Chapter Three

PAIGE 

After checking in with the council secretary, I took a seat and waited to be called into the chamber. I am surprised when an elder calls me in after only a few minutes. The a**holes normally like to keep us lowly women waiting for as long as possible. My shoulders back and my head held high, I walked into the council chamber. All twelve men are sitting at a long table, with my grandfather at the head. I take a seat at the bottom of the table. After a few minutes, my grandfather looked up, “ahh yes, Huntress Stevenson, I hope you are fully recovered after your accident.” What a d*ck. “Yes, thank you, Elder Stevenson. I have recovered after the ripper issue.” Take that a**hole. His eyes flashed with annoyance, “yes, there have been more and more sightings of both slippers and rogues in the last few months. The information we have gleaned is that someone powerful is recruiting them.” I must have shown my shock, because he smirked at me. “We think they have been testing our strength, they want to see what we are made of. That’s why they changed things up by setting off the explosion.” Checking his notes, he never looks at me, I f**king hate him. “We have had word that they have set their sights on a small town in Kansas. One of the largest wolf packs in America is based on the outskirts of the town.” He shuffles some papers on the desk. “ahh yes, the town is called Rivers Forge, the pack is named the same, very imaginative.” F**king idiot, “does that not normally mean that the town is in pack territory? The town is named after the pack?” He completely ignored me, a**hat. “You have been enrolled at the Rivers Forge Academy. It’s an exclusive private boarding school. You will be rooming with another girl.” What did he say? I’m going to school? “The school has both human and werewolf students, so you will have to reign in your aura or the wolves will scent you. As we still don’t know if your father’s genetics have cursed you with a wolf.” F**ktard! “So your story is that you were orphaned, left at a church as a baby, and adopted by a rich couple. Your back story is solid in case anyone does a background check.” An extensive file is passed to me. “Your entire identity is in that file, along with bank accounts, credit cards. You will have a very generous allowance, fitting a spoilt rich girl.” With that I am dismissed with barely a nod, F**king a**hole. I left the room and headed to the truck. “Wow Paige, he is a horrible person, but we get to meet other wolves. We could find our mate, start a new life.” “Haven, I know finding your mate is a top priority to wolves, but that’s not how my life will go. My people do not do love and romance, followed by bundles of cuddly joy.” “I promise you, Paige, that will not be your fate. We are meant for better things." She retreats to the back of my mind. When I got in the truck, I looked at Jared, “Did you know about the mission?” He shakes his head, “not really, you know what d*cks they are. I was just told that we are moving out tonight and that you would give us the details.” “Well, I am starving, so let’s head to the drive-thru and meet the gang at my place.” Half an hour later, we arrived at my apartment. The boys all know the code to get in, so they are all now lounging around my home. Even though Jared is my principal partner in crime, for missions we are an eight-person team. Dumping the bags of burgers on the coffee table and the vultures attacked. Benny and Clint are our weapons experts. Leon and Sid are the surveillance gods, (their words not mine.) Harry and Peter are the IT/tech guys (f**king geniuses, both of them). After we eat, Leon tells me he has four packed suitcases ready in the SUV and has set out an outfit for me on my bed to add to my hand luggage. “It’s not your normal look, but you have to fit in as a rich teenager. Harry hacked the school so I know the type of clothes the human girls are wearing.” “Ahh baby, did you shop for me? That’s so sweet of you.” I fluttered my eyelashes at him. He grins, “make sure you think of me when you change your underwear. I spent a very long time in the lingerie store.” “F**king perv,” they all laugh and wolf whistled, asking him what kind of panties he brought me. “You are all a bunch of f**king whores.” Jared is bouncing in his chair like a child with a secret. “Please let me, Paige, please can I tell them?” I barely nodded at him before the words spewed from his mouth. “Paige has her wolf. She woke up this afternoon.” Seven very excited pairs of eyes turned to me. God, I love these guys. I just wish all our people were as accepting, “Settle down, her name is Haven, and she is really sweet.” “Wow Paige, they are all so handsome, almost as handsome as wolves. If you let me, I can take control of your body and introduce myself, please can I?” “She wants to take control and introduce herself." All seven leaned forward in expectation. Chuckling to myself, I gave Haven the go ahead.