Thorn Ch. 43-49

"Enough. This is different. It is wolf business, No slippery seals or rich pricks involved." Lex tried to soothe the men in the room she considered her family.

"Well other than two other trained SEALS, and the rich alpha, and his daughter the princess, who got herself in trouble." Alex spoke drily.

"You are not going to sit there and say the girl is to blame for..."

"Gem put away your claws. He wasn't saying that at all. It is just this particular "princess" is known for being a handful."

"So are all the women in your core Thorn so I suggest you both shut up before you piss us all off." Gem growled at her alpha.

"True. I will continue with the next point ... Alex will be heading overseas. Lucas and Gem you need to decide if you will be making the city your base or coming back here with Luna and I."

"You're returning to the house permanently?" Lex was surprised.

"I already guessed that brother. Glen is almost trained enough to manage the café. I talked to Gem we will move back here too."

"Aaron and I will make this our base also." Kate spoke up knowing one of them was going to have to move anyway. "I'll finish the school year and then we will move back to the house."

"We won't be moving back. Jared and I have our jobs to consider and need to provide for Lexi."

"I have always lived here, but I will go where Damon wishes to go." Natalie's quiet voice joined them for the first time.

"She speaks." Aaron teased with a wink. "Careful Damon, Gem and Kate will turn her into one of their gang in no time."

"Oh Natalie is already a member."

They were all having a moment to load up their plates with more food when a cry of sorrow came through the pack link.

"Fuck I thought I had more time." Kate dropped her head to the table. "She's gone."

"Melody? Melody?" Thorn looked at Kate, "Harmony? She was who you saw going?"

"Michael is here, I'm okay I just can't believe she's gone."

"Mel I'm on my way. Mum and I are on our way."

"Okay meeting is over. Kate do not feel guilty about this. She knew she was going, she told Luna and myself. There was nothing that could have been done. Those travelling today, I'm sorry I won't be here when you leave. Be safe and keep me posted on everything."

"I wanted to talk with you about how to make sure she wasn't alone at the end." Kate cried. Aaron brushed her hair and whispered to her softly to soothe the pain she was feeling.

"Kate, nothing would have made this easier for any of us. If you had spoken Melody would have tried to keep her longer. We would have been taking away what Harmony wanted most. To pass at peace in her room. She loved that room."

Maggie came in then with a jacket in her hand, "Kate dry your eyes. I need you to be strong now. I have to go to Mel. You need to keep everyone calm here. They will count on you."

"Yes Maggie." Kate sat up wiping her eyes. "Emily is sleeping can you come and meet her when you come back?"

"Of course." Maggie looked around the room "You lot look after each other and my babies. I know some of you go today and some of you stay, where you are makes no difference the core is always together. Understand?"

"Yes Ma'am." All the wolves answered.

"Time to go Thorn."

Right then John and Rose walked into the kitchen. "Mum do you want me to come with you?"

"No love you and John need to be on your way. I will talk to you later today." Maggie wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Be strong for the pack dear they will need you."

"John wasn't even sure he could be their alpha and now he is feeling such a strong pull. He can barely stand to not be there already. His need to protect them and help them is so strong. How can there be alphas that hurt their packs?"

"It isn't natural love. The rightful alpha of each pack could not do what those monsters and others have done. It isn't in a real alpha to do that. John and you will save them darling. Back when your Great Grandfather Thomas took control of our pack they had suffered terribly at the hands of his own uncle. He was torn about challenging his alpha and his own family but he knew he was doing the only thing he could to save everyone. John feels the call now as his wolf has changed from a victim, locked inside by what he has suffered, to the alpha, ready to avenge his pain and free his pack."

"I don't know if I can wait for the team to be ready I feel my wolf clawing to be there now." John agreed with Maggie, "I will need you to help me Rose, I know you want to be here for your family with the loss of your aunt, but please I cannot do this alone. I'm not as strong as your family are."

"Oh bullshit. You're an alpha. You just need to suck it up. Besides it isn't weakness that has you begging Rose to stay, your wolf knows she is his equal. She is alpha too and your pack need you both." Gem growled when Rose went to speak in defence of her mate. "Don't even think about it Rose, you know I'm right. You feel their pull too. You haven't even met them yet but your wolf fucking knows them."

