Chapter 12 - Nile

The girls came home before lunch, laden with shopping bags and looking enthusiastic about their day together.

"Look at my dresses, Daddy!" Penny said gleefully, pulling them out of the bag.

"Wow, those are beautiful," I told her. "You're going to look just like a princess. Did you tell Violet thank you for taking you shopping?"

"Thanks, Violet!" she chirped.

"Why don't you go put those up in your room," I suggested.

Something seemed off with Violet, and I wanted to figure out what was going on inside my mate's head. As soon as Penny left the room, I held Violet's hand tenderly.

"Is everything alright? Was she a handful on your outing?" I asked.

"No, not at all," Violet assured me, withdrawing her hand from my grasp. "She was perfect, like always."

I wasn't entirely convinced but decided to let it go for now. When Penny came back downstairs, I decided to see if I could cheer Violet up by taking them out for lunch.

"Who's up for a trip to the diner?" I asked.

"Yes, please!" Penny said.

Violet agreed, and soon we were sitting at my favorite booth at the quirkiest restaurant in Pinedale.

"What is this place?" Violet asked, looking around at the eclectic furnishings at the diner.

I chuckled at her bemused expression, remembering that I had a similar reaction when I had first stumbled into the restaurant with my rogues over six years ago.

"A little of this and a little of that," I explained. "But they have the best food in town. I promise."

"There's a tricycle on the ceiling," Violet remarked wryly.

"Did you see the signs in the corner?" Penny asked excitedly, pointing toward a collection of neon signs.

"Those are pretty cool," Violet agreed. "Which one is your favorite?"

"I like the ‘car wash' sign with the flamingo," she said.

The next few moments passed quickly as we took turns discussing the most interesting components of the diner's decorations. This turned into a rousing game of "I Spy," and by the time our food had arrived, Violet was happy and smiling. I hoped that whatever had caused her mood to be off earlier today had been erased from her memory.

We finished up our meal and were heading out when we ran into a few members of the pack coming in for a late lunch.

"Alpha, good to see you," one of the wolves said as he came over to our table. "And how's our favorite wolf princess doing today?"

Penny smiled shyly and replied that she was good. I noticed that they didn't speak to Violet, or even acknowledge that she was sitting with Penny and me.

"Would you mind if we sat with you, Alpha?" a female wolf asked. "It's pretty busy right now, and we only have a little while before we need to head back to work."

"Actually, we're just finishing up, so you can have our table. The girls had a busy morning, so we should probably head home and let Penny have some rest," I said.

I stood and offered my chair to one of the wolves. Violet and Penny followed suit.

"Diana mentioned that she saw Penny this morning," the woman said. She gave Violet a look that said there was more to the story, and I saw my mate stiffen at the mention of my mother-in-law.

"Violet, can you take Penny out to the car?" I asked. "I'll be there in a minute. I just need to pay and then we can head home."

The girls headed outside, and I felt a pinch of guilt at my half-truth. I did still need to pay our tab, but first, I wanted to find out what the wolf's barb about Diana had been referring to.

"Everything alright, boss?" the woman asked, noting that I hadn't moved away from the table yet.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "Maybe you can tell me. You said that Diana saw Penny this morning, but I got the feeling that there was more that you weren't saying."

They looked at each other uncomfortably, and I could see that they were deciding how much they wanted to divulge to me.

"Look, you aren't in trouble," I assured them. "But I need to know what's happening in my pack. So why don't you save us some time and just tell me—what is the issue?"

One of the men gave a defeated sigh, making up his mind to speak.

"Some members of the pack have had some misgivings about your new luna," he began. "Maybe it's none of our business, but we've heard some things that gave us concern."

"What kind of things?" I asked.

"Well, you know how we've been trying to get the money together to build a better training area out in the forest? We heard that she drained the savings account for that so that she could buy a whole new wardrobe," he said.

"And that she has been taking your credit cards and racking up debt at some of the shops in town," another wolf added.

"Honestly, it just seems like she's spending all the pack's money along with yours," the woman said. "It's making everyone nervous."

"I see," I replied, the wheels in my head turning as I put together everything they were saying. "And I assume that because you mentioned earlier that Diana is the source of all these claims. Am I right?"

They nodded.

"Right. These issues will be addressed right away," I told them. "I'll see you at the pack meeting tonight in the community center."

***

I didn't tell Violet about the meeting, choosing instead to leave her at home with Penny while I went to confront the members of the pack who were spreading misinformation about their luna.

My urgent message had been received by what appeared to be the entire pack. A few members were missing, especially those with young children, as it was late in the evening.

"Please have a seat, this won't take long," I instructed.

The community center was where I held all formal pack meetings and was set up as a town hall with chairs arranged in rows facing a short stage. Other packs who lived outside of human villages could have pack houses or compounds, but since we lived inside a city, we needed to be more discreet. The community center was still only for our use, though.

The wolves sat down, and I heard murmurs roll through the crowd as they wondered what their alpha had deemed important enough to call a last-minute meeting to address.

"Some serious accusations have been made toward your luna," I informed them, anger and disappointment clear in my tone. "It has come to my attention that rumors are spreading wild, so I am here to warn you all that there will be consequences if this continues."

Some wolves looked confused, clearly out of the loop about what had been transpiring between Diana and her cronies. Others looked wary.

"An insult to the luna is an insult toward the alpha, and it will not be tolerated. This pack did not survive by fighting amongst ourselves. If there is a problem, you are always able to come and speak with me. But the rumors are done," I continued. "As of this moment, anyone caught insulting my wife will be kicked out of the pack immediately. Am I understood?"

A chorus of affirmation spread through the wolves, and I noticed that the trio from the diner looked terrified.

"Insults that have been made prior to this moment will be forgiven, with the understanding that they will not be repeated," I said.

Relief washed over the faces of the wolves who had been involved so far, but I noticed that Diana was seething with rage. Clearly, I would need to take a more personal approach with her.

"You are all dismissed," I said, concluding the meeting.

The pack began to shuffle out, some of them casting worried glances back at me. I had meant every word I said, but I hoped that I wouldn't have to utilize my threat.

"Diana, a word," I said, pulling her to the corner furthest from the exit. I needed to speak with her immediately, but there was no need to embarrass her in front of her friends.

"You surprise me, Nile," Diana said. "Do you think it's wise to put your new mate ahead of your own pack?"

"On the contrary, Diana. The pack can only be strong if we value truth, honesty, and integrity," I responded pointedly. "It seems that you have forgotten that."

Diana scoffed. "How dare you question my morals. At least I haven't forgotten our true luna."

"Your daughter is gone," I said simply. It was harsh, but she clearly wasn't going to respond to anything else. "Jana has been dead for five years, and your insistence on clinging to the past is going to destroy my pack if you don't watch your step."

"Our pack," she argued.

"No, Diana. You haven't been the luna for a long time, and neither has Jana. It is my pack, and it would benefit you to remember that," I said.

I had expected her to be hurt by my forthrightness, but her eyes flashed with anger. "There will be consequences for you forgetting Jana so easily," she warned.

"Jana will never be forgotten," I said. "But my new wife is your luna, whether you like it or not. She and my daughter are my priority. If you don't stop interfering with the pack, you won't be a member of it for much longer. Consider this your last warning."