Pay ATTENTION!


Chapter 10


"I see a mutual enemy has returned."

Adelrick looked at the person speaking to him and snarled. "It seems so, help me down." He demanded. He'd been submerged in the air for hours and was starting to lose his strength.

"Care how you speak to me, just because I'm not hunting your kind doesn't mean I won't start."

"I led you to them years ago and you failed, if you want to get them then you will need me."

"You're nothing special, you're a mole that lost his leverage when she escaped."

"She didn't escape because of me, she escaped because you undermined her abilities and if you think you can catch the little one then you're making the same mistake all over again. She's guarded by an ancient unspoken law. She has an alpha at her side now…. She's far more dangerous."

"Not if we attack during the ball."


The ball. Sam was tired of talking about the damn ball, he was also tired of Quinn snarling at him every time Mercedes would sit in on the meetings but the biggest thing he was tired of was the constant battle of wanting to devour Mercedes.

It had been two weeks since the pack began planning the event and two weeks since he moved into the pack house with Mercedes. The first few days were fine, she was only mildly curious but after she'd gotten comfortable enough it became increasingly difficult and he was reminded of the person he met that fateful night.

She was curious and wore her emotions on her sleeves. She also mastered how to calm her hormones somehow but it only seemed to make his more intense.

"What about this one?" She asked, breaking him from his now regular thoughts of kissing her when they searched the pack's library for information.

"What is it?" He asked and she handed him a book titled "Ancient Laws and Regulations", he had read most books in their library but he'd never seen this one before.

"Maybe it has the prophecy in it?" She suggested leaning over his shoulder and Sam hated that he'd only heard half of what she said.

Since being there most of the wolves had grown curious of her and made a point to introduce themselves to her, he hated how jealous he'd gotten when some of the younger male wolves flirted with her.

Flashback

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Mercedes asked after they made it upstairs.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know but if you knew Britney you'd understand why we were all taken aback about her knowing something we didn't. It can't be a coincidence."

Mercedes sat down on the sofa and nodded. "So we'll stay here until we know for sure?"

"I'll be down the hall… we can't umm… it's not smart to be in the same place for extended periods of time at the beginning." He replied and immediately noticed a switch come on in her eyes and shook his head.

"Why is it so intense?" She asked squirming and Sam took a deep breath.

"You've never… so it's hitting you harder because you haven't…" He stammered before realizing he'd inched closer to her.

"So it… won't ease up until…?" Sam nodded. "It doesn't just go away after sometime?"

"I don't know this time… I've never bitten anyone as an Alpha. Usually after a month it would go away but this time since I started it… it might last longer." He replied before unknowingly grabbing her arms. "Stop squirming."

Mercedes hadn't even realized she was doing that but when he touched her it made her wiggle even more. "Stop thinking so loudly." He said and she shot him an innocent look.

"I wasn't…" She breathed out.

"We're linked… I can read and see what you're thinking." He replied inching closer, feeling her breath on his lips.

"Why can't I read your thoughts?" She asked, biting her lip and he groaned.

"I haven't allowed you access and I don't plan on doing it anytime soon."

"That's not particularly fair…" She said shifting and looking at him.

"I don't want to come off as perverse." He admitted right as her lips brushed his and he took a sharp breath. "Don't."

"Wh-what… are you thinking?" She asked and Sam could feel her trying to get into his mind.

"I'm thinking I want to kiss you. He revealed and he could feel the shiver that flowed throughout her body.

"Would kissing make it better?" She asked, squirming.

No, it'll only make you want more and I don't think I would stop there and I doubt I could be gentle."

She bit down on her lip and moaned. "Gentle." She repeated and Sam knew he needed to move away from her but his body refused to budge.

"I'm going to-" Mercedes leaned in and Sam felt himself doing the same and right as their lips touched there was a knock at the door.

Sam snarled. "WHAT!" His voice boomed throughout the room and Mercedes looked at him before backing away.

"Son, we need to talk." Dwight said before realizing he had interrupted a moment.

Sam turned and looked at his father. "Okay." He said after hearing the urgency in his voice. "I'll be back, make yourself at home." He said looking back at Mercedes and she nodded.

