Parker

I've started to worry about Kohl.

The wolf is a bit more hostile than he was previously. I guess that is not correct. He's a bit more confrontational than he normally is. He uses his status as Alpha as a start and end point for all conversations. Everyone seems to tip-toe around him, even Gaius. There is some unspoken rule that no one bothers the Alpha.

I'm definitely not one of his flunkies, which is why this morning I've resolved to find my mate and confront him about his attitude.

I go to his office where he is arguing with someone. The two voices are clashing about a treaty, presumably the one we worked so hard to forge with the other packs. I know Kohl's voice as the more upset of the two and I know I must end this conversation.

I open the door and walk in just as he commands Gaius' silence by informing that he's running the pack now. I clear my throat and the arguing subsides. I ask for the room with Kohl and the others gladly leave us.

As the door closes, I look to Kohl. He seems tired. My heart physically aches for him. He was brutalized by a pack of Rogues led by his brother. I can't imagine what he went through but it doesn't excuse his behavior.

"I can't talk right now. I'm knee-deep in—"

"Oh, I heard." I say whimsically, "Whole pack probably heard. Guess you really like pushing that Alpha thing, huh?"

"Parker..."

I hold my hands up, "Just saying. Way to instill kinship among the pack."

"So, you're the authority on packs now?" Kohl asks with a brash tone.

"No, I just know what I wouldn't want to hear. I can also tell that you're struggling."

"Struggling? I am the Alpha!"

"How could I forget? You can't stop saying it since you got back. Speaking of, we haven't talked about what happened to you." I say watching him. His hand fidgets slightly and I take a deep breath. When a moment passes, I speak, "I'd like to talk about it."

"Would you?" He asks, "Sorry, I'm busy. I have a treaty that is threatening to implod because my brother's insanity is spreading. There have been at least six other packs that have been—"

"Right now, I don't care."

"This impacts the future of our pack."

"I don't know you. I get it. This is all new to both of us but you really have to trust me with this." I say softly, "You want to be the Alpha? The more dominant of the two of us? Show me how to lead. Show me how to be stronger."

"I'm stronger."

"You don't have to be wit me, you know. You can be Alpha with everyone else but it's just us in this room."

"What do you want to hear? That they took the Alpha of your pack, your mate, and beat him within an inch of his life? That they took me in the dead of night like I was absolutely nothing. I have to assert my dominance because the pack doesn't exactly know what happened and I can't look weak in front of them. They're counting on me."

"You're a man. One man. You may be the Alpha of our pack but you are not all-powerful. No one expects you to be."

"This is why you can't speak on wolf law. You don't get it. If I'm weak in their eyes, then I'm easy prey for those who want to rule in my place." Kohl argues, "I don't have that luxury."

"I—"

"Am not a wolf."

I stop speaking. Kohl is correct. I am not a wolf. It stings a bit. I don't want to be a werewolf but I'm expected to be the lover of their leader. I'm expected to lead this pack with my mate. I wonder if this will always be an issue. I wonder why I'm here.

"You're here because you're my mate."

"Stay out of my head." I say with a frown.

"Stay out of mine." Kohl shoots back.

"Listen, you want to pull the Alpha male thing, cool. Go right ahead. Run yourself into the ground. If you lose the respect of the pack, you have nothing." I say angrily, "And you're right. I'm not a wolf, Kohl. I'll never be a wolf. I don't rightly want to be one. But I'm trying to be here for you. When you're done taking out your anger on everyone else, I'll be waiting for you."

I say nothing more. I've said everything I can think of and I'd rather not speak with him in anger. I decide that I need to find something else to occupy my time. I'm getting tired of being window dressing for Kohl.

Kohl

After my argument with Parker, I decide to blow off steam. I head into the woods with my Beta, Jasar. The two of us have been friends the longest in our circle of friends. I trust Jasar with my life, though he seems perturbed with me lately. I equate that timeframe with Parker's arrival.

Jasar likes Parker, saying to me that it is not Parker who is his problem. He clearly has an issue with me. He'd never admit it because I'm his Alpha. If I were still his friend, he'd tell me exactly how much of a moron I'm being about all of this, especially Parker.

I believe the reason my father relinquished his title to me, only after I found my mate, was because of the effect my mate would have. He seems especially grateful for Parker, a human. He clearly thinks there is something to be learned from Parker and I can only imagine what he wants me to learn.

Humility?

Jasar and I head into the woods to spar. I'm preoccupied, allowing Jasar to get a good a punch or two in. He's pleased with himself, probably relishing in finally getting to punch me. I easily overpower him and slam him to the ground. I pull him to his feet and we take our respective stances.

"You seem off your game, Alpha." Jasar says breathlessly, "Trouble in paradise?"

"Paradise? You've clearly never been in love with my mate. I really hope that's the case." I say as he runs towards me. I easily dodge his attack, "I may have made a mistake."

"You don't say." Jasar says as he slides under my feet, causing me to roll.

I roll to a crouched position and he turns to me with a smirk. Jasar is aware of our conversation, though I'm not sure how much he heard. I'd guess a great deal. He's quicker than me. I have to be careful.

"Tell me, Alpha, you have met your mate, right? Like, actually listened to him speak."

"Of course!"

"Then," Jasar says angling himself, "You should have known that saying he's not a wolf would hurt him slightly. He is human, after all."

"As I said, I may have made a mistake."

"You did."

"Watch yourself." I warn.

