Chapter 14 - Jet

Squeezing her hand, I led Senna down the stairs to the kitchen, where I knew most of the pack would be gathered to eat. I was running a little behind today for…reasons, and I was sure they'd be finished cooking soon and ready for me to start the meal.

"You all eat together?" Senna raised her brows at me as she asked, and as we reached the ground floor, I led her off to the right toward the delicious smell of bacon and pancakes.

"Of course. Did you not with Terrance?" The idea that there wasn't a pack meal struck me hard. I'd assumed all packs honored that tradition.

Senna shook her head. A beat of silence passed between us, and I could feel the subtle anguish of regret singe through our bond. It wasn't taking her over anymore, but I could tell that Senna still held on to so much pain from her old pack. A growl slipped free, my wolf snarling low inside me at the thought of what she'd endured, and I pulled her close.

"Hey, you're not going to find Terrance or his ideas here. We're a family, and I always put my family first."

She melted into my arms, her head resting on my chest, and I squeezed lightly. I could have stayed that way forever, but then Senna's stomach rumbled. With a laugh, I stepped back.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she chuckled.

"Let's get you fed, my sweet Omega." We continued the trip down the hall, and I took a second to glance down at her borrowed clothes. "And I'll admit that MacKenzie's things look nice on you. But they smell wrong."

Senna laughed. "I should imagine. She's"—she brought the lapel of the flannel up to her nose—"old paper and ocean. Not exactly what I'm known for."

I couldn't resist burying my nose in the crook of her neck, breathing deep.

"No, not at all. Oh, but look at that." I tangled my fingers in her hair, tugging lightly on the curly strands. "Your scent is getting stronger."

Sure enough, the rose and almond aroma I now knew only as Senna in my mind flared brighter. She hummed against me, and I could sense the arousal building within.

"That's entirely your fault. But please, I have to eat."

Another snicker, and I stepped back, allowing Senna to start down the hall so we could enjoy breakfast.

The kitchen was lively when we arrived, and every single pack member there stopped and turned in our direction, immediately sensing that something was up. Eyes flared, and a pancake fell from Kaiden's spatula onto the massive stack he'd been creating.

"Oh, good. You're here. I was about to come find you so we could eat already."

I shook my head with a grin. I could always trust MacKenzie to break the tension. Walking around to the head of the long, deep brown wood table, I sat down in my usual spot and had Senna sit at my right-hand side. Grayson helped Kaiden bring the tremendous piles of food to the table—bacon, eggs, pancakes, and even sausages this time.

As people gathered at the table, sitting down, others stood up at the back to take their plates to the smaller table behind them. I clocked Leon practically scowling at Senna. Possessiveness flared, and I had to bite back a growl.

"Something wrong, Leon?" my voice bit out across the easy conversations surrounding the table.

His attention switched to me abruptly, and he lowered his head, shaking it. "No, Alpha."

"Very well." I kept my stare leveled on him for several long moments, however.

Everyone settled in their positions, each of their plates piled with food. Kaiden took up the position on my left, with Grayson next to him. It looked like they'd decided to let him sit at the beta position since he'd cooked for everyone. Kaiden piled food onto my plate and then sat down.

All of the pack's eyes came to me, and I looked at each one of them, noting their presence here at our table. Senna's confused expression sent a pang through my heart, and I took her hand.

"You are a part of the clan now. I acknowledge each of you," I glanced around the room, "during our meals. I never want you to forget that I'm here, as alpha, to do what's right for this pack."

Kaiden chimed in, his relaxed tone further easing the tension. "We also have to wait for Jet here to take a bite so we can all eat."

The table laughed, and I couldn't stop myself from doing the same.

"Oh, okay," Senna nodded.

Tracking each of my brothers and sisters, my family, with a proud gaze once more, I released a full breath. As I picked up a piece of bacon, I poised it at my mouth for a second, almost going for the bite, but not quite.

"You big tease," Senna mumbled, and while the pack was a little taken aback by her words, I just chuckled before popping the thing in my mouth and chowing down.

That lingering tension evaporated, and everyone around me got straight to devouring the incredible food, taking it down like the true animals they were.

After we'd all finished, I pulled Senna closer to whisper in her ear. "You really were starving. Is this the best breakfast you've had?"

She smiles, jostling me with her elbow. "Obviously. And yes, so hungry. Dare I say that we both worked up quite the appetite?"

An appreciative growl eased out of me, and I nipped at her playfully. Still, it was time for the meeting and the beginning of the beta trials.

