(Book 3) – Chapter 3
“There is no f*****g way my son would cross us. He is just as loyal to this pack as I am.” Greg roared from his seat in the meeting room.
“Please. I am sick of talking about this same thing. Lets start from the beginning and go over who has ties with the traitors that attack us a few months ago and cross people off a big list of people.” I told them. We had been there for an hour and had not gotten anything done.
“I agree with the princess,” Alpha Lexie of the Steel Wolf pack said as she smiled over at me. “Let’s get this show on the road. Id like one problem solved before dinner gets here. I am dying to try Nina’s food after hearing about it all day.”
Her Luna, Jude, was laughing beside her. Apparently, she had made it in time this morning to have a taste of a special breakfast Nina was making for Sandra. Sandra was pregnant and had been craving breakfast burritos of all kinds. I was jealous until I realized that the main ingredients that Sandra had been craving were sardines and jalapenos, which would make this girl take a trip to barf city.
Alpha Lexie kept looking over at me as we let Sandra and Greg hash out bringing Heath into the meeting. I had already linked a warrior to bring him in but I would have to wait to see how Sandra does against her Gamma. After that my only thoughts were on why was I straight and not even bi-curious because this 6 foot-three red-headed a****n was sexy as f**k. And her Luna… Damn, she hit the dark raven beauty bingo. And I am pretty sure Lexie might have a pregnant girl kink my lady parts were willing to give a try to but I told them d**k only. Hopefully they start listening soon.
“Wouldn’t you agree, Ryder?” Alistair asked jarring me out of my thoughts. He was smiling about it so I knew he did it on purpose.
“Sorry, I missed what you said.” I answered politely. “I was thinking about the traitors we have already uncovered and if the traitors we seem to have now have anything in common.” I grinned at him. Take that, asshat.
“You think there are more traitors? How would you even know that since you have been put on house arrest by your baboon mates?” A witch from one of the covens Melissa’s mom had reached out to sneered at me. They seemed to be a bit cold toward me no matter what I do.
I just nodded and leaned back in my seat. I could feel the anger from my mates who sat on both sides of me at one of the many benches in the room. “I talked to a few wolves today who were falling asleep at breakfast. I thought at first they were just lazy or partied hard but I could feel the desperation and fatigue from them the moment I sat down. Whoever is making the schedules is give them twelve hour shifts with barely any breaks, two long training sessions, and sometimes hands-on training added on in the evening. They are getting one day off a week. With the huge amount of people on this land there is no reason for that.” Blue growled out and I saw Greg look down like he was guilty.
Sandra looked at me before staring at Greg. “Why would you do that? You are making all the schedules and we all know we could do three-hour shifts and still have more wolves than hours for patrol.” He squirmed in his seat. I guess he is afraid of at least one person.
Greg’s face was cherry red and his ash-blonde buzzcut didn’t help hide a thing. I felt bad thinking he was embarrassed that he was using is son for help. He could of asked any of us for help especially me. I can do schedules pregnant or nursing a newborn.
Greg huffed before answering her question. “Yes that is part of my job. Yes, I gave it to my son to do because learning responsibility is something that all kids need to learn. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal because it’s just making schedules of training, patrols, and events. We always discuss it beforehand and then he makes them the night before they are needed. Is anyone going to argue about me giving my son some responsibility and learning some of the things a gamma does?”
His body was tense with his eyes going around the room looking at where we all were. He was probably thinking we wanted to get his son or teach him a lesson but that was not how we worked. I did feel some hostility coming from the different coven heads but none had stood up from their table so I figured we were in the clear for now. The vampires didn’t seem to care too much. It was either that or they thought we smelled like wet dog.
