South Mountain Pack Ch. 16

"I remember my lessons Dad. I just don't like it when people look at me like an experiment on a Petri dish," Anthony interrupted him as he looked around the room and shrugged. "Damn, everyone in here is way older than me. I figured there'd be at least a couple of young guys."

Carlo was silent for several minutes before he ran his hands over his face, "I forget you're only seventeen. I forget all of you boys are so young and I'm asking so much of you... so much of everybody. I wonder if it'd be better if we left and started over somewhere else."

"You'd never let the threat to our Pack go unanswered and hang over our head... especially since it involves Sophia," Ant said as he stared at his father.

"You're right, no matter where we went they'd find us because of the girls." Carlo closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, "As far as Sophia... I wasn't able to protect your sister, but my wolf and I sure as hell will protect your mate until we take our last breath."

*****

Mr. P scanned the stadium and grounds as he stealthily made his way to the bleachers where the Clan and the Crew were sitting. Feeling his phone vibrate he looked at the text, 'Road clear. Continuing patrols', and typed a reply, 'Continue. Fourth quarter 30 -- 13'. He thought back to the time before cell phones and smiled; while they could use the bond in wolf form, when they were in human form they had to rely on family bonds and sometimes a message had to go through ten people to get passed on if the Alpha didn't leave the bond open for them. He scented Enzo moving to stand next to him and without looking he said, "Good game young Enzo."

"Thanks, but I get the feeling you came over here to talk about more than the game," Enzo said as he watched the young ones on the bleachers, particularly Hope and Brooke who were jumping from row to row.

Mr. P nodded and said quietly, "Gather your team, we need to talk. The Elders have voted who is going into the safe room."

Enzo nodded and saw Hope begin to fall as her feet got tangled. Before he could holler, Victor snaked his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. "You okay munchkin?" Victor whispered before he blew raspberries on her cheek.

Even though her eyes were bright with unshed tears, she grinned, "I's is fine. I knews you'd catches me so I weren't skeered at all. I's a big gihrl."

"I told you to stop doing that. You need to listen to your elders," her nine year old cousin Alec said with a loud sigh.

She scrunched her little face up, "You's not an elder. Gweat Gwampa Howie says they's old an gwrumpy, like Gweat Gwampa Marvie. You's not old, you's jus gwrumpy an bossay."

Mr. P grinned as he said, "You'd think after 50 plus years those two would finally be able to get along, especially since their families are joined."

"I've heard the story," Enzo said as he turned to look at Mr. P. "Are they really still upset over a poker game?"

"Yep. Thing is, it wasn't even a big pot, like we play for nowadays, we were playing Penny-ante. Howard said Marvin didn't put in the full bet, Marvin said he did and it escalated from there. Ironic thing is neither of them won the pot. They were good friends too and after that they refused to be around each other, except when they had to," Mr. P said with a shrug. "When Marvin's son made his declaration for Howard's daughter, everyone thought the feud would go away, but it hasn't. They still don't talk, and it's been over 50 years."

Enzo smiled and said, "And I thought Italians held grudges."

"We do young Enzo, we do," Mr. P replied with a smile. "It looks like the little ones are getting restless, why don't we go near the fence so they can release some of that pent up energy." Enzo nodded and since Ant left the bond open, he contacted the members of the team and moments later, they gathered their charges and made their way to the fence.

"Where are you going with the little ones?" Dom asked from the sidelines as Vin turned around and watched Victor carry Hope and Hyatt.

"Don't get your panties in a wad," Enzo replied with a scowl. "We're going to the fence. Mr. P wants a meeting and the little ones are restless."

"Okay, but make sure they stay safe," Vin said with a glare.

"What the fuck? We're gonna be there, we're in the middle of The School House grounds, the entire fucking Pack is here, so what exactly do you think is gonna fuckin happen?" Enzo asked with a snarl.

"You think I missed you letting Hope almost fall? Don't forget I'm your oldest brother, I know all and see all," Vin retorted as he moved to the left so he could see the fence line where the little ones were.

"I'm ten feet away, so tell me how I almost let her fall?" When Vin didn't answer, Enzo replied, "See Mr. Know It All, you don't know a fucking thing." Enzo smirked at the glare Vin gave him before he and Mr. P walked to the fence.

