South Mountain Pack Ch. 08

"I was having fun and it was only a little sore. I didn't want everybody to worry," answered Maria.

Annie said, "Joe you stay with Victor for his first run; Damian, Alberto and I will see to Maria. I'm pretty sure Doc is going to reapply the cast."

Joe came up to his mate and rubbed against her legs saying to her,"Okay, but after the kids are settled, you and I are going for a stroll."

She looked at him and raised her eyebrow saying,"I'm older and wiser now Giuseppe, I'm not going to fall for that line like I did when I was 18...Let's go for a stroll so we can talk...and I fell right into your nefarious plans, my two minute man."

Joe threw his head back growling loudly as he remembered that night, two days after her 18th birthday. He wasn't planning on mating with her that evening but when she ran saying, "You can't catch me...," his wolf would not be denied any longer. When he caught her they started kissing and couldn't get enough of each other as their hands caressed places that were forbidden days earlier. In her haste to feel his chest she tore the buttons off his shirt and in less then a minute he had her undressed and two minutes later his claiming howl as he climaxed deep inside her reverberated throughout the valley. He had proven over and over in the following weeks that he could last more then two minutes, but she still teased him about the first time."I'll show you what I can do in two minutes my love,"Joe said huskily.

"Go and run with our youngest son. If you're a good boy maybe I'll take that stroll with you,"said Annie as she scratched behind his ears."But no howling, it would mortify our youngsters."

The families walked back to the large clearing where the rest of the wolves were waiting to start the run. As soon as they saw the newest wolves, welcoming yips were heard and the Alpha's scented them before going down the widest trail with the newest shifters in the back closely monitored by their parents.

Doc Sullivan motioned for Maria and Annie to join him and his wife in the Medical Cabin while Alberto and Damian shifted and dressed. As soon as Damian joined them, the Millers went to the bonfire and were introduced to everyone they hadn't met by Damian who surprisingly was on his best behavior. He knew Vin and Dom would be mad if he teased the Miller girls so he played the role of big brother, watching over them. Almost an hour later, Maria, Annie and Alberto joined them with Maria's arm once again in a cast.

The Pack ran through the woods for an hour before heading back to the clearing. The second part of the run would continue after a twenty minute break allowing the security details to change shifts and parents to check on their young ones. Sophia, Kelly and Aislin decided to stay at the bonfire because they were tired and Frank made sure Damian, Nana Ellen and Papa Mike were aware they were staying.

Anthony was torn between his desire to stay with Sophia and his wolf's need to hunt and run with the Pack. Maria after talking with Sophia made the decision for him asking, "Anthony, could you please take Alberto on the run. He missed the first part and I know he wanted to go." Looking at his intended and seeing her nod, he agreed.

Over an hour and a half later the successful hunting party returned, dragging three deer behind them. The deer would be cooked slowly in the coals of the bonfire during the night and would be part of the breakfast feast.

It was after midnight and the bonfire was still going strong, the older ones were sitting around talking and the younger Millers went to the cabin with Nana Ellen to sleep. There was a chill in the air and Vin and Dom gave Brianna and Morgan their football hoodies to wear and Sophia and Maria got up to get sweatshirts out of their cabin for the rest of the girls.

Laughter broke out across the clearing as Maria stepped out of the cabin. She had put on Alberto's sweatshirt and it came down to her knees and the sleeves were so long they completely covered her hands. Sophia's was a little better, Anthony's sweatshirt came to mid-thigh and the sleeves were at the end of her fingers.

They passed out old sweatshirts to the girls and as Maria was handing one to Gabby, Sal shook his head at her and took his hoodie off and gave it to her. "It's already warm," he said and winked at her causing Gabby to blush.

"Marking your territory?"asked Anthony opening the bond to include the boys.

"Fuck no, she looked cold and mine was already warm,"said Sal with a smirk as he leaned back on his elbows and felt an odd sense of satisfaction at seeing 'Carlucci' emblazoned on the back of the sweatshirt Gabby was wearing.

Seeing the look on his face Victor said,"I think it's seeing her in your sweatshirt and knowing she carries your scent."

