10. Ten

I read and reread the text message repeatedly, scrutinizing it for any sign of deception. My office chair squeaked as I turned left and right.

The location was a public park, and it’d be right around lunchtime when we arrived. It would be plenty busy enough that I didn’t think anyone would do something stupid.

Just the thought of leaving home had me on edge. My heart was beating a million times a minute already. What if something happened when I was gone? What if because I wasn’t here to defend my place, someone tried to take it from me?

I hated that. If Dad were here, he’d know exactly what to do and say. I’d been alpha for a few days, and I already felt like I was failing and letting him down.

It made my chest hurt. I hugged myself and closed my eyes, wishing Dad were here to guide me.

A knock on the door drew me from my thoughts.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and sat up straighter.

This office belonged to our head enforcer, Chance. He was a good guy, close to my age, and he was all too happy to help me out and let me borrow it from him for the time being. It made me appreciate him even more than I had before.

I adjusted the papers on the desk, tapping the edges on the wood grains before setting them down in front of me. “Come in.”

The door swung open, and Lincoln popped his head in first before opening it fully. My mom, my brothers, Ian, and Jacob filed in.

This office wasn’t like my dad’s. His had nice couches with plenty of space for people to sit during discussions. This one had one rugged, beat-up couch that creaked when you sat on it. The material looked worn, and I’d be surprised if springs didn’t poke you in the butt when you sat. Dad had offered to furnish the office a hundred times, but Chance liked it the way it was. Something about character.

My mom stood at the back of the couch, but all the guys except for Lincoln took a seat, shifting so they weren’t touching each other. Lincoln stood next to me, his arms clasped behind his back. I tried to ignore the awkward energy between us, but it was easier said than done.

He was still against my plan.

I scrubbed a spot on the desk where someone had left a cup for too long, allowing a ring to form. “I reached out to Charles Denning this morning.”

I glanced up, looking for any kind of reaction. My mom lifted a brow and nodded, which I took as my cue to continue.

I drew a breath in and let it out. “We will plan to meet with him tomorrow around lunchtime at a park. My goal in meeting him is to convince him to join us. I know that things are rough without the proper housing, which we are working on, but I’m afraid it’s not fast enough. The weather is cooling quickly. The more wolves we have here, the faster we can rebuild, and the better off we will be when Alpha Dane comes back.”

My mom put her hand on her chest as she worried her bottom lip with her front teeth. “Sloane, I don’t think you leaving right now is a good idea.”

I moved my thumb around the water spot, tracing the circle slowly. “I know. That’s why I want you and Mark to stay behind in my stead.”

Mom fiddled with the necklace around her neck, one my dad had given to her. One of the only things she had left of him.

“But I don’t think you should leave,” she said. “Your place is here. Another alpha could challenge you at any moment. And it’s not safe out there. If Alpha Dean catches wind, he will plan his attack. You’ll be out there with barely any guards and unprotected.”

I tapped my fingers on the desk as I considered her words. She wasn’t wrong, but for something like this, Alpha Charles would not take me seriously if I wasn’t the one to go.

“I know it’s risky. But everything about this is going to be dangerous from here on out. Alpha Dane is out for blood.” I met everyone’s gazes of those brave enough to look at me.

Only my mom, Mark, and Lincoln.

The chair squeaked as I stood. “Alpha Dane isn’t stopping recruiting wolves to his cause. The Dennings are close. They are small. Dad had a short list of people who were localish to reach out to and who he thought we could trust. Alpha Charles was on it, from what I recall. We have to at least try to help them. Sawyer visited earlier. Alpha Dane has his sights set on them next.”

Mom said something under her breath that sounded like a prayer.

Mark wiped his hands on his pants. “How will you protect yourself? You will need to think of a plan for here and out there.”

I flexed my hand and tapped it lightly against the desk. “That’s why you and Mom will stay back. You’ll be my eyes and ears here. I expect only to be gone half the day at most.”

Mark puffed his cheeks and blew out a breath. “What will you tell the pack? You’ll have to say something about where you’re going and why.”

I leaned against the desk so I was halfway sitting on it. “I’ll tell them the truth. That we found another alpha nearby, and we’re meeting with him to discuss the options.”

Lincoln exhaled and put his hand on the edge of the desk, close enough that our fingers almost touched. “I just worry what happens if you can’t convince Alpha Charles.”

Mom pressed her lips together into a thin line and gave Lincoln a look of understanding. “I agree with Lincoln. If you fail to convince him, it’s going to make things that much worse. The last thing you need to do is give any of these alphas here ammunition to use against you.”

I gritted my teeth and balled my fists at my sides. “Then I guess I won’t fail.”

I wished it were that simple. I had to convince someone my dad’s age that I was competent to run not only my pack but his too. It was a tall order. One I was prepared to fulfill.

My mom mumbled something again and fiddled with her necklace. My heart thumped painfully, and tears pricked my eyes. She didn’t believe in me.

What was I doing wrong? If Dad were here, I was almost certain this would be the course he would take. So why wasn’t it good enough when I suggested it?

The couch groaned as Ian shifted and leaned back into the cushions. “I can go with you. My father knew Charles Denning pretty well. They were friends. I’m sure he’s heard what happened to my family and pack by now. Maybe just seeing me will be enough to help convince him.”

