South Mountain Pack Ch. 10

I would like to thank hcsd1719 for his help in editing and offering encouragement. Again, there are no actual sex scenes, since the main characters are underage. All italics indicate communication through the mental bond.

I am getting to the stage where I need a final name for the Miller's Bakery/Coffee shop. Post your name suggestions in the comments and the one chosen will get an advance read of an upcoming chapter. My favorite names so far are: Decadent Desserts (submitted by FA_JF); The Sweet Indulgence (submitted by 1301866); Sweet Scents Bakery (submitted by anonymous-let me know who you are); The Blarney Scone (submitted by MyrtleBeachFanatic); Sweet but Sassy (submitted by pizie71).

If anyone would like a 'cheat sheet' of Pack members, please send me an email and I would be happy to provide one for you. I would like to thank mrtdust1 for his invaluable help in putting the cheat sheet on an excel spread sheet that can be added to as details are revealed.

Please remember to vote and comment, I appreciate all comments and feedback. Thank you.

Carlo threw his head back taking deep breaths as he leaned against his truck, his eyes turned pure amber and his body shook as he tried to control his rage. He could feel his wolf wanting to surface and it took every ounce of control to stop it, but he could not stop the feral growl that tore out of his throat or his claws from appearing ready to tear into any perceived threat. Aldo immediately tilted his neck in a submissive pose and forced his body to stay still, even though he was terrified. He had seen his Alpha mad before, but nothing like this.

Several minutes passed before Carlo finally felt in control. He looked at Aldo who was still standing in a submissive pose and nodded at him acknowledging it. Carlo rolled his neck and flexed his shoulders to relieve the last bit of tension before saying, "We cannot let that happen Aldo. Let me rephrase that, we will not let that happen. We lost too much last time for it to ever happen again."

They stared over the school grounds at the surrounding woods noticing the approach of fall as the leaves were beginning to lose their vibrant green and change color. Low hanging clouds obscured the top of their beloved South Mountain, and there was a slight chill in the air as they watched a lone Coopers Hawk fly from its perch.

Carlo said quietly as if afraid to disturb the stillness in the air, "I need to know exactly what you felt and when you felt it."

Aldo took a deep breath and began, "I had been here earlier making sure everything was ready for the Millers and did a last walk-through for tomorrow. We checked yesterday morning, but you know I like to do my own final walk-through. Everything was fine, nothing stood out and I didn't get any feelings until I got home and was sitting down to lunch." He stopped and frowned as if to gather his thoughts and then glanced at the woods once more as if they were a calming presence.

"The pulse was so faint I ignored it, I thought it was just me being wound up with school starting and then my wolf started pacing back and forth growling which made me focus. I closed my eyes to concentrate and got this sharp sudden burst of emotion and then it was gone and only the faint pulse remained," Aldo said as he rubbed his arms as if warding off a chill. "The feeling I got was one of impending death and grief and my wolf was howling in pain."

Aldo glanced at Carlo and continued, "I went to my office and put on a relaxation CD and concentrated on the feeling hoping to narrow it down, you know how I sometimes sense when someone in the Pack is ready to die. But when I concentrated I realized it was different, it was too strong for one death, it was a feeling of many deaths. I stayed there for over an hour and still couldn't narrow anything down, the only thing I could feel was the faint pulse." Aldo once again got quiet and Carlo didn't say anything, knowing Aldo would continue when he was ready.

"At The School House, I still only felt the pulse but when the Millers got here it sped up momentarily as if it was feeding off their energy. During the tour, nothing happened until we got to the sleeping quarters, this time the emotion was much stronger and I could feel it in the air surrounding me, especially around the girl's bunks," Aldo said as a shiver ran down his body. "It was stronger because as they were gathering more supporters they had to change their plans to include all the females, not only the Millers. Initially they were focused on greed, lust and most of all anger, but now they wanted revenge. The feeling of revenge was odd too, it was almost like it had been festering for years and it was almost overpowering the other emotions." Aldo hesitated before finishing, "Carlo, they know our history and what would cause us the most pain."