After making sure the little ones were settled, the team turned to Mr. P. "The Elders had their meeting and discussed the skills the Pack would need to start over, each pair of mated Elders, their strengths, weaknesses and how they matched up to what was needed. The selections were narrowed to five pairs. This morning we informed Alpha Carlo, Madame Gina, Frank and Joe so they could give their approval. If they hadn't agreed or wanted changes we would have abided by their wishes but they approved our choices," he said as he looked around the stadium then turned to look at the little ones before focusing his attention on the team.

The youngsters nodded and waited patiently for him to continue, "The first is Dwight and Gladys Sullivan; he's a Doctor and she's a scientist. The second is Randall and Donna Knight; he's a former Chief of Police and she's an architect. The third is Robert and Alessia Benedetto, he's a lawyer and she's an accountant. The fourth is Howard and Annette Martin; he's a former Senator, they are excellent hunters both as wolves and with guns and she is skilled at gardening, canning vegetables and preserving meat. The last pair is my mate and I, even though I'm not technically an Elder for another two months, they think my particular set of skills being a former CIA agent would come in handy, as well as my mates skills at gardening, sewing, and helping Madame Gina with the little ones."

Enzo said, "Do they know they've been chosen?"

"Yes, they were informed after my talk with the Alpha's and Level 5's this morning," Mr. P responded as he looked around the stadium. "Alpha Carlo and Madame Gina wanted me to make one thing clear to them... they will be there to help, but all decisions will be up to Sophia, you, and the team."

The team nodded and Sophia said, "Paulo'll send out an email with details of our next meeting." She turned to the team, "At the next meeting, I want a list of your team members, what supplies you need as well as a budget."

"One last thing," Mr. P said as he looked at Sophia then Enzo. "When I let the others know we had a talk and none of us has a clue where we should go. Except for an occasional trip to Italy, none of us have been out of the country." He nodded to the Team and walked away pulling his phone out of his pocket.

Michael sighed, "Anybody have any ideas?"

"None," Sophia said with a shrug. "I do know two people that would have that information; do you think we should involve them?"

Enzo sighed before nodding reluctantly, "I'll call them now." He pulled his phone out of pocket and they heard it ringing before it went to voicemail. There was no flowery greeting, only 'Leave a message' and Enzo took a deep breath before he said, "We need you. We need both of you, it's bad, real bad." He called a second number and left the same message.

*****

As Doc finished speaking, the reactions of those in the room were excited mingled with disbelief. Savannah leaned back in her chair and said, "Dr. Sullivan, I want to clarify something. You think even the women who have stopped going into heat will begin again? What makes you think that?"

"Let me start with this example and then I'll answer your questions. Two weeks ago Anna Moretti had some unusual bleeding lasting only a few hours; it was unusual because she had her period and heat cycle only four months prior. Last week she went into heat and after trying through three cycles she is expecting her first little one with her mate Marco." Marco was sitting off to the side taking notes and grinned as everyone cheered and Carmelo had a broad smile on his face. "As far as the women going into heat after their cycles stopped... I think there is a possibility, let me stress that... a possibility of it happening. With the threat of the line perishing our wolves will want to make sure their bloodline continues." The majority of the men began to talk excitedly since they and their wolves were the most content when their mates were expecting. It was also the time they were the most protective of their family.

"What are your recommendations?" Savannah asked as the men quieted down.

"We need to pay closer attention to the heat cycles than we normally do. Are they closer than the usual six to seven months? Is the duration longer than the usual seven days? Are they stronger than normal? If they do conceive, how soon after the cycle began did it happen? As far as the women that had stopped their cycles - we need to monitor their behavior as well as their wolves to see if they're experiencing increased stress or anxiety about the upcoming battle. Anything that would trigger their wolf to go into heat again," Doc said as PR and Tristan took notes.

Savannah smiled at Frank and Joe, "While we have a marked birth differential, it isn't as pronounced as your Pack. None of the families have as many boys as you two, most have two to three boys before they have a girl."

