South Mountain Pack Ch. 13

Frank came at him and Todd braced himself but Frank ducked under Todd and lunged up throwing him several feet. Todd twisted in mid-air landing on all four paws and immediately lunged at Frank managing to get his mouth around Frank's hind leg. The men disengaged without any damage and started to circle again before Frank lunged at Todd and managed to get his jaws around Todd's throat and knock him to the ground. Both men disengaged and Frank double feinted and Todd didn't move keeping his focus on Frank's forelegs like he had been instructed, Frank said, "Much better, let your wolf act on his primal instinct. I've seen all I need to, let's get changed." The two wolves trotted towards the men's changing room and Frank nudged the door open with his nose, minutes later both men came out hearing the whispers of those gathered in the training room.

"Let me introduce you to our newest Level 4 Beta, Todd Miller," said Frank as Todd exhaled deeply before shaking Frank's hand as the crowd clapped. Frank quietly said, "You're a strong fighter with good reflexes but you need to polish your techniques and build up your endurance; weekly training sessions, weight lifting and running will remedy that. I have confidence that after training you'll be a Level 5, you have tons of raw talent and it needs to be developed."

Todd nodded and sighed deeply in relief as his brothers came up and hugged him. "I was worried after watching the girls," said Todd with a big smile. "Frank said I need to build up my endurance, so I'm going to start running. You two want to join me?" His brothers nodded and made plans to meet early the next morning.

"So, do I have to get tested too?" asked Papa Mike after walking over to Frank.

Frank smiled at him and said, "No, in Werewolf culture, the young inherit the father's abilities. Your son tested at a Level 4, so that's what you'll be." Seeing everyone standing around talking, Frank said loudly, "Class is dismissed."

Seeing Phil check his watch, Todd said, "Why don't you two go ahead and leave, you need to get ready for your dinner with Carol and JR. There are more then enough of their security detail to get us home, plus Vin and Dom are here too."

"We'll make sure before we go," said Matt as he called the protection detail over. Ten minutes later Matt and Phil were on the way home to shower and change before heading to Fred's to get ice cream for their dinner at the Robertson's.

"Dad, Vin and I are going to the Millers for dinner," said Dom as he pulled Morgan closer to him.

Frank nodded and said, "Remember Maria should be home at 7 and it's a school night, don't overstay your welcome boys."

"We'll be home after dinner," said Vin as he smiled at his mate who smiled back. "We promised Damian we'd go running as a Pack after dinner." Within minutes everyone was walking out the doors and Carmelo and Vinnie made sure the rooms were clear before securing the building.

As soon as they reached his truck, Anthony pulled Sophia close to his side and scented her deeply. "Anthony, everybody is looking," she whispered as Anthony removed her ponytail holder and ran his fingers through her long curly hair.

"Let them, I want everybody to know you're mine," he growled as he continued to scent her. "When you got jealous this afternoon and said I was yours, you drove me and my wolf crazy. Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"Anthony, Daddy's walking over," Sophia started to giggle quietly as Anthony slowly stood up but pulled Sophia even tighter to his side.

"Vin said the boys were going to run as a Pack after dinner and I'm assuming you'll be there, so does that mean you're coming for dinner tonight?" asked Frank as he narrowed his eyes. "We need to work out the details for your date."

"Yes Sir, I'd love to come over for dinner. Mom is busy getting stuff together for the reception, so she told us to go out to eat; Dante wants to go to Long Johns," Anthony said as Frank threw his head back and started to laugh.

Almost an hour and a half later, the boys came out of the pool house in their wolf form and started a slow jog around the back field of Frank's house. "How's your leg?" Ant asked Damian who was in the lead to set the pace.

"Good, it doesn't bother me at all, almost like it was never broken," Damian replied before he started to laugh. "Ant, I hate to say this but your first date is turning into a circus. Four girls and twelve boys in total, it's a total clusterfuck."

"Thankfully our first date with Brianna and Morgan is Friday," said Dom with a laugh. "If it was Saturday, that means four more guys in addition to Vin and I. Now that's too much, especially when I want a little privacy with my girl."

"I know. I wanted this first date to be special for Sophia. It was okay when we were double dating with Maria and Alberto, but adding Caitlin and Erin to the mix..." Anthony stopped talking when he heard Lorenzo growl. "But if this is what she wants, then that's what she'll get. I'll do anything to make her happy."

