South Mountain Pack Ch. 09

"You feeling miserable?" asked Anthony as Alberto nodded his head, "Good, they say misery loves company and I feel much better now. Now we have to get Vin and Dom feeling miserable too, they've been too fucking happy since they met their mates and it isn't right."

The boys looked at each other deep in thought and then as one said, "Cheerleading."

"Follow my lead," said Alberto as Anthony nodded. He looked at his mate and said, "It would be nice if the Millers could join some kind of team to help them feel welcome in the Pack. I guess they could join the girls' soccer team, but I don't even know if they play."

"Yeah, that would be a great idea if there was something they could join," said Anthony as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why can't they join the cheerleading squad?" asked Maria. "There's still plenty of time for them to learn the cheers and routines. I'm sure the rest of the girls wouldn't mind teaching them and it would really make them feel welcome."

"Oh Maria, that's a wonderful idea," Sophia said happily, "let's go talk to Gabby, since she's the Varsity Co-Captain. We should have thought of this last night."

As the girls went to talk to Gabby, the boys high-fived each other and Alberto said, "If Vin and Dom ask us, we can honestly say Maria and Sophia came up with the idea and they will back us up all the way. I feel kinda sneaky, this is something Damian would do, but I don't feel bad about making Vin and Dom miserable."

They watched as Sophia and Maria talked to Gabby who was nodding her head and then all three girls started jumping up and down. The Carlucci boys and Angelo made their way over to the garage door shaking their heads and grinning.

"Vin and Dom are going to blow a gasket when they find out their mates are going to be cheerleaders," said Angelo looking his twin in the eyes he saw the mischief there and broke out in a matching grin.

"I definitely want to be there when they find out," said Damian as he was grinning. "I wish I had thought of suggesting it, I can't believe Maria and Sophia came up with the idea, it's almost as if they had a little help..." he glanced at Anthony and Alberto and seeing the grins on their faces he burst out laughing.

"We didn't do anything, we were just talking about ways to make the Millers feel welcome and Maria is the one who suggested cheerleading," said Alberto as he shrugged his shoulders, "Ask her or Sophia and they'll tell you the same thing."

Paulo grinned and said, "Plausible deniability, I like that."

"I'd forgotten Gabby was the Varsity Co-Captain," said Sal quietly, though all the boys heard him. He continued to stare at her, as if sensing his eyes on her she looked up and smiled causing him to inhale sharply as his heart slammed in his chest. "Damn, she's beautiful," he whispered, not meaning to say it out loud.

"Stop staring at my sister. I told you before I didn't like it and you'd better fucking stop," said Angelo angrily and the boys stopped laughing as they saw the look on Sal's face as he frowned at Angelo. The girls stopped talking and stared at the boys wide-eyed trying to figure out what was going on.

Sal stared at Angelo before walking up to him and said belligerently, "And what the fuck are you going to do if I don't?" The boys got quiet as they realized Sal was serious and wasn't going to back down. The tension ratcheted up as they stood facing off against each other, their size difference making the situation even more serious, Angelo was 6'5" and 330 pounds, while Sal was 5'9" and 170 pounds.

Sal felt his brothers and cousins lining up at his side, he waved them off but they refused to move and then he saw Alberto move to stand beside Angelo. Seeing their sons line up and the attention of the girls on the boys, the parents stopped talking and paid attention to what was going on in front of the garage.

"You do realize I could snap you like a fucking twig, don't you?" snarled Angelo.

"I know you could try," Sal snapped back and continued to glare at Angelo.

Carlo said to the men, "What the fuck is going on? There's been tension between those two all night; I think it was because of Gabby."

"You don't have your big brothers here to fight your battles little boy," said Angelo with his eyes narrowed and his huge hands clenched in fists.

"Who fucking said I needed them? I may be smaller then you, but I'm pretty sure I could take you," Sal said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Gabby was furious and said, "Angelo, I swear to Luna if you hurt him I'll cause you unimaginable pain. I'll come into your room when you're least expecting it, cut off your bits and pieces, shove them down your throat and THEN I'll kill you." Angelo's eyes widened in astonishment then narrowed as she continued her tirade, "Don't fuck with me, I'm serious Angelo. LEAVE HIM BE."