***

In the larger room at the other end of the house, I stood in front of my pack in the meeting chamber. Likely some type of parlor when the home was first built by the Edwards ancestors, it now acted as a place for me to meet with the entire pack because it was large enough to hold them all.

"Edwards Pack. My pack." Senna stood down a step from me as I presented from the low platform at the far end. "We must replace our beta. A sacred role among wolves as the second to the alpha, and a protector of the pack as surely as any alpha."

A wave of sorrow hit through the mate bond, and I looked down at Senna. Her eyes were pinned to the floor, and I could see the tension in her body as she pulled into herself, trying to make her body smaller. I knew she felt guilty for her previous pack's involvement, but she was not Terrance. This was not her doing.

"Before I announce the first trial that our prospective betas must uphold, I want one thing to be clear." I pointed down at Senna. "Senna Richards is an Edwards now. She did not have anything to do with Deacon's death, and you will not treat her differently than anyone else here. Is that understood?"

A chorus of agreement flooded the air, but I was sure to look toward Leon, demanding more of his attention through the alpha claim. He flinched back from it before offering his verbal agreement and submissive bow from his end of the connection.

"Good." Recognition flowed out of Senna as I turned back to the wolves, and my heart warmed. "Beta tryouts, eldest wolves of the pack who'd like to offer themselves up to be beta, step forward."

Unsurprisingly, Kaiden was the first to step forward, bowing his head and grinning up at me. Leon actually stepped forward, which was a bit of a surprise, but I knew the stubborn pup enjoyed power. Geo and Orion stepped forward, and I cocked a brow.

"You're both aware that we can have one beta, correct?" They were practically glued at the hip, and imagining them separately was damn near impossible.

"Yes," they answered together, and everyone gave a subtle laugh.

Grayson stepped forward, and I nodded at him, but then, of all people, MacKenzie stepped up.

Kaiden glanced over at her, his brows up to his hairline. "What are you doing?"

"I want to be beta, too. Why not?"

I wasn't inherently against it, but we needed her healing skills, and if Senna was, in fact, pregnant, I wanted her near my mate.

"MacKenzie," I smiled at her, "I'd be proud to have you as my beta. But the pack can't go without your healing abilities. No one here can do what you can."

She smirked, her bouncy red curls dancing around her face as she shrugged. "That's very true. Okay, fine. You boys have your fun. I'm probably needed around here a lot right now, anyway."

MacKenzie winked subtly at me, and my heart surged. What was that about? Does she know about…?

I steeled myself. I'd have to follow up with her later.

"All right, wolves. Your first trial for the position as primary beta among the Edwards pack will be to showcase your strength, skill, and determination." The room hung in anticipation. "A hunt!"

Howls rang through the room, cheers and hollers following after. It had been some time since they'd had a proper hunt like this, and I was glad to see them all in better spirits. Maybe I should hold these more often. For fun.

I took a deep breath, focusing my attention on the air flowing in from outside, past the trees into the woods. I had good timing, it seemed. A stag was crossing not far from the compound. The tryouts raised their noses, scenting the air as I stilled.

"A stag settles in the wood beyond the house. The first to down their prey wins. Use whatever cunning you possess, but do not interfere with the others beyond steering the stag in your direction. If I learn of foul play, you'll be immediately disqualified."

"Understood, Alpha!" they all called out.

I let the moment hang in silence, the tension dragging out until it was nearly unbearable for them. And then…

"Go!"

The potential betas tore from the room, out the back door, and into the forest to take down their quarry.

Gentle conversations picked up among the remaining wolves, and Senna looked up at me as I stepped down from the small platform to take her hands.

"Now what?" She raised her brows at me, looking around the room.

"Now, we wait. It's our incredibly boring job," MacKenzie interjected, and Senna laughed.

Looking at my dear friend, I eyed her closely, squinting with focus as I tried to read that playful smirk of hers.

"And what exactly do you think you'll be needed for, Kenzie?"

She shook her head, shrugging innocently. "Oh, I don't know. You know how these trials get. Kaiden will probably fall into a hole or something."

I didn't believe her for a second. Still, I wanted to chat with the others, and I knew I could trust her with Senna.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I kissed the top of Senna's head.

"Of course. Go on. Do your alpha thing." She smiled easily, and I left her in the good hands of our healer.

As I spoke with the others, checking in on their well-being after all the excitement, it truly warmed me inside and out to see Kenzie and Senna chatting so well together. She'd been so long without a friend, and I could sense her happiness through our bond.

After roughly an hour, the participants came back, all filing in exhausted and covered in dirt and leaves. The last to arrive was Kaiden, carrying the body of the stag over his shoulders.

"We have our winner."