Another End

(Him)

I can’t believe it! Rogues were able to kidnap Tom and Kaiden in their school! In the middle of the pack land! Nora and Elena met us when we crossed the border. They are taking off Tom and Kaiden - to the doctor to check them just in case - while we have an emergency meeting. I sent Anna-Lynn and that Gamma at home. I don’t want to hear her telling me I should have followed her advice about the patrol’s rotation. I don’t need that now. I’m furious!

We are in my office with my father, Aiden, and Connor. We are waiting for Collin and Jake. The meeting will start when they will be here. I can feel Aiden is as furious as I am!

“How they were able to go until the school?” I ask Jake when he arrives.

“Somehow they knew how to avoid the patrols. They also killed the guard in front of the school even before he could warm us. It’s Tom’s teacher who mind-linked us. She got hurt during the fight. She is in the hospital. The doctor doesn’t know if she will survive.”

Fucking great! As if it was not enough it has to be worst!

“Still, they were able to leave the pack territory with our kids without crossing the patrol. What took the patrol so long when the teacher warmed them?”

“I am sorry Alpha, the patrol was far. They had split as they didn’t where the rogues were going. They went to school and wanted to follow the rogue’s scent by it was masked.” He lowers his head in submission feeling Aiden and my anger.

“Don’t be too hard with him Liam. You are too upset to see it but he is really bad. Moreover, you are the one who created the patrols rotation.” Says dad through the mind-link.

“As soon as possible, I want a new patrol routine on my desk. You can go now.”

“I’m sorry Alpha. I’m sorry Beta. I failed you both. I will accept my punishment.” Jake says before leaving. Dad is right he looks so defeated.

“I let that happened. I was too confident to believe someone would dare to attack us.” I say ashamed of myself. They could have killed Tom easily if it was their objective. If his teacher dies it will be on me. I sigh feeling totally defeated too.

“Don’t be too hard with yourself son, the rogues were really well informed. They were able to avoid the patrol twice and they knew where to pass the border to be unnoticed.” says dad.

“Your father is right don’t be too hard. We all were too confident. Now we know we need to be in high alert.” Agrees Aiden.

“I have to. I’m weak, I wasn’t even able to shift to save my own son. His teacher might die. And I lost you” I say looking to Collin. “ I need to be better. The pack needs me to be a better Alpha.”

“What do you mean you lost him?’” Conner says pointed Collin.

“He means I will be leaving with Anna-Lynn in a few weeks.” Collin tells him.

“You can’t!” Says Connor

“My wolf chose her as his Luna. I will follow her as long as she lives. Does that mean I have your accord to leave?” Collin asks.

I nod.

“Why? You don’t even trust her and you are ready to let my brother leaves with her!” Says Connor.

“I have just realized a bit too late how Harper was important for you. Sorry, it took me so long. Just know you will always be welcome here. It will be your home whenever you want. Also, an old sage told me you deserve your happiness and if leaving the pack means you will find it, I have to support you.” I say directly at Collin.

“Thank you, Alpha!” He says deeply moved.

“What about us? I don’t want to live without you in my life. You’re my twin!” Protests Connor on the verge of crying.

“And yet you will never accept my daughter. You can’t do that for me.” Collin tells him.

“Just give me time, please.” Begs Connor.

“You too! You are still my brother but she is my blood and my priority. Moreover, Liam is right, I want to find my own happiness this is why I need to leave.” Retorts Collin.

Connor leaves without saying anything else. He needs the comfort of his mate right now. I know it’s difficult for him to accept his brother’s decision. Hell, it’s already difficult for me.

“What shitty time! In less than 2 weeks you and he lost your brothers and I realized that I actually wanted to have a sister no matter what she is. But it’s too late. She found a better brother anyway.” Says Aiden looking as defeated as me.

“That’s not true.” Objects Collin.

“No, don’t try to sugarcoat it. He is only telling the truth.” I say.

“You still can try with Anna-Lynn, make peace and become something even if it’s not a brother.” Collin tells Aiden.

“Easier to say than to do. She’s avoiding me like plague. Well, it was what I kind of used to do all those years with her. Actually it’s really annoying!” Complains Aiden.

“As for Alistair, an apology would be a good place to start. He may never come back live in the pack but it doesn’t mean you can keep in touch. A lot of families are not leaving in the same pack and it’s not a problem. And for me and Connor, well I need time to heal.” Keeps going, Collin.

“When did you come so wise?” I ask him.

“Just something I was watching last time that made me realize you never know if you never try.” He says shaking his head with a smile.

“Do you want to stay for lunch?” Aiden asks him.

“No, I should go. Harper needs to be feed soon.” He answers.

