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Chapter54
Ridge
Trying to keep a smile on my face, pleasantly shake hands, and say hello was exhausting and highly annoying. Still, I reminded myself that this was what I’d signed up for. All the while, I scoured the fundraiser, trying to find the alpha of a foreign pack who hadn’t introduced himself properly.
It also didn’t help that my mate wasn’t anywhere near me, which had my wolf on edge since there were so many strange wolves around. My wolf’s first priority was ensuring no males sniffed around Tori. It ate at the both of us that she was wandering around here, unclaimed.
Clawson was with one of his deputies on the outskirts of the town square, scanning the crowd. The sheriff never eased up. He was always on constant alert, and I didn’t appreciate it more than I did now. He was the best second-in-command an alpha could hope for.
“Deputy.” I nodded to the young man, who lifted his chin back. “Sheriff, you have a moment?”
“Yeah.” Clawson turned to the deputy and gave him orders. “Why don’t you walk around and keep your eyes open? If you need me, you can get me on the radio if it’s urgent.”
“Will do, Sheriff.”
We started talking once we were somewhat alone and no one could eavesdrop on our conversation.
“Did you get them where they needed to go okay?” I asked him, referring to Kyle and Audrey.
In public, we never mentioned names or places as a way to shield the information as much as possible. Shifters had impeccable hearing. If someone wanted to listen in, they could do it if they were creative enough.
“Safe and secure,” Clawson answered. “Now that I have that task handled, I’m keeping an eye on my deputies and any potential problems that could happen at this unexpectedly overcrowded event.”
Clawson stood in his full sheriff gear, his eyes covered by his mirrored aviator sunglasses. His arms were crossed over his chest, giving him a threatening stance. But here was a wolf everybody in this community could count on.
“Yeah, I noticed that, too,” I said. “We have a lot of unfamiliar shifters here, and I have yet to receive any announcements from any alphas. Have you heard anything?”
Shaking his head, Clawson glanced at me before resuming his scan of the crowd. “It might be good news. So far, the ones I’ve talked to are all from the Montana Pack. I haven’t encountered the alpha, but I’m sure something must have happened for them to arrive the way they did.”
That was good news and shocked the hell out of me. I’d been urging the very large and considerably powerful Montana Pack to relocate to Blackwood Creek for a long time, particularly after a high number of shifters had gone missing in that pack’s former territory. They’d had to be relocated a few times over the past couple of years, but they always went to lands that didn’t have shifter communities, making it harder for them to reestablish a livelihood.
It wasn’t entirely selfless that I’d offered Blackwood Creek as a potential home for them. We needed the reinforcements and strength of a large pack. It was hard to merge multiple packs into one territory, and pretty much unheard of, but I’d do anything for my pack. If that meant allowing multiple alphas to converge in our space, then so be it. What was the point if we were only to become extinct due to the hunters?
The Montana Pack alpha Isaac Frost was a stubborn shifter who had consistently rejected and denied my offer, saying that he wouldn’t bring his pack to a town established by the Blackwood family unless it was clear the hunters were stepping up their game.If there were that many from his area here, I could only assume that this was his pack and something serious had happened, which I was genuinely sorry for.
This wasn’t how I’d wanted them to join us. I’d hoped to avoid any more tragedies, but sometimes tragedy was the only motivator.
I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, though. If the Montana Pack joined us, then others would possibly follow. I had been under no illusions when I’d reached out to the other packs, figuring it’d be a challenging endeavor because of my family history. Still, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try, and I was glad I had because we were finally getting a bigger show of strength.
Our pack would also get stronger since I had Tori at my back, and her brother had hers. With their training as hunters, we could use their knowledge to create an even more robust force with better defense measures. It was always best to know your enemy, and what better way than the son and daughter of one of the leaders?
However, I refused to put Tori in danger by any means. I’d worry less if I could keep her hidden away, even though that would never happen. But I could keep her secrets for as long as possible. The way she fought and protected the citizens and shifters of Blackwood Creek showed where her loyalties lay.
“It’s a relief that they’re here for a safe haven and not likely to cause trouble,” I said. “Since there wasn’t a formal introduction, I was worried they’d come into town for nefarious reasons. I was mentally preparing myself to battle for our territory.”
Clawson grunted but never took his eyes off the crowd. “With the hunter climate now and all the shifters feeling the pressure, it would be pretty damn stupid to start a battle amongst ourselves.”
Patting Clawson on the shoulder, I said, “Who said being power-hungry wasn’t stupid?”
Clawson grunted again.
“I’m going to mingle and search for Alpha Frost. Hopefully, we can arrange a sit-down. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
Leaving Clawson standing at his post, I lost myself in the crowd, keeping my eyes open for Frost and for my mate. I assumed she was at the pie booth because the Bogfords manned it every year. I wanted to head in that direction, but I resisted the urge. I’d look for the other alpha first, and if I didn’t find him, I’d find Tori and convince her to go on a run with me.
I wanted to claim her desperately. So much so that my mind and wolf were too distracted, and I wasn’t alert enough to what was happening in my town. I needed to clear things up with Tori, and the only way to do that was to explain everything to her.
Someone jostled me from behind. I turned and was instantly snagged into a conversation.
