Twenty-two

                                    

                                          
The feeling you get when you are away from the one you love for a few hours can never amount to not seeing or speaking with them when you know they aren't far from you. The lengths you would go through to just look into their eyes once more are unexplainable. You can reach for the phone to call, but you know that would cause you more heartache. You don't know the pain I am feeling right now."
                          
The Alpha looked up at his Beta, thankful to have such a great friend and pack mate.  The two of them had been through so much, and Andy had been there for him through two of the hardest times of his life. Two weeks after his first Mate Gathering, his mother was killed. His father went mad with grief and died soon after. Andy helped to keep the pack together while Lucas grieved the loss of his potential mate and the loss of his parents.
                          
Andy slapped him on the back and gave a weak smile, "not much longer Alpha. Grace will be home soon and in your arms."
                          
Nodding, he stared off into the distance before his attention went back to the opponent standing across from him. In the week that Grace had been gone, he threw himself deeper into training the warriors of the pack. Sparing was the only way to let the tension that was coiling inside of him, slowly suffocating him, out.
                          
The wolf that stood across from him was looking to further his ranks and had to go against the Alpha to show the pack what he had and that he had the strength to protect them.
                          
Skin on skin. That was how this fight would go. He prided himself on having his members be strong not only in wolf form, but also in their skin form. For one side could not carry all of the strength.
                          
He watched as his opponent made the first move, a rookie mistake in his eyes. Dodging the attack, the Alpha allowed him to continue advancing. He could see the frustration building in his opponents eyes at not once hitting his target. A quick side step a jab to the jut and knee to the face had his opponent on the ground.
                          
"Always be vigilant and never let your emotions get the better of you." The Alpha spoke aloud. "If you can do that, you will have no problem advancing."
                          
Reaching out his hand he pulled his pack mate up to his feet and opened his mouth to speak to him when a yell cut him off.
                          
"Alpha!" Beth came barreling out to field, screaming his name. "It's Grace."
                          
Panic consumed him and he was shock to find that it wasn't just his own feelings.
                          
"What has happened?" He wanted to grab Beth and shake her.
                          
Beth looked at home cross eyed, "umm, nothing. She is on the phone "
                          
Nodding he gripped the phone that he had not previously seen from her hands.
                          
"Grace?" Panic laced his voice. "What's wrong my love?"
                          
"I want to come home. I want to be with you."
                          
The Alpha gritted his teeth, he couldn't bring her home. No matter how much he wanted her and how much his body was craving her, he just couldn't. He listened to the defeated tone of her voice as she begged him to come get her.
                          
Squeezing his eyes shut he pulled the phone from his ear before quickly hanging up. Growling he crushed the phone in his hand. Why, why would she do this? She should know at least the basics of what happens to the males of their kind during this time.
                          
He wanted nothing more than to wrap his mate in his arms and never let her go. He wanted to look deeply in her eyes and see the love he had for her reflecting back at him. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair before pulling her close to him, he would pepper her face with soft kisses. He wanted to wrap her legs around his waist as he took her slowly, there bodies sliding together easily due to all over their love making. He was going to slam her against the wall before he drove into her over and over. The Alpha paused when he realized where his thoughts were going. 
                          
"Damn it!" He roared. She just had to call him. 
                          
Taking slow deep breaths he tried to calm the raging fire within him. Lucas had perked up, whispering calming words to him. He snarled.
                          
"What would you know you stupid human!" 
                          
Pacing back and forth the Alpha could feel the beast that even he held back, and it worried him. From the moment he laid eyes on Grace he refused to allow that part of him to show. He would not allow his beautiful mate to compare him to his idiotic skin side.
                          
He watched as Andy slowly made his way towards him, his hands up in surrender. He did not want to provoke the beast that was fighting to get out.
                          
"Alpha, what can I do?" Andy kept his voice calm and level, he was sure to speak in a non threatening tone.
                          
The Alpha paused, staring his Beta down. "How many more days?"
                          
"Two, we have two more days until the Blue Moon. I've had to separate a few of the single males that were fighting over and unmatched female."
                          
The Alpha was struggling to keep control over himself, and he knew there was only one option. He could feel his human half shake his head and protest against it. There had been nothing but regret pouring from his human. He wished that he could start over again. There was so much that his human side wished he could do over. He was still angry at his human for the humiliation that he put Grace through. He noticed though, that not once since his talk with Angelica did he push to take control back. He knew he wasn't fit to lead and came to terms with it.
                          
He caught a pair of mates from the corner of his eye. Their smiles at each other could brighten the darkest of days. The male would growl at any passing male, all to keep what his female, his mate, safe against any pending threat.
                          
He could feel his muscles bulge, his eye sight and hearing becoming sharper. The moon was playing against him. He had a mate and his body was preparing himself for what he should be doing at this time. 
                          
Digging his claws into his hands he looked at Andy. "Fetch the doc for me."
                          
"Alpha, you know what doing this would mean."
                          
Turning on his heels the Alpha headed towards the house, trying to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to do.  "I know."