Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

Rowan

M y office didn't look like much at the end of the day. Reports strewn across my desk, part orders and receipts stacked in their respective baskets. I needed to go digital and get rid of the endless paper trail, but with the pack's rising needs in prior months, I hadn't been able to scrape away minutes for myself let alone a records overhaul.

The room hummed with the air filter, the soft tick of the wall clock the only other sound echoing through the space. I rose from my desk, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension that had settled there like a stubborn squatter. My muscles protested, a reminder of the physical toll my human form endured while shouldering the responsibilities of an alpha.

"Finished," I murmured to the empty room, and even spoken to myself, the words felt like a lie. Nothing had truly felt finished since Nathan's betrayal, since the day he turned his back on us and tore this pack apart at the seams.

Once a guardian who stood by my side, once a brother-in-arms, he'd ripped away the trust that had bonded us. Even five years later, his name was like a snarl on my tongue, a growl trapped within the confines of my chest that yearned to be unleashed.

He had been one of us, part of the Black Lake Pack, until his ambition poisoned him. Until he became a traitor not just to me but to all we had sworn to protect. I hated that our current circumstances dredged all the memories to the surface.

I forced those thoughts aside for now. There would be time for retribution, time for letting the wolf inside roam free and seek justice. But not yet.

Not yet. It was always not yet. Duty called with an iron voice, and as alpha, I couldn't afford to ignore it. I had to rebuild. I had to protect.

I wasn't like Nathan, ruling with an iron fist in his pack from the horror stories I'd heard. I had control in some circumstances, but in most, my pack members were free to live their lives. We took care of each other, and I hoped they could look to me in their time of need.

Now, there was talk of an all-pack meeting to deal with these mysterious disappearances, and I didn't know what the right move was. It's not that I didn't want to stand with the other rightful alpha's, but could I stand with him? Was it right to ask my pack to do so?

Yet I was still alpha of the Black Lake Pack. If anyone could restore what had been shattered, it was me. The thought was almost laughable. I'd been trying like hell, and where had it gotten me?

The door opened behind me with a soft click, and I found myself facing the narrowed eyes of my second. Jasper walked in and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. Beside him stood Lana, my third, her posture rigid as the redwoods guarding our territory, while Finn, the pack's healer, fiddled restlessly with the hem of his shirt. Their expressions were a mix of resolve and unease, mirroring the storm brewing within me.

"Let's skip the bullshit," Jasper's voice was rough. "You want to discuss the Kitimat Pack?"

Right to it, then.

"You want to help?" Lana's tone was sharp as flint. "After everything that's happened, you seriously think they deserve our aid?"

I walked past them, my boots thudding against the floorboards, and stopped at the window overlooking the dusky forest. The weight of leadership pressed on my shoulders, heavier than the mountains framing the horizon. "It's not about what they deserve," I started, but Finn cut in, his nostrils flaring.

"Rowan, they've never lifted a finger for us when we needed it. Why should we extend our protection now?"

I trusted Finn. His skepticism clawed at my resolve. They all had good reason for their doubts—trust was a luxury we could ill afford these days. But as alpha, it fell on me to see beyond our personal grievances.

"Jasper," I turned to face him squarely, holding his gaze. "Lana, Finn—we are not them." My words sliced through the room. "We are the Black Lake Pack. Our strength lies in unity, in the respect we hold for each other and for those outside our borders, no matter our history." It was the right thing to say. I knew it by the way their expressions shifted. I only wished I felt it in my heart.

Their faces softened as they wrestled with their loyalty and their frustration. It was a dance we knew all too well—one step forward, two steps back, always circling the fires of our shared purpose and individual fears.

"Helping the Kitimat Pack isn't only about them," I continued. "It's about us, who we are as a pack, as guardians of these lands."

Jasper's hands clenched into fists. When he spoke, his voice was a low rumble."Rowan, "Nathan Black?—"

"Is not the whole of the Kitimat Pack," I cut in sharply, silencing the echoes of betrayal that his name conjured within the walls of our conclave. "They were once our brothers and sisters."

"Who sided with him," Lana muttered. Her intuition was as sharp as her fangs during a hunt, and her sense of justice sharper.

Finn, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "And if this is a trap? If helping them only leads to more danger?"

I clenched my jaw. "I don't think even he would make something like this up. You know the reports. It's not just Kitimat that's missing shifters."

Their eyes met mine, and in those piercing depths, I saw the reflection of my own determination. Gradually, the tension eased out of their broad shoulders. It was the subtle shift of pack mentality aligning behind their alpha—a silent affirmation of trust in my leadership.

I hoped it wasn't misplaced.

"So what, we agree to this pack meeting?" Jasper grimaced.

I nodded. "If it's called, we'll be there."

"I think they may come to us." Lana leaned against the back wall.

It made sense. The weather was already beginning to shift up north, and we still had a few months of passable roads ahead of us.

I ran a hand over my face. "I'll keep you informed."

Jasper clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You want to come out with us tonight? It's been a long week."

I thought about it. Just like I'd thought about it the last three times he'd asked. "I've got some loose ends I need to wrap up."

He paused, then nodded once. "Eat something. You look like shit."

I went to the bar.

I knew I'd probably regret it. Not probably. Definitely. But the idea of stepping into my empty house alone with my warring thoughts made me antsy.

