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The day moved so fast that I needed to get away from it all. After talking with the group about our plans and what to expect, I finally went ahead and stepped inside the office that once belonged to Pierce. Now it was mine, I guessed. There was so much to go over, not just about Pierce's upcoming attack. The lodge was also part of a business. The pack was in charge of flower arranging and hosting weddings and celebrations. Byron informed me that Pierce canceled all reservations and orders after the full moon fiasco, and I didn't feel comfortable opening back up until this matter with the Wolf Moon was resolved. I didn't want to risk guests getting caught in the crossfire, or Pierce sending over spies that were disguised as customers. Thankfully the business had a bank account separated to live off for a while. The account was under Joaquin's name since he was the one who managed the business side while Pierce handled the pack. Still, I was going to have to learn about the business from the ground up, which was something I was not looking forward to.
Aside from that, Javier helped me set up the paperwork needed for a pack treaty between the Renegades Pack and the Blue Moon Pack. We both signed and sealed it with our bloody thumbprints—seriously, why was that a thing?—followed by Del and Joaquin who would ensure the treaty remained intact on the off chance something happens to either me or my brother. That wasn't as hard as I thought. Then again, there are thousands of other packs around the U.S. so this likely wouldn't be the only treaty I'd have to fill out in my life.
My next concern was Abuelita. She'd been staying in the lodge since we got back, and after Javier and I discussed it with her, she decided to sell her house and made her living arrangements permanent. I even decided to hire her to oversee the kitchen. With her arthritis, she wouldn't be able to cook as often as she would like, but she could still monitor the rest of the staff. Javier, Del, Caleb, and Raph all agreed that they would stay until the Wolf Moon to make sure we'd make it out alive. Should the situation be dire enough, Javier would call in reinforcements from his pack. Del would also call in some of her hunter buddies to fight with us. As it stands, she's already arranged some hired guns to join in border patrol. They would arrive in the next couple of days.
So far everything was moving without a hitch. So why was I still nervous?
That was when I knew I needed some fresh air. I couldn't be gone for too long since we still had another meeting at sundown, but I figured a drive around town wouldn't be such a bad idea. I had just cleared the desk of all of Pierce's belongings when a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," I said as I closed the box.
The door swung open and in walked Kai, looking around the office before spotting me. "Hey, I was checking to see how you were holding up."
I stood up from my seat, picking up the box and setting it aside with the rest of Pierce's junk. Some things I planned to keep, like the maps of all states. Each one had a list of active packs and where they were located. I was going to scan them all and save them in a file on the office computer. I wasn't going to question why he had them. Maybe every pack alpha had them. Once I had all the boxes lined up, I stood up and pushed the hair off my face. "I'm managing, I guess. But I was planning on going for a drive. Do you want to go with me?"
Kai nodded. "Sure, I'd like that."
"Perfect." I grabbed the keys to my truck off the table, then swiped my purse from the coat rack. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's head out." Kai followed me out of the office.
We were heading for the front door until Rowan called out to us. "Rosie? Kai? Where are you two headed?"
I turned to find the older man coming down the steps. "We were going to take a trip around town before the pack meeting. We won't be long."
"Well, hold on a second." Rowan reached out for me just as I opened the door and was about to leave with Kai. "Not to spoil the fun, but maybe I should at least accompany you two?"
"Why?" I asked.
"For extra protection."
I inwardly groaned. "Rowan, Kai and I are driving around town. I think we'll be safe long enough to drive."
"I know it's not fun having someone acting like a bodyguard, and I'm not trying to say that neither of you can't look after yourselves, but it is important that we keep you guys safe. Just think of it as me checking out the sights since I've never been here before. I don't want to get in your way, but I do want to make sure nothing happens to you both."
It did feel like a pain in the ass to have someone watching our backs, but I wasn't petty enough not to understand why it was necessary. Another headache to add to the long list of headaches I was getting. I really wanted to have a stable life again. Was that too much to ask?
"Rosie." Kai reached out to take my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. Besides, it's true that Rowan is new to Kingsrose. If he's going to stay here for the unforeseeable future, it's best to get him acquainted with the town."
"You do have a point," I acquiesced. Besides, if Rowan was a potential candidate for being my fourth mate, I'd need to spend more time with him. Bryon too, but one superhot bodyguard was enough. "Okay, Rowan, you can come."
"Thank you, milady." Rowan dipped his head in appreciation.
So old fashioned, but I loved it. Rowan was an interesting guy with a lot of history and tons of knowledge. It was a blessing to have him with us. To have him help me master the Wolf Moon's gift. I knew we could never be a replacement for his previous pack. While I may have been chosen to be this generation's Wolf Moon's Chosen, I was certainly not his mate, but I hoped Rowan could see this place as a new home for him. Or did he enjoy the solitude he had before we stumbled into his life? While Sabina sought him out, the rest of us stumbled to his home unintentionally.
Rowan climbed down the rest of the steps, grabbing his shoes at the door and putting them on. When he was ready, the three of us exited the lodge and headed to where my truck was parked. I missed it while we were away. I had to leave it behind when we ran away, for fear that Pierce would track it somehow. Now it didn't matter if I was driving it or not. We weren't leaving Kingsrose. When I started the truck, I connected my phone to the radio via Bluetooth, then turned on my KPOP playlist. As we drove around, Kai and I were dancing in our seats while Rowan sat in the back looking amused. What could I say, KPOP helped to lighten our moods. When Money by LISA started playing, Kai's face lit up and started singing along.
If I could, I would've snapped a picture and sent it to the guys. This was the happiest I'd seen Kai in a while. He wasn't thinking about his Berserker Wolf, or his past, or facing Pierce. He was living in the moment, having a good time. Watching him enjoying himself helped me to melt my earlier stress away. Eventually we turned the volume down low enough to talk. We drove around, showing Rowan the sights. The schools, the coffee shop, Mama Joan's where Kai worked prior to leaving. I told Rowan about how Javier and I used to live here before my mother uprooted us and we moved to New York, but our grandmother stayed behind. I mentioned how I moved back over two months ago to rekindle my relationship with Abuelita, which was when I first met Pierce and joined the pack.
"I understand you wanting to have a relationship with your grandmother, but I feel like you could've done that over the phone or something. Was that the only reason you moved back to Kingsrose?" Rowan asked me.
I briefly looked up at his reflection in the center mirror and shook my head. "No. Honestly, I wanted to find my own path in life. You already know Javier is the alpha of his pack, and while I love him, I didn't want to be in his shadow. I felt like I could do more with my life, and I went off on my own. So, I thought hey, since I already want to reconnect with my long-lost grandma, why not kill two birds with one stone and move down here."
"That was actually how we first met," Kai added, gesturing between me and him. "I sometimes stop by Grandma Sonya's house to visit and to help around when she needed it. She was practically a grandmother to me and Kao, so I always try to return the favor any chance I get. Anyway, I stopped by early that morning to cook breakfast since Grandma Sonya mentioned her Granddaughter was moving in, and I wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion. When Rosie came down, I was starstruck right away."
Rowan laughed softly. "Love at first sight, huh? Aww, that's cute."
I beamed at that, my smile splitting from ear to ear. "Trust me, the feeling was entirely mutual. I love my men equally, don't get me wrong, but for Kai, it was definitely love at first sight."