"Shit." Rose looked shocked. "I've been so wound up all night, and filled with worry and pain but I thought it was John. I thought I was just feeling the mate bond."

"Gem you are too bloody smart and too much of a smart-mouth for your own good. Lucas was looking for a reason to tie you up today and I think you just gave him one." Thorn grinned as his brother howled in victory. "Mum, you and I better get going."

Lucas was already heading for Gem. "Wait let me say goodbye to everyone first." Gem begged. She ran to Lexi wrapping her arms around her friend, "Please don't be gone too long. I will miss you. Be careful and whatever you do, don't collect a third mate you hussy, two is more than most get."

"I have no need of anyone else. I'll be back before the wedding."

"You two, take care of my friend and yourselves." She gave the two surprised men quick hugs. "Rose I love you so much I will miss you. I'll even use my cell phone for you. That is how much I need you. I hate that we've lost our pack bond."

"You don't have a family bond with my sister?" Lucas growled, "My sister!"

"She's not my family yet. I'm just your pet remember? When you marry me she'll be my sister. I'm sure we will bond again then."

"Oh shit now you've done it." Kate laughed as Lucas threw Gem over his shoulder and strode from the room.

"Are you bonded to Gem and Rose?" Aaron asked quietly.

"I have a pack bond with Gem, and a family bond with Rose." Kate paused, "I had a family bond with all of your family since I came to the pack and under your mother's care. Then I bonded with the pack when Thorn let me officially join you all."

"So your bond isn't through being mine?"

"No." Kate blushed as he began to growl at her. "But I would have bonded to them through you if I hadn't already. Your family is my family Aaron."

"Good." He decided to begin breakfast taking a seat beside her. Then realisation dawned, "You had a family bond with my whole family, but not me?"

"You were mean to me."

"Bedroom now." He stood, "Now Kate we need to talk about this."

"I'm not a pet like Gem, you can't make me run to the bedroom." Kate glared at him.

"I'm not making you submit. I'm begging you for privacy so we can talk, please?"

"Fine. But I don't care what you have to say anyway. It is all the past. I'm yours now. You're mine."

"You may not care but I do. You will always be mine." He kissed her and they barely paused long enough to wish the others well on their trip before leaving.

"Well so much for the breakfast meeting. We may as well get moving I guess." Damon suggested seeing those ready to travel nodding in agreement he stood, "Meet out front in fifteen?"

"Good idea son." John gave the group a once over, "Can one of you lot let the rest joining us know, I can't communicate with your pack."

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Thorn got one of the pack to drive him into the city after he returned from seeing Melody. He sat in the chair as his tattoo was completed, wondering what Mel had meant when she said the house would be ready for her new residents after the weekend. Usually when a wolf passed a member of the direct line took over the house as neither Mel nor Harmony had children he had thought the place would be empty for a while.

"Marcus, you drawn up the wedding rings yet?"

"Of course. They look good too. You guys are waiting a bit now though right?"

"Yeah about that, I think Luna wants us to go with the original date but I've put it all back a month. She's going to be pissed when I tell her."

"Nah she already knows. Rang me yesterday."

"She rang you? She fucking had surgery and was meant to be resting and she seems to have spoken to most of the damn pack."

"Yeah Bossy Little Alpha ordered me to make sure I made her look good on your chest. Not fat, and not like she had rabies."

"Luna, fat?"

"She said she would be fat soon and you needed to have something to remind you of her when she was, um... sexy, so you don't decide to, er... fuck... jump the fence."

"Jump the... I'm going to borrow Luc's dungeon the minute she adjusts to her wolf and she will never say such a thing again. Not in the next six hundred years."

Marcus laughed heartily, "Here man, she had this delivered for you. Said I had to get you all riled up and then give it to you."

Thorn opened the bag he was handed and took out a little bundle of cloth. He held it up to see a little onesie. Printed on the front was 'Daddy loves me as much as Mummy loves him'.

"Oh that is cute." Marcus was looking at the back of the suit.

Turning it around Thorn saw the back was printed with 'Mummy loves me as much as Daddy loves her'. "Too cute." Thorn took out the card that was in the bag and read it to himself a low growl filling the room.

