needs to get Anthony and Sophia out of harms way. We don't expect anything to happen, but it's the rules Frank and Joe put in place. Carlo may be Alpha but when it comes to security he always listens to them." 

Seeing the intense look on the girls faces, Gino said, "Mr. G's full name is Ed Giovanni, but he likes everyone to call him 'Mr. G' because he says he doesn't want to be named after a horse." The girls looked at him in confusion and he smiled as he said, "You know the old TV show with the talking horse? That was Mr. Ed." The girls started to giggle and Dante was roaring with laughter. 

Moments later everyone was back in their vehicles and the caravan started again, but with two new lead vehicles and two new vehicles bringing up the rear. "Alpha Carlo Sir, May I ask you a question?" asked Maeve quietly. 

"Yes, Maeve you can ask anything," he smiled at her in the rear view mirror. 

"Madame Gina said they welcomed you onto the territory and Daddy said something about having to get permission or it would be trespassing or something," she said with a frown. "How did we get here without getting in trouble?" 

"Your Daddy and I discussed the best route to get here and I called those Alphas and informed them you were joining my Pack but were already under my protection. I told them to offer assistance if asked, but you were to be left alone otherwise," Carlo answered. "I didn't tell them there were ten underage females; I only said it was a large family." The girls nodded satisfied with the answer and Carlo started pointing out interesting things as they passed through several small towns. 

Lorenzo and Damian were slouched in the middle seat of Matt's SUV as they listened to Sal, Erin and Caitlin talk and laugh as they continued to text Gabby. Lorenzo was getting madder and madder by the minute and he couldn't figure out why. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, "What the fuck are you doing Sal?" 

"Nothing, we're texting Gabby," he replied as he glanced at his cousin. "Why?" 

"First, you're annoying the hell out of me. Second, you're sitting entirely too close to them, I bet the Gabster wouldn't like to see you rubbing all over them. Third, you're annoying the fuck out of me," Lorenzo said with a growl which caused Erin and Caitlin to glance at him. 

Sal flushed as he said, "I'm not rubbing all over them, all we're doing is texting Gabby. And where would you like me to sit? On your lap? You're losing your fucking mind Lorenzo." 

"Will the two of you shut the fuck up? I'm trying to get in the zone and all I hear is blah blah annoying me, blah blah texting, blah blah fucking annoying me, blah blah giggling, blah blah blah blah blah. Let me tell ya something, BOTH of you are annoying the fuck out of me, you're killing me here, you're totally blowing my concentration with the incessant whining," Damian said grumpily as he opened his eyes and looked at Lorenzo and Sal. "I'm about ready to ask Matt and Phil to tie me to the luggage rack to get the fuck away from you two. It'll be windy, but at least it's not raining and I'll be able to work on my tan." 

"Fuck off Damian," retorted Lorenzo as he turned to stare out the window seeing Erin in the reflection. His wolf became restless again, pacing back and forth and Lorenzo assumed it was because of the upcoming game but his eyes never left the beautiful girl he was watching. 

In Rose's SUV, Frank tried to concentrate on driving but kept glancing in the rear view mirror to keep an eye on Anthony and Sophia in the third seat; Anthony's arm was around her shoulder and her head was pressed against his chest. They were both aware anything they said could be heard so they were talking through the bond which infuriated Frank; he wanted to hear what was making Sophia giggle and Anthony have a smirk on his face. 

"Leave them alone. Don't you remember what we were like after you finally made your declaration?" Rose asked as she smiled at her mate. 

"That's exactly why I won't leave them alone," replied Frank with a snort. 

Paulo's hands flew over the laptop keyboard as he talked with Holly about the items the bakery would carry, operating hours, use of local products, but she didn't have an answer for the most important thing...a name for the bakery. Within thirty minutes he had a mockup for their website and the Millers were astounded as he explained he pulled pictures off the internet but after the build out was done, his mom would take pictures and he would replace them. 

Joe was trying to keep Alberto distracted and focused on something other than Maria by talking to him about his plans for college and starting Moretti's Fire Protection Services. Every time Alberto leaned down to whisper in Maria's ear, Joe would ask another question forcing Alberto's attention towards him. 

Annie was glaring at him and said, "I know what you are doing Giuseppe and you have to remember how you were after you made your declaration." 

"That's exactly why I won't leave them alone," Joe replied with a snort. 

In Papa Mike's SUV Vin, Dom and Victor were teaching the Millers Italian and listening to them with their soft Texas drawl was making everyone laugh. 

"We're ten minutes out," Carlo announced to everyone. "Keep your eyes and ears open and remember not to speak of the upcoming threat. I know I don't have to say this, but protect the girls at all cost." Maeve and Fiona looked out the windows as they drove down a paved road through a dense forest of trees. "We're here," Carlo said and the girls focused their attention out the windshield. 

They drove through a single lane gate and the girls turned to see a chain link fence with barbed wire atop it disappearing into the woods, after they drove another 500' they passed another gate with a similar chain link fence. The road widened to two-lanes with driveways branching off leading to log cabin style homes tucked into the forest. After driving for several minutes, there was a sharp bend in the road and Carlo pulled into a clearing next to a two story house with cedar siding and dark green shutters. He turned to the girls and said, "This is the Alpha's house, the rest of the Pack live in the log cabin homes we passed. The large building to the right is the training center, the official welcome will be held there and later we'll have lunch there between games. Stay close and don't go wandering off, when you have to use the restroom make sure you take at least one adult with you." The girls nodded as they looked around with anxious yet excited expressions. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 14



"We'll stay with you and when we're playing, stay with the older boys," whispered Gino. After SMP entered the training center, there was silence from both Packs as the three Alphas walked forward to greet each other with their Level 5 Betas at their side. The SP Alpha was 6'1", 220 lbs, closely cropped hair with piercing blue eyes. The Level 5 Beta at his side was his cousin and they closely resembled each other; he was 6'2, 240 lbs, his head was shaved and he had blue eyes. Both men wore hard expressions as their eyes raked over Carlo, Dante and their Level 5's. 

"Carlo, Dante," Alpha Tristan Legrand said with contempt in his tone as he flexed his hands. At the slight and implied threat, the four Carlucci's moved closer to their Alphas and stood straighter as they narrowed their eyes staring down the Level 5 who tilted his head back and stared up at them. "I see your legendary watchdogs haven't learned to heel or follow commands. Are they at least house trained?" 

"And I see you're as arrogant as ever Tristan," Carlo responded as his eyes raked the other Alpha from head to toe. "Even with all your training, I doubt you'd be able to take them. Frank and Joe are legendary for a reason; they can be either your greatest friend or your worst nightmare." 

Tristan snorted and looked at The Clan who had surrounded the girls. His eyes focused on Sophia and Maria before looking at the Miller girls with an unreadable expression on his face before turning his head to look at the other girls surrounded by their brothers and intendeds. He turned to Carlo, Frank and Joe with a broad smile covering his face as he said, "How the hell have you all been?" 

Carlo didn't relax as he stared back at the Alpha. "We're fine...what the hell are you up to Tristan? I don't believe I've ever seen you smile before." 

"I was hoping one of the Carlucci girls would be the mates of one of my boys..." before he could finish, Anthony and Alberto took a step forward and started to growl. "But I understand both have declarations made for them. So instead of a mating bringing both Packs together, we'll do it the old fashioned way." 

"And what would that be?" Carlo asked as he narrowed his eyes. 

"Uniting against a common enemy," Tristan stated as an evil grin crossed his face. He turned to address both Packs, "The JV game will start in 15, get ready." The boys from SP hurried to their locker room, while the boys from SMP looked to Carlo who waited a few seconds before nodding. Grabbing their gear they headed into the girls locker room while the older boys spread out keeping the protective circle around their sisters and intendeds. He looked at Carlo and said in a low voice that only those near him could hear, "We'll talk when the game starts." In a louder tone he said, "Let's head out to the field, we have refreshments set up." 

The stadium looked like a typical high school football stadium; metal bleachers on both sides with a 4'high chain link fence surrounding the field; off to the side were two small buildings, one for refreshments, the other restrooms and on the home team bleachers was a small press box. The three Alphas and their Level 5's were leaning on the chain link fence behind the goalpost closest to the training center. Frank narrowed his eyes as he watched Sophia and the JV cheerleaders stand in front of the bleachers; their older brothers and intendeds seated on the first row of bleachers watching over them protectively. Seeing movement from the training center, they watched as both teams ran to the football field and five minutes later Frank and Joe had proud smiles on their face as they watch Paulo, Enzo and Alonso walk out for the coin flip. "Your boys are growing into the spitting image of the two of you," Tristan said with a side glance to Frank and Joe. "I pity them." 

Frank and Joe took a deep breath and Carlo said in a promising tone, "You keep that up and I'm tempted to let the half-time entertainment be you and your Level 5 against Frank and Joe." His eyes raked Tristan again from head to toe, "Because you know if you and I go at it, there will be no contest." 

"That's one thing I've always liked about you Carlo, you're unflagging optimism," Tristan said with another side glance. "You're going to need it." 

