Landon

Have you ever seen a movie where there is an attempt on the president's life?

Far from me to compare myself to POTUS, but the operation that was put together for my return after the shooting was no small feat. No less than eighty warriors combed through the vicinity for any sign of threat.

Several drones were launched, monitoring the area from above on top of all the action being done on the ground. They made me wear a bulletproof vest and I was surrounded by a team of warriors for each step I took.

There was no margin for errors. No chance being taken. There was barely enough room for me to breathe. Alpha Staedler reassured me that the investigation was making strides and the culprit was days away from being found. He told me he is not resting until justice is served.

A doctor came the day I woke up and examined me before I left. I am guessing the same one who saved my life when I was shot. He told me that my wolf healing did most of its job, but I should take it easy for the next week or so. I shouldn't exert myself in any physical activities.

I heard him loud and clear, plus I am still in pain from the shooting. Out of all the scars I thought I could have in life, a bullet scar was not what I had envisioned for myself. He concluded by saying I should make an appointment with my doctor to have a check up in a week, just to make sure everything was healed.

I am still wearing a bandage on my chest - which he redressed - as I am healing. Oh yeah, he also said I should probably talk to a therapist about the psychological trauma. It was a very thorough consultation.

I thanked the Alpha couple for their hospitality and extended my hand in friendship despite the odds. I have no intentions of retaliating against them or their pack. But I want the person who shot me brought to justice, for sure.

Despite the attempt on my life, I succeeded in what I came here to do and signed the peace treaty. I look forward to the unmated exchange program being put to use and hope one day we can heal the deep wound between our packs, though I know that is going to take a long time.

I am willing to work for it if they are. So, fingers crossed.

After all is said and done, I got into the large motorcade safely and was driven back home. I am glad to be returning to my pack, especially to my friends and family who I miss.

By the way, Harry is coming along too. He drove his own car towards our neighboring town, but his life isn't the one who is in jeopardy. I wasn't present when he told his family about this trip nor do I know how long he plans on staying, but I am not complaining at all.

On the contrary, I welcome the company.

"My poor baby!" My mom lunged in my direction with a tight welcoming hug as soon as I stepped foot inside the pack house. After the five minute embrace, she 'examined' me in front of a rather large welcome committee.

"I'm fine, mom. I'm much better now." I tried to persuade her before she makes me take off my shirt so she could check the wound.

Apart from her and Javier, Gustavo, Grayson, Rhiannon, Ares, as well as my brother and sister are also present. Not to mention the warriors who entered with me into the house.

Harry is right behind me, baffled by the enormity of people. Though if you think about it, it's not exactly unusual considering the shooting.

After mom took her time, my siblings also hugged me lovingly. I bask in their warmth. I missed my family, even though I have only been gone for 3 days.

Gustavo came next with a bear hug and I also took in his friendly love.

"What is he doing here? Didn't he reject you?" Grayson raised a suspicious eyebrow at Harry's presence, who growled at him like a rabid wolf.

"I wasn't aware I needed your permission to come to my mate's house." Harry snapped at him, fuming.

"Gray, play nice please. You're not in your college dorm now." I interjected in a pleading tone.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who rejected you. I'm just saying..." He insisted, setting my mate off.

"I don't owe you any explanation, Grayson! Mind your damn business before I forget my manners." Harry threatened him, making everyone uncomfortable.

Rhiannon and Ares join in on the hugging party while I mind linked Gray to leave my mate alone. I don't need this right now.

Plus, he is right. He does not owe anyone an explanation, except for me. And I didn't demand it of him, so...

"Welcome back, Harrison. May I escort you to your room, I'm sure you wanna take a shower and freshen up before dinner." Mom greeted him with a smile that could disarm anyone.

Harry changed his stance and facial expression to a softer side, smiling at my mom.

"Thank you, Luna. Sure, lead the way." He replied, following her with a bag on his back.

As soon as they were out of hearing range, my friends rushed to get the 'hot tea' from me.

"What happened between you two? Why is he here? Did he take back the rejection?" Gustavo was quick to ask, though everyone else was curious about it, even his dad.

"Nothing happened. No, he didn't take back the rejection. He just asked if he could accompany me here while I recuperate. That's it." I replied in a matter of fact tone.

They all looked puzzled by this development. For the next thirty minutes, my friends kept grilling me about all that happened, including the day of the shooting.

Javier went to his office and the warriors on my protection detail were dismissed from their duties. I am sure Kyle and Mathew are very tired after two consecutive all nighters.