Carlo was quiet as he absorbed what Aldo said. "Everyone knows our history and the rampage we went on after our females were massacred. I remember Grandpa telling me the stories of when they passed judgment on the Alpha's and Beta's responsible, that was his first duty as the newly elected President of the Alpha Council."

Carlo closed his eyes as he replayed the scene in his head his Grandpa had projected to him when he was old enough to understand at the age of fifteen. "They were strung up with silver chains and the fathers of the girls who were killed went up one by one and clawed them saying - This is for my daughter and then said her name and how old she was. After the last man was finished, Grandpa stepped forward and castrated them, removing not only their balls but their dicks, saying - This is for defiling the daughters of South Mountain Pack. As they opened their mouths to scream, silver pellets were forced down their throats to burn them from the inside."

They looked at the trees again as Carlo took a deep breath before continuing, "Our men had been careful to inflict cuts causing the most pain without being fatal and then silver was dripped into their wounds to prevent them from healing. By the end they were begging for mercy and Grandpa asked how much mercy had been shown our females. It took them days to die and Grandpa said they didn't deserve to be returned to Luna and the After Life so they were dismembered and the pieces scattered for the wild animals to feast on so they couldn't be given a funeral pyre."

They were silent as they watched the Cooper Hawk turn towards his nest, his prey hanging limply below him. The low hanging clouds over the mountain had dispersed and the sky was once again a brilliant blue.

Carlo appeared lost in thought as he said with a grimace, "Not many people know this, but their dicks and balls were put into individual jars and labeled with their names. They are kept on display in the hallway leading to the Alpha meeting room at Council Headquarters. It's a not very subtle reminder of the penalty for rape and violating Council policy."

Silence descended as the men stared over the grounds of the school at the perfectly manicured lawns, the centuries old growth of shrubbery, the glistening drops of water as they cascaded down the fountain and they rested on The School House which had taught generations of Pack members.

"Did you know my Grandma felt guilty her entire life for not being there? Grandpa broke his leg the day before and she snuck over to his house to see him, even though her parents told her not to. She was leaving his house to go to the party when the alert went out," said Aldo quietly. "Grandpa said she was never the same, that her spirit started to die that day, because she couldn't live with the guilt."

Aldo hesitated for a moment before continuing, "My Diana is only 13 and not in school yet, but the thought of something happening to her or to any of the youngsters makes me furious. I say youngsters because you know as well as I do the boys will fight to the death to protect their sisters and intendeds."

Carlo nodded his head in agreement and thought of his only son and what he would do to protect Sophia and the other females.

Aldo looked at Carlo and stood up to his full height of six feet before saying in a quiet but firm voice, "My family was one of the original fifteen that came from Italy looking for new opportunities and a brighter future for their youngsters. For over two hundred thirty years we have followed the Rossi family and never wavered in our loyalty to them or to our Pack. I will do whatever you want or whatever you need me to do Alpha Rossi, you can count on me."

"Thank you my friend," said Carlo, his voice raspy with emotion as Aldo reaffirmed his pledge of loyalty. "The Di Franco family has always been one we could count on and has been an integral part of this Pack since the beginning."

The two lifelong friends got quiet again and turned to look at The School House grounds before Carlo said, "Before the meeting tomorrow, I want you to think of other ways to defend The School House. You have worked here for over twenty years; you know it better then anyone."

With that statement Carlo shook hands with Aldo and got into his truck and started the drive to his house lost in his thoughts.

*****

Frank and Joe were quiet for the first several minutes back to Frank's house. Frank leaned forward turning down the class rock music and before he could say anything Joe said, "Did you get a weird vibe from Aldo? I've never seen him that talkative."

"Yeah, I was just going to say the same thing," said Frank as he rubbed his temples. "Almost like he was going overboard in trying to reassure the Millers but it felt like he was really trying to reassure himself."

"Well Carlo stayed behind with him, if there's anything going on he'll let us know," said Joe as Frank nodded. Both brothers got quiet, grateful for the silence because as soon as they reached Frank's they knew there would be none.

