Alpha

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Raquel couldn't help but smile as William introduced himself, his enthusiasm obvious. Then Wesley quickly followed suit, a big smile on his face. She had to admit, the kids were quite cute with their enthusiasm for the day. She turned her gaze to the last boy, who nervously stepped forward and introduced himself as Harris, stuttering over his words. A few seconds later, he looked at her and then said she was really pretty. Raquel blinked in surprise and then gave him a bright smile, "thank you, Harris," she said and watched as the other two boys nudged him playfully. When Darren gave a small cough to get the kids' attention, Raquel looked over at him. She threaded her fingers together behind her back as she listened to him speak. He asked the children a question about what was the easiest way to tell the packs apart and William quickly piped up with the answer. She wondered how long William could hold out before he started bouncing up and down. She giggled softly at the thought and when he started saying they'd go to a scent marker so they could tell the difference, she looked over at Justin again. He was still being surly, but instead, he was looking straight at Darren.

Raquel sighed and when Darren turned to their group and said they were ready when they were, she straightened slightly. Her father nodded and said, "this way then," he flashed the children a grin before he turned and started walking. Jackson and Lark followed him closely and then Justin grudgingly trudged after them. Shaking her head, she glanced at Darren and the children before she jogged slightly to catch up to Justin. "Can you stop being so grumpy?" she hissed and he glared at her. "We're here to help, not stand back, be moody and glare at everyone," she told him. He huffed. "I didn't want to come to this stupid thing anyway. This is so a waste of my time," he grumbled. Raquel shook her head and elbowed him lightly in the side, "if you don't want to start being nice, go home. But make sure you video record it once your father finds out. He really won't be happy. Actually, i'd think he wouldn't be too impressed if he found out you weren't being a productive, supportive member of the team, either," she threatened with a smirk. His eyes widened slightly before they narrowed into slits as he glared at her. "You wouldn't," he stated, though it came out more like a question. "Try me," Raquel challenged and Justin stared at her for a moment before he sighed in defeat and ran a hand over his face, "you love it when I get into trouble, don't you?" he muttered and she smiled sweetly. "No," she said and paused, "I love it when he's disappointed in you. You're always so depressed when that happens. Those moments are pure glee for me. I do hate you after all," she told him, her tone sickly sweet. He glared at her again and she smiled. For anyone who didn't know the two or didn't hear the conversation, they'd probably think they were having a friendly conversation - like friends. Maybe more. But they would be wrong.

Raquel looked back at Darren, watching him for a moment before she gave him a small wave and then looked back at Justin. "Remember - friendly," she told him before she jogged to catch up with Jackson and Lark, squeezing herself between the two much taller twins. They looked down at her and Jackson nudged her with his shoulder as Lark ruffled her hair and she laughed gently before she smoothed out of now messy hair. A few minutes later, her father stopped and so did they. He turned and waited for Darren and his group. "One of our scent markers are just over there," he told them, gesturing to the trees a little distance to the left.
 
The boys excitedly close behind Bentley as he began to lead them to the first marker. Darren Walked alongside Bentley, occasionally checking back on the cubs and when he can, glancing at Raquel. At one point he looked back, he noticed that she seemed to be getting rather friendly with that Justin guy, and it got him rather confused. Were they friends or... something? He seemed like too stuck up of a jerk for someone like her to be friendly with... Darren decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and continued on.

Beta Wesley looked over at Beta Jackson before happily stating "You're really tall! I bet you're as tall as Alpha Darren!"

Beta William looked over and tilted his head toward Jackson before looking back at Darren, "Nah, Alpha Darren is taller!"

"Well, maybe not by much" replied Omega Harris as he nonchalantly kicked a pine cone along the ground. The other two boys glanced back between the Beta and Alpha before shrugging in agreement and continuing along.

Darren chuckled at the three and looked over at Jackson, "Sorry for these pups, they get pretty excitable around new people" he said to him in a humored tone of voice. He noticed that Raquel smiled and waved at him, and he responded with his own smile before she ran up to walk with her older siblings. Being siblings, they playfully roughed up their little sister. Darren smiled at this, it must be nice to have siblings. Of course the whole pack was his family, but still being the only child, especially of the Alpha leaders, was sometimes a little boring. This kind of made him secretly wish that if he were to have his own cubs, that he would want at least two.

Soon enough, Beta Bentley stopped the group and the three boys looked up at him with full attention. When he pointed in the direction of where their first marker was, they looked at Darren, who nodded to them and said "Whoever sniffs it out first can get first dibs on dinner tonight"

This got the boy's attention quick, and without further hesitation, they tore off in the direction that was pointed to, one yelling "First dibs first dibs!" another yelling "Im gonna get it!" and the third yelling "Taaacooooossss!"

Darren let out a laugh as he looked over at Bentley, shrugging as he said "Its taco night, and our den mothers can whip up some pretty good ones. Maybe I can bring some next time for you to try"

He proceeded to walk with the group as the boys sniffed out the marker, finally after about a minute, Omega Harris jumped up and down victoriously telling the group "I found it I found it!" In his excitement, he didnt notice his wolf tail that had sprouted from his hind end, wagging excitedly.

