87 | OTHER DISASTERS

The older members of the Pack stare at me from their cramped spots on the floor. Blue and I just spent the better half of three hours explaining the last year of my life - minus Blue and my love life.

“Death?” The female Beta from earlier asks slowly, her surprise and doubt clear in her voice. I lean back in my chair. Blue and I are in our normal seats at the breakfast bar. It was better this way, otherwise we’d be forced to stand the whole time we talked - or sit on the counters. The sounds of softly snoring kids can be heard from my room.

I’d suggested the younger members rest while we all had our impromptu meeting. No need to freak the little ones out more than they probably already are. A couple of the parents sit near the opened doorway between the kitchen and the bedroom, but their attention’s all on Blue and I.

“Ancients. I haven’t met ‘Death’ yet, but Nikki - the Ancient - seems to keep in regular contact with them.” I explain with a shrug. It all sounds so weird when I say it aloud. Again, I can’t help but wonder how this is my life now.

“Dragons?” One of the younger males asks, he’s a few years older than me from what I can tell, but of course, that doesn’t mean much by Bitten standards.

“Hm.” I hum in agreement. “That was…yeah, still processing that bit myself.” I admit with a conciliatory smirk.

“You’re the cousin of Mad-Dog Craven,” Another male states, his frown showing me just how much he both knows of and thinks about my one-insane-cousin.

“Yeah. We don’t call him Mad-Dog anymore, though.” I nod, trying to keep my annoyance from my thoughts and voice. The man nods back, but doesn’t seem convinced.

“They tried to kill you, but you are allied with the Reinier Pack now.” Another female asks me, one of the younger ones, also pretty close-looking to my own age.

“Mhm.” I summerize, letting the whole fiasco about that flutter through my thoughts, mentally giving the Pack the ability to see what I’m thinking of rather than having to spell it all out again. A few of the older members seem to relax at that, but some of the younger ones tense. “Things are better now, no psycho controlling them.” I add a shrug.

Silence falls over the group, their thoughts going back - almost in unison - to their own problems over the last few months. I get emotional impressions first, the undeniable terror that fueled their survival instincts since the Tiger shifter defeated their previous Alpha. I don’t allow myself to invade their thoughts, just skimming the surface of the bond so they know I’m here. That I won’t be like that. That I could never terrorize people for pleasure - as the Cat seemed to like doing.

I won’t hurt their children like he threatened to do if someone disagreed with him.

“This is the only land you have claim over.” One of the older males speaks now, an Enforcer who’s been silent through the entire speech.

“Mhm. We’re really in the middle of Azure lands, but the area I have territorial rights to is about a mile around the house.” I explain, having learned that from Blue only a little while ago. While we’d been speaking, he’d stayed relatively quiet beside me, offering a few comments here and there if I asked him to. But he’d also told the Pack about the amount of land I had ‘claim’ to on my own. I had always known Blue let me keep the area around the house as my own, but I wasn’t aware that he’d extended it in the time he’d taken over as Azure Alpha.

“Would you mind if a couple of us go on patrol, Alpha?” The same Enforcer asks, a gleam of hope in his dark eyes. The other Enforcers perk up at that question, the hope in their eyes telling me just how uncomfortable they’ve been while sitting still the last few hours.

“Sure,” I nod my assent, feeling some of the tension draining as two Enforcers stand and just as quickly leave the house out the back door. There’s a few beats of silence as I pick up the sounds of the shift before huffs and padding feet trail off into the woods. Someone sighs in relief and I even catch the sounds of grumbling stomachs in the stillness. “How ‘bout some early breakfast?” I suggest, suddenly feeling my own stomach gurgle with emptiness. The background thirst burns at the edges of my jaws, and I know I’m probably just as hungry as my pack - maybe even more than them after the amount of energy I went through while fighting their old Alpha.

“Do you need any of us to get some groceries?” One of the older women asks slowly, as if trying to tactfully ask if I have enough food to feed thirty hungry Wolven. I glance at my refrigerator, considering.

“That may be a good idea-” I begin slowly and then stop as I consider the pre-dawn hour. Blue clears his throat.

“If you go to Lia’s the store should be open.” He tells the woman, but his eyes are on me for confirmation that it’s ok. “It’s on Azure territory, but-”

“It should be fine.” I nod to him and turn to the woman. “No one’s going to hold you accountable for actions taken on behalf of your previous Alpha. The Azures are good people.” I don’t know how many other ways I can say it, so I allow a few of my memories of the Pack to flutter through the bond. With it, I also show them just how close the store is to the house. Even if something were to happen, the rest of us are close enough that we could come back them up.

“Yes, Alpha.” The woman nods after a moment and stands, two more Wolven getting up with her, a younger woman and man. “We’ll be back soon, then.”

“We can start cooking with the food you have, if you don’t mind?” A man speaks once the three have left. With the twenty Wolven still sitting on the ground, I feel an odd sort of sense of responsibility hit me.

“Sure.” I manage to mutter as the weight of it all hits me again. Blue hops up to show the man around the kitchen as I turn to stare out the window to the back yard. Someone asks about using the bathroom and showering. I wave my assent to them, giving a hum of agreement.

My mind’s spinning with the suddenly all-too-real gravity that I’m now responsible for these Wolven - most of them Bitten and probably volatile as all hell.

“Red?” Blue’s face fills my vision and I blink a few times, only now realizing everything’s fallen still and silent around us. My Wolven have quietly moved out of the house, out to the backyard and are setting out large tarps in what’s quickly looking like a picnic. Blue’s turned me so we’re facing each other. “Hey,” He murmurs softly, cupping my cheeks and pressing his forehead to mine. The light touch has my whole body relaxing.

“You’re going to be a great Alpha.” He reassures me, skimming one hand up to run through my hair. “Don’t overthink it.”

“They need space to roam, Blue.” I breathe out after a second, letting his words settle into me. “And food, and somewhere to sleep, and-”

“Hey, you’re not alone in this, Red.” He pulls back to stare into my eyes. The silvery-grey familiarity of his gaze further softening the tension within me and forcing his words to actually be processed by my mind. “We’ll work everything out.”

“I don’t know how you do it,” I sighs, reaching out to settle my still-mummy-wrapped hands over his shoulders, drawing him a little closer.

“Practice. Necessity.” Blue shrugs and smiles a little ruefully. “Probably helps that I’ve been preparing for it almost all my life, and my father made sure I was ready by the time I was fifteen.” I smirk and give a little nod.

“I’m sure.” I agree and continue to stare at him, letting the reassuring feel of his touch guide me out of the mine-riddled direction of my thoughts.

“Why don’t you shower? Change into new clothes?” Blue suggest. “I sent everyone outside so you can get your own space for a few minutes.” He adds when he notices how my eyes are lingering over the empty doorway to my room. “I think they’re starting to warm up to me.” He adds with a little glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

“Hey, be nice to them.” I huff, my face scrunching up in a mock-accusatory expression. Blue grins at me and presses a quick kiss to my temple.

“Go shower, Red. When you come back out, I’ll have a cup of coffee for you.” He promises, whispering the magic words that have me all but bounding to the shower from one second to the next. I ignore the sound of my mate chuckling as I duck into my empty room and quickly get my things to shower and change. The promise of coffee, after all, is too important to pass up.