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“I’m sorry, but as per our policies, missing a shift without proper reason or documentation, such as a doctor’s note, is grounds for termination. Frankly, your work ethic has diminished over the years. Perhaps it is time to go our separate ways.”
“I am one of your best employees!”
“My records show otherwise. Consider this your termination. Your last paycheck will be mailed to you.”
The phone goes dead, just dead. I just lost my job. Now, what am I going to do?
Chapter 2 - Eli
“Alpha, we just got a call saying the shingles for the Anderson house will be delivered on Tuesday.”
“Thanks, Eric.”
Eric leaves and heads back out into the main area of our offices. He is a young shifter in the pack, but he works hard. At this rate, he will rise in the ranks fast. Construction work is very profitable, especially with the current housing crisis, and it’s also great for the pack. There are lots of people to work with, which has made the company very profitable, being able to do multiple contracts at a time. The pack owns a thousand acres around Twilight Meadows, and with the successful real estate agency we have in town for wealthy cottagers, I’m not doing too bad, which means the pack’s not doing too bad. Being Alpha of the pack, it’s essential to have the money to support it; running all those businesses is exhausting. Thank the goddess I know how to delegate.
“Alpha, we have Jake here wanting to speak to you.” Excellent, just what I need.
“Send him in.”
In walks Jake, the Alpha of the neighboring pack, followed by my Beta, Dean, and Jake’s Beta, Cal. Jake has been Alpha for nearly sixty years. Thanks to shifter genes, he doesn’t look much older than me, and I’m forty. Our packs have always been enemies; the feud has been going on for so long that no one really knows why it started. The old Alpha tried to have peace talks with the Clearwater pack three years back. Not because he wanted to, mind you, but because the council, a governing body of shifters for North America, forced it on him. The council was created to help limit the amount of knowledge the human world has of the shifter world. They do damage control and mediation and sometimes take a heavier hand when the circumstances call for it. Begrudgingly, the Alpha did it, but it didn’t go to plan; part of that was my fault. It was a tense year after that, and the old Alpha and I were constantly butting heads.
So, two years ago, I challenged the Alpha. I was pissed that I couldn’t be with Quinn. I get why it would have been an issue, seeing as she was from the Clearwater pack, but true mates are hard to find; they are a sacred gift the goddess Seluna gives all shifters. I may have lost her because my Alpha threatened to take her out, but I'm determined not to let that happen to anyone else. I've wanted to see a significant change in our pack anyway, especially our relationship with Jake’s pack, but there hasn’t been much success. Apparently, sleeping with one of his pack members isn’t something he wants to forget.
“Jake, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Knock off the sarcasm, Eli. Your damn patrols have crossed over into my territory. This is a courtesy visit. If I find one more patrol on my land, I won’t stop by, but send body parts.”
A snarl rips from my throat as I stand to face off with the arrogant prick. My chest is nearly touching his as I heave out a breath. He is trying to rile me up, and I know that, but he has always rubbed me the wrong way.
“My patrols are always within our borders. Don’t make a mess where there isn’t one, Jake. I have been very patient with you and your delinquent pack since I became Alpha two years ago, but make no mistake, I will put you in your place if I need to.” My wolf rises to the surface, trying to force a change and rip this Alpha apart, but before Jake and I can destroy each other or this office, both Betas step in and pull us apart.
“Last warning, Eli.” Jake’s eyes are turning gold, showing just how close his wolf is to the surface, too.
“Correct. This is your last warning. The council can’t protect you if you’re dead.” The skin around my knuckles pulls as I try to control my anger.
“I don’t need the council to protect me! Keep your skeezy wolves off my land. Mark my words, Eli, I won’t be so understanding next time.” With that, he and his Beta storm out of my office.
“Dean, tell me our patrols were within our borders last night.”
“I checked to see who was on the roster and confirmed everyone was where they were supposed to be.”
Blowing out a breath, I close my eyes.
“Jake keeps getting worse; he seems unhinged. Coming up with any reason to threaten the pack or claim we have done something wrong. He is a trigger waiting to be pulled. I don’t like it. I’ll have to send a message to our contact on the council. It would be so much easier to kill him and be done with the Clearwater pack, but we need to be careful with the council watching more closely. We can’t just make a play without cause; their legacy keeps them around.”
“I agree. This feud is ridiculous. Stacy says that the fights between the Clearwater Water pack and ours are getting out of hand at the high school. We need to somehow come to an agreement, or the council needs to remove Jake and give us what little territory they have. At this point, we are far larger and stronger than they are; it doesn’t make sense to have two packs this close together.”
“I agree. But my wolf is itching for a fight, and if he comes at us, I can’t guarantee my wolf won’t just take over and kill them all.” I need a run, so instead of returning to my office chair, I head out of the building. Dean follows, but he is quiet, which means he wants to ask something personal, which I wouldn’t usually entertain.
“So, have you found anyone on the Lycan mail-order bride app yet?”
Ah, I should have known. A week ago, Dean had convinced me to sign up for this app to find a Luna for our pack. I didn’t want to find a mate, especially a chosen one. I was happy with where I was, content to be single; I wasn’t celibate by any means, but the thought of taking a mate for the sake of having one never appealed to me. But apparently, some within the pack have other feelings. Some of my advisors say I need to look at getting a Luna. The pack needs to show that we are strong. Not having a Luna could open me up to an attack from the outside and the inside, and maybe they’re right. I'm stuck being pressured to find someone to secure my position. My problem? I have only ever wanted one person, my true mate. But she’s gone, and shamefully, I didn’t treat her the way she deserved. They wanted to kill her for sleeping with me, and I so desperately wanted to protect her, but I wasn’t the Alpha then. I didn’t have the power to claim her and protect her and the pack. Then I heard she left one day, and no one has seen her since. No one knows where she went. Doesn’t matter that it happened just over three years ago. It lingers in my mind. I’ve been with other women, but it isn't the same. I think when you experience perfection, nothing else can compare. I thought love wasn’t in the cards for me for a long time, but maybe that’s changed.
“I was skeptical about this whole thing, but I have been talking to someone all week.”
Dean perks up at that. “You have! That’s great! When will we get to meet her?!”
“We haven’t really talked about that part yet. I guess the next step is doing a trial run, but getting to know her has been nice. She also has a daughter. She’s two and a half.”
