Page 98 of Game of Destiny

Amie

T he morning light seeping in through the window woke me up.

I had a moment of confusion as I couldn’t understand how the light was coming in from that direction.

I was used to the windows in my room and the windows back in the cabin and neither of them had light hitting the bed from that direction.

My brain woke up enough to remind me I was in my new bedroom, in my new house. The one I shared with Finlay.

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” Finlay grumbled and placed a kiss on my shoulder and buried his face in my hair.

I smiled and relaxed. For the next hour or two I was half sleeping, half enjoying the feeling of Finlay’s body against mine.

I enjoyed the feeling of the pack bond and the connection to the land.

Coming home was the best thing ever. I felt Finlay stir.

He rolled onto his back and pulled me with him so I ended up on top of him.

“You look more relaxed than in a while,” he said, brushing locks of hair out of my face.

“I am. It feels amazing being home. Even better to be home with you. I feel like I could conquer the world,” I told him. He laughed and kissed me.

“We rank third in one Game and you are aiming for world domination.” I laughed with him.

“Maybe not today. Today I’m moving, we have to talk to Jake and Shelly and we need to call my parents and spend time with the pack,” I told him.

“I see. I agree, you are too busy to take over the world today. Let’s put it on the agenda for Thursday.” I rolled my eyes. My fingers traced the faint scar from where James had clawed him. His tattoo looked unharmed, it had healed perfectly. I placed a kiss on it. “All better,” Finlay told me.

“I love you,” I said.

“I love you too, Red.” We kissed and got up to start the day.

After breakfast, Sam and Medow joined us in the meeting room.

Sam refused to put Martina down on her play mat, no one objected.

Even Martina seemed happy being in her dad’s arms. I headed for the Luna’s chair, but Finlay took my hand and led me over to his chair. He sat down and pulled me into his lap.

‘Seriously?’ I asked him in a mindlink.

‘I have told you my views on this table and its seating arrangement. This is the solution until we get a round one.’ I rolled my eyes, but didn’t get up.

“We will get a round table. Amie is not sitting all the way on the other side,” Finlay told the other two. Sam looked at him and Medow giggled.

“I’m not surprised,” she said. “He has been patient for six years, now he needs to get six years worth of protectiveness and neediness out of his system.”

“No one objects?” Finlay asked, as if he hadn’t heard Medow’s comment. I giggled and kissed his cheek. No one objected. “Good. Next on the agenda is we need a new Beta. Amie and I have a suggestion, but I would like to hear your thoughts about it.”

“We suggest Jake,” I said. Sam nodded and looked pleased.

“Oh, I like it,” Medow said. “Shelly has been an absolute treasure while you have been away. Helping with the pack and Martina. It has been nice to have someone to talk to and she is so calm and organised.” I nodded.

“Jake is a good choice as well. He saved us a couple of times during the Games and he is brave and loyal,” Sam said.

“I would say it’s a done deal then,” Finlay concluded. He sounded pleased. “Amie and I will talk to them and we hope they will say yes.”

“I need to clear out my office and move my things into yours,” I said.

“Ours,” he corrected me.

“And we need to talk about the mating ceremony,” Medow said.

“I need to pack my things first, and I need to call my parents,” I said.

“Fine. How about we all be responsible adults today. After dinner, Shelly, Matilda, you and I will have a ladies night and we will help you pack, you and Matilda can tell us all about the games and we can gossip,” Medow suggested.

“Oh, yes please,” I agreed.

“Um, no?” Finlay objected.

“I’m with him,” Sam said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Why do you want to be away from me an entire evening?” Finlay asked.

“I just got home yesterday, after being away for a month. I have missed you and Martina,” Sam added. Medow looked at me.

“Some advice from someone who has been mated for years. The men will be clingy and needy. It’s cute, and it’s tempting to give in to these cute faces,” she told me, pinching Sam’s cheek.

“But you need to set boundaries. You don’t want to give in every time.

It’s healthy to spend some time apart from time to time. ”

“Sounds like good advice,” I said, nodding.