As they pulled in front of the garage, they could hear the youngsters shouting. The brothers smiled at each other and ran through the mudroom into the garage. They tore off their clothes, pulling on basketball shorts and a t-shirt before sprinting back outside. Running past their mates, they shouted, "Love you," before letting out howls and jumping on top of the pile of youngsters.

Annie and Rose started laughing at their mates behavior. Knowing the stress they were under with work and Pack duties, they knew they needed this down time to de-stress and play with the youngsters. They looked at each other, smiled and teed up another ball.

*****

Matt and Phil led the way into Robertson's Sporting Goods, holding the doors for the Millers. John (JR) and Carol knew they were on the way and Matt wasn't surprised to see them waiting. The Millers had already been introduced to the Robertson's since JR was part of the girls protection detail, since he worked full time at the store he would help on his days off and in the evenings as needed.

Carol smiled at Holly and said, "I think it would be easier if we broke into groups. One to try on uniforms and the other to try on shoes, if not you'll be here all day."

Holly smiled at her and said, "Oh that is a good idea. Brianna, Morgan, Caitlin, Erin, Kelly and Aislin come with me and Nana Ellen, the rest of you go with your Dad to pick out shoes. Papa Mike, go look at the fishing gear, we'll call if we need you. Phil you come with me and Matt you go with Todd." Without saying anything, the Millers proceeded to the areas they were directed to by Holly.

Phil started laughing and said, "Holly, you remind me more and more of my twin all the time. She directed people too; she always said it was more polite to say she directed them then telling them what to do."

Holly looked at Phil and smiled, "Sorry guys, but with this group somebody has to tell them what to do, if not we just follow each other. Matt, you may want to help the girls with their shoe selection, in our old Pack they weren't given options, they only bought one style of shoe and all the youngsters wore them. I think when they see the selection they will either go wild or won't know what to do. I know Todd won't know, he'll buy them what they want instead of what they need."

The three of them looked at the shoe section and saw the girls and Todd staring at the shoe wall not doing anything. Matt said, "I'll make sure they buy the right shoes, I know what the girls wear." He hurried over to the shoe wall and selected several styles for the girls to look at and Holly saw them nod their heads and start smiling.

Holly, Nana Ellen and Phil walked to the uniform section and Phil said, "You know, that's a typical father response and I remember my father doing the same thing to my sister whenever she pouted. She sure knew how to twist him around her little finger and get whatever she wanted."

Holly smiled and said, "I haven't met your sister, have I? Did she move with you?"

Phil said quietly, "No, I haven't seen or heard from Madeline since we left. I tried calling, sent her emails and even wrote her a letter but haven't received a response. She was pregnant with her first little one and I don't even know what she had. Matt tried contacting his family too, but hasn't received any replies either."

Holly got quiet and squeezed his hand saying, "I'm sorry Phil. Why did you leave your old Pack? You don't have to tell me if you don't want too."

"It's not a secret, everybody knows. Well, the basic story anyway," he said quietly. "When Alpha Moeller and our old Pack found out we were mates, he demoted us to Omega's and forbade us to see each other any more. We were constantly watched and would get disciplined when we would look at each other or tried to talk; they thought by beating us it would take away our need to be together."

He got quiet and cleared his throat before continuing, "They made us choose who they would beat and Matt always said to beat him since he was bigger and stronger then me. They forced me to watch by restraining my arms and head, prying my eyes open when I tried to close them. In my nightmares I can hear myself screaming and begging them to stop, but they never did, they only stopped when he passed out."

Holly gasped and grabbed Phil's hand, tears shimmering in her eyes. Phil looked at Matt and a small smile crossed his face before it was replaced by sadness as he continued talking, "Right before he would pass out, he would look at me and mouth the words, 'Always together, until the end'. Every scar he has on his body is because of me...he says it is a testament to how strong our love is and that no matter the obstacles we were meant to be together."

Phil watched as Carol showed the girls and Nana Ellen uniform pants and continued, "This went on for five years. Five years they tried to keep us apart, but no matter how hard we tried we couldn't stay apart. The need to be together couldn't be denied even if it was a glimpse of each other or a touch of the others hand when we passed in the hall. When they found out we still loved each other despite the beatings and punishments, they beat us until we were unconscious. When we came to they banished us, giving us 24 hours to leave."

