South Mountain Pack Ch. 13

Jerry cleared his throat and said, "From a construction point of view, this should be the room where the ovens are, it's the smallest. The back room should be the kitchen since the plumbing is already hooked up, it's the largest room and you'd need the space for all the equipment and doing your baking stuff. The middle room could be used for either storage or your cool down room. None of the walls are load bearing, it's a full truss roof, so if you want to move the walls to change the size of the rooms that shouldn't be a problem either."

Todd nodded and said, "That makes sense, anything else?"

"The first floor might need to have the ceiling braced, nothing feels spongy, but the equipment you'll have up here may put too much stress on the floor joists. The floor to ceiling display case we were talking about could be built as load bearing units, but the Bosses would have the final say on that. You'll need a plumber to add extra lines, but that shouldn't be a problem, the water pressure is good," he stopped talking for several minutes as he made more notes. He pointed to the ceiling and said, "We'd put an exhaust fan straight up through the attic to vent out the heat, blow insulation into the walls to prevent the heat from bleeding through the building and also put heat resistant panels around the room. The new stairwell you were talking about, I would recommend a Half Landing Stairwell, seven treads up, a landing then seven more treads. This'll let you have more room in the sales area." He went down to the first floor and everyone followed him, he was quiet as he measured the rooms, wrote more notes and then went on the patio, walking around checking all the boards and the railings. "Everything seems sound out here, just needs power-washing."

"How much is all this going to cost," asked Todd with a raised eyebrow.

Jerry laughed and said, "Nothing for manpower. Supplies will be ordered through Triple C to get the contractor's discount and the Bosses'll give you those numbers. I'm here to make sure the building is structurally sound and I need to check the basement." He went downstairs and they could hear him speaking to Papa Mike.

Todd stared at Holly and his mother and said, "What do you think?" They both nodded their heads and Todd turned to Gina and said, "We'll buy it."

"Good," said Gina with a big smile. "SMI will hold the mortgage; you'll work out the terms and length of the loan with Antonia Benedetto; her and John handle all the legal work for the Pack."

"Everything looks good in the basement. We'll apply for the permits as soon as the deed is transferred. Concentrate on what equipment you need to buy, don't worry about cabinets, we'll build them onsite to fit around the equipment. The countertops will be custom ordered once everything is set," said Jerry with a smile. "I'll email you the measurements for each room once I get my notes put together so you can start a rough sketch of what you want each room to look like. If you need any help with that, Triple C has an Architect on retainer." He nodded his head and was out the door and on his phone before anybody could say anything.

"Now all we need is a name," said Holly with a laugh.

"Don't forget all the work to get it open," said Papa Mike as he joined them. "Jerry told me it should take a couple of weeks, with Frank, Joe and their boys doing the majority of the work in the evening and weekends."

Gina started to laugh as she said, "Carlo is good at tearing things down, building them not so much and please keep him away from any power tools."

The Millers started to laugh along with Gina as Matt and Phil walked in the back door and Matt said, "What's so funny?"

Twenty minutes later, Maeve and her Daddy were on the back patio, laid out on the table in front of them were spoons, bowls, scissors and a carton of milk. "Are you ready Daddy?" Maeve asked with a serious tone.

"Cupcake, I've been waiting five years for this," said Todd matching her tone. She smiled at him before slowly reaching for the box of Apple Jacks and carefully sliding her finger under the cardboard to open the box. She used the scissors to cut the plastic bag on an angle and smiled at her Daddy before pouring cereal into each of their bowls. She carefully folded back the plastic and closed the lid before pouring milk into their bowls and sitting down.

"You first Cupcake," said Todd motioning for her to take a spoonful.

She nodded her head and took a deep breath before having her first spoonful, "Oh Daddy, this is the best thing ever."

"Yes it is Cupcake, yes it is," said Todd smiling, knowing she meant the cereal but he meant spending time with her and making her happy.

*****

"Momma," Maria whispered, her voice was hoarse and she licked her parched lips. "I'm thirsty Momma and my arm hurts."

