He nodded. Yeah, Ryne wouldn’t take that well. After losing the challenge, having his girlfriend dump him would really tip the balance.
“This is a mess.” Marla looked at the oily mess and wrinkled her nose.
“We just discovered it. I’ve no idea how long it’s been here since no one hardly ever visits this area.” He frowned. “Which makes me wonder why you’re here. You’re not a nature lover.”
“Well,” she began slowly, seeming to consider her words carefully. “As I said, I broke up with Ryne and he left but I think he’s still in the area. I was going to try to talk to him, get him to try and patch things up with you. I know how close you were and this rift must be so hard for you.” She reached out and touched his hand gently.
He nodded, acknowledging her gesture despite his wolf muttering darkly. The animal had been more on edge since becoming Alpha. It would take it time to settle into the new role. And it probably associated Marla with Ryne. His wolf wasn’t quick to forgive. They’d have to have a long talk about that once there was some spare time.
She shrugged. “Anyway, I was following his scent along the highway when it veered from the road and came this way.”
“Thanks for the information, but you shouldn’t be here. Who knows how toxic this area is? I’ll see if I can pick up Ryne’s trail once we get you back to safety.” He began to lead her away.
“You’re so good to me.” She clasped his arm. “You’re going to make a wonderful Alpha.”
“Going to?” He gave her a sideways look.
She laughed. “Sorry. We’ve been friends for so long, its hard to remember you are Alpha.” The smile faded from her face. “The night Ryne issued the challenge I tried to talk him out of it.” She shook her head. “You know what he can be like.”
Yes, he knew Ryne very well…or at least he thought he did. He surveyed the oil slick one more time. Ryne could be impulsive but…was he also vindictive?
The rest of the week was spent getting the wheels in motion to deal with the oil spill. He issued his first edict as Alpha; no one was to use the water until they had a report back on its safety, and no one could go into the spill area without his express permission. Having no idea how far the contamination went or if it had leached into the water table their wells drew from, he’d rather err on the side of caution.
Being Alpha of such a large pack was a busier job than he’d realised. As Beta, he’d had some inkling but being the one responsible for all the decisions was tiring. It seemed he was always on call, everyone wanting a moment of his time.
He yawned and scrubbed his face, his elbows resting on the desk in his new office. It was Friday night and he was thinking fondly of evenings out with Ryne, visiting a local bar for a drink, a game of pool and perhaps a bit of companionship. There was no time for that now. And no brother to do it with.
A knock on the door had him sighing. “Yes?”
William and a few members of the Council of Elders entered.
“Kane, we thought we’d find you here.” One nodded in approval.
“Paperwork.” He gestured towards the stack of reports at his elbow. “What can I do for you?”
“It’s actually what we can do for you.”
A picture was handed to him and he glanced at it then did a double take. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was the girl he’d seen at the movies, the one who invaded his thoughts at the oddest of times and soothed him to sleep late at night. But it couldn’t be…could it? “Who is this?”
“She’s yours.” William announced.
“Mine?” He blinked wondering how the Council could know about his secret obsession. “What do you mean?”
“Most wolves, by the time they reach the status of Alpha, are mated. You’re young, unattached and far too busy dealing with our large pack to find your own mate. She’s suitable.” The Elder speaking nodded as if it were a done deal.
“Now wait a minute.” He pushed to his feet. “William, is this another of those hurdles you mentioned?”
“No, Kane. I’m afraid not.” William shook his head. “Our pack is large, wealthy and powerful. You’ll soon be a target for every pack that wants to make a favourable alliance. They’ll find any excuse they can to parade their females in front of you.”
“We’re trying to be proactive,” another explained. “You have no attachment to any of our own females. This girl is from the Rock Valley pack. As you know, it’s of equal status to ours. Her father is the Alpha and agrees it would be a suitable match.”
“I have no plans—”
“Think about it, Kane.” William interrupted and patted him on the shoulder. “It would be good for you to have a mate and an alliance between our packs would make us a formidable force when it came to negotiations.”
The others nodded. “We’ll take you to meet her next week. No pressure.”
He looked at the picture in his hands again. This turn of events completely blind-sided him and he couldn’t even think of what to say. His silence must have been taken as agreement, for the Council left, looking quite pleased.
Once the room was empty, he dropped the picture onto his desk and began to pace. Yeah, just what every man wanted, someone picking out a mate for him. He’d find his own mate in his own time…if he ever had time. His eyes rested on the stack of paperwork just as his phone rang. With a sigh, he answered the call, listening politely as a pack member expressed concerns about some minor issue.
Half an hour later, he hung up and sat down to begin the paperwork he’d yet to complete.
The picture of the girl was sitting on his desk and he picked it up. She really was lovely and, if she was from the neighbouring pack, she could very well be the girl he’d seen at the theatre. He flipped the photo over. Her name was on the back as well as a few other bits of information.
Elise Robinson. Eighteen years old. Youngest daughter of the Alpha.
He shook his head. She was still a teenager for heaven’s sake. How could someone so young be the Alpha female? Setting the picture aside he tried to continue working except his eyes kept drifting back to the photo and her soft, gentle smile. There was a sweet innocence about her that drew him in.