"Nah, just being a gentleman like we were taught. Talking about marking your territory, do you see where your names are on our sisters?"said Sal. The boys looked at Sophia and Maria and started laughing. 'Moretti' was written right across the bottom of Maria's backside and 'Rossi' was written in the middle of Sophia's.

"I like that, its perfect,"said Alberto."Anybody checking out Maria will see she is mine instantly." "Same here,"said Anthony leaning over to fist pump Alberto.

Sensing movement behind them, the boys noticed Annie and Rose exiting their cabin in their wolf form then trotting over to Frank and Joe rubbing against their legs before running into the woods. Frank and Joe looked at each other with astonishment on their faces for several moments before throwing their beers on the ground and racing to the cabin. In less then a minute two large chocolate wolves raced out of the cabin, stopping at the edge of the woods and howled loudly before racing after their mates.

The boys looked at each other before breaking out in laughter."Okay, that was embarrassing,"said Gino with a smile on his face."What was in Moms mouth?"

"Her hat, and I don't even want to think about what they are doing with it,"said Marcus as the boys dissolved in laughter, the girls looked at them and Kelly said, "What's so funny?"

"We were talking about football," said Damian smoothly. "Since there aren't any young ones around to impress you with our nurturing abilities we reverted back to our Neanderthal ways and are talking about sports, next we are going to start fighting."

As everyone started laughing, Gabby said, "I told you earlier you were full of crap Damian and you haven't changed my opinion." He lunged towards her and she giggled as she fell against Sal who took the opportunity to scent her neck. His wolf sat up with a puzzled look before lying back down, his head tilted to the side.

"Did you just scent Gabby?"asked Michael as the boys turned to look at Sal as the girls continued to talk about dance class and the Winter Festival.

"Not on purpose, she fell against me,"said Sal with a smile on his face."But damn she smells really good, like coconut cream pie and its making me hungry."This caused all the boys except for Angelo and Alberto to start laughing again.

"Damn it, you're only 15 and I can't beat the shit out of you...yet,"growled Angelo which caused the boys to laugh even harder. The boys listened to the girls' conversation for several minutes before they heard a howl followed by another a minute later. They glanced at each other and grinned but didn't say anything; they knew what those particular howls meant and who made them.

"Oh my, I hope they are okay, they sounded like they were in pain," said Aislin and the boys started laughing; the girls looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

"Uhmm, how do I say this delicately...they aren't in pain...they are really having a good time," said Damian with a wicked grin. "And they reached a....ugh..."

"Satisfying conclusion," Lorenzo added helpfully with a smirk on his face.

"You mean they...out there...Oh my..." said Erin as a blush came over her face.

"Oh my indeed," Damian said laughing. The girls looked at each other as they blushed, then one by one they started laughing as hard as the boys. They had just stopped laughing when two large chocolate wolves and two small light grey and white wolves came out of the woods.

"That was your parents????" whispered Caitlin.

"Yep, embarrassing isn't it?" whispered Lorenzo with another smirk.

Everyone was silent as the two sets of wolves walked across the clearing. As the boys saw Rose's hat in Franks mouth they struggled not to laugh and the girls were fascinated with the night sky as the Carlucci parents passed them. Once they were inside the cabin the youngsters started laughing so hard they were gasping for breath.

Minutes later Frank and Joe exited the cabin and strolled over to the youngsters who were smiling and laughing quietly. Joe said, "I see everybody is having a good time."

Damian looked up with an innocent expression on his face and said, "Some more then others Dad and Uncle Frank."

At his remark the youngsters burst out laughing again and Gabby said, "Stop... I'm gonna pee my pants..." which caused them to laugh even harder.

Frank and Joe looked at each other with bewildered expressions as Damian waved his hand saying, "Go just go." Shrugging their shoulders the two men walked towards the Pavilion area where the Poker game was being set up.

Joe looked at his brother and said, "What the fuck was that about?" Frank shook his head and said, "I have no idea, he's your son. I told you not to let him watchBarney, it warped his mind."

"But he looked so cute walking around with that stuffed..." Joe stopped walking suddenly and said, "Do you think they heard us?"

Frank started laughing and said, "With that loud ass howl of yours, probably. Now it's starting to make sense."

