Six months ago Xander became alpha of Blackwood Pack, the second largest pack in North America. Tired of watching his pack suffer under his father's abusive regime, Xander challenged and beat his father in an alpha contest to the death. Regrettabl...
Breakfast with Elsbeth was an interesting affair. Introducing a frightened she-wolf to a pack that was terrified of its alpha did not exactly go well. Every time a wolf scurried frantically out of their way, Xander could see Elsbeth becoming more and more agitated. When his father was alpha, the pack ate when they could find time if they were allowed. In an attempt to foster unity Xander had ordered the pack to eat breakfast and dinner together months ago. Unfortunately they still acted like it was a death sentence and silence prevailed over the dining hall. Typically there was some occasional quiet chatter as long as Xander was talking to those at his table, but today everyone was staring at the head table looking horrified. Zack, Lilliana and a couple of the other top warriors sat at the head table with Xander and Elsbeth. The additional scrutiny had put all of their wolves on edge making conversation difficult.
'Don't worry, I'm on it.' Brexton mind linked Xander half way through the silent meal.
'Do I even want to know what you are on top of?' Xander asked warily.
'I can get the pack to like you,' Brexton responded confidently with a mumbled today.
'Brex, I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to get them to like me for months. What could you possibly do that I have not tried already?' Xander queried his brother.
'That's because you have been going about it all wrong,' Brexton said smugly. 'It's not hard.'
'If it is so easy, why haven't you done it already?' Xander asked.
'I have. The pack likes me,' Brexton pointed out.
Xander pondered that for a moment. It was true that the pack liked his brother, they just didn't like him. 'Fine, what do I do?' Xander asked hating that he needed Brexton's help. He was also very suspicious as to why only now his brother was offering to help him.
'Not so fast,' Brexton said. 'My help comes at a cost. I want you to let Mason and I start our warrior training.'
'No, you are not quitting school,' Xander responded immediately.
'Well I guess Elsbeth will always think you are the big bad wolf,' Brexton said to bait his brother.
After a moment of contemplation, Xander replied, 'I am not letting you quit school. However, if and only if the pack does not look at me like I have grown an extra tail by the end of today, I will figure out a way for you to start training.'
'And Mason?' Brexton asked unwilling to let his best friend be left out.
'Fine, it will probably just be on weekends and in the evening, but if you are successful the two of you can start to train. Now what do I do about the pack?' Xander demanded.
'Leave it to me,' Brexton said confidently while termination the link.
Xander spent the rest of the meal unsuccessfully trying to figure out what his brother was going to do. Luckily he did not have long to wait. On his way out of the dining hall, a pig tailed pup in pink tried to tackle him. A collected gasp was heard from the pack as they uneasily waited to see what he was going to do.
Xander glanced down at the little pup. Her curly hair bounced from side to side as she asked the alpha, "Will you play with me?"
Xander did not think it was possible for the pack to be any quieter than they had been during the meal. He was wrong, earlier at least everyone was breathing.
"You want to play with me?" Xander incredulously asked as he recognized the pup as Mason's little sister Sophie.
"Yes, Brexton said no one ever asks you to play. That's not very nice. I will be your friend," the little moppet said with the cutest smile on her face.
"I would love to be your friend," Xander said kindly as he gently picked the munchkin up.
"We could color, or play Barbies, or my little ponies, or play tea, or wrestle," the little girl began to ramble.
Without looking Xander could tell that the pack was beginning to relax. A quick glance to the side confirmed that his little mate was intently watching the scene.
"How about this," Xander proposed. "I will play with you this afternoon, but right now, you need to get ready for school." Xander gave the pup a firm but gentle hug before setting her down.
"All of you need to get ready for school," Xander added as he glanced meaningfully around at the young in his pack. As if he had alpha ordered them out of the room, the pack began to clear out.
"You too," he said while looking intently at Elsbeth.
Ups! Gambar ini tidak mengikuti Pedoman Konten kami. Untuk melanjutkan publikasi, hapuslah gambar ini atau unggah gambar lain.
Xander did not know whether to laugh or growl in frustration. He could almost see the steam pouring out of his mate's ears. She was absolutely fuming. Thirty minutes ago Brexton had linked him to let him know Elsbeth was waiting in the bus pickup area with the rest of the pack's teens. He still didn't know how she knew that was where the teens waited for school or where she had found the backpack, or for that matter what was in it. Clearly, sitting in his office working on kindergarten books for tracing letters was not what she imagined when he said school. She had already tried to leave twice, and was currently stubbornly refusing to work. In fact, Elsbeth had already ignored his alpha orders to get to work and he had to threaten to punish her just to get her to stay in the room. He had no intention of following through on that threat, but she definitely did not need to know that. Elsbeth might have been raised submissive to a pack, but he would bet his last dollar that she did not possess a submissive wolf.
It's a good thing she was his mate Xander thought to himself, otherwise he would have already forced the rebellion out of her. "Elsbeth, you need to get to work," Xander ordered for the third time.