I understand their curiosity and worry for me. It was a dire situation that I survived. I am still not 100% healed. It'll take a long time for that.

After a quick shower, I got downstairs for dinner and met my mate along the way. I asked him if he got settled alright in the guest wing, to which he replied he did.

The table was beautifully set with ornaments and my mom even had the good china on display like we were having a distinguished guest.

In a way, we are. Harry is from a prestigious pack, even if a former rival. But I have a feeling tonight is more about me than him.

"Wow, mom. Everything looks beautiful." I complimented her, astonished by the ostentatious dinner table.

"You deserve it, my dear. When they told me you were shot, I wanted to come to you right away but Javier convinced me that it would be best if we don't give them another target. But it was the most frightening, terrifying feeling I've ever felt." She said as we could feel the pain and apprehension in her voice.

"I was desperate for information and I feared for the worse. I couldn't breathe until they reported that you were treated by a doctor and were in stable condition." She continued, feeling saddened but relieved at the same time.

We all took a breath at hearing her words. I can only imagine what it was like for my family to hear about my incident, especially being away from them.

"I'm glad that everything turned out fine, but it was a huge scare. I didn't know if I would survive, to be honest." I spoke, dreadfully.

"After I lost your father, I thought I had experienced the worst pain imaginable. But that was nothing compared to what I felt once I heard the news of you being shot. Please don't ever scare me like that again." She spoke with a pleading gaze.

My mom's emotional plea got me misty eyed. All of us in the room could feel the vulnerability in her voice, including Harry.

"I'm deeply sorry for the part my pack took not only in taking the life of your mate, but also in the attempt of Landon's. There are no words that can express how worried I felt for him. I really wish none of this ever happened." Harry said, feeling bad for this situation.

Mom raised a glass in my honor and we all celebrated my safe return home. The food was delicious, the conversation flowed and my sister even asked Harry if he had regretted rejecting me.

"It's not a question of regret. What your brother did to my pack is still fresh on my mind, the damage it caused to people near and dear to me. So no, I don't regret it." He replied, causing an uncomfortable mood to settle in the dining room.

"However, that doesn't mean I wasn't frightened when his life was on the line. It was the most scared I've ever felt, to paraphrase your mother." He continued, getting an emphatic smile from my mom.

"I want you to know that I didn't take any pleasure in doing what I did. But what your brother did to my father couldn't be left unanswered." I told him, feeling sorry.

I don't regret my actions except for the fact that children also died that day. That wasn't my intention whatsoever, but a lesson needed to be learned.

In life, we learn through love or pain and they needed to be humbled, brought to heal. It was the chain of events that brought my mate to my doorstep.

I feel really bad for the people whose lives didn't need to be taken, but I will never regret ending this pack war. Though I have a feeling the war is far from over.

"I understand, Landon. I may not agree with your methods, but I get the need for retribution." Harry acknowledged, looking at me with a soft gaze.

After dinner, I asked my mate to accompany me to the living room where we could talk in private. I'd ask him to go to my room, but I wouldn't want to seem too forward.

We made our way to the spacious place and closed the door behind us. I asked him about himself, trying to get to know him properly.

I asked him about college and what his major was. He also asked me about myself and what college in Houston was like.

We talked for a good time about our lives and the journey that led us here. We also related to the fact that both of us had to graduate high school unmated and remained so until recently.

Without the pressure of others, without politics or any hard feelings, the conversation flowed like we were just two boys getting to know one another. Honestly, it felt great.

Though I know deep down, I still have some groveling to do. If his words are to be taken seriously, he is not yet convinced about accepting me as a mate. He just got really scared because of the attempt on my life.

We said goodbye after a good conversation and went our separate ways. I wish I could invite him back to my room, not gonna lie.

The next morning, we met again for breakfast in the dining room and I asked him if he slept well.

"I did, yeah. Your guest bed is better than ours." He replied, playfully.

"Great. I'm sorry I can't keep you company today, but I'm sure there's a stack of paperwork for me to take care of back at my office." I said, remorsefully.

"It's fine, Landon. I know you have your duties as Regent. I never expected you to be at my beck and call. I'll entertain myself and go out, get to know this city." He said in a chipper tone.

"Great. If you need any pointers, I'm at your service." I smiled cordially at him.

We ate our breakfast with my family, who seem more than willing to welcome my mate despite his familial background. I know my mom looked pleased, which is always good.

After I finished, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and walked towards my office.

Lourdes welcomed me back with a hug - she is not a fan of close contact, as I said before.

