Crossing Paths With The White Wolf

Helios

POV

"We should finish up and change. I want to go down and get the shifters organized for the ceremony," I told Natalia. I hated making her move now that she looked so relaxed in my arms, but I had no idea what Celeste had planned and I didn't want to be late.

"Hmm, what about you?" She said sleepily.

"I'm fine," I told her and chuckled as she pouted, "You can do whatever you want with this beast tonight... if you have any energy after the ceremony, party and that run you promised Ezequiel," I told her and laughed as she groaned. Ezequiel wagged his tail. He hadn't stopped talking about his run with Hestia tonight.

"Too many activities for one day. We should skip the ceremony and just let our wolves run," she said as she stood up, her magnificent a*s stopped a little bit from my face and I couldn't help nipping a tiny bite on it and delighting in the surprised yip that came from her. She looked down at me as I grinned up at her glare. "You have an unhealthy appreciation of my a*s."

"I think it's just right," I said, and Ezequiel agreed with me. She rolled her eyes at me as I stepped out of the bath. I stood and took the towel she offered and wrapped it around my waist. We walked out of the bathroom and I went into the closet to where we'd put the clothes Theo had bought for me. I grabbed a blue button down, black pants and some underwear. I walked out as Natalia was putting on her panties, and watched her plentiful breasts bobbing as she shimmied them up. I walked back into the closet before I lost control and took her right where she stood. Then we'd be late. I walked back out again while buttoning up my shirt. I heard a grunt coming from the bed and looked up to see Natalia with a compact in her hand and some sort of applicator frozen half way to her face. "What?" I asked, wondering which part of what I was wearing was offensive.

"Get out of here before I say f**k the ceremony and jump your bones," she said and my eyes widened at her words. I looked back down at my clothes. Which part caused that reaction? Because I would have to buy another 20 of them if it would mean I got that reaction from her again. "Helios, I'm serious. I'm struggling to control Hestia. Go before we have to explain why we're late," she said, and I could see the lust in her almost fully black eyes.

I smirked, "Don't worry Hestia, you can take them off later if they're that offensive to you." I turned and walked out as I heard a purr coming from the bed. Ezequiel was also purring in the back of my head.

I walked down and noticed the packhouse was a bit empty. I walked towards the kitchen and I heard Zack giving instructions. I walked in to see the first of the shifters walking out of the basement with Celeste. Gabriel, as usual, was just behind her. "Helios! I'm glad you're here. We need them to get onto the bus. We're taking you on a little surprise trip for your ceremony," she said, and I noticed the same older woman that she'd walked out for breakfast, was hanging onto her again. "What is your name?" I asked her.

"Myroslava, Alpha," she said in a slight accent.

"Are you hurt?" I asked her.

"Aye, Alpha. I can't put much weight on my right foot. It's an old injury, so the Luna couldn't heal it."

"I'll help you to the bus and then we'll look into getting you a cane or a walker, OK?" I told her. She smiled at me and took my arm when I offered it. "Let's go to the bus. Natalia will be down shortly."

"The 5 of you will be going with Markus and me. Everyone else is already there making sure everything is ready." Celeste told me and I was going to ask her where we were going, but she beat me to it by saying, "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it?" I shook my head and smiled as I helped Myroslava get on the bus. I went back down and allowed everyone else to file in. Markus parked an SUV behind the bus. "The pups are with Dad, Tuli." He told her.

"We're almost ready. Just waiting for everyone to come down." She told him as he leaned in to kiss her.

I saw Theo and Sebastian coming down the stairs, Gonzalo trailing behind them. "What's happening?" They asked.

"Celeste has a surprise for all of you, so kindly climb into the SUV and put on the blindfolds," Markus said.

They looked at me and I shrugged. "I don't know any more than you do."

"Know what?" Natalia's voice from behind me made me turn around. My heart rate sped up as I saw her walking down the steps. She looked like she had walked out of my dreams. The pants and shirt accentuated every beautiful curve in my woman. Her eyes were decorated by a smoky glittery blue eyeshadow, making the amber in her eyes glow, and her lips were a deep maroon that reminded me of raspberry jam, ready to lick clean.

Can we skip all this and just go back upstairs? I want us to worship that body for a few more centuries before we deal with anything else - Ezequiel begged.

"You're drooling, my sun god," she whispered as she got to my side.

"Nat! You look amazing. I wish I was that good at makeup." Celeste said as she came over and took my mate away from my side, guiding her to the SUV. I loved Celeste, I really did, but right now, she was the reason why my beautiful mate left my side and I wanted to throw a temper tantrum about it.

"Probably for the best, Helios. I don't think Nat would appreciate you tearing off her new clothes in public." Gonzalo patted my shoulder, making Markus laugh.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Et tu, Markus?"

He raised his hands in surrender and walked over to the driver's side of the SUV. The bus was beginning to pull away.

I climbed into the back after Gonzalo. Natalia was already sitting blindfolded next to me. 'Be sure to keep the blindfold. I have some plans for it and some ties later tonight.' Her voice came into my mind. 'You're going to be the death of me. How am I supposed to stop my c**k from getting hard at those words?' I told her and I heard her giggle next to me.

We drove for about 35 minutes before I felt the SUV begin to slow. I put my hand over the blindfold and I heard Celeste's panicked voice from the front seat. "Don't take them off until we say!"

I groaned and put my hand down. We finally stopped and I heard the car door open. "Everything is ready, Tuli." I heard Markus say. I felt her hand on my arm and let her lead me to just in front of the SUV. "Don't move. I have to get the boys out too." She said. I felt sparks at my side and instinctively wrapped my arm around Natalia. I felt someone to my right and, by the smell, I could tell that it was Gonzalo. "OK. On three, you can remove your blind folds." She said and I could hear the excitement in her voice.