"Me? You were just as loud, big brother," Joe answered with a not so gentle punch on his arm.

"Only because my wolf was competitive, to show he lasted longer," said Frank as the two of them grinned at each other. Standing outside of the pavilion, they weren't the owners of one of the largest construction companies in Maryland with the welfare of hundreds of men and women dependent on them, they weren't in charge of Pack security, didn't have the responsibilities of mates and youngsters, they were just two brothers sharing a joke.

An hour later, Gina, Rose, Annie, Rita and Holly were walking from the Rossi's cabin after spending time talking and getting to know each other. When they got to the bonfire Annie quietly said, "Don't wake them up; let me get the camera."

The girls were asleep under blankets curled around each other and the boys were asleep around them enclosing them in a protective circle.

The mothers looked at each other and smiled. Annie returned with the camera and took several pictures and said, "Should we wake them up or leave them here?"

"Well, I'm not ready to go to sleep yet," said Gina. "We'll finish our wine sitting in the chairs on the other side of the bonfire."

"Your sons met my daughters tonight and I can't believe how protective they are of them already," said Holly as she glanced at the youngsters.

"I know other Packs think we're paranoid and too protective but if we relaxed and something happened, the men would never forgive themselves," said Gina. "You notice how the boys are surrounding the girls? I pity whoever tries to get by them. They may be young, but they're trained to protect first, ask questions later."

"Don't let the girls fool you either. Every one of them has taken self defense and full combat classes since they were 6. I've seen Sophia and Maria work together to flip Vin on his ass and pin him," said Rose with a smile.

"Co-ed training is always a highlight and the gym is packed with spectators. They train separately, but every two months Frank and Joe bring the groups together so the girls can train against the boys. They are extremely serious about it, none of the boys want to get their ass whipped by the girls and the girls are out for blood, literally," said Annie.

"Last time, little Jackie Costello flipped her brother so hard she almost broke his arm and had to be pulled off of him, kicking and screaming for him to get up and fight like a man," said Rose as she started laughing.

"Isn't she six years old?" asked Holly with a look of astonishment on her face.

"Yes, and we're not talking about her twin either, this was Reggie, her ten year old brother. My favorite part is when the girls team up against the boys. Frank and Joe teach them how to fight by themselves, in pairs, in groups, same ages and different ages. They want them to realize they have to be smart about when to fight and how to fight effectively. As they are taught...timing is everything," said Gina.

"Last month, Sophia, Maria, Mary Benedetto, Emily Reeder and Toni Costello brought down Carmelo using teamwork. My favorite move was when Toni snuck up behind him and got on all fours behind his knees and Mary and Emily swung Sophia and Maria in a power kick right into his abdomen and he fell over Toni," laughed Rita. "He was sore for days afterwards but of course he wouldn't admit it."

"My girls weren't taught anything but basic skills and then five years ago even that stopped," said Holly. "Todd used to take our girls and my nieces out into the woods and teach them though, but we kept it hidden from everybody."

"I don't want to be nosy, but what exactly happened in your old Pack. Carlo, Frank and Joe have hinted at things but that's all we know," said Rose quietly as she reached out and held Holly's hand.

Holly took a deep breath and proceeded to tell of the events of the last five years, going into detail that the men hadn't been privy to yet. At first she was hesitant but the longer she talked the better she felt at getting the details out, to share her pain and feelings of helplessness with the other women. When she finished talking almost 3 hours later, all the women were holding hands and crying quietly. No one spoke; they just sat there, five women, more importantly five mothers knowing they would do anything and face anything to protect their children. If other Packs were afraid of fighting their men, they had no idea of the fury they would face when they went against the women.

At 4 AM the final table was set and there were six players left, Frank, Joe, Carlo, Aldo, Fred Dawson and Thomas Bellucci. Vinnie called a fifteen minute break; after a quick check with their mates, they grabbed a beer and got up to stretch their legs.

"Hey Barry, did you know Todd and Papa Mike are Cowboys fans?" asked Frank.

Barry looked at Todd and said, "Weren't sure if you like the 'Boys or that other team in Texas. I've been a fan since the last days of Danny White then rolling into the Aikman era. For my 21st birthday, I got my one and only tattoo." He rolled his left sleeve up displaying the silver and blue star.

