Chapter 44


    Chapter 44: Arrival


    **”Wyatt (Sebastian’s Gamma)***


    “We have it on good authority that several powerful silver wolves live within a pack known as River


    Moon,” I exin on the phone.


    “But have you seen him?” Alpha Sebastian asks.


    “Have you actually seen him?”?


    “Not exactly, sir.We are headed there n—”


    “Then why the f**k are you wasting my time!?” Sebastian snarls.


    “Call me when you have that boy on the first flight back to Seattle or don’t bothering back at all!”


    The Alpha hangs up before I can respond and I tuck my phone back into my pocket with a heavy sigh.


    The past week has been a nightmare searching for Zane, with no one knowing of a silver wolf arriving in


    San Francisco.We visited several packs, hoping some scout in the region may have spotted him or


    Agnes, but our search was all in vain.


    No one hade across a silver wolf…


    Until a few days ago.


    While attending an Alpha meeting in the Bay Area as a guest Gamma with the Redwood pack, news


    arrived of a split between thergest pack in Northern California, River Moon, and some powerful pack


    from France called Lune de Minuit.I wouldn’t have cared had it not been for one small detail.


    The split was long overdue from what I gathered but the straw that broke the camel’s back was almost


    hard to believe: a guest silver wolf staying at the River Moon pack peed on the French Alpha’s son.


    Shortly Upon further investigation, I found out that River Moon is the leader pack of a recently


    established kingdom, The Ivory Phoenix kingdom, and that its members include high-ranking Silver


    wolves.


    Unfortunately, with their recent split from Lune de Minuit, getting an appointment with River Moon’s King


    has been close to impossible and my connections here in California have been unable to arrange for me


    to meet with any member of the lvory Phoenix Royal family.


    I am left with no choice but to request an audience with any of the pack members at their gate.


    Armed only with a Royal decree demanding Zane’s return and the two i***t wolves in training that have


    been assigned to me.


    Caine and Korbin have been a pain in the ass all week but I am most concerned with the decree.


    Sebastian may have cast out his son but Zane is technically still a subject of King Arthur’s kingdom.


    Zane cannot merge with another pack until his King casts him out as a rogue as well.I just hope the Ivory


    Phoenix respects the decree and hands him over without a fuss.


    King Arthur will not go down without a fight on this matter.


    “I have assigned a number of my men to apany you to the River Moon pack,” Alpha Ryan of the


    Redwood Pack says.


    “River Moon is a well established and highly respected pack.Whatever you do, don’t cause trouble.They


    are armed with some especially gifted silver wolves and you do not want them as your enemy,” he warns.


    “Is it true their Luna is an Ivory wolf?” my son, Korbin, asks.


    “I have never met her but a word of advice? Do not believe every rumor you hear, boy,” Alpha Ryan


    chuckles.


    “She is very likely just an overly ambitious silver wolf”


    “Silver wolves don’t build Kingdoms,”


    I counter, Alpha Ryan only shrugging.I can’t argue with that logic and finish loading up the car.


    The River Moon Pack is about a three hour drive from the Redwood pack so after a quick breakfast, we


    start heading north.


    Caine is suspiciously quiet during the ride up, probably anxious to meet his mysterious older brother.


    “Howe we never knew about Alpha Sebastian’s older son?” Korbin asks, stretching out his arms and


    legs.


    “It was for his safety,” I reply, watching Caine from the rear-view mirror.


    He does not look at me, but I can tell he is curious to know more about his brother.


    “After Luna Elenore was killed, Alpha Sebastian felt it was in the pack’s best interest to hide his elder son


    from the public eye and from himself.He sent him away to live in an undisclosed location.No one, not


    even the Alpha knows where he is.”


    “What’s his name?” Korbin prys, Caine’s ear twitching.


    “His name is unimportant,” I sigh, growing annoyed with all his questions.


    “We just have to find him.”


    “Well how are we supposed to find him if we don’t know what he looks like or what his name is?” Korbin


    mutters.


    “I have all the information we need about the Alpha’s son,” I snap.


    “Care to share?” Caine questions me.


    “He is, afterall, my older brother.”


    “You will know when I tell you,” I warn through a snarl.