The two others seemed disappointed, but congratulated their pack mate all the same as they began to curiously sniff around the tree marker. "Thats weird" William said, "It almost smells like back home, but... different..."

"Yeah" said Wesley, "Like its harsher or something..."

"Thats because wolves tend to have similar scents, but there is always those smaller differences that help us distinguish which pack the scent belongs to." explained Darren as they approached the boys, giving Harris a high five for finding the marker.
 
Jackson was taken by surprise when the children started speaking to him. It was Wesley who spoke first, stating he was probably as tall as Darren. He glanced over at the young Alpha for a moment before William caught his attention, saying his Alpha was taller and then Harris pointed out it wasn't by much. Jackson laughed softly at the kids and watched as they walked off again, their attention now else where. When Darren spoke, he turned his hazel eyes to look over at him and he lightly shook his head. "It's fine," he told him, "kids will be kids," he said just before Raquel had squeezed herself between him and Lark.


Raquel watched as the boys tore off to find the scent marker before he looked over at Darren, who was offering to bring some tacos for her father to have one day. She stepped closer, curious as to what her father said and was quite surprised when he said, "that would be wonderful. My family loves tacos," he looked at Raquel and she quickly looked away, pretending she hadn't just been listening into their conversation. She heard her father chuckle under his breath and she walked back t her siblings just as Harris jumped up and down, declaring he had found the marker. She looked over at him and saw his tail had appeared in his excitement, wagging furiously back and forth. She couldn't help but smile.

She listened to the boys as they spoke how the scents were different and she canted her head to the side. They were intelligent kids and seemed to grasp information quickly. Nodding lightly, even though they weren't of her pack, she could feel a small swell of pride inside her. They were going to grow into fine young men who will be great for their pack. When Darren explained that scents were similar but had slight differences, Raquel looked over at her father who was checking his watch. Was he leaving? She watched as he pulled out a phone from his pocket and checked something. She walked over to him. "Is everything alright, Dad?" she asked him and he looked at her and shook his head lightly. "Everything is fine. Alpha Bryce just needs me," he told her quietly before he stepped over to Darren. "Alpha Darren, I am sorry to say, but I must leave already. My Alpha needs me. Take your time, the others will be staying here with you," he explained with a dip of his head. He looked at the children and smiled, "Bye, boys," he said before he turned and left.

Raquel watched him until the leaves in the trees had swallowed him and then she peered over at Justin, seeing what he was doing. He was leaning against a nearby tree, still looking moody. But when he saw her looking at him, he straightened and tried to appear neutral. Didn't work. Sighing, Raquel walked over to Darren. "Is there anywhere else you need to go with them? I can take you there," she asked him, completely prepared to show him the way. She knew her way through her pack lands like the back of her hand.
 
Darren smiled as Bentley accepted the offer, happy to find that he was so welcoming. After checking his phone, he announced that he had to leave to accompany his own Alpha. Darren nodded in understanding and wished Bentley a fond farewell, hoping to cross paths again soon. The boys followed suit with their Alpha, waving and giving friendly smiled toward the Beta as he said his goodbyes to them as well. When Bentley left, Darren noticed Justin, sulking in the back like he had been normally, though he tried to cover it up. Darren resisted the urge to roll his eyes, the thought that this guy was actually gonna lead a pack some day.

Raquel walked up to him and couldnt help but smile at her, she asked him if there were somewhere else that he wanted to go, saying she could lead them. With a smiled he nodded and replied; "If you can take us in the general direction of the next marker, I want to see if the boys can sniff out another marker without being told where it will be." He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity for the boys to hone their skills so that eventually, an older Beta could be able to take them out on their first border patrols.

He glance back over at Justin before looking at Raquel once more, "Whats his issue?" he said silently for Raquels ears only, hoping she could shed a little light on this guys stuck up attitude.
 
When Justin asked her to lead them to another marker, she beamed and nodded. "Follow me," she called to the group, looking past Darren for a moment before she looked back at him and then turned and started walking, keeping beside Darren. She saw him glance behind them and then asked what his deal was. She glanced back and saw Justin following them at the back of the group and she sighed. "Ah, Justin," she said, almost like it pained her, "just cause he's Alpha Bryce's son, he thinks he can do what ever he wants. He thinks because he's going to the Alpha one day, it means he doesn't have any responsibilities. He usually flakes out on everything. He also thinks he's better than everyone else," she explained to him, glancing up at Darren for moment. "In my opinion, he's going to be an absolutely pathetic Alpha and pretty much everyone else thinks the same thing. Unfortunately, he acts like the perfect role model when his father's around so Alpha Bryce doesn't take much notice. People don't want to say anything to him, either because they don't know what will happen when he becomes their leader," she sighed heavily and cast Justin a quick glance again before looking ahead. "My brother is much better suited to become Alpha of the pack.. Oh, scratch that, even young Harris would be a better leader than what he would be," Raquel said, glancing over at the young, shy Omega.

