Payton

“Good job Payton!” Alpha John shouts, slapping him on the back. “You sure knocked him out.” he continued, nodding over to Noah who was passed out on the dirt.

Oops.

I cringe, “I didn’t mean to.” I watch as the pack healer looks him over.

“It’s not your fault.” Alpha John says, “He was going easy on you 'cause you’re his friend.”

The healer, Jason, slaps Noah's face a few times and he pops up looking lost. Noah’s eyes scan the field and when his eyes catch mine he smiles

“Jeez Payton. If I knew you hated me that much I would’ve effed off.” Noah runs over and rolls his shoulder out with a pop.

“Sorry.” Wincing, Payton remembered the tackle that sent him into unconsciousness.

“No, it's good!” He responds smiling, “That just means I need to up my game. Besides, you’re my Beta and need to be prepared for anything too.”

“Mmm.” Payton hums, unsure.

“Okay boys, enough chit-chat.” Alpha John starts. “Tomorrow is our last day of training before the ceremony in a couple of days and I need you to be ready to work your asses off, got it?”

“Sir yes sir!” Noah exclaims with a sarcastic salute.

“No sass!” Alpha John scolds, “Get outta here. Go take a shower, eat, and go to bed. Five more days till you guys are Alpha and Beta.”

Noah smiles wide and Payton can’t stop the equally large smile that overcomes his face.

Noah flings the door to his room open causing it to smack the wall.

“Come on.” Payton scolded him as a stock picture fell to the ground, “Why is this even here? This is not your family.”

“But it’s someone's family.” Noah smiles, walking to the kitchen as Payton hangs the picture back on the wall.

“I hope you know that’s not a valid argument,” Payton called into the kitchen. He flopped onto the sofa, “Feed me.....” He moaned, clutching his stomach.

“Well... I don’t have any food,” Payton groans, “BUT! We can order some Pad Thai.”

“Mm fine...” Payton agrees reluctantly. Knowing the Pad Thai will not sit well on his stomach tomorrow, he closes his eyes and melts into the couch.

“There’s that enthusiasm I’m looking for!” Noah pumps his fist.

When Payton opens his eyes again the food is waiting on the coffee table.

“You’re awake!” Noah exclaims a noodle hanging out of the mouth, chopsticks in hand.

“Okay pup, calm down.” Payton pats his head.

“I’m not a pup,” Noah said, lifting his head.

“Mm, okay, whatever you say future Alpha. When did food get here?” he asks, grabbing a container.

“About five minutes ago,” Noah says, settling on the sofa. “I went to order food and when I came back you were asl- ow.” He covers his chest with his hands bending down, nose scrunched up in pain.

“What? Heartburn?” Payton moves closer, ready to catch Noah if something happens.

“Maybe? My chest feels tight like I can’t breathe.” Noah's breaths become more labored. “I don’t-ah, I don’t know what's wrong with me.”

“Panic attack?” His brow furrowed.

“But I’m not panicking. Well great, now I’m panicking, but I’m panicking about this.”

“Maybe we should...” Payton trails off, not sure what to do.

“Ah, shit. It stopped.” Noah said, sitting upright. “Well, that was freaky.” He grabs the container ready to eat.

“Dude.” Payton starts, “Put that down, what if it’s poisoned?” He says even though he doesn't think that's going on. Better safe than sorry.

Noah sniffs the container, “Smells fine to me.”

“No.” Payton snatches the container from his hand, “We are going to the healer.”

“But I’m fine now,” he whines. “It was nothing.”

“You probably pulled a muscle or something from training. If so, you need to be checked out for tomorrow.” I reason.

“Fiiiiiine” Noah juts out his bottom lip pouting at me.

Payton dragged him out the door by his wrist, walking to the healer's house when he saw one of the pack's beta warriors.

“Hey, Joni!” Payton calls out to Joni as she walks past the training grounds. “Do you know where Jason is?”

Joni has long ginger hair and pale skin full of freckles, despite that she's extremely intimidating. She’s tall and muscular and organizes all of the pack's patrols. 

“Save me, Joni,” Noah whispers and yells from behind me.

“Uhh yeah, I guess, is something wrong”? She asks, still staring at Noah quizzically.

“No-” Noah starts.

“Noah’s broken,” Payton states matter-of-factly.

“Oh well... yeah, I think I saw him heading for his hut after your training session. I’d check there first.”

Payton turns to Joni, “Bye Joni thanks for the directions, and sorry to stop you.” he apologizes as Noah whines behind me.

He marched them up past the dining hall and quickly found Jason’s hut, opening the door and letting himself in.

“Jason!” 

“Ah, I ….uuuhh ...mm stop...ahh… STOP. Uh, I'm coming, hang on one second!”

