Beauty and The Beast Ch. 04

Samuel felt the wind through his coarse fur while the shadows made him an invisible force within the forest of pines. He knew Greg was just downwind of him, senses set on the same herd of deer as himself. Abigail, on the other hand, was more difficult to locate in the undergrowth. Slowing his stride slightly, he headed north with his nose to the air. Catching her scent, he followed until he was flat on his stomach beside her, watching the herd graze peacefully.

He ran his tongue along her ear swiftly in greeting. She simply bumped her head against his in return. With his incredibly keen sight, Sam vaguely saw Greg's white form on the other side of the large clearing. He bettered his footing with Abby following suit. His eyes were set on a ten-point buck, anything smaller would be too easy for a wolf his size. Honestly all mule deer were too easy of kills for him but in order to get an elk or moose, he'd have to leave his property. He wasn't about to risk the exposure or potential strife with a nearby pack.

All at once the herd noticed Greg and just like expected, ran right towards the waiting male and female. Sam held back a moment but allowed Abby to launch herself at a large, older doe. The scare caused the rest to stagger west, unsure where it was safe. Taking advantage of the confusion, Sam pushed off from his spot to mix in with the petrified deer. Easily making it up the rear of his buck, he leapt onto its back. Sinking his teeth deep into the neck, he swung his own hind end around so they both crashed to the ground. The action smoothly snapped his prize's neck.

"Nice kill, Alpha!" Abby's voice rang in his ears. Releasing the now dead carcass, he slowly got to his feet, shifting human as he went.

"I'm getting too old for this shit." He grumbled, grabbing the three hundred pound deer by its antler to look more closely. But first he did a quick sweep of Abigail's swollen pregnant body. She appeared unharmed. "Are you sure you should have been out here?"

Greg's nude form appeared with her dead doe in tow. "Lycan are built for this, even when pregnant. We didn't always have domestic cattle to slaughter."

Sam just huffed while she flashed him a bright smile. "I just don't want anything happening to you or the pups. One kick from these guys could terminate a pregnancy."

"I'm 171 years old, I know my limits." She stated teasingly, carefully rubbing her belly. Sam saw a few small kicks and couldn't help the sad smile that formed. But before he could think about her, he changed the subject.

As they carried their kills back, Greg thought about Samuel's unfortunate life. Whether the pureblooded alpha wanted to admit it, he had mated with his human. Having been separated for years was taking a toll on him. But he was being too stubborn and refused to go find her. He was convinced she had probably married her ex anyways. Agreeing the possibility was there, Greg still would have gone to check on her.

A positive outcome to the crappy situation was Alpha Samuel had allowed outsiders in and their own pack members to venture out. That's how Gabe managed to find Abby three years ago. Now they're expecting their first litter of pups.

Some of the others had also found mates over the years. A few left to join their mate's pack and Carlos had found a really nice human woman who truly embraced their species. Greg believed that Sam could have that as well, if he would just be truthful with himself and went after his mate.

Dropping their kills on the back porch to be hung up and prepped for a later time, the three made their way to a shower. Having hot water wash away dirt and blood, none his own, was always a relaxing feeling. It allowed him to think. To process his day and emotions without the chaos found within the rest of the house.

The one thing on his mind tonight was Annabelle Kent. Honestly, the brunette was on his mind almost constantly but that was because she was the cause of all the positive changes they had been experiencing. The only person not benefiting from the changes was their miserable alpha. Hell bent on wasting his happiness, when they all know her short life was precious, the alpha was relentless. Greg knew he'd have to step up and intervene soon.

Step one was locate Anna.

Unsure on how to handle the odd situation, Annabelle just stared up at her son with confusion. "Excuse me?" She asked to make sure she heard him correctly.

Ryan blushed as much as his tanned skin allowed and repeated himself. "I was... jacking off and I guess I got too excited... It's stuck out and I don't know what to do."

"Oh for fucks sake." She muttered, covering her mouth. She did her best to not lower her gaze at all. Having sixteen year olds was bad enough, throw in the fact that they're werewolves and you happen upon all kinds of strange problems. "I hate to compare you to a dog but if the shoe fits. When dogs breed, they get a knot at the base of the who-hah and that locks them together. I suppose that's what you're dealing with, so it should be safe to assume that it'll subside in an hour or so. Just go to your room and please, do not touch yourself."