"It's a good thing I don't like him and plan to be out of the pack before he's leader, so he knows i'll say something to Alpha Bryce if he gets out of line," she said and grinned at Darren. A couple minutes later, she stopped. "There's a marker near here," she told Darren as she threaded her fingers behind her back. She looked over at Jackson and Lark, who raised a brow in question as to why she was speaking so freely with an Alpha even if they didn't know what they were actually talking about. She grinned at them and gave a shrug in response. No need to tell them just yet that she'd already met him and could tell he preferred the honest truth to washed over semi-truths. She liked that about him, actually. She was the exact same way. And she wasn't the type to dilute something down to someone. Not often, anyway. Some situations may call for it, but this definitely wasn't one.

Looking back at Darren, Raquel wondered what he'd say about what she told him.
 
Darren listened to her explanation about Justin and the way he acts just because he will inherit the pack one day. In his honest opinion, that was a sorry way for a future leader to act, and it seemed that Raquel thought the same thing. Ok so they werent being friendly back there, so that was good. Darren thought a moment about his response before saying;

"It really is sad that he thinks his role leads him to special entitlement. If he keeps being this selfish, i am afraid his position as leader wont last long. To be honest, even if he has fear on his side, if enough people become fed with his attitude, that the end for him." he said to her as they walked along, speaking in a hushed tone. He was honest with what he felt, if a wolf does not like the way an Alpha is leading, and he/she can gain enough followers, they could potentially challenge the Alpha to make them stand down. He would know... hes been dealing with challengers this whole past month... though for him, they were rogues looking for a quick spot as a leader.

When she stated that there was another marker nearby, the three boys perked up and immediately began to sniff around, paying more attention than before, trying not to let their excitement get the better of them this time. As he watched the three, he whispered to Raquel, "So what are you doing later today? I figured we could try and hang out in town or something. Grab some lunch or something." he said to her, wondering if she would accept his invitation.
 
Raquel listened as he spoke about Justin and she nodded in agreement. "I know I probably shouldn't say this, but I definitely hope it'll be sooner rather than later. Justin will be a horrible leader and all the work Alpha Bryce has put into making it a great pack won't mean a thing," she told him honestly with a soft sigh. As much as she wanted to leave to have her own life, she didn't want her pack to suffer when Justin became their leader. They needed someone who could lead them correctly. There were a few in her pack that were capable of that. Like both her siblings. And Ollie could potentially be a good leader, though she had a feeling he would make everyone wear blouses and vests with styled hair and painted nails. The Fashionista Pack? She couldn't help but give a quiet laugh to the thought. She might actually want to see that.

She watched as the three boys took off in different directions, sniffing like crazy to catch the scent and she hoped that Harris would find it again. What could she say? He thought she was pretty. She'd obviously like him more. Raquel glanced up at Darren as he started whispering to her. When he asked her if she was doing anything today and wondered if she wanted to go into town and grab some lunch, her eyes widened. She stared at him for a moment, completely taken by surprise at his offer before she glanced at her siblings for a fraction of a second and saw they weren't paying attention, but instead talking between one another.

She looked back at Darren and smiled, "I'd love to," she whispered back, "what time?" she asked. She could already feel the butterflies in her tummy. She was getting nervous and excited. Which was odd. Raquel Hazel Cinder did not get nervous. Ever. She blamed it on the fact that no guy other than Ollie had ever asked to get lunch together and hang out. It was so not because she thought Darren was cute. Nope. Not at all.
 
Darren smiled as she had accepted his offer, feeling the excitement fluttering within his chest which was a new sensation for him. The reason for it? It couldnt possibly be the fact he found her to be beautiful. Obviously. He thought a moment then replied "I am free at one, we can meet up in front of the Moonlight Auto, its my auto shop just down the road from the tourist info-center for Yellowstone. Sound good?" he asked her before looking back at the boys as they continued their search. He had to admit the boys were enthusiastic, even Harris who normally did not seem very motivated to do a lot of the activities, so it was nice to see him enjoying himself

They had a little more difficulty this time, but it did not stop them. This time, it was Beta William who found the marker, placed on a large boulder that met with the end of the treeline. William hopped and danced around the boulder, his victory well deserved as he high fived his two pack mates. Darren applauded them and said that they could take a rest, tossing the boys a water bottle for each of them from the bag that was slung onto his back. Pulling out another, he looked around the group to offer one to whoever wanted it. Once everyone who wanted one received one, he himself sat down on a nearby log.

Where the trees ended, came the lake where Darren had met Raquel just yesterday, and a smile came to his face at the memory. The sun had just came over the treetops so it was safe to assume that it was around ten. Pretty soon he would have to take the boys home, much to their predicted sadness. Deciding not to leave out the others from conversation, he said to Jackson, Lark and Justin, "So tell me, do you do this with your cubs?"
 
When Darren told her a time and explained where to meet, she nodded. She was quite impressed that he owned an auto shop. "I'll see you then," she said with a smile. Soon William announced his victory and she looked over at him and smiled. It hadn't been Harris, but William was so happy that she couldn't be even slightly disappointed. She watched as Darren threw the boys a bottle of water and handed one out to everyone. When he offered her one, she shook her head slightly. He soon went and sat on a log and watched as Jackson and Lark went and sat opposite the long, a couple metres away. Justin moved to stand to the side and leaned against the tree. His mood slightly less annoyed and now just more bored. Shaking her head, she went and sat down next to Lark, though shifted so her back faced her and she leaned against her arm, getting comfy. Lark cast her a playful glare and Raquel stuck her tongue out for a quick second before she grinned.

