A Mate to Howl For Ch. 12

Anthony and Fox knew there would never be jealousy between them. They were both mated not only to Willow but to each other. The Moon Goddess must have a plan for them. The triquetra is rare and happens in remote packs or in times of war. Time would tell what the Moon Goddess has in store for them.

~~~

Anthony's eyes drifted over his sleeping mates. They had fallen asleep shortly after dawn in a heap of arms and legs, elbows and ankles, softly sighed and content moans. He wanted to sneak from the bed, but he settled for kissing along Willows collar bone and over his mate mark letting the electric tingle settle as he mind-linked Sara, the head omega in charge of the kitchen to bring a tray of food as well as coffee, tea, juice, and water for them.

He only left the bed when the food arrived. There was a sense of pride in serving his mates in bed. "Wake up my luvs," he whispered with a kiss to Willow's forehead and a shoulder squeeze to Fox. The trio ate in comfortable silence. Once the plates of bacon, sausage, steak, eggs, potatoes, and gravy, as well as butter biscuits were cleaned, Anthony stood.

"As much as I want to clear my day and spend it wrapped inside of you," Anthony grinned at Willow. "I have a Were Council call I cannot get out of. I have instructed Vincent to drive you wherever the two of you need to go to collect your belongings. I would like to return to our den this evening and get settled. Unless there is a pressing matter here?"

"Nope, I'm good. I just need to call Tyann and update him on finding my mates." Fox said as he nibbled on Willow's shoulder.

"Ah shit," Willow growled. "I severed my pack link with Marcus without telling him what happened. I should probably call him." Willow sighed, laying back on the pillow. "Shit, shit, shit."

"You have an extremely naughty mouth my luv," Fox teased. "We might just have to punish you." He grinned.

Anthony laughed once thinking of ways he could punish her mouth but decided to help her out of her trouble. "I had Pablo message Marcus last night. Marcus will be expecting your call this evening." Anthony leaned to her and kissed her until she struggled for air. As he pulled away his eyes locked with Fox. "Keep her safe, and get back here as soon as you can. There is a lot I need to debrief the two of you on."

~~~

Leesburg, Georgia

Good Ole Boys Pack

Cullen was sitting in his office looking over several reports when the door opened with a knock. Only two people had the gall to open without his permission to enter, Ivory his mate, and Aaron his second in command. He knew by the scent it was not his mate. Without looking up Cullen spoke. "I just printed the last report. It seems Jade may be on to something."

Aaron sighed as he lowered his body into the leather chair across from his lifelong friend and alpha. "I spoke to Doof," Aaron paused before clearing his throat. "He found his mate." The beta smiled. "Lola Shaffer from Gray Lake pack. He was at the infirmary when she was brought in and hasn't left her side since. I spoke with Damian and she is recovering."

Cullen looked across the desk and the mountain of paperwork sitting in the left corner. "I will have to congratulate them as soon as Lola is healed." Cullen seemed happy that the pair found their mates in each other. "It doesn't change the fact I need to speak to him about the rogues and the unpacked Weres gathering in Alpha Grayson's lands. I know it's a new pack and formation of territory with Grayson and Cara becoming mated. The Alpha and Were Council approved of the Red Moon pack lands three months ago."

Cullen rubbed his temples. "I green-lighted Jade's pack to go to the Red Moon Pack and investigate what is going on just north of their borders. I read a report about a rogue alpha," Cullen moved some papers around on his desk finally finding the right report before handing it to Aaron.

"Alpha Chance Tucker of the Blue Mountain pack exiled his Beta Robert Bloodmoon from his pack about six months ago for breaking pack law regarding minor females and forced claims. He escaped before the Council Enforcers could bring him in. He was spotted last week by Alpha Grayson Jones. Apparently, Robert kidnapped a young female." Cullen sighed.

"The girl's name is Ginny Adams and here is where it gets tricky. She didn't know what she was until her first shift." Cullen leaned to his desk. "She was friends with an unmated rogue who ended up claiming her. The pair lived as wolves in the mountains where Grayson and Cara established their pack. During the ceremony, the two rogue wolves became part of their pack."

"What the fuck," Aaron sighed loudly before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry Alpha," he nodded, exposing his neck.

