The Alpha's Companion

Chapter 36 - Wild Reception

"Attention, everyone!" One of Julien's men made an announcement in the hallway. "Please join Mr. and Mrs. Julien Grey in the garden for the reception. Thank you."

"Shall we?" Julien asked, offering her his arm, having never felt happier in his life.

Lacey nodded, slipping her arm in his, and he began to escort her out. "Julien, you have my heart, too.” Then he remembered having told her that the night before, and his heart leapt.

He looked down at her and placed his hand over hers on his arm. The photographer snapped a picture as they walked out into the garden.

Julien smiled and dipped her again, giving her another kiss when the photographer snapped another picture. But before he let her up, he looked into her eyes. “I love you, Mrs. Grey.”

He let her up just as Rock, one of his men, announced over the loudspeaker, "May I announce the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Julien Grey, our Alpha and Alpha Queen!" Rock shouted.

Julian led her to the dance floor, set up in the middle of the garden, for their first dance together as husband and wife.

They started dancing, and Julien smirked. “You’re very light on your feet, Mrs. Grey.”

Lacey chuckled. “You’re loving this, calling me Mrs. Grey, aren’t you?”

Then he pulled her close and whispered into her hair, smelling her scent, “You know I am.” Then he pulled back and looked into her eyes. “I’m a very lucky man.” Inside his chest, his wolf agreed.

Lacey shook her head, a beautiful blush coloring her cheeks. “No, I’m the lucky one.”

Soon, the other guests joined them out on the dancefloor.

Scar, led by Zane, another member of the pack, danced close to Julien and Lacey. "I’d like to be the first to congratulate the new couple.”

Julien tilted his head to the side and smiled. “Scarlett, that’s very kind of you.”

Lacey smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Scar. That's very generous of you."

Scarlett looked directly into Julien’s eyes. “I’m very happy for you both.”

Julien beamed with pride. He knew how hard it was for Scarlett to swallow her pride like that. "Thank you, Scarlett." Julien was glad to see that she was happy for him. After all they had been through together, she was probably the best friend he ever had.

Then Julien smelled something, sending him on alert. Heightened adrenaline, maybe? But he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Whatever it was, it set his wolf on edge.

“Lacey, go inside—"

"Again, congratulations on your wonderful day," Scar said, and then her date escorted her back to their table.

Then the adrenaline was suddenly stronger, pheromones thick in the air.

“Lacey, something’s wrong—"

Suddenly, rogue shifters, in their wolf forms, leapt over the hedges and the surrounding perimeter and from inside the castle. They were under attack. Immediately, warriors from the Harvest Moon Pack leapt into their wolves, including Scarlett, taking them on, as people began running and screaming.

For a split second, Lacey stood watching, shock prominent on her face.

"Lacey! Go inside... now!" Julien yelled, pulling her behind him, backhanding a rogue wolf leaping toward her, sending it flying into the castle walls.

"I'm a warrior!" Lacey yelled, regaining her composure. "I'm fighting with you!" Then she leapt into the air, shredding her wedding dress, and landed on all four white paws. Then she started throwing the rogue shifters right and left, nearly causing Julien to have a heart attack. More shifters were coming over the wall, but four shifters were all headed toward Lacy. She was surrounded.

Julien let the red haze with black edges overtake his vision and the shimmers run down his spine and over his body. In the blink of an eye, he had a decision to make: Either save his mate from the attack on her or stop the shifters from coming over the wall. “Son of a ….” Against his better judgement, he leapt toward Lacey, biting one shifter in his flank, sending another flying into the cake table, causing it to collapse under its weight.

Madame Pomeroy's assistant exploded into her wolf, protecting her master, staying with her, and got her out successfully. Julien breathed a sigh of relief, having no desire to be at war with the witches.

Julien glanced over and Lacey was fighting the rogue wolves, never leaving his side. Scarlett was on his other side, taking on a group of shifters, too, along with Zane, now in his wolf form.