Through the trees in the distance, she could see the lake from yesterday and she smiled as she remembered her meeting with Darren. When he spoke to Justin and her siblings though, she turned her attention to him. It was Lark who spoke first. "Not all the time. It depends on how many children need to be showed. But mostly we have one or two go out on patrols starting from when they're 11 or 12, depending on their maturity. Obviously not by themselves. Normally Alpha Bryce and our father will take them as they like to teach the younger generations themselves. But if he can't, usually Jackson and I will take them," she explained to him with a friendly smile. Raquel grinned and twisted slightly to jab her in her ribs and Lark gasped before she quickly shifted forward so Raquel could no longer lean on her and Raquel lost her balance and fell backwards. The sisters stared at each other for a moment in stunned silence before they laughed at one another.

When they had quieted down and Raquel sat back up, Jackson turned his attention back to Darren, "they usually only come with us once a month or so, so no one gets overwhelmed or frustrated having to bring kids along all the time. And they only have assisted patrols until they are around 15, when they're allowed to patrol with their selected partner. Our pack doesn't allow solo patrols. Too risky. But patrols are pretty easy as we include the whole pack, so shifts are short," he explained and then leaned back, hands behind him and supporting his weight. "We do things a bit different to most packs," Jackson said, feeling proud about that fact.

True, Raquel liked the idea of teaching the young like her pack did. You could teach the young and not have to disturb patrol shifts. "We used to have free reign to just across your border from your parents," Lark told him, "so they can learn how scents are different in different packs. It used to be the same on our side as well, for you guys. But since the Alpha change, that deal had to be dropped. Alpha Bryce doesn't know what type of Alpha you are yet, after all," she sighed softly as she said it.

Raquel looked over at Justin, who didn't seem very impressed. He huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "You shouldn't be giving out information about our pack to someone like him," he remarked as he glared at Darren. Raquel rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut your mouth Justin," she told him, "no one cares what you think," he turned his gaze to her, his dislike for her quite obvious. Though he said no more, deciding to fall quiet and lean against the tree once more.
 
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Darren had to admit that the way they trained their young in this sense was rather effective. Seeing as it could allow no disturbances in the patrols and can evenly distribute the times that they would be integrated into the patrols themselves. Darren took on a face of concentration as he pictured the way Jackson and Lark described their training tactics and he gave an impressed nod. "You guys seem to have a pretty good system going on. I like it. Though I dont want to end up copying your own ways, it cold definitely provide a good base to make my own training tactics." he said to the twins as he watched Raquel and Lark having at one another, trying to stifle a chuckle.

He looked back at Justin as he said to not share information to someone 'like him' and proceeded to wonder what in the hell that meant. He really did not make a good first impression and his sour attitude did nothing to help. On top of that, the glare he fixed Darren with was definitely not welcome, though he composed himself for the sake of a peaceful morning. Raquel went on to put him in his place and was rather effective in shutting him up. Had to admit, the girl had some balls on her to talk to the alphas son like that. Of course she did say that she didnt care, since she would be leaving the pack anyways. He began to wonder what all she then planned once she left the pack. Would she stick around? Would she go elsewhere? He took another drink of his water to help clear his thoughts, screwing the lid shut before turning his attention to Justin.

Justin... he did not like the guy in the least bit. His actions and attitude did not exactly state that he was a worthy Alpha, a quick glance at Beta James, who had stayed back to keep a close eye on the little ones, and he could see that he thought the same thing. If he were holding the future of the Eastern Pack, then he wondered just how close-knit their packs could ever possibly be in the future.

"So Justin" he called out to the pouting Alpha, "Tell me, do you ever take part in the training? Beta's Jackson and Lark here seem to be pretty busy with this, I am just curious what all you take part in" he said to Justin, giving him a steady gaze that had little to no emotion behind it. To the others, it may just seem he was asking a simple question, but perhaps Raquel could pick up in his voice that he was in a way calling out the Alpha as to say, "What the hell do you do besides pout and huff?"
 
Lark and Jackson nodded when Darren said he liked their training methods and then said he may use it as a base for his training tactics. There was nothing wrong with that. If he wanted to use the idea to better his training, so be it. They had nothing against that so long as said pack was peaceful with them. Which, obviously, Darren's pack was. And they genuinely hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, it seemed Justin was out to make this a difficult morning. The twins, though, didn't speak up. They'd have to serve and help him when he was their Alpha. Oh goodie. Just what they wanted. To help a spoilt brat who was lazy and thought himself king.

Raquel canted her head when Darren asked Justin what he did and she couldn't help but grin, knowing exactly what he was really asking. She looked over at Justin, who fixed Darren with a challenging glare and she sighed. And the morning had been going so well before he opened his mouth. "I don't see how any of that is your business," Justin replied, taking a step toward Darren. Raquel could see Justin's temper was rising. If the clenching of his fists was any indicator. "If it was my choice, I wouldn't be letting any of you-" he was cut short when Raquel jumped to her feet, grabbed his arm and hauled him away before it got worse. When they were out of ear shot, she stopped and spun to face him. "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed at him and she just stared at her, "you're meant to be helping today! Not starting a conflict between our packs!" she shook her head and Justin shrugged. "I was just telling the truth.. I was being a productive member of the team," he told her with a smirk. She slitted her eyes at him and then ran a hand over her face, suddenly feeling exhausted. "You're meant to be supportive. Help. Give advice. Not challenge him!" Raquel growled and Justin looked away.

