Till Kingdom Come

Tired from his day and responsibilities, Cian soon fell fast sleep. He'd just shed his clothes and let them fall on the floor. Cian just crawled into bed totally naked. It was unmade, sure he could have gotten one of his pack members to be a maid and make it, but that wasn't Cian's style. Even though he was Alpha of the Antelope Hill wolf pack, he liked his privacy and didn't want anyone messing around in his personal things. Cian thought that no one should touch his things but him.

It was hard work being the Alpha. It was hard work doing nearly everything on his own. Sure he had Aiden, his second in command, and other pack members who did patrols acting as soldiers and protecting the small and remote supernatural community from the various dangers of the mortal world.

But, Aiden often disagreed with him and was jealous that Cian was the Alpha of Antelope Hill's werewolf pack and not him. Aiden's wife, Skye, completely agreed with Aiden. Skye was not Aiden's true mate. For true mates, were extremely rare. Cian figured Skye had moved in with Aiden because of his status. Skye never seemed to care for Aiden at all. Skye She avoided Cian whenever possible and often defied Cian's orders. Cian would have banned her from the pack but Cian didn't believe in exiling members. He viewed his pack as a family... family could be difficult sometimes so Skye stayed married to Aiden, despite Cian's reservations.

Little did Cian know that Aiden had plans, plans that didn't involve Cian. Aiden and Skye weren't true mates but they were schemers, who desired nothing but money, fame and power. They planned for a future where they would rule over Antelope Hill. A future that adhered to traditional ways, it would be a place where many of the pack members wouldn't be welcome. These pack members didn't qualify to what Skye and Aiden considered a proper werewolf to be, and there were many residents of Antelope Hill who didn't adhere to the "old ways" for Cian accepted all supernatural misfits and wanderers.

Cian rolled over in bed and tried to fall asleep. He just wished for something more and his soul cried out for this unknown future. Cian was the Alpha, in charge. The wolves of Antelope Hill were a pack... a family but many were hesitant to invite Cian over. They had secrets. They had personal lives. They didn't want their Alpha around. They wanted their personal lives. So Cian remained alone and friendless, an island unto himself.

"Alpha, Alpha, Alpha." came Aiden's loud voice again. The penetrating and needy voice drilled into his brain! He tried to snuggle deeper into his warm bed, desperate for a moment's rest. Cian wondered why for once in his life he couldn't have one moment's peace! Cian would swear that he could hear Aiden's loud voice and unceasing, unrelenting demands on the moon.

"Ehhh, it's dark!" murmured Cian tiredly, into his pillow for there was no one around to talk to. But, Cian knew he shouldn't complain---he was the Alpha and the pack needed him 24/7. It was the position "gifted" to him by the former Alpha Fenir. Normally, the position went to the Alpha's son but for better or worse, Fenir conceived no children. He hadn't found his true mate.

It was supposed to be an honor to be an Alpha. However, Cian rested the "gift" hed been given for it often seemed more like a curse. Still, he took responsibility and became Alpha.

Cian had always been his favorite for some reason. Fenir no matter how busy Fenir was he had always found time in his day to spend with Cian. Many wolves of Antelope Hill's werewolf pack, including Aiden had wanted the Alpha position but the old Alpha had given to to Cian. But right now, it was the middle of the night and Cian couldn't care about Fenir's "blessing" he just wanted to sleep. Was that so much to ask from the Cosmos? Couldn't he have something of his own after all these eons? Fuck, was all he could think.

"Alpha, we have a level 10 emergency. The night patrols found it, in the stoney gully down by the highway." said Aiden. Cian was tried. But, Aiden was alert as ever. That was his job though as second in command. Aiden was proficient at his job and he and his mate, Skye, adhered to the old ways. Cian thought they adhered to the "old ways" a bit to much but who was he to judge? Aiden did a good job as second in command.

"Alpha, it's a level 10 emergency and we really need you there." came Aiden's voice again. It bored through his head like a drill.

"Fuck!" murmured Cian into his pillow, a level 10 emergency in the middle of the night was something he couldn't ignore! He couldn't let his second-in command, lieutenants or soldiers solve this. A level 10 emergency required the Alpha. Cian was needed. He utterly loathed getting up in the middle of the night.

Yes, he was a werewolf and should love running around the middle of the night but it was late or early depending on how a person looked at it and he SO was tired. No, Cian thought, that wasn't it entirely Cian had no one to come home to. No one to throw their arms around him, shower him with kisses and whisper words of love. It was the returning from going out that Cian really wanted. Cian wanted a welcome home, I missed you from someone he loved, accompanied by kisses of course.