Jasar clears his throat, "Apologies, Alpha. Just pointing out the flaw in your execution. I thought you wanted your friend, not your advisor."

I groan. Jasar moves quickly. Jasar jumps into the air but I grab him. Jasar uses his momentum to angle himself across my body and kick me forward as he rolled back. I growl loudly and turn to him. I turn as he flies towards me with his fist in the air. He seems to move in slow-motion as I grab him from the sky and throw him to the ground. He rolls to a stop and runs towards me again.

I effortlessly push my palm forward and he is thrown backwards. He lands roughly on his back, staring up at the sky. I walk over and look down at him. He says he needs a moment.

"He is your mate, Kohl. You cannot shut him out. It affects you and him." Jasar pants, "He was the first to find you and the first to defend you. He was impressive."

I heard him first. I remember his warmth in the clearing. I felt the wolves surrounding us but mostly I remember the feeling of him. I was relieved that he was not hurt. I was scared that he would be.

I extend my hand to Jasar, helping him to his feet.

"You want my advice? Apologize and listen to his counsel. He, above all of us, has your best interest in mind just as you would him." Jasar says, "He's not a wolf but he shouldn't have to be."

I know he's right. I also know that his advice to heed Parker's advice is his way of saying I'm being a hard ass to everyone. He's telling me, in no uncertain words, that I am endangering all the ties we have created.

"You could use a little help with your form." I say to Jasar as I turn to leave him in the woods.

I jog back to the pack, knowing that I'll have to eat crow with a lot of people, including my mate. Especially my mate. He deserves better than what I've been giving him.

Parker

I take time to walk around the pack lands. It's beautiful out here. I can't imagine being anywhere else at this moment. I've never enjoyed nature but lately, I've been more in-tune with the world around me. It must have something to do with my newfound abilities.

The stares that I'm getting have softened, no doubt due to my affiliation with their Alpha. The older of the wolves seem to study me with the younger stare as if I'm a zoo animal. I still get more than a few distasteful glares. It's disheartening but I'd be weary of me as well. I'm still not sure what I am.

"Watch out!"

I look up to see something circular heading directly towards my head. It's a soccer ball. I reach out and grab the ball out of the sky in my palm. A group of kids run to me in search of their ball. I'm happy to see that they vary in skintones. I hadn't thought about diversity here. I hadn't noticed because I've been so caught up with their werewolf status. I have neglected everything else about these people except for them being werewolves.

They're not just a pack of werewolves. They are a pack of humans.

A girl with copper skin breaks from the group and walks towards me. The others seem scared, as does she. Her hair is tied back into a loose ponytail and her eyes are an almond hue. I smile to her as I hand her the ball.

"We're sorry, Luna! We didn't know!" the girl apologizes.

The word Luna grates on me but only slightly. I'm more annoyed by their sheepish behavior around me. They seem to be afraid of me. I'm not sure how to alleviate their fear. I decide that I'll be normal. I don't need to be their 'Luna', I need to be a leader. A leader listens to their people and doesn't put themselves above their people.

"You don't need to be sorry. Sure, my face could possibly have gotten smashed. Got a whole other side, though."

The kids laugh. I wasn't sure the joke would land with them but I'm surprised when it does.

"You talk funny." The girl says.

Oh!

"What are your names?" I ask.

"Hazel," Kohl says as he jogs up to us.

Kohl quickly points out each of their names and I smile. He knows the names of all the kids yet he feels somehow manages to feel inadequate. He's not logical at all.

"I'm glad you met your new—"

"Luna." I say quickly.

Kohl raises an eyebrow at me before a smile stretches across his face. I watch as a woman that looks suspiciously like Hazel runs up to us. She looks a bit nervous.

"Alpha! Se—"

"Luna." I correct.

The woman stares at me and I wink at her. She smiles.

"Luna," She says with a nod, "I am so sorry! They shouldn't have been playing so close to the street."

"They're fine." I say extending my hand, "I'm Parker."

"Oh! Well, I'm Emma." Emma says shaking my hand. She quickly recoils, "It's an honor to meet you!"

"Oh God, why? I'm literally the most boring person." I smile.

Emma laughs, "I highly doubt that. It's almost dinner time. We should be going. Come on, kids. Your parents will be worried." She says as she leaves with the group of kids.

Kohl laughs, "Parker, Luna of the people."

"Don't start." I say with a chuckle, "Someone's cheery."

"Yeah, well, someone knocked some sense into me." Kohl says, "Keep this up and the whole pack will vote you Alpha instead. I'd be your Luna."

"Oh my God, can you imagine?"

"Absolutely not." He deadpans. He sighs, "Listen, I need to apologize."

"For?"

"For...saying you're not a wolf. The moment you became my mate, you became an honorary wolf." Kohl says calmly, "You're also right about everything you said. I'm not exactly handling what happened to me in a healthy way and you've only been trying to help me. And, as my advisor reiterated, you're right. You proved it a minute ago."

"About you acting like a brat?"

"Yeah. That."

"Listen, I have a soft spot for you. It's annoying and at times I want to strangle you with your own self-righteousness. Thing is, I actually love you. I think you're a good leader when you actually lead people. Not when you flex your power. Nobody likes seeing you flex your power."

"Not so sure about that."

"How about we do this together. You be the Alpha and I'll be—"

"The Luna?" He smirks.

"Your partner." I say extending my hand.

Kohl mulls it over before nod, "Deal." He says shaking my hand.