    “Is he going to be the Alpha now that we know he exists?” Korbin blurts out.


    I love my son, but sometimes he has a brain the size of a peanut.


    “Alpha Sebastian was very clear,” I reply, Caine and I making eye contact through the mirror.


    “Caine is the only heir to the Alpha title.


    His Little smirk curls on Caine’s lips as he turns away to stare out the window, a cold shiver running down


    my spine.


    **Zane***


    “All you have to do is roll the ball down thene and knock out all those pins at the end,” Talia exins


    as we walk towards ourne with our rental shoes, Kota’s eyes widening with excitement.


    I have never been to a bowling alley and arcade before, my eyes working overtime to take in all the


    sounds, lights, and people.


    Kids and adults alikeugh and scream at each other while they y games, all of them having a good


    time.


    A lump in my throat forms as I watch a father and his two sons y a racing game together, all three


    laughing hysterically as the older son wins the match.I would have liked to y games with my father


    and Caine.I would have liked to have a brother. f*”k them hoes…


    Grayson grumbles.


    We got our own pack now.We don’t need no Daddy.We are DADDY.


    “Daddy look!” Kota cries, pointing at the multi-patterned bowling balls lined up on the racks.


    “Can I have a green one?”


    “We will find a small one for you,” Talia says as we arrive at ourne.


    She helps Kota into his shoes and types in our names on the disy screen hanging above us.


    Talia goes first, exining the basics to me.


    “Okay so you just step, step, swing, and release,” She smiles, releasingWe watch the ball roll all the way


    to the end, knocking over 8 pins.


    “You can also use those dots on thene to help guide you,” she adds, pointing to the guides at the


    mouth of thene.


    “Just aim and shoot.” She goes for a second shot, this time missing both pins and chuckling to herself.


    “Now you go,” She giggles select a heavier ball and take my fist shot which immediately goes right into


    the gutter.


    “Oh-uh, Daddy!” Kota gasps, cupping his cheeks in shock.


    “You missed! Grayson purrs and wags his tag happily every time Kota says Daddy, and I catch Talia


    smiling shyly to herself every time.I can only hope it makes her as happy as it makes me.


    “Daddy gets another try,” Talia exins, a warm tingle running down my spine.


    Hehe, Daddy, Grayson smirks.I show her who’s her Daddy…Ignoring Grayson and his inappropriate


    comments, I take my second shot, knocking over two pins.


    “My turn, my turn!” Kota cries, Talia attempting to help him carry the ball.


    “No Mommy,” he swats her hand.


    “I’m a big boy. I can do it!”


    Talia and I both step away from the big boy, Kota waddling with the ball in both hands towards thene.


    The bumpers automatically activate and he chucks the ball onto thene with a loud bang, Kota grinning


    proudly from ear to ear as his ball rolls down at the pace of a snail.


    We all stand on the tips of our toes and shout proudly at Kota when he knocks over three pins, several


    other bowlers side-eyeing us.


    They’re just jealous their pups didn’t knock out three pins , Grayson Kota makes his second shot, Talia


    and I congratte him on his 5 pin victory.


    “Now Egg-ness,” Kota giggles, running over to Agnes and pulling her off her chair.


    “Dad, how do you say ‘it’s your turn’?”


    “Like this,” I say aloud, holding my fingers up in a sideways L and thrusting it towards Agnes.


    “Y-your turn,” I say before bringing the L towards me.


    “M-my turn.”


    We repeat the sign to each other, Talia joining in on the practice.


    Tears gather in Agnes’ eyes when Kota signs ‘Your turn’ to her and a small anger burns in my heart.


    At our old pack, Wyatt was the only person to ever make an effort to learn sign, everyone else simply


    ignoring Agnes and pretending she did not exist.


    She learned to carry a pen and paper around with her or simply pick up on context clues, facial


    expressions, and gestures.


    Many assume she can read lips, but it is a difficult skill she has not mastered.


    It is a huge relief to see Kota so eager tomunicate with Agnes and be so patient when he does not


    understand what she says.


    Furthermore, Talia is also very epting of Agnes, always practicing her signs and trying to engage with


    her when I am not around.


    Agnes, more than anyone, deserves to have a family too.