Sam walked out with his father looking at him waiting for him to begin talking.

"You can't have the colitilan, it's a trap." Dwight said and Sam looked at him confused. "You would have to have every single Alpha there and you haven't mated."

"They won't know that, they will assume that we are and have done the ceremonial ritual…" Sam countered and Dwight shook his head.

"She has a scent. Only an Alpha, current or recent, can smell it and it's strong on her. She is untouched and her powers are going to draw them to her. Hell, I can feel the warmth from here and you biting her without a plan sends a beacon to everyone else that the pack is changing."

Sam ran his hand over his face. "I couldn't just leave her and it's bigger than this now. It's something about her that's causing all of this… there are vampires hunting her now and some man who looks exactly like me is also after her."

Dwight's ear perked. "Wait what do you mean by that?"

"He's identical to me… well except his hair is dark, very dark and he doesn't seem… sane or even real."

"Do you know his name?" Has he said anything to you?"

Sam shrugged. "Jackson, I heard him say it to her. That and he wants her and that he can help her embrace her true powers. He… has something dark about him, almost sinister. He told me that I wasn't a true Alpha yet."

Dwight paled before looking away. "I need to go… Don't do anything until I return." He started to walk away but Sam grabbed him.

"Wait if you know something, tell me."

Dwight shook his head. "I can't tell you something I don't know… just trust me, I'll be back in a few days."

"I have to plan a ball and I need you here to help me, I don't know what I'm doing!"

Dwight sighed. "You have to do it, I need to go." He urged and Sam grew angry.

"I AM THE ALPHA AND-"

YOU ARE ONLY THE ALPHA BECAUSE I STEPPED DOWN, KNOW YOUR PLACE! WE CAN FIGHT FOR THE SPOT BUT I'D HATE TO HURT YOU.

Sam took a step back, his inner wolf cowering slightly. "I am still the Alpha." He repeated this time, less sure of himself.

"I know but this might help us figure out why this person is here and why he looks like you. Son, I'm helping you most by doing this."

Sam nodded, feeling absolutely defeated. "Keep me posted."

"I will just take the day to regroup and use the council to plan the ball. I will be back before it's time." Dwight replied, giving his son a quick hug before leaving.

That was two weeks ago and he still hasn't been able to contact his father.

End Flashback.

"Sam?" Mercedes said, waving her hand in face but still getting no response. "Hey are you okay?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sam looked at her before nodding. "Just trying to reach my dad." He said and she sighed.

"Still no luck?" She asked.

"It's not like him to go this long without reaching out and he said he'd be back before the ball…"

"I haven't heard from my folks at all… I don't even know if they're okay. Maybe he's out of range?"

Sam shook his head. "We can reach states away… I think it's something else." He said looking at her, his new favorite pastime. She seemed so unaffected by his present and that bugged him because being this close to her was ripping him at the seams. He spent a lot of time looking at the curve of her cupid's bow and the fullness of her lips dreaming about spending hours just kissing them. She smirked and he knew he'd been caught again.

"You know I think it's fun knowing that you like my lips so much." She teased and he let out a low laugh.

He tried reading her mind but hit a wall, the same wall he'd been hitting for the past few weeks. "I'm going to figure out how you blocked me."

She smiled and Sam felt another wave of heat hit him. "I didn't block you… well not intentionally. I'm in the dark just like you are about it."

She was telling the truth. He could tell by the glint in her eyes, he knew there was no way of actually helping her understand any of her powers but he had a small inkling about at least one of her powers thanks to Britney.

She could absorb and expel energy and he thinks that was how she was blocking the effects of his bite. She was pushing what she was feeling back onto him.

His hormones would spike at different times but there were times where it felt like he was burning in the most sensual way, like it was now. She could dull hers but her body still showed signs, like the increase in breathing or her chest heaving slightly.

He held back, he was waiting for something but he wasn't sure. Being alone with her made her snappy around the other wolves and he had been going on more runs to calm down but even that was becoming unless. She looked at him before he felt the snap, the wall was down and he could hear everything.

She had a lot of thoughts floating around at once but as quickly as the wall went down it went back up only leaving one tiny sliver of hope.

