“Anna,” James came forward and hugged his sister saying nothing else. (2)


    Netta dly epted his embrace. He seemed still the rambunctious unstable wolf, but I could tell he


    was starting to see past it.


    “How are you,” she squeezed him tightly and checked his face for any scars.


    “Fine,” he grumbled and rolled his eyes.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “We’re here now so anything you need you talk to us,” Charles came and hugged her.


    “I’m doing alright you shouldn’t even be here,” she whined grabbing onto her big brother.


    Despite all my wife’s pleas for her brothers to stay away she had lightened in the few minutes in their


    presence.


    “Alpha Grayson,” he stuck his hand out to me.


    Everything that this man did was with intention thest time we met he hadn’t greeted me with my title.


    Now he


    looked me in the eyes and shook my hand.


    I was always strong in my title but the breath of relief I let out wasn’t surprising to me. They were her


    family I wanted


    them to know she was safe with me.


    “Thank you for allowing us toe here and help,” he nodded at me.


    “Anything to keep her safe,” I nodded back.


    I would let the devil himself walk onto mynds if it kept her alive. This enemy wanted to hurt me and


    before that


    would have been close to impossible, but now I had everything to lose.


    “James you need to go to the wall you’ll be following Beta Matthew and defending, Charlie and


    Grayson have work to do. Remember that you are in our debt so you have to do everything the men tell


    you,” Ate spoke softly to him not in that nagging tone mother’s use but in a helpful way.


    “Stupid but fine,” James shrugged.


    “Or I could let Grayson do what he wanted and you can go muck out all the stables, the barns, pig


    pens, chicken


    coops…


    “Never mind I’m d to defend these noblends,” James demeanor shifted and now I was tempted to


    make him do it so he’d leam to behave.


    Anna seemed to think that if you constantly brow beat her brother nothing would ever work she’d asked


    me to instead give him responsibility so he had a sense of pride.


    “I love you all I have to go and end to the wounded warrior we’ve taken in I’ll see youter,” she came


    over and k*ssed my cheek. Elizabeth and Aarron following her.


    “Shall we?” I asked as I turned and started walking towards the keep.


    Charles was here to help me lead but I had no doubt his father wanted him to see the in and outs of an


    actual wolf


    war


    They had waited and no doubt we’re ning more attacks for the trade and hunting season.


    They wanted us when we had to move so that they could get us low on resources, our in the open and


    left weak.


    “We need to set up trade routes with the other packs of the region. I need to help give defense to


    another pack allies the Waxing Pride Ate reminded me they’ve just had their first pup and if this


    enemy wants to elicit anger from me they’ll try and hurt them deeply.”


    I was hoping he would understand that I took these attacks personally all of them. I knew my actions


    lead to this despite what Ate may say I had a hand in creating these events that now has put


    everyone in danger.


    You believe they’re the next to be attacked?” He surmised.


    “I think this pack wants me without a leg to stand on helpless when theye for us,” I replied.


    This was a big picture game I couldn’t miss a step because they wouldn’t hesitate at any opportunity.


    They wanted revenge so this was only ever going to be personal.


    “How are you thinking of managing the trade routes with an enemy watching you all so closely?” He


    seemed intrigued.


    “It’ll be tricky, the routes will have to protected and scouted now. Which means a lot of man power and


    low defenses on packnds. If she’d let me I’d keep Ate inside the house until trade is done.” I


    crossed my arms pulling up a map of the trade routes.


    “Do you have money?”


    It took a lot in me not to snap at him.


    “I understand you’re new to this but try not to be so blunt,” and that was me saying this. “What are you


    trying to get


    “You have a helicopter try and air lift the trade,” he suggested.


    “I have a helicopter we traderge amounts throughout this alliance, I shook my head.


    “So it has to be trade routes then. You could travel at night, go all at once, use trackers. Many different


    things all together to ensure the trades safety,” he changed his understanding.


    “That’s what I was thinking. Pull a bunch of defensive tactics and then the cargo will be safe. We trade


    pelts, fabric, and food to the other packs in return we get meat, metal, weapons, armor, wood, grains,


    and other foods. It’s a bnce that we’ve worked hard to keep alive,” I stressed the importance of this


    so perhaps he would understand that to be an Alpha meant sometimes protecting more than just your


    own pack.


    “Your pack is the biggest, the fichest, and the most popted out of the region which means they look


    to you. You’re going to have to lot to keep them all a float”


    give a


    12:37 Wed, 13 Mar 1


    “The Mountain Crescent pack makes the weapons but they rely heavily on nature’s defenses so I


    understand them being hit first. Luckily their armory is more of a bunker. None their trade was stolen


    and they pushed the attack out by


    morning.” I exined to him.


    “This pack attacks at night, stalks at night, defends at night. So you should move the trade during the


    day,”


    “Something like that,”


    After walking him through my ns for the defense of the Waxing Pride pack and the help I was


    sending them for their son, I suggested we go to the gym.


