Page 6 of Next Door Midlife Alpha
The little girl was just over a year old, and she giggled as she found herself almost completely surrounded by animals. With seemingly no effort at all, thick dark hair sprouted all over her body, and Holly was now holding a bear cub.
A rumbling of appreciation echoed around the circle, and Dylan raised his arms. “Brighams, welcome!”
The rest of the ceremony was no different from how lots of families spent a summer evening on the beach as they cooked out, relaxed, and talked.
“There’s my girl!” Rick said proudly as he scooped up his granddaughter and tickled her nose. He’d moved into the apartment over Holly’s garage and helped keep track of the little one while her parents worked. “You made quite the impression today, little missy!”
“It was a beautiful ceremony, Dylan,” Holly said, that happy look on her face even dreamier than usual. “I should’ve just listened to you when you said it was going to be fine. You were right, and I know no one would’ve loved her any less if she’d stayed in her human form, but it still made me so proud.”
“She’s remarkable,” Pierce agreed, “and she’s got quite the support system here. I never questioned moving out here with Holly because I knew I wasmeant to be with her, but it makes me feel that much better to know what an amazing family I’ve joined.”
“Speaking of, I’ll be heading back to Eugene in a few days for a visit,” Rick said.
Dylan clapped Rick on the back. “Safe travels. We’ll miss you, buddy.”
Pierce smiled. “Give everyone back home my love.”
Dylan looked on with pride and happiness for his cousin, but it was tinged with a bit of jealousy. He was forty years old. He was the Alpha of his clan. He should have his mate by his side by now, but he’d yet to find her. There was that strange tug he’d felt when he’d looked at his new neighbor. His bear wanted to experience it again, to explore it further and see if it was truly what he’d thought. Could it be? But she was human. Her very presence on the clan’s little stretch of beach was a potential threat. Until he knew more, he couldn’t think of her as anything other than a possible enemy. The knowledge sat with him like a hard lump as he moved over to the food table and loaded his plate.
His father, Paul, was on the other side of the table doing the same thing. “Never thought I’d see the day when wolves were part of the clan.”
Dylan gave him a curious look and waited,knowing he wouldn’t illicit more information from his father any faster by pestering him for it.
Paul scooped up a hefty serving of potato salad. “It wasn’t all that long ago that a clan might’ve revolted over such an idea.”
Picking up a napkin and fork, Dylan continued to wait.
Finally, Paul looked up at him and grinned. “I think it’s just what we need around here to change things up.” He gave his son a congratulatory punch on the arm and headed off to find the cooler of drinks.
“The old man giving you shit again?” Dex was wearing a t-shirt from the campground he owned, stylized to look like a traditional camp shirt with a silhouette of a tent and trees. ‘Camp Brigham’ was emblazoned over the top. Dex followed Dylan as they walked out toward the bonfire to enjoy the breeze.
“Same as always,” Dylan agreed with a nod. Paul was an old-fashioned bear, the kind who didn’t say much unless he truly felt he had to. He preferred to stand back and see how people acted, waiting to see if he ought to step in. He’d run the Brigham clan far differently before he’d retired and left it to Dylan,but there had never been any real conflict between the two of them about it.
“Well, you know he’s proud of you, right?” Dex said as he crunched down on a potato chip. “I mean, he’s not the kind of guy to say it out loud, but I can see it.”
“I know. I’m not worried about it.” Dylan looked down at his food. His body was hungry, but his mind was unsettled.
“So what’s wrong, then?” his younger brother pressed. “The ceremony went great. Everyone is happy.”
Dylan nodded. “True. There’s just something that’s not right. I haven’t quite figured out what it is yet.” He looked out over the water. His clan was behind him, their voices a chaotic mixture of happiness. Some sat by the fire and toasted marshmallows. Some moved comfortably around in their animal forms. Having two different species there had opened everyone up to something new, but it was something they were enjoying. Little Ruby trotted around as a bear cub amongst her uncles and cousins, but in a flash, she shifted to her wolf as she ran up to Pierce and Rick in their lupine forms. It was beautiful. It was practically a utopia, yet he felt atension in his shoulders that didn’t seem likely to dissipate anytime soon.
Dex polished off a barbecue sandwich before he turned back to his brother. “It’s the new people, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I think it is,” Dylan sighed. “It doesn’t seem like a small family of women and children should be that much of a threat to a whole clan, but if only one wrong person discovers our secret, well…you know. It doesn’t seem like it should be such a delicate balance. I’m sure I’m just thinking about it so much because they’re so close.”
“And even closer now than usual.” Dex gestured with a pork rib.
When Dylan turned his head to look down the beach, his stomach clenched. Only about a hundred yards away, children were running in the sand with flashlights. It was an innocent thing, the sort of thing plenty of people would do on the beach, but it was far too close for his comfort. If he could see them, then what had they seen? His suspicions were confirmed as they drew closer. The flashlights paused. Then, just as quickly, they began to retreat in the other direction.
Dylan knew he couldn’t wait any longer to find out the truth about Stacey and her family. He turnedtoward the bonfire and quickly found Pierce. The other man was still in his wolf as he played with his daughter, and Dylan explained what he’d just seen. “I know you’re new to our clan, but I’ve already got a job to ask of you. Follow them. Stay in the shadows. See where they end up. If you can hear anything, all the better. I’d like to know what they might’ve seen, or thought they saw. I hate to ask anything of you so quickly, but I know you’re the best qualified among us to do a little recon without getting noticed.”
Pierce didn’t seem the least bit affronted by the request. He gave a flick of his head and then paused, no doubt communicating with his mate before he disappeared into the trees.
Yes, it’d been a lovely ceremony. They had yet to know for sure if there was anything to worry about. Still, Dylan felt that uneasiness building.
4
“All right, guys.”Stacey rinsed off the breakfast dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. “Let’s go get everything else off the moving truck. I’d like to get it returned before I have to pay any more for it than I already have.”