"It gets worse. Robert attacked Zach and Ginny. He kidnapped her and somehow claimed her. We now have a triquetra. Cara and Grayson recovered Ginny and Zach. Once they had them Cara discovered Ginny is her missing sister. Needless to say, they are reluctant to let her out of their sight." Cullen sat back, blowing out a chestful of air.

"I think I am going to ask Alpha Rossi to lend Grayson some warriors for the time being. I don't want to alert the rogues or the unpacked to a growing presence." Cullen glanced at Aaron. "There is more."

"You have got to be kidding me. What else happened last night?" Aaron asked with great interest.

Cullen's demeanor changed. A slight smile touched his lips. "Anthony found his mates. Yes, that was mates with an S. Beta Willow Brooks from Marcus's pack, and a visiting wolf, Fox MacGregor from Edinburgh, met last night at a club in Virginia and we now have a second triquetra." Cullen seemed amused. "I'm happy for my friend, but two triquetra's in the same location make me worried."

"Holy shit. I know they are rare, but we normally only see them in isolated areas." Aaron sounded puzzled.

"Or times of war when more than one leader is needed," Cullen said.

"What are your plans?" Aaron set the file on the desk.

"I am going to go see Colin and then I'm going to speak to Beatrice Palmer. The Were Council needs to be updated." Cullen nodded.

Aaron frowned. "Well, I guess I will add to your list. William and his family would like to visit Paradise Falls pack lands. I know Dylan will want to go since young Marley is his mate. I think they need a few warriors with them."

Cullen sat with his fingers set on his lips. His eyes glazed over and then he spoke. "I will approve of the visit and I'm sending Valic with them and two enforcers of his choice. But for now, my lovely mate has requested my presence. I will leave you to the details for the kids."

"Alpha, are you certain you trust the area? There were reports last month of werepanthers in the area. I know without a pack there more and more Weres are crossing their lands running drugs and who knows what else." Aaron said.

"No, I am not, that is why we are sending Valic and his men to watch over them. And to take a look around. William has the rightful claim to the park. I am thinking of working with him to reestablish the Paradise Falls pack." He looked at his phone seeing the time. "I will meet you in about an hour at the infirmary." Without another word, Cullen left his office to go find Ivory.

~~~

Moundsville Ohio

Red Moon Pack

Ginny was sitting in the pack hospital next to Zachary James, her mate, well one of her mates. Ginny was confused about what happened and how she ended up being claimed at seventeen by two strong wolves. Zach had saved her four years ago from freezing to death when she got lost in the mountains. Zach had found her passed out in the snow and carried her to a small cave where he shifted into his wolf and kept her warm. When she finally woke it was just after sunrise the next day and she was confronted by the black wolf.

Ginny remembered that morning with clarity. She had been so scared that he was going to kill her and eat her, but instead, Zach shifted into a teenage boy, causing Ginny to pass out again. When she woke the next time it was to the sound of rescue workers searching for her. Ginny figured it was just a dream.

A knock at the door brought her from her thoughts as Cara walked in. "Hey," the older woman said. Cara was twenty-one making her four years older than her sister. "I was thinking you and I could talk. Daisy said she would stay with Zach and if he woke up she would alert us."

Ginny didn't want to leave Zach. She had been feeling guilty about what happened to him when Robert attacked. But she also had a million questions to answer and ask. "Fine?" her answer was curt. Ginny leaned over and kissed Zach's forehead, eyes, and finally his lips, whispering to him that she loved him and he needed to wake up. He had been in a coma for two weeks and Ginny needed him to wake up and make everything better as he always had.

Two minutes after Cara left the room, Ginny joined her. The sisters walked outside and headed for the small cabin Ginny had been staying in. Grayson had two pack warriors guarding the cabin and a third protecting her. "What did you want to talk about?" Ginny said as she closed the heavy wooden door.

Cara offered a smile as she turned to face her younger sibling. "Everything and nothing?" She joked and walked towards the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

"Cara, I know you are trying to help me transition here, but let's not lie to each other. We are sisters, but I don't know who you are." Ginny huffed and sat on a tall stool next to the breakfast bar.

"I would never lie to you. And you are right, we know nothing about each other. So why don't we start there? I was almost five when our mom was attacked and our family thought you were killed with her. Do you know what happened?" Cara didn't think Ginny would know, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth Ginny nodded. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

~~~

Moundsville Ohio

Red Moon Pack

Ginny's Story

The young woman sat with the hot cup of tea in her arms and blew across the top to cool it enough to sip. "I was twelve, a month from my thirteenth birthday when my parents moved us from Wachulla, Florida. Imagine my culture shock moving to Blair County Pennsylvania, Duncansville more specifically in January of all months. I didn't even have a real winter coat." Ginny paused with a laugh.