Jason runs out from behind a curtain, his sweater falling off his shoulder, his glasses knocked crooked, and his hair a mess. His face blazes as he catches sight of Noah and I.

“Oh, A-alpha! Beta! I was just uh…..um,” He trails off blushing, his hands covering the front of his jeans.

“There’s nothing wrong with mates having some fun during your off time.” A smirking face says, slipping on his shirt as he comes out from behind the curtain. Goddess.

“Charlie!” Jason squeaks mortified. “Oh god,” Jason mutters. “Um Alpha, Beta, this is my human mate, Charlie, he was supposed to be just bringing me lunch,” he says coldly, eyeing his mate.

“But you're so pretty.” Charlie bends down with a smirk to let his head rest in the crook of Jason’s neck.

Jason tilts his head back for a split second and his eyes flutter. “NO.” Jason snaps out of it pushing Charlie away

“Aw but how can I-”

“No, out,” Jason says, pulling his mate out the door. I assume by Charlie's smirk and their ridiculous size difference that Charlie is letting him.

“What is wrong with you?!” I hear Jason whisper-scream at Charlie. “You are embarrassing me in front of my bosses!”

“You’re just so cute when you're flustered,” Charlie says in a normal voice, the teasing evident.

“No, you do. Mmm. Good goddess, you are too good at that, ahh” Jason moans loudly.

“Oh, goddess.” Payton rolls his eyes and looks over at Noah who has a big smile on his face. He shoots him a look.

“What? They’re so cute. I hope my mate and I are like that.” He says smiling and staring out into space.

“Ugh, Jason!” Payton shouts.

“Wah!” He hears Jason's surprised shout. “It’s like you want me fired.”

“Can you get fired?” Charlie questions.

“Leave.” He hears the door slam. “Ugh,” Jason comes back his lips red and swollen and new hickeys on his neck and shoulder where his sweater slipped down.

I stare at him silently and he coughs awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I invited him to bring lunch, but he's a piece of shit and distracted me. I promise it won't happen again.” he rushed out with wide eyes.

He opens his mouth to reprimand him, but Noah beats me to it.

“It's fine. You guys are so cute, I hope me and my mate are like that. How did you meet?” Noah says excitedly, firing off questions.

Jason's eyes light up and he opens his mouth to start talking.

“No, no, shut it. Talk about this on your own time Alpha.” He throws shade at Noah. He coughs.

“Right.” Jason says, correcting himself, “What can I do for you.” He smiles.

Payton repeats what happened to Noah earlier with Noah jumping in now and again.

“Hmm okay.  Noah, sit on the couch and take off your shirt.” Jason instructs, leading them to the disheveled couch Jason and Charlie were making out on earlier.

“Umm…” he side-eyes the couch.

Jason's face heats again, “Uhh yeah, maybe this one.” he chuckles nervously walking over to the recliner in the corner of the room. Jason's living room is very....eclectic to say the least. Every piece of furniture and decoration seems to be completely random and well-loved.

Noah strips his shirt and throws it at Payton. He catches it reflexively then drops it. “I’m your Beta, not your maid.”

“Aw,” Noah whines teasingly, “but you’d look so cute in a maid outfit.” he sticks out his bottom lip.

My heart flares. Not at the thought of the maid outfit per se, just the thought of me in a skirt at all to be fair.

Jason clears his throat. “Well, nothing seems wrong with you. It was probably just heartburn.” He shrugs

“Yeah but... It didn’t burn. I felt like I was drowning. Or getting squeezed by a big snake.” Noah says seriously.

“Sounds like a panic attack,” Jason says matter-of-factly.

“But I was relaxed and happy and then it was suddenly there, then my vision went a bit black then it was gone. Once my vision returned fairly quickly I felt perfectly fine.” Noah says still not convinced.

“Yeah, honestly Noah is not the type to let panic consume...” Payton doesn't finish his sentence because Jason's face falls a bit at Noah's words.

“What?” He asked.

“Well... there is a slight chance that could have been your mate,” Jason says, looking at Noah softly.

Noah's face goes from worry to a full-blown Noah smile. “So I have a mate, for real?” he says, practically vibrating.

“Yes, have you ever felt something like this before, like an emotion that doesn’t feel like yours, or a random pain?” Jason questions.

“No. Not before this.” Noah says, still smiling, kicking his feet like a little kid. A 6’3 little kid who could punch someone unconscious. 

“Then your mate probably just turned 18 recently.  And by the measure at which you felt it, it's likely your mate is close, probably in this town, and... well...they’re probably an omega because you could feel their emotions at all. There have been many cases of omegas and alphas broadcasting their feelings to their mate in times of need.” Jason says, watching for Noah's reaction.

Noah freezes, his legs no longer swinging. He leans forward, smiles gone and dead serious. “What do you mean “times of need”?