”That’s and also Anna-Lynn is a great cooker.” Scoffs dad.

“What can I say. I’m in love with food!” He says getting up.

“See you later.” I tell him

“See you later, Alpha, Beta.” He adds before leaving.

Shitty day and shitty time as Aiden said. Thank god Tom and Kaiden are unharmed. Well, thanks to Anna-Lynn and that Gamma. I don’t like to have a stranger on my territory.

“Dad, you said you know that Gamma Alex?” I ask him.

“Well, we kind of know him too.” Says Aiden.

“How so?”

“Do you remember Clara?” He asks me.

“Clara as in Alpha David’s annoying little sister?” I question him.

He nods.

“So?”

“Do you remember when David’s father asks you if Connor and Collin could babysit his daughter who was partying too much while in university. And they gave up after two days because she was driving them crazy?”

This time I am the one who nods.

“Well, the guy who was able to keep an eye on her and to not quit is Gamma Alec.”

Wow, that guy has all my respect. I never saw another sister so bitchy. I pity her mate. She found him 2 years ago, it’s an Alpha in Germany, I think.

“Actually, he is working for an agency called Team-L. They send you every high ranking wolf when you want, where you want.” Says my father.

“How do you know that?” I ask him.

“I looked about it after Alpha Walt rent their services. Your mother wanted to have a road trip with Tessa. Something about to have some girl time. so I checked that agency to see the services they were offering in case I would have needed it. No way I would have let your mother leaves without protection and she refused to have guards with her, that stubborn woman. Thank god she gave up that idea as Nora got pregnant.”

“Okay.” I just say.

