Keeping My Pack

by Lane Whitt

  I take my time looking over my mates, and the pit of my tummy is filled with fluttering. Tristan takes a step forward and uses a long finger to close my mouth. I let out a squeak of mortification, not knowing that I was gaping at them, and briefly wonder if I was drooling too.

  “That’s how we feel about you in that dress, Sweet girl.” He tells me before taking my lips in a searing kiss. I grip the sides of his jacket to bring him closer. Will I ever get enough of these amazing men?

  A throat clearing loudly breaks me away from Tristan. “You haven’t even seen the best yet. I saved myself for last.” Logan says with a wink. I blink a few times at him, completely mesmerized. He too is in a suit. Black pinstripes making him seem even taller, the blue shirt matching his eyes perfectly, but it’s the way the suit fits him that has me drooling all over again. It’s unexplainable, but Logan looks like he was born to wear that suit. His new hairstyle, with the sides and back cut short, and the top left long enough to comb back, as it is now, makes him appear as if he walked right out of an ad for pricey clothing. Only no model could ever hold a candle to the man in front of me.

  “Oh, I love making you look at me like this Kitten. I wish we had time to act out every dirty thought going through your mind, but sadly, we do not.” Logan says playfully with another wink. I shake my head at him, somewhat for his antics but mostly to try and clear my thoughts, so I don’t pounce and attack any of the gorgeous males. Because that’s exactly what I feel like doing right now.

  The door lowers and people outside work to get the stairs lined up correctly. The fluttering in my tummy ceases and is replaced with a feeling of dread. Grandfather climbs the steps and greets the guys before turning to me. A flash of emotion lights up his eyes as he takes me in. He clears his throat and approaches me with a fond smile on his lips.

  “I have something for you, Kitten. Your mates will be crowned publicly, but this was yours all along.” With that, he carefully unlatches the wooden case he carries in his hands. He motions for Remy to hold the case while he lifts the lid.

  I suck in a breath as a silver tiara comes into view. With its stones of jade, sapphire, and rubies, it’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen. I watch as Grandfather lifts it from its velvet home and steps closer to me.

  My eyes go wide in panic. “What?! No, you can’t mean…It can’t be mine. I’ll lose it, or drop it, or break it.” I protest.

  Grandfather chuckles deeply, along with a few of my mates. “It is already yours. Yours to lose, break and drop. It can always be repaired, Dear girl. You should wear it today, so as to leave no doubt as to who you truly are.”

  I swallow thickly, shooting a glance at Ash. He nods his head once, with a grave expression on his face. I allow Grandfather to place it on my head and take a deep breath once it’s in place, and he steps back to look me over once more. A look of pride that I recognize from Remy shines through him, and my emotions go haywire. From Grandfather, my only family, the look seems to mean something different to me than when it comes from the guys. It’s not more or less, just different.

  I don’t know how to react to this new knowledge, so I quickly turn to Logan, pleading with my eyes for something, but even I don’t know what. His blue eyes search mine for a moment before he pulls me with him back to the bedroom, telling the others that he wants to secure the tiara better. Once he closes the door, his arms come around me, and he pulls me to him. We don’t speak, just hold onto one another like we’re caught in a windstorm, and it’s trying to break us apart. It may be an hour or mere minutes, but eventually, I’m able to rein in my emotions, and we meet everyone else back in the seating area.

  Mikey and I must have the same thought because we both pause at the exit and share a look.

  “Can we come in to the out now?” We chorus, before laughing hysterically. That was such a great movie. Grandfather looks confused, but the guys chuckle at us, and the mood lightens up a bit.

  Stepping from the plane was scary. I was expecting a crowd of angry wolves or a mob of villagers carrying lit torches. In actuality, it was just Albert and two drivers waiting by more long cars. Talk about getting worked up for nothing. When they see us coming, all three of them bow deeply at the waist and stay that way, as if they are stuck.

  Finn elbows me lightly before leaning down to speak in my ear. “You’re the highest ranking royalty right now; you must acknowledge them or dismiss them.” He informs me.

