Nathan’s POV
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I mean I could. But I couldn’t believe it.
Dad must have acted so quickly. We only had that argument a few days ago. He must have submitted the paperwork that day. What a total douche! I still wouldn’t wish him dead. But what a damned douche.
“We have to talk,” I tell Kris as we leave the pack house. Council Member Clayton has made it very clear I am never to be the Alpha of the River Valley Pack. I want Kris to know that I will support her in her role as Alpha. If it’s not me, then there is no better alternative than Kris.
I feel bad for my friends. They have been preparing for the day I became Alpha. They have practically been preparing for the positions of Beta and Gamma. “Yes, we certainly do.” She answers me.
“Can we discuss it after Emily has gone to bed? I think this is a conversation we need to have.” I asked Kris. She nods her head at me and grabs my hand. “We can do anything as long as we stick together.” She says, putting on a false smile. I know then she doesn’t want to be Alpha. But she won’t allow a stranger to take over our pack. I know this.
Kris’s POV
I prepared a drink for me and Nathan. I sat at the table sipping away at my hot beverage when I felt his arms wrap around me. Taking a seat, I saw a worried look on his face. “Are you okay Kris?” He asked me.
“Me? Are you okay?” I responded.
“I have Emily and I have you. Nothing else matters.”
I love him. It didn’t matter to him what our father did. All he cares about is that he has his family. That right there is our mother’s influence. I cried, thinking about her. Nathan consoles me, asking why I am so upset.
“It’s not my destiny to be Alpha of the River Valley Pack. I should be off somewhere being the best Luna ever. Just like mom was.” He smiles at me. “Sorry, Kris. Mom was the best Luna any pack could have wished for. You could have been a close second. But never first.” I wiped my face. He is right. Regardless of what our dad thought or felt. She was the best. “I guess you will just have to be the best Alpha River Valley Pack has ever had then.” He added on.
I scoffed. “That won’t be too difficult.”
We carry on talking for a while before he asks me if I would consider making his friends Rylee and Dillon, my Beta and Gamma. I have known his friends for a long time and I know they are perfect for the roles. But would they want the position with me as their Alpha? That is a question only they can answer.
Emily wakes us up in the morning. We must have both fallen asleep on the couch. “Get in touch with Rylee and Dillon,” I told Nathan. “I need an answer.” He smiled at me. “Thanks, Kris. I was worried I messed up their chances.”
“If you tell me, they can do the job. I know they can.” I told him. He may not be able to receive the title of Alpha. But he is the Alpha’s brother and I trust and value his opinion more than anyone’s.
Nathan must have told them to come over urgently, as they were at my house within 20 minutes. Looking like they rolled straight out of bed.
Nathan tells them about what our father did and his wishes. That Nathan will never take over the pack and the Wolf Council is honoring that request. I guess Nathan never told them about what our dad did. Rylee and Dillon are both shocked and disgusted.
He also tells them I am taking over the pack as Alpha. That the Wolf Council demands that if I do not have a mate by my 21st birthday, they will choose a new Alpha for the pack.
Emily started crying after hearing about Dad again. I don’t think she can believe that Nathan picked love instead of power. For many, it would have been the other way around. It goes to show how special my brother is.
Rylee and Dillon reassure Emily, telling her it wasn’t in any way her fault. “In fact, it was Alpha Steel’s fault and the Wolf Council’s for being sexist and stupid,” Rylee states.
This was an appropriate answer from them. If it had been anything else, I would view all of them differently, especially with what I was about to tell them. Once Emily settled down, “Now that I am to be Alpha, I need a team to help me lead the pack, and I need them as soon as possible. Nathan, who I trust with my life, has recommended you both. There are a few conditions, but would you be willing to help me?” I asked them both.
They looked at Nathan, who smiled and nodded. He knew they could do it. He knew they wouldn’t let me down. They both stood straight and declared their loyalty to me just like they had done to my brother, once upon a time.
I told them I would have to travel to other packs, and they would need to escort me. “It’s unlikely my mate will come waltzing into the River Valley Pack. Even if I chose a mate, how would I find him if I remained there?” Nathan agrees with me.
“I have the extra issues I will face.” Nathan looks confused at me. “If I found my mate, would he accept me for who I am? Not just see me as a quick route to becoming the Alpha of the River Valley Pack. There is no chance of me taking a mate that would treat me the same as my dad treated our mom.”
“Not a chance in hell would I let you, either,” Nathan states.
I went to my room for a few hours, had a shower, and composed myself. I don’t think I have had a moment to myself for a while.
Before I make things official, they should talk things over. When I came downstairs, my friends Isabelle, Lacie, and Erin were there. Nathan called them. Figuring I would need their support.