"Anyways, I started high school. Yes, at twelve. They said I was a prodigy. But what they didn't know was that being an outsider from Florida with no winter clothes and two years younger than anyone else would have made me a loner." Ginny sipped the tea and drifted off into her mind.

"The first week of school was hell and that first Friday I decided to explore the woods behind the house. It had snowed and I wasn't thinking that tennis shoes and a sweat jacket wouldn't be enough to keep me warm. I got lost and cold and fell asleep against a tree. My cell phone was dead and I would have died but someone found me. He carried me to a small ground cave and kept me warm. I woke up to a wolf laying on me. I kind of freaked out but then decided when the wolf did nothing that I was dreaming." Ginny laughs at the memory.

"I actually looked at the wolf and told him I was crazy and since he was a figment of my dying brain that he could at least turn into a boy. No. No. I said a good-looking boy and bam! He shifted into a guy, a gorgeous teenage boy. Before I could get a name I passed out. When I woke to the rescue workers calling my name he was going and I knew it was a hallucination. That next Monday at school I ran into that teenage boy. Turns out his name was Zachary James. Imagine my surprise when I realized he was a werewolf. I followed him to his trailer a few days later and we talked. We became friends."

Ginny glanced at Cara who was sitting quietly listening. "The day I turned thirteen everything went to hell. I came home from Zach's house to find my parents were dead. A huge ass gray wolf was in the process of tearing their throats out. When I turned to run, I tripped and hit my head. I guess I got knocked out because when I woke I was bound and on the floor of this man's cabin. I knew I was going to die so I started asking questions."

Another sip of tea cleared her mind and Ginny continued. "He told me that his name was Dean and that he had been waiting for my birthday. He told me a story of how he killed my real mom after he ripped me from her womb. He placed me with the people I thought weren't parents. He told me that I was like him and would be shifting soon enough and that he had plans for me. What I didn't know was that Zach had come to my house as Dean was loading me into his truck. Zach followed us and just when Dean was about to replace my gag, Zach attacked."

"I watched both of them shift and fight, and somehow during the fight, Zach ended up barrelling into me and rolling us, breaking my bindings loose. I don't know what exactly happened but Zach pulled me free and we took off running, but I fell to the ground in pain and shifted for the first time. What a way to find out I was a werewolf. To make this faster I will skip ahead. Dean turned out to be a cop and started looking for us. Zach had some money and we headed West."

Ginny nodded and sighed. "Being minors and wolves, we decided to not live in the city and made a den just north of here. The years passed and Zach and I fell in love. When I turned seventeen he told me about the Moon Goddess and mates. I knew we loved each other and I wanted to be with him, marry him, and grow old with him. So we claimed each other, or should I say we were in the process when Robert attacked. Zach had just marked me and I still had my fangs on his shoulder when the five wolves invaded our den. Subsequently, you and Grayson were doing the ceremony for pack creation, and Zach and I were made part of it."

Cara urged Ginny to continue.

"Zach was injured. I watched them break his back. I lost control and continued to fight them until I was overpowered. I woke up, collared and chained in Robert's room. I will skip the details of my torture but on the third day when I connected to you via the pack link, Robert decided he was going to force mate me and bit over Zach's mark. But instead of erasing my connection with Zach, I ended up bonding with both. Trust me, I don't want this." Ginny pulled her collar over to show the double set of teeth marks.

"It was two days later when you and Grayson found us. Lecia is from Blue Mountain Pack, she was the other female you found. Robert and the others got away, I think they were from the Blue Mountain pack as well. There was one guy, Thaine, who wasn't like the others. He was a werelynx. He didn't seem like he was part of Robert's pack, or at least he wasn't cruel like the others."