“No. Don’t listen to her. What does she know?” I looked up at Finlay who was giving me puppy dog eyes. I covered his eyes with my hand.

“I love you and I will miss you, but I will have an evening with my friends and you can help Sam and Jake look after the pups,” I told him.

“Good idea!” Medow agreed.

“Why don’t you love me?” Sam asked.

“Honestly!” Medow snorted. We looked at each other and giggled.

Sam and Finlay surrendered and Sam and Medow left.

Finlay asked Jake and Shelly to come to our office.

We made our way there. I looked at the double desk as if I had never seen it before.

Finlay and I had worked at the desk together for years.

He hated the paperwork needed for the pack, I usually helped him get through it, but I had never used the empty part of the desk.

Just like the empty chair at the top tier table, it had not been for me. Now it was mine to claim.

“It won’t bite,” Finlay told me and pushed me in the direction of the desk.

“I just got a heavy dose of imposter syndrome,” I confessed.

“It’s yours. Fair and square. As my Luna, this is your place. If you feel better about it, you can always sit in my lap,” he offered. I laughed.

“I would like it, but I think we should keep this professional,” I said.

We sat down behind our desks. Finlay pulled my chair as close to his as it would go.

I didn’t object as I liked the closeness just as much as he did.

There was a knock on the door and Jake mindlinked us to let us know it was him and Shelly.

We invited them in and asked them to sit down on the visitors’ chairs. Jake was holding Rose.

“I hope you don’t mind that we brought her. She has been clingy with Jake since he got back,” Shelly said.

“Not at all,” I told her. “Martina behaves the same way with Sam.”

“We have asked to talk to you because we have an issue,” Finlay started.

I wanted to roll my eyes at how dramatic he was.

“Since Amie now is our Luna, she can’t also be our Beta.

That leaves a chair at our table empty.” Both Jake and Shelly nodded, neither seemed as to catch on to what Finlay was saying.

“We would like for you to fill it, Jake,” I said.

“Me?” he asked as if it was the most unthinkable thing he had ever heard.

“Yes, you. You really impressed us during the game and it’s clear how dedicated you are to this pack.

In addition, Shelly, you have been a great help to Medow while we have been away.

We think you would be a great addition as well.

I’m not going to lie. The next year or two will be tough.

We are a new pack in the top rank. We have few allies and it means a lot of packs will want to establish diplomacy.

It will mean a lot of research, meetings and trips to meet with packs,” Finlay told them.

They looked at each other and I knew they were discussing it.

We let them have a moment and I focused on playing with Finlay’s fingers. Finlay observed me with joyfulness.

“We have made a decision,” Jake said. Finlay and I put our focus back on the couple and the pup in front of us.

“We would be honoured. I would be honoured. I will do my best to live up to the standard of Beta, we have had two of the best wolves for the role,” Jake told us. I smiled.

“I think you will be amazing. It’s clear you both are dedicated to the pack and you are brilliant, Jake,” I said. “And I will be here to hand things over to you.” Finlay placed a kiss on the back of my hand.

“I’m happy you accepted. We will need a day or two for Amie to clear out the office and you have earned some time off. But we expect you to be ready to join in any meeting of the top tier starting today. I will announce it to the pack at lunch,” he said.

“Yes, Alpha.” We let them get on with their day. They had a lot to talk about and they needed to tell their children as well.

“So. What is up next on that list of yours?” Finlay asked.

“Speaking to my parents. Elder and Becky won’t be home for another couple of days, but I don’t want to wait.”

“We can do it here, or we can do it at home.”

“At home, on the porch. I will make us some lemonade,” I said.

“You have the best ideas,” he told me.

“You seem excited,” I remarked as we were walking back to our house, hand in hand, with a pitcher of lemonade I had made in the pack kitchen as we still hadn’t had time to shop and our fridge was empty.

“I like your parents. I enjoy talking to them and they always make me feel like I’m part of the family.

It’s nice.” He can be so adorable, I thought as he got glasses while I got comfortable on the couch out back.

