My W Unit

"Good everyone's up." Ryker smiled as he entered the packed kitchen.
"Everyone but your youngest son." Trista informed as she kissed her husband.
"Of course he is. Who wants to volunteer to wake him up?" The kitchen went silent as they all stared at each other.
Finally Deklyn raised his hand and shouted, "I volunteer Rai, he won't kill her!" Seconds later a chorus of 'I second that' sounded through the room.
I rolled my eyes, "Fine. He isn't that bad." Everyone stared at me in disbelief. "What?"
"He is one of the worst creatures to wake up... ever." One of the cousins replied.
"Have you ever tried to wake him up?" Asher asked as he shook at the memory.
"Why yes I have. He just growled at me and then I sat on his back and bounced until he growled louder and got up." I shrugged. "Then there was the time I dropped ice down his back. He didn't like that."
"I remember that, he chased you through Myrra until you hid in her ducts." Lyla chuckled.
"Good times." I grinned.
"See you can do that stuff because your his mate, if we tried that he'd kill us." Cadence said as she fed Emerson his breakfast.
"I wasn't his mate when I pulled those stunts off. Wasn't until we were hiding on Trinity that we told each other."
"Really?" The Ryker pack looked at me astonished.
"Really. It was ridiculous!" Deklyn flung his hands in the air.
"My son." Ryker shook his head.
"You were slow on the uptake too dear." Trista patted Ryker's cheek. "Like father, like son."
"We must be blood." Ryker joked, "Now, everyone into the fields, we have work to do. Zane's pack, follow me and I'll instructed you on what to do."
"I want Lyla and Rai to stay behind so we can fix thierhair a bit. You two look silly." Trista added. Lyla and I looked at each other and nodded, we really did. After everyone left the kitchen Trista turned to us. "Help me clean up a bit and we'll get to work. While I'm doing Lyla's hair, Rai please go wake up my son. He should not need anymore sleep."
"To be fair, we've been under a lot of stress lately so sleeping for more than a day straight is actually kind of a good thing. It means he's relaxed enough to actually get some much needed sleep." I tried to defend.
"Nonetheless, we need him and he can sleep more tonight." I nodded and we quickly cleaned up the kitchen. "Alright off with you. Come Lyla, we shall try to match you natural hair color so you aren't red on top and blonde on the bottom."
"Thank gods, I cringe every time I look at myslef in a mirror." She replied as she followed Trista into the living room.
I made my way up to the room the pack slept in. I found Zane laying out on his back, breathing deeply. I climbed on the bed next to him and started gently shaking him. "Zane... Zane time to wake up... Come on ástin mín, you have to get up." He groaned, but didn't show any signs of waking. "Wake up or I'm bouncing on your stomach... Wakey Wakey!" Still showing no signs, I straddled his stomach and started bouncing. "Zane wake up!" When he still didn't move, I placed my hands on both sides of his face and started smooshing it together. "Wake up." This time he growled, unhappy with his face being contorted. "Zane, you have to wake up now." I continued my assault on his face until he got so fed up with it, he flipped us and pinned me to the bed. "Morning ástin mín."
Zane shook his head trying to clear his mind of the sleep fog. "Rai, what are you doing?"
"Trying to wake you up. You've been a sleep for over a day and your father needs help."
"Couldn't you wake me up like a normal human being?"
"I could but where is the fun in that?"
He growled but soon stopped as he leaned down and sniffed my top plaid shirt. "That's mine."
"Yeah, your mom found it."
He nuzzled into my shoulder as he replied, "I like it."
"Cuz I smell like you?"
"Mhm." He started rubbing across my shoulder until he hit my neck, then he started kissing and nipping it.
"Not fair. You have to go eat."
"Dessert first." He breathed right before biting the junction between my jaw and neck and licking it.
"You're so cliche." I moaned which received a purr in reply. "We can't do this, you family is probably within hearing distance and I know for a fact that Lyla and your mom are right downstairs."
"Lyla knows that if she eavesdrops, she's dead and my mom's human."
"I don't care, this is not the place."
"I don't know, your body says otherwise."
"Body and mind are two different things. How's this, if you don't stop, I'll find a very creative way to turn you on and then walk away."
"That is cruel." He stopped his attack on my neck and looked at me.
"I know, but we can't do this now."
