Katy waited until they were upstairs before she snorted. “Are we supposed to go to school, too?”
I frowned. After GPA had closed, a makeshift school was set up for those students. I had been doing a hybrid version of it at home since I needed to go over plans for the Summit. But looking around the room, I realized none of us had any idea if or when we would be going back to school to finish our senior year.
Shit. I hadn’t really stopped to consider that pulling my friends into council duties might be fucking up their college plans.
“I already talked to Amanda,” Larkin said, lifting her chin as she mentioned one of the teachers from GPA. “She’s going to compile all of our assignments on a weekly basis so we don’t fall behind. They’re giving us a lot of leeway to get them done, and counting a lot of what we’re doing for the pack as independent study. Anything you guys fall behind in any of the basics, I’ll tutor you or she will.”
I smiled at her as Rhodes grabbed her around the waist, kissing her neck.
“I love when you tutor me,” he said playfully, nipping at her throat.
Blushing, Larkin ducked her head.
I cleared my throat. “Thanks, Lark.”
“What’s on the agenda today?” Ryder asked, leaning forward.
“Larkin and I are meeting with the architect for the new houses,” Katy spoke up, sipping her coffee. “We’re hoping we can expedite the timeline and have the first houses done this week.”
“Is that even a possible timeline?” I knew shit about building houses, but ten days to have a house built seemed kind of fast to me.
“We have all the materials on site,” Larkin replied with a nod, “and they broke ground while you were at the Summit. We have the permits and everything already in place, and several men have volunteered to help out.”
“I can come, too,” Ryder offered. “I can probably bring another fifteen or twenty people from our pack to help.”
“That would be great,” Katy said with a smile.
“I guess we’re on the phone tree again?” Rhodes asked, looking at me. “Calling packs?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“If you want Stone Valley, you’ll have to make that call personally,” Dante told me grimly.
I finished my coffee. “Let’s get to work.”
16
Remy
The leather chair creaked under my weight as I leaned back again. No position made this seat any more comfortable, probably because it wasn’t really mine.
I glanced around my father’s office and stifled a sigh.
I remembered this room from when it was my grandfather’s. It had been dark wood and stone, the massive desk carved out of a black rosewood tree had been the statement piece in the room then. My grandfather believed the office should be an extension of his role as Alpha, presenting just as formidable an appearance as he did.
The first thing Dad had done when he became Alpha was renovate the room. The stone had stayed since it was part of the house, but the dark woods were replaced with neutral colors. The desk that my grandfather had made was now in storage, and a more modern, sleek looking desk was in its place. There was also a sitting area that was clearly well used.
Dad had always encouraged us to join him in his office. While his father had been strict and guarded, Dad wanted a more open relationship. Mom was welcome anytime, but it was usually Dad who called her into this space, often seeking her counsel whenever a big decision needed to be made.
Their marriage was a partnership in every sense. From family to pack, they handled everything in stride as a united front.
It was what I had always wanted for myself.
Michael paused in the open doorway. “You ready?”
I nodded, glancing down at the open laptop. I had spent the morning listening to Rhodes, Michael, and Dante making calls, joining in where I could. Three packs had already agreed to join us, and Griffin was heavily leaning towards it as well. Hopefully those numbers would convince Stone Valley that ours was the side to join.
“I could have called him myself, you know.”
“Kincade follows high protocol,” Michael replied with a resigned sigh. “You know the drill.”
James Kincade, the Stone Valley Alpha, was nearly ninety years old and completely old school when it came to pack law. Protocol dictated that the betas set up the meeting. In person was best, but considering the current state of things, neither of us was