We will teach her, protect her, his wolf whispered.
No, it was utter nonsense. Arranged marriages were archaic. The girl was probably mortified at the very idea.
Chapter 8
“What do you mean, she doesn’t know?” Kane ran his hands through his hair, not pleased with what he’d just learned.
It was exactly one week after the Council had presented him with the idea of taking a mate. His own secret obsession with the girl and his wolf’s prodding had made him agree to a meeting while not committing to anything. Now he stood in Alpha Robinson’s office and, after an hour of negotiations, he’d just discovered this girl, Elise, had no idea of what was in the works.
“There’s no point in getting her hopes up if we decide the alliance isn’t favourable, is there?” One of the Elders explained.
He scowled, not liking the air of subterfuge.
“Elise is young. Her head’s in the clouds.” Her father waved his hand negligently. “Being an Alpha’s mate is every young girl’s dream.”
Kane eyed the man. He seemed old to have a daughter so young, his hair liberally sprinkled with grey, lines around his eyes and mouth. There was a hard air about the man, as if he’d closed himself off to all feeling. Did he have the slightest idea as to what his daughter really wanted?
“I’d still like to meet her.” Kane pressed his point.
“You’ve seen her picture. She’s pretty and usually quite biddable. She’ll bear you fine pups.” The Alpha rose from his seat and moved to a set of French doors, pulling the curtains aside.
Once again Kane felt himself frowning, feeling this was more like negotiations to buy a brood mare.
“If you insist on seeing her, look here. She’s in the backyard right now warming up before her daily run.”
He w
alked to the door to look out, scanning the area until he caught sight of someone near the edge of the woods. His inner wolf perked its ears. It was definitely the girl from the theatre!
She was average height with long slim legs and gentle curves. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he caught glimpses of her smile and bright green eyes as she turned to talk to someone. Drawn by some inner need, he cracked open the door and inhaled, sorting through the scents until he caught hers. Yes! Exactly as he remembered. It seemed to curl around him, filling him with desire. His wolf growled in approval…until a male appeared and stood beside the girl.
“Who is that with her?” He spoke over his shoulder not taking his eyes off her, resisting the urge to stalk over to where they stood and shove the man away.
“Bryan Cooper, one of her friends. Don’t worry, he’s of no consequence. I’ve given him a stern warning not to touch her. I can guarantee she’s a virgin.”
“We’d want proof, of course.” One of the Elders spoke behind him but Kane didn’t turn. His eyes were fixed on Elise, watching her move, hearing the sound of her laughter floating on the breeze. He paid little attention to the rest of the meeting, both he and his wolf focused on the female. It wouldn’t be a hardship to be mated to her. As an Alpha’s daughter, she’d understand his time would be occupied with pack business. Perhaps this would work. He’d insist she be told though, an unwilling mate didn’t appeal to him at all.
“Kane, I just heard the news!”
He looked up, his coffee cup half raised to his mouth, as Marla entered the kitchen of the pack house. “What news is that?”
“That you might be mated with some little girl from another pack in order to form an alliance. The entire pack is abuzz about it.”
He nodded. “I’m seriously considering it for the good of the pack. Our land borders theirs. It will ensure stability and peaceful relations plus we’ll be able to work together to keep out human developers and companies like Northern Oil.” His own attraction to Elise was an added bonus he didn’t feel needed to be mentioned.
“Kane, you’re an amazing Alpha and this is very noble of you, but no one would want you to sacrifice your personal happiness.”
He smiled appreciating her concern.
Marla had taken to spending more time here now that Ryne was gone…or supposedly gone. He’d followed the scent trail she’d told him about and it did seem his brother had been in the area. Ryne’s scent had also turned up in other areas as well, near leg traps, along pathways. His lips tightened as he wondered what the hell his brother was up to. Sabotaging the pack made no sense. Marla’s explanation was that Ryne was unhinged. Perhaps she knew what she was talking about. She’d been the closest to him for the past few months. He remembered Ryne’s smug grin when he’d shared the news of the relationship…
“Northern Oil sent us another request.” Zack handed copies of the letter to both him and Ryne. They were having their weekly meeting, going over patrol schedules and discussing various issues that members had presented to them.
“We’re not allowing them access to our land, are we?” Kane scanned the contents of the letter before giving Zack a questioning look.
“Hell no.” Zack shook his head.
“Marla’s been looking into the matter. She says it’s a very reputable company,” Ryne murmured as he read.
“Marla?” Zack arched a brow. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with her.”
Ryne tossed the letter on the desk and grinned. “Yep.”
“We might as well rent out your room,” Kane teased his brother. “You never use it.”
“Marla keeps me busy.” Ryne leaned back in his chair. “I might make our relationship permanent.”
“What?” He didn’t even try to hide his surprise. He’d dated Marla himself a few times and knew the woman could be a handful. Truth be told, he felt responsible for her and often viewed himself in the role of big brother. When she’d moved on to Ryne, it had been strange to be relieved of the duty even though he’d tried to keep their relationship on a ‘just friends’ level. Marla had always been demanding of his time and attention, making their relationship out to be more than it was. It was her insecurity, of course, and he’d let it slide, ignoring the rumours they’d been deeply involved.
