4-The Day Before

Luca’s POV

“Okay, feel good?” Uncle Taylor is massaging my shoulders.

“Yes, sir,” I say, as I mentally pump myself up for the fight.

The dawn hasn’t broken yet, and my Beta Uncles are out here, to both witness and coach me through the fight.

“I see my Betas have chosen a side.” Dad jokes, as he comes to the field.

“You can’t make us in charge of his safety, and not expect us to always be on his side,” Uncle Cliff is overly protective of me. Uncle Taylor has given me the side eye, more than once, after his mate has gone into overprotective mode.

“Well, once he beats me, he will be Alpha and will need a Beta, any ideas?” Dad asks.

“We try day and night, sometimes in the afternoon, but neither of us can get pregnant, it’s like we are cursed,” Uncle Taylor has jokes.

“The Alpha triplets of Cooper River have a younger cousin. He is 18, and they are training him to be Beta in Taylor’s place,” Uncle Cliff has answers.

The Cooper River Alpha triplets are Uncle Taylor’s first cousins. Since Uncle Taylor is 1st Beta it makes sense that his heir would be from his family. But, at Blood Moon, Uncle Cliff has a nephew named Cameron. He and I grew up together and I would like him to be my Beta.

“Son, that works for you?” Dad asks.

“Uncle Taylor, I love you, but did you ever consider Cameron?” I ask.

Taylor and Cliff look at each other, confused.

“No, we didn’t,” Taylor answers.

“Just food for thought,” I say. “He and I know each other, have fun together, I trust him, he’s strong and a great friend.”

Taylor and Cliff blinked at me.

“So, you are cool with him coming from a Warrior Class?” Cliff asks.

“Love ya, Uncle Tay, really, always have. But, let’s be honest,” I say, letting Taylor finish my statement.

“Cliff is the better Beta. I’m the better fighter, but as a Beta, Cliff is better.” Taylor nods.

I smile. Uncle Taylor is deadly. He is a Byatt, and they are all deadly. But, there is more to being Beta than fighting, and I need a Beta who can fill all the roles. Camron ticks all the boxes.

“I think Camron would be honored,” Cliff smiles.

“The pack would accept a Beta from Blood Moon over anyone out west,” Dad has fought battles in and with the west. Because Mom is from Blood Moon and Aunt Kass is from here, the connection is stronger, and our pack will accept Camron more.

“Okay rules, if Sam Wallace can’t heal it, don’t do it. He should be here, come to think of it,” Taylor looks around. Cliff picks up the phone.

“He found a shewolf,” I joke.

“Or found out you took his sister to the waterfall, last night,” Sam orbs to the side of the ring.

“Hey, she invited me,” I smirk.

“My sisters are not your personal harem,” Sam looks pissed.

“You have 16 sisters, I have slept with 2, hardly using the Wallace clan as a harem.”

“Sam, you going to hold a grudge, or can you still heal him?” Cliff asks.

“I’ll heal him, I’ll keep him alive,” Sam still looks pissed.

“Okay, rule two, once a man taps out, the fight is over,” Taylor finishes and dad and I nod.

We circle for a minute. I give up my advantage and strike first. I caught dad off guard, making contact with his shoulder. He is off balance, so I attack again dislocating his right shoulder this time.

Dad looks shocked. He sees my smirk and, well, I’m screwed. Dad attacks, his left hand wrapping around my throat and slamming me into the mat. He then beats me with his right arm, despite the shoulder being out of joint.

I can’t help it; I tap out before I lose conciseness.

“That’s it, James release him,” Taylor yells.

Dad releases me. Cliff relocates the shoulder and Sam heals the bruises.

Sam walks over to me. “You gave up your advantage and then got cocky. The fight is never over until it’s over. Don’t lose focus.“

He heals me, then helps me up.

“Again,” I call.

Dad smirks and joins me.

We go back and forth, this time for several hours. Taylor and Cliff are coaching me, and even Sam gives me some pointers. I think I might outlast my dad. Then Sam gets a mindlink.

“Alpha James, there is a situation, my parents need your permission to the use the portal,” Sam says.

I see dad mindlink, who I assume are the portal guards.

“Done, whatever they need.” Dad answers.

“Thank you, Alpha. We may require assistance in the future.” Sam is all business.

“Blue Mountain and Mountain Peak are our allies. We will answer any call, as you would,” Dad answers.

Sam heals us both, before orbing away to deal with whatever.

“It’s almost time for dinner. We should get cleaned up,” Cliff tells us.

“You did well, son. I want you to know, I’m proud of you,” Dad tells me. “You can lead this pack; just say the word and I’ll hand it over.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

*************************

Emmett’s POV

When I wake up, I see a text from Kurt; that he is back on pack lands.