"He's a useless pack leader," Justin remarked and Raquel shook her head, "No, he's not. He's trying to better his pack. And you need to straighten up, Justin. Or I will tell Alpha Bryce about this. Everyone knows I don't hold back the truth. Either play nice, or just don't say anything else, hear me?" she told him, though the last bit came out more of a demand than a question. She found it quite fun to be able to manipulate him in this way. Usually she couldn't threaten him with his father as she never came to any of these important meetings and events. And then, she realized, why he never wanted her to come to them. He knew she'd do this. And it would work. That's why he always tried to keep her away. She smirked at the new information and she looked up at Justin. "Play nice," she said sweetly, walking back to the others, patting his arm lightly as she walked past him. She came back to the group, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm really sorry about that," Raquel apologized to Darren, with a bow of her head. Behind her she could hear Justin coming back and he soon leaned against a tree again, glaring at everything and nothing. But he said nothing.
 
Justin's response was exactly how he expected it to be, rude. This time he didnt try to hide rolling his eyes, either way, Justin was coming at him as if he were gonna throw punches. Whether he did or not did not concern Darren, because if he tried anything, Justin would learn just what he was capable of. He glanced over at James who had stood up slightly when he saw Justin getting aggressive, but Darrens look told him to stay put. For as long as he could remember, when he wasnt doing other responsibilities, he was training. That training consisted of lifting weights, running, and MMA training. He took pride in his fighting, wanting to be known as a leader who is not afraid to fight for his pack. However it never came to that as Raquel hauled him away and began to scold the guy. He honestly wondered why she wasted her time with him. He obviously never learned and would much rather just be an asshole.

The comment about him being a useless leader could be heard, and he let out a silent chuckle. As if Justin could do better? He could just imagine him sitting on a chair all day ordering people around while he didnt do crap. Yeah, that Justin was some real leadership material. Soon Raquel returned and apologized to Darren, he waved it away and smiled

"No need to" he replied happily, "It's probably just a bad day for him, I'm sure he'll grow out of it" he said, the secret message in that being "grow up". He looked over at the boys who were not close enough to hear Justin's remark, and in their boredom, had decided to entertain themselves by wrestling one another. Darren watched with a humored gaze as the boys tumbled and turned, each trying to get the other to the ground. Motioning to the others with a finger to his lips, he snuck over to the two who were currently wrestling, William and Wesley, with Harris watching a few feet away, and in one fluid motion, scooped them up, one in each arm, and lifted them high into the air, causing them to yelp in surprise.

"Waaaahhh!!!" exclaimed William in surprise, flailing in the Alpha's strong arm, Wesley mirroring his pack mate. Harris laughed until he was rolling on the ground, looking at the two helpless cubs suspended in the air.

"What is going on here then?" said Darren with a chuckle, setting the boys back down as they regained their composure.

"Just seeing who's the better wrestler!" said Wesley as he nudged William, who did the same in response.

"Is that so?" replied Darren, "I didnt think you guys started your training just yet" he said mock seriously.

"We are trying to see what we saw you doing! You train like... all the time!" said William, his eyes shining.

"Yeah!" added in Harris from his spot nearby, "No one in the entire pack can beat you! Not even James!"

"Kids, im hurt" said James in mock sadness, making the boys laugh.

"Yeah, and that last challenger that tried to-" started Wesley just before James quickly tugged the boy over, causing him to stop midsentence. Darren could feel a skip in his heart as he quickly changed the subject with a clap of his hands.

"Alright boys, I hope you guys learned a lot today! We need to get you guys back because it's almost lunchtime, and your mothers will wonder where youre at. Now come on, thank the nice Eastern Pack wolves for allowing us to come here and learn what we did."

Listening to their Alpha, the boys walked to the others and let out a unanimous "Thank you!" Harris quickly shuffled up to Raquel, placing a dandelion in her hand before scuttling away with the other two as James began to lead them to the trail that would take them to their territory. Darren stayed behind as he smiled at the group.

"Thanks again for letting this happen. I know the boys enjoyed themselves and I appreciate you letting us onto your land. Whenever you all have to do the same for your cubs, you are more than welcome to do so. Now if you will all excuse me, I need to see to it the pack is squared away, then I gotta get home. Got a lunch date that I do not intend to miss."

With that, he said his farewells, shaking the hands of the three siblings, giving Raquel a little wink when the others werent looking before he too followed the boys and James.
 
Raquel gave a small smile he said he must be having a bad day, that he may grow out of it. She highly doubted that. She glanced at Jackson and Lark, who were watching her with mirrored expressions of amusement and curiosity. She flashed them a smile and waved them off before she looked back at Darren, who was watching William and Wesley wrestling. He signalled for them to be quiet as he crept up behind and them and then scooped them up in his arms. The boys flailed their limbs, trying to get free and Raquel chuckled lightly, amused. Darren soon placed the boys on their feet and she watched them with a smile, listening as they spoke. She was quite impressed to hear that he trained all the time and that he was the strongest in his pack. Not that it should be a surprise. The Alpha should be strong to have the ability to protect their pack.