Cian stood up, deeply yawned and stretched. He naked from the waist up and wearing only black boxer shorts as he followed Aiden to the gully. There was a red Ford Fiesta partially on fire and badly banged up. The red Ford Fiesta was crashed into an ancient oak tree.

The oak tree had been guarding Antelope Hill for as long as Cian could remember, now it was split in half, from top to bottom and it was on fire. Cian's various soldiers were trying to stop the fire from spreading but they had ignored the red Ford Fiesta's passenger.

A waifish mortal woman was passed out on the driver's side. Blood was pouring from her head, coating her long black hair a copper red and her leg was crooked at an unnatural angle. She looked so young to Cian... she was nothing but a baby! But, Cian wasn't around mortals much. Antelope Hill was an enclave on to itself. A sanctuary for supernatural beings. How was he supposed to judge the mortal woman's age?

Cian heard the woman groan and realized to his utter horror and admittedly partial relief the young woman was still alive. Yes, the young woman was a stranger and a mortal but Cian had a responsibility to her since she had somehow entered his domain. As Alpha, he had a responsibility to everyone and everything in Antelope Hill... even mortals who somehow had broken into magical barriers.

The woman groaned in pain again and blood continued to flow. It was blatantly obvious she was in extreme agony. The fire in the car crackled and seemed to grow hotter, more vile smelling, black smoke billowed forth from the red Ford Fiesta, further blackening the night sky. Cian knew the woman would have to be removed from the Ford Fiesta before the fire reached the gas tank, otherwise the car and the woman would be blown sky high!

Cian cared little for his own safety as he slid down the tangled weeds of the ravine and pulled the woman from the damaged and still burning car. His second-in-command, lieutenants and soldiers didn't help. The man was only a mortal after all. What did he matter to them? Still, the strange man mattered to Cian. He was the Alpha and had an obligation to every living being in Antelope Hill. Cian knew little about mortals but it was clear as day and apparent to anyone that this frail woman needed medical care.

"Hurry up and get Dr. Potter, this woman needs help, now" he yelled to his pack, who had gathered about at the commotion, as Cian struggled to carry this strange amd mysterious woman fireman style up the steepy and stony gully. She was unconscious and her leg was broken. The rocky ravine was tough for Cian to navigate. So for a mortal it would be nearly impossible. Cian knew if not for him the woman would have perished.

Even though he was using all his physical strength, Cian was barely drag the woman out. The unconscious woman was in deep pain and every moan of the lady's pain cut through Cian like a knife. The young woman was a stranger to Cian but she called to him in ways he didn't understand. Cian didn't want her to feel pain, Cian just wanted the stranger to be safe, health and secure.

There were no street lights in Antelope Hill---everyone knew where they were going and everyone knew everybody. They were a pack and they'd been a pack for many centuries. Also everyone could see in the dark but that was besides the point. The ability to see in the dark was helpful on moonless nights, like tonight.

Still, Cian carried the unknown woman, in his arms, all the way to Dr. Henry Potter's office. The woman was as light as a feather... to light for a mortal. Cian didn't know if was from blood loss or if it was what she weighed. But, Cian after getting out of the ravine, he didn't need to use his supernatural strength to carry the woman fireman style in his protective embrace. All that Cian knew was that this strange woman was light... to light. At long last, made his way up the dusty dirt roads of Antelope Hill and Cian brought the woman into Dr. Potter's office.

It didn't take long for Dr. Potter to arrive with his well-worn leather bag. Dr. Potter and his wife Elsie, lived above the medical clinic, so he only had to go downstairs, to his receiving room. The operating room was in the house as well. Dr. Potter quickly looked at the strange woman, did a mental assessment, and directed Cian to put the man in the operating room.

Cian knew the patient was going to be an old-nighter for the doctor and hoped he hadn't interrupted anything important. Doctor Potter's house was above his clinic so Dr. Potter could always reach his patients in their times of great need. Cian always admired that about Dr. Potter, even though it was the middle of the night he came through come Hell or High Water. Dr. Henry Potter was dedicated to his profession and truly believed in healing everyone, no matter if they were mortal or supernatural.

"I'll take care of her, Alpha. Set this leg. You can see her in the morning. There's nothing you can do tonight. I'll set the leg, tend to her wounds and make her comfortable but there's nothing you can do. You should go home and get some rest. Now shoo!" he said as he ushered his Alpha out of the clinic.