"Here's some ice chips, Sweetheart," said Annie quietly as Joe and Alberto quickly got up from their chairs and came closer to the bed. "Doc said you'd be thirsty and he wants you to suck on these so you don't get nauseous." Annie spooned another mouthful into her and said to Joe quietly, "Get Doc." Joe nodded his head and went quickly down the hall and returned minutes later with Doc.

"Hi Maria, how are you feeling?" asked Doc as he picked up her chart and started writing down some notes on it.

Maria slowly opened her eyes and said, "I'm thirsty, my arm hurts really bad, my eyeballs feel like they have grit in them, I have a headache..." She glanced down and grimaced and said, "And who put me in this awful orange shirt? It's hideous and the color is completely wrong for my complexion."

Alberto started to laugh and said, "It's my shirt Gattina, you were restless and your mom thought you would sleep better in my shirt."

"Oh," Maria said as she blushed and then grimaced in pain as she moved her arm.

"Doc, what about the pain, is it normal? I told you I don't want her in pain," said Joe as he started to get angry again.

"Relax Joe it's normal, I took her off all the meds so she would wake up, now we can start controlling it," said Doc as he inserted some meds in her IV line. "I'll give her a scrip for pain meds so you can manage it at home. Dr. Parr is going to call some colleagues in Switzerland to find out how the titanium plates will affect her wolf if she shifts, so until he finds out he doesn't want her shifting." He turned to Maria and said, "Is the pain better?"

Maria slowly nodded before closing her eyes and falling asleep with Alberto holding tightly to her hand. "She should wake up in a couple of hours and I want to make sure she can hold food and drink down before she's discharged, so an hour after she eats she should be ready to go home." Annie nodded her head while Joe continued to stare at his daughter.

*****

"Buckle up, little one," said Frank as he drove towards the gates of The School House.

"Daddy, I'm not five, I know to buckle up," said Sophia with a sigh. "How is Maria doing? Momma said not to bother Aunt Annie or Uncle Joe."

"I know how old you are but as your father I'll always look out for you. Your cousin woke up and should be released from the hospital around 7," said Frank with a smile. "The Italians are staying to finish up the cameras and then watch football practice. Since we're alone, you have anything you want to talk about?"

Sophia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said, "Did Vin tell you what happened at lunch?"

"Yes, he did. Anthony handled it well, and you did too until you lost your temper. You're like your mother, both of you are cool and calm but when you reach a certain point it's like a volcanic explosion," said Frank as he turned to look at his daughter. "As Madame Alpha, you need to control that. You have to learn to hide your emotions; you can't let others see you get agitated, they can use that against you and more importantly against your mate."

Sophia nodded, she knew he spoke the truth and said, "I know Daddy, but she just made me so mad. Calling me a child and asking Anthony to be her date...right in front of everyone. The nerve of her."

"Vin said you threatened to whip her ass," said Frank as he tried not to smile. "You know if you threaten somebody, you've got to be able to back it up."

"Uhmm, yeah I did and Daddy you've been teaching me combat skills since I could walk; there's not a girl in this Pack, 'sides Maria that has a chance against me," Sophia said with a grin. "Come to think about it, I could probably square off against most of the boys too. Face it Daddy, you raised a frigging bad-ass."

Frank raised his hand and they bumped fists, "Of course you're a bad-ass, you're a Carlucci, but I think you've been spending too much time with Damian, you're starting to sound like him." Father and daughter looked at each other and laughed as they pulled into the parking lot of the training center.

Ten minutes later, Frank had the girls divided into their skill groups, with the Miller girls in a separate group as Matt and Phil led the warm-ups. After they were done, they sat on the mat awaiting instructions and Frank sent the fifteen year olds into one of the enclosed rooms where Rose and Rita were waiting.

"Girls, we need you to change into your robes. We're going to practice shifting into your wolves while you're on the run," said Rose as she looked around the room. "First we're going to practice extending your claws, then changing your nose and ears. Learning how to do this will help you control the shift."

"Close your eyes, take a deep breath and concentrate on the index finger of your right hand, now picture your claws extending, feel your wolf and let her help," instructed Rita. "Concentrate girls, no giggling. Learning to shift on the run may save your life or the life of someone you care about someday."