"Welcome back, Alpha." She said, then bowed her head to me.

No one bows their head to me because that is a deference reserved for the Alpha of the pack. Alpha Staedler did when I bowed to him as a courtesy, but other than that...

"Lourdes, just because I was shot doesn't mean that you need to address me as Alpha. I'm the same person I was before, no need to treat me any differently." I reassured her in a playful tone.

I can tell she feels relieved that I survived, but that doesn't change anything in practical terms.

"That's not why I'm calling you Alpha. I'm not one to fluff male egos." She shot back, raising an eyebrow at me.

I gulped at the snarky response.

"Then why..."

"People who reject mates don't go around kissing them." She interrupted me, causing me to gasp at this statement.

I completely forgot about the kiss Harry and I shared.

"Wait. How do you know..." I mumbled, puzzled as to how the hell she knows about that. Then it hit me.

"I'm gonna kill Kyle! Que chismoso!" I raised my tone, taken by surprise. Kyle is a warrior who was inside the dining hall when Harry kissed me. He witnessed it. He is Lourdes' mate.

"It's not gossip if you just tell your mate." She argued in a playful tone.

I blushed at the memory and her argument.

"A kiss doesn't mean acceptance. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing." I told her, trying hard not to get my hopes up. I don't want to delude myself thinking he is going to accept me only to be disappointed when he leaves.

"Sure, Alpha. Or maybe he's not as strong as the pull of the mate bond. I didn't even like white boys until I met my mate." She countered, not convinced by my argument.

I stare at her for a moment, not knowing what to respond to that.

"Anyway, what's more urgent on my schedule for today? I'm sure I have a ton of paperwork to go over after my absence." I changed the subject since apparently I am not winning that argument.

"Everything is already filed on your desk in order of importance. Also, Beta Carillon is coming at eleven o'clock." She informed me in a serious tone.

"Great, thanks Lourdes." I said, before entering my office.

"You're welcome, Alpha." She winked at me.

I buried myself in front of the mountain of work I had to focus on, but more often than not my mind started drifting off, wondering about my mate.

Was there any truth to what Lourdes was telling me? Did that kiss really mean nothing to him? What does he hope to accomplish by coming here?

Harry and I talked for a while last night, but there are still so many questions left unanswered.

Nevertheless, I am too frightened to ask them. I don't want to know unless he'd tell me what I want to hear.

I guess my consolation is that while he is here, there is still hope for us. At least, there's that.

Are we ever going to be an "us"? Will he ever kiss me again? Goddess, that was a great kiss.

I was daydreaming when Javier entered my office and caught me drooling over some papers. Great, because I don't embarrass myself enough...

"Are you okay, Regent?" He asked me tentatively while he walked inside my office.

"Yes, I am. I was just thinking about..." I replied, blushing. He cut me off before I could finish the sentence.

"I know what you're thinking about, Regent. But I'm here to redirect your focus on other issues." He stated in a serious tone and I blushed like a teen boy caught behaving badly.

"Of course, Beta. You have the floor." I spoke, gesturing for him to speak up.

"Well, for starters I'm glad we didn't have to enforce protocol Armageddon. But the issue of who shot you remains at large. That can't be answered by us." He told me, frowning.

I am very familiar with protocol Armageddon and happy that we didn't have to execute it. I can tell by his dreadful tone that he means business.

"I'm aware, Beta. But we need to give time for their people to solve the crime. If we push ourselves into their business, it'd only jeopardize our peace efforts." I argued, apprehensively.

"I'm with you, Regent. I don't wanna jeopardize our relationship with them any more than you do, but I'm worried." He agreed, pondering the stakes.

We breathed out a heavy sigh, contemplating our actions and what to do next.

"I'm confident Alpha Staedler will not rest until the perpetrator is caught. Give it time." I reiterated, hopeful.

"Sure. I'm in touch with Beta Wilmont just so they know we haven't forgotten about it." He said in a serious tone, but I laughed.

"I'm pretty sure no one is forgetting about that, Beta." I giggled.

"Anyway, we enhanced our security protocols for any future travels, but it goes without saying you can't go back there for a while." He widened his eyes as he said that, apprehensively.

"Agreed." I said enthusiastically.

"Perfect. While I have you, let's go over what I had to deal with in your absence." He proposed and we talked until lunch time.

https://youtu.be/AcTDlsUej2w

A|N: I loved this film.

Though the song deals with hoping someone comes back from military service, considering what Landon had survived, it seems fitting. Also, there's the confusing feelings in the song that relates to the story.

Love,

Léo.