Thorn, my dearest mate

Thank you so much for letting me have my way last night. I know it can't have been easy for you. Your very instinct is to protect me and yet I needed you to give me something you were so afraid would hurt me. Clearly though your mate, as usual, was right (just kidding) and I'm fine. Otherwise you'd be pacing somewhere waiting to ring my neck, not having my picture tattooed on your chest.

While I sleep I want you to know how much I love you. How thankful I am to have been lucky enough to be yours. To become part of your family. And how much I look forward to starting our own. Do you like the onesie? I've had a few more printed up. I think they are so cute. You'll see they are all neutral colours, isn't it strange that the only things that aren't really in the book are the things I really, I mean really, want to know? Like if wee Shannon is a boy or a girl and whether our baby will be here before Christmas.

Take some time out while I rest my love because my wolf will be just as hungry for you as I am, and I doubt we will leave you alone much in the next few weeks. Go for a ride, or take Luc out for a meal, somewhere new and exciting, I'll be dreaming of you.

Your mate

Luna

"Finish this tattoo Marcus, I've got a few things I need to do. Luna has given me orders."

"Bossy Little Alpha. She's good for you man. Good for the pack too."

"You call her that often? Bossy Little Alpha?"

"Well only to you, her and Nadiya."

"Mmmmm well I like it, but I don't think it would be very good if the whole pack start using it."

"I won't be sharing it around. Okay I'm going to get this finished and then I'm going to see if I can get Nadiya to consider a baby her next heat, that little suit is too damn cute."

"Nadiya and you haven't wanted children yet?"

"Oh believe me I have, she is all about the job man, I said I could be a stay at home dad, she just about pissed herself laughing but I was fucking serious. I want the whole thing, marriage, kids, fucking picket fence."

"Yeah, I hear you." Thorn pulled out his phone and started to dial, "John, Thorn, how you going?"

"We aren't far away. Fuck this is getting crazy. I am in so much pain I'm almost sick with it."

"It will ease as soon as you start to clean the pack. They are sending you all their hurt and suffering. Their anger. Rose and you can handle this. Fuck you'd probably be able to handle it alone truthfully. It will just be quicker and easier with the help you have. John the reason I'm calling is the witch. You need to be prepared for the backlash when Damon kills her."

"Is he in danger?"

"No, I don't believe anyone good is, but she's been linked to the evil in the pack. Once you kill her there will be a change in the dynamic of the whole pack but those that are evil are still evil, you'll know them John. Trust your gut."

"Okay. Rose wants to talk to you."

"Thorn? I was thinking about the café do you think we should be handing it over to someone else?"

"I haven't got that far Rose, Glen will be fine in the kitchen and Lex will be back there. We can see how things go for a little while. You doing okay?"

"I can smell the evil from here and we're still fifteen minutes out apparently. I was sure we were being watched twenty minutes ago but everyone else seemed fine. I'm over-reacting to everything today."

"Rose do not ever squash your own instincts because others don't seem to be worrying. Tell John to get a check on all of the group and send a few wolves to scout the area, I doubt you are wrong."

"Oh Fuck. I so wish I hadn't bitten my tongue. Okay I better go do this. See ya." The line went dead and Thorn threw the phone across the room with a roar.

"Shit Thorn, I'm marking your chest permanently, you may not want to make me fuck this up." Marcus lifted the needle and looked at his alpha. "Problems?"

"Other than a pile of my pack are on their way into a war zone and apparently something evil is about to ambush them? Nah no problem."

"Thorn, you've sent in men and women capable of any situation that could possibly arise. I think you can trust them to handle anything that may come up. Now let me finish this tat."

"Yeah okay. Nadiya still pissy with me for not letting her go?"

"Well I didn't tell her you would be sitting here unable to defend yourself if that's what you're asking." Marcus laughed.

"I couldn't have every pack member ask for leave from every emergency service in the city."

"Oh she knows that she just thinks you should have left some of the men back here and let her go."

"She may be right but I had a cunning plan. One I didn't make too public. Other than a few key members of the group selected for their skills I sent unmated pack members with skills Rose and John could use in their new pack."

"You planning on some matings?"

"Hoping. Think about it Marcus. Members of our pack need to find mates. There may be matches there. There pack needs fresh blood to help them rebuild. Rose will do better if she has some of our pack with her going forward."