Frank stood in front of the girls and they immediately stopped talking. "Line up girls, we're going to practice maneuvers and then you're going to spar so we can see your strengths and weaknesses." Frank pointed to the Millers to take spots in the back. For the next half hour they practiced defensive blocks and Vinnie, Carmelo, Matt and Phil walked around the Millers adjusting their stance, shoulders, hips and arms. Frank called Vinnie to lead the exercise while he went to talk to Todd, "We're not going to do assessments on the girls tonight, there's no need since they don't have the skills the youngest girls do." Frank pointed to Abby, Jackie and Toni and Todd watched them before looking at his daughters and nodded in agreement.

Todd said quietly, "They don't know anything about fighting; the only thing they know is basic defensive moves. And when I say basic, I mean basic...like protecting their heads and kneeing somebody in the groin."

"That's okay within months you won't believe how much they'll learn. Let's watch the young ones spar first," said Frank as he motioned for Vinnie and Carmelo to start with the youngest group which was compromised of six to eight year olds.

After twenty minutes the girls had mastered extending their claws, whether it was one finger or their whole hand and could do it on command. Laughter rang out as they saw themselves in the mirrored wall as their noses and ears morphed into their wolves while the rest of their body remained the same. "Concentrate," said Rose softly and the laughter died down. After the girls had mastered this, Rose said, "Watch closely while I'm shifting, notice how smooth I shift from my human form to my wolf." Rose walked over to the side wall, removed her robe and started to run, on the fifth step she started to transform and was in her wolf form by the sixth. She trotted over to her robe, shifted and put it back on.

"Line up along the wall and walk across the room extending your claws," said Rose. Within five steps most had tripped over their own feet, bumped into the girl next to them or were unable to shift more then one claw. "Concentrate girls, concentrate. Come back and do it again." Thirty minutes later, the girls were able to shift into their wolves on the run, they were stumbling when their wolves landed but that would be solved with practice. "That's enough, get changed into your workout gear and we'll join the others."

Almost an hour later the last group was sparring, which was the seventeen and eighteen year olds plus Sophia. Fiona looked at Frank and asked in a disbelieving tone, "We're going to learn to do that?" The girls eyes were wide as they watched Gabby slam Jade Mendez to the mat flipping her onto her stomach, pulling both arms behind her back until they crossed at the elbows.

Frank looked at her and said in a firm tone, "Every one of you will learn to defend yourself against people who mean to do you harm." They looked at him and nodded their heads before watching Gabby help Jade off the mat.

Vinnie and Carmelo talked quietly before saying, "Sophia against Beatrice."

"But...but...she's a Senior and is way bigger then Sophia," said Brianna as she glanced at Frank.

"Your first lesson girls, don't let the size of your opponent intimidate you, there are always ways to overcome their size," Frank stated. "Watch closely." Their faces showed their concern for their friend as they did as they were instructed.

Beatrice Giovanni who was eighteen, 5'8" and 135 pounds, stepped forward and Sophia shook her hand as they smiled at each other. They circled around each other before starting to run at each other, at the last second Sophia firmly planted her right foot as she brought her left knee up into Beatrice's stomach, followed by a left forearm to the back of her neck knocking her onto the mat. Immediately following her down, Sophia put her right knee in the middle of Beatrice's shoulder blades pinning her to the mat before placing her left arm around Beatrice's throat and her right hand on her forehead saying, "This is where I snap your neck."

Sophia got up extending a hand to Beatrice who said, "At least this time you didn't break my nose." The two girls looked at each other and started to laugh.

Vinnie started to smile and said, "Where did you learn that?"

"WWE...and playing golf with my family," Sophia stated with a smile and her Dad started to laugh. Vinnie had the girls line up again and asked if they needed help on anything they learned before doing warm down exercises.

Frank quietly said to Todd, "Are you ready for your assessment? I'd like the girls to watch if you wouldn't mind."

"After watching the older girls, I think some of them might be able to take me," said Todd seriously. "We didn't do anything like this. I was Fourth in Command and a Level 4 Beta, but in this Pack I have no idea what I'd be."

Matt said, "You do know who you have to spar against, right?" Todd shook his head and Matt said, "You get to spar with Frank since Joe isn't here; in our old Pack I was a Level 4 and tested as a Level 1 here." He looked at his brother before he started to laugh and was joined by the other men sitting on the bleachers.

