Chapter 6

It was Sunday afternoon, and a handful of people were requested to have lunch at Alpha Lennox’s house. Jordan was in her room slipping into a white, pink floral sundress when Sonja stepped in.

“Hey. That’s pretty.” She said curling up in the middle of her sister’s bed and crossing her legs together.

“Thanks. It’s hot out. Are you going to go for a dip in the pool while you’re there?” Jordan asked looking at her sister.

“I wore it underneath my tank and shorts, but I highly doubt we’ll be swimming. When was the last time Alpha Lennox wanted to have lunch with us and his second in command?”

Jordan eyed her sister then grabbed her long hair.

She faced the armoire again and tied it into a ponytail, so it was out of her face. Taking a breath, she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. “I get it, but it would be nice just to enjoy the day.”

Just getting away from everything and pretending that the world was okay seemed nice. Jordan had been dealing with thugs that seemed to be spurring up around the bar lately, and it was difficult to put on pretenses with every new patron that eyed her like a piece of meat or a sex toy rather than a woman. She just wanted to break free and have a good time like they did when they were kids. She wanted things to go back to a time where Noah, Sonja and herself would dive into the pool, spend time together talking rubbish and enjoying their lives.

It seemed that this dream would forever go amiss now. The town of Willow was starting to present itself as more of a threat to her mental health than anything else. She learned the hard way that no one was to be trusted, that everyone had some kind of secret that they were keeping from others. Was that what Willow was? A town full of dark, deep secrets that no one cared to share? A pack full of loners that Alpha Lennox brought together without hopes of bringing a true bloodline down?

It was devastating. This was her pack, and she wanted to be a part of these little intricacies. She wanted to know what was happening with the women in her community and what they suffered through, but asking was a cardinal sin, so silence was all she could contribute to the situation. It was just another day in Willow.

“I’m the one that normally brushes things off and just leaves things alone, but I can’t stop thinking about what you told me. What Jude said. What if Lennox wants you to mate with Jude?” Sonja whispered.

Jordan picked at the duvet she was sitting on. “It’s the only thing that has been going through my head. What choice do I have? We’re supposed to mate with a chosen wolf once we come of age. My time has come and has passed now by a few months. I feel like I’m caged in my own body. I can feel the animal inside of me trying to break free.” Jordan assumed that the altercation at the bar was a part of the wolf that was locked deep down. It fought to come out, but until she found her mate, it would be trapped inside her. So what else could she do but try and find another mate?

“So you’ll do it if that is what he asks?” Sonja asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Do I want to mate with Jude? The answer is No. I want Noah. I miss him so much, but he is gone, and Jude is the closest thing to Noah. If anything makes this easier, it's the fact he looks, acts and smells exactly like Noah. Now if he was a complete stranger, I don’t know if I could go through with it. What would you do?”

“I don’t know. Mating with someone means you’re their mate for life. If you don’t truly love them, if they’re not your true soul mate and you're doing it because you’re told or forced too, it doesn’t work with me. I don’t even care if it’s to continue a bloodline or not. It’s not right.” Sonja was old school in her methods. Where Jordan felt trapped and in desperate need of release, Sonja was still young. She had time until she needed to mate and make a connection with her soul mate, but for now, she was safe. Jordan was trapped in this loop. If she didn’t do it, she would never break free in wolf form. If she did, she would be linked to the Warren family forever, but both sisters knew that there was nothing that would deter Lennox from continuing this line.

“I know. I feel the same, but I don’t think I will have a say in the matter specifically because it is to preserve the bloodline. Less than a year and you’re next.” Jordan quipped.

Sonja slapped her shoulder and got off the bed. “Well, I’m glad it’s you and not me. I think I might have to run for the hills when the time comes.”

Both girls laughed together and walked down the hall where Mamma Sable was waiting for them.

**

When they arrived at Alpha Lennox’s house, they all headed for the backyard. The house was large, an old Victorian with a beautiful white encased deck that wrapped the entire house. The back of the house had a large covered veranda that had a huge patio table, with hanging swings from the enclosed porch on either end. The porch had a wide staircase that had five steps that led down to the large swimming pool; and a beautiful lush backyard, with assorted florals that added a touch of vibrant colors to the green manicured lawn. Lennox had over 200 acres of property that was lush in forest so his pack could run and perform the mating rituals right on his property.

