Page 17 of Brave Spirit (Bound Spirit #6)

Connor

T he fresh scent of cedar from my new desk fills the recently renovated alpha’s office, offering a hint of calm to the extremely painful experience of going over the pack’s financial reports.

I hate paperwork, and math frustrates me, but even though we have someone directly responsible for tracking our finances, I have to sign off on every weekly report.

Sam, my second, has made it clear she’ll come for my balls if I dare to sign something without reading it first. She’s right, of course, but mierde, this whole process is exhausting.

Using my finger to follow the lines of color coded numbers, I notice a lot of red and the steady depletion of our savings.

It’s concerning, but definitely not surprising, because supporting two packs takes a lot of resources.

Sighing, I sign the bottom, approving the payment of goods and services we can’t manage ourselves.

The sheet goes into the completed pile, and I groan when the next report I need to review is about our depleting inventory reserves.

Apparently, we’re going through concerning amounts of fresh produce, leaving less for the canning and preserves we’ll need in the winter.

There’s a muted conversation outside the door that I try to ignore when Sam barges in without knocking.

She has a frustrated gleam in her blue eyes, and her black, pixie short hair pokes out in wild directions.

I wave off the two betas who guard the door, their expressions clearly distressed about not stopping her abrupt entrance.

Being second means she has more authority than they do, but I made it clear I wasn’t to be disturbed.

Paperwork is hard enough without constantly being interrupted.

The betas sigh with relief and then close the door behind them.

It’s going to take a long time for the mental scars my father left on the pack to fade.

Once they heal, hopefully they will trust that they won’t be punished for things outside of their control.

Sam is a force of nature I’m grateful for, but even I have a hard time standing in the way of what she wants.

She strides forward until my desk is all that stands between us and plants her fists firmly on her hips.

“So did your mate talk some sense into you?” She points to the stack of paperwork in front of me.

“The numbers don’t lie. We’re running out of resources to support our own pack, and the reports don’t account for the increasing unrest. It’s your job to do what’s best for our pack, and forcing us to support these freeloaders is doing the opposite.

Patience is wearing thin, and you need to do something about it now.

” She grips her hair with both hands and gazes up at the ceiling.

“Look, I know it’s hard with your mom, but she doesn’t have to be here for you to reconnect.

” She drops her hands and looks at me. “Honestly, some space might be good for both of you.”

I flash her a tired smile. “You done?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she leans her weight onto her back foot and narrows her eyes. “Do you want me to go on? Because I can. There are a lot of fires I’ve had to put out because of what’s happening. I’m happy to give you specifics.”

Holding up the inventory report, I reply, “I get it.” As I put it back down, my reina’s warning echoes in my thoughts. If I don’t listen to Sam, Callie will solve it her way, which I doubt would end pleasantly for the visiting pack. With a sigh, I add, “You’re right.”

“I know I am.” She holds my gaze without a shred of fear.

It’s a relief to know she has no trouble speaking her mind. She always has, but I’m glad my status as alpha hasn’t changed it, even if she can be a big pain in my ass.

Remembering I agreed to let Sam in on my thoughts, I lean back in my chair and release a slow breath.

“I’ve been holding off because I want to know what she really wants.

No contact in ten years, and then she shows up with her entire pack.

As much as I want to believe her motivations are innocent, the numbers aren’t adding up. ”

Sam nods with a thoughtful expression and then takes a seat in one of the upholstered chairs next to her.

She crosses her legs as her hands slide down the armrests.

“If the old bastard was still alive and she won the challenge, she would have been our next alpha.” Her eyes widen. “She planned to combine the two packs.”

I dip my chin, acknowledging that she voiced my suspicions.

“But then she found you,” she continues, her expression grim with her lips pressed into a hard line.

Again, I dip my chin, resting my hands on my stomach as my gaze drifts to the door.

“To finish her plan, either I would need to relinquish control of our pack to her, or she would relinquish hers to me. Two packs can’t exist on the same land.

They can’t function together when they answer to different alphas. ”

I leave out the possible third option to unite the packs.