    “How do you say Daddy?” Kota asks, holding up his hands for me.


    My mind goes nk for a moment as I realize my son is asking me how to sign Dad for me.


    Talia watches curiously as well, my heart pounding in my ears as the feeling sinks in.I really am a Dad.


    Well you’re definitely not a Mom, Grayson snickers.


    Shutting Grayson out and doing my best to control my trembling hands, I press the very tip of my thumb


    against my forehead while my fingers remain erect and slightly spread apart.


    Talia and Kota both do the “D-dad,” I say, tapping my forehead with my thumb a few times.


    Keeping my fingers and thumb in the same position, I move my hand down to my chin.


    “A-and this is M-om.”


    “Mommy and Daddy,”


    Kota grins as he signs to each of us, very pleased to have learned something new.


    “And I’m Kota!” he adds, pointing to himself.


    Agnes takes her turn, scoring a perfect strike and stunning us all.


    Kota cheers for her, his excitement rubbing off on all of us.


    After our ten rounds, Agnes is dered the winner while Ie in deadst.


    Even the pup beat you, Grayson shakes his head at me.


    I do not pay him any mind, however, just happy to have a family with whom to share my first bowling


    experience with.


    “Can we y some games?” Kota asks as we turn in our shoes.


    I don’t have time to answer before he dashes towards the Skee ball machines, Talia racing after him.


    Keep up Gramps, Grayson mutters as I run after both of them, Talia scolding Kota for running off on his


    own.


    Her anger fades away when he signs the words ‘Sorry’ to her and I, pride and joy flowing through my


    body knowing that he would like to start expressing himself not only with words but with his hands too.


    Talia wraps her arms around our pup, peppering his face with kisses as she exins the dangers of him


    running off like that.


    “What if someone tries to take you?” Talia asks.


    “I pee on them.Just like Zane,”


    Kota shrugs, Grayson howling withughter.


    That’s my pup! He says between wheezes example.


    “Running off like that makes it possible for someone to take you from me.You don’t want that, do you?”


    Talia asks.


    “No, Mommy, I wanna stay with you, Daddy and Egg-ness,”


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He cries, hugging his mother.


    Talia gives him a squeeze, rubbing his back lovingly and whispering I love you’s in his ear.I drink in their


    tender moment together, Talia shing measmile.


    With his lesson out of the way, we grab some lunch before Talia leads us through the arcade, patiently


    teaching me how to y Skee Ball and air hockey, among other games.


    We win several tickets which we then give to Kota for the prize booth and he selects a number of


    gadgets and small toys, including a set of Chinese finger traps, spring things, and fidget spinners.


    Kota’s eyes be droopy with sleep so we pack it up and head home to River Moon.


    As we arrive at the Pack gates, however, the head guard directs us to the pack house.


    “You have a visitor,” he informs us.


    “Her Majesty would like a word with you in her office.”


    An unsettling feeling sinks to the pit of my stomach.


    A visitor? For me? But t don’t know anyone in California! Keep calm and panicter, Grayson sighs.


    His words offer littlefort but Talia drives us home nheless.


    “I ’lle with you,” She says as we pull up to the Pack house.


    I’m about to protest but she shuts me up with a kiss on the lips.


    “I’m not asking for permission.” the car to collect a sleeping Kota in her arms.


    She hands him over to Agnes and takes my hand.


    “Lets go,” She whispers, interlocking our fingers.


    “Whoever it is, we’ll face them together.”


    She pulls me into the house, Gamma Evan already waiting in the foyer for us while several men chatter


    just behind him and pay us no mind.


    Judging by the look on Evan’s face, this can’t be a good visit.


    “Who is it?” Talia asks him as we walk up the steps..


    “I don’t know but I haven’t seen Aurora this mad since I superglued all of her things down in her office,


    including her pens and sticky notes,” he shrugs, leading us up to the third floor and stopping just in front


    of Aurora’s office.


    He pushes the door open, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach when I see Gamma Wyatt, Korbin


    and Caine sitting across from Aurora, my half brother’s eyes widening in shock.


    Wyatt rises to his feet, his tired eyes swimming with concern.


    “Hello Zane.”