The dimly lit room buzzed with energy as I passed through the doorway, the familiar scents of whiskey and pine enveloping me. It wasn't hard to spot my pack in the back corner. It was always a variation of the same group, with Jasper and Lana as the steadies. Tonight, there were a few humans mixed in, which I loved to see. We'd been here in Black Lake long enough that the locals didn't blink at us anymore, but the rig pigs and wanderers moving in each summer were always a bit intimidated.

I chuckled to myself as I wove through the crowd. It wasn't surprising that we repelled mundanes. Lana in all black, her ink swirling out the side of her tank top on shoulders bigger than most of the men sitting at the bar. Jasper, with his grizzled beard and cap pulled low over his eyes.

It was good. If someone from town had the balls to approach, they'd be able to handle everything else beneath the rough exteriors.

The group erupted in boisterous cheers when they caught sight of me. Jasper was at least three drinks deep. The Sully twins next to him were four by the look of their glassy eyes. It wouldn't last long with our metabolisms. "Rowan! Hell, man, about time you showed up!" Liam, my ever-loyal beta, clapped me on the back, his grin wide and infectious.

Before I could respond, I was swept up in a whirlwind of bear hugs and hearty handshakes, the pack's enthusiasm washing over me in waves. They dragged me toward the bar, pressing a cold beer into my hand and launching into animated chatter about their latest exploits. I loved hearing their stories, grateful not to talk about myself.

As the night wore on, the conversation inevitably turned to one of the topics I dreaded. There seemed to be too many to count these days.

"So, Rowan," Elijah, one of the younger wolves, leaned in conspiratorially, "when are you going to finally settle down with a mate?"

The others chimed in, their good-natured ribbing tinged with genuine concern. "Yeah, man. You can't be a lone wolf forever," Lucas chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief.

I forced a smile. "You know how it is, guys. When fate decides it's time, I'll know."

The truth was, I'd always believed that my mate would be chosen by destiny, a deep, unbreakable bond forged by the moon goddess herself. That was how it had happened for my father and his brother. I wasn't naive enough to think I was entitled to a fated mate, but the goddess had chosen me as alpha. I'd shown up at the mating dances. I'd been open to it. But as the years passed and my packmates found their other halves, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of disappointment and loneliness.

Mia, Liam's younger sister and ever the meddler, grinned wickedly. "Well, if fate won't cooperate, maybe we should take matters into our own hands. Let's find Rowan a lady to take home tonight, eh?"

The pack erupted in laughter and cheers, but as they scanned the bar for potential candidates, I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. This wasn't what I wanted, a meaningless fling with a human. I'd had plenty of those, and it only left me feeling more empty. I needed a partner. Someone who understood my responsibility and shouldered it with me. It was a big ask. Maybe too big.

"There." Mia pointed at a woman with long dark hair hanging down her back. She turned and smiled at her friend next to her. She had a pretty face, nice smile. I felt nothing, and Mia groaned as I shook my head.

As the laughter and banter continued, Jasper leaned in close. "You can't avoid this forever. And you don't have forever to find your mate. As alpha, it's your responsibility to ensure the future of the pack."

I took a swig from my beer. "Yeah. I'm aware." I didn't know why I wasted money drinking. Our metabolisms worked through the alcohol so fast, I barely felt a buzz. It couldn't come close to the rush I felt at letting my wolf out.

"You're aware mating can be fun, right? Pretty sure Nathan's well aware of?—"

I punched his shoulder. "Shut the hell up." Speaking of my wolf. He growled and curled up with a huff. Letting me know he was a fan of the whole mating idea, and I was the problem here.

Jasper chuckled. "I'm just saying, you're not getting any younger, and the pack needs strong, new blood. You've got until the next Blood Moon to find your mate, or the Elders will start getting restless."

They were already restless. Keira and the rest of the peanut gallery had made their opinions on my lack of a mate clear enough. The Blood Moon, the most sacred night for our kind, was only a few months away. It was a time when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest, and the moon goddess was said to bless the unions of fated mates. If I didn't find my mate by then, the Elders would have the right to arrange a match for me, a thought that made my stomach churn.

I knew the rules, the traditions that had governed our pack for generations. An alpha without a mate was seen as weak, unable to lead and protect the pack to the fullest. And an alpha without an heir? That was unthinkable.

But I wasn't ready. The idea of being responsible for a mating bond? I was already responsible for an entire pack, and I couldn't even repair that properly. How could I take that on? A mate? Pups? No. The universe knew what it was doing. I needed to make our pack whole before I could even think about taking on something else.

As the night wore on, my packmates continued to tease and cajole me, their laughter ringing through the bar. I laughed along with them, joining in the jokes and antics, but my heart wasn't truly in it.

As the hours slipped by, one by one, my packmates began to peel off, some with their mates, others with newfound companions for the night. Eventually, I found myself alone at the bar, nursing the last of my drink.

With a heavy sigh, I settled my tab and headed out into the night. The cool, crisp air was a welcome relief from the stuffy bar.

And lucky me.

My empty apartment was waiting.

I stepped through the door and emptied my pockets on the end table, and that's when I saw it—a message notification from Tori Campos in Chilliwack.

Lower province pack meeting. Thursday night. Help me make some calls?