Page 28 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

We sit down in the hall at a big table where Donny, Tucker, Ryan, and Luke are already waiting with their mates. Donny was a member of the pack way back when I first joined. Ryan, Tucker, and Luke were picked up by Jethro. It wasn’tuntil they found mates that they decided they couldn’t live rough anymore.

Fiona brightens a little as she sits down next to Lilah. The two have become good friends already, and I hope that strengthening her ties to the pack will also deepen her bond with me.

“Okay, Ryan, tell me about the scouting mission last night?” I say.

“It went well,” he answers. “We can’t keep hunting the hills the way we have been, though, or we’ll strip the place of wildlife.”

I look down at the bacon and eggs on my plate. We have some chickens, and the only reason we have bacon is because we slaughtered a few pigs a couple of weeks ago.

“Are we going to develop the poultry farm idea?” I ask.

Donny nods. “You bet. Lilah is pretty enthusiastic about it, and so is Shelly, Luke’s mate. But we’ll have to go to an auction to get more birds, and for that, we need cash.”

“We’ll also need feed,” Luke cuts in. “A few months’ worth, at least until we can grow our own.”

“Did we check the area for any decent fields to plant in?” I ask.

“Yes,” Ryan answers. “Once we turn the soil over, a lot of it will be ready to go, but we’re very limited on what we can grow unless we can cover it from frost and snow.”

“We need a supply chain,” I grumble. I didn’t intend for my comment to be heard, but the other men all nod in agreement.

“I’m beginning to understand why Jethro didn’t want to set up in a town,” I say, sighing. “The logistics are a nightmare.”

“He wanted us living rough, like animals,” Luke says. “And it appealed to us as rogues and bachelors. The problem was, we wanted mates. Once we had females and pups to care for, our needs changed.”

I nod, thinking. “You’re right. Jethro never wanted a mate for himself. Even if he could find a woman as wild as he was, taking care of pups is something else.”

“It sure is,” Donny whispers, looking at Lilah and Todd.

That’s why we have to change—for our next generation. We can make this pack better. I know it.

The front door of the hall opens with a hard bang. I shut my eyes and force myself not to react. I know it’s Tobias. He can’t go anywhere without announcing himself.

“Hey, sweet cheeks!” he yells at one of the cooks. “Sling me some of that bacon.”

I grit my teeth, forcing myself not to turn. I know he’s provoking me, and I won’t be drawn in by his games.

He won’t throw a leadership challenge at me while he’s still hurting from the last beating I gave him. He’s too much of a coward.

“Rider,” Ryan whispers. “Look.”

I turn in my chair so I can see Tobias over at the main table. He’s with Gage, and both of them are wearing brand-new leather jackets and heavy boots.

“I saw them doing target practice yesterday,” Luke says. “They had a stack of shiny new shotguns.”

“Did you see the young boys they recruited yesterday?” Tucker adds. “All of them are decked out in new clothes, too.”

I turn back to my crew, making sure Tobias doesn’t notice I was watching him. “Where are they getting it from?”

“It’s got to be crime-related,” Luke says. “I just don’t know exactly what.”

“I forbade anyone from doing anything illegal,” I growl. “No more hitting gas stations and bars, or running drugs. We do everything the right way from now on.”

“Tobias appears to be luring the young males to him with gifts and promises,” Ryan says. “I don’t think any of them realize what is being done to get the supplies.”

“And he’ll initiate them with violence and crime, just like Jethro did,” I say as realization dawns on me. “Once they are as dirty as he is, they’ll never get away from him. He can blackmail them into obedience, if fear doesn’t work.”

“We have to do something,” Donny says. “They are putting our mates and our pups in danger.”

---