"What the fuck is up with him? I've never seen him like this," said Frank as he scanned the bleachers of SP members. His eye caught movement along the ridge line and said, "They're patrolling the grounds in wolf form. Is that for their protection, ours or something else?" 

Carlo said to his Pack, "Be on alert. Aldo, I know you didn't sense danger earlier, has anything changed?" 

"No Carlo, but I'm starting to get a sense of elation mixed with relief. It's an odd feeling," Aldo responded as his gaze swept the stadium. 

They watched the kickoff as SMP elected to receive and Tristan glanced at Rainier, his Level 5 who nodded. "Everything can be explained in one word...Charles," Tristan said in a low even tone before turning to look at his guests. 

There was no visible reaction from Carlo, Dante or their Level 5's as they continued to scan their surroundings and five minutes passed before Carlo said in a hard tone, "Stop beating around the fucking bush. What the fuck is going on?" 

Tristan tilted his head and seeing the hard glare leveled at him by Carlo he shrugged, "You know we've never been allies with anyone. We prefer to handle things on our own and follow our own path, though we follow the edicts of the Alpha Council. Even with our self-imposed isolation there's one thing we've always known...If we ever needed help we could count on you and your Pack." 

Carlo nodded and hearing the cheers from SMP, he turned towards the field to see Vinnie's oldest son Gary catch a pass on the five yard line. "You're aware of the history between our Packs then? Grandfather never told me, I discovered it when I read through my Great-great-great Grandfathers journal. It was never recorded in the Pack's official records." 

Tristan nodded, "It's been passed Alpha to son for almost a hundred fifty years." Seeing the confusion on the others faces he continued, "In 1857, we were fresh off the boat from France determined to make our way west when we got caught in a blizzard, more specifically a series of blizzards and freezing Arctic winds called 'The Cold Storm'. Our mates and young ones were starving and even with us being wolves we were slowly freezing to death. One of your Betas found us while he was on patrol and brought us to your Pack house. Your Pack sheltered us, gave us food and never accepted repayment." 

Everyone was quiet as Sal ran the ball from the 1-yd line scoring the first touchdown. "I received a call from Charles three weeks ago asking for info about you and your Pack, I figured he wanted to do business with you and was gathering intel to make a better deal. I never liked him so I told him to fuck off and stay the hell away from my Pack," Tristan said with a shrug. "When we received the email from Roberts alarm bells went off when we realized why he wanted the information ...he was planning on attacking you and even though he's getting 'room and board courtesy of the Council' we don't think it's over. Charles is a slimy bastard and I'm sure some of the people he associated with are still out there following his orders. Make no mistake if he planned it then the fight is still coming." 

Tristan stopped as they watched the kicking team run out on the field. "Nobody knows my daughter Madelyn had a declaration made by the Walker Mountain Pack Alpha-heir so whether we want it or not, we're now allies. This is important because the Swift Silver Mine, purportedly lost for two hundred forty years is located on their territory. They've known of the existence and kept it quiet but are willing to allow us to mine the silver and since almost all our men have military backgrounds we'll have no problem manufacturing the weapons we need." 

Tristan turned to Carlo and then looked at Frank and Joe, "We may not have a formal agreement between us, but we owe you our lives and the very existence of our Pack. We will stand by your side when the battle comes to your door Carlo...Today is the day we start to repay our debt." 

"You need to know the full details Tristan before you commit yourself and your Pack," Carlo said as he drew a deep breath. "Make no mistake Tristan, it will be a battle for our very lives but most importantly for the lives of our females...they are coming for them again." 

Tristan and Rain looked shocked at Carlo's announcement and Tristan drew a shaky breath as he said, "I suggest you tell us what's going on but first let me call the rest of my Betas. With our military experience we may have some insights you haven't thought of." Carlo nodded and looked to the stands calling for his Betas. Within minutes the Betas of both Packs were gathered around the three Alpha's as Carlo told them what information they knew and the whistle signaling half-time shocked everyone since they had been listening intently to him. Glancing at the scoreboard Carlo saw they were ahead by a touchdown and the men were quiet as they watched both teams run off the field. 

The SMP Cheerleaders took the field first for their half-time routine and the men from SMP watched intently with pride and love evident on their faces. "Gentlemen that is what we are fighting for... the daughters of South Mountain Pack, they are our future. We lost our daughters once before and we made a vow it would never happen again. They will be protected even if it costs every one of us our lives," Carlo stared into Tristan's eyes with a determined look. "This isn't your fight Tristan, we would understand if you chose not to help." 

Tristan folded his arms over his chest, followed by Rain and every one of his Betas as he said, "A hundred fifty years ago, your Pack saved the lives of our ancestors and helped us establish our Pack here in the mountains. Sixty years ago, we fought by your side during the Were War because one of the females killed was the intended of a Pack member." He glanced at his assembled Betas before turning back to Carlo, "Today, I offer an alliance between our Packs, not because we have a debt of honor to be repaid but because it is the right thing to do. As fathers there is nothing we won't do to protect our young." 

Carlo nodded and extended his hand which Tristan shook, "I will accept the alliance and am grateful you are willing to stand by our side along with Parr Ridge Pack and Rossi Pack in the upcoming battle." 

For the first time Dante spoke, "We must have a conference before we leave on Wednesday; we need to formulate plans so everyone knows what to do. I for one would like more information about the weapons you are referring to." 

Tristan narrowed his eyes and looked at Dante, "Still speaking with that big stick up your ass Dante? Every time I hear you I feel like I'm listening to 'Upstairs, Downstairs' on Masterpiece Theatre." 

Dante slowly smiled as he rolled his neck, "And every time I hear you I feel like I am listening to Jethro from 'The Beverly Hillbillies'." He paused and narrowed his eyes as he looked Tristan up and down and said, "Come to think of it, his last name was Bodine. I am sure it is not a coincidence that both of you share French ancestry, have limited intellect and a hillbilly twang. You could be cousins." 

There was silence as the men continued to stare at each other until Carlo started to laugh, followed by Frank, Joe, Ric and Rocco. "Good one Dante. Frank, Joe, Rain do something useful for once and break the men into groups according to their strengths," said Tristan as he tried not to smile. He watched the cheerleaders from SP finish their half-time routine and minutes later the boys emerged from the training center ready to start the second half. 

The cheers, grunts, groans and sounds of hard hitting were background music to the men as they discussed weapons and training schedules though there were secrets SMP would not disclose; the fact the girls had combat training, the family bond the Millers had established and the location of their safe rooms. There was only so much Carlo was willing to disclose and even though they were now allies, the need for his Pack to safely escape if they failed was the most important thing to him. 

Tristan sensed Carlo was hiding something and asked quietly, "You have an escape plan in place for the women and youngsters?" Carlo didn't react for several moments and then shrugged. A look of understanding came across Tristan's face and he said, "We learned in our former careers there's a reason why things are classified 'Eyes Only'; 1- the less people know, the odds increase on its success, 2 - too many people learn about things and secrets get out. We'll have our own plan ready because the most important thing is to protect the younger generation, especially the Alpha-heirs and if things go bad...well, I don't need to explain that to you." 

Carlo nodded in understanding and his eyes landed on Sophia as he felt a rush of paternal protection suddenly crash over him. It was the first time since Anthony had made his declaration that it happened and it shocked him; he had always felt the Alpha bond with her and been protective over her as the daughter of his best friend. This feeling was totally different; almost as if the hole in his heart where his beloved Angelica resided was finally being healed and he could let another female in without betraying her memory. 

Sophia sensed the change and stopped cheering; turning to look at him she said softly, "Is it okay if I call you Dad? I didn't ask before because I didn't think you were ready." 

"I...I would like that," Carlo responded in a quavering voice. "I haven't told you before but I'm extremely proud that you're going to be a member of my family. I couldn't ask for a better mate for my son or a daughter to love." 

"Thank you, Dad," she said as her eyes welled up with tears. Carlo smiled as he saw his son instantly react to her tears; running to her and pulling her firmly against his side as he waved the Carlucci boys back who were two steps behind him. He saw Sophia talking to Anthony and they both turned to look at him, his son smiling in acknowledgement of what had transpired. 

A full two minutes passed before Frank moved to his side and said in a joking tone, "Does this mean you're going to be paying half her expenses now?" 

Carlo threw his head back and laughed loudly drawing all eyes toward him as he threw his arm around Frank's shoulder. "I've seen the way she shops Frank and I'd like the Rossi fortune to last a couple more years. As it is, I'll probably have to add another wing onto The Manor House for all her clothes and doo-dads and she's got three years to collect even more before she moves in." 

Before Frank could respond cheers from the SP stands made the men turn towards the game to see SP score a touchdown. After kicking the extra point, they were up by 3 points with a little over two minutes left in the game. "You mind if we watch the last couple of minutes?" asked Rain as he glanced at his cousin. "I'm sure the youngsters would like to know their fathers watched at least a little bit of the game." 

