Page 64 of Ascendant Moon
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Back to Gladstone
Snuggled together on rumpled sheets, Lou and Donna cooled down after a vigorous round of lovemaking. The twins were fast asleep, undisturbed by either their parents or the earlier ruckus announcing Jonah’s successful conception. Every new pup brought significant life changes, as they well knew, and the Wilsons’ back-to-back turn of fortunes meant the world to their pack Omega and his mate. A sudden change in Lou’s scent, however, prompted Donna to ask a question.
“Thinking about tomorrow, love?”
Lou had to return to work in the morning, as well as the campaign trail, and he loathed the thought of leaving his mate and pups. He gave her a rumbly growl and carded thick fingers through her hair.
“My wolf wants me to stay right here and keep you all safe, and I agree with him. I’m glad you aren’t returning to the practice for a while, though. At least I know you’re being protected while I’m gone. I used to think that new fathers had lost their minds, but now I get it. Do you know how much I love you and our pups?”
Donna lightly stroked his thigh, causing Lou to shiver with interest.
“You show it all the time, though I never tire of hearing it. I’d forgotten how intense the bond could be with a newborn, and it’s even stronger this time around. There’s no doubt you’ll be missed, but we’ll get used to it. By the way, Robyn told me that the family photo we did for the campaign website generated alotof positive comments and well-wishes.”
Lou’s muscular chest vibrated under Donna’s cheek as he chuckled.
“According to Scooter, Sheriff Tucker thinks we had kids just to help me get elected! He’s been riding with Deputy Galbraith this last week and seems to be doing just fine. That young man has a lot to be proud of.”
Donna agreed, but chose to change the subject by sliding on top of her erect mate for a ride of her own. Officer Harmon growled lustily and let his actions speak for themselves.
Chapter 33
Early Monday morning, packhouse dining room
Michelle and Perdy wheeled a metal cart out to the table, loaded down with platters of pancakes, omelets, bacon, sausage, muffins, and carafes of strong coffee, cold milk, and juice. Ben had requested an early-morning breakfast meeting with Tom, Nolan, Royce, and Dan to discuss progress on the new conference grounds and motel. Appreciative growls filled the air as the food was offloaded and they settled in to feast. Ben got them started.
“Nolan, what’s the status of the walking trail and the main road into the conference center?”
Nolan answered while wiping maple syrup from his chin.
“Both have been cleared of trees and undergrowth, and the embankments and drainage are being worked on now. Installing the security gates and guardhouse may have to wait until spring, but we can block it off temporarily to keep people out.”
Ben stuffed a blueberry muffin into his mouth and nodded. Given the dense forest here, creating unobstructed access was a challenge. It wasn’t cheap either, but the investment would serve them for years to come.
“Sounds good. Caleb knows what we need for security, so be sure to consult him before making final decisions. Tom, where are we on the social center?”
He reached for another serving of bacon before his packmates got it all.
“Foundation and cement work are done, and if they deliver our lumber as promised, we can get started on the framework today. The storage building site is prepped, and the company we hired is supposed to have it done by Friday at the latest. The prefab cabins should be here in a couple of weeks, and I don’t anticipate any trouble getting them hooked up and usable.”
Ben acknowledged the report with a growl while making short work of his third omelet, and turned to Royce and Dan.
“I understand you’ve run into some issues at the motel. What happened?”
Since Royce was between bites, he answered Ben’s question.
“The exterior work is on track, but we’re a few days behind on the interior. There was some hidden water damage in the east wing we had to fix first, but we’re catching up now. The new berm looks great, and the pines blend in well with the rest of the property.”
Pleased with the reports, Ben scanned the group as he finished the last of his meal.
“I want to thank you for all your hard work. I know we’re in a time crunch here, but it looks like things are coming together the way we’d hoped. By this time next year, the upper peninsula will have a first-class meeting venue right here at Gladstone.”
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Monday afternoon, packhouse conference room
Dante, Sergio, Nick, and Gray sat facing the wall-mounted teleconference screen, waiting for the transmission to begin. At the group’s request, Ben, Evan, Jack, and William had joined them to hear what Alphas Sheppard and Cruz had to say. There’dbeen a flurry of international fact finding, phone calls, offers, and counter offers regarding their future home and business, and apparently, all the details had finally been worked out. Though they loved Gladstone and its people, they were eager to put down roots and get on with their lives.
