“I just need access to the internet. I’ve probably been disconnected from my old pack web so I’ll need to join yours.”
“Your what?”
“You don’t have a pack web?” Taryn was surprised considering he seemed to have everything else.
He shook his head. “What is it?”
“It’s kind of like a social network but it’s exclusive to whoever is in your pack.”
“A little like Facebook and Twitter.”
“Exactly, only it’s not so much to encourage social interaction as it is to showcase your pack. Let me show you.”
After typing in the http address, Taryn took them to the homepage of USA Pack Webs. Entering her name and password, she was then immediately transferred to a visual of what was termed the Onyx pack web – her old pack. It was a little like looking at an image of the solar system, only instead of the sun being in the center it was a photo of the Alpha, her dad. And instead of planets being dotted around the eight surrounding circles of the sun, individual photos of each pack member were randomly dotted around the circles. Her own photo was set aside as if free floating in space. Oh yeah she’d been disconnected alright.
“Because we’re not part of the pack, we don’t have access to this web which means we can’t see the public blog and add to it, but watch this.” Using the mouse, she moved the arrow to point on one of the photos and instantly the photo enlarged and a little personal information on that pack member came up; it was like looking at a baseball card, only it was referred to as an information card.
Rhett read it aloud. “Full Name: Shaya Critchley. Gender: Female. Age: Twenty-three. Status: Unmated. Rank: Subordinate. Challenges: Four. Challenges Won: Two.”
“That’s all you can know unless you were to gain permission from the Alpha to browse through the pack web.”
He turned to look at her. “Every pack has one?”
She shook her head. “Not every pack. They’re a good thing to have, because not only is it a good way for all pack members to socially interact no matter where they are, but it means that other packs can get a vague idea of how powerful yours is. Look at this.” Taryn pointed the cursor at Lance and instantly a photo popped up with a small amount of personal information underneath.
Again Rhett read it aloud. “Full Name: Lance Kai Warner. Gender: Male. Age: Forty-three. Status: Mate Deceased. Rank: Pack Alpha. Challenges: Twelve. Challenges Won: Twelve. Number of Alliances: Thirty-two. Total Number of Wolves: Twenty-six.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment before turning his attention back to Taryn. “So we could create our own web?”
She nodded. “Easy. You just need to sign up first to USA Pack Webs. You know, this would be a good way to form alliances. Other Alphas now have a way of getting in touch with Trey without risking turning up only to get their head chewed off.”
“How could they contact him?”
“See the option on the top right of the information card, Send Message. The same option is on everybody’s information card. Speaking of which, let me just check to see if I have any.” She double-clicked on her own card and saw a notice that she had fifty-seven messages.
“Fifty-seven?”
“It’ll just be people wanting to know if the mating’s kosher and all that. All I’m interested in is whether Shaya and Caleb have been in touch.” It turned out that they had both been in touch. Again they both expressed concern about her safety and tried convincing her that she was wrong about Trey being her true mate, asking to meet up with her so they could all talk. “I think that’s exactly what I’m going to have to do.”
“What?”
“Meet up with them. They’re not buying that the mating is real. If they hear it from my mouth, if I can convince them that I’m fine and Trey doesn’t intend to hurt me, then maybe they’ll accept it. They’re both tenacious bastards, they won’t let this go.”
Rhett sighed. “I doubt Trey will let you leave the property.”
Let her leave? Snort. She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Actually I was thinking that if they see me here in this setting it might be more believable for them.”
“You’re probably right there. Okay, you got time to help me with this before you go ask Trey?”
“Sure.”
Trey looked up from an old photograph of his dead mother when he heard the knock on his office door. “Come in.” As he expected, Tao strolled inside. He had also anticipated Dante tagging along since he was a nosy bastard. Both wolves took the seats in front of Trey’s thick oak desk. Shoving the photo underneath the slip of papers beside it, he focused his attention on Tao.
“I’m electing you as Taryn’s personal bodyguard.” The Head Enforcer nodded agreeably, which sort of stunned Trey. “You know what this means, don’t you? I’ll need to pull you away from your usual duties because your main priority will be Taryn’s safety.”
“Someone else will become Head Enforcer, I know,” said Tao with a nod.
“I was sort of expecting a protest.”
Tao shrugged. “I considered it an honor when I was made Head Enforcer and I enjoy that position, but it will be just as much an honor to be my Alpha female’s bodyguard. Besides, Taryn’s interesting to be around,” he added with a smile.
Trey arched a brow. “I hope that’s all you find her to be.”
“Isn’t it going to be a bad idea for you to have someone else looking out for her?” Dante asked rhetorically.
“Why would it be?”
He sighed. “Because it’s your job as her mate to be her protector and it will nettle your protective instincts – not to mention your wolf – if you ignore that.”
“I’m not ignoring it. I’m assigning someone to watch over her which means I’m addressing the issue of her safety. Protective instinct covered.” Trey had kept his tone aloof and cool, but the way Dante narrowed his eyes told him that he was seeing more than Trey wanted him to.
“Speaking of Taryn, you might want to come see what her and Rhett set up.”
“Set up?”
“On the computer. Come see.”
Minutes later many of the pack were crowded into Rhett’s bedroom as he showed them their pack web and explained everything about how it worked and how it would benefit the pack. He then showed the others how to use it and introduced them to the public blog for their pack.
“Well, what do you think?” asked Rhett.
“This was your idea?” Trey asked Taryn, impressed.
“And Rhett’s. It was a joint project.”
“I had no idea other packs had this kind of stuff,” said Dante, sounding a little awed. “How long ago did your dad set his web up?”
Taryn jiggled her head as she thought on it. “Five years ago, maybe?”
“It’s good,” said Trey, “really good.”
Tao draped an arm over her shoulders. “Guess who’s been assigned to you as your bodyguard?”
“I need a bodyguard?”
“No, but most Alphas have them. In reality, bodyguards are more like hovering slaves.”
“And you’re happy to be a hovering slave?”
“I’m happy to be your hovering slave.”
At this moment Trey was very much regretting having made Tao her bodyguard. He didn’t like Tao’s flirtatiousness, didn’t like how easily Taryn had taken to the other male’s touch. He wanted to grab Taryn and pull her to him, wanted to lick over his mark to remind her she was claimed. Claimed by Trey.
Rhett’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I checked to see if Darryl had set one up, but he hasn’t. Shame. We could have gotten an idea of who has what position within the pack nowadays.”
“Oh by the way,” began Taryn as she went to stand directly in front of Trey. “Remember the female who kept trying to get me to walk away from you while we were in the club?”