She glanced at James as he pretended to be hurt by their comment before Wesley started talking about some challenger. She raised a single brow and couldn't help herself. She was now really curious. Especially by their reactions. What had happened? But she figured he wouldn't tell her. They barely knew each other. She smiled at the boys as they thanked them and then watched as Harris came towards her. He placed a dandelion in her hand and she smiled widely. As he started walking away, she grabbed the kid's arm gently, "Harris," she said and when he faced her, she leaned down and kissed his cheek lightly, "thank you," she said with a bright smile and watched him leave.

She looked at Darren as he paused in front of their group. Jackson and Lark thanked him for his offer to allow their kids to do the same. When he went on to say he had a lunch date he didn't intend to miss, her eyes widened in surprise, feeling the butterflies in her stomach again. When he shook her hand, she smiled at him. But when no one was looking, he gave her a wink. She watched as he walked away and she could feel a light blush creeping up her cheeks. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she shook her head and quickly turned and walked off, linking her arms with her siblings and dragging them along with her. To say she was excited for her date was an understatement. But should she get dressed? Should she not? She needed to hire the services of her all knowing, fabulous friend Ollie for his advice.

When they made it home, Ollie quickly bombarded her with question as he pulled her from Jackson and Lark's arms and slung his own over her shoulder. But not questions about the Border Walk itself. "So how'd it go with Mr Sexy Alpha?" he asked and Raquel playfully slapped his arm. "Ollie!" she hissed lightly with a giggle, "keep your voice down!" he made a dramatic gesture to cover his mouth, eyes comically wide. "My apologies," he said, though didn't mean it in the slightest. Raquel shook her head and waited until they were in her room, door shut behind her and sitting on her bed. "So um.." she started and Ollie waved his hands in a circular motion, gesturing for her to continue, "well.. We're going.. Out to lunch later," she told him and ducked her head as Ollie gasped and gripped her shoulders. "Oh my gosh, really, truly?" he asked and then leaned back and studied her. "My Dear. You are so not dressed for a date!" he chastised.

He shooed her off the bed and dragged her to her closet. "What time is the date?" he asked her and she pressed her lips together lightly. "At one," she replied and he pulled out his phone, "It's 11:45. Plenty of time," He searched through her closet, inspecting everything she owned. "do you not own anything nice?" he huffed and she shrugged, "I'm not interesting in dating.. Well, I wasn't.. I may change my mind yet," she replied with a grin. "This'll have to do, then," he told her and grabbed a pair of nice dark blue skinny jeans, "get into that whilst I find a shirt. Have a quick shower, too," he told her and she groaned, but did as she was told. Having a quick shower, she pulled on the jeans and then walked out in only her jeans and a bra. "Found one yet?" she asked him. He glanced at her and held up a plain baby doll blue tank top and then a gold coloured t-shirt with dark blue diamontees creating a small flower just about left left breast. Ollie shook his head and then gave her the baby doll blue tank top. "More your style than this gaudy thing," he told her and she nodded in agreement as she pulled it on over her head. "Why do you have this thing, anyway?" Ollie asked, waving the gold shirt in front of her and she groaned, pushing it away. "Alpha Bryce bought it for me. He thought it'd look good on me," he told him and Ollie grunted, "maybe when you're 80," he commented and she laughed.

Ollie ran a brush through her hair and fingered her chain cuff earring. "Wear something normal?" he asked and she glared at him. He held up his hands in mock surrender, "alright alright, that is your normal," he said and then stepped back and examined her, "For you, you look very pretty. Jeans are so much more flattering than tights and short shorts, my girl," he told her and she shrugged, "it's what I like," she replied and then walked outside after she put on her black and white converse shoes. "Different shoes?" Ollie asked and Raquel shook her head, "I own 3 pairs of these and one pair of bright blue joggers. Your choice," and Ollie nodded quickly, "these are great! Now get going. You're telling me all the juicy details when you get home," he told her and she laughed and left.

It was 12:50 by the time she arrived at the arranged spot to meet Darren and she looked around, wondering if he had come early. She bit her lower lip gently, a habit she had when she nervous, whilst she waited for him.
 
The walk home for Darren was all but a little distracted due to the thought of a beautiful girl with ebony hair. At some points James would wave his hand in front of Darren to make sure he was still on earth. "You ok?" he asked the Alpha, "You've been in lala land since we left."

"Huh? No, yeah I am fine. Just a little tired I guess." responded Darren with a shrug, earning a raised eyebrow from James. Of course James knew Darren a little better than that, but he decided to not say anything, Darren's business was his own unless it was deemed important to the whole pack after all. They made it to the abandoned recreation area where most of the pack was at, cubs played at the basketball area, mothers chatted and gossiped around the overhang as they prepared meals, the teens were either busy on their phones or playing a few rounds of volleyball, and the older gentlemen were grilling food for the lunches. The boys made their way to the basketball area where they immediately began to tell their younger friends about the fun they had with the Eastern Pack, and how Harris got kissed on the cheek by a girl. The latter got a mixed response of 'eww' and 'lucky!' from the kids.

