“Good.” At my glance, Liam herds her out.
“Yes, okay,” he says to appease her when she holds him up at the door. “It’ll be noted. Next.”
Callie’s never going to let me hear the end of this. She’s been annoyed with me as it is, ever since I made the mistake of spitting in fate’s face, as she puts it. I’ve only seen her at meals in the last week when she deems to join me, and she’s spoken maybe three sentences to me in total. She avoids me around the lodge, sticking to her rooms.
I brace myself as another female strides in with her daughter in tow.
“Alpha, I’ve come to insist you consider my Terra.” She pushes her daughter until she’s right in front of my desk.
I nod dutifully. “Very well.”
Terra squeaks and lowers her gaze. Liam’s steadfast composure is close to cracking when the poor girl’s made to turn in a circle by her mother and recite some rehearsed babble about her loyalty to the Blackburns. Ford isn’t faring as well. He leans heavily on Gabe’s shoulder to hide his laughter in his mate’s shirt, drawing miffed leers from the older female.
I wave a hand, massaging the dull throb in my temple while they’re ushered out and another she-wolf strides in. Each time I inform them I’m not considering any other mate than Avery. The reactions are mixed, ranging from some surprised yet accepting to some who are openly aggressive, trying to make me change my mind with their bias. I berate myself for allowing my wrongly placed hatred to bleed into the pack, wanting to correct their opinion of her.
It continues on for the rest of the hour. Before long, my mind drifts to Avery again.
Holding her in my arms while she fell apart made it clear to me that I wanted to become her strength and take away every ounce of hardship I caused her. Being the cause of her pain wrecked me. It was like being burned alive from the inside out, the bond punishing me for hurting her.
I didn’t know what else to do last night other than start with an apology, but it doesn’t make me worthy of her forgiveness. Not yet.
It almost killed me not to kiss her. I nearly did when I was scenting her because her pheromones made me wild.
First I need to fix everything I’ve broken between us, including the bond I refused. I want to deserve her before I claim my mate.
My wolf appreciates it when we get under the sun and open sky to oversee the second day of enforcer tryouts. He’s grown antsy after being cooped up all morning in the lodge offices listening to criticisms of our mate, only quelled by me refuting every one of them and countering their judgment of Avery.
The nitty gritty of running the pack doesn’t hold his attention unless a show of dominance is needed. He’s much more interested in running circles around this year’s crop of hopefuls for one of the most coveted job assignments in the pack.
Out of all the rules I set, this is the area I’m strictest over. I don’t let just anyone join the roster of those who pledge to protect the pack. Everyone is welcome to apply, but only the best make it through.
I squint when I spot Lorne and my uncle watching from the pavilion outside the dining hall. Lorne hasn’t shown his face at tryouts after I wouldn’t accept him three years ago. He was pissed because he expected his name and our shared bloodline to carry him through, and that’s exactly why my gut told me not to let him join.
My cousin was clever enough to wait until my father wasn’t Alpha to try out, but also too hotheaded. He’s not the type I trust with the security of the pack.
I don’t like how any of them treat females, either. Especially the ones mated to them or living within Cormac’s compound. His timid mate scuttles around, cowering if any male so much as looks her way. Their daughters and Sylvie’s sisters Cormac’s farmed off in arranged matings to grow his brood never look happy, but I can barely get near any of them to confirm if they’re being mistreated.
Cormac wanted to be Alpha. It’s no secret, my father told me as much. He never challenged his brother to claim the pack, and Lorne hasn’t outright challenged me. I promised Dad I’d never lose a challenge if Cormac or his sons ever tried to take the pack. I’m ready for the day Lorne finally does so I can put an end to their rank chasing. Until one of them acts, all I can do is keep an eye on them.
It becomes clear why they’re there when Cormac’s youngest son trots by to join the groups gathered on the commons. Weston isn’t as mouthy as Dane or an exact copy of his father like Lorne. Though we all share Blackburn blood, none of them feel like family. Not the way Liam’s my brother.
Liam follows my stare. “Want me to mark him down as a fail now? Save us all some time?”
“I’ll decide when we’ve seen how he fares through all the tests,” I answer. “Everyone gets a fair shot, those are the rules.”
Liam shrugs. “Okay. So make sure he’s in Hodge’s group?”
Hodge is old school. He’s a few years older than my father and grew up with him. He takes no prisoners when it comes to the safety of our territory and gives the hardest tests to pass. Most that end up in his group surrender before the week is out.
I smirk. “Exactly.”
“I bet you the stag in our freezer the kid pukes in the first twenty minutes,” Ford says when he joins us.
Gabe slaps him in the chest. “Don’t bet my food or I’ll knock you out. You know I was tracking it all weekend.”
Liam snorts. “You heard the man. Don’t you show your mate any respect?”
“He gets it…” Ford pauses to smirk.
We all groan, knowing how he’ll finish that sentence after how many times he’s fired off his favorite quip about giving it to Gabe all night long.
“Go put the hopefuls through hell to see who proves themselves,” I instruct.
If I thought my open office time was bad this morning, it’s nothing compared to the tang of hostility in the air later at dinner. It sets me on edge when I take my seat. I stare the tables down, satisfied when elders and young males alike back off with their gazes dropped to their plates.
The tense energy dissipates and I relax a bit. Thankfully Avery’s not on the rotation tonight. I checked the assignment schedule posted outside the lodge. I need to have her switched off kitchen duty and get her a meeting with the pack healer and his assistant. I consider other ways to rectify the pack’s opinion of her by integrating her back into it, like making sure she feels welcome at the next full moon run.
Hodge takes his usual seat. “Good stock this year. Strong wolves, sharp instincts.”
“You’ve got some winners in your group that you haven’t killed yet?” The corner of my mouth kicks up and I pass him the gravy.
He chuckles. “My torture sessions haven’t come to an end yet. Ask me again in another few days.”
I’m relieved he’s impressed. One less worry lightening the load on my shoulders if I can put my trust in some new members on the roster to allow older shifters their well-earned break.
Everything’s fine through the first half of the meal until a brazen she-wolf approaches the head table in heeled boots. Seline pushes her luck by stepping right up to me like Avery did earlier. She’s a few years older than me. I remember her having school lessons with Lorne.
“Alpha, I’m putting myself forward,” she announces.
“If you want to be part of the enforcers, the tryout applications go out in the middle of the summer,” Liam says.
She flicks a dismissive hand at him. “No, I mean as the ideal candidate to become Alpha female of the pack.”
I put my fork down with a clatter. This is why I’ve never shown any favor to the females, not even to blow off steam.