Page 83 of Out of Peril

Kyle scowled and looked directly at me. “Is there some reason I shouldn't want her in my Pack?”

I growled despite him being an Alpha. “No sir! She’s the best and kindest woman I know. I would stake my life on that.”

He nodded. “Then I suppose I'm just not in my right mind. The easiest solution of all would be to have you give allegiance to me and officially become part of Westin Pack. And before you argue that you're not full wolf, I know you were born a wolf. But besides that, I don't just accept wolves into my Pack. Loyalty goes far beyond breed. I have had gorillas, foxes, bears, panthers, and others give allegiance and become full Pack members. And I'm aware of your concerns about the children. I actually met them while I was having lunch with my youngest this week. Given all they've been through, they appear to be perfectly normal and well-adjusted children. I would like to believe that's a testament to you.”

“But they aren't my biological children. I don't even know what breed they are,” Lindsey blurted.

He looked from her back to me. “Does that bother you, Walker?”

“Not in the least. Make no mistake, they are my children. Should we need to set that straight legally, I'm happy to do so.”

“Then I also assume that even without Lindsey's allegiance to the Pack, that you would file for a special housing allowance for your family, including her and the two children?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay. On rare occasions I would approve such a request, especially coming from one of my Westin Force members. So Lindsey, the ball falls in your court now with how we proceed. Should I approve his petition for a special housing allowance which would allow you and the children to stay within my territory but without the full rights and privileges of a pack member, or would you prefer to join Westin Pack alongside your mate? Because if the two of you tell me you're moving on, I just might get down on my knees and beg. I've personally come to trust and rely on Walker more than most. And I hope that given your current situation that I will not fully lose you as security for my family. It is no problem for you to travel with your family on these missions, or at least ninety percent of them. I will of course confirm this with my Alpha friends whose territories you may temporarily rely on, but they should have no issues with my assurance of safety.”

I reached for Lindsey's hand and squeezed it. I could see how overwhelmed she was with all of this. She was so certain that Kyle wouldn't let her stay here, though this morning as we had sealed our bond, that was the last thing on either of our minds.

“What would this mean for the Challenges?” she asked.

I'd forgotten all about those and growled at the thought.

Kyle just ignored me. “I fight for my Pack, every single member. And I will pull Westin Pack out of the Grand Council alliance entirely before I let them force you to fight in your skin to the death. That is beyond barbaric.”

Lindsey's eyes widened in shock. “You'd do that for someone like me? Why?”

“My family means more to me than anything else, and I don't just mean Kelsey and my boys or even my parents, siblings, and their families. Every single being residing in my territory is my responsibility. Sorry,” he reached for Kelsey's hand and intertwined their fingers. “Our responsibility. Westin Pack is the largest wolf shifter Pack in the entire world. We have more security and leverage than anyone. Our alliances are strong. Leonard thinks he has the upper hand because he's old school friends with several of the Grand Council members, but there's a reason the Grand Council has gone silent these last several years. They do not want to cross me and my mate.”

“Then why now?” she asked.

“They finally got a new Grand Council member who's shaking things up. He's young and ambitious. And he was a former NOLA wolf. Now to become a Grand Council member one has to remove all allegiances to a specific pack. One of my Betas, Cole Anderson, was offered the position several years back and declined, knowing he could in no way stay neutral when it came to Westin and Collier Packs. He had his reasons and was right to turn down the offer. I'm not convinced this guy is as honorable.”

“Who is it?”

“Roy Douglas.”

Lindsey groaned. “No way he isn't still loyal to NOLA. His father was one of Leonard's Enforcers.”

“I've heard the rumor of that. You're certain?”

She nodded.

“Thanks, that's the kind of intel I need to decide how best to proceed.”

“So, what do you think?” I asked her, wishing we had time to really discuss it without the Alpha standing over us.

“You have a little time,” Kyle surprised me by saying. “Not much, but some before I need an answer.”

“May I ask to see your spirit animal before you go?” Kelsey asked curiously.

“Beast,” Lindsey corrected her.

“You call it a beast?”

“It is a beast. I don't know what else you'd call it.”

“And you really are in full control of it?” Kyle inquired.

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