Mom can really have stupid ideas some time...

~~~~~~~

It’s 6:00 pm now and Aiden and I spent the day brooding. We saw our boys for lunch and spent a few hours with them. Even if it helped that didn’t change our moon. We can be proud of them. They were really brave and after only a few hours they were able to play as nothing happened. Tom’s teacher will survive but she will have lifelong consequences. That makes me feel the worst. The doctor told me she needed rest and he will let me know when I can pass to see her.

We are back in my office as Collin asks us if we could meet. I also asked my father to join us. When he finally arrives, I’m asking why we are here while he is plugging a USB stick behind my TV.

“I’m giving you a reason to try.” He just says.

“Enjoy the show!” He adds once he turned off the lights.

The video is launched and it starts with a title: The best and the worst of Ali. Suddenly Anna-Lynn appears on the screen and she says:

“You never know who you can meet in an Airport: a Celebrity, your favorite author -well not mine as he dies 40 years ago, your future husband or just a former packmate.”

As she turns the camera and zooms we can see Alistair. She keeps talking and turns the camera on her again.

“Wait was I really part of that pack? Don’t think so... losing myself again sorry. Anyway you know it’s the kind of encounter where you are happy to meet that person because It has been so long, obviously! But at the same time you don’t want to be late and miss your flight. And then comes the unpleasant question: how long since we last met? I know thank you to remind me time fly and I’m not getting younger! Yes, I graduated 8 years ago already. Damn it! And then -yes it’s getting worst, It’s time for the critical questions: How have you been? What do you do now? And the unexpected encounter becomes a hard competition about who has the biggest one...” she laughs.

“ Anyway let’s do it.”

She starts to walk.

“Hello, stranger! Funny to meet you here.” She says when she arrives behind his back.

“Anna-Lynn is that really you? Wow, it’s been a while.” Alistair says surprised and happy. Then he hugs her.

“Hey Alistair, it’s nice to see you.”

“It’s been a while! 3 years?”

“Almost.”

“You know I came with your birthday cake for your 16 like always but you were not there anymore.”

“I know, I am sorry. Did you receive my letter?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t realize it was a definitive goodbye.”

“Apparently not as we met again.”

“It’s only a coincidence.”

“No it’s destiny!” she tells him smiling.

“Can you stop filming?” He says.

•••

In the next scene, we see Anna-Lynn sitting in a chair with the sea on her back.

“Hey, Funny thing Alistair and I were taking the same flight. Destiny I tell you. Any way to catch up we decided to share a room. He just has a lot of problems to get up with the jet lag but we have an extensive program today... too bad I need to wake him up...” She says with an evil smile.

We don’t see anything anymore as she enters a dark room.

“What’s the fuck!” we hear Alistair screams and Anna-Lynn laughs out loud.

“Come on Al, we have a long day. We have friends to meet and after we will go swimming with white sharks.”

She turns on the light. Alistair is still lying on his stomach closing his eyes because of the light.

“Have you ever see a wolf in the middle of a group of sharps? I don’t think so.” Alistair tells her with a sleepy voice.

“Guess what?” She asks him exciting.

“What?”

“I will see one soon! Get up now sleepy head.” She says rubbing his hair.

“No can do! And stop fucking filming!” Alistair says.

“No can do.” She retorts.

The screen goes black and we hear Alistair says: “And it’s become our motto.”. In the next scene we see Alistair and Anna-Lynn on a boat.

“Come on Al, don’t be a chicken!” Says Anna-Lynn.

“What I will do if one of them attacks me?”

“You shift and attack back.” She shrugs.

“You know the element of a wolf is the hearth, not water.”

“You are so boring. Sharps have a more simple intelligence they are very predictable. They will not attack if they are not hungry or if you don’t attack first.”

“That doesn’t help at all.”

“Gosh, you are so a Chicken! White sharks don’t like human flesh. Do you ever heard that someone was eaten by a white shark no just attacked.”

“Well, shark's bike looks painful.”

“I’m going alone then!” She says before mimicking a chicken.

“Fine! And for the record, if I die I will hunt you down!”

“Fine!” She says with a smirk.

Then they both jump.

The screen goes black.

•••

The next scent is in a tropical forest. Alistair and Anna-Lynn are speaking with strangers. I don’t where they are. Actually Anna-Lynn is speaking a former language and she translates for Alistair.

“They are shifters.” Anna-Lynn explains to Alistair.

“I know but what kind?”

“I mean they can shift in any creatures that are living or lived on earth.”

“Wow do you think that can shift in Pegasus?”

“Duh! I said creatures who are or had lived on earth.” She says looking at him like he was stupid. Then she asks them something in another language and looks disappointed.

“What? What did they say?” Asks Alistair.

“That’s they can’t turn in unicorn.”

Alistair shakes his head: “And I’m the stupid one.”

Anna-Lynn gives him a finger. Suddenly she jumps: “What?! A girl can dream! You gave me an idea!”

“Something told me I will not like it.”

Anna-Lynn speaks again in that former language and she has a huge smile at what they say.

“Do you ever see a wolf in the air?” She asks Alistair.

“No, No, No, No!” He says shaking his head.

“ Oh yeah!” Says Anna-Lynn.

The video kept like this for an hour and we followed Alistair and Anna-Lynn in their adventures. Both of them are nuts! We saw them jump in parachute, running on the slopes of an active volcano (and screaming because “It’s fucking hot!” no my words), swimming with killer whales, meeting sirens... The three of us laughed a lot.

“Wow!” Aiden says.

Yeah!” adds my dad.

“I never imagine them like that. They are funnier than I have never imagined. It’s just crazy all that they did.” I say.

“Tom will be jealous if he knows his uncle knows sirens.” Says my father.

“Don’t tell me! I am jealous too! Come one they know where the Atlantis is. They even visited it!” says Aiden.

“Do you think we are too close off?” I ask them more seriously.

“Maybe.” Says Aiden.

“Possibly but I will call us safe. How can you know you can trust them. They were lucky to meet only good people.” says my father.

“True, they are too confidents with strangers.” I agree.

“Damn! And I was thinking we were the cooler one but they are cooler than us. I wish to know them more now.” Says Aiden.

“Me too!” I say.

Collin is right, I need to apologize to Alistair. We have our differences but he is my family and I want to be part of his crazy life.

“We need to find a way to fix things with your brother.” Says my father voicing my thoughts.

“I know but how?”

“Do you think I should show the video to your mother? I’m afraid she will feel worst.” He asks me.

“She should and your parents too. They have the right to know that their kids are fine and happy.” I tell them.

“And nuts!” Laughs Aiden and we follow him.

“We have to thank Collin.” Says my father.

“I will.” I tell him.

“It’s time for dinner. We should show the video to your mother and my parents after we ate.”

I nod. They start to walk to the dining room but I don’t follow them yet.

“Collin, thank you for sharing this video with us.” I mind-link him.

“It’s normal. I thought you would like to know about this part of your brother's life.” He answers me.

“Is there are other Videos with Alistair?” I can help to ask wanted to see more.

“Yes. A lot actually. But Anna-Lynn will kill me if I show you more video. She will be already pissed when she will know about this one.”

“Can you tell me more, please?”

“They help a lot of people. Even if there is not a lot of videos of that. There is a lot of photos and thank you letters. For the last natural catastrophes, they went there to save people. It’s amazing but with your mood today I thought laughing would help more.” He tells me.

“Thank you. You’re sure you can’t show me more videos. I will tell nobody.“

“No Alpha. If you want to know you have to ask Alistair. That means to make peace with him.”

At least I tried. I know what I have to do now. I just have no idea how.