Shado smelled the rich aroma of coffee. He was awake, but didn't want to move until he noticed no one was wrapped in his arms. How his Mate could slip out of his hold without him noticing, he'd never know. But he wasn't alone for long as a warm, soft nose began nuzzling behind his ear, the weight of his Mate suddenly on him. Shado reached back, eyes still closed, and wrapped an arm around her.

"Why are you up so early babe?"

"I'm always up this early."

Xael gave him a quick kiss and sat up. She was already dressed in capris and a loose fitting t-shirt and his hoody. He finally set up since she wasn't going to let him go back to sleep. If Xael was up she thought everyone else should be too. He looked around the room, waiting for his brain to catch up with the rest of him. Xael was being exceptionally clingy at the moment as she curled up against him, her face buried in his neck. He was loving it.

"Will you wake me up like this every morning?"

"Mn."

"Where are the pups?" She pointed to the floor as her boys sat next to each other, eyes trained on their momma. Shado had noticed they had become like her shadow. "Why are they staying so close to you?"

"Because there are too many unfamiliar people around, they're like that when that happens. They'll be fine after they get used to everyone"

"I see...wait is that my hoody?"

"MmHmm. It smells nice."

Shado shook his head at her. "You are such an Omega."

"Only for you!" She bopped him on the nose and headed to the kitchen, pups on each side of her. Walking into the kitchen her Grams, Chief Houser and the Sheriff were all at the table having coffee. She sat next to her Grams as the dogs sat behind her chair, blocking her. Laying her head on the table, her Grandma stroked her hair. "Thanks Grammy."

Just then one of the guys camping outside came in through the back door, he had been outside enjoying the early morning. As he walked in, Xael's pups stood and glared at the Alpha. It was one of the males from Shado's unit, Max. He stopped, startled by the pups, everyone at the table noticed but Xael didn't seem phased by their action.

Xael picked up on everyone's nervousness. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, picking up the Alpha's scent.

"Sorry Max, your fine just don't get close to me."

"How'd you know it was even me!?"

"I can smell you." With her head still resting on the table, she gave her boys a command. "'Platz!'" With that, they were laying back down but still watching the Alpha as he cautiously walked to the other side of the table. It was getting to be too much for Houser.

"Little lady what's up with your pups and those spidey senses?"

"They're on alert because there are unfamiliar Alpha's around. I've always had heightened senses and I have PTSD. Their my service pups so they can sense I'm a little uneasy. They're just doing what they are trained to do."

"I'm sorry."

"I'll be fine. Sorry if they scared you Max." She raised her head and looked up at him and smiled.

"No harm, no foul."

"Why are you uneasy Pupkins?" Skylar was on his second cup of coffee and had been keeping an eye on her since the guys arrived.

"Everyone's scent is getting to me. I'll be fine."

"Is that why you're wearing my hoody?" Shado finally got out of bed and made it into the kitchen. Xael just shook her head, her grey eyes locked onto him as he sat next to her. She pulled the hoody over her head and hid her face into her Mates shoulder. The Elders laughed at her.

"So are those grey eyes natural or contacts?" Max was suddenly full of questions.

"Natural."

"Really?" Houser's interest had increased in the dark skinned beauty.  Xael inhaled Shado's scent deeply then sat back up. One more came in from outside, but he was human so the pups didn't even budge. Max saw how they didn't react.

"Why didn't they stop him?"

"He's human." The guy, Ted just looked and waved.

"Where's coffee?" 

The ladies laughed at him and pointed to the coffee pot. Xael rested her chin on her Alpha's shoulder as her eyes followed Ted like he was prey, he felt her watching him and turned. Her sights were locked onto him, making him uneasy. Shado, Skylar and Houser noticed her tracking him.

"Xael!"  Shado had no idea what she was doing

"Huh?" She snapped out of it but didn't take her eyes off of him.

"You're freaking him out!" Shado looked over at her.

"Sorry!" Xael hid her face again on his shoulder.

Just then another one of the Alphas, Parker, came in from the back. The pups jumped up and growled and Xael immediately turned towards the door. Her boys were ready to lunge at the Alpha and Xael's eyes went red as she snarled at him out of instinct, but this time she did freak out the human.