Tristan and Carlo nodded and the men moved from their groups to lean on the chain link fence. Principal Richards' son, Kevin, caught the kickoff on the 17 yard line and made his way to the 30 before he ran out of bounds stopping the clock with 1:35 left. SP defense was made entirely of the largest sixteen year olds on their team, hoping to overpower and intimidate Sal and Victor who were the only fifteen year olds on the field. Little did they know the youngest Carlucci's had been playing Carlucci Golf since they could walk and the thought of getting hit and tackled by older and bigger boys didn't even bother them. 

Enzo looked at the Coach before turning to his team, "We're running a 'Down and Out 20'. Sal, you're blocking for Victor and Victor get out of bounds to stop the clock. They'll be underestimating you because of your age, but they have no idea of the speed you have so use that to your advantage." They nodded and gave each other fist pumps. "The rest of you guys keep them off my ass. After we complete this, we'll no huddle and the next play is a 'Hook 15', Sal you'll be catching, Victor will be the decoy." Everyone nodded as he shouted, "LET'S GO." 

The boys lined up at the scrimmage, Sal and Victor could feel butterflies in their stomach and did what their older brothers told them; their ragged breathing evened out and the sounds of the crowds faded as they zeroed in their concentration. At the end of the Snap Count Sal and Victor took off down the right side of the field, they could hear the grunts and groans as the two lines met and out of the corner of his eye Sal saw a cornerback coming at them. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he lowered his shoulders and tightened the muscles of his arms as he met the player with all the force he had in his 5'9", 180 lb body. The cornerback underestimating his strength and determination was knocked on his ass as Sal and Victor continued down the field and Victor turned on his mark, a half-second before the ball landed in his hands. Seeing no one around them he continued down the field an extra twenty yards before he was knocked out of bounds. Turning around the first person he saw was Sal who had finally been knocked down by two defenders. 

"LET'S GO," shouted Enzo as they lined up at the scrimmage on the 30, with the defense scrambling to get in position. The two youngest Carlucci boys once again got into their mental zone and at the end of the Snap Count took off running this time one on each side of the field. The defenders zeroed in on Victor since he had caught the last pass leaving Sal alone to run down the right side of the field. Enzo saw what was happening and scrambled until he saw the movement of Sal's shoulders turning as he ran into the end zone and threw the ball where it landed right in Sal's arms. The stands from SMP erupted in cheers and Frank glanced at the clock, there was 18 seconds left, time enough for one more kick-off and a possible play. The extra point was good and the stands were quiet as the kick-off teams came out. 

The SP receiver caught the ball on the 22 and began to run but was met by a brick wall named Paulo. Since he was so quiet everyone tended to overlook him, but he was Captain of the Special Teams and Defense for a reason. He was methodical in his thinking due to his computer background and could read an offense like it was a computer program. By the time the receiver realized Paulo was in front of him, Paulo had already stripped the ball which was recovered by SP on the 10. With only seconds left, SP lined every available receiver on the field and Paulo knew they were going for a 'Hail Mary'. Directing his players where to go, his eyes scanned the field and saw a small opening between the Left Guard and Tackle; smiling to himself he waited for the end of the Snap Count and barreled his way through tackling the Quarterback on the 5 as the clock expired. Chaos erupted around them as he put his hand out to help Tristan's youngest son up and said, "Good game." He ran off the field and was immediately tackled to the ground by his teammates. 

"Hell of a game boys. Get off Paulo before you smother him," said Coach JR as he laughed. After Paulo got to his feet, JR threw an arm around his shoulders and said, "Great read on the offensive line. You spotted their weak spot and took advantage of it." Glancing around at the players, he shouted, "GO GET CLEANED UP." The boys ran to the locker room with the cheers from SMP ringing in their ears and Sal turned to look at Gabby who was smiling broadly before turning around so he could see she was wearing his hoodie. He was so intent on looking at her he tripped over his feet falling to the ground taking several players with him. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 15



I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement, Spiridon for helping me with the Greek translation and mythology and Tammy for keeping me from going off the rails. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond. 

The complete list of Pack members is on the blog, but if anyone would like an excel spreadsheet of the 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed. 

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you. 

***** 

"I'VE GOT FILES, EMAILS, EXCEL SPREAD SHEETS, RECORDS OF BANK TRANSACTIONS, WE'VE GOT FUCKING EVERYTHING," Paulo shouted. The men glanced at the monitor and saw him pumping his arms in the air and jumping up and down, as the youngsters stared at him like he had lost his mind. 

Dante looked at Carlo with concern as he said, "What is happening?" 

"He cracked it, he fucking cracked it," Carlo said with a grin as he ran out of the study with Frank and Joe a step behind. It took Dante and the others several seconds to realize what Carlo was talking about and a proud smile covered Annie's face as they raced out of the room after them. They found Paulo still jumping up and down before Carlo engulfed him in a hug, "I knew you could do it, your father says you're a fucking genius and he's right. I'm so proud of you." 

"I need a printer, it'll be easier if we had hard copies to tie things together," Paulo said with a smile. 

"Let's go to the study, we have a printer and another computer in there if you need it," Todd said as Paulo grabbed his laptop and ran down the hall. 

"I'm printing the emails first. They're not addressed to real names, but to code names; I'll see if there's a master list of who they belong to," said Paulo as his fingers flew over the keyboard and a minute later, the printer came to life as document after document spilled out. "I'll start a program for IP addresses to see where they're originating from and we can use that if we need to get their real names." 

"Don't take time to read them; we'll do that after we've sorted them into folders for each code name. As we open the files we'll label each document, make copies and put them in each corresponding file," Carlo said before turning to Todd. "You have folders or highlighters?" Todd shook his head and Carlo said, "The youngsters are still out, I'll have them get some on the way back from Fred's." 

Todd added, "Paulo only brought one pack of paper when he set the printer up, so you'd better have them bring paper too." 

Paulo looked at his dad, "It'd be a lot easier if we were in my office. I have printers, paper, folders, plus twelve large monitors so we can see what's in the files easier. Not to mention a computer that makes this laptop look like a kids toy." 

Joe nodded, "Let's go. Who's coming?" Everyone nodded and they were halfway to their cars before Joe said, "Wait a minute, we forgot the youngsters." 

"Some uncles we are," Matt said with a laugh. "The first exciting thing that happens and we forget our nieces." 

Todd whistled loudly and hollered, "MILLERS LOAD UP NOW." Within seconds, the girls were running out of the house, Brianna and Morgan dragging Vin and Dom who were asking what the hell was going on. 

"I don't know, but Daddy said to load up now," said Brianna as she dragged Vin off the porch. "He always says when he hollers like that whatever we're doing we're to stop and load up." 

"We're going to Uncle Joe's, Paulo needs to be in his office and...just get in the vehicle, we'll tell you on the way," said Frank as he opened the door and motioned them in. There was a scramble as everyone piled into two vehicles. 

As they pulled out of the driveway to begin the less than five minute drive to Joe's, Vin asked, "Uhmm Dad, why are we packed in two cars like sardines?" 

Frank turned around from the front seat of Matt's SUV and began to laugh as he said, "Damned if I know, I guess it just seemed easier." 

Dom snorted and said, "Having thirteen people jammed in here and fourteen in the other is easy? Maybe for you, you're sitting up front." 

"Not really... I have your mother on my lap," Frank responded and grunted seconds later when Rose hit him in the stomach with her elbow. 

"I'll have you know Francesco Carlucci that I only weigh six pounds more than I did when you made your declaration for me. And that is after gifting you with eight little ones within four years," Rose said in a voice laced with steel. 

"You'd better not even open your mouth Giuseppe Carlucci. If you do, it'll be the last thing you utter this evening," warned Annie from her seat on his lap. 

Joe scented his mate's neck and said, "Why would I ever complain that you're close to me? Twenty three years you've been mine and I want you as much today as I did back then." Feeling her relax and lean into his chest he added, "Even if you are beginning to get a middle age spread... there's just more to love." As Annie hit Joe in the stomach with her elbow and the back of her head connected with his forehead, his pain filled grunts and groans filled the interior of Matt's SUV. 

"You just couldn't help yourself, could you? And I even warned you to keep your mouth shut," Annie said with a growl. "Let's see how much you like getting to know your left hand again, because you're not touching me for a while." 

Hearing the girls giggle, Joe said in a teasing tone, "Sweetheart, you know I love everything about you. I was just teasing ...now take that back, you know you can't go more than a day without me." 

Annie got even angrier if possible, "Girls, this is a good example of 'How not to take any shit from your mate', especially if he's a Carlucci. They'll tease you, aggravate the absolute hell out of you, irritate you to no end and get on your last nerve. You can't let them get away with anything, you need to put them in their place constantly or their egos will get out of control." 

Joe cleared his throat, "That may be true, but we'll also treat you like a lady, cater to your every whim, do whatever you tell us to do, protect you until our dying breath and love you like you're the most precious thing in the world." 

"You're lucky we're home," Annie retorted angrily as she opened the door and got out. "Another minute of your bullshit and I would've hit you again." She turned on her heel and opened the door for everyone as Paulo immediately headed towards the new addition where his office was located. 