I like his lips too.

Sam smirked, choosing not to have a thought because he knew for fact that she felt him in her mind because he heard her breathing increase and realized then that was why she kept the wall up. It kept her raging hormones at bay but the minute it fell, she wasn't able to project the energy elsewhere, it was like her body was protecting her from something.

"So you like my lips?" He said and she blushed, looking away.

Mercedes cleared her throat, suddenly needing water. "I think this might be something you want to read." She said pointing at the book she suggested. Sam leaned over looking where she pointed. "It says that there's a keeper of the prophecies but it doesn't really go into much details on..how… to ah… find them." She added, stammering.

Sam looked at her only remembering half of what she'd just told him and he felt the snap again. Her wall fell and so did his resolve, Sam crashed his lips onto hers and immediately melted. He could feel all the power coursing through her into him and when she kissed him back everything around him exploded.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and pulled him close, enjoying how kissing him calmed her loud thoughts and made her feel present. Everything seems to be going in hyper drive since she found out about who she really was. Kissing Sam made things slow down; everything seemed clearer and she could feel the air around them getting thicker.

Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, gently picking her up and placing her on his lap. He didn't even try to hide how his body was responding to her having her against him and based on her response she wasn't either. He felt their minds melding before it hit him.

A ball of energy hit him so hard it took his breath away, it felt like he was floating before being brought back to reality when Mercedes slipped her tongue into his mouth making his emotions go haywire. He knew. He felt the meld and knew.

She was his mate.

Sam pulled away and looked at her, seeing and feeling everything like it was knew. His father always told him he would feel a sense of calm when his mate became known to him but he also warned what would happen immediately afterwards.

"Is something wrong?" Mercedes asked breathing heavily, her lips were swollen and her face flushed.

Sam needed to get away from her. He didn't want to but he needed to shift, immediately.

"I…" He started but stopped when he felt a fresh wave of longing hit him, his heart was racing and he felt warm. "I need to go." He said quickly picking her up and placing her on her feet before running out of the pack house.

"Sam, you need-" Santana started but he blew past her shifting and running. She shook her head before feeling him in her mind.

PROTECT HER!

Santana stood frozen for a moment before going into the library seeing Mercedes standing there looking confused. "What happened?"

Mercedes shrugged. "We kissed… then he ran away… again. He's always running."

Santana smirked. "So it finally happened then?" She asked amused and Mercedes let out a laugh.

"Is it supposed to be that intense?"

"Intense?"

Mercedes nodded. "It felt like I was in a hot air balloon, you know? You feel the heat from the fire but the cool air and it just feels like everything is tingling but I've been kissed before and it never felt like that."

Santana looked at her nodding slowly. "Mhm, could you breathe?"

"Kinda… it was like my lungs filled then collapsed but it didn't hurt you know?"

Santana knew, she had the same experience with Britney. She understood his command now, she also knew what was going to follow. "Excuse me." She said before walking out of the room.

He's found his mate.

Every council member was alerted and the first voice she heard was Quinn's.

Is it the witch?

He hasn't confirmed but she did.

So she's only assuming then.

Quinn, let it go. He doesn't want you and we all need to prepare for his mood change.

Santana went ahead and cleared the pack house, sending anyone who wasn't planning the ball home and advising them not steer clear until the ball.


When an Alpha finds his mate, he goes through a series of sudden changes. The first stage is anger. He will be enraged by the smallest things and the only person that can calm him is his mate, it's a way of finding their dynamic. As Luna, she will establish her position in his life. Yes, he will have his Beta but his Luna will be above them making them their right hand.

The second stage is regaining their strength. It will feel like his bones are breaking and mending themselves to adjust to his new strength, this will also increase his hormone levels. Again this is when his Luna will come into play.

The bond they create during this time is crucial because it sets the tone of how the Alpha would run the pack until the next one was appointed. If the Luna was cold, the Alpha would run it as such. If the Luna was warm, the pack would benefit greatly.

Never in the history of the Steelridge Wolves had they ever been led by a cold Alpha, crazed but never cold. Which is why when the Alpha bit a potential mate triggered mating season for everyone. If the Luna could resist the Alpha it will let him know that she could lead no matter what, it let him know that if he fell sick she could handle the stresses of maintaining the pack.