Xael quickly covered her nose and moved to get out of the kitchen, snapping her fingers for her pups to follow her but they were busy keeping the Alpha away from their momma. As she grabbed her boys by their collars, they started barking and snarling at him. Parker went back outside afraid they would attack him. Shado went to touch her and she turned and growled at him, giving everyone a glimpse of blazing red eyes. He immediately withdrew his hand.

Xael and her pups quickly left the kitchen and darted out the front door, slamming it shut. All the Alphas in the kitchen including Ms. Emma finally smelled what caused Xael to run off and her boys to almost attack.

Skylar couldn't contain his laughter and burst out laughing as did Chief Houser and her Grams. Her Grandma pulled it together, poor Ted was looking around clueless.

"I'll make sure she's okay." Ms. Emma went to check on her. Xael was sitting on the front steps breathing deeply to clear her head. "You okay dear?"

"Yeah...sorry about that. His scent was..."

"It's okay Pup, I'll take care of it. You wait here."

"Yes ma'am." Xael was beyond embarrassed.

Still laughing, her Grandma went back inside and to the back store room, grabbing a spray bottle. She sprayed the area the Alpha had been standing in, opening the back door, the poor male was shaken but fine. The Elder handed him the bottle.

"Spray yourself down with this dear, wait a few minutes, then you can come in." She tried not to laugh at him as she went back to the table.

"Someone mind telling him when he comes in...I can't keep a straight face!" Ms. Emma was still laughing. The poor human was too terrified to even move. Skylar and Houser were finally able to get themselves under control. Skylar cleared his throat as the young Alpha came back in, James, the other human walked in with him. Houser motioned for Parker to sit between him and Max, the other young Alpha. The older Alpha knew their scents would help mask his pheromones.

"What did I do!?"

"Sorry Parker." Chief Houser had managed to stop laughing.

"Shado, will you go and get her." Skylar thought it would be safer for her Mate to approach her as her Grams was busy at the sink. He turned to the young Alpha. "Sorry Parker, Xael's... your pheromones are all over the place."

The Alpha was suddenly embarrassed, Max started laughing again. That didn't help things.

"Oh shut up!" Parker growled at them.

"I'm so lost..." Poor Ted the human had no idea what's going on, James on the other hand was busy fixing himself a large cup of coffee.

Parker turned towards Ted. "Be thankful!"

The moment Shado opened the front door, Xael was in his arms, her face buried into his shoulder. "You okay babe?" Shado was rubbing her back to calm her down. She just shook her head. "Come on, it's safe for you to go back in." Xael decided to let her pups stay out as she reached for her Mates hand. He led her back towards the kitchen.

Chief Houser took sympathy on the ignorant human. "Ted, Xael's getting ready to...her senses are heightened. We can smell things humans can't. When males of our kind are sexually excited or have been, they give off a scent. If it's not the scent of their Mate, the females can find it threatening." Houser was trying to be discreet, normally talking about females going into heat wasn't a big deal but he still wanted to keep that private.

"Ohhh I see." Ted turned and punched Parker on the arm. "You twit! Don't scare her off! I want more of her cooking!"

That just caused another round of laughter as Xael cautiously walked back into the kitchen behind her Mate. Shado took a seat away from Parker as Xael sat next to him, hiding her face behind his shoulder.

"Sorry Parker..." Her voice was shy and full of embarrassment.

"I'm ok Xael. Sorry about that."

"Pervert!" Ted was still pissed that she wouldn't come back to cook.

"Hey! I couldn't help it!"

Xael was done with the whole fiasco and got up to start breakfast.

"Do you need help hun?"

"No Grams, I got it." Xael turned to the guys, her eyes were still red and it freaked Ted out. "Breakfast will be ready in an hour." Ms. Emma went to her room to change.

"Why are her eyes red?" Ted was trying to whisper but failed miserably.

"Because she's still pissed." Shado answered him and got up to walk over to her. Skylar and Houser suggested the guys go to the back deck and enjoy an early morning fire.

Shado wrapped his arms around her from behind. Xael dropped what was in her hands and turned around. Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her face into his neck and nuzzling him, until the guys left. She deeply inhaled his scent to calm herself down and return her eyes to normal. Shado rubbed her back as she relaxed against him.

"Better baby?"

"Yeah, tell him I'm sorry. I'm not usually this sensitive. You better ask for time off soon. My heat must be getting close."

"I will babe."

Xael pulled back and gave him a kiss. "Ok, I need to get breakfast going."