I sent a text to my parents asking if it was okay to call.

They answered almost straight away we could call when we were ready.

Finlay poured the lemonade and sat down next to me with his arm around me.

I called my dad and he and my mom showed up on my screen.

“Hi,” both Finlay and I said at the same time. My parents’ smiles grew bigger.

“Hello you two, did you make it back safely?” my mom asked.

“Yes, it was an uneventful trip,” Finlay told her.

“And the pack?” she wanted to know. I laughed.

“They got a nice surprise. I think they have received the news well,” I said.

“Don’t listen to her,” Finlay objected. “The pack is ecstatic.” I elbowed him as my parents laughed.

“Have a look at this mom,” I said as a way to distract her and let the camera show the garden, the wildflower covered meadow beyond it, the creek and the woods.

“Oh my. That is an amazing garden,” I heard her say. I put the camera back on us.

“Ready to talk about what happened on your last day at the game?” my dad asked.

“How much has Elder told you?” I asked.

“Not much. Just enough to let us know James did something which could have ended badly, but thanks to Finlay and you, disaster was avoided,” he told us.

‘Do you want to tell them?’ Finlay asked in a mindlink.

‘No, you go ahead. And don’t try to lessen it.

Elder will end up telling them everything,’ I told him.

Finlay kissed my hair and told my parents everything.

I watched my parents pale and my father’s face took on a hard look.

Again, I got a feeling I was making their lives harder.

It was as I was thrown back ten years in time.

Finlay had finished his story and we let my parents take it all in.

‘Stop it, Red. This is not your fault. You are not the one who caused this and I will not let you feel guilty because of it,’ he said in a mindlink.

‘I will try.’

‘You will not try, you will do.’ I smiled.

‘Yes, Alpha.’

“That is not what I was expecting, or hoping, to hear. How he could do something like it. Even thinking of coming between a true mated and marked pair,” my dad said. His voice made it clear how offended he was by the thought.

“Are you okay, Finlay?” my mom asked.

“I’m fine, all healed and it doesn't look like there will be much of a scar,” he answered.

“We are grateful for your leniency. We all know the punishment for the offence and our pack would have suffered. As a member of the Eagle Forest pack, I appreciate what you did. As your dad, I wish you had reported everything to the council and let the man who hurt you and then hurt your mate, face his crimes.” We all looked at him.

“Someone is grumpy today,” my mom said and kissed my dad.

“We are far enough apart for us to feel safe; it won't happen again,” Finlay said. Both my parents nodded.

“Have you given any thought to receiving a call from the others?” my mom asked.

“Are they still interested in talking even though I rejected James?” I asked. I had thought their will to talk to me had stemmed from me potentially being their Luna.

“Of course they do. They just want to see how you are,” my mom said.

“But you don’t need to, pumpkin,” my dad added. My mom nodded in agreement.

“I would like to do it, as long as Finn can be there as well,” I said. I wanted him there as he made me feel safe, and I knew he would never let me take a call like it without him.

“I don’t think anyone will object to that,” my dad said.

“And we will be there as well,” my mom told me.

“That is a given,” my dad agreed.

“Then you can set it up. We will be a little busy the coming days with celebrating our rank, me moving, the new Beta settling in…”

“And the mating ceremony,” Finlay added.

“And that,” I added. My mom and I shared a look. She didn’t need to tell me how much she wished she could be present for my mating ceremony.

“We will wait for a week or so,” my dad told me.

“Sounds good,” I said. We continued talking for another half hour. We managed to stay on topics which were happier. When we said goodbye and hung up, I relaxed into Finlay.

“I really like these calls with your family,” he said as he watched me play with his fingers.

“Good. They have now adopted you, so you won’t get rid of them.”

“I’m more than happy to keep them. As long as your dad doesn't start calling me pumpkin.” I laughed.

“That’s my nickname, I will fight you for it,” I told him. We both laughed. “Time for lunch?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s nice to get back to the usual routines. It was nice having the meals in a small group, but it will be even better to have them in the pack’s dining hall again.” I could only agree.