Page 23 of Cruel Alpha Bully

The mood in the room is tense, and my worry edges up a notch.

“Ready to begin?” I ask as Carson sits down at the table and hands out beers. I take one gratefully and gulp it down, eager to take the edge off after such a hard day.

“The others just stepped out,” Dane says. “My sister and the scouts from the other pack.”

“Okay, we’ll wait,” I answer. Dane’s sister Sasha is actively involved in the pack business and considered an elder. Usually, women take up a role similar to that of den mother instead of elder, but Sasha is more passionate than most.

“How have you been?” Jack asks, leaning over to me. I don’t let myself sigh or react. I know he’s really asking how his sister is. If things are going well between us.

I don’t want to lie, and I could use the help of my best friend. I just don’t want to trigger his protective urges, either.

“Honestly, it hasn’t exactly been wedded bliss,” I answer softly. The other guys have gotten into a fairly animated chat about local tourism and competition among the businesses, so I don’t think they are paying attention to us.

“Really?” Jack asks. “How bad is it?”

“Don’t get me wrong. We’re talking and stuff. We just aren’t skipping through fields of dandelions.”

Jack grins, but before he can say anything else, the door creaks. Sasha walks in with three youngsters. Two girls and a boy, all of them wiry, thin, and tough. We have separate small packs of wolves that live outside of town in old-fashioned dens and in the mines. They are wild creatures, fully attuned to the forest, and aren’t part of any main pack. It’s difficult for them to function in the human world.

“Come in, and please sit down,” I say, getting up and gesturing to the seats on the other side of the table.

Sasha sits near Dane, and the three scouts sit at the end of the table, slightly away from us.

“So, we have news about the boundary,” the tallest girl says. Her voice is soft and whispery, as if she doesn’t talk much.

Do they spend most of their time in wolf form?

“I am Bailey Markson, and I am the pack alpha.” I stand up and reach across the table to shake hands. “Please introduce yourselves.”

The elders have gone silent, and the three scouts look surprised.

“We know who you are,” the girl says. Her hair is a light blond, the color and texture of straw. She’s very pale and wrapped in patched leather clothes.

“Alphas from outside packs don’t usually ask our names,” the boy says, looking me up and down with wide eyes.

“I’m not like the others,” I say, letting a growl come into my voice. I can feel my eyes glow a little. “There are no slaves in my pack.”

There is a moment of silence around the table before the blond girl smiles and stands up. “Kelta,” she says, giving my hand a brief shake.

“Nate,” the boy says, shaking my hand firmly.

The last girl is far smaller than the others, with dark hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. “Driss,” she says, giving my hand a quick shake.

“Please help yourselves to food and drink.” I gesture to the counter at the side of the room where food has been laid out.

“We have,” Kelta says as we all sit back down. “We are honored by your favor, alpha. But we must tell you about the news from the boundary.”

“Go ahead,” I urge.

“A rival pack near Silver Meadows has withdrawn their presence, leaving a wide patch of territory unclaimed. It is in a suitable position to be of use to us and not difficult to stake out. We would require quite a few wolves, though, at least in the initial stages, to affirm our ownership of it and develop it.”

“I will immediately assess the needs of the pack and decide if taking this territory is needed.”

Kelta shakes her head. “That’s not all of it. The Mount Wilson pack has been scouting it as well. It’s pretty obvious that they want it. We decided to bring it to you before the skirmishes start.”

“If we let them have it, they could move on us,” Sasha adds. “If we do nothing, it might be seen as being passive. They would keep moving forward into our territory.”

“Agreed,” Carson says. “We can’t just let them have it.”

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