Anthony pushed his way between the two, holding them both at arms length; his eyes took on an amber hue as he said in a deep commanding timbre, "ENOUGH, back the fuck off NOW. Angelo, he didn't do anything wrong, and Sal stop being so fucking hotheaded. Meet me behind the garage in five, we need to re-establish our bond, and we are going on a run as wolves to do it." He stared into each boy's eyes until they lowered them in submission then went to his mate so she could calm him down.

As he pulled Sophia to his side to scent her neck he sent a message to Vin and Dom, "We've had a slight altercation here. Meet us at my cabin in thirty minutes; do not speak to your family until you get here."

"Yes Anthony," both boys replied acting instinctively to the firm commanding voice Anthony used.

Gabby ran over as the boys separated and pushed Angelo in the chest, he didn't budge, but the intent was obvious. She continued to glare at her older brother then spun on her heel and walked over to Sal, cupping his face in her hands she looked up into his deep emerald eyes said, "You're not hurt are you?"

Sal swallowed nervously as he stared into Gabby's liquid chocolate eyes and stammered, "Uhmm... yeah...ugh ... I'm uhmm ... I ugh... yeah, I'm okay." He felt sweat breaking out on his forehead, his palms were suddenly clammy, his heart was pounding in his chest and for some odd reason he felt like throwing up. 'I wonder if I'm too young to have a heart attack?' he thought to himself. His wolf was sitting with his head looking off to the side as if embarrassed then rolled onto his back in total submission leaving Sal more confused then ever.

Letting go of his face, she squeezed his hand and went to rejoin Maria. Watching her as she walked away, Sal once more felt a weird satisfaction that she was still wearing his sweatshirt and he smiled seeing 'Carlucci' emblazoned across the top of her backside. When she turned suddenly seeing him staring at her, she smiled again causing him to blush scarlet and he got so dizzy he thought for a second he may pass out and he wondered if this is what it felt like to have a stroke.

As the men continued to stare at the boys Frank said, "Anthony handled that well. The argument was obviously about Gabby, Angelo was being protective but I wonder what Sal did to set him off and what all the posturing was about."

"Real smooth there Romeo," murmured Victor as he began to laugh. "Could you uhmm...be anymore...uhmm... awkward? Dude, it was embarrassing listening to you trying to talk."

"Shut the fuck up Vic, I want to see how smooth you are when a pretty girl is talking to you. You'll probably have a total meltdown, grunt then pass out," said Sal as he punched his cousin in the shoulder.

Damian unable to resist said, "I wonder who is going to take Gabs to Homecoming? I'm sure a lot of guys will be asking her, hell I may ask her myself." Seeing the scowl that Sal gave him, he broke out in laughter and said, "Then again maybe not."

Seeing Anthony and Alberto walk their intendeds to the SUV's as their parents got ready to leave, the boys hurriedly walked around the side of the house to the back of the garage. Nobody spoke as they stood there with their arms crossed over their chests.

Minutes later Anthony and Alberto joined them and Anthony said, "Okay, this is what's going to happen. We're going to run to my cabin; once there we'll shift and continue running, then we'll sit and talk. Damian since you can't run yet, you will walk to the cabin. Until we are ready to work this fucking thing out, I don't want to hear one word, no arguments and no questions, keep your fucking mouths shut." Without looking at anybody he turned around and ran towards the trail, within moments he heard the boys running behind him.

Damian followed at a much slower pace as he started the fifteen minute walk to the cabins. It was weird being alone, he thought as he tried to think of the last time it happened and couldn't remember a time when he wasn't around at least one member of his family. After several minutes of continued silence he admitted to himself that he didn't like it, didn't like it at all.

Anthony set a blistering pace as they ran, completing the run in less then five minutes. Once there everyone stripped out of their clothes and shifted. Knowing Sal and Vic were still getting used to their wolves, he said, "We'll walk around the cleaning once, then pick up the pace each turn. Once the two of you feel confident to run let me know." Sal and Vic nodded their heads, remembering his edict not to talk.

After the fifth run around the circle, both boys felt confident and chuffed to let Anthony know they were ready, without responding he led them on the wide trail into the woods. They ran for twenty minutes, up and down South Mountain, Anthony making sure Sal and Vic were able to keep up with the more experienced boys before circling back to the pond near the Ceremonial Grounds. Anthony wasn't surprised to see Damian, Vin and Dom already in the water and without missing a step, he jumped off the edge of the dock shifting in midair as he dove in, with the boys following him.

