Chapter: 18
******

Sat on his desk, looking over the papers spread across it, Conri let out a soft sigh of annoyance. Why was it that no one seemed to be able to do anything right in his absence? He looked around at the office he had commandeered from the other Alphas of their respective Packs, and then back down at the papers scattered across his desk. His fingers drummed along the tabletop, and then he picked up one of the papers and began flicking through it lazily. It didn't even take him much time before his attention returned to the paperwork. The only thing that kept him going, really, was that the papers were proving themselves not to be boring after all. They contained information about the Packs they'd been given to rule over.

He skimmed over them quickly, but with enough interest to make sure he wasn't missing anything, and then he moved on to another. That was when he came across a page of numbers. Numbers which told him exactly how long the territories between his PackLand should last, what territories would be the best to stay and which should move, who had the highest potential to cause problems, etc. The more he read the faster his hands went. By the time he reached the end of the first sheet, he could barely remember how to read anymore. His brain felt like mush from trying to process all of this information so rapidly. He set the paper aside for now and got on his feet. He paced the length of his office as he mulled it over, trying to figure out where to start on the next set of documents. He stopped in front of his desk once again and tapped a finger against the wood. His gaze drifted off into space as his thoughts wandered until suddenly his eyes widened.

Shit. He hadn't remembered it until now but they had slept with an unknown Omega. Why does it seem like they keep messing up since they found the Weretiger? Everything they've done up until now has gone horribly wrong! They make irrational decisions and don't listen to anyone or follow any rules! What's worse is that they've never lost control of their emotions like this before! He couldn't stop the anger from rising within him at the thought. He shook his head, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. The anger would just make things worse. He needed to be careful not to blow up and end up making more mistakes, adding to the pile of failures he already had accumulated over the months. The longer he tried to think things through logically, however, the angrier he got.

"You think we got him impregnated?" Conri asked his Lycan and he sighed when he heard Rafa exhaling loudly.

["It's a possibility. Half the time my mind was hazy. We almost had him killed."]

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Conri asked.

Rafa paused for several seconds while he considered this question. Finally, he gave a reluctant negative answer. ["I couldn't really focus on any part of him but that mouth."]

Conri closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We lost it, my Half. How do we explain any of this to our Omega and our Birth Omega, he's going to kill us should he find out we slept with another Omega." They both fell silent, staring at the floor dejectedly.

["We have to find out who that Omega was."] Rafa said, after a few minutes of quiet reflection.

"Yeah," Conri agreed. "Link the Betas." He told Rafa and the Lycan nodded.

******

Sounds of birds chirping on nearby trees, and the breeze brushing softly against white cotton curtains, slipping smoothly into the open windows, caressing the petals of flowers aligned along the window sills. The smell of sweetly burning firewood wafting out of the fireplace, and over to the bed in the far right corner of the large room, mixing with the many scents of roses, and lavender to create a relaxing atmosphere for the Weretiger lying wrapped in the soft warmth of colorful blankets. A small smile tugged at his lips as he inhaled deeply and let himself relax further before letting his eyes close again. His breathing was slow and deep as he lay still, completely comfortable.

The sound of birds singing and leaves rustling outside was accompanied by the gentle sound of water flowing from somewhere, possibly from a fountain nearby. A pleasant fragrance surrounded him like warm sunshine, filling every nook and cranny of the room and soothing him into an almost dreamlike state of relaxation. His eyes slowly began to open again as he let himself take in the environment around him as best he could without moving any parts of his body. He saw a large desk sitting in front of a bookshelf, filled with ancient books, their covers old but clean. He knew without a doubt that they are tended to on a daily basis. He saw a settee placed next to the wall where a small couch stood waiting for its occupant. It was decorated with several pillows and a few throw blankets, all covered by an old quilt of red silk.

Two other armchairs sat across the coffee table which separated the bed from the rest of the area. There was also a wooden chair pushed back in a corner with cushions stacked on it and two matching armchairs placed in front of the desk. To his side were two windows looking out at the backyard, framed in black with only the light of the sun shining through them to give them any kind of color or pattern. They were both adorned with ornate carvings of vines and leaves. To his left was another pair of doors leading to what looked like a balcony overlooking the main part of the house. He didn't know if he had seen this before and yet he was sure it was familiar. In front of him were two dressers holding various accessories. One dresser contained all kinds of hair products and perfumes while the second was packed full of clothing and even more accessories. A vase with fresh-cut blooms of beautiful purple and pink tulips sat on the first dresser.

On the walls hung numerous prints depicting pictures and paintings by famous artists and photographers he was sure. Everything looked so neat despite being so unfamiliar to him. And yet everything seemed familiar somehow. Like something he had experienced before. The room itself feels so familiar like he has been in there a while. But not quite in the same way. He took another breath and allowed his senses to expand more. This felt more natural. As though he had done so a thousand times before...and probably he had. He tried to find some familiarity from those memories. For whatever reason, he couldn't. Instead, he felt more confused than ever and he didn't like it one bit. Not one bit. Why did everything seem so familiar? What made it feel like he was home when he wasn't? What was he missing? Where was his home and why couldn't he remember? It was starting to make him restless, and just about ready to get up and run away to find someone who would tell him what exactly was going on and how he got here. Or why, even. He couldn't remember anything. Nothing at all. How long has it been since he last remembered anything? Did something happen to him? He felt trapped by something, and he hated feeling trapped.

