Rylee’s POV
Kris locked herself in her old house with Nathan and Emily. She mind linked me and told me they were doing something important.
When she eventually emerged, she had a well-worded letter. Which she planned on sending to every pack in the Wolf Kingdom. She also planned on sending one to the Wolf Council and the Palace. When I read the letter, it didn’t show the Wolf Council in a positive light.
“They’re going to be pissed about this,” Dillon says while we’re stuffing letters into envelopes.
“I don’t think Kris cares if they’re happy or not. The Wolf Council are the ones that have put her in this position. She is simply explaining to every Alpha in the Wolf Kingdom, why she wants an open invitation to visit their pack.”
Kris decided to be honest about the situation the Wolf Council had put her in. I disagree with parts of Kris’s plan. Mainly sending me and one of her friends to the pack house while she goes snooping around the pack. It feels deceitful. But I agree with why she is doing it. Not many people know her mate rejected her. Now she is free to choose someone that deep down is right for her.
“I know, but to put it out there for everyone to know what the Wolf Council is making her do. Making every pack know why she wants to visit them. It could come across as being desperate,” Dillon says.
I can see his point of view. “No one knows she has already found her mate. At least now she gets to choose one. Let’s just hope she chooses well.”
We both snicker and carry on with our task. Kris would be a catch for any man. She is beautiful, smart and witty. That should make her desirable to any man. Kris comes with the added bonus that she has her own pack. It should be like the frosting on a cake. Men will fight for her.
Dillon’s POV
More and more responses came in the post with every day that passed. You would think we sent out an invitation for free food with all the responses we received.
Then again, Alpha’s are known for having large families. If they had multiple sons, this could be an opportunity for them to gain their own pack. Forge an alliance with the River Valley Pack.
When we sent out the letters initially, I used a map of the Wolf Kingdom to ensure I sent the letter to every pack. Popping a sticker on each one. I didn’t want to miss any pack out.
Now they are responding. I am placing an additional sticker on the map. “It’s going to take forever to get around so many packs, Kris,” I tell her when she sees what I have done. She stands back and admires my handiwork. “I never noticed how organized you were.” She says, grinning at me.
I smile at her. “People just see the brawn, not the brain. I’m borderline OCD.” I tell her, chuckling. “Borderline?” she asks me, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I can walk away from a problem. It gives me a chance to think things over. If I had OCD, I wouldn’t be able to walk away. It helps when I have to be methodical. Like when I am doing a jigsaw or trying to solve a puzzle?” Now she is staring at me suspiciously. “What?” I asked her.
“Nothing. I just can’t imagine a big strapping man like you sitting there quietly with a jigsaw.”
“Not many people know,” I say. “It’s not that I am ashamed, it’s just not the norm for someone my age to do. I kind of hide this about myself. But this,” I pointed at the map. “Is right up my alley.”
“You enjoyed doing this?”
I nodded my head. “Not sure how are you going to go about visiting these packs over the next two years?”
“I don’t know. But I am sure my puzzle-solving gamma will make sure I take the right path.” I should have seen that one coming. “Oh, here is a letter from the Wolf Council addressed to you. It arrived this morning. It didn’t feel right to open it.” I handed over the letter. Sealed with a wax crest.
I watch Kris’s expression as she breaks the seal and reads the letter.
She growls. “I really hate them, you know,” she snaps as she screws up the letter. Throwing it on her desk. “They now say that I can only leave the pack a week at a time and once a month. Oh, and that they are sending someone to make sure I comply with their rules.”
“That is ridiculous. They are setting you up to fail.” I looked at the map on the table. “It’s going to make this challenging,” I told her.
“Don’t worry. Let’s do our best.” She says as she smirks. There was a glint in her eye. “My dad wouldn’t let me quit. Not when there is so much at stake.”
“You have a plan, don’t you?” I asked her. Her smile grows. “If it comes to it. Yes, I do.”
“I dread to think,” I said, and she laughed. “I am positive we won’t need it. It’s a back-up plan if you will.”
“I should know in case I need to organize something or cover something up.” She thinks for a second and nods her head. “Seeing how organized you are, I think you should know.” She takes a deep breath. “Just before my 21st birthday. I will organize an Alpha Ball here at the River Valley Pack. Try using it to find someone who would be willing to help me.”
“Why don’t you simply do that, anyway?” I asked her.
“I won’t get an accurate picture of what they’re like. That will be my last chance and my last shot at saving my pack.”
“You love this pack, don’t you?”
“Growing up, I was so excited that I would one day be leaving. But since becoming Alpha. I feel responsible for every man, woman, and child. They are mine to protect. The first step is finding a suitable mate. That is why the Alpha Ball is a backup.”
Fair enough, a backup plan. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. If it does, I will be ready. Who am I kidding? I will start planning today.