It was a big surprise for herself, and basically everyone else, when a few weeks after her return from the mountains she found out she was pregnant. It was an even bigger shock to see two little sacs on the monitor at the doctors. Gideon, even knowing he wasn't their father, was extremely supportive. This had been much appreciated, since even her own parents had stopped talking to her.

Once the twins were born, her mother came around occasionally. Very occasionally. But her father had gone almost ten years without ever meeting his grandkids and that irked her. Gideon ended up being the buffer between them but being she put him in the best friend zone, she always felt guilty by how much responsibility he took on in her life.

Looking back on everything, she supposed it was a good thing she didn't have a lot of people in her life after that point.

Experiencing her two years olds shifting into wolves for the first time was heart stopping. The way they wriggled in pain as their bones broke and moved around under the skin. Shiny black fur sprouted from everywhere and finally their mouths extending out into muzzles. After about ten minutes of this, she had two miniature copies of the wolves that she had left behind.

That's when it hit her. Her thoughts and things she had seen but wrote off as hallucinations and impossible, were very real. The man she had fallen in love with was a werewolf. Her children were werewolves. So like any good mom, she did what she had to. Packed everything up, changed jobs, and moved. She left everyone behind, except Gideon. He knew their secret. It had freaked him out too at first but it came down to the fact he loved the kids like his own. No matter what supernatural creature they were, they were still small children that needed love and family.

"Belle? Are you alright?" She heard from behind her.

She realized she was still standing in the same spot and turned to look at Gid. "Yeah, I was just thinking. Do you think I've given them a good life? I mean, I know nothing of the instincts and lifestyle of werewolves. What if they go crazy or feral because I was too stubborn and scared to go back to their father?"

He could hear the panic in her voice and sighed. Unfortunately this happened more frequently as the kids got older. While it was true, they didn't know anything about the nature of werewolves, the twins hadn't given them any reason to doubt they were regular teens. "Listen, they're teenagers. The teen years are the hardest to get through, no matter what species it is. Would it be easier with their father here? Probably. It's hard to be intimidated by Uncle Gid when Ryan stands over eight inches taller than me."

She couldn't help chuckling. She allowed herself to think about the man, the beast that she fell in love with on the spot. Her chest hurt constantly, being away from him. There was a lot of him to miss and she hated herself for not going back in the first place to learn everything she could about him. He had been a magnificent and powerful man. Though he came across as cold and intimidating, especially towards the others, Anna could tell there was a compassionate father-figure inside him.

"Belle?" Gideon's hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Sorry." She mumbled, running her fingers through her hair. This happened frequently enough, that he didn't worry too much when her brain was off in space.

"You should go to him." She tried to interrupt but he held his hand up. "Go without the kids first. Get your emotions and problems out of the way. Have hot, wild, dog sex. God knows you need it after seventeen years." She shook her head in disbelief. Dog sex? Where the hell did he come up with that one? "And break the news to him that he's a father. I have a gut feeling that your news will be very important to him."

"No." she responded instantly.

"What do you mean no?"

"If he hasn't come to find me after all these years, then that proves to me how little he cares." Another twinge from her heart had her eyes closing to suppress the pain.

Greg raised his hand to knock on the office door but Sam's voice filtered through first. "Come in, Greg."

Turning the ancient knob, he saw Sam's fingers buried in his hair while looking over some papers. "You got a minute?"

His alpha's tired green eyes lifted to meet his. "Yeah Greg, sit down."

He knew he needed to do something soon because anybody, lycan or human, could tell that the powerful being in front of him was suffering. "Seeing how stressed you are, this may not be the best time to ask, but I would like to request vacation time."

Sam leaned back in his chair, surprised. "For how long and where?"

This is where Greg was going to have to lie a smidge. "Only a week and I plan to go to LA."

This had him cocking his eyebrow. "LA?" He questioned, leaning onto his elbows. "What is an albino lycan, who can't even be in the sun for that long, going to be doing in hot and sunny Los Angles?"