"Give me a sec," he said, powering up computers, monitors, printers, and several odd looking pieces of equipment. As Todd walked into the L-shaped room he was in awe of the setup Paulo had. On the short right wall there were kitchen cabinets, upper and lower, with a small fridge under the countertop and a microwave on top. On the back wall were two windows with blue plaid curtains and between them was a dry erase board with a table and four chairs underneath. The left wall had two deep oak shelving units; one containing printers and other electronic equipment, the other with electronics that had been torn apart. Between them was a smaller window with a workbench underneath with more electronic equipment torn apart and scattered around. On the last wall, in the alcove of the 'L', sat a curved desk with twelve extra large screens mounted to metal brackets that could be swiveled. 

"Dad, can you get me something to drink and a snack, I'm hungry." Joe put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and got a Coke which he poured into an insulated cup that said, 'Is it plugged in and turned on?' As Paulo sat down he said, "Supplies are in the cabinets, manila folders and notepads in the upper cabinets, highlighters and Sharpies in the second drawer from the right, pens in the first. There's colored paper in the bottom, fill printer 1 with green for financials, 2 with blue for spread sheets, 3 with pink for files and 4 with white for emails, leave 5 white for any copies you need to make." The men hurried to follow his instructions. "I'll print the rest and also a set for each of you. I'm going to open the financials." 

"Let's organize ourselves," Frank said as he saw how many emails there were. "The Italians will sort them into alphabetical piles. Papa Mike, they'll give you any emails addressed to several names, you'll make a copy for each name, highlight it, and then they'll get sorted. I'll handle A-D, Joe E-H, Carlo I-L, Todd M-P, Phil Q-T, and Matt U-Z. When we're putting them in the folders, earliest emails go on the top." The men nodded and got the necessary supplies. 

The women walked in carrying trays of beverages and snacks and after placing them on the countertop Gina said, "Is there anything we can do?" 

"We're sorting the emails," Carlo replied pointing to the files. "Once that's done, I'll call you and we'll read them, then we'll go through the files so we have a better understanding of the players. Can you tell the youngsters what's going on? We left in such a hurry they're probably wondering." 

Gina nodded, "Let us know when you need us." 

Carlo nodded and turned to Frank and Joe, "I'm contacting the other Level 4's. There's too much to tell them over the bond, I'd rather they read it directly." They nodded and sent a message to their mates to expect more company. "Paulo, we'll need six more sets of emails." 

***** 

Erin was looking at the display cases at Fred's in amazement. Her entire life the only ice cream she'd been allowed had been vanilla and chocolate but since they moved here she had tried strawberry and rocky road. What was displayed in front of her was beyond anything she could have imagined and she had no idea what to choose. Then her eyes lit up even further when she saw the menu board with the list of toppings for sundaes...who knew they had this many. 

Lorenzo saw her conflict and whispered, "Go sit, I'll order." He pointed to a table in the corner and as she walked away her hand slipped out of his, immediately feeling the loss he was tempted to call her back. Feeling more confused than ever, he shook his head to clear his thoughts before he explained to Amy what he wanted; hiding her smile, she said it'd be ready in a couple of minutes. Uneasy about leaving her alone even if she was within his sight, he hurried to the table and sat next to her draping his arm possessively over the back of her chair as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Seeing her shiver in the cool room, he took his hoodie off and handed it to her, and put his arm over her chair again. 

She put it on and smiled shyly before saying, "Thank you." He watched as she closed her eyes and pulled the neck of the hoodie to her nose before rubbing it against her cheek. Knowing she was scenting it, he growled low in his throat and closed his eyes as his wolf started to pace back and forth, throwing his head in the air. For some strange reason, this felt right to him but he wasn't sure why. 

The others sat down with huge sundaes and talked excitedly about the games before stopping as Amy and Fred set two trays in front of Erin and Lorenzo. There were small cups with two scoops of each flavor of ice cream and in medium bowls there was sauces - hot fudge, butterscotch, caramel, marshmallow, strawberry and peach; and toppings - chocolate shavings, sprinkles, peanuts, brownie bites, Reese's pieces, M & M's, crumbled Oreo's, vanilla wafers and whipped cream. 

"I knew you couldn't decide, so I got a sampler and next time we come you can order what you like," Lorenzo said with an uncertain smile. Erin burst into tears and he frowned and said in a biting tone, "You don't like it? Fuck it. Even when I try to do something nice, you fucking cry. I can't win with you." He pushed his chair back and stood, hands fisted at his side as he said, "I'll wait outside." 

He strode out the door, anger apparent in every step and there was silence at the table before Gianni said quietly, "I know Lorenzo can be an ass, but he's trying Erin. I don't see what he did wrong but maybe I'm missing something." 

"He didn't... do anything wrong... I'm such... an idiot... but it was... so sweet that he... did that...and I messed...everything up again...by crying...," Erin said between sobs and hiccups. "Get him...tell him... I loved it...and I'm sorry." She got up and ran to the bathroom, followed by the other girls. 

"Well, do we get him now or do we eat first?" Damian asked as he ate his apple pie sundae. The boys looked at him and he said, "What?? Its ice cream for fucks sake, it'll melt and if it melts it turns into milk soup and then what's the point?" 

Anthony grinned and got up, "I'll get him." He didn't see Lorenzo near the vehicles so he scented the air and followed that around the side of the building to see him hitting his head against the wall. "Let's talk." 

Lorenzo stared at him before sliding down the wall to a crouching position and sighed, "What did I do to make her cry now Ant? I'm trying, really trying here, so tell me what the fuck I did." 

Anthony leaned against the wall and said in a calm tone, "She didn't cry because she was upset or mad Lorenzo. She was crying because she was happy." Seeing his look of disbelief, Ant told him what happened after he left. 

Lorenzo was silent for a couple of minutes and his head hung down as he whispered, "What the hell is the matter with me Ant? I know I'm a moody bastard, but lately I've been all over the place, going from happy to ready to rip somebody's head off in the blink of an eye. My wolf isn't much better either; he's either rolling around on his back or snarling and pacing back and forth." 

Anthony looked at the tortured expression on his face and debated what to tell him, "You have to follow what your instincts and your wolf are telling you my friend. Why don't we go for a run after we drop Erin and Caitlin off? Maybe that'll help get you in touch with your wolf." 

"Maybe I just need to get laid, it's been weeks," Lorenzo said with a sigh. "After we drop the girls off maybe Gianni, Marcus, Damian and I could go out." 

Anthony shook his head, knowing Lorenzo would hate himself for doing that after he realized Erin was his mate. "Let's go for a run instead, your wolf needs it." 

Lorenzo nodded, "You're probably right, the thought of some strange piece of tail is getting my wolf agitated, which is confusing me even more. You know how we've been taught to keep a balance between our two halves and not let one totally rule the other?" He leaned his head back staring at the darkened sky and took a deep breath. "I'm just so on edge and I don't understand why. I feel like my wolf is going to break out any minute and I keep pushing him back but it's getting harder and harder to control him and I'm scared of what he's going to do Ant." 

"I get like that when I'm around Sophia," Anthony said as he ran his hands through his hair. "Dad said it's because my wolf wants out to claim what's his." He looked at Lorenzo hoping he would take the hint; he wanted to tell him Erin was his mate but knew he couldn't. He wasn't sure why but his dad had told them their wolf would let them know who their mate was when they were ready and nobody was to interfere, they had to figure it out on their own. 

"Yeah, but you two are intendeds. Erin and I...hell, I don't even think we're friends," muttered Lorenzo as Ant stared at him wondering if there was anybody in the world as hard-headed and dense as Lorenzo and realized Damian was just as bad. They stayed quiet letting the sounds of the nearby woods soothe them for almost five minutes before they scented Alberto coming around the corner. 

"You guys okay? Ant, I brought your sundae and Lorenzo, here's the one Erin made for you," he said as he handed them to the boys. 

Lorenzo looked at his sundae and smiled, it had everything he liked; mint chocolate chip ice cream, brownie bites, hot fudge, marshmallow and whipped cream. "She made this for me? How'd she know what I liked?" 

"Sometimes you're really stupid," Alberto said with a sigh. "She's with your family dumbass, so how the fuck do ya think she found out?" A sheepish smile crossed Lorenzo's face as he began to eat. "Go inside; Erin's having a blast trying everything. You did good Carlucci; don't blow it by being stubborn." 

Lorenzo began to smirk, "I did, didn't I? Come on; I need more brownies." Ant and Alberto rolled their eyes as they noticed his cocky arrogant swagger present once again as he walked around the side of the building. As soon as he stepped inside the door he noticed Erin was laughing and talking to Victor and his eyes narrowed as he noticed his brother was in his seat and he let out a growl. 

Victor paled, "I'm only helping with flavor combinations. Honest." 

Lorenzo said in a cool even tone, "Get the fuck out of my seat." Victor jumped up and moved quickly to his seat between Maria and Angelo. Lorenzo calmly sat down and glanced at the trays asking quietly, "You like it?" 