Dr. Potter knew that Cian was his Alpha and he shouldn't be ordering his Alpha around but Dr. Potter didn't like having people cluttering up his office. Cian would just get in the way as Dr. Potter performed surgery. He would try to help and ask stupid bumbling questions, even though he meant well.

He also didn't want to argue because his patient needed him. Visitors and that included his Alpha just got in his way. Besides, the woman was a mortal so it would take a whole new level of care. Luckily, Dr. Potter had his wife and nurse Elsie to help him.

Elsie helped bustle Cian and the few werewolves who'd entered the clinic out. Elsie was Dr. Potter's wife. She was also his constant companion and an excellent nurse and had been practicing for many years. Dr. Henry Potter and Elsie were true mates who loved each other so much that they were almost one being.

Elsie had ushered everyone outdoors and into the darkened night streets but outside Dr. Potter's office, it seemed to Cian that whole werewolf pack of Antelope Hill was gathered and gossiping. News spread around Antelope Hill like wildfire, especially scandalous news like this. A severely wounded mortal woman was in their midst! How had she broken through the magical barriers that guarded Antelope Hill? Mortals weren't supposed to access magical realms. A light snow started to fall but the pack was far too busy exchanging gossip to notice the cold weather.

Cian wondered who'd woken everyone up, as juicy as the gossip was his fellow pack members still needed their sleep. Cian suspected it was Aiden. Aiden was good at his job, as second in command, but Aiden was a traditionalist who adhered to the old ways. Aiden would have let the woman die by the side of the road because he wasn't a wolf! Cian knew it must have been a solider who urged Aiden to seek his Alpha's help. He vaguely wondered who it was but sleepiness was catching up to Cian.

Still, Aiden's actions bothered subconsciously Cian. Aiden knew that Aiden who think the woman was just a human and human life didn't matter to Aiden. Aiden would have said his actions were protecting the pack. Cian would never believe that, Aiden loathed mortals. He could barely stand other supernatural creatures who dropped by Antelope Hill. Aiden considered werewolves to be superior to all and believed they should rule to world. After leaving the small clinic, Cian was immediately bombarded by questions and all Cian wanted to do was get back to bed.

"How did she get here?"

"Do mortals know about us now?"

"Will we have to move?"

How long will she be staying?

Are we safe?

It was an endless litany of questions and Cian had no answers. He was mystified himself. Cian was Alpha but he didn't know everything! Why did he always have to know everything? Today was one of the days he hated being Alpha! Inexplicably drawn to this mysterious woman, he'd wanted to stay and question him. But, after knowing Dr. Potter for eons, he knew Dr. Potter wouldn't let the man be bothered tonight. Patients care came first for Dr. Potter.

Pack members kept questioning Cian. He just wanted to go home, crawl back under the covers and scream. He wanted to hit his boxing punching bag and hopefully destroy it to smithereens. That had happened more than once, especially when Cian was frustrated! Cian couldn't remember the last time he'd been as frustrated as he was now.

Again, Cian wished there was someone at home for him. Just a person to bounce his ideas and emotions off of. Was it to much to ask for a love like Dr. Potter and Elsie had? Surely after all these long years he deserved something else? Something more? Something that was his and his alone?

Today, Cian cursed his former Alpha, Fenir, for giving him this job! It was so late, he was so tired, and now he had to deal with this commotion. He was an Alpa, even though it had been forced upon him, and for better or worse he had to reassure his pack.

"Alright, alright, alright, everyone, just calm down, shut up and take a breath. The woman is sleeping for now. Dr. Potter and Elsie are looking after her. You all know what great care they give everyone. We'll know more in the morning. That's all we know for now. That's all we can DO for now. I'll give you more answers when I have them, but all we can do now is wait. Until I know more, the lady is our guest and she'll be treated like one." he stated to his worried pack members.

Still, he noticed that no one had asked how the woman was. Cian seemed the only one to worry about her condition. Cian knew the pack thought she was just a mortal and who'd shattered the quaint bucolic harmony of Antelope Hill. But, that was exactly what worried and intrigued Cian. She was just a mortal who'd somehow penetrated the ancient magic that protected and shielded the town. The questions, well main questions, were how and why?

Since Cian couldn't help the woman or provide answers for his pack Cian returned to his lonely house. He tried to sleep but his dreams were restless. The questions his pack had asked filled his mind. Cian had no answers and that bothered him. Cian liked to know what was going on at all times and this damaged raven -haired beautiful woman perplexed him. He found himself wanting to protect both his pack and her. Cian wondered why he was inexplicably drawn to her, after all she was just a mere mortal and he was an Alpha. At long last, sleep finally came to Cian although his dreams were troubled.