Darren went to each pack member to see how they were doing, none of which really had any new news. Locating Seth, he made his way over to the older wolf. "How were patrols today?" he asked.

Seth shrugged, "No more traces of hunted game scraps were found, but the scent of rogues are lingering. We havent had any issues yet, and I dont expect there to be for a while. Beta Franklin thinks we should double our patrols however, just to be safe."

Darren nodded in agreement. "Make sure that happens, and ensure no one travels away from the pack alone, unless they are heading to town. No rogues have been there, since that place is pretty populated with human traffic. Also, dont be travelling around in the late hours, you know how they travel under cover of night."

Seth nodded in agreement at Darren's words, walking to find Franklin and tell him what Darren had ordered. He spent a little more time with the pack until around 11:30, when he decided to make his way to his shop apartment. Once there, he took a shower and changed into a nice pair of jeans, and a solid black t-shirt with his favorite necklace, a chain necklace with a wolf's fang on it. He combed his hair and spiked it slightly at the front, then put on his favorite pair of Vans, light grey with white outline. He stepped out of his door and locked it, looking over to see that Raquel was there waiting for him. She looked beautiful, and for a minute he felt rather nervous. This was his first legitimate date, and he hoped that he would do well.


"Hey there" he said with a smile as he walked up to her. "So, what are you hungry for?"
 
Darren's voice soon reached her ears and she turned and saw him. "Hey," she said lightly as she studied him. He wore some nice jeans, a solid black shirt and a chain necklace with a wolf's fang on it. His hair was slightly spiked as well. She couldn't help but think he was very handsome. "You look nice," she told him honestly and she smiled at the man as he stopped in front of her and then asked what she wanted to eat. She rocked back on her heels slightly, thinking. Then she smiled at him, "how does pasta sound?" she asked, canting her head to the side slightly in question, slightly unsure. She wondered what he'd think about her choice. She was being silly. She didn't care what people thought of her, so why start now? She had told him what she felt like. That was that. Simple. Right?

She bit her lower lip softly again. She was nervous. She wasn't used to being nervous and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not. Other than Ollie, who didn't really count, Raquel had never been on a date before. It was new territory for her and she wasn't sure what she should do. She took a small step back. What would Ollie say to her if she told him the date lasted two minutes before she bolted? She was over thinking it, she knew that, but she couldn't help it. "Umm.. Or, if not, I really don't mind where we go," she told him quickly then glanced at the ground. She was acting like a fool. She wanted to hide.
 
Darren had to admit he was a little nervous for this date. It was his first real one, and by that, not one that his parents had to take him and his date somewhere. By the way she bit her lip, she must have been nervous too, so Darren did everything he could to make sure she would enjoy herself. When she mentioned pasta, a light went off in his head. A small smile came to him as he nodded to her "Pasta sounds like an awesome idea! In fact, there is this Italian restaurant that I know in Sheridan County that my parents would take me on special occasions. If you'd like..."

Before finishing his sentence, he went over to one of the side garages in the shop and opened it, revealing his car, a 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28.

"I'll drive" he finished with a smile. The car itself was a chrome blue color, with a single white stripe going down the center. The restored roadster shone as the light went against it, showing the hours upon hours of care that he put into this vehicle. Inside was no less spotless, with its leather interior and real wood dash that he installed himself. He managed to find a classic gearshift to go with the car as well, seeing as he preferred stick shift over automatic. The road wheels were slick Goodyear blackwalls, newly added as it took him forever to find the right ones.

"Like it?" he asked Raquel, "My dad and I found this at a junkers lot when I was thirteen. It wouldnt even run, so we got it towed to the shop and we set to work immediately. I cant even begin to imagine the hours of love we poured into this thing, I'm talking carburetors, transmissions, new fuel lines, the works." He was about to continue when he stopped himself and blushed, "I-I'm babbling now, you havent even said if you wanted to or not" he began to say, obviously flustered.
 
When Darren smiled at her, Raquel relaxed slightly. So apparently she hadn't made the wrong choice. That was a big relief. When he went on to say it was a great idea and he knew of an Italian restaurant in Sheridan County, she gave a quiet sigh. Well, she had picked something good apparently. That was good. She didn't feel like running as much, now. He told her he'd drive and then went over to open one of the side garages, revealing a 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28. Raquel studied the car and took a step closer. It was a good looking car, she had to admit that. And she wasn't exactly a major car person. And she absolutely loved the chrome blue colour. Well, she loved any blue, but that was beside the point!

When he asked if she liked it and then went on to explain how he got it, Raquel smiled. He was babbling. And she found it cute. And when he blushed and then apologized, Raquel laughed softly and waved him off. "No, it's fine. It's a nice car," she said honestly. She watched him for a moment before she looked at the car, "And I would love to," she told him with a smile. Stepping toward the car, she watched Darren for a short moment, "Did you rebuild cars with your Dad a lot?" she asked him, curious.

She kind of wished she could do something like that. Unfortunately, she didn't understand a lot about cars.. Or building in general, really. She liked the idea to repairing things when they broke, but she had no one to teach her those sort of things.
 
