The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,77

Hopefully, they won't all be assholes."

"No, you'll find a lot of decent, hard-working people over there. And the ones who aren't can either fall into place or petition for a new placement." Ash grinned unrepentantly. "And here’s where I get to have fun. Let me know if they fuck with you. I'll put them somewhere in the Central Valley where the cow shit hangs so strong in the air you can taste it."

As Ash moved on to the other wolves, he recognized them but confirmed their markings with pictures he had on file in his phone, alongside their human likeness and pack information. The next one was Devon's kill, hailing from a small town named Hemet. Ash went through the same routine, asking if Devon was willing to accept what was rightfully his to take.

Devon held his hands out, motioning toward his friends. "Since heading up packs seems to be what the West Coast Wolves are doing nowadays, it seems fair I step up. What kind of pack am I getting? Because I've been through Hemet, and it's a one-horse town if I've ever seen one."

Ash chuckled his agreement. "The best description I've ever heard. Let's see, it says here it's a small pack with a few dozen members. They have a different setup. The pack owns about fifty acres on the outside of town and lives commune-style in a single pack house. They blend in with humans because of the whole hippie look. They’re also farmers, but it's not grapes they're growing. In addition to the vegetables they sell at the local farmer's market, they have a crop of medicinal-grade marijuana they grow for a local dispensary."

Lucian got a kick out of the idea. "Score. After all these years, the West Coast Wolves can finally meet the biker stereotype. Too bad we're all gonna be too busy being responsible to ride the roads and rub it in everyone's faces. Seriously, though, I end up with the wine pack, and Devon inherited a pot farm. The only thing missing is for one of these guys to get a secret whorehouse operation."

"Sorry, I'm afraid not. Although this alpha over there was from one of the property-less LA packs. And when I say small, I mean it. There's about fifteen of them, and they've been renting a group of homes in a cul-de-sac down in Westwood for a few years now. I believe the pack consists of three families and a handful of single guys who operate as the deltas. The good news is you didn't make any enemies because he didn't have a mate or any family. Same goes for all of them, by the way. Probably should've mentioned it. I imagine they joined forces because of it." Ash hesitated before looking back at Matt.

"I’m not sure if you know, but when your beta called, I was having lunch with the Riverside Alpha. He's an old friend, and he cautioned me to warn you when I told him about what happened. Apparently, one of his reasons for wanting to meet with me was so you’d know word was traveling around about the two young omegas in your care." When Matt immediately took up a defensive posture, Ash held up a hand. "Don't worry. I already knew about Monty's boys. I had my office send gifts when they were born, in fact. While I had no use for Monty, his mate was a childhood friend. Steve and I weren't close after his father mated him to Monty—it simply wasn't possible. But I kept tabs on him as much as I could."

Matt relaxed slightly, but his voice still had a growly undertone. "Then you know how sickening it is for four grown-ass alphas to attack my pack so they could take it over and get control of two little boys. You might want to spread the news—I’ve replaced Monty's X with my own. They aren't just in my care. They're my family, and I’ll protect them against anything waiting to hurt them."

"Fair enough, and nothing less than I expected. Now let's get this over with because it's damned hot here, and the bodies are starting to stink." Ash was mostly joking, but we really did need to get these bodies gone sooner than later. Sighing, Ash pointed at the final wolf. "That’s one of your neighbors. I was surprised when I didn't see an alliance agreement cross my desk with his name on it. He led the Barstow pack butting right up to