Note to readers: so this chapter is in a bit of a...dare I say mess. Had to edit a large chunk at the end, Martha and Clifton were meant to get their freak on, but I keep seeing them as a mother and father figure, eww, did not want that visual in my head so I got rid of that. Anywho, reviews are like lollipops and I have a pretty big sweet-tooth, so keep 'em coming. :D Enjoy!
----------------------------------
Naomi sat in her library her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose as she looked over the sheets of work before her. Pages of clan issues and complaints crowded her desk, and Naomi liked the clutter, enjoyed the responsibility that befell her as Alpha of Stillwater.
Rubbing her brow with the intention of soothing her banging head, she took a sip of tea and contemplated her son's current imprisonment.
She knew she had been overboard in his punishment and most of her anger was aimed at herself for the damage she had inflicted upon him. It had only been that morning that she had ravaged his leg in a fit of anger.
The metallic tang of his blood still lingered in her mouth, adding to the bitter memories she held forever in her heart whenever she hurt him.
Pushing herself angrily from her place at the desk she began to pace the room with agitated steps, her fury mounting to the point where she was struggling to stop from shifting.
Why did Joshua do things to annoy her, why did he continue to disobey her? What joy could be found when he knew the consequences of his disobedience, she thought she had beaten the rebellion out of him but it was obvious that her form of discipline only made him more defiant.
Packing away her files Naomi planned to go and see her wayward son, just to make sure she hadn't done irreparable damage.
"Alpha! Alpha!" The library door burst open as a petite brown haired she-wolf entered, her hands resting firmly on her knees as she regained her breath.
Naomi ignored the fact that the shifter had ignored protocol. Everyone knew never to burst in on the Alpha, knocking and making oneself known was important to Naomi, she could never let her guard down.
"What is it Lilly?" Naomi asked, not liking the look of horror on her face.
"It is Joshua, he's gone and he's taken the Oak River bitch with him." Lilly said, falling back as Naomi stomped towards the dining room. There the female pack members stood awaiting Naomi's orders.
"Is it true, has Joshua left?" Naomi asked, praying that this was some sick practical joke.
If anything happened to Joshua she didn't know what she would do. Her love for her son was immeasurable and though she beat him that was a side of her she couldn't control. If Joshua was gone she would use all her power to get him back to her side and this time she would make it so he could never leave again.
"Yes Naomi, I went to cage to check on the she-wolf but when I got there the gate was open." Tara said.
"I too went to check on Joshua his wounds needed tending but his room was empty." Lilly said wringing her hands in worry.
Naomi made a noise of discontent, incompetent oafs! How could they have lost the hostage and her son? Was it not pack rule to watch over the Alpha's family! Naomi had made it clear that Joshua was to be watched with the eyes of a hawk. Grabbing hold of a fellow shifter Naomi slammed her hard against the wall leaving a dark red mark, slumping to the ground. Dead or unconscious Naomi didn't care.
"Alpha we know how they escaped!"
The group of women parted as two shifters dragged a black and blue Marcus before Naomi. He looked up at her through swollen eyes, blood dripping from his lips.
"Marcus." Naomi hissed.
She roughly took hold of his chin, her fingers biting into the flesh of his face. Letia cried out, fighting against those that restrained her. Naomi ignored her pleas kicking Marcus hard in the chest.
"Tell me what happened!" Naomi demanded.
Grabbing hold of Marcus's throat she dragged him to the same spot where she had slammed the female shifter, who still lay unmoving on the ground.
"He distracted us." A shifter said, her cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.
The woman recoiled when Naomi struck out at her, her unsheathed claws scarring the shifters once flawless skin.
"So because of this boy you failed to protect my son!" She shouted backhanding Marcus as he wheezed with pain. Naomi crouched down to Marcus's level and gently caressed his bruised face.
"You are brave and courageous to stand up to me and help Joshua, for that I will let you live." Knowing that when Joshua was brought back he wouldn't be pleased to find his best friend dead.
"I want you all to go to Oak Falls, find the clan and retrieve my son." Naomi said addressing her clan warriors.
The group of twenty women came forward, seasoned warriors and faithful servants, they were the most trusted of her soldiers.