"She's really got you whipped, doesn't she?" asked Damian with a snort.

"Fuck off Damian, when you find your mate, you'll know what it feels like. Every emotion she has I feel and when she's happy it feels like my heart is going to burst. It starts to pound so hard when I see her I feel like I'm having a heart attack or a stroke," said Anthony as Vin and Dom agreed.

"Awww, that is so sweet," Lorenzo said pretending to vomit.

"Are you sure you're a wolf? Cause you sound like a cat hacking up a furball and you acted like a baby kitty hissing when Uncle Frank told us the protection detail for Erin's date," said Damian laughing as his twin bit at his tail.

"Fuck off Damian, I wasn't hissing. I've told everyone what she does is her business, it doesn't bother me in the least," Lorenzo said firmly as he tried to hide his agitation as he thought of Erin going out with Bob. "The only thing I'm looking forward to is dinner at Carmelo's, the rest of the night I could care less what happens."

"I wonder if Gabby is going to be there," said Sal as he slowed down his pace.

"Why the fuck would Gabby go on their date?" asked Dom misunderstanding what Sal meant. "Did Dean finally get the courage to ask her out?"

"I meant at Carmelo's, and what the fuck do you mean Dean is going to ask her out?" Sal growled loudly and stopped running as he stared at his brother. "He'd better not ask her out."

"You're getting possessive baby brother. How are things going with the two of you? And let's keep running, Damian's wolf needs it," asked Vin turning towards Sal who nodded and caught up to the rest of the boys.

"Good, I can talk to her without stammering and looking like a complete idiot and did you see she gave me her food today at lunch?" Sal proudly asked as he threw his head back. "I know my wolf likes to be around her and he's starting to get possessive of her. So uhmm...do you think I should maybe ask her out?"

"Yeah, but not this weekend we've already got enough clowns attending this circus," Damian said as the boys started to laugh. "Seriously, we're only taking three cars so if we have anybody else with us, we're going to look like a bunch of damn clowns exiting one of those little cars, let's not make it any worse."

Victor shuddered and said, "Clowns scare me, those weird expressions and that fake painted on mouth. I think they're all serial killers."

"For fucks sake you're a werewolf, if you see a clown coming to attack you bite his big red nose," replied Damian as the boys laughed. "Just be careful he doesn't kick you with his big shoes or squirt you with the flower on his lapel."

"Fuck off Damian," said Victor in a huff causing the boys to laugh even more.

"I'm going to change my name to 'Fuck off Damian, cause that's all I keep hearing," Damian said. "I like 'Fuck off' better then 'Fat ass' anyway."

"How about 'Shut the fuck up Damian'? You like that one better?" asked Dom with a low growl.

Damian tilted his head as if deep in thought before saying, "Nah...too wordy, I'll stick with 'Fuck off Damian', it has a certain poetic ring to it."

"Will the two of you shut the fuck up? I'm trying to have a conversation with my baby brother," Vin said and seeing Dom and Damian push against each other and ignore him he shook his head and turned to Sal, "I'm sure Angelo will be one of your chaperones. Make sure you take one of us to be a buffer, preferably Damian. Angelo gets along with him and he can act his usual idiotic self and help you out."

"I'm not idiotic, I'm an observer of life and all it has to offer," Damian said calmly before laughing. "I can't help if the majority of things I observe are asinine."

"That's because it takes an ass to recognize something asinine, and you've definitely got the ass for it, a big fat ass," said Paulo as the boys started to laugh again.

"Ignore them Sal and listen to me. Why don't you plan your date for the weekend after we're at the lake? You can ask her out while we're up there and it'll give you two weeks to get to know her better and be more relaxed around her," Vin said as he slowed down to run next to his youngest brother.

"I know her, I've known her my whole life," Sal replied indignantly.

"There's a difference in knowing her as Gabby, the girl you grew up with and Gabby the girl who might be your mate," said Anthony as his eyes scanned the field. "I knew your sister my entire life too, but it's completely different now. Do you know what flowers she likes? Her favorite color? The food she likes? What she wants to study in college? These are the things you need to know to make her happy."

"I guess I really don't know her as well as I thought I did. How am I supposed to find all that stuff out?" muttered Sal. "Damn, girls are complicated."

"You have no idea," said Lorenzo with a growl as everybody turned to stare at him. "Erin is driving me fucking crazy and she's not even my mate. Did you guys notice she's ignoring me? What the fuck did I do to her?"

