Page 8

*Adira*

T he door of the farmhouse kitchen opens slamming against the wall, both Robbie and Mavis stomp inside and throw themselves into seats at the table. I blink, but say nothing. It’s best to wait for them to calm and then inform me what has happened.

“I told them what I thought about all this garbage the Elder Council is spouting. The Town Council members are as angry as we are, and it seems the Elder Council have put out an invitation to pack Alphas to register their interest by writing directly to you.” Taking a deep breath Robbie continues, “It seems that you will receive a lot of requests soon, and you may have some Alphas arriving in town unannounced. We’ll have to inform Leo so he can have the patrol on guard and be ready to intercept if necessary. ”

“One of our patrols will be unable to take down an Alpha, and he’ll more than likely have his Beta, and maybe another one or two with him.

Even if, as now, we have two patrolling they will be ineffective in stopping them.

I’ll speak with Leo and Thorn later today and see what they want to do about this.

” I walk over and do the unthinkable, which is taking the lid from the pot that is simmering on the stove.

“Hey, leave that be. It’s needing a little more time before I can do it.” Robbie jumps to his feet and eases me away. He’s so obsessed with his stove, food, and garden it’s a little laughable.

Mavis steps over to the stove and peers into the pot, “What is it you are making, Robbie?”

“It’s chutney, Mavis. Pumpkin chutney, to be precise. I’m canning it and then, after storing what I want for the farmhouse, I’m going to put it in the store cupboard for selling.”

“Oh, well, can you keep me one, please? I’ll buy one because it smells amazing, and it’s not even ready yet.”

“Mavis, you can have one for free because you are one of us, although you don’t live here, you do as much as we do to keep this farmhouse and our Alpha up to par.” Robbie grins at Mavis and I can see they have a nice friendship starting.

“Oh, thank you, Robbie.” Mavis turns to me and gives me a beaming smile, then frowns as she seems to remember something. “I have found something about the Strongbow Pack, Alpha Adira.”

After Robbie gives his pot a stir, he rushes over and sits next to me as we both wait for Mavis to get her thoughts into order. She has a faraway look, and although I’m impatient, I continue to wait.

“Okay. What I have found I have verified the best I can with the archives in the main library, and your library here at the farmhouse. It seems Blaflono was meticulous in his recording of events. The trouble started well before you were born. It seems the old Alpha of the Blue River Pack wanted to mate with your grandmother, who wanted nothing to do with Alpha River because your grandfather was her fated mate.” Mavis takes a breath and takes the glass of juice Robbie has poured for all three of us.

“What was their names? My grandparents,” I ask.

“Alpha Theodore and Luna Finessa. They were fabulous leaders of the pack, and their son, your father, Alpha Chanon, was revered as well. Your mother, from what I’ve found, was strong, fearless, and very independent, which caused your father fits at times.

” Mavis smiles when she comments about my mother. “Your mother's name was Luna Arieka.”

Robbie snarls, surprising both myself and Mavis because he sounded like a wolf shifter. “So, you are telling us that all this happened because some piece of crap wanted a woman he was not entitled to?”

“Yes, but he also wanted the Strongbow packlands. He thought if he got your grandmother, then he could decimate them from within, and by doing so, take the pack.” Mavis sips her juice and looks as devastated as both myself and Robbie.

“But, you know he was wrong because the pack wasn’t your grandmother’s and it would never have been hers.

She mated into the pack. I honestly think he was losing his mind, and should have been looking for his fated mate to save himself. ”

“What happened to him?” Robbie asks before I can and I give him an irritated look, but he shrugs his shoulders before turning back to Mavis.

“The amusing thing about all this is after all this went down, the Blue River Pack started to have issues. Matings were going wrong, the pups, or lack of, were becoming more prominent. My thoughts, and from what I read, were also Blaflono’s, was that the Moon Goddess was making him pay for killing her people.

” Mavis stops speaking and looks into her glass of juice, collecting herself.

“His son died during that fight and the current Alpha is Alpha Rudik River, who is the grandson, and he’s showing signs of trying to rectify some of the issues the Blue River Pack has had, such as other packs not wanting to trade.

They have not been welcomed in Huntsville, which we’ve now renamed to Hunters Bow Pack, as you both know. ”

“Well, we will not be doing any trading with him, no matter how he tries to rectify his grandfather's sins. Killing an entire pack is not something you should recover from, and your line should not be able to lick boots to get things going your way,” I snap.

‘We cannot blame future generations, Adira. That makes us spiteful, and that is not who we are. He would only be a pup when all this went down, so you cannot blame him for his grandfather's and father’s sins.’

“I’ll try to not think of him in that way, but I still don’t want him coming here,” I close my link to Blue as I don’t want her nagging at me. But I also acknowledge that I can’t blame Alpha Rudik for a past he had no involvement with, even if I would like to do just that.

“You finished linking with Blue?” Robbie asks and I give him a nod before standing and stepping over to the sink where I rinse the glass I had used for my juice.

“I’ll think about what we should do if Alpha Rudik contacts us, but Alpha Rudik River will be discussed with Leo, Stella and yourself, Robbie. ”

“That’s the best thing to do, Alpha Adira. Now, come on, you can help me sow some vegetable seeds, ready for a good harvest later in the year.” Robbie walks out of the kitchen and I give Mavis a shrug as I pass by her, ready to follow Robbie.