"You have been through so much, Ginny. I'm sorry that this has happened, but I am glad we got you back." Cara set her hand on her sister's shoulder to reassure her that she was safe. "I can clear up a little about our mom. She was attacked while we were swimming. She forced me into a tree and fought off three rogue wolves. When help arrived they found her body but the baby, you, she was carrying was gone. Everyone thought you were dead. If I had known you survived I would have searched or made dad search for you. But now that we have you back, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"You mentioned Dean. Did he give you the last name?" Cara asked, changing the subject when she saw Ginny's face tense.

"Abernathy. He said his name was Dean Abernathy." The name came out with venom.

Cara gasped just before her eyes glazed over. "Grayson!" She called for her mate.

"What's wrong, my love?"Grayson's voice was laced with concern.

"Get the Alpha Council on a call. We have a huge problem."

~~~

Moundsville Ohio

Red Moon Pack

Cara was standing on Grayson's right side when the video call opened. Ginny was sitting to Grayson's left. All three looked concerned. The moment Ginny had said Dean Abernathy Cara had tensed and understood the Alpha Council needed to be informed.

"Thank you for joining us on such short notice," Grayson said with a nod screen and the five Alpha Council members. Alpha Cullen Steiner of the Good Ole Boys Pack, Marcus Ryle, of the Luna Fenrir Pack, Anthony Rossi of the South Mountain Pack, Ivan Provinsky of the Protrusky Pack, and Chairwoman Kathrine Jones of the Sealgaira' at Fiach Pack all gave the trio their attention.

Chairwoman Jones spoke first in a thick Scottish accent. "Alpha Grayson and Luna's Cara and Ginny," she nodded. "How can we be of help to you today?"

Ginny was taken back at her being acknowledged as Luna. As far as she knew she was only a member of the Red Moon Pack.

Marcus sees Ginny's face tense spike next. "Luna Ginny Adams, I can see confusion in your look. It is the opinion of this Council that you are currently mated to Zachary James and Robert Bloodmoon. Robert Bloodmoon is the current Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack. Alpha Robert contacted the Were Council this morning with the newly created pack's information, listing you as their Luna. I know this might come as a shock to you, but until the pack is officially disbanded, you are the rightful Luna." Marcus could tell by Ginny's expression that she was scared.

"With all due respect," Ginny started but Cara's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "We can talk about this after the call. This is news for all of us. But we have more urgent matters to deal with."

Ginny nodded at her sister's voice in her head. "Thank you, Alpha." Ginny corrected with a slight nod of her head.

Chairwoman Jones cleared her throat. "Alpha Grayson, you had a concern great enough to contact the Alpha Council," she urged.

"Yes, Madam Chairman. As you know when we petitioned to form this pack and claim these lands, we were made aware of delicate situations concerning minor females being abducted." Grayson cleared his throat. "If I remember correctly the last two who were found alive spoke of their abductor, a man named Dean."

"Yes. Two years ago, the sisters that we recovered told us they were taken by a man named Dean before they were sold to a pack in South America." Alpha Ivan said in a thick Russian accent. It was clear English was not his first language.

Ginny paled for a second time. In fact, all the blood drained from her face. It struck her hard what could have happened to her had Zachary not found her. She closed her eyes and forced air through her nose to keep her wolf from pushing forward.

Grayson continued. "Earlier today when my mate and her sister sat down to talk, Ginny informed us that her original abductor was named Dean. Dean Abernathy to be exact."

There was complete silence from the Alpha Council before the call was paused on Grayson's screen. After three minutes the call resumed with Alpha Cullen leading. "Luna Ginny, are you completely positive about the name?"

It took Ginny two seconds to nod her head and find her voice. "Yes. He told me his name was Dean Abernathy. I later found out he was a local police officer in Blair County Pennsylvania. He killed my mom and my adoptive parents. He kidnapped me and chased Zachary and me into hiding." There was thick emotion in her voice. Ginny used her right knuckle to stop a tear from falling.

Alpha Anthony Rossi was handed a folder. "Luna Ginny, can you tell me if this is the man who abducted you?" He held a black-and-white image of a man.

Ginny started to tremble when she saw the image. Her eyes went wide and she nodded. It had been almost five years, but she still felt fear at the memory of that day when she discovered him in her home. She closed her eyes and forced the memory away. "Yes," it was hardly above a whisper. Recovering Ginny found her thoughts. "Who is he?"

"A very bad man," Cara said.