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Allessia was saddened. The secret has been very heavy on her heart. No one knew about this, and she wished she could open up to Valerie about it, but that would be a betrayal to Alpha Denzel. "I’m sorry. I can’t tell you."

Valerie forced a smile. Maybe Alpha Denzel and Allessia were in some secret relationship. If she was his reason for rejecting her, it was worth it, as she couldn’t help liking Allessia. The girl was such a kind soul, making it all worth it.

"We go way back, but trust me, it’s not what you think," Allessia cleared the waters. "It’s not a romantic relationship."

Valerie was ashamed of all her indecent thoughts. If Allessia’s relationship with Alpha Denzel was not a romantic one, did it mean that he didn’t have a woman? Why did he reject her then? What did she do to him? She made a mental note to ask Allessia later. She might have a clue or something.

"Alpha Denzel must be disciplined. I saw from here, some of the female warriors on top of the mountain. They are very beautiful."

Allessia smiled in agreement. "He isn’t like Alpha Idris or most other Alphas. I don’t know how he does it, but yes. Women don’t have a place on his mind. Only the well-being of his pack."

"No wonder it was easy for him to reject me. Or, is he gay or something?" Valerie asked half-jokingly, busying herself with packaging the food for Allessia to take away. The latter laughed so hard, she snorted.

"I don’t know why he rejected you, but he’s not gay. Are you sure that you don’t know why he rejected you? Have you offended him before?"

Valerie thought carefully. "I’ve always heard a lot about him, but trust me, my first time seeing him in person was on my..." it was painful for the words to come out of her mouth, but Allessia understood.

"I understand, but tell you what? I will find out and let you know. How about that?"

Valerie was pleased with the arrangement. "I look forward to it. So what do you want to know?" She narrowed the discussion, and Allessia perked up and began to explain.

"I was the gamma of my pack. The business here is bigger, and I’m not as tough as Adira. Can you help me train after your foot heals?" She asked pleadingly.

Valerie smiled and responded, "I can still help even with my injured foot." She had long wanted to mentor her younger sister Scarlet, but the little wench never took the pack matters seriously, rather busy with a mate who wasn’t hers to begin with.

If Allessia was humble enough to learn, then Valerie was more than willing to help.

"Thank you very much. I don’t know how to handle the people in charge of the pack businesses. They are all older than me. I am yet to study the documents though."

Valerie pulled a chair and sat in front of her. "You should go study the documents carefully first and use your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, then it’s not right. Do all that before making an appearance in their offices."

Allessia frowned and asked, "Can’t I inspect the offices first?"

Valerie shook her head. "No. First impressions are lasting impressions. The worst you can do as a leader is to expose your ignorance. Don’t forget that Adira was very competent. You should prove yourself better because whether you like it or not, they are going to compare."

"When your visit puts them on their toes, trust me, it will lessen your workload as they wouldn’t want to mess with you. Take your time and equip yourself with the right information before going there."

"Also, you can spend extra time at the stores, checking the prices and labels to make sure they are in fair competition with other packs. Then, you can make brilliant suggestions," Valerie concluded. Allessia listened attentively, making mental notes of all that was being said.

This was the reason why she wanted to give Valerie the phone. As a non-pack member, she was not privy to mindlink, so Allessia would not be able to communicate with her from the packhouse.

"Do you think there might be corrupt people in the pack?" She suddenly asked. Valerie nodded her head with a small smile, recalling her experiences managing her pack.

"There are corrupt people everywhere, but sometimes, they just might not operate when the leader is always a step ahead. The moment you get accustomed to everything, it will be easy for you to delegate responsibilities while playing the supervisory role."

Allessia sighed with expectation. "You make it sound easy, but it’s a lot of work."

To Valerie, it was something she enjoyed doing. Managing the pack took her mind off the delay in finding her mate. Now she was wishing to have never found him.

"I don’t know if it’s allowed, but I won’t mind helping if you bring some of the documents here."

Allessia recalled Alpha Denzel’s warnings, knowing he would never agree. "I..."

"I know he won’t agree, so let’s leave it there. He only sees me as a traitor," Valerie said bitterly. After everything, she still couldn’t hate Alpha Denzel as he gave her the best place she never imagined to live in.

Valerie loved the cottage better than her packhouse in the Yellowstone pack but knew she shouldn’t expect too much. Alpha Denzel could move her out at any time.

"Are you?" Allessia asked seriously. She so desperately wanted to trust Valerie; the latter was lost for words. It was understandable if she was judged. After all, Allessia didn’t know her.

"If you think that I am, then why did you ask for my help?" Valerie asked seriously, and Allessia’s head lowered.

"Because I keep telling my Alpha that you aren’t what he thinks you are. I hope I’m not wrong," Allessia asked keenly, and Valerie’s heart warmed.

"Aless, I might not like your Alpha, but I can never steal nor attack your pack. I still owe him my life, and I love this cottage better than my former packhouse."

Allessia smiled and spread her arms, hugging Valerie tightly.

"I believe you. Thank you very much. I will take the food now. There’s so much to do in the office, but I will come back in the evening to learn some strong battle moves.

I know that I can’t depend on my Alpha all the time, and neither do I want to disappoint him. "

Allessia pulled away from the hug, feeling serene. Valerie felt different too. "For as long as I’m alive, I promise to help you," she vowed solemnly.

"Thank you." Allessia merely stood up when they heard Alpha Denzel’s voice.

"Check the state of her foot. I want to know the reason why her healing is delayed," Alpha Denzel spoke seriously, not observing how pale Valerie was.

The doctor was shocked when he saw the wound after removing the bandage.

"Oh no."

"What is the problem?" Alpha Denzel asked, fighting back the worry in his voice.