“I’ll see you later, Alpha Adira. I need to go do some work at the library or the Town Council members will give me trouble.” Mavis walks out of the kitchen behind me, but heads in the opposite direction.

As I follow Robbie I can’t help but think there is more to the story of why Alpha River did what he did. Eventually, I’m determined to find all the answers to every question that I have.

“This is good, Robbie. I would like to help again if you would be happy to allow it. Sowing seeds for the benefit of the house and pack is something that is…”

“Alpha Adira, there’s someone in town who is asking to speak with you.

We have allowed him to sit in Asher’s store, but he’s not happy he cannot come to you at the farmhouse,” Conris, one of the pack members, states.

Conris is a Leopard shifter, and he’s a mild-mannered, and reliable member from what I’ve been told.

“Did this person say who they were?” I ask, but have an itchy feeling this isn’t going to be good.

“He said he is your Papa?”

“Oh, I see. Okay, give me a moment to wash up and I’ll be along with you.” I give Robbie a look that says I’m sorry to leave him, then comment, “My Papa is in town. I have to see what he wants.” Robbie frowns knowing I don’t want to see anyone from my old pack.

Walking into Asher’s store a while later, along with Conris, who has stayed by my side, I give a “Thank you,” to Asher as I walk past him and into his living area, which is at the back of the shop.

Stepping inside, I see my Papa sitting at the table, with a drink in hand, but looking as though he’d rather be anywhere but here.

“What can I do for you?” I ask, not giving him the title of Papa. Now I know he’s not and will never be.

“Adira. I wanted to come and speak to you. I want you to know that I never saw you as a job. You were my daughter, and I still see you as my daughter…”

I cut him off from his speech, which is what it is.

“You can stop right there. We both know I was never treated the same as you treated Joliee. I always thought it was because she was the youngest, but it wasn’t was it?

It was because she really is your flesh and blood, where I’m just a monthly payment. ”

“It might have been like that for your mama, but it wasn’t for me.

You were my little girl, my pup, who I still love as much now as when you were tiny.

I’m so sorry that I allowed my mate to do what she did, and I’ve spoken to the Mystic, who is, as we all know in contact with the Moon Goddess.

I have asked for my fated mate bond to be broken so I can step away from your Mama, and the pack. ”

That has shocked me, and I take a seat opposite Papa and study his face for any clue of dishonesty. I see nothing but regret.

“Do you realize how dangerous it was to come here? I had an order that if you came to turn you away, and if you came a second time, that you would not leave intact.”

Nodding, showing understanding in his demeanor.

“I understand, and it’s what would have been right.

But I wanted the chance to speak to you, and to inform you that as soon as the bond is broken, I will leave the pack and go rogue.

I would like to join your pack and be a part of what you are doing here, if you would allow it.

Allow me to make amends for letting you down, as your Papa. ”

“Are you going back to the Blackbird Pack now?” I ask, knowing he’ll take back any information he has found.

“No, I’m going to the Dark Water Pack, as Alpha James has allowed me to stay there until this mess with your mama is done with. I have no contact with Joliee or Travis, they both sicken me and I have no doubt there will be trouble between them, given time.

I let it be known to Joliee, Travis, Alpha Benedict and your mama that what they did not only went against the Moon Goddess, but their loss of the best Luna the pack could have had.

I can tell you it did not go down well with any of them, but I wanted it said.

I moved out of the house that same day and lived in the warrior halls until I went to the Dark Water Pack asking for the Alpha’s help. ”

“Okay. Give me a week, then come back and speak to me once more. I’ll hold a meeting with my Beta and Gamma to get their thoughts, but I can’t promise anything.

I don’t know if I can trust you. But I still have love in my heart for you.

” I can feel Blue sending warmth to me, which is her way of showing her support.

Once Papa has gone, led out by Conris because at this moment we don’t know if we can trust him, I quickly make my way back to the farmhouse.

Half an hour later, I’m watching Robbie mumbling to himself as he stashes a large knife into one of the cabinets in the kitchen.

I have no idea what he is doing, but I keep myself in the shadow of the large fridge and watch as he takes out a weapon, gives it the once over then mumbles about it being in the hallway, in the area underneath the staircase.

I rush quietly into the living room and peep to see what he’s doing.

Again, he stashes the weapon before moving to climb the stairs.

“What are you doing, Robbie?” I ask.

Robbie jumps nearly two feet into the air, throws a hand over his heart and gives me a nasty look. “Don’t do that. You scared the living daylights out of me.”

“What are you doing?” I repeat.

“Well, I think we have issues with the lion pack, we have trouble with your old pack, we have trouble with the Elder Council, AND we are going to have Alphas coming trying to steal you away,” taking a deep breath he continues, “so I thought if we are going to be at war then I’ll be ready.

I have stashed weapons all over the house, then if we get stuck in a room we have something to grab to defend ourselves. ”

“I see, and have you made a list of where you have stashed all the weaponry, then we all will know where it is if we get stuck in a room?”

“Shit.” Robbie rushes away, mumbling about having to find everything he has hidden so far to make a list. I can’t help but smile at him, because Robbie is Robbie and I love him to pieces.

Walking into the bathroom a while later, I stop and shake my head because in the corner is a baseball bat, which has flowers painted on it and a bow. Obviously, Robbie thinks this is a decorative piece that he’s hidden in full view. I giggle to myself because he is nuts, totally and crazily nuts.