My mom let out an exasperated breath and smacked one hand against her side. “You’ll still be out there unprotected, Sloane. Ian, you and Jacob are all Willa has left. We can’t afford any more losses right now.”

I stomped my foot on the floor. “Who said we will have losses? We don’t know what’s going to happen, Mom. This is war. Part of war is taking chances and doing the best that you can to protect those you love.”

I stood up straighter and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m tired of being afraid of Alpha Dane. He feeds off it. We are taking this to him. We are going to grow our numbers just like he is, but we’re not going to do it out of fear. We are going to do it out of the belief that we’re making things better for everyone.”

My mom sighed, and her head wavered back and forth like she was considering what to say. “I think you misunderstand, my love. It’s not that I doubt you. The problem is, things are so unknown right now. Everything is up in the air.”

I held her gaze. “And that’s not going to change anytime soon. The only thing we can do now is keep moving forward.”

She tucked her necklace back underneath her shirt, and her shoulders slumped. “When will you leave?”

She sounded defeated.

I did quick math in my head about how long it would take us to get there. “Right after breakfast.”

Mom bowed her head. “Very well.”

My attention drifted to the couch. “Brandon and Ian, I would like you guys to come with me and Lincoln. I was thinking of asking Chance and a few of our other enforcers as well. We would take two cars.”

Ian put his hand on the couch, splaying his fingers across the worn fabric. “I can give you a few suggestions of enforcers. I’ve spoken to a few of them, and they seem like good men. I don’t think it would hurt your cause to start including others and trusting them as well.”

I tapped my fingers against my thigh. He wasn’t wrong. But trust was really hard to give when I felt like every single one of these men was gunning for my position for either themselves or their alpha.

I gave Ian a small smile. “Great. Give me their names, and I’ll reach out to a few of them.”

If I wanted them to trust me, I guessed I’d have to trust them first. It sucked, but it was the way it had to be.

Mark put his hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go instead?”

Brandon’s face fell, and a dark red shade tinged the tips of his ears. Everyone underestimated him, myself included. It wasn’t something I was going to do anymore.

I put my palms on the desk. “Brandon has been training with Chance and the other enforcers for almost as long as you have. He knows what he’s doing. But you have the other alphas’ ears, Mark. I want you to stay here and watch my back for me.”

Mark ran a hand through his hair. “I’m still not sure you leaving is a good idea.”

Great, we were back to second-guessing me again.

I pounded my fist on the desk hard enough that it made it rattle. “What do you think the alpha is going to say if I don’t show up and send someone else? If I’m offering him a space in our pack, the offer needs to come from me. My decision is final. If Father were here, this is the exact course of action he would’ve taken. I’m sure of it. You didn’t question Father. None of you. Stop doing it to me.”

My voice came out harsh.

Mom flinched, and Mark ducked his head down.

Good. Not that I didn’t want advice. I did. I’d take all the advice I could get. It was the doubt I didn’t appreciate. It had to stop now.

I glared at everyone in the room. “Does anyone else have any questions?”

When no one said anything, I motioned to the door. “All right, we all have things that we have to do today as well. The lumber should be arriving any minute, and I want to start working on building as quickly as possible.”

They stared at me a moment longer, but Brandon—Luna love him—was the first one to get up. The couch groaned as he moved, and he had to hold on to Mark’s knee to pull himself out of the sunken cushions.

He strolled to the door, giving me a small smile. “I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning if I don’t see you before then.”

My chest lightened. I had a newfound respect for my brother. People had always second-guessed him. He didn’t fit into the typical wolf mold like everyone else. Brandon was a jokester and into gaming and computer stuff big time. He was an asset, someone I would use to my advantage.

The other three guys filed out of the room and closed the door behind them.

I gazed at my mom then at Lincoln. He’d been unusually silent for the most part during the meeting.

I sat back on the desk and crossed one leg over the other. “You don’t approve.”

It wasn’t a question.

Mom and Lincoln went to both speak at the same time. Lincoln held his hand out, indicating for my mom to go first.

Mom closed the distance and put her hands on my shoulders. “My love, you are doing a great job with an impossible task. People are going to question you every step of the way. It’s in our nature. I don’t mean for you to think that I doubt you. I don’t.”

I ducked my head down. She might not have meant it, but that’s what it felt like.

She pulled me into a hug and smoothed her hand up and down my back as she made a shushing noise. “This is what your father would have done. You are right.”

I jerked back from her so hard I almost fell off the other side of the desk. I fought to right myself as anger brimmed below the surface. “Then why?”

She flinched, and her bottom lip trembled as tears shimmered in her eyes. “Oh, my sweet girl. I’ve lost Darrin and now your father. My heart can’t take losing anyone else. I’m terrified for you.”

She sniffled and wiped the back of her hand under her eyes. Then she blew out a breath and stood tall.

Mom tucked her finger underneath my chin, tilting it up so I had to meet her eyes. “If you tell the other alphas your plan and invite other enforcers along, you need this to go off without a hitch. There is the real possibility that you could fail because he has been careful to stay out of the fight so far. If that happens, I know for a fact you will be challenged.”