Nathan’s POV Council Member Fredrick is due to arrive today. I plan on making his life difficult for the duration of his time here. “It’s disgusting what they are forcing Kris to do. It’s just wrong. Now they are sending someone to make sure she follows their stupid rules.” I ranted at Emily again. No doubt she is sick of hearing me going on about it. Despite everything, she just hands me a cupcake and kisses me. “Best mate ever,” I tell her just before I shove the cupcake in my mouth. Making her smile. I have been mind linked that the Council Member is the pack. “I have organized somewhere to stay for him,” Rylee tells me. “He’s going to be here a while and Kris won’t want him breathing down her neck.” “I hope it’s somewhere grubby,” I responded, still unhappy that he would be here watching my sister for over two years, reporting her movements back to the Wolf Council. Rylee snickers. “I have put him in that house next to the school. All those kid's day in
Kris’s POV “It’s still dark outside.” Lacie protests as we walk inside the pack house gym. “What do you expect, it’s 5 am?” Rylee says, laughing at her. The way she looks at him could curdle milk. Freddie recommended we take a picture of me holding a Sunday newspaper. He would send it to the Wolf Council later on that day. Then, on Monday, he would submit a report informing the Wolf Council that I had left that day. Effectively, I gain an extra day if he does it this way. “I know it’s early. But if we take a picture in an artificially lit room, Council Member Clayton won’t know what time of day it is.” Freddie answered her. “Now all of you start running. I need you to all make it look like you have been here for hours.” Erin, Lacie, and Isabelle. Start jogging on a treadmill. “Get that speed up. You need to be sweating.” Rylee barks at them as he takes off his top. “He is taking this way too seriously,” Isabelle says, loud and snappy. “No, he underst
Rylee’s POV The visit to the Northern Valley Pack was a good start. It may have been a waste of time from Kris’s perspective. But from mine, we made an ally. Neither Alpha Steel nor Beta Dwight had done that in years. They always felt that others should come to them. Seek their support. They weren’t the best leaders. Finding a suitable mate for Kris is the primary goal. But if we don’t find one on this trip, then there is the next one. The trips might not be a complete waste if we find some allies along the way. It wasn’t far to the next pack, maybe a four-hour drive. We did the bulk of the driving on Sunday. It’s not that I have to drive, but all the girls driving scares the crap out of me. When I let Kris drive yesterday, it was because my brain was frazzled. As we waited at the border of the Mountain Crescent Pack. You could tell we were being sheltered from the icy winds. The thermometer in the car hadn’t changed. But it was at least bearable.
Kris’s POV I looked out of the window as we drove towards the Green Trees Pack. “Rylee. Am I doing the right thing?” “What are you talking about?” He asked. “Trying to find a mate. Am I doing the right thing?” “Shut up. Kris. Don’t you dare doubt yourself?” Lacie said before Rylee had time to answer me. “You are trying to find a mate to please the Wolf Council. Is it wrong that they are forcing you to do this? Yes. But don’t you dare doubt yourself.” “River Valley is your pack and our home. You are doing whatever you can to protect everyone. Why should you settle for a loser mate? Not a chance. We are here to help and support you with whatever crazy ideas you come up with.” Isabelle tells me. Erin laughs. “Personally, I can’t wait for you to take down that dammed Wolf Council. Make them realize that a woman is more than who she is mated to.” “They’re right Kris. All of them. It really sucks that you have to do this. But along this journey, you
Kris’s POV “Your home earlier than expected,” Nathan shouted as we walked through the door of the pack house, dumping our bags in the foyer. He was sitting in the dining room with Freddie. “Things didn’t work out as well as planned.” Dillon walked down the stairs, staring at me. He looked confused as he reviewed some papers. “Dillon, we need more information on the packs before we go next time.” Isabelle pointed out. “At least the fair was fun,” Lacie said, laughing. Rylee then tells Dillon, Nathan, and Freddie about what happened. The looks on their faces. “So, you had one Alpha offering you an alliance. In the other pack, you had a pair of brothers fighting over you. Like cavemen,” Nathan said, laughing. “It wasn’t even Kris, it was Isabelle acting as a decoy. They were pathetic.” “I am surprised they didn’t drag Isabelle away by her hair!” Erin says, joking. Everyone laughs. “Maybe they would have done it if the rest of us hadn’t been there.” I couldn’t he
Kris’s POV It was mine and Nathan’s 19th birthday. Thankfully, Council Member Clayton hadn’t arrived yet. We both expected him to turn up today. No doubt he would do it on purpose to ruin our celebration. The pack helped us celebrate. Emily baked us our own separate birthday cakes. Nathan’s was chocolate and mine was red velvet. Oh, how I love a red velvet cake with plenty of frosting. Overall, the day was amazing, and I was so happy. As per usual. Nathan and I met at the dining room table to exchange our homemade gifts. We both agreed years ago we would give each other something personal. Something that reminded us of our bond. An item, a picture. Just something from the past year that reminded us we had each other, and we were not to spend a cent on it. This year, I framed a picture of us that Rylee had taken. Nathan and I were laughing as we stood in front of a barbecue. It was an incredible day that ended with us going on a midnight run with the pac
Council Member Clayton’s POV It was nearing midnight when I received a voicemail from Fredrick informing me of the rogue attack at the River Valley Pack. I hate rogues. This time, they might have done me a favor, though. There is no way Kristen Steel could handle a rogue attack. She is not capable of leading a pack. Nor is she physically capable of leading a wolf pack to victory against a rogue attack. I bet she hid behind her brother or Beta. No doubt there were countless deaths and everyone in the pack now sees how pathetic and weak she really is. “Zackary, I am leaving. Do you want to come with me?” I called out to my son. “Where are you going, dad?” He asks me as he walks out of his bedroom. I had clearly just woken him up, judging by his disheveled appearance. “River valley pack. I shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity.” “No, thanks, Dad. I have an assessment at the training camp tomorrow night. There is no chance I will be back in time.” H
Dillon’s POV Council Member Clayton has been here for over a week now. Kris hasn’t been able to leave the pack on trips because of his presence. He has been checking pack member’s files every day. Ensuring our records were up-to-date. He is so anal. There was a ‘t’ that wasn’t crossed in one file. He complained it looked like an ‘l’, which could have consequences for that pack member. “We are looking at making it digital soon. It will be ready next time you visit Council Member Clayton.” I informed him. “There won’t be any extensive issues like that in the future. I hope you are computer-literate.” I said snidely to him. The look on his face told me he wasn’t. He doesn’t help himself by being an ass. Council Member Clayton has been checking our schedules, ensuring we are dedicating enough time to our senior duties. He’s been scrutinizing any changes Kris has introduced since her father’s death. Dictating to her how she should run her pack. I have never seen a wom