"Thank you, it's the best thing ever," she answered, excitement filling her sparkling grey eyes. "You're so sweet to do this and I'm sorry I started to cry but it surprised me and I was so happy, I just kinda got all jumbled inside." 

Lorenzo put his arm over the back of her chair and whispered, "I may be a lot of things shortcake, but I'm definitely not sweet." He leaned back and raked her with his eyes and let out a growl, "Now you on the other hand, are pretty fuckin sweet." He started to laugh as a blush covered her face. "Come on; let's finish this before the others eat your ice cream." 

***** 

Carmelo, Vinnie and Ed along with their Italian cousins arrived within minutes of each other and Annie brought them straight to Paulo's office. As Carlo updated them, Paulo shouted, "ALPHA CARLO... I found the money... 600 fucking mil... I'm printing the statement. What do you want me to do?" 

"Can you empty the account without them knowing where the money went?" Carlo asked as he moved across the room to stand behind Paulo. 

Paulo grinned and they watched screen after screen appear on the monitors. "Done. I left the initial deposit, they probably have a hard copy, but all subsequent transactions have been wiped. When someone tries to access the account, a trace program'll send an alert to us. I kept a 20% finders fee and for the balance, set up an account to look like a long-standing one, with deposits and withdrawals going back ten years. Papers will be ready to send to President Roberts tomorrow; they'll verify the authenticity of the account as well as his password so he can access it." 

Carlo nodded, "What did you do with the 120 mil?" 

"Deposited it into the account I set up for our escape, figured it would be the best use for the money," Paulo said with a shrug as Carlo nodded in approval. 

"Apparently not all Carlucci's are as stupid as we thought," said Dante with a smile as he glanced at Frank, Joe, Ric and Rocco. 

In unison all four said, "Fuck you Dante." 

"Look at last week's deposits," Paulo said pointing to the screens. "There was a 4 mil deposit on Saturday and a 20 mil deposit on Tuesday. I'm going to run a trace to see where they originated." Ten minutes later he shouted, "GOT IT." 

"The Bank of Stirling," Dante said as gasps were heard and he quickly told everyone else what his Archivist found out. Paulo turned back to the computer letting the sounds of the men talking become background music as he looked at the financials and made a note to look into the de Moray family. 

***** 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 15



Ant and Alberto pulled in the Millers driveway and after Erin unlocked the door and disabled the alarm everyone entered the house laughing and talking excitedly before she reset the alarm. As they walked down the hall they saw Todd's empty study and quieted down noting the silence surrounding them. Hearing sounds coming from the back of the house, they moved towards the family room and stopped at the scene in front of them; the room was empty but the TV was on, textbooks were lying opened on the floor, drinks and snacks were on the table, and laptops were running. Gianni looked around and said excitedly, "I've seen this on TV... I think they were abducted by aliens. Damn, that'd be so cool and we missed it." 

"Fuck that. I don't want to get probed. And what the hell is up with that? If aliens are so intelligent why do they keep probing people?" Damian asked waving his arms around before he started to laugh. 

The youngsters stared at him and Ant said, "You're seriously disturbed Carlucci. Our families are missing, and you're on a rant about getting probed?" 

"I'm imagining the ass whoopin E.T. is gonna get when he tries that on Alpha Carlo, Dad or Uncle Frank," said Damian as he began to laugh harder 

"Fuck that, could you imagine the beating Madame Gina, Mom or Aunt Annie would inflict on them? Those aliens would leave and never come back," said Gianni as he began to laugh and was soon followed by the other boys. 

"If you bunch of idiots are done laughing, we need to go to Uncle Joe's," said Sophia with a long suffering sigh. 

"Why do we have to go there?" asked Lorenzo with a frown. 

She sighed loudly again, "Cause I asked Daddy where they where, you idiot. You didn't ask?" He shrugged and she rolled her eyes. 

Erin looked at Lorenzo with a grin as she whispered, "I'm glad you're good looking, because you're really not that smart, are you?" 

"You think I'm good looking?" he asked with a smirk as Erin blushed. 

"Face it bro, she only thinks you're good looking because you're my twin, and we all know I'm the best looking Carlucci," Damian said with a big grin as Caitlin rolled her eyes. "And in case you missed it, she said you're not that smart." 

"Leave her alone," growled Lorenzo as he pulled Erin to his side. "And what do you mean I'm not smart? I have a 3.96 GPA." 

"Okay, you're smart, but you have no common sense," Erin said with a giggle. "As soon as I saw the empty room, I contacted Daddy." 

"I did too," said Maria with a shrug. "Daddy wants us to bring his and Uncle Frank's SUVs over to the house." 

Anthony was quiet before he looked at everyone, "Paulo cracked the code and they need to talk to us." The youngsters cleaned up before walking outside. Ant told everybody which vehicles to get in since they had the extra vehicles plus Lorenzo's truck and minutes later they were pulling in front of Joe's garage. 

Annie looked at the youngsters as they walked into the kitchen and said, "Those aren't the outfits you left in boys, what happened?" 

Vin and Dom turned from the fridge and saw the guilt in the boys' eyes. Vin stared at them and said in a menacing voice eerily similar to his Dad's, "Did we or did we not tell you to behave yourselves?" The boys glanced at each other before lowering their eyes to avoid looking at the two oldest Carlucci's. "Are you going to tell us what happened? Or do we have to beat it out of you?" 

"I'd pay money to see that since you two can't take all of them at once," Sophia said with a smirk before looking at her intended and raking him with her eyes. She turned to her oldest brothers and their resemblance was uncanny as they glared at each other, "And I know the two of you combined can't take Anthony, he's too big and strong." Ant's eyes flickered amber and he let out a low growl as he and his wolf reveled in the fact their mate was acknowledging their superior strength. 

"Last time we sparred, Sophia and I took your ass down. Remember?" Maria asked with a wicked half smile that mirrored the one on Damian's face and muffled laughter was heard from the boys before a glare from Vin quieted them. 

"You got lucky Pipsqueak," retorted Vin with a frown. "I told Dad and Uncle Joe it's not right to spar against you two. We're supposed to protect you for fucks sake, not try and hurt you... and good try with the distraction, but it didn't work. Somebody better start talking NOW." The youngsters were quiet and Vin turned to the weakest links - Erin and Caitlin and stared until they started to squirm. 

"We had ice cream," Erin blurted out unable to stand the pressure. 

"We got to the movies late," added Caitlin as she blushed. 

Vin's smile was triumphant, "Why did you get ice cream? Why were you late? Why are the boys in different clothes? And where are Pat and Bob?" 

Sophia rolled her eyes, "Stop the inquisition Dad. We were late because Gabby joined us, the boys changed because Lorenzo spilt his snacks, we left the movie because there was too much fighting, Pat and Bob went home because the date was over and it was early so we decided to get ice cream. Satisfied?" 

"No," Vin and Dom answered as they crossed their arms over their chests. 

"Well too bad, because I'm done talking about it," Sophia said with a shrug as the older women put their heads down to hide their grins. "All you need to know is we had a first date none of us will ever forget." The youngsters looked at each other and burst out laughing while Vin and Dom scowled. 

"Boys, leave them be," admonished Rose with a smile. 

"No, they're hiding something and I'm going to find out what the fuck it is," Dom said with a mutinous expression as he looked at his mother. 

"We're handling the situation," Frank said with a frown as he walked into the kitchen and the younger boys paled. He saw the smiles on the girl's faces and said in a gentle tone, "How was the date?" 

"It was wonderful Daddy, we had a good time, it was the perfect first date," Sophia said as she gave him a hug. The girls smiled and nodded in agreement. 

"That's all that matters," Frank said with a smile before looking at the boys and narrowing his eyes. "The rest will be taken care of at the lake." 

"Sorry guys," Lorenzo said as Anthony opened the bond. "I'll talk with Uncle Frank and Dad later and tell them it was my fault." 

"We're all to blame," Marcus responded with a sigh. "We knew you were acting like an ass and kept annoying you. Though the fight was fun, we need to do that more often; it was a good way to let off some steam." 

"Just not when we're on a date with our intendeds," Alberto said as his smile was replaced with a frown as he saw a flash of pain cross Maria's face and her family turned their attention to her. He noticed her swollen fingers and growled low in his throat as he scooped her in his arms and set her in the recliner. Hollering for Annie to bring ice and her meds, he gently placed a pillow under her casted arm to elevate it. "Why didn't you let me know your arm was hurting Gattina?" 

She sighed and leaned into his chest as he knelt next to the recliner, "It's okay. I think I might have just overdone it a little." 

Joe ran down the hallway snapping at Annie, "I knew it was a bad idea for her to go to the game and then on a date. It was too much too soon, she should be resting." He glared at Alberto until he moved and knelt down to examine his daughters arm, frowning when he saw the swelling and slight bruising. 

"Calm down Joe," said Annie with a frown. "She's fifteen, not two. If something is bothering her, she can tell us." 