"Well unlike you, my dear alpha," a low, threatening rumble started in Sam's chest. "I don't wish to be alone for the rest of my long life. I've heard there is a large population of lycan there with the high demand for stunt doubles and attractive people. Worst case scenario, I'll sight see."

Sam nodded but was still obviously suspicious. "I've heard the night life is crazy too. So you wouldn't be bored during your dwelling hours."

"Depending on how this goes, maybe I'll check out New York City at a later date too."

The larger man snorted, "I think sending you to a pack in the Adirondacks would be a better choice. There aren't many lycan in NYC after the Vampire outbreak in 1852."

Greg smirked, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I don't know. We basically wiped out pureblooded lycan, except you of course, by mating with humans for centuries. Why not see if we can mate with Vampires? Really make our ancestors roll in their graves."

Sam pinched his nose, trying not to laugh. "I suppose your skin tone would match theirs perfectly."

Both men laughed together for a moment. But then Greg straightened up and leaned his elbows on his knees. "But all seriousness, are you doing okay Sam?"

He watched the other man rub his chest subconsciously. "I'm fine. I get chest pains now and then. But unless I'm in wolf form, my wolf won't talk to me."

That was a big deal. The wolf spirit inside them was what made them powerful, gave them their instincts. When it didn't communicate, whether being repressed or angry with its human self, it could lead to a lycan going feral. In Sam's case, that would be deadly for the whole pack because with his size and lineage, nobody would be able to stop him.

"You know why he's upset, correct?"

The broken man looked at his best friend and nodded. "But there isn't much I can do on the matter now. It has been seventeen long years and if she had really wanted me; felt what I felt; she would have come back to me by now."

"You feel how you do and yet you still stayed away from her? She is your mate. Her willpower is just as strong as yours." Greg insisted. If he could get his alpha to go find his mate for himself that would save him the inevitable sunburn he was going to acquire in San Diego.

"Well then she and I are at an impasse." Sam responded dismissively.

Sunburn it was. "Will you be alright if I leave tomorrow afternoon?"

"That'll be fine. I'll have Chris take over your duties until you return."

Shutting the heavy door behind him, Greg sighed. Hopefully his talk with Anna will go better than it did with Sam.

Anna was sweating, even with the overcast hiding the direct sun. San Diego hadn't been her first choice of places to move but she loved the beach, it was easy to blend in, and most important to her, she loved the zoos.

Her family had come to the San Diego Zoo on multiple occasions while traveling for her father's job and she fell in love. It was massive, had a million things to see and eat, and her experience was never the same twice. But the food was why she was currently standing in a line with Sammy, Ryan, and Gideon.

"Do you all know what you want? If you forget to order something, I'm not standing in line again." She asked first looking at the spitting image of Samuel Salisbury. Ryan had the black hair, tan skin, but his mother's more normal green eyes. And God was he tall. Not just for his age but even compared to average adults. At around 6'7, he towered over everyone, which made his love for football and rugby easy. And while he was incredibly good looking like his father, he had an outgoing personality and a huge love for life. He constantly had friends over to our house after practices and was always smiling. Even with all the friends and classmates he encountered daily, he kept his secret with ease.

"I know what I'm getting. What about you Sammy?" He asked his sister.

Now Samantha was a little different than her twin. Still tall at 5'10, she surprisingly had Aunt Jan's mahogany hair, lighter skin, plus her father's greenish yellow eyes. Where Ryan was bulky and muscular, she was petite and more willowy looking. But watch out when you play sports with her or see her wrestle with her brother. It becomes quite apparent how strong her muscles are under her delicate exterior. It was hard to picture her sheer strength when she tended to be more quiet and broody like her father.

"Yeah, I'll just get my usual." She mumbled, scanning the area around them quickly. She could feel they were being watched.

Anna's hairs stood on end too as she looked around more slowly. But a unique sight caught her attention and she couldn't help the curiosity that pulled her closer. "Gid, can you order and pay? You know what I like."

He nodded, looking over his shoulder suspiciously at the man that had the attention of the whole family. Both Ryan and Sammy had him pinned under their gaze, sensing something was off.

"I'll be right back." Anna said slowly, making her way across the crowded pathway. She had her sight set on the tall, attractive albino man standing alone under a street sign.

