Rejected By the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #5)

63. Lucas

63

Lucas

The urge to kick down the door is strong, as I had scented Kaylee just inside. I know she was watching me talking to Adam. Know that she knew I was here to check on her, but she still allowed that little shit of a cousin I have to slam the door in my face. I know I deserve it, deserve the cold shoulder from Adam and his siblings, but it still stings when they are my only family here. Letting out a sigh, I rub my hand across my face while reluctantly leaving the porch. Marco had sent me a text last night telling me to be at the pack house by ten in the morning to meet the warrior I will be shadowing, and so I woke up early to see Kaylee before then. Who would have thought that my cousins would block me from her?

Making the trek towards the pack house, I nod and wave to the wolves already out and about. Some are heading to work at the nearest town, others to patrol the pack border for any threat. Since it is a Saturday, the pups will either be shadowing a member of the pack to see if they want to become a warrior or hunter, while the rest will be helping in the small gardens that provide fresh fruit and vegetables to the pack. I am glad Kurt told me all of this, and even happier to know that everyone here works together, no matter how small the task.

Ivory Fangs is peaceful too. There is no fear of someone trying to stir trouble, just because they think they deserve more for being stronger. Here, you earn your promotions through training and actions. It’s how a pack should be. It’s how I wish Oak Fur had been. Stopping, I look at the pack house in the distance. It is old, similar to a larger Victorian-era mansion, but it has stood the test of time with only minor repairs, from what I learned about the pack last night through Kurt. Its white bricks are aged; the roof has been repaired and replaced by the previous alphas—when this pack was then known as Silver Paw—who brought the pack into the modern age.

A few wolves rush by me, one yelling over their shoulder that breakfast at the pack house is available if I am hungry, and I find myself running after them. Our group of three soon arrive at the pack house, and join the lineup at the buffet.

“You’re Lucas, right?” the one who called out to me earlier asks, as he passes me a plate and we go down the line picking food to eat.

“Yes, I am,” I answer, scooping hash browns onto my plate.

“Great, that saves me the hassle of tracking you down,” this wolf laughs, patting me on my shoulder. For a moment I want to swat his arm away, but something inside me tells me to wait and see what he wants.

“I am Ricky, the wolf you’ll be shadowing this week. It’s nice to meet you!” Ricky continues, moving his focus to the food. Happy to find the wolf that will help me integrate into the pack, I ask Ricky about the training routine of the warriors, and what shifts I will be on as we continue to pile food onto our plates. I find out that the rotations are five days on shift, two days off, and that there are four shifts—day shifts A and B, and night shifts A and B.

Luckily for me, I am on day shift A, working Monday to Friday just like night shift A. It turns out shift A is the main force, working Monday to Friday, while those studying and working outside of the pack take Saturday and Sunday shifts so that we can get a break.

“So why am I starting today?” I ask, considering today is Saturday.

“Today and tomorrow, I will be showing you around the pack. You clearly know your way to and from the pack house from the alpha’s house and the dorms, but you also need to know how to get to and from the many buildings, from anywhere within the pack.” Sitting with Ricky at a nearby table, I take in his explanation and find it fitting. He is right. I need to learn the layout of Ivory Fangs, and if spending the weekend to learn what I can is what I have to do, then I will do it.

With the two of us talking over breakfast, I soon learn that he is actually one of the strongest warriors. Originally, Marco was supposed to show me the ropes, but after David stepped in, citing that it would do more harm than good considering our rivalry for Kaylee, Ricky volunteered and said he would show me around. He admits to knowing about me being Kaylee’s mate, and that the news of what I did has spread throughout the werewolf community. But he also is on my side, stating that I truly must love Kaylee to give up Oak Fur and the safety of the wolves in the pack. As soon as we finish breakfast, Ricky shows me where to bring my dirty dishes, before deciding we will walk around the pack instead of taking a vehicle.

“So, you already know that the dorms are just over there,” Ricky states, pointing towards the larger building just inside the tree line behind the pack house.

“But we also have a training facility there for our pups. It’s close to the dorms and pack house for safety reasons. If something happens, we can rush there easily.” Walking past the dormitories, I notice a small pond on the way toward the training facility. I find Kurt there, working with a few other wolves training smaller pups how to swim, and smile at the scene. We wave to them, the pups excitedly waving back, before we continue walking to the facility where he shows me the inside. It is a perfect mix of practical and fun furniture, and it makes me wonder if Kaylee and I have pups, would they train here in the future?

“Where do hunters and warriors train?” I ask, excited to see the training facilities here.

“That’s a little further into the forest,” Ricky shrugs, motioning for me to follow.

“We used to have them close to the pack house, but Beta Kaylee and Alpha Amelia said we would benefit from having a facility with both indoor training and outdoor agility courses.” With this tidbit of information, I smile as we leave the pups’ training facility to continue our tour. From what little I have seen so far, I have a feeling it will only be a matter of time until Ivory Fangs is on par with Blood Oath as a strong pack.

***

“So far, you have seen the training facilities, the storage sheds, and the greenhouses. We have a few more places to go to, but that will be for tomorrow.” We had just finished visiting the last of the greenhouses, Ricky explaining that David took over the project to expand the farming here in the pack and offer jobs for the omegas and weaker hunters to make a living within the pack.

“So, what do we do now?” I ask, walking with Ricky towards the pack house.

“Well, Alpha Amelia returned home around noon, and since it is close to five now, I am going to say the bonfire will be happening soon. We should just go enjoy ourselves.” I nearly trip over a root at how relaxed Ricky sounds. How could he be so nonchalant about their alpha returning? Ricky laughs as I stumble a few steps before we continue walking. As we grow closer to the pack house, the scent of fire wafts around me mixed with the scent of food. Everyone is happily mingling, and the pups are playing in the fields just to the side.

What makes me stop walking is Kaylee standing beside a willow tree, her white dress flowing around her in the wind, and I can’t help but stare at her. She looks so happy talking to her packmates, the she-wolves surrounding her and laughing while the males keep a respectful distance. The only two that stand beside her are Royce and Marco, the two looking like guards as they stand on either side of Kaylee.

“Everyone loves her. Beta Kaylee, that is,” Ricky states with a soft voice, his eyes watching the scene.

“She was the one to take charge of identifying our dead after Shadow Moon attacked Silver Paw. I worked with her, as well as a few others,” the wolf muses, turning to look at me.

“We all know she deserves to be more than a beta. She has the makings of a Luna—even an alpha—and we can all see it. So, win her back, make her happy, and raise her into the role she should have.” With that, Ricky pats my shoulder before walking away towards the food table. For a moment I stay rooted in my spot, watching Kaylee. At one point she turns and looks at me, uncertainty in her gaze, before she nods a greeting and returns to her ever-changing crowd. She looks exhausted still, but happy. And it is this happiness that I want to protect.