"Alpha." Lilly, head of the warriors, knelt before Naomi and took her hand in hers.
She kissed her knuckles, a sign of devotion and loyalty, the other warriors followed suite pledging their lives to the cause.
"I want him back, alive." Naomi said, a deadly message to the women who were to bring back Joshua, they could do as they pleased with him as long as it did not result in his death.
...
Naomi watched as the electric fence was turned off, allowing the warriors to venture outside of Stillwater. It was the first time it had been turned off since it had been erected after Joshua's first escape.
"Bring him back Lilly." Naomi said clutching hold of her shoulder and squeezing it tightly.
"Bring him back Lilly." Naomi begged, angrily wiping at the tear that trickled down her cheek.
Lilly nodded before running to catch up with comrades her mind set on making Naomi happy, and the only way of doing that was to bring Joshua Stillwater back home.
...
Joshua jerked awake his body soaked in sweat as he regained his equilibrium, the nightmare that had plagued his sleep dissolved into the corners of his mind so quickly that grasping at any tendrils proved futile.
Sun and heat soaked the airy wood room that Martha had so lovingly prepared. It was sparsely yet lovingly decorated with a simple mahogany table and wardrobe.
He had especially enjoyed the mint chocolate he found on his pillow, although at that time his thoughts had been firmly rooted on the mind blowing sex he and Passion had enjoyed in the kitchen.
Smiling to himself, Joshua rooted in the chest of drawers for the clothes Clifton had left for him. Although the trousers were a little too short and the tops a little too tight he managed to find an outfit that wasn't too outdated. From his room he could smell the beginnings of breakfast and his stomach rumbled with hunger.
Taking the stairs two steps at a time he entered the kitchen with a wide grin on his face anticipating his morning with Passion.
"Morning Joshua." Martha smiled cheerily, placing a steaming plate of bacon, sausages and eggs in front of him.
"Sorry for the trouble." He said shyly, his eyes roving around the kitchen for any sign of Passion.
Martha chuckled knowingly, "Passion has gone into town, she's a teacher at the human high school and she has just been told she has to supervise the school dance, she's not exactly pleased."
Joshua ducked his head with embarrassment at being so transparent. He hadn't meant to appear overly infatuated with Passion but he couldn't help the way he felt about her.
Whether it was because she was the first woman he had been with or if it was because she had rescued him from his mother, either way he was growing more and more attached to her.
...
Passion sat in Lulu's Cove, a small café and bar in the town centre sat snugly between the gas station and nightclub.
It was in the seedier parts of Oak Falls but that didn't bother Passion one bit. Downtown, she could be herself and not need to worry about how others perceived her, here in Lulu's she could be Passion.
She sat by the window watching as the working class humans walked up and down the promenade, mothers with strollers balancing an array of shopping bags, the mechanics laughing and joking with one another, a few shady kids stood on the corner smoking cigarettes and drinking from brown bags.
"Damn kids." Passion looked up as Lulu poured her a cup of coffee a sagging cigarette hanging from her deep rouge lips.
Wrinkles marred her mouth as she sneered through the cloudy windows, her purple hair hung at a perilous tilt and threatened to topple over and squash Passion.
"How you doing honey, it's been a while since I've last seen you." Lulu said, sliding into the booth opposite her. Passion knew exactly when she had last been to Lulu's, it was when she had broken up with Brent.
They had been sitting at her favourite spot by the lake in her parents back garden, it was further away from the house but still on her father's land.
They were lying on the shore, trailing their fingers in the sand when she had asked him that fateful question.
"I'm thinking of claiming, this full moon." She had said, her eyes trailing up his half naked body still damp with aftermath of ferocious sex.
Brent drew a drag from his roll up, his eyes shut with fatigue. Passion wasn't sure he had heard her so she repeated herself.
"I don't plan on being mated too soon, who's the wolf you've chosen?" Brent asked dragging on the spliff.
Passion paused, scrambling up she slammed her hands on his chest causing him to choke.
"What do you mean, you and I. I thought you and I..." She trailed of as she saw the look on his face change from content to disgust his lip curling as he pushed her off him.
"Passion do you really think I would mate with some like you, maybe some other lower wolf who likes to slum would, but not me." Brent sneered.
