Page 72 of Wulf's Pack
“What is it?” Skylar asks before I can get the question out.
Elise sits back in her chair and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know this is terrible timing, but there are a couple of wolves I’d like to ask you to consider accepting.” She waits for me to ask, then says, “Sophia’s family—her parents, her brother, his wife, and their two kids—asked to join the minute they learned of Preston’s return. His best friend is eager as well. He and Preston have been inseparable since they were kids.
“They’re all part of the Island Lake pack—our former pack—right now. They’ve spoken to their alpha. He said he knows you well, and he understands their desire to switch packs. He’s given his blessing, provided you’re willing to take them in.” She looks away from me for a moment, then returns her gaze and adds, “We’ll understand if you don’t think it’s a good idea, but it would be really nice to have them as pack. Sophia would never say it, but it would mean the world to her to be with her family again.”
I blow out a breath and rub the back of my neck. How in the world did things get so crazy so fast? I give Skylar a questioning look. Adding new pack members should be as much her decision as mine. As I expect, she gives me a smile and an encouraging nod.
I clear my throat and look at both Elise and Preston. “I’m sure we can probably make that happen. You mentioned children. What ages are we talking about? I worry about bringing little ones in while there’s still a threat against our pack.”
Elise nods gravely. “Sean and Rebecca have two. Both boys. Caleb is twenty-six, but Ethan is only eleven.”
The age difference isn’t surprising. Wolves live a long time and often space out their children. Rook is seventeen years older than me. It does make me realize that I don’t know how old the Kellers are. I don’t know how old any of my pack members are. I know next to nothing about any of them. Shit. We really do need a pack social. Or maybe like a directory with pictures andbasic get-to-know-you profiles for every pack member. Maybe I should do individual meetings with each of them.
I push the thought aside for now and focus on the problem at hand. I don’t want to reject the Keller’s request, or turn away Sophia’s family, but eleven is so young. As a pack, could we protect him enough? “I’m not saying no, but is your family aware of our situation?” I ask them both. “Do they know about the danger being part of our pack poses? We’re small, unestablished, and dealing with a lot of trauma. We’ll always be in the spotlight, and we’ve got an omega that will make us a target. Not to mention the threat from the Vail pack. Hopefully Samuel will take care of that problem soon, but the danger’s not neutralized yet. We also don’t have any other children at the moment. Is that the best environment for an eleven-year-old?”
Elise sighs, and Preston’s shoulders slump. “Your concerns are valid,” Elise says. “I’m worried about them myself. But yes, they are fully aware of our situation, and they still wish to join us.”
I’m torn. Not sure what the right decision is here.
Skylar slips her hand into mine again and squeezes it gently. “Maybe we should meet with them. We can get to know them a little and talk everything out with them before deciding. And we don’t have to act right now. Sophia’s family isn’t going anywhere. We can always wait until things are a little more settled and it’s safer for the child before we bring them in.”
She makes an excellent point. I let out a breath of relief and give her a grateful smile. She sits up a little straighter at seeing my approval. “Yeah. Let’s do that. If you can pull off Sophia’s celebration tonight, then invite them all. We can get to know them, and then after that we can have a formal meeting to discuss the situation.”
“Sounds good,” Elise says. “Thank you, Alpha. I’ll schedule it with them now.”
“Not tomorrow,” I say. “Keep Skylar’s and my schedule clear tomorrow.”
At both Elise’s and Skylar’s surprised, questioning looks, I shrug. “I was thinking after Sophia’s thing we could check ourselves into a nice hotel for the night. Take the day off together.” I meet Skylar’s eyes with a steady gaze. “I promised you a date.”
I brush my thumb gently over the back of Skylar’s hand, then lift it to my lips. She stares back at me with rosy cheeks and whispers, “I’d like that.”
I grin and steal a quick kiss. “Tonight, then.”
A solid knock on the office door has us all turning our attention. Bree steps inside, wearing a grave expression. “Alpha, sir, the FUA and the FBI are here asking to see you and Luna Skylar.”
I frown. If it were anything good, Nora would have just called. Having the human FBI on our doorstep doesn’t bring on any warm and fuzzy feelings, though I have no idea what they could want. This is not what I need to deal with today, but there’s no ignoring it. I climb to my feet with a heavy sigh. “All right. We’re coming.”
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Nora and Nick Gorgeous are waiting near the front entrance with agents Ralston and Johnson. My mood sours at the sight of the FBI agents. They aren’t the worst people in the world, as far as humans go, but I don’t trust them, and I don’t like the constipated looks on either of their faces.
“You’re up early,” I say to Nora, grimly. She and Gorgeous both work the night shift. If they’re here before lunch, something is wrong.
Nora grimaces. “You’re family. When Shayne called and told us someone needed to talk to you, we wanted to come ourselves instead of sending someone else.”
“Talk to us about what, exactly?”
“We have some questions,” Agent Ralston says.
Before I can ask for more details, Nora gives both Skylar and me a hug. “Sorry to just show up like this. I know you’re busy.” She looks toward the construction area with curiosity. “We’ll try to be quick.”
I run a hand through my hair and reach for patience. I might not like the FBI guys, but I adore Nora and respect the hell out of Gorgeous. After scanning the warehouse, I lead the group to thesmall set of bleachers set up on the other side of the gym. “It’s not much,” I say as we all sit. “But as you can see, my office is a work in progress.”
Nora smiles. “This works. I’m excited to see what you’ve got planned for the place.”
Skylar beams at Nora. “We’d love to have your clan over for dinner soon. You’re Wulf’s family, and we’d like to introduce our pack under better circumstances.”