"Do we really need to answer that?" asked Damian with surprise in his voice. "How many times have you made her cry? Or hollered at her? And I'm not even going to mention you snotting on her."

"Whatever. I'm happy she's ignoring me. On Saturday night I'll watch over her because I have to, not because I want to," said Lorenzo in an agitated tone.

Victor asked quietly, "Do you think Bob'll kiss her? She is sixteen."

"HE'D BETTER NOT, IF HE SO MUCH AS TOUCHES HER I'LL RIP HIS FUCKING ARMS OFF AND BEAT HIM TO DEATH WITH THEM," roared Lorenzo as he growled and bared his teeth.

The boys were silent as they stopped jogging and stared at Lorenzo who continued to growl. Damian shook his head and said, "Damn bro, calm the fuck down, you're gonna pop a vessel."

Before anything else could be said, they heard Frank, "They're on their way." The boys headed to the pool house to change and ten minutes later everyone was gathered on the front porch as Joe pulled the SUV in front of the garage. They watched the back door open and Alberto slid out holding Maria as if she was a fragile piece of porcelain and would shatter any moment. Maria opened her eyes and smiled widely at her family as Alberto walked past them and into the family room putting her down gently in the recliner Rose had ready. He stepped to the side holding her right hand as her brothers and cousins swarmed around her, kissing her and greeting her as Sophia gently put a pillow under her arm and Damian covered her with a blanket. They were laughing and talking and Alberto suddenly felt out of place, looking around the room he saw Anthony leaning against the wall and he gently let go of her hand as he went to stand next to him.

"They make you feel like an outsider sometimes, don't they? But they don't mean anything by it, they act like one and think like one it's the way they were raised," Anthony said softly as he gazed at Sophia who was sitting on the recliner with Maria. "I'm actually glad because I know when we have little ones, they'll be part of something greater than a sibling bond; they'll have the entire Carlucci family at their side to protect them."

Alberto thought for a moment before saying, "I hadn't thought of it like that, but you're right our little ones will be part of something special..." He stopped as he stared at Damian who threw his shirt off and was flexing like he was in a body building competition while his family cheered and jeered. He looked at Anthony and said, "Even if it includes Damian."

"People see only what he wants them to see. He comes off as a jokester and somebody who doesn't care but he's far from that," Anthony said as he smiled at one of his best friends. "He's very intense, a hellacious fighter and has a deep sense of loyalty to those he cares about. If you look at their family dynamic, you'll see he's the perfect counterpoint to Lorenzo's brooding, Vin's forcefulness and Dom's intensity; he balances them out just as they rein him in. You need to get to know him as Damian Carlucci the man, not just as Maria's brother."

"You're right Ant; they play off of each others strengths. I noticed they each have their own niche in the family," Alberto noted and then he looked at Anthony. "The question is... where is ours?"

Anthony smiled, "That my friend is simple...we're the mates of their beloved sisters and cousins. Our job is to make sure those two beautiful women are happy or we'll have to deal with twelve angry men." They glanced at Joe who was staring at Maria and then looked at Frank who snuck behind Damian and with a smooth move put him in a fireman's carry before lifting him over his head with his arms fully extended. Anthony drew a deep breath before saying "Not to mention their parents."

"Daddy, is it time for my meds?" Maria asked softly, her face showing a twinge of pain. Joe instantly sprang out of his chair and ran into the kitchen returning with a large glass of orange juice, wheat thins and one of the pain pills Doc had given them until they could get her prescription filled.

"Here Sweetheart, Doc said you should eat something when you take it," said Joe as Maria nodded. Sophia held the juice and put the box of wheat thins between them and when Maria put the pill in her mouth she carefully handed the juice to her. "Lorenzo and Damian your sisters prescription is on the counter, could you bring it to the pharmacy and get it filled?"

"Maria, the pharmacy is right near Fred's, you want some ice cream?" asked Damian as they were leaving.

Sophia and Maria looked at each other but before they could say anything, Lorenzo said, "Let me guess, one strawberry milkshake and one chocolate?" The two girls giggled and nodded as they snuggled next to each other, holding hands. Within minutes they were asleep and Rose turned off the lamps and moved the box of wheat thins as everyone quietly left the room and went into the kitchen.