He sighed, "I know, but I just got you back."
My face softened and I slipped my wrist out of his hands and touched his face, "I know, but what's a little longer?"
"Unbearable?"
"You'll be fine, but for now you have to eat and go help you family while your mom fixes my hair so I look normal."
"Have you ever looked normal?" He teased as he leaned down to kiss me.
"Jerk."
"I know." Zane got off of me and walked over to a pile of clothes.
"I'll meet you downstairs." He nodded and started stripping as I walked out of the room. I fixed my clothes and hair before entering the living room.
"Zane awake?" Lyla asked innocently.
"Don't pretend you didn't hear at least half of what went on upstairs." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Did you do commentary for those of us who don't have super hearing?"
"I told her I didn't want to know what was going on. What happens between you and my son is not something I want to know." Trista answered as she finished foiling Lyla's hair.
"This is why I like humans, they know to respect other people's private time... usually." I glared at Lyla.
"I can't help that my hearing extends to upstairs." She smiled.
"Right." I rolled my eyes.
"Lyla, you may get up and Rai you may sit." Lyla and I switched places. "What would you like me to do?"
"I think I want to go back to my natural hair color."
"Okay, that should be easy enough." Trista walked out to get the needed materials and came back as Zane entered. "Hello dear."
"Hi mom." Zane kissed her and then turned to look at his scout. "Hello Lyla."
"Hi Zane." She smiled carefully.
"Don't think you're getting away with eavesdropping."
Lyla looked like a child who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Yes sir." There was a pause in conversation as Zane got food. When he returned Lyla shifted in place, "Zane can we talk? In private?"
"Sure, come on." He picked up in breakfast and the pair disappeared outside.
"Do you know what that was about? She looked really uncomfortable and a little scared." Trista asked as she did my hair.
"I'm going to assume it has to do with what happened while we were on the prison ship."
"Do you mind me asking?"
"No, they weren't horrible to us or anything. It was that Jasper and Lyla were on a ship for a few months without their Alpha. Although there isn't a technical moon cycle on a ship, a wolf still feels the wax and wane of a theoretical moon so while on the ship they'd shift. The first time it happened, Lyla managed to get me across my thigh. It wasn't a wound to worry about but she feels terrible about it. She had the hardest time controlling her wolf because she was also away from her mate."
"Her mate is... Rory?"
"Yes."
"I'm back." Lyla announced as she reentered the house.
"He wasn't mean to you was he?" I asked even though I knew he wouldn't be.
"No, why?" She bounced over to watch Trista.
"If he was, there would be no words."
Lyla started to laugh, "You can be so cruel sometimes."
"I know."
"How'd you know it would be about that?"
"It could only be about that." I replied simply.
"Touche. You're too good to us Rai." She bent down and kissed my cheek. She wrinkled her nose as she stood straight up again, "You reek of Zane."
"I wonder why?" I replied wryly. "I bet you reek of Rory."
"I do." Lyla grinned triumphantly.
"I'm glad I don't have to smell it." Trista commented as she finished my hair. "You're done Rai. Lyla, to the kitchen to wash the dye out." Lyla nodded and we headed to the sink where her hair was washed and dried. "Not bad, can't really tell the difference unless you really look."
"That's the Lyla I know and love." I smiled.
"Thank you Trista." Lyla hugged Zane's mother." I should be off though to help." She waved and bounded out the door.
Trista shook her head, "Your pack is such a rowdy bunch."
"We're definitely energetic. What are you up to? I can help you if you want."
"I have lunch and supper to make."
"I'll help, I love cooking and baking."
"Woman after my own heart." We quietly worked for a little while before either of us spoke. "May I ask you a personal question?"
I looked over to Trista, "Sure."
"How long have you liked my son?"
I looked down at the potatoes I was mashing and replied, "I ah, developed a crush on him the first time I met him which was when I was about 15/16. But then he and Jay left and I was busy with my last year of school."
"You were young when you became a doctor." Trista said in surprise.
"Yeah." I chuckled, "I was 16. Jay use to talk about him from time to time but then... Then Jay died and my life spiraled out of control. Eventually I locked the memory away and worked valiantly to make sure newly turned wolves were cared for. I was 20 the next time I saw Zane and honestly those old feelings came back, but he didn't know who I was. By then I had changed my name, my attitude was different, and physically I looked nothing like I use to. He found out the hard way that I was Jay's sister but by then our mission was over and I never saw him again."