    “It’s been a while since I’ve


    good exercise,” I smirk had someone equal to spar against Matt suffices but you’re a first born Alpha


    son, it’I be a


    to


    yself.


    I noticed him stiffen at my jab and I could feel him ready to hand me my ass on a te for the remark. I


    was going to war. I didn’t want to be unprepared I wanted to fight someone on my level and I wanted


    them to fight for real so when


    the time came I coulde back from it.


    We got to the sparring house side of the keep and we wrapped our hands and got into the ring. I have


    no doubt that he had been waiting for a chance to fight me again, thest time he’d bowed out at his


    fathers behest, now he coulde after me unleashed.


    **This will be fun


    He and I inched closer and closer to each other both waiting for a move to be made not wanting to


    leave himself open


    to attack.


    I was a patient man when it came to fighting goddess knows I’ve been practicing patience for months


    now. SO he


    broke first.


    A quick stiff jab to my chest I swallowed the punch and he seemed thrown for a second that I had


    taught myself that ability. I still didn’t move I wanted to see how he fought see if it came down to it she’d


    be safe.


    If we had known this wasing a while ago we would have killed them and she wouldn’t be in danger


    but she was about to get pregnant almost certainly which meant she couldn’t jeopardize herself or our


    baby and fight.


    Having someone else fight for her was nothing short of hell on earth for her, I listened and chuckled to


    myself daily at her ire and frustration at having guards when she could talk them all on and walk away


    without a scratch.


    She was of Alpha Blood she didn’t need a defender she was the greatest defense a pack would need.


    No other woman. couldpare to her strength, some men didn’te close, but the thing she’d


    dreamt of all her life was knocking on the door and she couldn’t risk the pup.


    He jabbed at me again once or twice, quick sharp movements of force trying to sense my weaknesses,


    gauge where he could use all of his strength to knock me down. Logical in battle was good, not being


    goaded was also important.


    “You fight worse than half of my new warriors,” I squinted down at him with my few inches on him.


    He didn’t fall for it, only swallowing and waiting for a physical blow for me. He was doing good, he was


    well trained for never seeing real battle.


    Finally I gave arge swing to his side, he felt it for sure but pushed through it and came for my head. I


    dodged it by a hair the wish of air brushing my face, I went for an uppercut and he mmed his arms


    down on my forearm harshly.


    In return I kneed him in the stomach and this time he didn’t miss my face, I secretly cursed knowing


    Netta would not be happy with my bruised face at dinner. She would no doubt lecture me on the ideals


    of being weing to her family and not increasing the tension between us.


    1 jabbed and pushed him back as my brain gathered itself through the daze of a direct blow of good


    strength. He was no doubt as strong as me, mostly.


    It seemed amon trait for her family to get the wind knocked out of them, but Charles was


    withstanding my blows to his ribs. He stopped my advance on him by crashing both of his elbows into


    my back.


    I fell on my face and I chuckled to myself. A challenge was a good thing, I was even starting to wonder


    if I’d been able to win Ate if he’d stayed in that fight.


    But I knew what to do. I faked a coughing fit and grabbed his ankles and and climbed on top


    ed him down with me


    of him.


    “Yield now,” I ordered, bringing my fist up ready to get my victory.


    “Nope,” He attempted to knee me in a cruel spot but I punched him and he was too dazed to finish


    through.


    He punched me bak and we started trading face blows and we had started to bleed.


    In hindsight I understand she would have been upset to see us fighting at all, but walking in at that


    moment wasn’t good at all.


    “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!**


    Her grow! broke us apart, she stood at the door of the cage red faced and her wolf’s blue eyes


    reced her own.


    “Sparring,”


    “Sparring.”


    It was a pathetic exnation but we both felt the shame of small children covered in mud, but instead


    we were grown and bloodied. Our pride had caused us to forgo the rules of sparring.


    “This is how you two greet each other!” She huffed pulling me by the arm off of Chalres.


    “Nice job Charlie,” James pped from outside the ring.


    “James,” She shrieked.


    I did my best not to but I startedughing and then Charles did too. James rolled his eyes and walked


    off but even


    Nettaughed a little too.


    “I swear I don’t think I’ll leave you alone again, just because you have someone with the same strength


    you have to do this,” She shook her head smiling at me.


    1 shrugged in response, pleased she wasn’t to angry and could see the humor in this.


    “Just stay here, I’m going to get the first aid kit,” She walked out of the ring.


    Charles came over to me sticking out his hand. “Good match. For the record I can tell that she trusts


    and cares for you now. This means I see you as my family,”


    You


    as well,” I had not been prepared for this deration.


    “But if it everes down to it I will let you burn alive to save her,”


    “Good.”


    Chapter Comments


    Angel S


    Ok, there is a slow burn and then there is whatever this is. A fizzle perhaps?


    chrys “Jeadolphin” fullerton


    really liking the story waiting for the next chapter


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