Erin told me if I was going out there looking for my mate, they were all coming. “A female Alpha needs her entourage,” Lacie says, laughing. They have decided that it will be a girl’s trip. Well, almost a girl’s trip, as either Rylee or Dillon would have to come.
“Sounds like a plan, sort of anyway, but for now, let’s get my pack in order.”
I went and spoke to the pack house and spoke to Council Member Clayton. Completed the paperwork, naming my Beta and Gamma. Then I begrudgingly agreed to the terms set out by the Wolf Council. I still think it’s sexist. Being in a position of authority is necessary to make changes.
Council Member Clayton tells Dwight and Reggie to inform the pack of the upcoming Alpha Ceremony. It is to be held as soon as possible, as we do not have a reigning Alpha to protect the pack.
That night, my Alpha Ceremony took place. Council Member Clayton puts a massive emphasis on the fact that I am a Female Alpha, as well as the conditions set out by the Wolf Council. It shocked me he announced it in that way at that time. Surely, it was my place to tell my pack.
I really hate him and the Wolf Council. “One day, I am going to screw them over,” I tell Nathan through gritted teeth. “I will be right there with you sis,” He states.
On the pack run that night, Siren noticed how much taller she had become. I never even thought about how becoming Alpha would affect us physically, but it had.
I am expected to move straight into the pack house. They want me to take over the Alpha suite. The suite had so much sentimental value for me. I was raised there. There are so many memories here. I was told I should take over the Alpha’s bedroom as well. I couldn’t help but laugh at that thought. I was probably conceived in that room. It was also the room where my father’s corpse lay. “No, thanks,” I told Dwight. “I think I will stick to my childhood bedroom.”
Meanwhile, Nathan and Emily take over my house. He works with Dwight and Reggie on a consultant basis. He knows as much about this pack as anyone, and I always trust him to have my best interests at heart.
We got into a good routine, and the pack thrived under their new Alpha. Things were going well. Or as well as they could be with the Wolf Council interfering constantly. Reminding me I had a deadline to meet! Clayton also informed me they discuss my situation regularly at their meetings.
This made me extremely mad. I wanted to punch Clayton right in his smug face. But that won’t help me. It doesn’t stop me from dreaming of the day I will. Because one day I will.
A few months later, I received a request from an Alpha a few hundred miles away. He requested me to visit them, specifically his sons. He hopes to form an alliance with River Valley and the new Alpha.
“The Yellow Forest Pack had never allied with our dad previously,” Nathan explains to me. “Unless there is something he wants now?” He says while wiggling his eyebrows.
“Gross,” I told him, but it would be in my best interest to make myself known as Alpha. So far, I have never left the pack. I agree to meet with Alpha Gunner, but I will travel to his pack sometime next week.
It would be an excellent opportunity to travel around to meet some of the other packs, especially as my 19th birthday is a few months away.
Sorry about putting multiple POV's per chapter. I would rather do that than have some very short chapters. x
Kris’s POV We loaded our bags into the SUV the night before. We had to leave at an ungodly hour for the 9-hour journey to the Yellow Forest Pack. “That’s nine hours without stopping, Kris,” Rylee informs me. “Oh, goddess,” Lacie says, looking like someone just ate her last chocolate bar. She was no better in the morning when our alarms went off. Complaining about it being too early and that she needed her beauty sleep. “Stop being a princess.” Rylee told her, “At least you can sleep on the way.” She still looked unhappy, but it was her choice to come. We all offered to drive. But Rylee doesn’t trust any of us driving for any great distance. Telling us that our attention span was too short and that he wanted to get there in one piece. It was a long journey, but it was fun, and we stopped frequently for coffee. Eventually, we checked in with the border patrol at the Yellow Forest gates. They gave us directions to the pack house and off we drove. As we heade
Kris’s POV It was the middle of the night when we got back to the River Valley Pack. I wanted to go home. My home. Not the pack house. I wanted to be where my family was. I knew Nathan and Emily would be in bed. So I climbed on the couch and closed my eyes. Why are so many people obsessed with image and status? Are they afraid to be a strong, happy leader? That is how I want to be. That’s what Nathan did. I thought to myself as I drifted off. “Hey, Kris.” Nathan wakes me gently. I opened my eyes. It’s still dark. Nathan had put a lamp on before he came and sat beside me with a drink for both of us. I cuddled up to him and I told him about what happened. He hugs me. “The mate bond simply introduces you to your destined mate. It doesn’t make you fall in love with them.” He’s right. “I want you to be happy, Kris. Have everything in a mate that you desire. I’m glad he rejected you. I’m glad you accepted. You would never be happy with someone like him. I want you to be loved with
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
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