Sal and Vic were the last two in line and tried to shift in midair like the others but weren't as successful. Their wolves hit the water with a huge splash drenching the older boys and they started paddling towards shore before they successfully shifted. Sal said, "I guess we need to work on that a little." Seeing the two cousins laughing at each other and themselves, the other boys smiled which broke the tension.

The boys continued to be silent, letting the cool water soothe their overheated bodies and tempers. Five minutes later Anthony said, "Time to head to the cabin." The boys exited the water and walked the quarter mile to the cabin letting the sun and slight wind air dry them. When they arrived at the cabin they slipped on their shorts and Anthony motioned for them to move to the edge of the clearing where they had sat the night before.

Anthony stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the boys in front of him. "Before we get started, let me bring Vin and Dom up to speed as to what happened," he said projecting what occurred earlier. He closely watched them and wasn't surprised when he heard their low growls as they glared at Angelo. Both boys then looked at their brothers and cousins and nodded their heads letting them know they did the right thing in backing Sal.

Drawing a deep breath Anthony said, "Sal, do you want to let us know what is going on with you and Gabby?"

Sal swallowed loudly and said, "Ant, I honestly don't know. Everyone keeps saying I'm too young to feel the mating pull and my wolf is as confused as I am apparently. When Gabby was talking to me, he was acting embarrassed and then laid on his back in a submissive pose. What the fuck does that mean? What does your wolf do around Sophia?"

Anthony rolled his shoulders and said, "Sal, first thing, do you know what it means to be mates? Not just in the 'we will be together for the rest of our life' kinda way, but everything else it means?"

"Well, yeah...kinda. I mean I see the way our parents act, and I've seen the way you and Alberto act like idiots around the girls. It doesn't seem that hard," Sal said as the boys started laughing at his description of Anthony and Alberto.

Anthony smiled at him and said, "Well, your sister does seem to bring out the best and worst in me, sometimes at the same time. Meeting your mate makes you feel like you are finally complete, like that piece of you that was missing is finally found. It's the best and worst feeling in the world. I can't remember where I saw this, but it describes it perfectly, 'it's not the person you spend your life with, it's the person you can't live your life without'."

"Hallmark?" Damian asked with a lopsided grin on his face as Anthony shrugged.

"You're right though, it does make us act like idiots. Big giant possessive idiots who can't seem to control our anger and who ramble like crack heads on meth," said Alberto with a scowl. "Look at me; I'm a big strong guy who rides a Harley for fucks sake. When I walk into a biker bar, the guys in there don't fuck with me because I scare the shit out of them. And you know what scares me? My 5'5", 115 pound kitten, she scares the fuck out of me."

As the guys were laughing, Alberto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Go ahead and laugh, I'm not ashamed to admit that my Gattina means the world to me. That I live to make her happy and when she smiles at me I feel like my chest is going to burst open. If I'm not with her, the only thing I think about is her. If she wants something, I'll do everything in my power to get it for her. When I hold her and scent her all I think about is ripping her..."

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, DUDE. THAT'S MY SISTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT," shouted Lorenzo as the rest of the Carlucci's snapped their heads towards Alberto and narrowed their eyes. "It's bad enough we have to see you scent her, we don't want to know what you're thinking. That's just beyond disturbing."

Alberto looked at Lorenzo and grinned saying, "Sorry, I ugh kinda got carried away there a little. It's just your sister is so fucking beautiful and her scent drives me insane. If we're being honest here guys, I have to tell you I have a calendar on the computer marking down the days until her 18^th birthday."

"STOP, JUST STOP," shouted Damian. "None of us want to hear that. We don't even want to know about the two of you having relations until she is in the clinic ready to pop out your little ones. Then and only then we may be ready to hear that you even kissed her."

"You think my little ones are going to magically appear inside of her?" asked Alberto as he threw back his head laughing.

"Only if you use your magic wand on her, bro," said Angelo as he started laughing.

"I have to confess I have a calendar countdown too," said Anthony as he laughed. "I thought I was the only one who was twisted and disturbed, I'm glad I have company." Alberto leaned over and high-fived Anthony, both of them smiling broadly, while the Carlucci's scowled.