The call is far more potent than any alpha.

Callie could easily rip away all natural borns from my mother’s pack, which would make her appear too weak to lead.

It’s not the route I wish to go. In my reina’s more protective state, she’d do it in an instant, but I know she’d struggle with the ramifications.

“Just based on what I know about Martina, I doubt she’s interested in giving up the power and protection of being an alpha…

even to her own son,” Sam states bluntly, pulling me out of my wandering thoughts.

“You can’t keep waiting. It’s time to confront her.

Our pack’s generosity wears thin, and it’s making you look weak.

If your mother isn’t gunning for your position, you know Bayne is looking for any way to tear you down. ”

Thinking about either of my half-brothers tends to make my head hurt, and I rub my temples as I make a grunt of agreement.

Sam smacks the desk. “Now. Go now.”

Knowing she’s right, I stand up and head for the door.

My body feels heavy, and my stomach twists as I think about what I must do.

My wolf has chafed under my skin for months, fighting to break free and chase off the alpha who threatens our home by existing on our land.

It’s been exhausting keeping him contained.

Sam stands up and follows me toward the door with the clear intent to come with me. She expects a fight, and she takes her duty to protect me very seriously. However, she also has a short fuse for bullshit, and she’s just as likely to cause violence as she is to protect me from it.

With my hand resting on the doorknob, I turn to face her, gesturing toward the desk with my free hand.

“Stay here and review the rest of the reports. Make sure everything is correct for me to sign. I trust you will point out if there’s anything I should be worried about.

” Her mouth opens to object, but I stop her with a stern look.

“I’m going alone. I’ll let you know how it goes. ”

Her teeth clack together as she shuts her mouth. After dipping her head in deference, she lifts her chin to expose her neck. It’s a reminder that her life, just like any member of the pack, rests in my hands. “Yes, Alpha.”

It’s a performance to get under my skin—traditional, authoritative, and distancing. She knows I hate it, so she only does it when she thinks I’m being stubborn and using my alpha status to end arguments.

Ignoring her goading, I adjust my posture and expression to mask how tired I am before heading out.

Gossip runs rampant through the pack, and the last thing I need are whispers of how their alpha is worn out and vulnerable.

I also need my mother to understand she isn’t facing her son, but another alpha whose land she’s taken advantage of.

The abandoned child in me wants to believe she’s stayed so long because she loves me.

Unfortunately, I can’t deny the compelling signs that her motives aren’t so innocent.

As I make my way out of the alpha house built within the trees, I have to wave off several betas who inquire if I’d like them to “keep me company.” Those are subtle offers of security, since Sam has made it abundantly clear I shouldn’t be without backup while there are shifters on our land who don’t answer to me.

It would cause an all-out war if I were attacked outside of the challenge circle, but wolf shifters can be very stupid if provoked enough.

It doesn’t take long to sniff out my mother’s trail, and I follow it to one of our larger greenhouses.

Outside the door, her mate guards the entrance, his posture and expression meant to scare off any who would dare to attempt to go inside.

My hackles rise when I notice our head agriculturist standing uncertainly to the side, obviously being blocked from entering.

Standing at my full height with my shoulders back, I ease the leash on my wolf, allowing him to rise so close to the surface that my eyes couldn’t be mistaken for human.

I stalk over, and without warning, I grab him by the throat and slam him against the door.

He struggles to breathe as my nails elongate to claws that prick his skin.

“You have no authority here,” I growl into his face, my voice rough with the strain to hold back my shift. Now that my wolf’s been allowed to come out, he’s ready to rip and tear apart all who threaten us.

His wolf rises to the surface, clawing and scratching at my hand to try and break free, but I’m stronger in every way. Red faced, he chokes out, “My mate is inside. My right to protect.”

I squeeze tighter. “Not here. Your pack lives because I allow it. You live because I allow it. This is my land. My pack walks freely on it.” I release him, and he drops to the ground, gasping for air. “Stand in the way of one of mine from performing their duties, and I’ll tear out your throat.”