I'm the Alpha's Crush

Chapter 49

Malcolm sat in the uncomfortable metal chair across from a calm, collected man in his forties, already knowing that he was going to invite him to join the Pack.

The Meeting Hall around him was quieter than it had been since their arrival - the bulk of the attendees were off in the woods somewhere, doing something undoubtedly asinine. The werewolves that filled the hall today were those specifically looking to transfer packs or join the Pack Exchange Program.

On the other side of the battered folding table, Dave continued, "...I'll have to get recertified for Pennsylvania, but I'm coming up on twenty years of experience now, so I don't think it'll be much of an issue."

"And would you be needing a workshop space?"

He shook his head, "As long as I have my work van, I'll be fine-"

Scrolling through a list on his laptop, Malcolm cut in, "It's just that we have a number of properties available that already have outbuildings that could suitably convert to an electrician's workshop, if that's something you'd need or want. We could also build something new or even add on an addition-"

Dave paused, surprise evident on his face, "You'd do that?"

Malcolm shrugged, "Alpha privilege - I can use or alter pack property as I see fit, and if it's what's necessary for your family to succeed, then I'll do exactly that."

"Oh. Then, yes, I'd appreciate it."

"Well, that more or less covers my questions - I just have one more."

"Shoot."

Leveling his stare at Dave, he asked, "Why are you really leaving your Pack?"

Freezing, Dave, swallowed, "I-"

"You've been a member in good standing for your entire life - all of your extended family is still there, and moving means leaving behind your business and uprooting your mate and three children. There's got to be a pretty strong incentive motivating you."

Dave looked down at his lap, silent as Malcolm watched him.

"There... there's been some bullying happening."

"Bullying?"

"My youngest. She-" he stopped himself, frowning, "He came out about six months ago." Dave raked a hand through his thinning hair, "I'm still adjusting - you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks - but I'm getting there..."

"What happened?"

His hand clenched on the tabletop, "I finished a job early one day, so I figured that I'd go home and start some dinner." Glancing away, his eyes grew distant, "I get there, and I hear this sobbing from upstairs. My mate's still at work, the older kids are at practices, so I know it's my youngest. When I go to find out what's wrong, he breaks down and tells me everything; the harassment, the name-calling, the shoving... It had been going on for months, and I didn't know a damn thing about it."

"Your family couldn't help?"

Dave scoffed, an ugly, disgusted sound, "Who do you think the ringleaders were? His cousins, my nephews were orchestrating the whole campaign."

"Shit."

"Yeah. So, that night, I went over to their house and informed those little bastards that if they didn't stop and apologize immediately that I'd be attaching jumper cables to their scrotums and running a couple thousand volts through their nutsacks."

Malcolm snorted, and Dave met his eyes, "I may not be the best father in the world, but I love my fucking kid, and I'm doing what I need to protect him."