It was truly a sight to behold. The community at large, coming together under one roof to pay tribute to their alpha, join in festivities and have a good time while doing it. Lennox always knew that he was going to need a place like this, where his underlings could spend their days, knowing that together they were a pack. Lennox was a bright man, with the intention of keeping family and pack honor first, he had to create the perfect domain for them.

And where better would that be, than his own backyard?

Jordan and Sonja walked up to Alpha Lennox and greeted him with a kiss and a hug.

“Well, hello, girls. It’s so good to see you. You both look beautiful as usual.” He smiled and motioned them to take a seat.

Jordan sat next to Lennox, with Sonja sitting directly to Jordan’s right. Mamma Sable sat in the chair on the left of the Alpha.

“Where is everybody? I thought there were more joining us?” Sonja asked.

“In due time, child.” Mamma Sable said.

Jordan looked at Sonja and then at Alpha Lennox. His hair was dark with gray sprinkled throughout the short strands. He wore a loose white button-down shirt with a pair of blue knee shorts that showed his muscular legs. For a man in his sixties, he was in excellent shape and didn’t look a day over forty. When looking at his physique, you knew he took pride in his appearance. His skin was sun-kissed a deep bronze color, and his eyes twinkled crystal blue when the sun hit them just right. Jordan watched his gaze fall on her and then he laid a hand on hers.

But what else could he do? Alpha Lennox knew that if he did not keep himself in check, there would be many waiting in the wings to take his place. He had to show no weakness; no physical disability, he had to always be on top of his game. And so he worked out, he demonstrated power and strength as a leader, molding and sculpting his body so that his pack knew there was no way he’d go down without a fight. Not that he thought any would try and strike him while he still walked in his semi-prime. They would be afraid. The pack weren’t cowards, but in a one on one, there was no doubt that the crushing weight of Lennox Warren’s powerful jaws would end the battle before it had a chance to truly begin.

Lennox’s people loved him, though, and this fight was only one that played out in his mind. The pack knew that the next in line was Jude, who also demonstrated great physical and mental prowess be it in human or wolf form.

“Jordan, I wanted to speak to you and Sonja before anyone else arrived. Privately, to hear your thoughts and opinions and then I will call for the rest to join us.” He said in a soft voice.

“Of course.”

“How about you both eat while I talk.” He smiled motioning at the table that was laden with food.

Both girls examined the spread of food that lay before them. There were jugs of juice; orange, and apple, several different cold salads; a tray of fresh fruit, vegetables, and various sandwiches. Jordan grabbed a plate and filled it without even hesitating. She never watched what she ate. Her motto was always live each day to the fullest.

Lennox made it a personal mission of his to keep those who entered his home comfortable. His table was always full of food and drink when he knew that his pack would be coming over. It was a small thing that he knew brought the pack together, making them stronger and more dynamic in battle. It was important to have this bond, especially when you lead the charge. They needed to know that Lennox was tough but fair. He fed with one hand, but the other was always ready to strike.

They respected him for that. The wolves knew who their alpha was and they’d never disobey his orders. And even a simple gesture like bringing them into his home, offering them a meal and a good time, kept his place in charge secure.

“I know you both have questions and that is why I called you both here, even though this has everything to do with Jordan. I am aware that you have already had the pleasure of meeting Jude and I apologize for not telling you about him; however, things had to be done to ensure his safety.” Lennox grabbed his glass and took a quick drink before continuing.

“Jordan, honey. Losing Noah was like I lost a piece of myself and I am sure you feel the same way and still do. No one could or can replace him, and I never expect anyone to. However, as you know, I am the Alpha of Alaska, and I have to ensure that the Warren bloodline continues. My sons are the direct descendants, and I planned to match both boys with the two of you.”

Sonja’s jaw fell open at his words as she tried to comprehend his last sentence. “Wait, what?”