Before Sandra could start in on him and lose her s**t in front of everyone, I stepped in. Only one of us needed to look like a hormonal crazy b***h. “I know that all parents want their kids to be responsible and grow i[ to be great adults.” I explained, hoping he would catch on that none of us were jumping the gun. “None of us are saying that that is a bad thing but when it comes to something a gamma does or any power position it needs to be discussed with the other power positions. We’re not saying your son is a traitor and we’re not saying that he’s slacking on his job but somehow these schedules are getting screwed up. We don’t need several hundreds of wolves doing meaningless patrols or crossing over on each other just so that when the war happens they’re too f*****g tired to defend themselves. This is going to get more people killed and so it has to change. We need your son to come down so that we can talk to him. He’s the only common denominator between the Natalie issue and the scheduling issue.”
Greg growled at me. “What are you going to do about your friend Natalie? It seems like as a human who doesn’t care about the mate Bond or has a shitty attitude about the way we live that she shouldn’t even be here. How about you go ahead and go kick her off pack lands while I handle my business with my son.”
All my mates growled at him and moved closer to me. “Greg I would watch your tone with my mate. My wolf already wants to take your position away from you, but as a man I want to kick your a*s until you’re breathing through a straw.” Edgar said slowly making sure to annunciate each word with his rage. He was definitely getting lucky later.
“Listen before any fighting happens or any more griping, I have a plan.” I stated as I held Greg’s gaze playing a battle of wills that he would lose. “Natalie has been my best friend since elementary school if not before. I don’t want to think bad things about her but she has changed. Blue and I both feel it which can’t be a coincidence with your son, the schedules, and some other things that are happening around the pack. I know that we already dealt with the traitor before and that was hard enough because it wasn’t just one. We had a traitor amongst the wolves, vampires, witches, and some rogues that we didn’t even know were even around us. We took care of them so we have to take care of this.” I stayed with tears starting. I looked over at Samuel. “I need someone you trust to track her every movement. I want him to hear every conversation, I want to know where she goes, who she sees, etc. I want to know it all from 10 minutes from now until we pull him off her. I then want another trusted person that you have tracking that tracker and her. It’s not that I don’t trust the first tracker but bad things happen and I want to prevent it on all fronts if possible.” He nodded and headed out.
“Tell me again why you can’t be the alpha here?” Sandra teased. “I didn’t even think about having a tracker on someone nor having a tracker on the tracker to double check everything and sure that we don’t have double traitors. I really have missed you and I’m glad that those cavemen have let you out for some fresh air.” She giggled when they scowled at her.
That got the whole room laughing at my mates and they just turned their scowl to the rest of them. I know that it’s in their nature but they seriously were going overboard. Just wait until I tell them what I’m going to be doing as a job from now on and that if I have to I will sneak out without a note. That will be a great argument. Blue rolled her eyes at my sarcasm.
“Greg, I would like you to go get Heath so that we can talk to him. He is right outside of the pack house with a couple of his warrior friends that I trust.” I stated starting to make some notes for questions in my notebook. I knew he was going to flip his lid so getting these thoughts down were more important than a repeated action.
“Why the hell is he out there? Did you send for my son without discussing it with me? That is not okay I don’t care who you are. I told you I would handle this myself which means I will handle it in my house. That is my right as a father.”
“Greg sit the f*** back down. I understand that being a gamma is new to you and that you’ve been friends with Sandra and her mate Samuel for longer than they have been in their position of power but this power trip where you think you’re going to do what you say and that we’re just going to follow along is done. You will go get your son and you will bring him in here. You will then sit your a*s down while we speak to your son. I know that he’s your son but this pack belongs to all of us. You are in this pack, your wife is in this pack, and your children are a part of this pack so we will continue to run this like a pack and a family. Now get that through your head. No one here is going to hurt your son.” I raged at him. “Go.”
No one said anything. Couple of the witches and vampires seems to be a little more scared of me which I wasn’t the biggest fan of but there was nothing I could do. The wolves seem to get more respect for me which I was down for. I just don’t understand treating the pack any differently than you would treat family and acting like we would purposely hurt someone’s child is absolutely ridiculous.
‘I am going to need cuddle time along with some buttery a*s popcorn.’ I linked my mates. They all agreed.