Page 77 of Fated to the Alpha

Kimberly hated how quickly he slid from cheerful to pensive to cold. “I need your permission to leave the pack.”

He barked a laugh. “Permission? You don’t need that.”

“You’re my alpha, Gage. It’s protocol, right?”

He slammed some of the tools in the drawers, the metal clatter echoing off the walls, making Kimberly flinch. “Is it? Am I? Who knows anymore? Who fucking cares?”

She glared at him as she stood and approached. “Where is this coming from?”

Gage stopped, his back to her.

His shoulders sagged. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.” He lazily turned to face her and slung his hands in his pockets, stance casual like this wasn’t an important conversation, though they both knew it meant a lot more. “If you want my permission, you have it. But you don’t need it. I don’t know what kind of alpha I’ll be, but I don’t want to be the kind that gatekeeps and has to grant permissions like the Pope or something. You’re an adult and can make your own choices. You love him and that’s what matters, I guess. When the time comes, I’ll cut off the pack bond, and you can go on your merry way.”

Kimberly hated it when he got in these moods, like being alpha was nothing, like the pack and the bonds they shared were nothing. She knew better. He hid so much under that brooding bad-boy facade. He didn’t need to hide from her. She knew how hard it was when their alpha died, how he didn’t feel worthy of the title, how the rest of their pack taking off after Michael’s death had wounded him so deeply.

So, she gave him a soft smile. “I can make my own choices, but you know the pack has always meant the world to me. You guys helped me through a rough period of adjustment in my life when I was just trying to figure stuff out and find a place. You and Declan are like the brothers I never had. That is so special for me. Leaving you guys behind is a hard choice to make, and I don’t want to mess up our friendship. It’d be just you and Declan. I don’t want to be the reason the pack breaks up.”

Gage softened and came to stand in front of her.

He lifted his hands like he was going to take her shoulders but remembered they were still dirty and refrained. “If the pack ever breaks up, it will not be your fault. It’ll be mine. And even if it does, I would rather all of us part ways because we found our true homes and true loves. That seems like a pretty noble reason to leave a wolf pack, for love, I mean. And if you’ve found that, then I’m happy for you.” He held up a cautionary finger. “And I’ll kick your ass if you deny yourself the happiness for one more day of your life.”

Kimberly broke off a laugh and took in his soiled mechanics shirt just once before diving in for a hug. He returned the embrace like the brother she claimed him to be.

“Thank you … and I’ll come back and kick your ass myself if you deny yourself your rightful place as alpha. You’d make a great one.”

Gage grumbled, “Yeah, yeah. Get in line.”

Kimberly held onto Gage’s warmth. It wouldn’t be the last time they hugged, but she made a point of memorizing the moment. Sure, they would probably visit each other in the future, but it wouldn’t be the same without the pack bond there. She’d trade one bond for another. It almost felt like leaving one family to join another. It felt like marriage.

Her mouth curved at the thought. Marriage and Shane. Mating with Shane. That combo didn’t terrify her nearly as much as it did before. Maybe because she finally allowed herself to see a future with him, regardless of who she was or what she could or couldn’t do. Now equipped with her release from the pack, there was only one thing to hold her back, one big hurdle left to jump before she felt she could give herself fully and unconditionally to Shane. And her wolf felt more than ready.

Chapter Eighteen

Shane was in the spotlight as he pitched the numbers, figures, and logistics at the alpha meeting assembly. In school, he never liked to give presentations in front of the class. Not usually prone to nerves, Shane still couldn’t help but feel his heart beat just a little harder. So much more than good grades rode on his proposal.

So, he discussed the three options for moving companies, their quotes, and their services, the deposits for the apartments in Oakfield, the first two months of rent, utilities, and estimated groceries for the pack while they got jobs and fully settled. He also, with the permission of his pack, shared the condition of their own private savings and their ability to pay back the Prime Alpha over time. Trent was the most vulnerable and least reliable because of his age and his intentions to enroll in college. His cash flow would be more of a trickle compared to the others, only being able to work part-time between classes. Shane admitted he was willing to compensate for his portion of the repayment if needed.

He heard that Dominic could be lenient when it came to these proposals. He was more inclined to negotiate or offer alternatives than to turn down the proposal altogether. Hank, the pseudo-bookkeeper of the Tolstone operations, was the one to impress. And the shifter was as cold and featureless as a smooth stone as he listened.

When it was done, Shane noticed how Gage eyed him most critically. The alpha-in-training looked at him like he had stolen his prized mare. Kimberly must have talked to him already, and all that resentment was an indicator of his answer to her request to be released from the pack. Shane was officially his least favorite person.

Dominic looked at his beta. “How does it sound?”

Hank let out a noisy breath and looked from the copy of Shane’s proposal to another packet that must have been their own reports on the health of their accounts.

“Can we make it one month of rent and expenses instead of two? You said there were jobs available for them. They should be able to get on their feet sooner, right?”

Shane nodded. “There are jobs available as of right now, but no applications have been sent. I was waiting for tonight before going forward. Two months would give it a little more security in case some of them don’t get the jobs.”

“Makes sense in this economy,” Erica remarked next to her mate.

Hank made a grumbling sound in his throat. “We could swing two months, but we may have to put new arrivals on hold for a bit until the accounts can replenish.”

Shane shook a hasty hand. “We don’t want to delay anything for other packs that need to come to town. We can make one month work.”

What Shane meant was that he would make it work. Even if he had to take a second job or dip into some of his own reserves, he would make sure his pack was taken care of.

Hank thought a bit more, then gave a final nod. “One month of rent and expenses, with the mid-price tier for a moving company, and you’ve got a deal.”