She giggled and waved him off about his apology, complimenting that the car was nice. He gave a proud smile as he looked over the car once more. It was rare that he got to take this one out, so it made today a pretty special occasion, especially since he would get to spend time with Raquel. She went on to ask if he had repaired cars often with his dad, and his gaze softened to a warm smile as he recalled his memories of the years past. He nodded to her and waved an arm all across the shop.

"We restored almost fifty cars in here together. He taught me everything he knew about vehicles and engines, how each little piece makes for the whole machine. I learned here that every part of an engine is vital to it running at peak performance, and that no other is any less important." he took a deep, somewhat shaky breath as he continued, "There wasnt a weekend that we wouldnt spend in here, covered in grease and smelling like transmission fluid. This... this was our place. Secrets shared, stories told, lessons learned... all in here. Hell, we spend hours in here not even having to speak a word as we worked on an engine, and yet it was like we shared an hour long conversation. Heh, if you could've watched us in our groove, you'd think we ourselves were a couple of machines, working in perfect sync.... I..."

He couldnt finish as his eyes became cloudy, a few tears threatening to fall. He caught them however with a wipe of his arm and he coughed a little to regain composure. Taking a deep breath, he forced down the rest of his tears as he gave her a gentle smile.

"Sorry about that... It's just... well... I miss him... I miss them both."

He gave his head a slight shake and soon his bright smile was back, he walked over to her side and opened her door for her. "Let's get going huh? I am honestly pretty hungry, and Sheridan is a little ways away, but I promise the food there is so worth it." he said to her with a small chuckle. Once in on his own side, he started up the car, the sound of the engine giving a healthy growl as it came to life. Taking off the break and shifting to first gear, he pulled out of the garage and began his way to Sheridan.

On the way, he looked over at her and smiled, with no presence of a center console, the driver and passenger seats were actually connected. "So tell me" he said to her happily, "What all do you do back at your pack?"
 
She saw Darren's features soften into a warm smile and she knew he was thinking of past memories. He waved his arm and she looked around quickly, taking in all the tools, parts and other bits and pieces in the shop. She was quite surprised when he told her they repaired 50 vehicles. That was a fair few cars they had repaired. She shifted her attention back to Darren when he continued talking about what it was like with his father here. It certainly sounded like his father and him were very close. She didn't know his father, but she wished she had gotten to know him. Whenever she heard anything about him, he always sounded like a fantastic man. But Darren couldn't finish talking. He choked on his words at the memories of his father and Raquel stayed quiet, not willing to say anything else in case she upset him even more.

She watched as he wiped his arm across his eyes, wiping away tears that threatened to spill. He coughed and she canted her head to the side as he took a deep breath and gave her a smile. Which she returned to him. He soon apologized and she shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry that I upset you," she apologized softly as he sent her a bright smile. He opened the door for her and she smiled at him, "i'm looking forward to it," she told him as she slipped inside.

Darren started to car and Raquel glanced over at him as they made their way to Sheridan. When he asked her what she did at her pack, she gave a light shrug. "Not much, really. Most days, I just hang out with my best friend, Ollie - or Oliver. Or Jackson. Most of the wolves my age don't like me very much, though. Say i'm too honest," she told him with a chuckle, "but Ollie somehow puts up with me, so I don't really mind," she looked out the window for a second before she looked back at Darren. "What about you?"
 
Too honest? Too honest? To Darren, there was no such thing as too honest. In fact, he respected her for her honesty. Too many people have beaten around the bush instead of telling him what was really on their mind, as if they would hurt his feelings or something. Really, he would much rather get his feelings hurt rather than have no idea as to what a person was trying to tell him. She went on to talk about her friend Ollie, apparently one of the few who could put up with her brutal honesty. If that were the case, then he figured this Ollie was definitely a person worth meeting. When asked what he did, he chuckled and thought a bit. "Well before I became pack leader, I helped a lot with training the cubs in survival and fighting. I also trained them to hone their changing ability, giving pointers and exercises to work on that would help them make their changes easier and more manageable. I was also in the shop a lot, and when I wasnt working on cars, I was usually out driving them. There was this old back road that held nightly drag races that I would compete in, got some good money off it too, but it got busted by law enforcement a long time ago. Nowadays I just try and do what I can to learn about leading. I have a Beta to overlook different areas of caring for the pack, training the cubs, patrolling, things like that. I dont get to drive as often as I used to, so this is pretty special to me that I can today."

They got onto the main road where it was more rural, Darren seeing that it was pretty barren of cars. He got himself a mischievous smile and he looked over to Raquel. "Hope you like to go fast" was all he said, quickly flipping on the radio to his favorite rock station and throwing the car into the next gear, the engine giving out a roar as they rapidly picked up speed. Darren loved driving as much as he loved fixing cars, his skill with a stick shift easily seen as he zoomed on the pavement, taking the curves like a champ as he flew by. By the time they hit a straightaway, he managed to top his speedometer to 155 mph (249 kmh). As the town neared, he gradually slowed back into the speed limit, rolling into the county with a satisfied smile on his face.

After a bit more driving, the italian restaurant could be seen. It was called "Tino's Little Italy" and the building itself was built to imitate an old italian style home. He made his way to a parking space and turned off the car, getting out and going to open Raquels door. He smiled at her and held out his arm to her like how someone would escort a lady so they could walk together inside.

(the song that played:
)
 
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