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A fated mate that could whisk her away from here was what she longed for and wanted, but she might as well be wishing for Prince Charming. And escaping the pack was not an option. Leave her family, her home and for what? Would it really be different in another pack? And what if they came after her for defecting?
“Thanks for the offer, but no. I’ve got plans for today, before we have to start really ramping up for the BBQ this week.”
Her mother took a sip from the mug. “Okay. Enjoy your day.”
“Thanks. You too.”
In short order, she had returned to the deli, got herself another sandwich, this time springing for a side of home fries. Leaving the deli behind, she hiked out to the base. Finding a sunny spot, she sat silently against a hanger and settled in to watch the men perform their training exercises.
They did some laps, some warm-ups, some lifting, and sparing. They laughed and joked with one another.
Then Elliot showed up.
In his pristine uniform of black slacks and a tan pullover T-shirt, he immediately took charge and began shouting at the recruits as they ran drills, climbing different ladders and walls, crawling under wires and bars.
Watching them run and use their muscles looked fun and challenging. Vivian wasn’t sure she could handle the course they ran, but sort of wanted to try. Though, she’d never want to run the course with Elliot observing.
More than once she’d seen an omega burst into tears while Elliot screamed in their face. It had been funny a few times, particularly when it was one of Felix’s friends he was hollering at, but mostly, she didn’t know how the recruits could handle Elliot as their drill sergeant.
Soon they’d start into weapons training, but by then she’d be gone. She didn’t want to spend her day listening to them. Once her breakfast was through, she would run a few errands for the BBQ, and check on the supplies and food orders they were expecting to arrive by Wednesday, then she’d hike up to the waterfall. She’d shift and run. Maybe she’d go for a swim, and lay naked in the sun while she finished her book.
Elliot’s voice drew her attention once more.
He was an alpha, and despite his modern ideals and kind treatment of women, the males in the pack respected him. Just as his father had been respected. He was friends with Rafe, and maybe, if she’d never seen him at work, she’d have considered approaching him as a potential mate. But after watching him with the new recruits and how he treated the male omegas when they failed at the drills, she wasn’t sure she could stomach the idea of talking to him without Rafe nearby, despite Rafe’s assurances that Elliot was really a big softy.
Besides, her father hated Rafe and Elliot and anyone they associated with. She wasn’t sure if it was jealousy or fear, or a mix of both. But Norman Conners would never let her mate a man who thought a woman should be an equal, and not a glorified servant.
Her mother managed this life by utilizing her friends. Maybe Vivian would just have to settle for stolen moments at the waterfall, or in her treehouse. Maybe she’d get through whatever the future held for her if she could keep those safe spaces for herself.
Or maybe she could find another way to save herself from whatever deplorable creature her father insisted she mate.
CHAPTER SIX
“So, what exactly is your job?” Callum wondered the following morning, as he followed Elliot across the tarmac toward the lodge. The ominous sense of foreboding from the previous night was absent in the daylight.
“I’m a drill sergeant. I run survival training, weapons and combat training. Basically, I ensure our pack is prepared for anything King, or anyone else might throw at us.”
“Seriously?” Callum scoffed. He’d known Elliot’s job was defense, but in today’s world, he figured that was self-defense, or something with technology, not military combat. “You really think it’s necessary?”
“Believe it or not, this feud with King’s pack isn’t something to be taken lightly. Some of our members, well, if they didn’t have the training and speed to outrun and outfight King’s pack…” Elliot shrugged one shoulder. “They’d be dead.”
“This feud is legitimately deadly?”
Elliot glanced at him and in a low voice replied, “Yeah. Maybe not in our time, unless you count the bloody mess that happened when we were young. Whether Thatcher or one of his men killed my dad, and Rafe’s dad, things were really tense between the two packs back then. There were a few really scary months around that time.”
“Okay.” Callum matched his whisper. “Seems like a dangerous job for you. Why would Thatcher trust you to do that? To handle impressionable people and all those weapons?”
“He needs a capable alpha for the job. Besides,” Elliot replied with a smirk. “I’m good at dealing with assholes who think they know better than me.”
“Ha, ha.” Callum rolled his eyes. “What about assholes whodoknow better than you?”
“I’ll let you know if I ever meet one.” They stepped up onto the curb, but before they could reach the door, Elliot paused. “Keep in mind that sometimes it’s better to fly under the radar, like Rafe. Or to have a position that keeps me apprised of Thatcher’s military plans and what he’s capable of.”
“I think I got it.” And he really felt as though he was starting to understand. The problems with this pack weren’t just surface level.
But a part of him, a big part, knew that nothing would change until they eliminated Thatcher’s useless, abusive ass.
At only five to eight, the lodge was quiet when they walked in. Elliot led him down a hallway and around a corner. They headed into a room with a long, wide table surrounded by multiple folding chairs. It reminded him of the conference room at Wildlings, Drew’s wildlife sanctuary, but rather than gray and steel, it was in cedars and wood.
