Leo and the others reached Mologa just as the sun's first rays were trying to break free from the clouds. Needless to say, it had been a long, winding and hectic journey for all of them. Even without the pack's connection, Leo could see how tired everyone was. It would soon be more than forty-eight hours since any of them had a proper full night's sleep.
Though none of them had seemed too interested in stopping and taking long breaks. Even Vlad, who was injured, had agreed to travel in the Jeep only because Aleksandr had ordered him so as to help his injuries heal faster.
Now that they were within pack territory, Leo just wanted to find a bed somewhere and fall face-flat on it. Wrap himself up in some sheets and snooze off for the rest of the day. And if those sheets happened to have the scent of his mate's, like cedar, rain and aged whiskey, even better.
He doubted sleep was on the agenda any time soon for his mate though. He could see Sasha had tensed up ever since he'd first sighted pack lands. His mate was easy to spot since he towered over the others, his wolf a magnificent beast cloaked in layers of velvety black fur. At night, his coat had rippled like liquid darkness over hard muscle, and his mere presence had felt like standing beneath an approaching storm.
Also, Sasha was the only black wolf in the pack, his glossy ink-like coat of darkness formed a beautiful contrast against Leo's pure white fur, like night standing beside snow. Lev amused himself thinking that their personalities as well, were like night and snow.
As they entered, the first thing Leo noticed about Mologa was the silence. The kind of silence that was stitched together by mountain wind through endless pines, distant clock tower bells rolling softly through fog, and river water crashing somewhere beneath the cliffs. The small city rested at the foothills like it had been carved directly into the earth itself with old stone streets where the light from the street lanterns seeped in with the upcoming dawn while mist curled between rooftops and forests alike.
And Aleksandr smelled like he belonged to every inch of it.
Suddenly everyone stopped and looked to their Alpha. Leo felt it too, immediately.
He could sense the air around him changed as he felt a current running in, the tension and anticipation buzzing around him as the wolves awaited their leader's instructions, how patiently they listened and how faithfully they trusted Aleksandr. Leo had never seen such dynamics, had never been able to be a part of a true pack where brotherhood, camaraderie and loyalty were so much at the forefront.
He felt goosebumps on his skin as he devoured the shift in the energies of his fellow wolves. Maxim and Vlad took off in one direction with half of the pack following behind them. The other half took off to the opposite direction and ran along to different locations.
While Aleksandr moved towards him and nudged Leo to follow him.
Aleksandr huffed softly before pulling away and taking them farther uphill, where houses grew quieter and more scattered between the towering pine trees. Eventually, they stopped before a duplex tucked near the edge of the forest where warm yellow light glowed through the windows. Leo had an idea where Sasha might be taking him and his nerves grew.
The duplex wasn't enormous like Leo expected an alpha heir's family house to be. Instead, it felt lived in, a comfort place. There were tiny details around the house that softened the place immediately, like flower boxes beneath the windows, wind chimes that swayed gently and indicated the flow of the wind, old lanterns near the porch and knitted decorations taped crookedly against the glass. Someone had even painted little mountain flowers along the wooden mailbox.
It was a home.
Leo took in the details however they must have stood outside for just about a minute when suddenly the front door opened. A little girl, barely taller than a toddler, rushed down the porch steps and threw herself against the black wolf with enough force to make the giant Alpha laugh under his breath.
"Sasha! You're back!" her voice screeched.
Leo's heart melted at seeing the whole interaction. Leo remembered this must his little sister.
A grave voice interrupted them. "Son, you're back."
An elderly man stood at the door and looked them over. He barely glanced at Aleksandr and instead paid extra attention to Leo. Next to Sasha, Lev's snow white fur looked even more pale than usual. That contrast was further accentuated by the fact that next to his mate's almost behemoth size, Lev looked tiny.
All at once Lev's anxiety peeked in and he suddenly felt...inadequate.
####
Things are slowly but steadily developing here. But what do you all think of the pace?
Is it too slow? Too fast? Or just enough?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Happy Reading! Please vote on my story!