“Jealous, Bro?” Ryne gave him an assessing look.
“No.” He replied flatly. “We had this conversation when you started dating her, remember?”
“Yeah, I said it was for your own good. She had you wrapped around her little finger.”
“And I told you she’s a friend and I feel a sense of responsibility towards her but that’s it. You’re welcome to her.”
Zack interrupted. “Enough of the posturing. Ryne are you serious about this?”
“Marla and I are a good fit. She supports my photography, helps me arrange showings.” He smirked and gave a wink. “Plus, there are other benefits, if you know what I mean.”
Zack leaned forward, hands clasped on top of the desk. “Think this through, Ryne. Marla’s a member of our pack but—”
“I know she can be difficult, but I can handle her. Besides, I like a challenge.” Ryne rose to his feet. “And speaking of Marla, I promised to pick her up at work. Her shift at Bastian’s is almost over.”
“Kane?”
He blinked and realized Marla was speaking.
“Sorry, Marla, I was just thinking.”
“I’m sure you were. You have a lot on your plate right now. And that’s another reason you shouldn’t rush into this arranged mating. The negotiations with Northern Oil—”
“The lawyers are dealing with that. Our position is ‘no’ regardless of what they offer.”
“Oh.” An odd expression flickered over her face before her features smoothed. “Well, then there’s Ryne. I…I have some bad news.”
“Bad news?”
“Well, maybe. I’m not sure.” She paused, frowning. “I don’t want to upset you...”
He barely kept from rolling his eyes, not in the mood for prevarication. “Marla, just tell me.”
She took a deep breath and then began. “I was cleaning my apartment, going through the entryway closet and gathering up things Ryne had left behind. Shoved at the very back, I found bolt cutters and a shirt with some kind of goldish stain. I think it’s brake fluid.”
“Ryne often worked on his car. I don’t—” He stopped, suddenly realizing the implications. “No. Ryne wouldn’t do that.”
Marla shrugged. “I’m not saying he’s responsible for Zack’s accident, but it does seem quite a coincidence.”
“Yes. Yes, it is.” His hand tightened on the cup cradled in his hand until it cracked, coffee spilling out over his fingers and onto the floor. “Damn!”
“Kane! Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?” Marla hurried after him as he made his way to the sink.
He set the cracked remains of the cup in the sink and checked his palm. A faint line of red showed where a shard had punctured the skin. He turned on the tap and ran water over the injury. “I’m fine. Don’t fuss.”
Marla bit her lip. “I’m sorry I upset you. You suspect Ryne of something, don’t you?”
He turned off the tap, dried his hand and inspected the cut again. It was negligible. “I’ve no idea what the hell is going on with Ryne. And Zack’s accident is still inexplicable.”
“See? That proves my point. You have to deal with Ryne and all the problems we’ve been having. You don’t have time for a mate. Especially one as young and inexperienced as this one is supposed to be.” Marla placed her hand on his arm. “If anything, you need a woman who can stand by your side, someone strong who understands how the world works.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He grabbed some paper towels intent on cleaning up the spilled coffee.
She smiled and then glanced away, a sad expression flickering over her face.
He paused, sensing there was something else she wanted to discuss. “Is something wrong
, Marla?”
“Well, I hate to bother you.”
“I’m your Alpha. If you have a problem, I’m here to help.” He held back a sigh. Being Alpha required a lot of patience.
“Thank you, Kane. You’re so good to me.” She looked up at him and he was surprised to see a sheen of tears in her eyes.
“Marla?”
“It’s just… Well, even though Ryne was acting strange, we’d been together for quite a while. We were close and I miss him.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t have a lot of friends within the pack, or even in the human world for that matter. When I was with Ryne, I finally felt I belonged, like I had a home, someone who cared…”
Her voice trailed off and, without thinking, he reached out and hugged her. He knew what it was like to feel you didn’t belong. “I miss Ryne, too.”
She pressed her head to his chest and he patted her shoulders as she cried.
Helen entered the kitchen, looked at him comforting Marla and made a face. Like many in the pack, Helen had little patience with Marla.
“Kane, don’t you have a meeting to go to?” Helen pulled out a frying pan and set it down on the stove with a bang.
Marla pulled away and wiped her damp cheeks. “I’m sorry, Kane. I’m keeping you from your work.” She smoothed her hands over his chest. “And look at your shirt, its all wrinkled now.”
“If it needs pressing, I can do it, Marla.” Helen turned and folded her arms giving Marla a pointed stare.
“Of course you can, Helen. You’re so good at all those menial little jobs.” Marla smiled at the other woman and slowly withdrew her hands, her nails accidentally scraping lightly over his nipples.
He cleared his throat and stepped back. “Any time you need to talk, Marla—”
“She can come and see me.” Helen interrupted.
“That’s so sweet of you to offer.” Marla turned and walked towards the door. “But Kane and I have a personal connection.” She smiled at him again and then left.
Kane: I Am Alpha Page 6