Our conversation centered around pack business. He brought me up topar on the patrol situation and how my replacement was handling herself. I was surprised that she wasn’t handling things like she was supposed to be. I wanted to go back home and kick her in the ass to knock some sense into her. But I knew I couldn’t do that.

“Bree,what’s wrong. You seem distracted this morning. Are you alright?” dad asked through the mind link.

“No, dad I’m not alright. Being partiallymarked has messed me up. I was an emotional mess yesterday. I’m not myself. All I want to do right now is cry. I want to go home. But I really don’t have a home right now do I?” I answered him through the mind link.

He sighed andshook his head. “No, I guess you don’t. It was proven that the pack house isn’t safe for you. The safest place for you to be right now is with either Alpha Elias or Drake. I’m sorry honey. I know it’s not the answer you’re looking for. What can I do to help you? Do I need to stay longer?” dad asked me.

As I’m sitting there drinking my juice and contemplating my answer. Drake comes in looking disheveled and out of sorts. His eyes find mine and he comes over to me immediately. “Good morning love. Did you enjoy your breakfast?” Drake inquired as he sat down next to me grabbing a plate of food.

“Morning. Breakfast was good. Everything taken care of now?” I inquired as I watched Drake eat his breakfast. “Dad, I don’t know what to do. Maybe we can talk after breakfast and after I had a chance to talk to Drake,” I asked him through the mind link.

“Sounds like a plan,” dad suggested through the mind link.

“Hey Puddin’, what are your plans after breakfast?” dad asked aloud so he could see if Drake had any plans for us.

“The plans I had for us this morninghave been put on hold for right now. So, if you want to stay a little longer to be with her, you can. I’m going to be tied up a little while longer, at least through the middle of the afternoon. Sorry honey. I know I promised something else to you, but this has to get done,” Drake pleaded with sadness in his voice.

“It’sall right Drake. Dad and Tom can stay a little while longer. We need to talk about how to whip my replacement into shape. She isn’t doing such a good job. No worries. Take care of the pack business. I’m taken care of,” I reassured him as I placed my hand on his back and rubbed circles on it.

That seemed to have a calming effect on him because he visibly relaxed. “Thank you for understanding. We’ll finish up as quickly as we can. How about dinner just the two of us?” Drake asked as he waggled his eyebrows.

“I’d like that. Let’s get through work first. Okay?Now, I believe you have work to do, and I have a replacement, I need to chastise,” I replied as we stood up to leave the dining room.

“Wow! Don’t you lookgorgeous today!” Drake exclaimed as he too stood up to leave the dining room.

“I didn’t know what we were going to be doing today, so I dressed business casual. You like?” I said as I spun around with a smile on my face.

“Like? I lovethe way you look,” Drake explained as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a quick kiss on the lips. “I promise to make things up to you tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

“I’ll hold you to it,” I whispered back to him before he released me with a silly grin on my face.

CHAPTER 13

What’s Going On?

Dad and Tom just stared at the two of us. Dad didn’t understand what was going on, but he will once I explain everything to him. Tom looked a little hurt, but I knew it had something to do with his mate. I wanted to ask him about it, but now wasn’t the time for it. We walked Drake out to the foyer where he had to leave to go somewhere with Beta Charles.

“Dad, let me change intoflat shoes. Then maybe, we can go for a walk. I’ll show you two around. What do you say?” I suggested. I added through the mind link that we could talk as we walk without interruption.

“That sounds good. I didn’t get to see very much when I was here for the tournament,” dad replied as we walked towards the stairs.

“Howabout we wait for you in the living room downstairs while you change your shoes, okay?” suggested dad as we came to the living room.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be right back,” I replied as I ran up the stairs towards Drake’s suite.

I came barreling down the stairs 5 minutes later with flat shoes on. I saw dad and Tomstanding by the window looking out and grinning. “What’s going on,” I asked as I came to stand by them.

“The kids are playing and they’re adorable. I remember when you were that age.It seems like yesterday,” dad said with nostalgia in his voice.

Tom and I looked at each otherand just shook our heads. We knew the speech by now. The part about when we have kids and they get older, we’ll know exactly what he’s talking about. We’ve heard it a thousand times before. “Come on, let me show you around. At least what I can show you,” I announced as I motioned for them to follow me. “Then we can find a nice spot for a chat about what to do with my replacement. How are we going to get her on the right path.”

Tom simply shook his head, “I don’t know Bree. She seemed to be doing fine, then all of the suddenit’s like she can’t function properly. I think we need to find another replacement immediately. You know the she-wolves better than anyone else. Who do you think we should replace her with? I mean we’ve given her multiple chances to straighten herself out. We need to make a change now or something,” Tom stated with a long sigh as he ran his hand through his hair.

“What about your mate? What does she bring to the table?” I asked Tom as we were walking towards the training grounds.

“Don’t bring her up, please.Don’t mention her, please!” snapped Tom as he stomped off a few paces ahead of us.

I stopped and looked at dad whojust shook his head. “She turned out to be a traitor. She was trying to get information about us for her old pack to use against us. Tom had to reject her and she’s in the dungeons as we speak,” dad explained with sorrow in his eyes.