Me- Diner for breakfast?

Kurt- sounds good.

Me- 30 minutes?

Kurt- meet you there.

When I arrive, I stand against my black 1964 Plymouth Barracuda. I restored it myself. I make sure my curly hair is styled and my clothes are date ready. Kurt pulls up in his 1965 Chevy C-10. He likes classic cars, good.

“Did you have to be a Mopar man?” Kurt smiles.

“Hey, I wasn’t going to bring up the fact you prefer Chevy, but if you want to go there,” I raise my eyebrows and lean in for a kiss.

“You okay kissing in public?” He asks me, freezing.

“Yes, I am, you?” I smile at him.

“You aren’t embarrassed?” He smiles back.

“I'm not embarrassed by you, or anyone,” I hook his jeans belt loop with my finger and pull him against me. “You shouldn’t be either.”

We kiss softly; before interlocking our fingers and going into the diner. We sit in a booth and talk about everything. Him taking over building for his dad, my future plans as a warrior.

“So, if you have a female mate, will you be okay with that?” He asks me.

“Honestly, yes. I like both. I would be shocked if my mate is male. I’m an Alpha blood, it’s rare for us to be mated to the same sex.” I tell him, while I play with his hair.

“I don’t know what I’d do with a female mate,” Kurt shakes his head.

“Then, you should prepare your dad. My dad is the coldest, most ruthless, of all the Wallace brothers. They call him Psycho. But, when he caught me making out with a guy, he didn’t bat an eyelash. He just told me making out is not a public thing. To take it to our floor and stay in the living room. Same rules my brothers have.”

Kurt smiles and snuggles into my arm. “I really hate that we aren’t mates.”

“Let me guess, you’ve had a crush on me since…”

Kurt sits up and looks me in the eye, “You were the first male I was ever attracted to, year four.”

I smile, “Sorry you had to hide.”

“I don’t want to hide anymore,” he leans in, and I capture his lips. We make out for a few minutes, before we realize we need get alone, because this is going to get heated.

As we are leaving his dad walks in, with several colleagues.

“Young Alpha?” He dad looks at me, holding Kurt’s hand. “What is going on?”

“Just having breakfast,” I answer with a smile. Pulling Kurt past them. I pretend not to notice how they stare at us. “Can I kiss you, before you get in the car and follow me to the Packhouse?”

“My dad is watching. Will you be angry if I say no?”

“Nope, like I said, when you are ready, I’ll stand next to you,” I smile and get in my car.

“Alpha,” Kurt calls me.

“Emmett,” I correct him.

“Emmett,” Kurt actually has a blush rising. “Yes, please kiss me goodbye.”

This makes me smile and I come around to his Chevy. I open his door for him, wrap an arm around his back and bring him to me, brushing my lips against his. I feel his arms around me and we stand in the parking lot, embracing and lip locked.

“Kurt,” I hear his dad behind me.

“I’m right beside you,” I whisper, as we pull apart and I turn to look at his dad.

“Yeah, dad?” Kurt is playing it cool.

“What are you doing?” His dad looks confused more than anything.

“Emmett and I, are going back to the packhouse, I’ll be home later,” Kurt says, with a shaky voice. I rub his back, to give him comfort.

“Kurt, you can’t call an Alpha by name!”

“He can if he is my boyfriend, and he is, so he calls me Emmett, or whatever pet name he chooses,” I speak up. “Right, baby.”

I kiss Kurt’s cheek, to accent the point, making him blush for the second time today.

Kurt seems to be in thought, before smiling and saying, “Yes, babe.”

I smile at him and damn, I want to kiss his lips again.

“Are you mates?” Kurt’s dad asks.

“Nope, just dating,” Kurt answers.

“Be careful, your mate may not like the whole ex of an Alpha thing.” Kurt’s dad waves us off and goes back to inside.

“That wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Kurt takes a deep breath.

I smile, “There may be a chance that my dad is sitting in the window, and I may have noticed him mindlinking.”

Kurt looks over and sees my dad and Uncle Luke waving at us,

“Cool.”

When we get to the Packhouse, we walk in hand in hand. Stella looks particularly annoyed.

“Mates?” Mom asks, smiling.

“No,” I shake my head. “You know my mate is a female.”

Mom rolls her eyes. But, I feel Kurt start to pull away. And, I watch, as another warrior crashes into the guy I was falling for. I let go of Kurt’s hand and back away.

Good for him, he found his mate.

A family meeting is called the next morning. Apparently, my cousin, Shay, has caused trouble again and we have to clean it up again!