“Uh well... about that. What you felt was most definitely a panic attack, it just wasn’t yours, it was yours mates.”

Noah looks stricken, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” Jason starts, “Your mate probably had a panic attack, probably on a larger scale than what you felt. The fact that you felt it meant your mate's wolf was aware you were near and was asking for help.

“So my mate’s in pain,” Noah says, looking devastated.

“Y-you never know. It could have been a one-time thing.” Jason winces 

I can’t believe Noah found his mate.

“I need to find them!” Noah lurches up, running to the door.

“Noah!” Payton calls out, but Noah is already out the door. “Fuck”

He turns to Jason, “He’s fine though right?”

“Hm...” Jason mumbles lost in space. “Oh! Yeah, he’s fine.” Jason smiles.

“Okay, thanks doc.” Payton runs out the door to find where Noah ran off.

“Noah!” Payton calls out, running in the direction of the gates. “Noah, I swear to god…”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Noah running in the direction of the pack house, probably going to talk to his dad. Noah runs into the building, accidentally bumping into one of the pack chefs getting ready to make dinner.

Goddess Noah

Payton runs after Noah, stopping to help the chef. “Goddess, I’m so sorry about him.” He grabs her arm to help her regain her balance.

“Oh! It’s okay Beta Payton,” she says looking up at him and fluttering her lashes flirtatiously.

“Um, okay, I better go help the Alpha.” Payton ignores her, letting go of her arm, and continues after Noah.

“...need to round up all the omegas in our pack so I can find my mate!” Payton arrives right as Noah ends his rant. “We have to Dad” Noah commands, his Alpha coming out, pheromones permeating the room.

Alpha John’s face is stoic. “An omega, huh?” he says, staring at a pen on his desk.

He watches as Noah immediately tenses. Payton’s not sure how Alpha John feels about omegas, but he didn't think the older male would be prejudiced. It never occurred to him that other pack members wouldn’t support Noah's mate.

“Is that a problem?” Noah asks cooly. Anyone could hear the Alpha challenge in his tone. Payton was shocked. He’s never seen two pack Alphas go head to head before, much less Noah and his father.

Alpha John, noticing Noah's challenging tone, straightens, standing with a small sigh. “Of course not.” he releases a forced smile. “Let's find your mate, son. I'll see what I can do.” he claps his hands, finitely.

“Yes!” Noah's fist pumps, all seriousness leaving him at the thought of his mate. Payton can’t help the sadness that washes through him. He knows he’s only been 18 for a few days, but he hasn't found his mate and who knows if he ever will. Now Noah is finding his mate and Payton’s going to be all alone.

Noah notices his expression and shifts over to Payton. “What's up? Aren’t you happy?” Noah pokes me jokingly in his side. A smile finds its way onto Payton’s face and he decides it’s time to be honest.

“It's just…” Payton trails off, “You're finding your mate. You're going to want to be around them constantly and I’m going to be alone.”

“Payton. You’re still my Beta and my best friend, I’m not going to stop hanging out with you, even when I find my mate.” He engulfs Payton in a hug. He felt a smile slowly working its way onto his face, but quickly turned his face into a serious one. 

“Alright I believe you, but as soon as you find your mate you have to help me look for mine,” He pulls away, sticking out his hand, “Deal?”

Noah smiles, “Deal!” Noah slaps his hand in Payton’s and shakes hands vigorously.

Alpha John steps out of his office, hands clasped. “I have made phone calls to all the families in our pack with omegas, all two of them,” he says. “One family agreed, the other didn’t answer my call, so I’ll try again in a bit. By tomorrow both omegas will be here at 3:00.”

Payton can already feel Noah's pout. “Why can’t we just go over to their houses right now?”

“Because you are Alpha. If one of their children is going to be Luna, they want the chance to dress them up and make a good first impression. Plus it’s weird to ambush unsuspecting wolves in their own home.” Apha John explains.

“But that's so fake, and I wanna mess them up anyway,” Noah smirks.

Payton’s lips curl up. “Goddess Noah, that's disgusting, no parent wants to hear that.” He smacks Noah upside the head.

“Sex isn’t gross.” Noah turns up his nose at Payton.

He looks over at Alpha John, who has his face buried in his hands. “This is your son.” Payton points, accusingly.

Alpha John rolls his eyes, “Go home, get some beauty sleep. I’ll give you tomorrow to rest and get ready to find your mate, but that means you have to train the next day.” 

“Got it, Dad!” Noah salutes the Alpha.

“Get outta here.” John shoos us away.

“We should go shopping tomorrow.” Noah starts. Payton looks up at Noah's wide grin

“Sure,” I say casually.

We walked up to the house “Bedtime!” Noah shouts, marching towards his bedroom. I laugh softly and follow suit.