I walked downstairs with confidence I didn't know I had. Darrell chooses me. His wolf choose me. Hopefully his family will accept that. I wasn't one hundred percent sure but from what I had read in other books and internet stories, the Alpha is the top dog, and his word is law.
I walked into the dining room and it was jam packed full of people. It didn't even compare to my big family. I couldn't imagine how all these people fit in the house without the walls collapsing. There was laughter and a mass of talking and voices, that came to a stop when I walked it. I never thought I would experience a 'you could hear a pin drop' moment, but that is what this felt like. All eyes turned to me. I smiled. At least I hope it looked like a smile. I was suddenly nervous. Then I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and I knew that I could handle this.
"Everybody, this is Angel. Angel, this is everybody." Darrell said.
I could hear a round of Hi's and Hello's. I also saw a few smiles.
"Hi everyone. Nice to meet you" I said.
Darrell whispered into my ear "You are doing great. Just stay relaxed. I am going to introduce you to my Beta's and some of the woman who will help you the most"
"Angel, this is my second in command, my best friend and the person who knows the most about me. We have known each other since we were pups. This is Dane. "He said, while pointing to a mountain of a man.
Dane was easily 6'4" had dark brown eyes, and dark brown hair. He looked like a good looking linebacker. He was HUGE. But there was warmth about him and I felt at ease.
"Hi Angel, it is nice to meet you, and I am glad to see you have recovered. D was a bit of a pain in the ass while you were sleeping" Dane said to me with a smile. "This is my Mate, Missy. She can answer any questions you have about the mating and turning. I met Missy in college and she was human."
Missy was tiny. Especially when standing next to Dane. I would guess she was about 5'5" and maybe 110 pounds soaking wet. She had pretty brown eyes and long blonde hair.
"Hi, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. I know it is a lot to take in, and you didn't have the chance to warm up to the idea like I did. So anytime you want to talk just let me know. "Missy said while engulfing me into a hug.
I was also introduced to Kevin and Sarah, another mated pair, as well as Mike, Mark, Dennis, and Christopher. Every one of them was warm and accepting. I was starting to feel much better at this.
Darrell also introduced me to Shelly, Brenda, Sue, and Cory. He told me that if I make the change and become his mate, that they would be my 'ladies in waiting' or my Beta's, and that they would help me any way that I asked them to.
We sat down to dinner, and I was surprised that the table didn't collapse under the weight of all the food. I looked at Darrell and raised an eyebrow.
"We have a higher metabolism, and require more food than the average person. Plus this is a feast, to welcome you to our home." Darrell explained.
"So Angel, tell us a little about you. You seem really comfortable in a big group." Dane requested.
"Well I am from a big family; I am the youngest of 5 surviving children. My mom also had 5 siblings, so I am used to a big crowd. When my Grandfather passed away when I was 15, he had over 120 Great-grandchildren. We had to rent out a whole park for our family reunions.
"But after my Mom passed away 10 years ago, I had to make some really hard choices in order to take care of my Sister who was mentally disabled as a child. So I haven't spoken to my brothers in 8 years, and only keep in touch with my cousin's through social sites and emails. I miss having a big family. I love the noise and the confusion, and the craziness. I remember the games that lasted years because we were all too stubborn to quit. I remember cooking for an army and the laughter and tears that came with everyone's highs and lows.
"Being on my own for the last year since my sister's accident has really made me miss my family even more. And I tried reaching out to them, but it didn't go well. There was just too much bad blood between me and my sister in laws. I think that if my brother's were not married, or not married to the women they are, things would have been different. "Was my reply.
"I am sorry to hear that about your family. I couldn't imagine letting anything come in between me and my siblings." Dane said.
"Well I never thought it would happen in my family. But my brothers married women and let them make all the decisions. They won't stand up for themselves or their family, and I could only do so much before I couldn't handle the pain and rejections anymore." I told him.
"I promised myself after seeing all that my brothers gave up, and allowed to happen that when I found love, that I wouldn't let that happen to me, or him. You shouldn't have to give up your life to be with someone." I said looking at Darrell. I hoped he knew that I would still want to retain myself if we mated.
The conversations kept going, the laughter was great, and the food was awesome. I couldn't believe how much everyone was eating. I felt like I was going to explode. I was happy; everyone was so nice and accepting. I can't believe I was ever nervous. I was home.
6 weeks later.
Darrell and I had spent the last weeks getting to know each other, we took walks and runs, had lots of family dinners. We went over pack rules and laws and etiquette. Tomorrow was the first full moon after the New Year. It is the yearly mating ceremony. I looked at it like a big group wedding. It took as much to prepare and plan for the mating ceremony as it did for a wedding. I helped enough that I understood what when into it. I wasn't nervous about being mated to Darrell. I felt ok with the pack. I had been accepted. I was part of a family again. I was nervous about it all being done in public. I wasn't an exhibitionist in nature. I wasn't a prude and nudity didn't bother me, but I was scared about making love to Darrell in front of the whole pack.
"Knock knock, can I come in?" Missy said as she stood in the doorway our room.
"Sure, I was just thinking." I said.
"It's ok. You don't need to worry. The pack has already accepted you, and believe me when I tell you that once you two get started no one will be 'watching'. They will be too busy with their Mates or partners for the night to watch you guys." Missy told me.
"I didn't realize that it would turn into a free for all" I laughed.