Page 20 of Lost and Pound

“Get this. He buys a present for and comes to the birthday of every kid in the pack. Just any kid he’ll let come talk to him, and they feel safe to. Nothing goes on in this pack without him knowing about it. Do you even have enforcers?” Ares turned his attention to me, and I shrugged.

“I have Blake, but he’s less of an enforcer than he is backup. I don’t have dissent or anything. Anything crops up, it gets fixed, or we talk it out, generally. I guess I really lucked out when it comes to easygoing wolves.” I stretched in my chair and Godfrey remained quiet; expression lost in thought as he continued to eat.

“This isn’t a pack, it’s a trailer park!” Horace finally spoke up and sat up straight.

“Best damn trailer park this side of the Mississippi. Ask any of them out there.” I gestured and Ares snorted.

“Call my son back in. Ultimately, my approval means little. Deals were made and broken.” Godfrey closed the box of his food and sat it on the desk.

I pulled out my phone and stared at it, not really ready to face Nico.

Chapter Twelve

Nico

The kitchen was moderately busy, with a handful of people cleaning up while pack members stuffed their plates from the taco bar.

Blake left shortly after dropping me off in the corner, sitting alone in a chair they reserved for the odd naughty kid that needed an extra eye on them. I felt somewhat like a scolded child myself. Especially with Carlin watching me. I didn’t know the beta too well, but he had twin boys that were really sweet little things.

I stared at the floor, my heart racing as someone carted off food for them. The sting on the side of my neck told me that they couldn’t take me away, but it didn’t mean that my father or Alpha Silvermoon wouldn’t demand recompense far beyond what I was worth, or worse, make things difficult for Shilo, challenge him for pack ownership. I put my hand over the wound until one of the ladies, Nadine, dish towel in hand, came to kneel beside me. She handed it to me with a bright grin.

“So, you’re staying?” She tilted her head to stare at the mark before I put a towel over it. He’d done it so fast he didn’t have time to lick it clean.

“I guess. We didn’t really get a chance to talk about it.” I huffed, giving a half laugh as I slumped.

When I told Nadine, she frowned. “We all knew you’d be staying. I think you did, too. He’s not keen on losing you, aren’t you the same?”

“I do want to stay. Our wolves are great together.” I felt childish, tucking my hands into my lap. “They’re mates. We’re mates.”

“Well, duh.” Nadine put her hands on her hips and scowled. Her nose twitched, and she sniffed at the air in distaste. “And they have you stinking up the place, scared. I bet Shilo hates that.”

I glanced up. “I stink?”

“Of fear. That many alphas in one room all after you? Shilo cannothandle a wolf in fear. It drives his beast batty.” She patted my head and told me to grab a plate. Food didn’t sound great, but there were some cookies for dessert that I scrounged up and scarfed a few of.

Halfway through a third cookie, my phone rang, making my pocket buzz. I fumbled the cookie and answered.Shilo.

I answered with a hesitant tremor in my voice that I fought to silence.

“Come on to my office. It’s okay. I promise.” His voice, a soft whisper, brought me less comfort than I wanted, but I still rose all the same. And when I went to pick up my dropped cookie, Nadine beat me to it, shooing me off to meet my fate.

Some part of me thought I might be angry at Shilo, but I couldn’t muster it. We’d spoken of it not long after I arrived, and infrequently since. I wanted to stay, but my resignation came from what my father and Alpha Silvermoon would be capable of. I didn’t want to harm him, deprive his pack of resources or cause chaos.

I made my way all the same, though, pulling the dishcloth off my neck to see if it still bled. It didn’t, so I made my way into his office, clutching the spotted rag nervously. “Al—Shilo?”

I did my best not to look at the other alphas, despite the fact that the councilman had Alpha Silvermoon on my leash.

“C’mere, Nico.” He welcomed me with an arm open and I approached, sidling into his open embrace. “They’ve some questions to ask you, I think. Are we good or—”

I stared him down for a long few seconds before I nodded. “We’re good. It’s been a long time coming. I just didn—Father, please don’t make things difficult for Shilo.”

“Do you like him?” My father met my gaze, his face hard and posture bored. I never could read him on the best of days, but at that moment, I was more lost than ever.

“I do. I really do. Our wolves speak to one another. I—he makes me comfortable. I sleep well when he’s there.” I tried to meet his gaze, but those golden eyes always pinned me.

“Does he make you comfortable? Financially, are you well? I noticed you were working when we arrived. I won’t leave you with an alpha that cannot support your every need.” He kept that bored posture and leaned back. “I provide for all my omegas very well, and I expect my children to be well cared for by their mates.”

Polygamy was frowned upon by the general populous, but pack alphas always seemed beyond the societal norms. Part of me never realized how much I hated it, and how much I always expected to be one of the many omegas in orbit around a pack alpha, sharing my body and heats but nothing else.

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