"Trust the Carlucci's to be overachievers and outdo everyone else," Tristan said with a smirk. "I'm not sure if Luna blessed or cursed you."

"I'm not sure either," Frank said with a grin. "Be grateful you don't have to feed and clothe them."

"Or put up with everything they get into," Joe added with a laugh.

"I've heard about Damian and his antics, and believe me I'm grateful neither of my boys are like him," Tristan responded as everyone began to laugh.

"He is a handful and I hate to admit it, but he is pretty funny," Carlo said with a smile before he looked around the room. "But don't let that fool you. Like all Carlucci's, he's an exceptionally gifted fighter, extremely protective of those he cares about, has been trained from birth to observe and react to what's going on around him and won't hesitate to take on any threat he sees." All eyes in the room shifted to the Carlucci's standing behind their Alpha. Both men had their arms crossed over their chest and had a steely look in their emerald eyes as they nodded.

Tristan glanced at his cousin and said in a flat tone, "I'd like to propose a trade Carlo. Rain for one of the Carlucci youngsters..." Rain snapped his head toward his cousin and began to scowl. "To make it fair based on skill level, it'll have to be one of the younger ones..." The room was silent as Rain glared at his cousin before looking away and fisting his hands. "Probably one of the fifteen year olds."

Rain remained quiet, knowing he couldn't say anything out loud. If they were on their territory and Tristan said this in front of their Pack, he would tell him off like he normally would, but not here. Not in front of a neighboring Pack, make that two Packs, so he kept quiet. At least out loud. "What the fuck Tris?"

"You don't think that's a fair trade? Do you think SP is getting way more out of the trade since you don't measure up to one of the baby Carlucci's?" Tristan asked as he began to smirk. Everyone was glancing between the cousins knowing they were talking through the bond.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're comparing me to a fifteen year old? Are you fucking nuts?" Rain continued to rant before totally losing his cool and waving his arms in the air resembling a windmill as everyone began to laugh quietly. "When we get home, I'll show you my fighting skills you miserable bastard."

"Ah, ah, ah, you're letting your temper show, and if anybody is a miserable bastard, it's you," Tristan said with a smile. He turned to face the others, "You'll have to excuse me teasing my cousin, but we needed a laugh." Seeing the nods and hearing the laughter, he continued, "All of you know the bond between an Alpha and his Level 5 is unique. There are many variables as to how strong the bond is; if they are related by blood like Rain and I, have family ties like Savannah and Marlin, or bonds of friendship that go back thousands of years like Carlo, Frank and Joe." He turned to Rain with a sincere expression, "They are our sounding boards, our moral compass, our protectors and the true backbone of the Pack. There is no one, beside our mates who we trust more. When an Alpha stands in front of his Pack to protect them, it's the Level 5 who stands by his side or in front to protect the Alpha. Without them, our job would be a thousand times harder. So, while I like to tease my cousin, I would be lost without him and he knows it." Rain nodded in acknowledgement of the heartfelt words his cousin said.

"Are you going to tell your cousin you love him so we can finish our meeting?" Savannah asked with a smile.

Tristan laughed loudly followed by everyone else before he turned to Rain and said, "I know I haven't said this in years, but you know I love you."

Rain nodded and said in a gruff voice, "I love you too, you ugly bastard."

"Now that we got the proclamations of love out of the way, let's finish," Carlo said with a smile as he motioned for Doc to continue.

"We've ordered extra supplies and youngsters over fifteen, boys as well as girls, will be trained in labor and delivery, learning to care for newborns and advanced First Aid," Doc said looking over his notes. "We're making sure every medical record is current and Paulo is writing a program for us to digitalize them."

Carlo stood as Doc sat down, "If things happen as Doc thinks, we've decided not to inform the Alpha Council what's going on. They'd want to know why and the specifics and we don't want to tip our hand."

Savannah looked at Carlo then Tristan, "I feel it is my ethical duty to remind you that you are under a contractual obligation as Alpha to not submit falsified information to the Council. If it is discovered before this comes to a head, they could place you and your Pack under sanctions, up to and including suspension of your voting rights, your seat on the Council and disbanding your Pack."