The last change happened during the mating ceremony. The Alpha and Luna would become one in a three day ceremony, the only people that would know where they were was the Alpha's Beta. They would be alone and secluded to get to know each other on a new level, that change brought the pack together as well because the Luna would officially mind meld with them all.

"Do you need anything?" Santana asked Mercedes.

Mercedes looked at the door, shaking her head. "Is he going to be okay?"

Santana smirked. "You can go after him… if you want. You're now the only person that can get near him."

Mercedes tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "It's not for me to say… but he's not far, just follow the path of discarded clothes." She replied walking away.

Mercedes looked after her before walking outside and doing as Santana told, she could see footprints that started changing into large paws. She could see his jeans which were shredded, scraps of his shirt; she continued following the prints before reaching a small clearing, similar to the one where she'd first seen him. She looked around before hearing a low growl followed by rustling. She looked in the direction of the sound but didn't see anything at first until a large figure slowly revealed itself and she took a step back, taking in the sheer mass of who she assumed was Sam in his wolf form.

His teeth were bare and he was snarling but for some reason she wasn't afraid, she looked at him before holding her hand out, slowly inching closer until her hand met soft fur. She could feel him relaxing at her touch and brought her other hand up and slowly ran it through his fur.

"Are you all this soft?" She asked, smiling when he nuzzled against her face. "Does it hurt when you're like this?"

No.

"They cleared the house for some reason."

It's a precaution, it's for their safety and yours.

She looked at him and sighed. "My safety?" She asked,raking her nails along his back lightly scratching. "You're like a huge dog." She added with a giggle.

Did Santana tell you anything?

"Just that I'm the only person that can come near you right now and that-" She replied before stopping when she saw someone standing behind them. Sam turned and saw her grandmother standing there before looking back at Mercedes.

"There is more danger coming your way." Angela said, looking at Mercedes intensely.

Mercedes felt her body tense and grow hot, she wasn't sure why she was reacting this way but her heart was racing and she felt a strange energy flowing through her.

Why are you here?

Angela took a step forward and Mercedes tensed even more, taking a step backwards. "Who are you?" Mercedes asked.

"My name is Angela, I am your grandmother." She replied and Mercedes shook her head.

"I don't have grandparents… they're dead." She said taking another step back defensively.

Angela tried to get into her head to calm her but was pushed back by Mercedes' mind. "I am your father's mother, I never died… I was sent away."

"You need to leave…now." Mercedes said through gritted teeth.

Angela looked at Sam before looking back at her granddaughter. "I am no threat to him."

Mercedes eyes flashed to Sam before flashing back to the woman standing there. "How… how do you know him?"

She's not going to hurt us.

Angela stepped closer. "Listen to him, I mean you no harm." She answered and Mercedes shook her head. The woman's voice sounded strange, distorted almost.

She started to speak but felt something itching at her brain causing her to wince before she let out a full scream because the pain was intensifying.

STOP FIGHTING LITTLE GIRL.

Sam snarled when he felt the pain Mercedes was felling and tensed up as he walked over to where she had moved to, he gently nudged her and she placed her hand on him causing him to jerk and writhe in pain.

Mercedes immediately removed her hand, letting out a few ragged breaths. "Who are you?" She asked and this time Angela smirked.

"They said you would be too powerful to control but here I am controlling your actions." She replied, her eyes darkened and Mercedes let out another scream.

Sam regained himself before leaping at the woman, biting down on her shoulder and dragging her away from Mercedes before stopping when she smiled and started cackling.

"Stupid wolf, travels alone and leaves his mate to fend for herself. You really thought you were safe and to be so naive in such a clouded state… you did just find out she was your mate right?"

Sam dropped the woman and tried to connect with Mercedes but was blocked, he tried again but was met with blackness and started to go back to her but the woman grabbed him, forcing him to stop.

"Wolves walk around thinking they're the strongest thing in these woods but forget who actually gifted them their abilities!" She said lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing and tossing him into a tree.

