The White Wolf #Wattys2020

Chapter 2

Daniel

I held back a sigh when Laura told me she would be remaining hidden from our new allies. Although I could understand that she feared the danger that would come to the pack if some Weres, especially rogues, found out what she was, I couldn't help but feel wary. I knew she wasn't only hiding to keep my people safe, she was doing it because she was scared to disappoint.

Since she was ten, she refused to join the pack's monthly runs, and instead chose to lock her wolf in a bathroom or in Mira's nursery, away from the others. When I began to hear how agonising the isolation was for her wolf, I had Alec persuade her to join him on private runs, where only he would accompany her. It took a while to get her to agree, but when she finally did, the whole pack could hear her wolf's euphoric howls, rejoicing to be able to run freely again. However, she continued to refuse to join the pack runs, instead slipping off on her own or with Alec.

The terrors of the night when I found her still haunted her mind, which was also why she was so reserved. A large pack of rogues murdered her original pack, leaving no survivors. How such lowlifes were able to kill one of the strongest Werewolf packs known to our kind still baffles me, but the corpses we collected that day were not a figment of our imagination. The Northern Mountain pack was announced extinct that night.

Although the other pack members were at first hurt by Laura's refusal, they soon came to terms with it. They all admired her deeply and she quickly became one of the most important members in the pack. Having her around truly was a gift from the Moon Goddess. My men were growing stronger, the wounded healed faster and pups were born healthier.

As I leaned back in my chair and blocked out my Beta's recount of all the things my pack had prepared for the arrival of our allies, I watched my daughter. I wondered if she would ever find a mate, since she was so reluctant to travel to other packs to meet other wolves. I knew she wasn't shy of the opposite gender, she simply found their "overly sexual approaches" and "cock-driven intensions" , as she had so sweetly phased it, unflattering. I wondered if there was even a male werewolf out there worthy of being Laura's mate. No doubt he would be a strong wolf, but maybe he would have a tender side, like her. I just knew that the Moon Goddess would pick Laura a mate who would fit to her like coke to bourbon.

She truly had grown into a beauty over the last eight years. Her brown hair reached the bottom of her ribs, her body skinny but muscular, with curves that made the male warriors swarm after her. Of course, she ignored them all and instead focused on training Mira. Since my youngest daughter couldn't shift yet, Laura had taken it upon herself to teach her how to protect herself in other ways. I smirked as I remembered Mira running around the pack house whacking people on the heels with a wooden rod after Laura showed her how to use her shortness to her advantage and aim for very vulnerable places. The amount of wolves visiting the infirmary was astounding that week.

"Alpha. Alpha Daniel!"

I snapped out of my daydream and focused my eyes on Harvey. My Gamma smirked at me, realising I had zoned out of our meeting. I rolled my eyes at him and sent him a look saying, "Can you blame me?"

"The patrol team just announced the Black River Pack crossed our border. They'll be here in a few minutes."

I smiled widely and rose from my chair. I sent out a mind-message to my pack to gather in front of the pack house so we could give them a proper greeting.

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I stood on the top step of the porch of the pack house as I waited for Alpha Kai to arrive with his party. Alec was fidgeting nervously next to me, so I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Without mind-linking I knew he was nervous since he would soon be making negotiations with Kai when he took on the role of Alpha when I retired. Taking over wasn't an easy task and I could only hope the pressure wouldn't be too much on my son.

I glanced around and noticed Mira and Laura hadn't showed up yet. Shortly after I had dismissed the meeting with my inner circle, Mira had come charging into the room, hysterically crying that she couldn't find anything pretty to wear. Laura had calmed her down and taken her to her room to find something appropriate and they hadn't come down since.

The sound of paws crushing dead leaves made my head snap up and I looked up just in time to see the pack of newcomers descending from the trees. In front was a beast of a wolf, with a thick tortoise-shell pelt. Flanking him on his sides were two slightly smaller grey wolves, looking almost identical. I guessed they were twins. Standing behind the Betas was a lanky reddish-brown wolf, who I figured was their Gamma.

Overall, their party wasn't very large, consisting of only seven wolves. However, despite their travelling size, the group radiated strength, and I was glad to consider them as our allies. They came to a halt a few meters away from the pack house.

I flicked my hand upwards and a group of my wolves shot forward, handing fresh clothes to the newcomers. They shifted quickly and dressed, before approaching the house.

"Daniel! Been too long since we last saw each other," Kai smirked, his teeth showing a little.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Although we were also good friends, the arrogance that rolled off of Kai was nearly suffocating. I could only pray none of the unmated females in my pack miraculously ended up pregnant by the end of their visit. "Indeed it has. I hope the journey wasn't too tiring. There'll be a feast tonight to celebrate your visit," I replied, sending the other Alpha my own smirk.

I watched as Kai scanned the crowd and his eyes seemed to linger on the group of females who were batting their eyelashes in a seductive way. "Oh, and a grand feast it will be."