Seeing his concern, Maria closed her eyes wondering how to tell him how badly it hurt and that it had been aching for a month, even before she broke it the first time. Several minutes went by as she thought it over and decided to ask Doctor Parr when she saw him; she opened her eyes and asked quietly, "Daddy, can I have my meds? It's sore and I promise I'll rest and let it heal." 

Joe took the juice out of Rose's hands and Annie gave her the pain meds. "Do you want to stay here, or do you want me to carry you upstairs?" 

"Stay here Daddy, it feels better if it's propped up and I don't move much," she said snuggling against her Dad as he stroked her hair. As she began to relax her eyes snapped open when she felt somebody slip off her shoes and saw Damian putting on her favorite fuzzy socks, Gianni with a cup of hot chocolate, Sal with her favorite snack - sliced apples with honey and Lorenzo holding a pillow. 

"I'll lay down with her and help her relax," Sophia said softly as she kicked off her heels. The boys moved out of her way as she snuggled next to her cousin before Victor covered them with the blanket from her bed. 

Vin scowled at the boys, "This is what I'm talking about. Did you pay attention to her and make sure she was okay? Or where you too busy focusing on yourselves and whatever the hell you were doing?" He turned to Alberto and narrowed his eyes, "And you're supposed to be her mate and..." 

"Hold the fuck up Vin. I know you're not implying I neglected my mate and caused her harm. I would never do anything to hurt her and you fucking know that," Alberto said in a near roar as he stepped aggressively towards his friend and they heard the men running down the hall. "And what the fuck do you mean 'supposed' to be her mate? She IS my mate." 

Carlo, Carmelo, Frank and Joe stepped between them and Joe looked at his nephew, "Vincent, you know better than to accuse a male of hurting their mate. I know Alberto would never hurt my daughter." 

"Thank you Poppa Joe. You know she means everything to me, without her I have nothing," Alberto said with a frown as he looked at his father. 

"You have a funny way of showing it," Dom said before he turned to his brothers and cousins. "And the bunch of you are worse, he's only cared about her for a few weeks. She's your fucking family, I expect..." 

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Maria interrupted with a sigh. "The boys didn't do anything wrong, it's my fault for not taking my medicine but I didn't want to because it makes me sleepy." She looked at Alberto and smiled, "I wanted this date to be perfect and it was." 

Vin snorted, "Perfect my ass. It sounds like a fucking disaster, you were ignored by your mate, I can tell Erin was crying because her eyes are red and Mom said Anthony ruined another one of Sophia's dresses." He turned to Caitlin, "And what happened to you? What's your part in this so called perfect date?" Not knowing what to say she buried her face in Damian's chest. 

"Vin, I'm warning you you'd better leave Caitlin alone. She's not used to you and your overbearing bossy manner," growled Damian as his arms encircled her. "She's sweet and gentle and doesn't deserve this from you...so leave her the fuck alone." He continued to glare at his cousin as his wolf started to prowl back and forth, angry because the female in his arms was upset and he didn't like it. 

"Enough, I'm not sure why you're acting like a dick, but I don't appreciate it. You know we'd never do anything to hurt our intendeds," said Anthony in a firm tone. Opening the bond to Vin and Dom he continued, "Look at your cousins and you'll see what I'm talking about." They swung their heads to see Lorenzo holding Erin tightly to his side and Damian holding Caitlin while he whispered to her. "They don't realize they're mates, but they and they're wolves are extremely protective of the girls. They're ready to strike out and they're gonna come hard because their wolves are gonna feel the two of you are threatening their mates." 

A smile crossed Vin's face as he said, "I thought that's what the problem was with Lorenzo, but I didn't realize Damian and Caitlin were mates. What happened this evening?" Ant told him about the date and Vin nodded, "Yep, they're definitely mates. I wonder how long it'll take him to realize?" 

"From the looks of it, it won't be long," Dom said with a smile as Lorenzo began to run his hand up and down Erin's arm in a reassuring gesture. 

Seeing things calming down, Frank said, "Boys get refreshments, we've got a couple things to do then we'll talk with everyone." They nodded before heading into the kitchen, coming back with drinks, chips, cookies, cheese and crackers. They began to talk in low murmurs as the adults headed back to Paulo's office. 

"Why did Anthony wait so long to diffuse the situation?" asked Todd as he picked up his papers. "And what the hell happened tonight?" 

"Think back to when you were a teenager. Those feelings of having to prove you're becoming a man, finding your place in Pack hierarchy mixed in with out of control hormones," Carmelo began with a smile. "So when an argument breaks out there's a lot of posturing, and heated emotions rising to the surface especially when it involves the Carlucci's, my boys and Anthony." 

"When Anthony and The Clan argue it's like an explosion and you try to avoid the fallout," Vinnie said as Paulo quietly laughed. "Its worse when they're arguing with somebody else, then it's the thirteen of them against whoever they're having a problem with. Well, with Alberto's declaration, it's fifteen now." 

"No matter how upset we get with each other, we stand together against everyone else," Paulo said as he looked at Todd and Papa Mike before he smiled. "If you think our tempers are bad, Sophia and Maria are worse; they scare the fuck out of us. They got a full dose of the Vitti temper from our moms and when they get mad it's not an explosion it's a nuclear blast." 

"Unfortunately, I have to agree," Frank said with a grin. "When our mates are in a snit, Joe and I head to the barn and work on our cars or contact Carlo or Carmelo and hide out with them somewhere." 

Joe snorted and said, "Wait until you meet ours and you'll understand why they act that way. Ray is a hard formidable man with no sense of humor and taught Rose and Annie to fight like men. Their mother looks sweet but she'd as soon tell you to fuck off as say hello and she taught them not to take any shit from anybody. That combined with the Vitti temper is a bad combination." 

"The Vitti's in Italy are just as bad," Dante said with a serious expression giving Luc a side glance. As hard as he tried, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he saw Luc scowling. "They are hot-headed and the smallest insult will make them lash out without thought of the consequences..." Luc's phone interrupted Dante and he began to scowl as a familiar song played as the ring tone. 

A smile crossed Luc's face before he replaced it with a scowl, "Gentlemen, excuse me, I have a business call I need to deal with. Joe, I will use your study." Without waiting for a reply he turned on his heel and exited the room.  

Dante narrowed his eyes and waited several moments before saying in a firm tone, "Put Joe's study on the monitor." Paulo hesitated for a moment before the six screens on the left were filled with Luc's image as he sat on the sofa. 

The men gathered around and Joe said in a low tone, "Click the audio on." 

Paulo swallowed noisily and said, "Ugh, you think we should do that Dad? It's an awful invasion of privacy." 

"Of course we should," Dante said with an evil smile. "The bastard has been hiding his mate from us and I want to find out why...and to confirm my suspicion as to who it is." Joe nodded to the door and Frank quickly closed it, knowing their mates would throw a fit if they knew what was going on. 

"If any of the women come in, kill everything," Joe said quietly and Paulo nodded. Excited whispers could be heard as Paulo clicked the audio on and in the reflection of the monitors he could see the gleeful expressions on their faces. 

"I miss you, Il mio amore (my love)... We are leaving Wednesday, but I am unsure of the time... I would love for you to meet us at the airport even if I cannot hold you or kiss you... I think of that day in the meadow too... (his voice was low and raspy) Lying there and holding you while we kissed for the first time, knowing I am the only man that will ever kiss you that way (he growled and ran his hand through his hair)... You have to stop talking like that, you have no idea what you do to me (he groaned and threw his head back)... The day after we get back tell your parents you are meeting a friend for lunch and we can be together... He has no idea, none of them do... I know you want to tell everyone but I explained that I want to wait until you are older and I am financially secure... Yes, I know I have millions in the bank, but that is family money, not money I earned ... There is a difference... I want to prove to your father that I will be able to provide for you and the family we will have... Yes, I agree with you ... No, he is your father and I will be held to higher standards because I am his only daughters mate... There will be some who believe I am with you because you are the Alpha's daughter..." 

"Son of a bitch, I knew it," Dante hissed as everyone turned to him with their mouths open. "I knew something was up with him and Catarina has been very evasive and sneaky for the last month." He took several deep calming breaths as the beer bottle in his hand shattered spraying beer and glass over those around him. 

They turned back to Luc, "I know they do not matter and I do not have to prove myself to you, but I have to prove myself to your father not to mention your brothers... Yes, graduating a year early from University with a degree in Finance counts... Being here has helped with my English; it is still very stiff and formal. I am picking up local colloquialisms from Anthony and my cousins along with a more colorful vocabulary... (he started to laugh) No, I will not tell you the curse words I have learned...I love hearing your laugh and wish I was there with you...Only a couple more days and then you will be in my arms again...You never told me why you are awake so early... (he got up and paced, agitation apparent in every step) There had better not be any males around you, you are MINE..." 

"Where the fuck is she going at 4:30 in the morning?" Dante asked with a scowl. 