Todd and Papa Mike rolled their shirt sleeves displaying identical tattoos. Todd started laughing and said, "When I met your young ones earlier, I figured you were a 'Boys fan. Dad and I kept going over the names in our head before we realized why they were familiar."

The talk revolved around sports for the rest of the break time until Vinnie called for everyone to return to the table. Play continued hard and heavy for the next two hours, Aldo was the first knocked out followed by Tom Bellucci then Carlo was knocked out by Fred's three Sevens beating his pair of Aces.

Matt and Phil were watching the players and being tutored on the sidelines by Carmelo. They had been watching tournaments on TV for the last two years since they joined the Pack but didn't feel confident enough to join any of the tournaments yet. Carmelo sensing their lack of confidence suggested they get together to play with chips to give them some practice time. They both readily agreed and Carmelo said he would arrange it.

After another hour, Frank was knocked out by Joe getting a flush on the river card. Vinnie suggested another break before the showdown started. Joe got up and drank the orange juice Carlo had waiting for him and he and Frank walked Joe away from the assembled men to talk to him quietly.

Matt asked Carmelo, "How much money do they have in front of them?"

Carmelo quickly counted out the chips in his head and said, "I think Joe has about $30,000 and Fred about $22,000, give or take a couple thousand. Things are going to get serious now, don't forget it's a Winner Takes it All tournament, second place gets nothing. When they come back Vinnie will ask for quiet."

When play resumed, the hands went quick, both men winning and losing until their chip stacks were almost equal, with Joe's being slightly bigger. On the tenth hand dealt, Joe had a King/Ace and Fred had a Jack/King.

The flop was a Seven, Ten and a King. Fred bet $3,000 and Joe stared at Fred for several moments before he matched.

The turn was a Four. Fred bet $5,000 and Joe again stared at Fred and matched but didn't raise even though he was tempted to.

The river was a King. Fred bet $7,000 and Joe sat staring at the cards then Fred for several moments and then said quietly, "All in." A collective gasp was heard from the spectators as Fred sat and stared at Joe. Several minutes went by, Fred playing with the chips in front of him and continued to stare at Joe. Finally he pushed his pile of chips to the center of the table as he said, "Call."

Both men flipped their cards at the same time, Joe saw his Kicker was higher and let out a huge sigh and closed his eyes. He reached across the table and shook Fred's hand and sat back in his chair. He continued to sit as he wasn't sure his legs would be able to hold him but Frank reached down and pulled him to his feet engulfing him in a massive hug. Frank pulled back and looked into his brothers eyes and said, "I knew you could do it," before hugging him again. As soon as Frank released him Carlo hugged him and said, "New York here we come." All three men started to laugh as they thought how pleased their mates would be.

Vinnie got everyone's attention as he started to pass out celebratory drinks, "Due to the hour we finished, Mitchell and I figured a Limoncello Sunrise would be a perfect drink. As is customary, the winner of our tournament will give the toast."

Joe stood tall with Frank on one side and Carlo on the other and said, "I would like to thank everyone who donated their money to me and I'm sure Annie won't have a hard time figuring how to spend it." As the men started laughing he continued, "Actually, Annie, Rose and Gina had it spent before I won it. You will also share in the winnings by not having to put up with us for a week while the six of us take a vacation to New York in the spring."

Joel hollered, "If that's what it takes to get rid of the three of you for a week, we'll start a collection every month." The men laughed as Frank and Carlo grinned.

Jerry added, "Giving you $500 for a week of peace and quiet is well worth the money." Hoots and hollers accompanied his statement as Frank, Joe and Carlo looked at each other before breaking out in laughter.

Joe lifted his glass high and said, "Puo la vita essere pieni di gioia e di amore. I nostri bambini possono essere sicuro e spero che in dieci anni di essere circondato da nipoti piu bella come me. Salute." As most of the men started laughing he raised his hand.

"For those who don't understand Italian and especially my poor Italian, loosely translated, it means... May our lives be filled with joy and love. May our children be safe and I hope in ten years to be surrounded by grandchildren as good looking as I am. Salute." The men stood and raised their glasses and answered, "Salute."