The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,7
only option."
Jared spoke softly, his voice thick with emotion. "There is nobody else, old friend. But even if there were, you’re the most trustworthy alpha I’ve ever met. Being your pack beta would be my honor.” With a soft sigh, he paused for a second. “Matty, I hate to ask this of you, but we need you—Elisha needs you—and time grows short."
"Give me an hour and a half to get there. And Jared? Thank you for giving a shit. But do me a favor? I don't like the idea of the weaker pack members being left unguarded in town while you and the gammas are sequestered. Tell those gamma wolves to get off their asses and go get every leftover pack member. I want them behind the safety of those walls, and I want it done before I get there, or my first act as alpha will be finding some new gammas."
Jared chuckled lightly. "There's the alpha I remember. Hurry home, Matty. It's been far too long."
Three
Matt
As I rolled through my hometown, whatever tension I felt about returning to Lucerne Valley quickly turned into anger. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn't finding the place in shambles. Even under the darkness of night, thanks to a full moon and sharp wolf vision, everything was as clear as if the sun was up.
When I left, our pack had enjoyed a well-maintained, bustling community. We were located about thirty miles, as the crow flies, from the place shown on California maps as Lucerne Valley. But to find our much smaller town—it didn't really have a name other than Longclaw Packlands—you had to know which dirt road to take through the expanse of desert we called home.
In order to truly comprehend what I was seeing, I had to slow down and stop. Shops with boarded-over windows and tattered canopies flapping in the wind. Overgrown plots of land where community gardens and play areas used to be. Heart sinking, I kickstarted my bike and began moving again.
The small clusters of homes showed no pride in ownership. Peeling paint, sagging roofs and dirty windows, filthy from the last sandstorm, made the place look like the world's poorest ghost town. None of the scraggly yards I passed featured so much as a bike thrown down in a front yard or a random ball.
The more I saw, the sicker I felt. Would bringing this community back to life be possible if I did manage to retake it from Monty? Shaking my head, I sped up and rode uphill when I reached the edge of town. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the gated alpha mansion, I was ready to punch something.
How could any pack Alpha have thought living in splendor was okay while his people didn't seem to have the most basic of their needs met? Here, where every window glowed with well-lit rooms, I realized what else had been missing back in town. If Jared had brought the pack here like I’d asked, it made sense if none of the houses had lights on. But the shops? No, not even one of the stores had so much as a blinking sign either.
Was the pack so poor or frugal the stores no longer bothered with security lights, or was what I suspected the real truth? Surely, the alpha mansion wasn't the only place with electricity around here.
Growling under my breath, I stopped in front of the gate and tried my old gate code on the keypad. Surprisingly, it actually worked, and the gate slid open. With an angry kick, I got my bike moving again and revved my engine, taking off like a shot up the driveway.
I parked and turned off the engine, removing my helmet and cursing my uncle's name as I got a better look at the perfectly maintained property. Here, there was a nice green lawn, and the paint job was as fresh as the day the old place was built. I was still grumbling under my breath and wishing it were possible to bring Alpha Horace back to life so I could choke it out of him again when the front door swung open.
An older but nonetheless completely familiar-looking face smiled back at me, and I found myself grinning and waving like a damn fool. "Jared! Goddess, but it is good to see you." I got off the bike and stashed my gloves and helmet before running up the stairs to greet him with a hug. We clasped each