"We were terrified of where we would go and what we would do, and then Matt remembered Alpha Carlo from a Council Meeting. He was our last hope, our only hope actually," Phil said taking a deep breath, his voice breaking with emotion. "One of the Omega's helped Matt with his phone when she brought in our lunch and Matt called Alpha Carlo at his store and told him what happened. Without hesitation he welcomed us into the Pack and asked three questions, 'Are you safe, can you get your belongings out safely and do you need help?' When Matt told him about the last beating and how bruised and battered we were, Alpha Carlo got quiet and told us to stay in Matt's room until further notice."

Phil stopped talking again for several moments and then quietly continued, "Within minutes Alpha Carlo called Alpha Moeller and told him we were now under South Mountain Packs protection. He was infuriated we found another Pack so quickly and came to the room screaming at us but he was afraid to beat us anymore so he decided on a different punishment, something he thought would hurt us even more. We watched while they packed Matt's belongings, labeling the boxes with his name and they brought in boxes labeled with my name from my room. After they were done he told some of the guards to bring them out front. We thought he was making it easier for us to leave, since our belongings would be outside, all packed and ready to go."

"We sat for three hours and no one would tell us what was going on, then there was a knock on the door, it was Frank and Joe," said Phil quietly. "Alpha Moeller refused to let us wear clothes they had provided for us, so the guards stripped us. This was to be our final humiliation, walking out of the Pack naked. I was so upset I started crying, it was the final insult and I couldn't take anymore."

Phil looked at Matt as he helped the girls pick out shoes and said, "Frank whispered to me not to give them the satisfaction of letting them see how upset I was. I knew he was right; they had taken enough from us already. Frank and Joe stripped off their shirts and shorts and then dressed us, since both of my forearms were broken and Matt's shoulder was dislocated and his right arm was broken. I was mortified, but Joe whispered to us not to worry, we were now part of South Mountain Pack and they took care of their own."

"When we walked outside, that's when we realized why our belongings had been boxed up and what Alpha Moeller had planned. There was a bonfire in the courtyard and as soon as they saw us on the porch they threw the boxes they had carefully packed onto it and everyone started screaming at us calling us fags and queers. Frank whispered, 'Don't let them see any reaction, it's just stuff, and remember what George Carlin said about stuff'. We looked at each other and started smiling," said Phil with a grin.

"I think that infuriated them even more," Phil got quiet again and looked at the girls going in and out of the changing rooms while Nana Ellen supervised. "Two Pack members stepped forward to hit Matt and me, but Frank and Joe put us behind them to protect us. Frank knocked out the first guy with one punch and Joe picked up and threw the other one and the rest of the Pack stepped back. Frank shouted we were under the protection of Alpha Carlo Rossi, the Carlucci Brothers and South Mountain Pack and anybody who harmed us would face their wrath."

"Frank and Joe were larger then life to me, making threats to take on a whole Pack," Phil said as a grin crossed his face. "Did I mention Franks boxers were Tweety Bird and Joe's were SpongeBob? It was freakin hilarious looking back on it as they faced everyone wearing boxers and construction boots."

"The threat worked though, the Pack parted like the Red Sea. Once we got to the gates of The Compound, I saw why they had backed down. Frank and Joe weren't alone, there was ten more Pack members waiting and it was an intimidating sight; they were standing there with their arms crossed over their chests and scowls on their faces and they didn't even crack a smile when they saw Frank and Joe. We loaded up in the cars they had waiting and drove to the local airport. Alpha Carlo had sent them in a private plane to get us out of there and as soon as we were in the air, Doc started to take care of our injuries."

Phil got quiet again, a serious expression crossing his face as he said, "Alpha Carlo acted without the permission of the Alpha Council and authorized his Pack to enter another Packs territory without permission. Frank and Joe volunteered to come and get us, knowing not only would they would be entering another Packs territory without permission but actually entering The Compound. Carmelo, Doc, JR, Vinnie, Aldo, Fred, Larry, Barry, Jerry and Joel all put their lives on the line for us."