Shado gave her another kiss and headed out back to the others. As Shado walked away from her, her pups took up their positions again, forming a protect 'V' around her as she cooked away.

Walking out back, Shado patted Parker on the shoulder. "Xael's sorry for going Alpha on ya."

"No problem man."

Shado sat beside him and put another log on the fire, it was still pretty early. Just then Chris and Eli came from the side of the house. Skylar saw them head to the door. "Careful guys, Xael's on high alert."

"Yes sir." Eli opened the door and stepped in, Chris waited behind him.

"Xael?"

"Come on in, you guys are fine." The two Alpha's walked in and the pups popped up and walked over to them, tails wagging. Chris got down on his knees as they licked him in the face.

"Hey boys!" Chris started rough housing with them, which they loved.

"You guys want coffee?"

"Nope! We just came to hug our little sis. Heard you're on high alert."

"Ughh...I feel so bad." Xael gave them quick hugs.

"What's up sissy-pup?"

"Uhhhh nothing I want to talk about."

"Oohhhh." Eli put his hands up as they both backed up.

"Oh knock it off! Hey, will you two take the hooligans out for a run?"

"Sure we thought we would run to the end of the dirt road and back."

"Oh cool. I'd see if anyone else wants to go. Wait. Eyes!" Xael glared at her pups as they looked at her. "Do NOT kill anything!"

Chris and Eli went to the back deck with the excited pups. Parker stiffened up as the pups came over to him but went to Shado who was sitting next to him.

"Hey furboys!" Shado petted both of them as they sat next to him.

Parker looked over to Chris and Eli.

"How are they so nice to you two?"

"We're Xael's brothers and part of their pack."

"Oh...brothers?"

"We were in the same unit, so we're like family."

"Ah!"

Poor Ted. "What's a pack? You mean like a wolf pack?"

"Yeah something like that."

"Oh, so who's the Alpha?" Ted was curious and meant no disrespect, he was just wanting to learn. Everyone welcomed his questions.

"Xael!" Neither Chris nor Eli hesitated with their answer.

"A woman as a pack leader?"

"Did you not see what she did to Strickland dude?" Max shook his head at him as Ted made an 'O' face, the name quickly bringing the incident to the front of his mind.

"Strickland?" Chris and Eli were curious. Shado filled them in briefly.

"One of the guys I used to work with, he smacked Xael on the ass."

"Oh Shit!!" Eli burst out laughing, his hand doing a terrible job of trying to stop the laughter.

"Is he still alive?" Chris held it together a little better. But the guys had another good laugh.

Chris and Eli let them know they were going for a run to the end of the dirt road and back with the pups if anyone wanted to go. The younger ones were all for it and headed to the road for an early morning run.

Xael had the sausage gravy and biscuits done, with the frittatas in the oven she sat at the table and enjoyed some quiet time. Her Grams came in to join her.

"Hey Grams!"

"You doing better hun?"

"Yeah.  Talk about embarrassing."

"It happens. Hey where are your boys?"

"Shado, Chris and Eli took them for a run to the end of the road with some of the others."

Skylar and Houser came in for more coffee.

"I have a fresh pot brewing."

"Thanks Pupkins." The Elders all sat and enjoyed more of the morning.

//OUT FOR A RUN//

The guys and pups were about half way down the dirt road. Ted and James, the humans, were having to run full speed to keep up with them.

"Shit guys...slow down."

Shado turned and jogged backwards, "We are running slow!"

The humans fell back but kept the guys in their line of sight when they suddenly yelled for help. The other's stopped, Gunner and Moose took off back to the humans as the Alphas followed. When the pups reached them, their tails were wagging. By the time the Alphas made it back to Ted and James, both of them were standing in the middle of the road, white as ghosts.

"What is it dude?" Max tried to get Ted to snap out of it.

Ted slowly moved his hand and pointed to the tree line. Gunner and Moose trotted over to it, tails still wagging.

"Somethings wrong..." Eli was an Alpha but even he was starting to worry.

"Alphas, put the humans in the middle." Shado was in police mode as the Alphas encircled them. Out of the trees came a pack of very large wolves. There were wolves of two different sizes, regular sized ones and the very large and intimidating ones.

The entire group was now encircled but Gunner and Moose didn't seem to mind them and in fact, looked happy that they were there.

"Fuck..." Shado was panicking

//OUT FOR A RUN//