Page 110 of Mating at Midnight: Book 1

What did Lord Odin mean when he told Levi he would see him soon? Was there going to be trouble when Levi returns to his family’s Pack?“Maybe Nyah, Ballian, Skia, and I should go with them just in case,”I thought to myself or so I thought.

A shoulder brushed against mine; It was Elder Nelah. She locked eyes with me before mentally telling me,“You will wait. Let Levi become the Alpha he needs to be. He will let you know when he needs you.”She turned her head, then left to help with the children.

“What was that all about?" Nyah asked.

Sliding my arm around her waist, I pulled her close to kiss her temple. “I’ll tell you later. Come let’s finish breakfast.”

The rest of the day was like a big family reunion with games and lots of food. Pack members were excited to find out Momma Willa was back for good.

Ballian and Skia got a kick out of giving the children rides on their backs. At first I thought they would have been a bit skittish, but they took to the large wolves as if Ballian and Skia had been Pack members all along. I guess it’s true what they say, children can sense the good and bad in people, in this case wolves. They knew Ballian or Skia wouldn’t harm them.

Through the festivities, I kept waiting for the chance to speak to Levi. I know Elder Nelah told me to wait but I needed to hear it from Levi. The opportunity finally came when Nyah and the ladies began taking food containers into the house and father, Alpha Lightfeather, and James went into the barn.

Levi and I with other men were folding up chairs. After laying the one I had on the pile, I told Levi, “You know I won’t interfere with what you’re about to do.”

“I know,” he said, placing his chair on top of mine, looking at me.

I gestured towards the front of the cabin. “You’re about to go into unknown territory with just your mate and uncle. Do you want us to go with you?”

Levi deeply sighed as we walked. “I’m not going to lie to you Brax, a part of me wants you all to come but if I am to be the Alpha of my father’s Pack, I have to do this on my own. From just being around you and Alpha Hillard most of my life, I know what it means to be a true and just Alpha. Not only that, but I now feel it inside of me ever since Eler Nelah whispered her words to me.”

I wondered since that night what she said to him. “What did she tell you?” I asked.

We stopped in front of a black pickup truck. I peered at Levi as he glanced up at the sky. When he finally looked at me, I almost jumped back. What the holy fuck?! His eyes were a metallic greenish-gold, and his long canines were extended. Who the hell was this wolf because it surely wasn’t Levi’s regular wolf.

With a raspy voice I never heard come from him before, Levi replied, “Vengeance is mine.”

Before I could find out more, Nelah and Kenia found us.

“Hey, guys daddy wants all of us together to take a family picture,” Nelah said.

Levi’s eye’s instantly return to their natural hazel color and his canines shrink to their normal size as if someone hit a switch.

“I know how much you hate taking pictures but try to smile in these,” Levi jokes, giving me a jab to the side. I winced, rubbing my side as he ran off to Kenia.

What the hell? I know it was supposed to be a playful tap, but that shit stung a bit. I stood there in complete confusion before Nyah laced her fingers with mine. I shook off what happened as she led me to find our places for the picture.

What I thought was going to be just one family picture turned into an hour of taking numerous photos. I swear you would have thought we were having a professional photo shoot going on as the ladies moved us from one section of the Pack land to the other.

Later that afternoon, Momma Willa came over to Nyah and I. We were sitting in lounge chairs, sipping on cold glasses of iced tea.

“Nyah, can I steal your mate away to talk?” Momma Willa asked.

Nyah smiled, then nodded as Momma Willa held her hand out to me. I took it, then stood.

“Come take a walk with me,” she said.

I glanced at Nyah who signaled for me to get up with a hand gesture. Standing, I took Momma Willa’s hand.

As we walked along the path leading to the stream, I listened to Momma Willa as she talked about the merging of our Packs, how proud she was of me and Nyah mating, and other Pack related topics. Her soothing words covered me like a warm blanket, putting me somewhat at ease. Momma Willa then changed the subject to Levi and his departure. She let me know Levi would be alright and the last piece of advice she gave me really put things in perspective.

“Braxton, Elder Nelah told me about your thoughts. I know you and Levi have been thick as thieves since you two were pups. You’ve always been there for one another, but you’re grown men now with mates and your own paths to follow. Yours led you here and Levi is following his own. Levi is an Alpha just like you.” She tapped my chest with her free hand. “There’s no doubt in my mind if he needs any advice or help, you will be the first person he’ll call upon.”

I turned towards her as we stopped at the edge of the bustling stream.

“I know he will, but that doesn't take away the sense of loss I am going to feel. Levi has been my Beta, brother, and best friend for as long as I can remember. Things won’t be the same without him giving his perspective on things or just to unwind with a stiff drink after a long day of work.” My eyes fell to the ground, muttering, “Who am I supposed to do that with now?”

Momma Willa released my hand, then grasped my shoulders. “Lead our Packs with Nyah like Lord Odin entrusted you to do,” she snapped. “You make it seem like Levi is dead and you’re in mourning. You need to change your way of thinking. Lord Odin told us that the war isn’t over and by Levi going to reclaim his family’s name as Alpha of their Pack, it will only add more soldiers to our army.”

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