"How did he find out?"
"My parents. They were at the base we were unpacking at and they called me by my full name. Then we proceeded to have a shouting match and Jay was brought up. It was a mess, but we couldn't talk about it because I had to go to a debriefing and by the time I was done they were gone. A year later I volunteered to be part of a project for a doctor to be permanently stationed with a W Unit. I didn't know it would be Zane's until I met the pack. Things were tense for a while because of who I was and I was human. Things eventually smoothed out between all of us, but I didn't do anything other than strengthen our friendship. I was still broken after what happen to Jay and I couldn't talk about it. My feelings for him grew, but I didn't think he felt the same way about me. I know wolves mate for life, but I'm human and I was afraid my feelings for him would change. It wouldn't have been fair to him.
"It took me breaking down again and running from the government to finally admit my feelings for him. Sad huh?"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Yeah, I was still weary though because of what was happening and human nature."
"Now?"
"It took me being imprisoned and not seeing him for months to realize my feeling for him definitely won't change. He may piss me off sometimes, but if he wasn't in my life anymore I'd miss him too much. As cliche as it sounds, my heart hurt being away from him."
Trista smiled, "Just remember that when he does anger you and don't stay mad at him too long or you'll miss out on some precious time."
"You do that with Ryker?"
"Oh yes, that man sometimes." She shook her hand. "It's okay to let things go, but let him come to you every once in a while."
"Moral of the story?" I grinned.
"Oh yes, it remind him that he can't walk all over you just because you're mates. Now let's wash your hair and surprise my son." She winked. I couldn't help but laugh.

~~3rd POV~~
"Zane, come and help me?" Ryker called as he headed out towards the pastures. Zane quickly caught up to his father. "Help me fix this fence? I don't want the cattle getting out." The two men worked silently; Zane holding the 2x4 while Ryker fixed it in place. "What's bothering you son?"
Zane looked up at his father and asked, "What?"
"You can fool everyone else, but I'm your father and I know when you're hiding something."
"You were always the one to call me out." Zane sighed.
"Your mom knew too, she tended to wait until you were ready."
"Sounds like mom...It's about Rai."
"What about her?"
"Calm down, it's nothing bad I'm just worried... Both my wolf and I are afraid of leaving her, afraid she won't be there when we come back."
"Does this have to do with what you were telling me about?"
"Yeah. I know it's natural to want to be with your mate, I've had first hand experience watching you and mom, Rory and Lyla, but I don't think the need I'm feeling right now is healthy. My wolf is solar restless being away from her. We were all but freaking out when she was taken hostage during the war, but I feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack." Zane let out a frustrated sigh as he raked his fingers through his curls.
"I think this time was different because you were apart longer and you actually solidified the fact that you and Rai are mates. Your wolf may have yearned for her before but back then she was a pack member only, not saying that pack member aren't important because they are. But back then you were an Alpha worrying about one of your own, however this time she's your mate. Mates have a higher status to a wolf because they are a part of you."
"What do I do? I can't be with her all the time, she's a very independent person and I'm an Alpha, I have to be there for the pack."
"Over time this need will lessen once you know she won't be going anywhere, but I would talk to her about what you are experiencing. Warn her that when you're around her you will probably stick close to her. As for the pack, they can feel and to some degree understand what you are going though especially Rory and Lyla. Just don't drag it out. Come on, it's time for lunch." Ryker ruffled Zane's unruly hair and together the men gathered everyone for lunch.
Zane smelt Rai before he saw her. He slowed a little so everyone entered first and watched as Rai talked to Deklyn; her back to Zane. Deklyn caught Zane's eye and with a smile kissed Rai cheek and headed in. Rai turned and the instant she saw Zane, smiled brightly and walked down the few steps to meet him. "Hey sweaty."
"Hey girly." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "So blonde?"
Rai nodded, "Decided I wanted to go natural, see how that feels."
"I like it." He whispered into her ear before burying his head into her neck.
"You okay?"
"I will be." They both chuckled at how often either of them says it. "Needed to hug you."
"Hug away, but we may want to go in and eat before the food's all gone."
"In a minute." They stood in each other's embrace for a moment or two more and then headed in to join everyone.