Lennox smiled revealing his dimples that were apparent on both cheeks. “Sonja, the plan was to match you with Jude. Jordan and Noah had an instant connection which couldn’t be ignored but now that he is gone and Jordan is the oldest, Jude will now mate with her.”

“Why was I never informed of this? You can’t just expect us to mate with whoever you want us too. I understand that you want the bloodline to continue. I get that. But my beliefs don’t agree with it. I want to mate, to marry for love...with my true mate, not just to appease you and continue your bloodline.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Sonja. You are under the Warren pack, and you will both do as asked, whether you agree with it or not. It is the way of our pack and an obligation. This was explained to you both a long time ago so I don’t understand why you would be so upset about this.”

“Just because we were told about it, to try and prepare us for it, doesn’t mean we agree with it. Lennox, you don’t own us. We are grown, women. We should be allowed to make these choices ourselves.” Sonja argued.

“Then what do you propose I do, Sonja? By all means, explain.” Lennox said crossing his arms over his chest. His expression was more of amusement than anger.

Sonja sat up straight in her chair and looked at her sister. She thought for a moment before looking at him again and then stated, “There are many women here in Willow or even Palmer that would be more than happy to mate with Jude. Why have you just thrown that idea out the door? Why are you so determined to mate us with your sons?”

“You both, as well as Jude, are of superior bloodlines. That is why I have chosen the two of you. I will not allow my son to mate with just anyone.” Lennox narrowed his eyes at the girls. “Your mother and father came from a very strong bloodline, and your father was my second in command and my best friend before they were all killed. You two are the last descendants, their heritage; their legacy. Why would you not want to continue that? That is what your parents would have wanted.” He spat in a harsh tone. He was clearly upset as he stood his ground on the subject. For the betterment of the pack, Lennox needed this. He needed it to go smoothly and without fault. Without another Warren child continuing the bloodline, there would be no one to take Jude’s place when the time came. Not even if he mated with another. It would have diluted the gene pool, leaving only weakness behind on his passing, and Lennox Warren would not allow weakness into his family. It was paramount that the girls understood where he was coming from, but reliving the past was a difficult thing for a man like Lennox. He showed very few emotions, the most predominant coming out as anger, and that showed in the way he spoke on the subject.

But there was still the matter of the girls. He needed them, and Sonja was proving more stubborn than anything else. She was to be mated with Jude originally. Considering the prospect of jealousy, Lennox wondered if she could have been, but there was no jealousy in Sonja’s actions. She was speaking her mind and wanted to get the situation cleared before they went too far. She needed him to understand, but he would not listen.

Sonja closed her eyes and shook her head. Jordan leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. She couldn’t argue with him. He was right. Her memories of her parents were only her dreams. She had tried so hard to remember them, but it was like a cloud that covered them. One thing she did know for sure was that Alpha Lennox and Mamma Sable were the ones that took them both in, saving them from death, providing guardianship all these years. If this is what it took to repay the debt, then that is what Jordan would do. This is what her parents would have wanted, she was sure of it. She sat up straight in her chair and looked at Sonja.

“I understand that you don’t agree with it, Sonja, but the fact is Noah is gone, and Jude will take his place which means you no longer have to worry about mating with anyone for another nine months. I’m sure this is what Mama and Papa would have wanted us to do so I don’t object. I’m sure I will come to love Jude just as much as I loved Noah and I’ll only hope to be able to carry his children one day.” She took a deep breath and looked at Lennox. “I will mate with Jude. Although you will have to prepare me for the ritual. We didn’t have the chance with Noah.” Jordan knew that Sonja’s objections would not change. She was stubborn, which gave way to a whole new list of problems, but it was fine because at least in Jordan’s eyes, she was doing the right thing for her sister. She was saving her from a fate she clearly hated the idea of. And if that meant coming to love the man she mated with after the fact, then so be it.

Lennox got up from his chair and placed his hands on either side of Jordan’s face. Looking into her eyes, he spoke softly, “You have made the right choice, child. You have made me a very happy man.” He bent down and kissed the top of her forehead before turning to Sonja.

