The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,69

a lot more life experience, but I swear, sometimes, it feels like you're the single grownup in the room. When I was your age, I was sneaking into bars and trying to find myself."

No doubt about it, Elisha was unusually mature for his age. I knew a lot of it came from how he grew up. But my grandmother would've said he was an old soul. I'd never given much thought to the old expression, but it fit Elisha. Maybe there was more truth than folksy wisdom in my grandma's old sayings.

Cheeks pink, Elisha smiled shyly at the praise. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say so. It's hard being an authority figure when I'm often the youngest person in the room. I'd also like to point out that I was raised for this, too. Like your dad knew you would be his heir, mine had always planned I would be First Mate with the Alpha of his choosing.”

He rolled his eyes at the memory of his father’s plans for him. “And while Dad insisted I was trained so I wouldn't embarrass him, my papa wanted me to be able to confidently run my home. I was younger than Noah when he started. Our tea parties included napkin folding and proper silverware placement.” He paused for a moment, smiling wistfully at the memory.

I loved hearing him talk. He always had so much to say, and all of it was important and interesting. Elisha gave his head a shake and got back to business. “But enough reminiscing. What do you think about getting the school going again? You realize this is also a problem for us personally, right? We either have to hire a tutor or send them to school. Whatever we choose, we should do it sooner than later. It's summer, but the new school year will be starting soon, and we need to have something lined up for them."

"Shit. You're not wrong. We have to get something figured out and fast. Hard decision, though. On the one hand, I think mixing with the pack and getting socialization would be good for the boys. Human kids need it too, but wolf pups thrive on it. I would've been lost if I hadn't been able to go to school. But we also have to think about their security. I don't want to be like your dad and hide them away at home or start tunneling an underground city. I suppose we have deltas to keep them safe, though. They can patrol the school easily enough."

I was mostly thinking out loud, but security was an equally important aspect to consider. Especially since an outsider knew there were young omegas in our pack. "I never should've risked bringing Bart here. Sure, his pack can be a good line of defense if one or more of the city alphas decide to head our way, but I'm not convinced it was worth the fallout."

Resting his head on my shoulder, Elisha rubbed a hand over my chest. "You were doing your best, and finding allies was a good idea. Don't let Bart's disgusting question make you second-guess yourself. We each have our strengths, remember? I like focusing on pack needs, like educating our young, beautifying the community, and making sure everyone’s happy and well fed.”

He paused to kiss the underside of my chin. “But Matt? Safety is paramount, and the sole reason I'm free to relax enough to handle my jobs is because you made me feel secure. You've made the choices you have so far for safety. Besides, it's not your fault those stupid city alphas want to chase you down because they think you're some young punk who won't see them coming. If they do attack, it'll be because they've underestimated you. And finding allies, whether you like them or not, is further proof you're on top of our security needs."

"You're so good for me. I don't know how I ever existed without you, little wolf. I didn't realize how big a job I was taking on with this pack, but I don't regret it for a second. Not only because I feel this is where I'm supposed to be in my bones, but getting to be your mate is worth whatever I have to do. And I don't have any doubts we're building a strong pack and a good community here."

Elisha lifted his head to give me a soft, sweet kiss. After he pulled away, he sat up straight. "I