"Yeah it all makes sense man. Not likely that all those single wolves will just meet up with their other halves though."

"Well not all. But say out of twenty only two find their mate. That is two strong healthy pack members prepared to relocate. That is two skilled new pack members to help Rose."

"Relocate? So you spoke to them and they agreed if they mated to stay there not bring their mates back?"

"Yeah. They were quick to agree. Knowing Rose would be their alpha helped. Of course the chance to start over somewhere new and with a mate at their side is tempting enough for most of them. I did also say they were welcome to come back after a year if they felt the need."

"Okay so I put a hundred on three matings."

"I'm not a bookie. This isn't something to bet on."

"Well I made a grand on your mating. Seems unfair for you to not try and get some of that money yourself. But if you aren't keen I'm sure there will be enough of the pack that are."

"Marcus I am not placing a bet on my pack finding their mates."

"I'll drop by Glitter those guys love to bet on pack matters."

"I could order the whole pack to not ... fuck put me down for a hundred on five matings."

"Knew you couldn't resist. You're no different for the rest of us, loved up guys like us, we all want everyone else to find it. If we can make a few bucks at the same time we're all winning." Marcus was now placing his equipment in the bin or away, depending on the use. "I'll just give that a wipe up and dress it for you."

"No hurry, I'm going to hit Lucas up about going out for a ride and dinner. Gem's keeping an eye on Luna so he's probably needing to get away as much as I am. I'm thinking of trying out a new venue for dinner."

"How do you feel about Thai? Great new place in town."

"Thorn, fuck, you need to get back here fast." Gem's panic came through the bond loudly.

"What's wrong?"

"Luna." She was distracted briefly and then continued, "She's moaning and waking up."

"It hasn't even been a day. There is no way she's waking up. She must be dreaming."

"Listen to me Thorn. She is waking up and she is not pregnant."

"You better stop freaking out for the next thirty seconds, and explain what the fuck is going on?"

"She's currently masturbating in her fucking sleep Thorn and if you thought she smelled incredible before you sure as shit will love the way she smells right now. She's in heat. Get the fuck back here and breed her now."

"I'm in the city. Shit. I told the guards to stand down. Shit I'll get guards back at the door. How bad is it Gem?"

"Kate is on her way up. There are currently, eleven unmated males onsite. Lucas is clearing them out as we speak."

"Thank you Gem. You are doing a great job looking after Luna. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Can you please hurry Thorn? She is going to drive half the pack crazy with this scent and her moans. If I wasn't so worried I would be so turned on right now."

"No touching my mate Gem." Thorn growled and then gave a laugh as he said, "Make sure Kate doesn't molest her either."

"Oh God. I hadn't even thought of that. Although when we teased Luna about a threesome when you guys first hooked up she did seem tempted."

"Gem. I swear either of you touch her while she is unconscious I will throw you both out of the pack."

"So little faith. We will wait till she is wide awake and begging for our touch."

"Yeah, this teasing isn't helping me Gem. I'll see you soon."

"I have to go. Seems Bossy Little Alpha refuses to even follow the rules of sleeping after the change."

"She must be strong Thorn. I've never known any human to wake up less than two days after the change. Some as long as four."

"Yeah well she could become a lesbian if I don't get home in time to rescue her from two sex crazed friends."

"Kate, likes the women but I would never call her sex crazed. Which other friend?"

"Gem. Yeah I don't think either would be a problem on a normal day but apparently Luna has just gone into heat and Gem is currently watching her masturbate in her sleep."

"That is hot."

"Yeah too hot. And too fucking dangerous. I'm here and there are eleven unmated wolves there."

"Ok, let me give you the dressings and salve. You can put them on later after you clean up. You've done this enough you know the rules. Go get your girl."

"Thanks man. I'll be in touch." Thorn left the room quickly. He ran up the road to his place where he collected his bike.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

"Gem I'm leaving now, how's she doing?"

"Yeah she's definitely going to be awake before you get here. What if she changes?"

"Get the doc to sedate her."

"I tried that before I contacted you. It just seems to have made her wolf come closer to the surface. He said it would be safer to leave her in control rather than the wolf."