“Do you understand why this is so important? Why this must be done?” The wolves that Lennox commanded were a grand pack. He wanted to make sure that they would forever be secure and that the Warren pack would forever be in charge of Alaska. It was his goal and vision. Lennox knew that in order to do this, he needed the strength of another powerful bloodline and that came in the form of Jordan. He couldn’t understand why her sister objected to it so, but he’d not fight her. She was going to go on her own path anyway, so why stand in the eye of the storm?

Jordan would bear the child, and the Warren line would be fulfilled. There was no need to get Sonja more involved than she was now.

Sonja toyed with her food on her plate before answering. She looked up at him. “Yes, I do. I understand, but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. I will support you though.” She replied as she huffed under her breath.

Lennox clapped his hands. “It’s done then! Let’s celebrate.” He looked at Mamma Sable and told her to call the rest to come and join them.

Jordan watched the old woman leave and then looked at her sister who was now staring back at her with a concerned look.

Mamma Sable was gone for less than a few minutes when the crowd began pouring in. They were wolves from all walks of life; the higher ranked members who lived and stayed closer to Alpha Lennox, those who preferred to stay hidden in the shadows unless called for and others who seemed to come from the seedy underbelly that made up the criminal underground in Alaska.

Jordan recognized many of their faces. Some she’d even seen recently in the Coyote. A few she’d caught a glimpse of walking in the streets, she mistook them for normal passersby who just enjoyed the comforts that remote living had to offer.

It was on these rare occasions when the pack got together that she truly got to meet more of them. Not that she cared all that much to spend time with most of these pack members, but now that she truly knew her place in the pack, that she would someday be an alpha next to Jude, she couldn’t complain. She needed to get to know all those under the Warren Pack.

Sonja on the other hand remained at the table. She played with her plate of food, wondering if she would ever get her appetite back. Her eyes darted from person to person but always fell back on the plate before her that seemed to be going untouched now.

“What’s the matter, girl?” Mamma Sable asked, her tone endearing. She could sense that there was something wrong with Sonja, and she didn’t want that.

“You understand that this is depraved, right? I’m not the only one who thinks this?” Sonja replied. She picked up an olive that fell in her plate and plopped it in her mouth.

“It’s in your sisters best interests. She understands that this is the best thing for her and the best thing for the pack. You’re part of a very strong bloodline. Alpha Lennox just wants to make sure that the son that Jude brings will take on the same position as he someday. It’s important to keep the family line going, or else, what will become of Alaska?” Mamma Sable posed the question, but Sonja had no care to answer. She chewed on the olive in silence, taking in everything Mamma Sable said, letting it resonate inside her before swallowing. She couldn’t stomach the olive, let alone the rest of the food on her plate.

“But Jordan’s just doing it for the pack. She’s not doing it because she’s in love with him.” Sonja replied in retaliation.

“Jordan knows what’s right for the pack. There’s no need to fight what’s going to happen. She’s made up her mind, and she’s going to be a part of the Warren family. She’s going to be an alpha someday, she’s going to bear beautiful pups, and her litter will be strong.” Neither Mamma Sable, nor Lennox knew if this would be true, but they were banking on it, so there was no going back now.

“Now come, enjoy the party before we have to get back home.” Mamma Sable ordered, not that Sonja would go out and enjoy it if she didn’t want to. She was content, sitting there with a plate full of food, lost in her thoughts.

* *

“How are you enjoying the party?” The familiar voice of Jude came, while Jordan sat in the company of a few wolves she’d never met before. They were part of the community, unlike many, who owned small independent business in town. One was a handyman, another was a butcher – a fitting job, Jordan thought, seeing that he was the world’s greatest predator – and everything seemed alright.

“It’s great.” Though Jordan didn’t have much sense of what was going to happen in the future, for now, she knew that there was nothing stopping her from having a good time. She was still young, loose and could have a good time, “I’m just having a chat with these fine young men about how they suffer through normality with the human populations. And in turn, they’re asking how I suffer through the bar life, with the wolf kind.”