"Who is going?... Stay with your family and Nonna... For fuck's sake, you know I trust you, it is everyone else I do not trust ... (laughs) Yes, that is one of the phrases I learned...I should go, they are waiting... I told them it was business... Have a good time at the Festival of Terracina... I love you with all my heart Dolcezza and I cannot wait until you are in my arms again." They watched as Luc put his cell in his pocket before throwing himself down on the sofa with a smile on his face. 

"Dante, what are you going to do?" asked Carlo as everyone turned to him. 

An evil grin crossed Dante's face, "Torture the little bastard of course." Matching grins came over the men's faces as he explained his plan. 

"You guys are really cruel," Paulo said as he shook his head. "I can't believe you're going to do that to Luc." 

Joe smiled and said, "Are you going to say anything?" 

"Hell no. I just want it on record that I was against this... for when Mom and Aunt Rose find out and the shit hits the fan," Paulo said with a laugh before turning back to his keyboard. The men watched as Luc got up and they quickly went back to filing as Paulo killed the video feed and Frank opened the door. 

Luc couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked into the kitchen and got a beer out of the fridge. After taking a long pull he noticed the women staring at him with knowing smiles as Gina said quietly, "How is Catarina?" 

"Excuse me?" he murmured as he began to flush and he could feel sweat starting to bead on his forehead. 

"I had an interesting chat with Calinda earlier," Gina answered with a smile. 




South Mountain Pack Ch. 15



Luc took a calming breath, "What did my Madame Alpha say? I hope everyone is well, Nonna didn't say anything was wrong when I spoke to her." 

"Everyone is fine, but you know that, don't you?" Gina replied and watched Luc begin to squirm. "She received a call from a specialty shop in Rome, that her special order was ready. She couldn't remember ordering anything but sent someone to get it and was surprised when she opened the package." 

Luc chugged the rest of his beer and got another, drinking half of that before he said in a calm controlled voice, "Was it a surprise present Alpha Dante ordered for her birthday? He will be upset if she saw it beforehand." 

"No, as a matter of fact it was something Catarina ordered," murmured Gina as she began to smirk. Seeing the perplexed look on his face, she leaned forward, "It was personalized stationary... with the name Catarina Vitti on it." Luc's bottle slammed down onto the counter as he began to choke on the beer he just drank. She smiled broadly, "Relax. She hasn't told Dante... yet." 

He let out a deep sigh and looked down at his shoes, "I should be getting back to the room; they will wonder where I am." The sounds of the women's laughter stopped him as he walked down the hallway and he took several deep breaths to compose himself before he walked into Paulo's office. 

"Hey Mom, what was all that about?" asked Anthony as the youngsters stopped talking to hear the answer. 

"Nothing, just talking to Luc," replied Gina. 

"Come on Mom, it sounded like more than that," Anthony said in a wheedling tone as the youngsters started to laugh. 

Gina stared at her son and the other boys, "If I was you, I'd be more concerned with the talk you're going to have at the lake." 

"Yes, ma'am," the boys said as they quieted down and Lorenzo said quietly, "We are so fucked." 

"We're beyond fucked," added Gianni with a sigh. 

"If there's a place beyond fucked, that's where we are," Marcus said as he leaned back on the sofa as the boys nodded in agreement. 

"We're so far beyond fucked, we're gonna need a homing pigeon because I don't even think the best damn GPS on the market can find a way to save our sorry asses," Damian said with a smirk as the youngsters laughed. 

"Watch your language," admonished Annie with a glare at the boys. "I know you've corrupted Sophia and Maria and Luna only knows how you talk to each other over the bond, but be respectful around the Miller girls." 

Holly started to laugh quietly and said in a whisper, "I will say your boys have a way with words. I've never heard 'fuck' used in so many ways before." 

Rose grimaced, "We don't even pay attention anymore. The only time we notice is when Sophia or Maria drop the F bomb." The women looked at the boys who were arguing which TV cop show was the best. The Millers sat quietly as the argument got louder and louder as Sophia, Maria and Gabby joined in. 

"All of you are wrong," Kelly said as she began to blush. The room quieted down as she continued, "It's got to be 'NCIS'." 

"I wouldn't mind getting arrested by DiNozzo if it meant he frisked me..." Erin stopped as Lorenzo growled loudly startling her. 

He stared at her possessively and snapped, "No one is gonna get close enough to frisk you...EVER." Erin smiled shyly as he continued to growl before pulling her closer to his side and draping his arm over her shoulders. 

"It's because it has Mark Harmon in it. He's the best looking man I've ever seen," Caitlin said with a deep sigh as Damian began to growl. 

"He's a hundred fifty fuckin years old," muttered Damian with a scowl as the other boys grinned at his obvious jealousy. 

"He's timeless," Caitlin answered with another sigh. "He's got the elegance of Cary Grant, the ruggedness of John Wayne, the comedic genius of Bob Hope, a smoldering bad boy vibe like James Dean tempered with a sense of right and wrong like James Stewart. In other words...he's perfect." 

"Perfect my fucking ass," muttered Damian as he continued to scowl before saying in an angry voice, "Let's watch a movie." As he put the movie in the DVD player Sal dimmed the lights and the music from 'Jaws' began playing. 

"Is it scary?" asked Maeve as she burrowed closer to her twin. 

"Kinda, I'm here if you get scared," Enzo answered as he moved to the floor near her feet, Gino moved to sit near Fiona and the two young girls visibly relaxed; taking their cue, the boys moved closer to their charges. Vin and Dom took advantage of the darkened room and pulled Brianna and Morgan in between their outstretched legs, settling them against their chests as they watched the movie. 

In Paulo's office, no one had spoken and the tension was mounting minute by minute, finally after ten minutes Dante said, "Was there a problem with RI?" 

Luc lowered his eyes, "No Sir, I thought it was business but it was personal." The men began to talk about the game and the Meet 'n Mingle. 

Ed shrugged, "Beatrice hasn't found her mate yet and she turned eighteen last month. I'm worried, but she says he'll find her when he's ready." 

"I'm sure she's right and his wolf isn't ready but I'll talk to Gina, she's pretty good about these things," Carlo said in a concerned tone. "Dante, I know you're worried Cat hasn't found her mate yet either and I have an idea. Why don't you have a Meet 'n Mingle at The Castle, one Pack at a time? If she doesn't find her mate in an Italian Pack, expand it to Europe." 

Luc began flexing his hands as Dante said with a shrug, "I am in no hurry for her to find her mate. She will probably end up with someone who gets on my fucking nerves and is a pain in my ass. You know the type I am talking about, an arrogant little bastard who has shit for brains and no sense of decorum." 

Todd nodded, "I know exactly what you're saying. I was worried about my girls finding mates in our old Pack." He turned to Frank and smiled, "Except for the fact Vin and Dom can't stop slobbering on my daughters, I'm happy." 

Frank grimaced, "I'm not looking forward to that." 

"With Anthony being a blood born Alpha, he'll feel stronger emotions than the other boys and his wolf will want to claim her before anyone else has a chance," Carlo said in a quiet voice. "I remember when I made my declaration for Gina. Those eleven months were the longest eleven months in my life. Anthony has three years to wait and I don't know how he's going to do it." 

"The same goes for Alberto," Carmelo said with a sigh. "I had to wait six months for Rita and it drove me insane." 

"This is why I do not want my daughter to find her mate. All the problems you are having, I would rather not deal with," Dante said with a shudder. "I am thinking of sending her to Vitorchiano until she turns twenty one." He had to turn away from Luc to hide his smile as he heard the younger man gasp. "The estate is four hours away, extremely remote and the population in the nearby town is less than 4,000. Naturally, I would provide guards with families but I would make sure there was an absence of any hormone fueled male Were around her and will tell her guards not to allow any visitors, even family friends." 

Luc visibly paled and Ric coughed to hide his laughter before saying, "I think that's a great idea, you can't be too careful with her. Who knows what any perspective suitor would do to get close to her and of course your business." 

"I wouldn't trust any male that said he was her mate," added Rocco with a scowl. "She is extremely beautiful but naïve and could be taken advantage of by someone unscrupulous." Luc began taking deep angry breaths, his hands fisted at his sides and the men put their heads down so he wouldn't notice their smiles. 

"Exactly my point," said Dante with a frown that was at odds with the gleam in his eyes. "Screw it, I am going to call Cal and tell her to send Cat tomorrow." 

Luc's eyes began to shift to amber and he turned to Dante and said in a snarl, "You are not sending my mate away. SHE IS MINE." 

The men stared as Dante said in a hard demanding tone, "Excuse me?" 

"You heard me. She is mine. You are not taking her away from me," Luc snapped as his eyes continued to flick to amber. 

Dante stared at the younger man and Luc didn't back down, after several minutes Dante smiled and said, "It is about time you admitted it, you little bastard. I was wondering when you would make your declaration." 

"You... you knew?" Luc asked as he looked around the room and saw the smiles on the men's faces. 

"I suspected when you started to act strangely towards each other and it was made worse with your reluctance to join the Meet 'n Mingle," Dante said with a shrug. "But it was the phone call, with my daughter's favorite song as the ringtone that confirmed it... that and listening to your conversation." 