"Oh, fuck," said Todd quietly as Frank turned to him with a raised brow.

"We're done for the night, but those who'd like to stay can watch Mr. Todd get his status level assessment done," said Frank loudly as he watched the girls eagerly run to the bleachers to sit with their fathers. They heard the door open and Carlo and the Italians came walking through and sat down.

Todd glanced around and muttered, "Well that really takes the pressure off." He drew a deep breath and moved to the center of the mats where they shook hands. Both men were almost evenly matched in height and weight but Frank was an inch taller and had more muscle definition. They circled around each other several times waiting for an opening and Frank feinted right and when Todd reacted Frank quickly moved left grabbing Todd by the arm and throwing him over his shoulder. Todd twisted his body in mid-air landing in a crouch and said, "Nice throw."

Frank smiled and said, "Not one of my best, I wanted to see how you would counter it. Nice reflexes." As Frank finished talking, Todd lunged at him but Frank quickly sidestepped grabbing Todd by the left arm knocking him off balance. Todd rolled across the floor quickly getting to his feet and into a fighting stance. "Don't just look at my face, look at how I have my feet planted and watch how my knees flex." Todd nodded and both men turned towards the door when they heard it unlock.

"Fuck me sideways," Todd muttered as the football team entered the training area and moved quickly to sit with their intendeds or sisters. "Is the whole Pack coming?"

"Not that I know of, but I wasn't expecting the boys or the Italians to show up," Frank said with a laugh before a serious expression crossed his face. "Show us what you got." He watched as Todd drew a deep breath and flexed his shoulders before they began to circle each other. Frank lunged forward grabbing Todd around his waist and Todd brought his knee up sharply into Frank's abdomen, Frank groaned but didn't loosen his hold so Todd did it again combining it with his interlocked hands coming down between Frank's shoulder blades. Frank responded by letting his legs buckle, pushing his shoulder and full weight into Todd's abdomen as he fell back onto the mat. Frank rolled off and walked around him as Todd was gasping for air while Frank was breathing normally, "Nice combo move, next time plant your foot more firmly, you'll get more leverage that way and when you bring your arms down keep them straight to get more force behind them."

Todd rolled to his feet into a fighting stance and watched Frank intently as everything Frank had told him and all he had seen of the girls training swirled in his mind. When Frank lunged at him, Todd ducked low bringing his left elbow straight up hitting Frank under the jaw and followed through with his right fist to Frank's jaw. There were gasps in the training room as Frank's head snapped to the left but Frank recovered quickly and shifted his weight to his right foot as he kicked at Todd's midsection with his left. Todd staggered back but grabbed Frank's foot twisting it and both men fell to the mat with Todd panting and Frank barely breathing hard. Frank quickly rolled to his feet and said, "You have to have the stamina to finish off your opponent. We'll be in a battle for our lives, for the lives of our mates and youngsters and we are counting on you just like you are counting on us." Todd nodded and rolled to his feet breathing hard but ready to fight.

"Do you have extra clothes with you?" asked Frank and Todd nodded. "I want you to come at me on the run and shift into your wolf. I've seen all I need to in your human form, now I want to see what your wolf can do. No lethal biting, a pin is considered jaws around the opponents neck." Todd nodded in understanding and walked quickly to the other side of the room, drew a deep breath and started running, shifting into his dark grey almost black wolf within three strides.

Frank stood in place observing Todd as he shifted and when he was ten steps away, he ran towards him and shifted into his wolf jumping over Todd and grabbing his hind legs between his front paws dragging Todd to the ground while he put his mouth on his back leg. Todd responded by arching his back and rolling left while pushing himself up getting out of Frank's hold.

Todd could feel the agitation arising from his wolf, so he let his wolf have a little more control but was trying to temper the agitation as he knew that could lead to him being careless. He feinted left then right and when Frank moved he lunged at him, managing to pin him for a second before Frank's hind legs threw him off. "Nice feint, next time don't hesitate follow through immediately," Frank said. Todd nodded his head up and down realizing Frank was right, he had hesitated.