He smiled gently, tipping his head ever so slightly when she approached. "I'm kind of shocked, Annabelle. You haven't aged a bit since I last saw you."

His words weren't untrue but it wasn't what she wanted to talk about. "How did you find me Greg?"

He seemed pleased that she recognized him. "It's not hard when you've spent most of your life stuck indoors. You pick up a lot of talents."

She sighed, observing this man who she knew turned into a wolf at will. Knowing her kids did was different. She saw them equally as both human and wolf but Greg... She had only met him as a wolf and never as a human before. It was really weird. "Why did you come here?" Quickly continuing, "And you're going to get burnt to a crisp. Do you need sun block? I have some in my purse."

He chuckled at her mothering instinct. "I lathered up before leaving the hotel. As long as I don't get wet, I should be fine." His mood sobered up a little for his next words. "But I'm finally seeking you out because he needs you."

She didn't need to ask who HE was. It was obvious to both of them. "I don't know what he could possibly need from me. I'm not the special one."

He snorted, "We're hardly special. There's a lot more of us than you would like to think. We are different, yes. But Lycan are just like ordinary people. Just like I'm sure your children are."

"Lycan? Is that what you're called? Like Lycanthropy?"

He nodded, taking in the prideful and curious human in front of him. "I'll forgive you if you've been calling us werewolves all these years. Your charming mate should have been the one to give you the etiquette lesson on our kind."

"Mate?" She whispered before shaking her head. "Discussion for another time, Greg. Why does he need me? Why now? It's been a little over seventeen years since I left."

His light blue eyes looked down at her sympathetically. "He's getting sick without you. Anna, you have no idea how much he and his wolf love you. I don't know how much the twins know about our nature and how the wolf's emotions work. But our kind only falls in love once. That's it. Once our wolf picks their mate, their spouse, that they want to spend forever with, that person is it for us. Even after the death of one. We can't remarry like humans."

She thought that sounded romantic and exactly like Sam. "It tore his heart apart to let me leave like that, didn't it?"

"You have no idea. He was a miserable douschebag for like two weeks before Gabe ripped him a new asshole and told him it was his fault."

She scowled, "It wasn't his fault. He did absolutely nothing wrong."

"It was partly his fault, by not going after you in the first place. He's a stubborn fool." Greg shrugged, looking up over the top of her head. "Hello family." He greeted the other three cheerfully.

"You're like us." Ryan stated, eyeing the albino. Sammy kept her distance, hiding behind her brother but her curiosity was very apparent.

Anna groaned, covering her face in irritation. "I wanted to get things figured out and settled before you met anyone."

Greg just smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Relax. It'll be fun. Let's go sit down so you guys can eat."

They all sat down at a picnic table together, distributing the food out. "Greg would you like anything to eat?" Sammy asked him first, holding out her orange chicken and nodding towards her pizza.

She eyed the two from across the table, still not finding it in herself to trust him. But Greg just smiled, took a fork and stole a piece of chicken. Unknown to any of them, but him, a lycan offering to share food was a big deal. He nodded in thanks, turning his attention back to Anna. "Will you come home?"

This time it was Gideon who snorted. "Good luck with that. I've been telling her to go back for years. She's as stubborn as a fucking mule."

She kicked him under the table. "According to Greg, Sam is just as bad. So shut up." She grunted, giving him the stink eye.

"I was named after Dad? Why didn't you tell me?" Sammy demanded, dropping the fork back in the chicken. Greg picked up her forgotten utensil and took another piece of chicken, fully enjoying this family drama.

Anna sighed. She hadn't wanted to have any of these conversations, but she supposed it was time to be an adult about everything. Obviously her past was coming out of the Rocky Mountain shadows and it was important that her kids know what their future can hold. They needed a mentor that actually had knowledge on what they are going through.

"Yes Sammy, you were named after your father. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see him again and right off the bat, I knew you had his personality. Plus you have his eyes. So I named you Samantha." She explained with a smile. She really missed him. She had never stopped, honestly. Greg's explanation of how a lycan's love life worked made so much sense to her now. It was why she had loved Sam so instantly and been struggling all these years without him. He had never come for her because he must have thought she didn't love him like he did her.