"That is wrong, just wrong on so many levels," said Gianni as he shook his head as Anthony, Alberto and Angelo continued to laugh.

"Can we get back to me now?" said Sal. "I thought we came up here to talk about me, not the two of you doing unmentionable stuff to our sisters. That's just gross."

Ant stopped laughing and said, "Sorry Sal. It sounds to me like your wolf understands she is your mate but isn't ready to accept it yet. He wants to make sure you're not only physically mature enough to be able to care for and protect your mate, you need to be emotionally mature enough to handle the responsibility."

Alberto leaned back against a tree and nodded his head saying, "Like Ant was saying, it's not just a matter of protecting your mate which will come in time as you grow bigger and stronger; it's a matter of being able to provide for her emotionally and being able to provide for her welfare, such as providing a home, everything she needs and eventually everything your little ones will need."

Angelo glared at Sal and said, "Whatever...I don't like HIM sniffing around my sister." He glanced at Alberto and said, "I mean our sister. It's not right, she's only seventeen."

Vincent raised his eyebrow saying quietly, "And what is the matter with my brother? Your sister doesn't seem to mind; in fact she seems to be encouraging him. As far as Gabby being seventeen, so what? Our sisters are only fifteen, and Maria is the intended mate of YOUR brother, and neither of you have a problem with that obviously."

Seeing the look on Vin's face, Sal said hesitantly, "Seriously though, what am I supposed to do? Is Gabby my first crush and is this what you guys felt like when you first started noticing girls and thinking about...you know like sex and stuff?"

"First off, don't mention my sister and sex in the same sentence," snarled Angelo. "Second, you just turned fifteen for fucks sake. What do you think you can do? You can't even drive..."

Vincent put up his hand stopping Angelo, staring intently into his eyes he said quietly, "Angelo, we've been friends since we were little ones and out of respect for that friendship I'm going to be nice about this...But if you talk to my brother like that again, I swear to Luna I will come over there and beat the fuck out of you."

He stopped speaking for several moments as he continued to stare at Angelo and said louder, "We still need to discuss what happened earlier, Sal may have been stubborn about standing up to you, but what exactly did he do wrong? So, he looked at your sister and said she was beautiful. Did he harm her in any way? Did he say something that insulted her? No. You were the one who stepped over the line, letting a harmless remark get out of hand and get to you. You took advantage of a fifteen year old and our absence to try and bully him. That is not going to happen ever again, ARE WE CLEAR ON THAT?"

Angelo didn't respond, his hands were clenched and his body language radiated anger as he looked away from the oldest Carlucci boy. Vin gave him a minute to answer and when no answer was forthcoming he said again, "DID I MAKE MYSELF FUCKING CLEAR ON THAT OR DO WE SETTLE THIS HERE AND NOW?"

Anthony didn't interrupt, he knew how protective Vin was of his family and he was extremely upset Angelo had picked a fight with Sal, the youngest male member of the Clan. This was something that had to be worked out between the two of them.

Angelo drew a deep breath and said, "Yeah, you made yourself clear. It won't happen again, but I still don't like the idea of him chasing after our sister."

Anthony looked at the Moretti's and quietly said, "And what if Gabby is the one who is doing the flirting and chasing?"

"What are you saying about my sister? You think she is encouraging him?" asked Alberto with a look of disbelief on his face. "She's only seventeen and has never even been on a date. How the hell would she know how to flirt or encourage him?"

"Yes, I think she IS encouraging him. Calm down and look at this objectively and not as her brothers," instructed Anthony. "Last night when we were sitting at the bonfire, she came and sat next to Sal. She smiled at him several times and she was definitely flirting with him at the bonfire. Did either of you notice that?"

"Well, yeah," admitted Angelo. "But I don't think she was doing it on purpose, she was just being nice, wasn't she?"

"In my limited experience with women," said Damian as everyone laughed since there wasn't a girl Damian met he didn't flirt with. "They instinctively know how to flirt. They do that hair flipping thing, give that cute quick side-eye then glance away, they giggle at things we say that aren't funny, give that light touch on your forearm, do that thing where they catch their lower lip between their teeth, and tilt their head to show the line of their neck."