Carlo nodded, "We are NOT going to falsify documents; we need to find a way to fulfill our obligations without disclosing things we don't want them to know. John and Antonia Benedetto, the Packs lawyers, are working on that."

"I do it all the time," Tristan said with a grin as Rain nodded. "We've always felt the AC was too intrusive on Pack matters. What business is it of theirs when the females go into heat? What declarations were made? What the finances are?" He turned to Carlo, "Do you tell them how much money your Pack has? I bet you don't." Next he looked at Savannah, "Did you tell them when you mated with Garner, or did you push back the date? He is almost six years younger than you."

Savannah slowly put her pen down, her Pack members sat up straight all traces of humor gone from their faces and Marlin, her brother in law and Level 5, growled low in his throat. The tension ratcheted up as Rain narrowed his eyes and scanned the room looking for any sudden movements. "Tristan, I advise you to keep any and all thoughts about when my mating took place out of your head and mouth. What I do in my personal life has nothing to do with our discussion here."

"That is exactly the point I'm trying to make Savannah," Tristan replied with a shrug. "It is none of their business what happens in our Packs. We fill in the required reports with the bare minimum of information. Always have and always will and they've never said or done anything to us."

"How exactly do you do that?" Carlo asked with a frown.

Tristan folded his arms over his chest, "Where it asks, 'Have any declarations been made?', I answer yes or no. The line, 'Any births?', same answer. I don't provide them any additional details. It's none of their fucking business."

Carlo looked to John who nodded then turned to Savannah, "I suggest you get a PA and have them fill in the paperwork, and I'll have Marco do ours. If we get called before the Disciplinary Board we can honestly say we had nothing to do with it, they won't be able to pick out deceit or dishonesty in our scent."

"Good idea, I'll have somebody within a day or two," Savannah said with a nod. She read over her notes quickly before saying, "If there's nothing else, why don't we have Anthony test the bond on those here and then expand it to the Pack."

All eyes shifted to Anthony, and even though he didn't like everyone staring at him he didn't let it show. "Whoever can hear me, raise your hand." There were startled gasps as everyone in the room raised their hand.

"Hold on," Savannah said and asked if anyone at the game had gotten a message over the bond, and didn't receive any replies, except for Garner and her father in law. "How did you do that?"

"I knew only those above a Level 2 were here, so that's what I concentrated on; just like Dad taught me," Anthony said with a shrug. "I didn't take into account Alpha Garner or his Dad though."

"There for a second, I swear I felt something... like pressure in my head," Savannah said as she rubbed her temple. "It didn't hurt and it wasn't uncomfortable, but more like pressure in my ear like it wanted to pop."

Tristan slowly nodded, "Now that you mention it, I felt the same thing earlier. I didn't put the two together because as soon as he talked to us, you were arriving and we said we'd talk about it later."

"He must be using the Alpha bond," Carlo said as he squeezed Ant's hand.

"Try it again, but contact my whole Pack," Savannah said with a reassuring smile. "I'll try and concentrate to see if I can feel what you're doing."

Anthony nodded and sent out the same message, seconds later Savannah heard Garner say, "Everyone from our Pack just raised their hand."

"It worked, I could feel him using my bond but it was so subtle I had to concentrate to feel it," Savannah said. "Now that you've established a link with them try talking to them without using it."

He sent the same message to those in the room, and they raised their hand. Marlin said, "It worked, but it wasn't as clear or as loud, almost as if he was talking with his hand over his mouth." The other members of PR nodded.

"Marlin lets make sure it works both way, you say something to him," Savannah said as the Level 5 nodded.

"Congratulations on your declaration," Marlin said as he narrowed his eyes.

Anthony raised one eyebrow, "Thank you... I know you hoped either Sophia and or Maria were mates to your sons. To maintain harmony and friendship between our Packs, I'll forget that and we'll move on."

"I was hoping for strong mates for my sons and having Carlucci's for in laws would have been a bonus," Marlin admitted with a shrug. "Thank you for understanding and I'll make sure they don't bother your intended."

Anthony turned to his father, "It works fine, I heard him loud and clear..." he turned to Marlin and narrowed his eyes, "And he heard me loud and clear."

Carlo nodded, "That must have been an interesting conversation. Anything I need to know about?"