I managed a few hours of sleep but was too restless to stay in bed past five. The special invite-only training wasn’t until nine anyway. I suppose even an Alpha enjoys a lazy Saturday morning. I slipped into my workout clothes, threw on a sweatshirt because I’m a total freeze baby**even in summer**and decided to explore the pack while I had the chance. I wanted to head out before anyone assumed I needed four escorts and a guide.
Breakfast was easier to navigate this morning, and there was actual food this time. The Omegas bustling around were incredibly helpful. Despite the impressive spread laid out, at least three of them asked if I wanted anything special ordered from the kitchen.
I grabbed a bit of everything, savoring the meal slowly, enjoying the calm of the morning. Then I made my way to the front door. I had no real destination in mind, but the sun was shining, the air cool and crisp, and I felt drawn to wander down the long driveway to see where it might lead.
It took a solid ten minutes to reach the end of the driveway, where I faced a choice: go straight ahead or turn left. I knew going straight would take me to the city center, so I veered left instead. I thought that direction might lead to the playground, and pups are always the best way to size up a pack. They have no filter, and usually speak plainly without malice, just stating things as they see them.
This pack’s grounds were stunning to walk through. The builders had preserved as many trees as possible when constructing the houses and shops. Everything felt natural, warm, and inviting. It was still too early in the season for the vibrant fall colors to have fully appeared, but being at a higher elevation than my own pack, the cool breeze had already started turning some leaves light green and yellow**the first signs of autumn. I loved how the scent of forest permeated the air everywhere. Despite the pack’s size, nature remained dominant, not the stench of car exhaust or hot asphalt. I felt light and peaceful here.
I was right to head this way. In the distance, I spotted the playground, and in the open field nearby, a group of pups were playing soccer. A few smaller kids sat on the sidelines, cheering on their favorite players with enthusiastic shouts.
I approached a little girl with a dark blonde braid cascading down her back.
“Hi! Mind if I watch with you?” I asked.
“Sure!” She glanced at me, then back at the players, and then back to me again. “Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
“I am new,” I said, smiling. “My name’s Kennedy. My Alpha is Rayna’s mate, and we’re visiting before she moves to my pack.”
“I’m Emily,” she said. “Are you the human girl all the boys were talking about?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, that’s me. Just call me Kennedy. Were they saying good things or bad things?” I raised an eyebrow, teasing.
Emily shrugged. “I think good things, but boys are weird. They said humans can’t be warriors, but you’re a warrior. That don’t make sense. Then they said you beat Miss Greta, and that don’t make sense either. Nobody beats Miss Greta.”
“Well, let me clear that up. I did NOT beat Miss Greta, but I did get to work with her. She’s a fantastic warrior, so if she tells you to do something, listen**she’s the best. But yes, I am a warrior and a human. I just have to do things a little differently. I can get hurt worse because I don’t heal as fast as you do.”
“Oh, so can I tell Todd he was kinda wrong then?”
“Kinda? Yeah, he was kinda wrong. What’s going on here?” I tried to shift the focus from my training to her world. “The big kids are playing soccer?”
“I see that. Why aren’t you playing?”
“We’re too little to play with them.” She pointed to herself and the handful of younger kids watching eagerly from the sidelines.
“Did they say you were too little, or does the game get too rough and someone got hurt and you’re nervous?”
“They said we were too little.”
“Got it. Well, do you mind if I watch for a little while longer?”
“I guess,” she shrugged. “You’re big though, they’d probably let you play if you wanted.”
“Nah, I just got here. You’ve been waiting longer**you should get a turn first.”
She gave me a funny look but then settled down in the grass beside me. I’ve seen soccer before but never really played, so I started asking her questions about what was happening on the field. For such a little kid**maybe five or six years old**she really knew her stuff and spoke with confidence. She sounded like a fifty-year-old coach yelling at the “big kids” whenever they messed up, and it was hilarious. If they were smart, they’d listen to her advice. Even I could tell it would improve their game.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a night of decent sleep. Maybe the secret is having that many orgasms every single night. It would be a kind of heaven**intense and utterly draining all at once**but I suppose that’s exactly the point. I rise from bed and head straight to the shower again, trying to wash away the lingering images of her in that tiny dress from last night. My wolf is restless, furious even, that we didn’t get a chance to see her when she came for us. But deep down, I know that meeting her then might have only made things worse. Yeah, this girl is trouble, no doubt about it.
I throw on a pair of shorts and make my way downstairs to start my usual rounds around the packhouse. I take the back stairs leading to the kitchen, hoping to avoid any unnecessary questions or the inevitable game of ‘avoid-the-whore’ that I’m sure at least one of the pack women is waiting to play with me.
It’s strange how, in less than twenty-four hours, my feelings have shifted. Yesterday, if I had been home, the idea of someone pulling me into the nearest empty room for a quick blowjob before my run would have been something I welcomed eagerly. Today? That thought feels off, even unappealing. Jean and my wolf are constantly in my mind, and there’s something inside me that no longer finds that kind of distraction enjoyable.
In the kitchen, I find Robin already busy, as usual, working alongside the staff. She doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty when the situation calls for it. After all, with so many real guests and those who made themselves guests at the packhouse last night, there’s plenty to be done this morning.
“Good morning, Alpha,” she greets me with a smile. “Anything I should add to your agenda today?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.