a mother, I would've wondered if it was too soon, or how to handle this if our relationship didn't pan out. The simple fact that they'd never asked should've bothered me, and yet they kinda had. They'd checked with me every single step of the way, and I'd always told them it was ok.
Because we were pack, and this was what pack did. Ian was the Alpha, and he was responsible for all of the pups in Wolf's Run. Was it really odd to think that he'd care for my daughter any less? Plus, he wanted Gabby to be the next Alpha, and he was offering to teach her how to take over if anything happened to him. Showing her how to lead instead of rule, basically.
For a moment, I sat there thinking about it. Not whether or not I approved - because I already did. It was more the change in my thinking. I could remember how I would've felt about this a week ago, and yet I just couldn't make those emotions work like that. This was my pack. Wolf's Run was my family in a way I'd never been able to understand before. It was home and belonging and safety all rolled into one. That Ian was not only the Alpha but also a man I loved? That made it easy to accept him honestly caring about my child.
"It's a wolf thing," I breathed, lifting my eyes to meet Ashley's.
For a few seconds, she just stared me right in the eye. "It is," she agreed, refusing to look away. "But can you feel the dominance when you do that?"
"No," I admitted.
That made her head twitch. "Really? Most new wolves find looking me in the eye to be uncomfortable. I think awkward might be a better term."
"No," I said again. "I did the same thing to Ian this morning, and he noticed too."
"Because you are not a weak wolf," she assured me. "You're also not an aggressive one, which is a little confusing, but I'm more than willing to go with it." Then she patted my desk. "Ok! Work stuff."
The gesture made my eyes jump over, which broke the gaze without forcing me to look away. I actually laughed at that, and Ashley's smile made it clear it had been intentional. Evidently, my best friend had quite a few subtle tricks up her sleeve.
"Teach me how to do that?" I asked. "I mean, if I'm supposed to be the second in charge of this pack, and this is a thing..." I paused, unsure how to explain what I was asking.
But Ashley understood. "You don't want to be rude about it," she finished for me. "Yeah, I can do that. Since I stepped down as Dad's heir a while ago, I've picked up a few things to keep others from realizing that not wanting to lead the pack isn't the same as becoming submissive. So, we'll add that to the list, and I have a feeling the sisterhood will help you practice." Then she pointed at the phone. "That and emails are your only concerns today. Pax turned down the volume as low as it can go. Adjust it from there. If you get overwhelmed, just put them on hold and let me know."
"I think I've got this," I assured her.
Ashley just leaned over to clasp my knee. "I know you do. I also know that you're a new wolf, this is going to wear on you eventually, and there is no reason for you to push through it. Elena, you're my best friend. More than that, you're my Alpha. I am going to take good care of you whether you like it or not. Now, I'm not as annoying as your mates, but I'm just as fucking loyal, ok? Comes with the disease."
I caught her hand. "Thank you, Ash. For the job, the understanding, and all the help over the last few months. Most of all? Thank you for bringing a little magic into my life."
"It's still science," she teased.
"And still very magical," I countered. "Now go work. I got the phones, and I promise I'll whimper or something if I can't take it. I just really want to expose myself to real life now so I won't make a mess of Gabby's big day."
"Ok," she relented, standing up just to put her chair back where it belonged. "I just have one condition, ok?"
I almost groaned. "What's that?"
"Anything confuses you, bothers you, or needs to be explained, and you let me know. Not my little brother. Not his betas. Me, Elena. No pride, no dominance, and no worries about what anyone else will think. My best friend just became a wolf, and I'm kinda happy about it."
"Promise," I swore. "Although I might actually need a little help with something."
"Anything," she promised.
"I didn't buy Gabby a present and her birthday is Monday - and I do not feel like I'm good enough to walk around a mall!"
She rolled her eyes and headed up the hall to her office, calling back, "I'm going out with Bridget on Saturday. We'll handle it. Get me a list!"
"Owe you one," I called after her.
"Call it a turning present," she said, not even needing to raise her voice much to be heard clearly. "Now finish those emails, Alpha."
I turned on my computer and got started on that, thankful to finally have something to do besides just laying in bed. I also felt a little better about replying to the obvious shifters asking about the facilities because I was now one of them. I was sure this feeling would go away soon, but I was enjoying it. I'd upgraded from being the boring human friend to being one of the magical creatures that existed in the shadows of society, just like in some of those books I read.
And by ten a.m., the feeling had already faded. Eighty-one unanswered emails had a way of erasing all the fantasy from my daydreams, slamming me back into the reality of running the leasing office. Thankfully, there'd only been three phone calls, and I'd actually had to increase the volume a little because my ears weren't that sensitive, but I was doing this.
Then the little chime on the front door sounded, making me jerk in my chair. It was much louder than I expected. The smell that wafted in right after made me sit up. And on the heels of that, a man walked into the lobby.
A large man. With two large friends right behind him.
They smelled like sweet grass and fresh tilled earth. My eyes immediately jumped to theirs, wondering if this was how all humans smelled. The first guy was the biggest - both tall and wide. His hair was brown, his beard was thick, and his eyes? They were black with a flare of mahogany in the center. The color was just strange enough to stand out, but it was certainly not yellow, amber, honey, or any shade of wolf eyes.
Then I looked at the guy behind him. He was about an inch shorter, Black, and looked nothing like the first guy, yet his eyes were the same. Guy number three was the shortest of the bunch, but almost as wide as the first. A very stout built man, probably still six feet tall, though, or close to it. Like the rest, his eyes were exactly the same.
That was what made me shove to my feet. "Can I help you?" I asked, hoping like hell that whatever these men were, they'd come in peace.
Preorder Wolf's Pack - HERE
Books by Auryn Hadley
Contemporary Romance: Standalone Book
One More Day
Gamer Girls - cowritten w/ Kitty Cox:
(Contemporary Romance)
Flawed
Challenge Accepted
Virtual Reality
Fragged
Collateral Damage
Game Over (Coming Soon - Winter 2020)
Rise of the Iliri (Epic Science Fantasy):
Completed Series
BloodLust
Instinctual
Defiance
Inseparable
Tenacity
Resilience
Dissent
Upheaval
Havoc
Risen
Hope
The Dark Orchid (Fantasy Reverse Harem):
Completed Series
Power of Lies
Magic of Lust
Spell of Love
The Demons' Muse (Paranormal Reverse Harem):
Completed Series
The Kiss of Death
For Love of Evil
The Sins of Desire
The Lure of the Devil
The Wrath of Angels
The Mimics (Contemporary Science Fiction Reverse Harem):
Bioluminescent
Iridescent (Coming Soon - Winter 2020)
Opalescent
Phosphorescent
Incandescent
Fluorescent
The Wolf of Oberhame (Fantasy):
Completed Series
When We Were Kings
When We Were Dancing
When We Were Crowned
Wolves Next Door (Paranormal Reverse Harem):
Wolf's Bane
Wolf's Call
Wolf's Pack (Preorder Now - October 23, 2020)
More About - Auryn Hadley
Auryn Hadley is happily married with three canine children and a herd of feral cats that her husband keeps feeding. Between her love for animals, video games, and a good book, she has enough ideas to spend the rest of her life trying to get them out. They all live in Texas, land of the blistering sun, where she spends her days feeding her addictions – including drinking way too much coffee.
For a complete list of books by Auryn Hadley, visit my Amazon Author Page, or check out my website: aurynhadley.com
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