  “Oh!” Why didn’t anyone tell me? “Hello, Albert, hello…sir and sir.” I greet them all quickly. It would help to know their names.

  “Princess Ivaskov.” The chime together.

  I move closer to Remy, slightly hiding behind his shoulder. I already messed up once, maybe if I stick with him, he’ll know what to do. We pile into the cars, me safely tucked between Remy and Ash, and the uncomfortable silence is nearly unbearable. With some of my mates in the other car and with Grandfather with us in ours, it seems no one has anything to say. Even Mikey is quiet.

  Thankfully there are plenty of new things to take in outside of the windows. There’s snow covering the ground everywhere, the sun high in the sky, casting down rays of light through the clouds, making this new world glitter prettily. Holiday decorations fill the shop windows and skyscrapers stand tall as if they are fingers stretched out and begging the sun to shine on them

  It’s not long before the city falls behind us, along with the suburban areas, small towns, and occasional rural houses. The cars keep on going, though, reaching the base of a mountain and steadily climbing around it. The road was a constant gentle curve, and the higher we went, the more isolated everything felt.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spot movement in the woods. Taking a closer look, I realize that it’s wolves matching the car’s pace up the hill. It looks like they are having fun, racing one another. I smile and lift my hand to wave at them. The one in the front stops in its tracks and gets plowed into by the wolves chasing it. I giggle at the show, watching as they fix themselves and begin the chase once more. The one that caused the collision throws their head back and howls, causing the others to join in. Excitement, joy, and yearning rise up in me.

  “Excited much?” Logan snorts, leaning over me to get a closer look. I realize that he’s talking about them and not me.

  “What are they doing out here?” I ask no one in particular.

  “The whole pack is eagerly awaiting your arrival, Princess.” The driver kindly explains. “Marcus’ methods were not…I mean. We are very happy to have new leadership. Your father was a brilliant man, and we have heard the stories of your strength and kindness. Your mates may be feared by most, but the lower wolves already adore you, if you don’t mind my saying so, your Highness. Those wolves out there just wanted the first glimpse of you is all, and they are bragging about it to the others.”

  Lower wolves? What exactly could they have heard about me? I’ve only been in this state for maybe an hour, and all I’ve done is ride in a car. The driver slows as we reach a set of tall, metal gates, set into a stone wall. Two men in uniform, who I take to be guards, open them wide enough for us to pull through. They bow as the car passes, and I wonder if they will be stuck like that since I didn’t have time to tell them hello.

  An enormous building comes into view after several minutes of continuing up the driveway, and I frown in confusion. “I thought we were going to a house?”

  “This is our new house, Love,” Remy tells me.

  “No way! It’s even bigger than the one we came from!” Mikey says in disbelief, nearly crawling in lap to get a closer look.

  I look to Remy, then back at the house for a moment, then finally back to Remy. “I don’t think you could call this a house,” I tell him. The sheer size of it is intimidating. The thick, gray stone with ivy climbing up the sides doesn’t give off a welcoming vibe at all. There aren’t even any windows on the bottom few floors, just a set of wide double doors with a set of stone stairs leading to the circular driveway.
Cypress trees and square shrubbery form a line on both sides of the doors, while an ancient looking willow tree is the only decoration in the circle of snowy grass on the other end of the driveway.

  “It’s a pack house, my love. They are intended for the entire pack to use. For shared meals, celebrations, and to house those that do not fight in battle.” Remy answers.

  “Oh, so like a community center, just for wolves.” I nod my head in approval.

  Jace snorts in laughter. “Something like that.”

  The driver opens the door for us, and I step out into the chilly air. It’s much colder here than it was at home. I catch the sight of the wolves that followed us in the distance, making their way to the back of the house. Huh, I had thought they’d want to say hello. Then again, it’s not as they could, being in wolf form and all.

  As the guys who rode in the other car meet up with us, Grandfather takes my arm in his, escorting me to the house. “Come, dear, there are several pack members that I would like for you to meet. They’ve prepared a feast for your arrival in the ballroom.”