For some reason, they all laughed. Jordan, the handyman and the butcher each had a good chuckle at the comment; almost as if they’d gotten into Lennox’s wine cellar and had a few too many before. Worst of it all, there wasn’t a drop of booze shared between them. They were truly just living in the ecstasy of the moment.

“Well that does sound like a good time,” Jude said, though reluctant. He was new to the whole scene and feared that his intrusion would be unwelcome. He was the alpha’s son, sure, but he hadn’t been around for years, and that played on his mind.

“Mind if I pop in to chat?” He asked, taking a seat without waiting for an answer.

“By all means,” The butcher said, “It’s good to have these kinds of days, don’t you think?”

“Better than you might think, my man,” Jude replied. He still needed, much like Jordan, to get to know the rest of the pack. He knew the most trusted in Lennox’s pack, but to be a true alpha, he understood that he needed to know the common folk also.

“So what were we talking about?”

“Just the day to day. I mean, I was out hunting the other day, brought down an elk, the next day it was in my shop on display to the highest bidder. There are so many perks to being a wolf in this community. When it gets cold, you’ve got a warm coat of fur, when it’s too hot, you can turn back into this meaty sack and go for a swim in the lake, or a pool or anything else that has enough water to cool you off.” The butcher continued.

“By the way,” Jude said, completely out of the blue. The mention of hot triggered his reaction to Jordan’s dress, “That’s quite a lovely dress you’re wearing. I like it a lot.” He smiled at her.

Jordan blushed and nodded her head, “Thanks a lot.” She added, raising from where they sat.

“Who wants to go on a drive? Just to see the town and nature and everything in between?” She blurted out.

“I’m game. I’ve got to check the shop anyway.” The handyman said.

“Same.” The butcher replied.

“So how about it then, Jude? Are you going to come with the trio of misfits?” She smiled at him, knowing that if anything that would be the thing to win him over. She considered this the last inch of freedom they would have as non-mated members. Everything from this point in would have them getting ready for the big day, and she wanted to have one last time of peace and happiness before it was over.

“No, I’ll stick around here.” Jude replied, jumping up from his seat. He was a guest at a party hosted by his father, and he believed it would be rude to up and leave when he was meant to show face.

“Then let’s do it, boys.” Jordan took charge, leading the three towards the parked cars. And then they drove. Jordan loved every minute of it. She learned more about the butcher and the handyman on their drive. It was warm, the sun was hanging low, and they shared secrets of who they were and what they’d done to get here. The butcher was a member of a pack that was long ago exiled. He found it hard to live as a solitary wolf and knew that he needed a pack. After what happened and the fight between the Kodiak’s and the Warren pack, they were trying to reclaim their numbers and why not join them? The exiled Roland family was powerful once, and no one would ever know that a simple butcher was once a beta wolf, in a glorious wolfs pack.

The handyman’s life had no tragedy, Jordan found. He was raised by a mother and father who loved him dearly. They shared no pack mentality but wished their son the best possible life he could have, and they knew it would be wise for him to join a pack. He had a family now, with another wolf from Lennox’s pack and they had two beautiful children. He regretted going to the party in favor of spending time with his family, because of how he was raised.

Jordan found all of this beautiful. The intricacies of those around her and the lives that they led, something that she would never have known if she didn’t avoid the awkwardness that was Lennox Warren’s home that day. She couldn’t stay, could she? In the house where she was told she would be mated to continue the Warren name. Not that she would have second thoughts on her decision now, but she just needed to get out and have a good time before anything like that became too real.

The trio found themselves in an empty town, far emptier than usual, which proved to be more enjoyable than it would have been had it been busy. Jordan assumed that everyone was spending time with their family on this Saturday afternoon. The few passers they did see seemed happy, and Jordan wondered if they even considered what was going on in this town; right underneath their noses. If they knew that a powerful pack of wolves ruled these lands.

Then it struck her, the gravity of her situation, and she wondered again, did they ever have to deal with these kinds of situations? Were their lives as difficult as Jordan perceived hers to be? Did they have it harder? For the most part, Jordan was safe and secure; they could have been struggling, all of them in a tundra far away from civilization.

Such a lonely existence.