"One....two....three!" She said.

I removed my blindfold and I felt my entire body go rigid. I gripped Natalia's waist as I took in the view in front of me.

"Where are we?" Natalia asked, noticing the change in everyone's body language, "Why does everyone look like they just saw a puppy being murdered?"

"Why did you bring us here? Of all places, Celeste, why?" Theo asked, and I could hear the guilt and hurt in his voice.

I still couldn't move. My eyes were frozen on the worst atrocity I had been a part of in two thousand years.

I heard Markus sigh, "I was afraid of this. Tuli, you need to explain."

"Helios?" Natalia's voice came from my side. I looked down at her and I couldn't hold her gaze for very long. I looked down at the ground in shame as I felt a tear leave my face. My legs wanted to give in and drop me to my knees. "Guys, please look at me," Celeste said, "Helios? I didn't bring you here to make you feel like this. This is a happy moment."

I snapped my head up at that. "You are joking, right? What happiness is there in bringing me to the place where your parents and your pack were massacred because of a deal I made with psychopaths?" Natalia gasped next to me, finally realizing where we were. "It's not about the past, Helios. I told you back in Mexico. I don't want to live in the past. You shouldn't either. This place holds one of the worst memories for me, yes, but it also holds some of the best. Sky Moon was where I spent 8 years with my parents, where I had visions of Markus as a little girl. I had a happy childhood here, however short it was. This is also where I went when I needed to heal last year and visited Selene. This place holds a lot more good than bad." I looked at her in disbelief. She walked over to the gate, which had the middle portion covered by a plank of wood. "It's time this place made more good memories. It's time it had life again." She let the plank fall and my jaw dropped with it.

"Welcome to the new pack grounds of the Guardian Moon Pack," she said as she revealed the two warrior wolves howling at a half moon with a half sun completing the circle. "You're giving us pack grounds?" Natalia asked.

"You're giving us your family's pack grounds?" Gonzalo asked at the same time.

"I am giving you a fresh start. A place to build a life. A clean slate. We've spent the last month and a half renovating and updating the packhouse. There was some fire damage in the master bedroom from my visit to Selene. The wiring has been inspected and brought up to code. Water, electricity and all utilities are up and running as of this morning. We updated all the kitchen appliances and set up a few couches and TVs. There are beds and sheets in all the rooms. We also set up a few rooms with bunk beds for the ones that feel better sleeping together. We didn't decorate anything, so you can make it your home."

We all just stood there gaping at her. "Markus, help," she said meekly. I could see her lips shaking as if she wanted to cry.

"Guys, she means it. She's not wanting to punish you. She wants you to succeed. We both do. We've got temporary fencing all around the property so the shifters can have a bit more freedom until they feel at home. It's not built yet but we've also got designs for a bridge to go over the river. It will connect both pack grounds so you can have access to the school and hospital in Crescent Moon until your pack is big enough to need one of your own. We're your sponsors, so the council will not have any objections to the arrangement. This is the last of the boxes you needed to tick to become a sanctioned pack," he said. When we still didn't say anything, he added "We still have a ceremony and party to do. Can we get some reactions or at least hesitant acceptance? We already have the paperwork drawn up to change the ownership of the deed so it will be awkward if - oof!" he said as Sebastian and Theo ran up and sandwiched him in a hug.

Gonzalo went up to Celeste and gave her a big hug. When he pulled away, Celeste walked towards me. Natalia hugged her and then moved towards where Gonzalo was standing behind her. "Helios?" she asked.

"I - I have no words, Celeste. I took everything from you. I took your family, your freedom, your childhood, and somehow, you've not only forgiven me, but you've given me everything without asking a single thing in return. How are you able to do this?" I said, as I felt more tears falling from my eyes. I didn't understand how she could be this forgiving.

"It's simple. You are Kara's brother. That makes you my brother. You've made mistakes and you're harder on yourself than I could ever be. You're dedicating your life to protecting others. How can I possibly not support that?" She smiled at me. I shook my head in disbelief and then I saw her eyes flash and she added fiercely, "Listen here. I'm pregnant and hormonal. You make me cry and I'll set your b**t on fire. Can you please take this? I will be happier with you all near by. This is as much for me as it is for-Oof" She said as I crushed her with a hug.

"Can't breathe," She huffed after a moment. I pulled away from her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I can't begin to express how grateful I am to have kidnapped you," I said and everyone chuckled at my words, "You've single-handedly changed everything in my life for the better. You're the family I always wished I had for so long." I gave her a smaller hug as I saw her begin to sniffle.

"Alright, everyone's waiting for us. Don't cry, Tuli or Atlas will start asking for heads," Markus said as Celeste walked back and settled into his open arms. He looked at me then and smiled, "I told you to trust your sister. I just didn't mention which one." Natalia came back to my side. "Are you OK?" she asked. I nodded and gave her a deep kiss on the lips. My emotions were all over the place but, above all, I was happy.

We climbed back into the SUV after opening the gate and drove through. "Everything is set up in the back yard," Markus explained as we stopped at the front of the packhouse.

We climbed out of the SUV and headed up the stairs. I laced my fingers through Natalia's as we passed through the double doors. I had only ever been in here once. After I found out Blood Moon had massacred the entire pack, I had brought my warriors here to help me find Celeste and to see if anyone was still somehow alive that we could save. The entire place had been full of blood and broken furniture. I half expected it to see that same scene as I walked through the doors. Instead, there were clean walls and new furniture. There was not a spec of dust anywhere.

"We'll give you the tour later, and don't think you need to move in right away. You can make whatever changes you need before you move," Markus said as he led us to the back yard, where everyone was waiting.