Chapter 13

Remy flipped the visor down as the setting sun hit a spot in the sky that was blinding him with its intensity. He was exhausted to the core from driving around all day, but the good news was that he and Thyme had found a town that seemed perfect for the pride.

Copper Creek was a mere twenty minutes east of Allen and almost forty minutes northeast of Marin. The town was mostly abandoned save for a few families that had stuck it out long after the mill, which had been the main source of the town’s income, had gone out of business. Among the few residents was the mayor, who’d been elected to the office after her husband, the previous mayor, had passed away. The town had been founded by her husband’s family and she hadn’t wanted to leave it.

There were abandoned homes, plenty of woods and wildlife, and several businesses that could be restarted, including a diner, garage, and small market.

Remy yawned as he pulled to a stop in front of the town hall.

“It’s been a long day,” Thyme said, echoing his yawn.

“Yeah, but I think we’ve found the right place for the pride, so all the driving around was worth it.”

“Me too.”

They’d met with Mayor Denise Applebaum, who was in her fifties, and had served as mayor for the last two years. She’d been excited to take them on a tour of the town, including a large park and plenty of wooded areas around the neighborhoods, which would give their people lots of space to run and hunt.

They’d set up a meet and greet with the heads of the families for Saturday, the day after their joining ceremony when they’d make the announcement that a new territory had been found. When he’d asked her how many people she thought were on Leif’s side and wouldn’t be behind the move to a new town, she thought there might be a dozen. Which with a pride of sixty-five, that was nearly a fifth of their people.

“Could Jacob, as elder, stop the pride from moving?” She’d read through the history and law books while he’d driven, and while he had retained some information, it was a lot and he was certain he needed to read through them himself another time.

“Nope. As alphas, it’s our choice where the pride is located, that’s in the laws. If the alphas choose to move the pride for any reason, there’s an opportunity for members to step out of membership.”

“Do you think Jacob, Brilla, and Leif, plus their pals would leave the pride?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really care, honestly, because I’d be happy to move the pride and leave them all behind. Anyone who thinks living in Marin with the toxic ground and air is a loon, and anyone who thinks Leif would be a good alpha has lost all their marbles.”

“I maybe get them wanting Leif to be alpha because he’s their family, but I don’t really understand them wanting to stay in Marin.”

“I don’t either,” she said. “Staying in Marin is eventually going to cost us lives, because the males are getting more aggressive with each full moon when there’s nothing to hunt and the fighting gets more intense. Leaving is the best and only way to ensure our people thrive.”

“Copper Creek is perfect.”

“I agree.”

As they continued their journey toward Marin, Remy knew they’d made a great choice in Copper Creek. Not only was the mayor on board, but the townspeople they’d met were excited to see a shifter group take over the woods and abandoned homes and breathe new life into the town.

“We’re doing the right thing,” Thyme said after a long stretch of silence. “Moving to Copper Creek is the best decision for all of us, even if it means leaving behind some who are reluctant to change.”

Remy nodded in agreement. “Our priority as alphas is the safety and well-being of the pride, and sometimes the tough decisions have to be made for the greater good.”

Thyme let out a soft sigh. “Change is never easy, but it’s definitely necessary in this instance. We can ensure that everyone settles in Copper Creek smoothly, even if it takes time.”

“Do you have any thoughts about what we’ll do in Copper Creek?” he asked.

“Besides being alphas?”

“Yep.”

“Well, the only thing I’ve ever done for work is make coffee. Did you have something in mind?”

He pressed on the brake to slow down as he exited the highway. “As a matter of fact, I do. Did you see the garage?” The white brick building had two bays with glass doors, an office, and two old-fashioned looking gas pumps. They hadn’t gone inside, but the mayor had told them there were a few offices, a small lobby, and plenty of storage.

“I did,” she said. “Oh! You’re a mechanic. You can run the garage.”

“Yep. And you could help if you wanted? Jason and his mate work together. I’m not much for bookkeeping. How much do you like math?”

“Enough that I could do that kind of thing with some decent accounting software and maybe someone to help me if I get stuck.”

“It would be pretty cool to work together. You said there are some males in the pride who like to tinker with cars?”

“There sure are.”

The rest of their journey to Marin was filled with Thyme’s excited chatter as she told him about the pride members who had skills they could use in a garage, as well as those who might want to take over the diner and market.

Once they reached her house, Remy turned off the engine and smiled at her. “Sweetheart, we’ve got a future to build for the pride. What should we do first?”

She gave him a long, quiet look, and then she purred.

“First, we need to hit the sheets. Then tomorrow, we’ll outline a plan to move the pride and set up a list of families to meet with, and then we can talk to Liam, since he’s the only elder on our side. There’s a lot to do between now and our joining ceremony on Friday.”

“I’m up for the job.”

“Which job?” she asked, batting her eyes.

“Both,” he said.

“Race ya!” she shoved her door open and slammed it, the truck rocking a little on the tires. He laughed as he got out of the truck, taking his time to head into the house, where he could hear his mate’s giggles echoing through the rooms.

It didn’t matter who won the race, because they were both going to win tonight, he’d make sure of it.