"I should have remembered the security system and gone outside," Luc said with a frown. He looked down at the floor and asked quietly, "Are you upset with the mate Luna picked for your daughter?" 

Dante closed his eyes as images of Luc's father, Emilio, flashed through his mind and though years had passed and their retribution had been swift, it had done nothing to dull the pain. The images wouldn't stop and Dante closed his eyes even tighter as he savored each and every one of them; he, Ric, Rocco and Emilio, the four of them always together as they grew from little ones to men with families of their own. Opening his eyes he looked at Luc and the resemblance between father and son had unsettled him since Emilio's death but now it put him at ease. 

"Your father was one of my best friends and I loved him like he was my brother. He would be as happy as I am for this declaration," Dante said in a choked voice before embracing his future son. Leaning back, but not letting go of Luc he said, "We heard what you said about having to prove yourself... you are the son of Emilio and Serafina Vitti but you are your own man. You have more than proven your own worth and I am honored for you to be a member of my family." 

The men congratulated him with Ric and Rocco being the last. "Even though Emilio was our Uncle, we were raised as brothers since he was only a year older," Ric said as he began to tear up. "Losing him was like losing a piece of myself." 

"We know we've been hard on you, but we treated you the same as our own sons and expected a lot from you. Though we never told you, you've made us proud," Rocco said with a frown. "Now this doesn't mean we'll be easier on you because deep down you're still a little arrogant bastard... but we do love you." 

"And if you tell anybody, we'll beat the hell out of you," added Ric with a smile. 

Luc smirked and said in an arrogant condescending tone, "It would take the two of you to beat me. You know I am younger and stronger thus I am superior." 

"And this is why we argue," said Ric as he began to frown. 

Dante stepped between the three men, "Enough. Let us finish sorting these papers so we can get started on the files." 

An hour later they finished and Joe said, "After listening to Luc, I have an idea. We should make a weeks worth of recordings of The School House, our homes and businesses. We'd need to sync up the TV, radio and lights too." 

Carlo began to smile, "I get it. When Aldo lets us know it's close to the time, we send the youngsters, women and The Elders to the safe room and play the recordings as if they were still doing their normal routines." 

"I can set that up using the security systems," Paulo said as he opened a desk drawer pulling out a notebook. "I'll work on that next month. I've got several things going on, the tracking devices which Sal's helping with and Damian's working on the schedule to install the security updates linking the cell phones. I put him in charge because he's good talking to people and he's gonna go with me." He began to laugh, "For most of the installs, we're having dinner or dessert with them." 

Joe smiled and shook his head, "That boy is a menace." 

"Like father, like son." Joe scowled as Carlo continued, "Let's call the women." Joe handed out paper to write questions or details to be talked about later. Minutes later they were reading over 400 emails, starting with the earliest and Carlo and Gina were the first to get to the most recent ones. "SON OF A BITCH," he roared and shifted into his black wolf throwing his head back howling angrily, the sound reverberating through the house and the 'danger' scent was released into the air. They heard the sound of running and Carlo ran down the hallway followed by the others to see the boys with the girls slung over their shoulders racing down the basement stairs heading to the safe room. 

"I've got the door," Victor shouted as the boys never slowed down and as the door to the safe room opened they were running through it. Setting the girls gently on the bunks, Alberto made sure Maria's arm was propped up as Vin locked the house down and Dom powered up the monitors. 

"What's going on?" Anthony asked as he made sure all the girls were there. Before anyone could answer, Carlo in wolf form went to each girl, starting with the youngest Millers, scenting them to make sure they were okay and to calm them down. The last one was Sophia and after scenting her he licked her on the forehead in an affectionate gesture a father would do to soothe his young. She laughed and he chuffed in answer before going into the back room to change into clothes he kept there. 

"What's going on?" Anthony repeated to the adults. 

"We've been reading the emails," Gina answered and saw Dante was still carrying his copies and motioned for him to give them to her. "Last week, an email was sent to 'The MasterMind' confirming a second payment had been sent with delivery within eighteen months. The rest of the email..." She stopped and looked at her son before looking at Sophia and Maria, "states they now want both Carlucci's as well as the rest of the girls and are offering 20 million dollars for their delivery." 

The boys immediately formed a protective barrier in front of the girls, the men began to fist their hands and their eyes turned amber as they fought off their shift. Rose and Annie rolled their necks and took deep breaths like their father had taught them to calm down and Holly hugged Nana Ellen. 

"The next email from 'The MasterMind' agrees to the terms and promises delivery of the Millers before June, and the rest of the girls by December, 2004," Gina finished quietly as her eyes flickered between her soft brown and amber. She looked at Todd and Holly, "Brianna and Morgan turn eighteen in June." 

Carlo walked into the room, "Until we read through and understand the emails, files and whatever the fuck is on that hard-drive, everything's on hold. We'll cancel the boys training tomorrow, and have another Pack meeting." His eyes fell on the girls and he said in a voice full of anger, "They'll never get close to you." 

Maeve smiled and said in a low voice filled with confidence, "Remember when we were in the car and I told you I wasn't scared anymore? I'm still not scared because I know you and my Pack will protect me." 

"Always," Carlo answered as he smiled back. He looked to the boys and said with a gleam in his eye, "I see whatever happened earlier didn't interfere with your response time in getting the girls to safety." 

"No, Sir," the boys responded as they put their heads down, shuffled their feet and furtively glanced at each other. 

"What'd I miss?" Paulo asked as he took in the guilty expressions on the younger boys. Lorenzo explained what happened and the girls laughed quietly and the adults stared as Paulo's eyebrows shot up, his mouth fell open and his eyes got wide. "Damn, I'm almost sorry I stayed home." 

"Great poker face Doyle Brunson," muttered Damian as he coughed to hide his laughter. "It's a good thing you didn't come, this way you aren't in trouble like us. Congrats on cracking the code, I knew you could do it little brother." 

Paulo blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "It was a complicated code, but I'm upset with myself it took me so long." 

"You cracked it before the IT Department from the Alpha Council," Anthony said with a shrug. "They've had it way longer than you." 

"They don't have my little brothers mad skills," said Lorenzo proudly as Carlo told everyone to go back upstairs. Four hours later, the youngsters had fallen asleep in the family room and the adults were still sorting the files and financials. The amount of folders was overwhelming and they soon had to move some out to the kitchen where they covered the countertop and table. 

"Alpha Carlo," Paulo said excitedly as the adults gathered around. "We found the source of their income or at least one of them. It's labeled 'Trucking', that's slang for transporting drugs. I'll print everything, but it shows who they bought the drugs from including price and amounts; maps showing the routes they used for transport from the Mexican border through their territory; who they sold the drugs to including price and when it was sold; payment to the Pack members who participated. Hold on." They watched as the deposit record for the bank in the Cayman's appeared on the six right hand screens, "If you notice, there was a corresponding deposit made into the bank several days later." 

"President Roberts said there were a number of men that disappeared every Monday and didn't come back until late Tuesday," Carlo said as Paulo confirmed the dates. He turned to Todd, "What's the terrain like?" 

"It's a mountainous region, sparsely populated with few major highways," Todd responded as Papa Mike nodded. "It's patrolled by DEA, local and state police due to smuggling and illegal immigration. I can't see them transporting this amount of drugs in a vehicle without getting caught. And why would they need that many men if they had a truck?" 

"They wouldn't use trucks, at least not to transport the drugs through their territory," Paulo said in a quiet voice. "The logical thing would be for a couple men to meet the supplier and make the deal then go to a safe house where the rest of the men were waiting. Once there, all the men except one would shift into their wolves and he'd strap the drugs to their back. While they ran he'd be on nearby roads checking for patrols, anything unusual or to provide a distraction if necessary. Once they reached their destination, he'd unstrap the drugs and they'd shift back to get ready for their buyer." The adults were staring at him in astonishment and Paulo shrugged, "If you think about it, it's pretty fuckin brilliant. If the truck gets stopped, the dogs they use would never alert to the drugs because it would be masked by the scent of wolves and it'd scare the hell out of them. Plus, they're looking for vehicles, not wolves. Who in their right mind would think a bunch of Werewolves would be transporting drugs on their back through the mountains?" 

Ed quietly said in a tone he used in the interrogation room, "How the hell would you know all of that?" 

Paulo had a wicked grin on his face, "I'm a Carlucci, and it's natural for us to look at things from a skewered perspective and think of ways to circumvent them or prevent them." He turned back to his computer while he laughed softly. 

"Luna help us all, they're getting more and more like Frank and Joe everyday," muttered Vinnie as he looked at his Godson. 

Frank, Joe, Annie and Rose looked at each other with pride in their eyes as Carlo said, "And that is why our Pack is strong and will stay strong. The Rossi's are the brains and brawn, while the Carlucci's are overprotective, paranoid, psychotic and let's be honest... they're just downright fucking scary." 

"We'll take that as a compliment," Frank said with a grin. "Ed, see what you can send to the DEA with as little details about Davis Pack as possible. I'm sure they'll be happy at least one supplier has been shutdown."