The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,24
to spend a night. Meanwhile, the town crumbled around him. This fancy alpha manse had green lawns and Wi-Fi, while the community park was overgrown with weeds.
"What's up with the electricity situation? I didn't see one light when I went through town last night. Is the pack so broke we can't afford to leave security lights on in the stores anymore? Honestly, it looked like a ghost town."
Disgusted, Shawn waved a hand toward the recessed lighting over our heads. "Horace had solar power installed here a few years ago. A few months later, a killer storm went through, and a bolt of lightning knocked out the transformer providing power to the town. He refused to report it or allow us to repair it ourselves because he didn't trust humans enough to call the power company."
I nearly choked on my tongue. "Seriously? How did people stay in business? Did he not charge them the same taxes my father did? Sorry, I'm trying to understand why he wouldn't care enough to make sure the pack had power."
Jared tapped his finger rapidly against the table, the sole sign of stress on his otherwise placid demeanor. "No, it was quite the opposite, in fact. Horace raised pack taxes, but he did nothing in exchange. The few businesses still operational used generators to get by. I’ve been trying to convince the pack to combine their resources for solar power or even a few wind-powered turbines, but no dice. It's hard to argue when the business owners counter with how much they are already paying in taxes."
Growling softly, Shawn narrowed his eyes. "They're right. Why should they provide their own utilities when they pay taxes to the pack? We were about to force the issue at our next council meeting, but Horace was killed. It's not simply the electricity—it's everything. Road maintenance, waste removal, and pretty much anything else you can think of. When the town well ran low, we had to let the community garden die. We need to drill for another one. But again, it was part of a long list of things needing to be done for the pack."
What I heard disgusted me, and I felt guilty for never checking back over the years to see how my pack was faring. If I had, I would've known how bad things had gotten and dealt with my uncle myself. Even while silently vowing the pack would never go without again, I couldn't help but ask the obvious question.
"Forgive me if this is offensive, but what about you guys? Isn't the whole purpose of having a gamma council supposed to be a safeguard to make sure people like my uncle don't mistreat their pack?"
Marcus shrugged. "One would think, but not in this case. Horace cited old laws stating our purpose is for pack protection when it comes to overseeing the deltas and planning for defensive maneuvers."
Jared touched my hand. "I reached out to Territory Chief Woodlawn and made an appointment with his office more than once. I wanted him to come visit and see things for himself, but every time, he would cancel my appointment and call Horace instead. He took Horace at his word, and we got left to struggle on our own. After Horace threatened to remove me from my position and kick me out of the pack, I stopped trying."
Now I was pissed off all over again. "Is TC Woodlawn part of the good old boy system or what? I have half a mind to take pictures and send a report to the Supreme Council over this because he failed you."
Bradley held his palms up. "I've met TC Woodlawn, and he's not really a bad guy. Honestly? I think those LA packs and their constant fighting take most of his attention. And what doesn't go to them gets pulled by the water crisis in the central valley or those pretentious mofos in the Bay Area who always claim Southern California gets all the attention. He screwed up where we're concerned, don't get me wrong. I'm just saying I don't think it was intentional."
"Okay, let's table the rest for another day." I took a deep breath, knowing they might be resistant to my first order of business, but my gut said it was the right call. "These are my immediate plans, so you know where I'm at. The small pack of alphas I told you about? I'm going to call them and ask for their assistance."