Chapter 58 The morning after

Colin's POV

I woke up slowly in the early morning hours.

At The Rock pack, I always woke up at four in the morning to deal with tribal work; getting up early allows me to accomplish more.

However, last night, for the first time because of Claire, I felt the urge to stay in bed.

I turned to quietly gaze at her, she was sleeping soundly, her slumbering form endearingly sweet and lovely. I couldn't resist kissing her lips, their sweetness making me want to stay in bed with her.

I restrained myself as I thought of last night's wildness and noticed a few light scratch marks on my skin.
Claire must have been in pain, surely exhausted.

I got up and suddenly saw my phone light up; there was a notification. I put on a T-shirt, got out of bed, and quietly went to the balcony.

"Alpha Colin, I hope I'm not disturbing you this early?" Dennis asked in a hushed tone.

"What is it?"

Dennis chuckled softly, "The committee of The Rock pack has recently been in turmoil, saying that the work Wesley was in charge of is now being taken over by other werewolves. The whole of The Rock pack is buzzing that you're behind this."

I curved my lips slightly.

Indeed, it was my doing. No matter how meticulous Wesley's bookkeeping, I found a flaw. Moreover, there are many in The Rock pack's committee more arrogant than Wesley, and despite their age, the elders are far from senile.

So, the elders; punishing Wesley was actually a warning to those with ulterior motives.

"What has been Wesley's response?" I asked in a low voice.

"They say you completely convinced your grandpa," Dennis chuckled, "Wesley, do you still not understand? Not only has he wept and confessed his mistakes to your grandfather, but it seems he even voluntarily knelt in the Morris family's hall, repenting for several nights!"

I could already imagine how the media of the Rock pack would sensationalize Wesley.

It would certainly be all positive, praising him for acknowledging his faults and dedicating himself to the tribe.

This was Wesley's usual trick; under such one-sided praise, even the biggest of faults could be obscured.

So how could outsiders believe that Wesley, seemingly so honest and pure, would sabotage the tribe's Alpha on an airplane?

My expression turned dark, my grip tightening suddenly on the balcony railing.

"I think for now, I'll avoid returning to the Rock pack."

Dennis paused, "If you don't go back now, you might miss your chance?"

"With Wesley's Oscar-worthy acting, my return will be pointless. Better to wait and see, and catch him where it really hurts, then I can take him and his followers down in one fell swoop!"

Dennis agreed and accepted my view.

Then, a soft voice came from behind me, "Colin? Where are you?"

Upon hearing the voice, Dennis laughed, "I see you have another reason for not going back to the Rock pack right away..."

I hung up the phone and walked quickly into the room. Claire, wrapped in a sheet, was trying to reach for her clothes on the floor, yet due to her injured left leg, she was struggling and turning red without success.

I stepped in, picked up the clothes from the floor, and carefully draped them on her.

Claire glanced at me, bashful, and looked down. The way she looked at me had changed.

I gently caressed her flushed cheek and whispered, "You can sleep a bit longer."
Claire was taken aback, gave a nearly imperceptible nod, then a shy smile and snuggled against my chest.

"Does your foot hurt?" I stroked her hair. "I was too impulsive last night. It won't happen again."

She playfully hit me and protested, "Enough, let's not talk about it!"

I held her close, "Then sleep a little more. I'll make breakfast. What would you like?"

"Anything is fine?" Claire rolled her big eyes, "Hmm... I don't have much of an appetite, just make me a fruit salad."

"How about a sandwich? And a fried steak? You're not a sheep to only eat salad."

"You had a tough night," I pondered. "You need to replenish some energy!"

Claire's face flushed crimson as she punched me with her little fists. "I told you to stop, but you keep talking!"