Sam coughed and felt himself trying to shift back but had to stop it from happening because the woman was charging for him again. He braced himself for another blow but midway she stopped and turned around, Sam looked and saw Mercedes standing there breathing heavily.

"The harder you fight it the worse it will become." The witch warned and Mercedes simply tilted her head.

"GET. AWAY. FROM. HIM!" She said, slowly moving towards the woman who only laughed.

"You can't hurt me, little girl." She taunted before reaching for Sam and wrapping her hand along his throat. "This is a warning to the Steelridge wolves and the Divine Coven, this union will not be blessed and you.." She said pointing at Mercedes. "Will not be Luna, we, the Women of the White Tree forbid it!"

Mercedes let out a breath, slowly raising her shaking hand and channeling all her energy on the woman. "I SAID GET AWAY FROM HIM!" She shouted before releasing a hot beam of light hitting the woman and knocking her out.

Mercedes moved her hand to the right swiftly, thrusting the woman further away from Sam before she crumbled to the ground when her mind was finally released from whatever hold the woman had on it. She let out a soft sob when she stood and walked over to a now human Sam, she placed her hand over his bruises and tried to heal them but was too drained.

Sam grabbed her hands. "It's okay… I'm okay." He said, looking her over. 'Are you hurt?"

Mercedes shook her head. "My head… she did something. It was like a mental jail where there were flashes of horrible things. It was horrible." She said, breathing heavily and crying. "It was horrible… the things I saw."

Sam wrapped his arms around and held her tight. "You're okay, you're safe."

"I wouldn't say that just yet." A voice said and he felt Mercedes start to vibrate and a great deal of heat rushed over them before she shakily stood up, standing in front of him defensively.

She closed her eyes forcing a wall between them and the woman. "Leave us alone!"

"I simply can not do that, you are not choosing light and that makes you a danger."

"I don't know what that means but I will not let you hurt him!" Mercedes said, bringing her hands up and the woman took a step back.

"I am not like my sister, I will not harm you but her warning was real. We can not bless your union and you can not be his Luna."

Mercedes started to grow angrier. "I think I've had enough of people telling me what I can and can not do." She said holding her hand out towards the woman and she immediately grasped at her throat, trying to breathe. "You tell whoever else is out there that I will choose for myself and anyone that tries to intervene won't be as lucky as you!" Mercedes dropped her hand and the woman collapsed, gasping for air.

"You don't even see it! We're not the ones intervening! There is someone else controlling you and you don't even know it! My name is Celeste, I'm apart of your grandmother's coven. That's why she appeared the way she did." Celeste explained pointing at the unconscious woman.

"I don't have grandparents!" Mercedes shouted.

Celeste stood and took a step forward. "Yes you do! Angela Jones, your father's mother and Darlene Grey, your mother's mother are your grandmothers. They are alive, both of them and they have been protecting you far longer than you know."

Mercedes shook her head. "No, I was told they were dead by my parents…"

Celeste sighed. "Your mother didn't know and your father… he isn't who he claims to be, come with us and we can help you ban-" Celeste stopped and started gasping for air.

Sam stood. "Are… is this you?" He asked.

"I'm… I'm not doing anything." She said moving towards Celeste, looking back at Sam as turn his head upwards letting out a loud howl before he collapsed, she looked back at Celeste feeling light headed before everything went black.


Dwight let out a ragged breath before knocking on the old door adorned with greenery and a half crescent moon carved into it. He hadn't been there since he was a child and hoped like hell no one would answer the door but his ears perked when he heard the loud footsteps approaching. He squared his shoulders up as the heavy door slowly crept open and he was met by a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"Stevie…"

"Brother, you being here must mean I was right."

Dwight looked away. "Seems so…"

Stevie grinned. "Then that means he's back and you're all in trouble." He replied arrogantly, moving aside to let him inside. Dwight sighed and reluctantly walked into his old childhood home.


THE STEELRIDGE ALPHA INVITES YOU TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE NEW LUNA.

Attendance is not optional.


Sooooooooo... They kissed! YAY! Too bad it was short lived right? I will introduce the second coven of witches in a sub-chapter. The sub-chapter will be very detailed! ALSO if you have questions ask them now! I'll answer as many as I can in said sub-chapter!