  “Um, okay,” I tell him, not knowing what else to say. I look over my shoulder at Tristan and Ash behind me. Tristan smiles slightly, shaking his head, knowing I won’t eat the food he or the guys don’t cook. Maybe no one will notice. Ash misses the silent conversation as Mikey has taken to swinging from one of his arms as they trail after us.

  As we walk through the entrance and down the hallways, I can’t help but feel like this place isn’t actually lived in. The old paintings hanging on the walls and the hand-carved trimming and other wooden pieces told a story of people who cared greatly for this home. On the other hand, walls painted in different shades of the same color in spots and tattered rugs that I’m sure were ornate and priceless at one time, spoke a different story. To my dismay, it seems like most of the home is nothing but a shell or a storage area for things they couldn’t find a use for. Empty ballrooms, bedrooms, and common areas were everywhere. The place was clean, spotless in fact, but the love from times past was indeed missing now. I wonder if maybe Logan, Jace and I can come up with a way to make it feel more lively.

  “Here we are.!” Grandfather chirps happily as we come upon two more men in suits, much like the servants wore in uncle’s house, standing in front of closed doors. They bowed quickly, and I was sure to tell them hello so that they could stand. They kept their eyes cast down and didn’t greet anyone but me, with what is becoming the standard, “Princess Ivaskov.”

  Grandfather lets me go to take Mikey’s hand in his, explaining that they’ll be announced first, then the guys, then me. Albert won’t get an announcement I guess. We shift around, lining up as Grandfather tells the doormen which guy is which.

  I could hear lots of people talking all at once behind the doors, but couldn’t make out anything in particular. With a nod from Grandfather, the doormen opened both doors with a practiced flourish. My guys stood straighter as Grandfather; then Mikey was introduced to the crowd. A few whispers could be heard, but that was it.

  Each of my guys were introduced as ‘The Princess Ivaskov’s Mate’, and then their first name. I tried to see around Remy, but he makes a better wall than a window. I narrowed my eyes at his back, but of course, he didn’t notice. There was more mumbling when Ash was introduced, but no one spoke a word when it was time for Remy to enter. As he stepped inside the doors, I got my first glimpse of the people inside. All eyes were fixed on Remy. Some individuals looked frightened, some shocked, a few looked downright angry. I had put it out of my mind that Remy had already been here before. And his reason for his previous visit had been to kill their former Alpha in front of them.

  The man announcing us cleared his throat, and my mouth went dry as everyone’s attention was drawn to me. “Allow me to introduce to you, the granddaughter of Alpha Maksim, the daughter and direct descendant of The Fair Prince, Alpha Mikel, and bearer of the future Alpha of our pack, your Sovereign, Princess Kitten Ivaskov.” He said formally, turning toward me and going to one knee, his head bowed. The rest of the room did the same, moving as one.

  My heart was beating erratically, and I was sure I was going to faint at any moment now. I drew in a quick breath and stood as tall as I could. Taking a few steps forward, placing myself between, but in front of, Remy and Ash, who stood to either side of the door, I managed to get one word out. “Rise.” To my relief, it came out strong and carried throughout the room. For the first time ever, I was grateful for Albert’s lessons.

  My guys stepped closer to me, each of them placing a hand on my back. In a ‘V’ pattern, we made our way through the crowd to a table that sat on a raised platform, overlooking the rest of the room. To my surprise, all of my guys took seats on the right of me, while Grandfather, Mikey, and Albert took seats to my left. It was uncomfortable not to be in the middle of my mates.

  A procession of people came by our table, introducing themselves and welcoming us. Many of them got caught up talking to Grandfather and Albert, probably people they’ve known for a while. Very few choose to say hello or introduce themselves to the guys, but all made a point to greet me and sometimes Mikey.

  More servant dressed men had brought out several trays of food to line our table, and I had dutifully piled a few items onto my plate and pushed it around with my fork. I wanted to appear to be eating it, so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings. I know Tristan is very sensitive to that so others might be as well.