He felt helpless and it infuriated him. He needed answers. If nothing else, it might jog his memory and give him a clue as to what was going on. So, with a huff, he carefully moved his arms under him and tried to sit up, ignoring the pain that shot through his shoulder and down the length of his spine.  With great effort, he pulled himself upright, groaning quietly and trying to ignore how stiff his muscles were becoming. After taking a moment to stretch and calm down, he finally managed to roll onto his knees, then feet, with the help of the handrest supporting him. He slowly got himself to standing, steadying himself with his hand on the dresser beside him and the other hand resting on his waist until he felt more steady. Then, after taking a few deep breaths and letting out a sigh, he finally turned to look at himself in the mirror. At first glance, he seemed fine. Nothing wrong with that. But he could see in the reflection the Full Moon marked into the side of his stomach, then on his neck, lies two scars of what looked like incisors.

He reached up and touched the marks with his fingertips, his face contorting in confusion. He didn't remember being Marked, or Mated. His eyes wandered lower and he noticed he was naked, his tail long and curled, its tip touching the floor. He turned to his side and saw the thick line of fur that ran down his back, tracing the lines of his spine where it ended at his hip bones. His ears had also become longer and more pointed when he faced the mirror once again. He ran his fingers over them, noting their sleekness, and immediately hissed when he felt a sudden rush of shiver and goosebumps run throughout his entire body. He felt strangely cold and shook his head. That wasn't good. He had no idea how to handle the change. The shivering persisted. He frowned, reaching into the dresser for something to wear. As he pulled out a soft gray turtleneck sweater to put on, a soft knock came and before he called in, the door creaked behind him.

He turned to see a woman standing in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes and an astonished expression on her face. Her eyes widened in shock, then she rushed back out of the room and shut the door behind her. The click of the lock echoed in his head and he stared after her in bewilderment. Did that just happen? Was that normal? He shook his head with a sigh and began to get dressed in the turtleneck, the sleeves of which he found too big for him but the sweater kept him warm and comfortable enough to deal with the temperature changes he was experiencing. He found a pair of black pants and frowned when he didn't see a hole to push his tail out of, he couldn't Will his tail and ears back for some reason so he guessed he would have to deal with it till he figured out how to hide them. So, with that thought in mind, he ripped a small opening at the back of the pants with sharp claws and forced his legs into the pants pulling them in and as smoothly as his legs went in, his tail crawled out from the opening, hanging freely behind him once again. He sighed in relief and stretched once he was fully dressed. He picked up a comb and brushed his hair, leaving it loose to frame his handsome face. The clothes fit well. He smiled happily as he looked in the mirror again, glad to see he didn't appear to be any different from the lady that had walked in a while ago.

It's time to get out there and see what the fuss is all about and find someone to ask questions.

******

Dom nearly stumbled out of his seat from the loud bang and then the speed at which Eva rushed into his office, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him out of his chair so quickly he didn't have much chance to react before she began to drag him out the door. He yelped and tried to stop her from dragging him off to wherever they were going, "Woah! Slow down!" he pleaded, "What's going on?" She stopped abruptly and spun around to face him, eyes wide and panicked and looking as though she were about to cry. Dom froze in place, stunned and startled. She looked...shocked. Confused?

"I'm sorry, Dom." She said softly, "I- It's about the Alpha's Omega," he raised an eyebrow at her and cocked his head slightly to the right, prompting her to continue, "...I think you should see for yourself." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Dom frowned, unsure if she was serious or not, "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, still not getting her point.

"He...He un-puped?"

"..."

"He is grown, big...not a pup anymore, come see, please!" She dragged him out the door, both of them crashing head first into Colleen who was walking in through the door that very moment. The three of them groaned in pain as the impact sent them all stumbling forward a few steps.

"Where is the fire?" Colleen asked, looking from Dom to Eva.

Pulling Colleen on the wrist she began to drag both Betas out the door. "You should come too," She muttered under her breath, causing both Colleen and Dom to share a weird look between themselves. The pair shared a glance at each other and then started running after Eva.

Eva's step never flattened and she sped along with both Betas in tow toward the Alpha's Manor. Once inside, her pace slowed, causing the other two to slow down as well and fall into step next to her. They made their way up the stone stairs until they arrived in front of a large double door. Eva placed a finger against her lips, signaling them to be quiet and listen. Both Betas obeyed and stood at the door, but after waiting for a few seconds, Colleen sighed and pushed the door open, at the same time the Weretiger unlocked the door.

Neither Beta was prepared for the sight that greeted them.