"Brock! Isaiah! Kelly! Check the perimeter of the castle!" Lacey ordered in the Pack Mind.

"On it!" the three wolves yelled and then disappeared.

Julien looked over at Lacey and she was still fighting. "What are you doing?" Julien demanded mentally.

"My job!" she replied, throwing over another shifter. Then she went low, and another went flying toward Julien. He punched it in the face, feeling his jaw snap under his fist, and the wolf ran.

“Get in the castle… now!” Julien yelled to Lacey, but she ignored his wishes and kept fighting. Julien was trying to concentrate on saving the pack, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Lacey, wanting to keep her safe. Together, Julien and Lacey fought beside the other shifters of the Harvest Moon Pack until the rogue wolves fled.

Suddenly, Raye, Koi and two more shifters ran around the corner. “Alpha Grey, we need you in the front! They’re coming over the wall!”

Julien turned his massive head toward Lacey. “Go. Inside. Now!”

“I’m okay! Go ahead!” Lacey yelled in the Pack Mind. “I’ve got this!” Then she turned and started barking orders to the other warriors.

Julien leapt in front of her and growled. Then he turned to Caleb, a shifter usually in charge of the south wall, and used the Alpha timbre in his voice that his men had to obey. “Take her inside… whether she wants to go or not! And if anything happens to her, I will kill you myself!” Julien gave her one last look, and then ran toward Raye and the other wolves. Scarlett joined him as he headed around the corner.

Suddenly, a Wildclaw jumped on another wolf and Julien pounced, sending him flying. He grabbed another with his teeth and threw him back over the wall. He looked over and the south wall was exposed… Caleb’s usual post, along with two other men. But now, the two men were getting overrun because Caleb wasn’t there to give orders.

“Scarlett! The south wall!” Julien yelled.

“On it!” Then Scarlett dug in her claws and took off running at full speed, headed toward the exposed south wall and started giving orders in the Pack Mind.

Julien stayed in the front and fought the Wildclaws still coming over the wall. He worked with the other shifters, biting them, and sending them flying back over the wall.

When everything had settled down and the rogue wolves had fled, Julien yelled in the Pack Mind, "Everyone, sound off!"

"Aye!" the pack yelled in unison… including Lacey. A part of him was overjoyed that she was still alive, but another part of him was angry at her for not having obeyed his command. Because of her, he had neglected his duty as Alpha and didn’t protect the pack to the best of his ability. He was going to have to do something about that.

Julien stalked the wall perimeter, checking out the damage. "Rachel, Sam go inside in your human forms and assess the damage! Report back immediately!" Julien growled. "And if you see anyone you don't recognize, do not confront them alone! Come back and get help!"

"Aye!" the two yelled in unison. Then they shifted immediately into their human forms and ran inside.

“Alpha Queen, let’s go!” Caleb yelled in the Pack Mind, loud and clear enough for Julien to hear. “Alpha Grey will literally kill me if I don’t get you inside!”

"Lacey! This is my pack! I give the orders!" Julien yelled within the Pack Mind, even though he was on the other side of the castle. “Go inside with Caleb… now! That is an order!”

"I’m your Warrior Trainer, and this is my job—”

“Caleb….” Julien growled, “I’m on my way!”

“Alpha Queen, you’re coming with me!” Caleb growled.

“Fine!” When her mental imprint left the Pack Mind, along with Caleb’s, Julien knew that she had shifted into her human form and Caleb was with her. She was safe.

Julien paced the perimeter, and the damage was extensive as rage filled his body. It was strange that no one was killed on either side. It was as if the Wildclaws’ sole purpose to attack was to wreak havoc on their wedding. Someone on the inside must have tipped them off. As Julien stalked the grounds, checking on everyone, he refused to believe that a member of the pack had betrayed him.. But if someone had betrayed the pack, he wondered who it might be.