  “Bleh! What is that?” Mikey asks while trying to wipe his tongue off with the cloth napkin.

  Grandfather chuckles and leans over to hand the kid his water glass. “It’s escargot. Is it not to your liking?”

  “More like S-car-no way. It tasted like poop. Who eats poop for dinner?” He makes a face as he chugs half of his glass. “Do you think they have any hotdogs? Hotdogs are good.”

  I giggle at the scene he’s making, Albert looking way more embarrassed than he should be. I eye the black-ish looking stuff on Mikey’s plate and have to give the credit for even trying it. It really does look like bird poop.

  Grandfather eventually tells me that I should mingle with the people, and I reluctantly leave the guys at the table. Within two minutes, I’m already tired of being called Princess, but everyone just laughs and tells me how funny I am when I ask them to call me Kitten. Most of the men I meet are friendly, though no amount of social lessons with Finn can make having conversations with people I don’t know any easier. Especially when they bring up people I’ve never met, places I’ve never been and events that I never attended. I let Grandfather do most of the speaking, just nodding along and smiling when I’m supposed to.

  It’s during one of these conversations when my attention drifts to a boisterous man not too far away from us. He speaks louder than is really appropriate and his hands gesture wildly as he tells a story to a cluster of men gathered in front of and beside him. If I had to guess, he’s had a little too much alcohol. None of this really concerns me until the man in question turns my way, sees me looking and chortles in laughter.

  “Oh no! It seems as if the Princess has her eyes set on me now as well. Should I just go claim my seat at the head table now, or do I have to fuck her first?” He roars with laughter at his own joke. The men surrounding him choking on their drinks and eyes widening in fear as they look to me.

  From across the room, I see Albert standing to remove Mikey from the room and my guys making their way to me, Ash shoving people out of his way carelessly, taking the lead through the crowd. My blood boils with a rage I didn’t know I possessed. Without thought, my feet move of their own accord, heading straight for the loud mouthed man.

  When I reach him, he only stares at me with a frown on his face. His eyes are clearer than I’d thought they’d be, telling me it’s not just the alcohol speaking through him.

  “Is there something you’d like to say to me?” I ask with narrowed eyes, my voice calm despite the anger coursing through me.

  Instead of bowing like every
other person here has today, the man stands to his full height, having at least a foot on me, and looks down with disdain. “Maybe I do. Maybe I want to tell you that it’s disgusting to learn that my new Princess is a whore who thinks it’s okay to lay with filthy changed wolves and dares to name an unblooded human child as my Prince.” He spits out, his eyes and word issuing a challenge.

  I tilt my head and study the man. His booming voice has carried throughout the room, and all conversations around us have come to a screeching halt. I sense, more than see, my mates taking up positions behind me. I hear Grandfathers request to let me handle it and can practically feel they guys’ barely concealed restraint. But none of that matters to me right now. I can feel this man wanting to look past me, sensing the guys are the bigger threat to him, but I command him with my eyes to hold my gaze, not letting him look away from me.

  A slow, smile spreads over my face as I watch a bead of sweat form at his temple. “Is that all you maybe want to say?” I ask sweetly.

  His mouth opens to speak, but words never make out. I reach out quickly, my hand going to his throat in an instant. I growl slightly as I feel my claws shift out from my fingertips. I’m holding him tightly enough to cut off his airflow, but not to draw blood. Not yet.

  “No? Nothing more? Then I guess it’s my turn. I definitely didn’t ask your opinion on my mates. I definitely don’t care what you have to say. I definitely want you gone from my pack. And I will definitely kill you if you insult my mates or Mikey again. If you had taken the time to get to know me, you would have learned that I dare to do a lot of things.” I tell him coolly, pausing for a moment to take in his bloodshot eyes and purpling face before releasing him with a shove to the floor. Oops, looks like my nails dug in after all, he’ll have a hard time getting blood out of his white shirt.