Page 18

18

Kaylee

Sitting in my office, I watch from the side as Council Representative Amos speaks with Maya. Marco holds her hand and silently supports her while Maya recounts Ramos’ attack on Harvest Willow. It’s been three days since Amos and his men came, bringing with them the thirty wolves who would soon join our pack.

As usual, we welcomed them with a bonfire. The pack was excited to welcome these new members—it meant we were growing stronger. We partied the night away and showed the guests to their rooms, deciding to put the six Council wolves in the packhouse and the newcomers in the guest house so Maya and Marco could keep an eye on them.

The following day, Amos started the interviews. He began with Lucas, who told him everything he remembered from when he met Marilyn to when he left Oak Fur. Lucas even handed over USBs filled with evidence. We informed Amos that these were copies, as Amelia kept the original USBs tucked away in case something happened. Amos thanked us. He suspects Council wolves of helping Nathaniel and Ramos in the shadows, and didn’t want the originals in case they were tampered with.

After Lucas’ interview, Amos asked if we could continue with the Harvest Willow wolves the next day as he wanted a chance to review what we’d handed him. We planned the first interview for after breakfast yesterday morning and soon realized we would need a few days to conduct more due to the level of detail with which the pups recalled the attack.

Listening to details of Ramos’ destruction repeatedly over the last two days had caused me to become so enraged that I’d had to link Amelia to see if she could oversee the interviews for a bit while I calmed down. She hurriedly agreed, knowing that my emotions were unstable from the pregnancy. She rushed to my office and linked Lucas to take me for a walk and help me calm down with the mate bond.

From all the interviews, we learned quickly that Ramos is just as bad as Nathaniel Cross, and with all the evidence piled up against these men, there is no possible way that Ramos and Nathaniel could escape the death penalty.

[You want something to eat?] Lucas asks through the link, making me smile.

[Yes. I’m craving salami, sharp cheddar, and apples,] I answer, watching Marco and Maya stand from their sofa, shaking the Council Representative’s hand and giving me a small smile before leaving my office.

[With apple juice?] Lucas asks, and I agree before shutting the link. Amos lets out a loud sigh, exhaustion evident in how he slumps in his seat.

“Are you okay?” I ask him, taking a bottle of water from my mini-fridge and standing from my chair. Walking towards him, I hand him the cold water and nod when Amos thanks me.

“To be honest with you, Beta Kaylee, I didn’t expect this much corruption from two of the strongest alphas,” he admits after gulping back half his bottle of water. “I mean, one killed his wife because of the deal he made with Nathaniel, and the other is going through chosen mates like used underwear.”

I sigh at this statement, turning to look at the closed door. Marco’s first mate was one of those girls. Her leaving him for Nathaniel had left him scared and in pain for years. It seems Maya has accepted him wholeheartedly, and I’m happy my friend has had this second chance.

“Did Marco tell you about his first mate?” I ask, turning to see Amos nod.

“Just another detail to add to the list. If this information keeps coming in steadily, we can execute Ramos and Nathaniel without concern,” Amos answers, looking down at the laptop before him. He’s been recording the interviews as videos and saving them to multiple USBs as soon as each interview concludes. We agreed to take a copy of the interviews for safekeeping while Amos took another with him back to Council Headquarters.

“Our biggest concern in Ivory Fangs is Ramos finding out Amelia and I are the leaders. If that happens, a war will break out,” I admit, watching Amos sigh in defeat.

“That’s my concern as well. Ramos is a ticking time bomb. He just needs one more nudge, and Ivory Fangs will experience an all-out war, whether you want it or not.”

“We don’t want it,” I say quietly.

“Kaylee, I brought you food,” Lucas calls out as he opens my office door and walks inside, a tray of food in one hand with a bag that looks like it contains my precious apple juice in the other.

“Thank you. Can you put it on the desk?” I ask, smiling as Lucas nods toward Amos before setting the food down. My stomach grumbles, ready to be filled, and I turn to look at the Council Representative.

“I can have an omega bring you food unless you wish to take a small break and dine downstairs?” I suggest.

“I think I’m going to go for a walk for now. I’ll grab some food before we continue the interviews later,” Amos answers, smiling. With this, he asks me to guard his equipment, and I promise him that Lucas and I will make sure no one is allowed in my office until he returns.

With Amos gone, I slump onto the sofa and motion for Lucas to join me. He brings my requested food and places the tray on the coffee table before handing me a bottle of apple juice that I quickly down.

“Cravings are that bad?” he asks, sitting down and scooping me onto his lap.

“Yes. This pup just wants apples,” I confirm with a groan, resting my head against Lucas’ shoulder.

“At least those are easily acquired. We should plant a few apple trees by the cottage.” I perk up at this idea and instantly agree. Having apple trees nearby would be nice if we had more than one pup.

“So, how are the interviews going?” Lucas asks as I reach for the salami and cheese.

“Good. I really want to kill both Ramos and Nathaniel, Marilyn as well, but I know I need to let the Council handle them,” I state, taking a few bites of food.

“I can stay with Amos when he returns if you need a break. You look exhausted,” he observes with a sigh, his fingers moving to play with my hair.

My eyes close in contentment as I lean into Lucas’ touch, munching on my food. The office settles into silence as I focus on eating. Lucas had already eaten with the others, knowing I was busy working and couldn’t join him. He murmurs that he wishes he could be a beta to help lighten my workload, and I think that making him one might be a good idea. He’s slowly been gaining my trust since finding out I was pregnant seventeen days ago, and if I trust him to be my mate, I should also trust him with this pack.

“Unfortunately, Amos only wants me and Amelia,” I answer, opening my eyes to find Lucas pouting. My heart clenches at this, and without thinking, I lean forward and kiss his cheek, watching surprise fill his eyes as he turns to look at me.

“If you want to help, how about coordinating some hunting parties with Marco and Royce? The pack is growing, and we need to prepare ourselves for winter,” I suggest with a grin.

“That, my beautiful mate, I can do.”

With a quick kiss, Lucas places me on the sofa and tells me to link him if I need anything before he leaves my office to complete the task I just gave him.

I’ll need to talk to Amelia later tonight about having Kurt and David train Lucas as the male beta of this pack and see if he truly has redeemed himself to be my mate again.