Frank looked at Joe and the two brothers smiled at each other, "I guess we're sleeping down here on the couches tonight big brother. Doc did say to keep her in a recliner so her arm wouldn't jostle around."

Frank nodded and said quietly, "Carlo and Dante are here." The two brothers got up followed by Ric, Rocco and Luc and moments later the sound of Frank's study door being closed was heard.

"I'd like to stay with Maria again tonight but I don't think Poppa Joe can handle me spending the night again. So, I'm going to head home, but we'll come over a little earlier in the morning that way I can see Maria before I go to school," said Alberto as he rubbed his hands over his face. "If that's okay?"

"That's fine Alberto, we've all had a stressful two days," said Annie as she yawned. "If anything happens I'll call you and don't worry about Joe. He conveniently forgets how he acted after he made his declaration and the trouble he got in when he 'bent' the rules."

Alberto laughed softly and said, "I'd like to hear some of those stories so I can remind him of them."

"I'm going to head out too, I'll give you a ride so you don't have to run," said Ant. "I've got some studying to do for tomorrow night. Dad had Marco put together a dossier of some of the prominent people who are going to be there so I know who they are." The boys got up and walked into the family room and scented their intendeds before quietly leaving the room and heading to the front door. Vin and Dom followed and walked them out to Anthony's truck.

"I'd like to get an extra training session before we get tested Sunday. Ric, Rocco and Luc said they'd help," Vin said as he gazed around the yard. Ant and Alberto nodded as Vin continued, "Dad said they're going to test all the boys over fifteen, I was thinking we'd approach them at school and ask if they'd like to join us."

"Sounds good to me, your Dad still do his ten mile run in the morning?" Ant asked as he leaned against his truck.

"Yeah, we're all going to start running with him starting tomorrow, 5 AM sharp at the pool house. Normally it's at Uncle Joe's, but they'll start from here tomorrow," said Dom as he sighed. Ant and Alberto nodded their heads and the boys gave each other fist bumps before they left.

*****

"I like your study Frank, it reminds me of the woods," Dante said as he looked around the room. The rectangular shaped room had flat paneled wainscoting painted Hunter Green with the wall above it painted Camel and the wood trim was stained Tuscan Rose. In the middle of the right wall was a fireplace flanked by two windows with hunter green, camel and light beige plaid curtains, perpendicular to them were two large brown leather Chesterfield sofas with a braided rug of hunter green and camel on top of the Tuscan Rose stained hardwood floors, the coffee table was made out of one of the original farmhouse interior doors and painted camel. Bookcases stained Tuscan Rose lined the back wall and on the left side of the room there was two brown leather Chesterfield Club chairs in front of a massive desk.

Frank said proudly, "Rose redecorated it for my fortieth birthday and she did a helluva job." The men nodded and Ric, Rocco and Luc walked over to look at the black and white pictures in Tuscan Rose stained frames that lined the walls. As in Rose's study, pride of place over the mantle was a large picture of the entire family, but this one had Frank and Joe's parents as well as Rose and Annie's.

"You know they stayed with us during their trip to Italy?" Dante said as he nodded towards the portrait before sitting down on the sofa flanked by Ric and Rocco while Luc sat on the arm. "I believe they were going to Germany next."

"Yeah, they love that old castle," Joe said as he sat on the other sofa on Carlo's left while Frank took his place on his right. "They call every Sunday evening but they're more interested in talking to the youngsters than us anymore, even when they send packages they're full of gifts for them."

"Whiskey?" Frank asked to no one in particular and the men nodded. Frank went to the bookcase behind the Italians and grabbed the crystal decanter and glasses and set it on the coffee table before pouring two fingers in each glass.

Carlo cleared his throat and said, "Let's bring Joe up to date on what he missed." The next fifteen minutes were spent updating Joe and then Carlo turned to Frank and said, "Do you want to tell him about Todd's assessment?"

Frank took a long drink of his whiskey, feeling the burn of the alcohol before he answered, "He's strong, really strong but he acts more on instinct than skill and he's afraid to let his wolf out, almost as if he's afraid he won't be able to control him." Frank projected the fight to Carlo and Joe; Carlo in turn sent it to Dante who sent it to the Italians. It was a different perspective than what they had witnessed since this was from Frank's point of view. There was silence as each man thought of what they had seen and felt and Frank took another drink before he said, "I think he's a latent blood-born Alpha, he has that much power."