Chapter 35
GERRY
Sitting in the Alpha’s chair, in the Alpha’s office, doing Alpha stuff, chosen mate to a fabulous Luna! It doesn’t seem five minutes since I was retired, alone, doing nothing but train and fight! What a change my life has taken.
When I first retired, I thought my life was pretty good. I was comfortable with my own company. I had a large log cabin on a huge plot of land. I had the usual mix of flower beds, herbs and vegetables. I’d planted an orchard a few years earlier, and that was beginning to pay dividends. The mix of trees were giving good crops of differing varieties of apples, pear, cherry, plum, and even a fig tree.
There were woods that stretched from my land into neighboring parkland. When I bought my plot, which was actually three, I was the last to be able to purchase. It gave me the space to keep myself solitary if I chose, but there were neighbors close enough if I sought company or aid of any kind. There was even a decent stretch of river frontage that led to a lake.
What I was going to do with it now, I wasn’t sure. I knew I didn’t want to sell it. Lease it out? I’d have to be confident of the person I leased it to. Perhaps I could lease it through the Council? They could use it for guests or perhaps one of the new Council members. If it was done on an annual lease, that would give someone time to find alternative housing should I decide I’m moving back. The Council could keep an eye on things, too. Something to discuss with Flint at a later date.
I can’t have been ready for retirement fully, though. I jumped at the chance of getting into a fight when the rogues began causing trouble. I’d made such a big deal of wanting to retire, and then, as soon as Flint mentioned the rogues, I was back in the Council warriors.
When Flint deployed me to the Blood Pearl pack and I was working alongside Alpha Aurora, I never sensed anything between us. I had a healthy respect for everything she had done for the pack, and especially how she became the Alpha.
Our wolves were way ahead of us in the mating game. They sensed something from the start and explored it without involving either myself or Aurora. I’d go so far as to say both Asher and Aztec engaged in a good deal of mischievous matchmaking. For which, although I wouldn’t admit this to either of them, I am eternally grateful.
The phone ringing interrupts my reminiscing. Picking it up, I hardly recognize myself as I say, “Hello. Alpha Gerry speaking.”
“Hi, Alpha Gerry. Forgive me, but that’s going to take a little getting used to when I phone home.” Taria sounds happy and confident.
“For you and me both, Taria. I haven’t gotten used to it myself yet. Your Momma’s not here at the moment. Can I take a message or get her to call you back? She’s out and about in the pack right now. She’s doing an ‘audit’ to make sure everything is still the same as it has been for the last few years.” I laugh at this as there has never been an issue, as far as I’m aware, with how each department has been organized and overseen by the department head.
Taria laughs too. “Good luck to her finding any issues anywhere. Head Warrior Wallace runs the warriors like a well-oiled machine. Cook Ivy rules the kitchen with an iron glove, though it does have an oven mitt over the top. Raina doesn’t miss a trick, anywhere in any department. I don’t know how she does it, but she knows every procedure for every task in the pack. She caught me out a couple of times when I tried to bluff my way out of something. I learned the hard way.”
“Yes, Raina has shown me a few tricks to look out for. She’s definitely on the ball.”
“It wasn’t Momma I was calling to speak to. I was hoping you’d have time for a chat?” Taria sounds a little apprehensive as she states this.
“Me? Of course. Anything I can do for you or if you need advice, I’ll always do my best to help.” I’m a little taken aback by this, but I must say, I like the way it makes me feel.
“That’s good, but this is much more on a personal basis. I spoke to Momma, but she said I needed to talk to you without getting her thoughts first. Basically, she said she had no experience in this kind of thing and only a male could give the proper response.”
Oh, my Goddess. She’s going to ask me about sex or something sex related! Aurora would have loved sidestepping this and dropping it in my lap. Clearing my throat, taking a deep breath, and bracing myself, I say. “Fire away. Let’s see what we can solve for you.”
“Okay. Here goes. I’ve never been in this position, so it’s really difficult.”
“Don’t think too long and hard about it, Taria. We’re family now.” She needs to spit it out before my heart bursts out of my chest. The suspense is killing me.
“Family. Right. The thing is, what I want to ask, if I could, and you’re ok with it. Could I call you ‘Pops’? I’ve never known a father and I’ve always wanted one and Momma’s always been there and tried to be both but it’s not the same as having one so if you could think it over perhaps, maybe…”
“Taria. Slow down. Take a breath. I would be honored if you’d call me Pops. That would be the greatest title anyone could bestow on me. I don’t know what to say, but you’ve made me so happy right now.” I’m Pops! That is so exciting. I can’t wait to tell everyone.
“I’ve been so excited since I heard about you and Momma. I was so afraid you wouldn’t want to be my Pops.”
“You just scared me out of ten years of my life. I was so afraid of what you were going to ask me.”
“Why would you be afraid of something I would ask?”
“I thought you were going to ask me something about sex! I thought your Momma had set me up somehow. Send me against a thousand rogues and I won’t flinch, but that scared the devil out of me.”
“YEW. NO! You said I could ask you anything, though. You’re not backing out on me already, are you?”
“No. Never. But there are some things it’s best not for fathers to know that their daughters are doing. If you get my drift?”
“Okay, Pops. I’ll bookmark Momma for those things then.”
“That would be wonderful, Sweetpea. I’d appreciate that.”
“Sweetpea? Is that me? Wow. I kinda like that, Pops.”
“It came out sort of naturally. I’ll keep that for just us, and maybe your Momma.” Hearing Taria laugh is music to my ears. I didn’t think I could get any happier than I was just ten minutes ago.
“I have to run, Pops. I’ll be ringing often, though.”
“As often as you like, any time you like. You just made me a very happy man.”
“No. I just made you a very happy ‘Pops’, and I became a ‘Sweetpea’. How cool is that?”
“It’s very cool.”
“Okay. I have to go. Talk soon. Love you, Pops.”
“Love you, too, Sweetpea. Take care.”
The phone goes dead and I sit there staring at it. What just happened? I’m a Pops with a daughter, a Sweetpea no less. She just said ‘love you’ and I responded without a second thought. Wow!
We have a pup. I always wanted a pup.
‘ You and me both, Asher. I always wanted a daughter.’
It’s a pity you didn’t get your act together sooner. We would have had more time with her. Now she’s going to be Eclipse pack Luna and we won’t get to see her much.
‘We can visit there and they can come here. It won’t be too bad. I’ve heard that Taria is already planning Luna meetings and other get-togethers.’
Her wolf, Maya, will be a force to be reckoned with. She has much of her mother’s nature and little of her father's tolerance. She talks a good fight when pressed, already.
Seeing the time, I get out of the chair and walk to the door. I’ve a pack run to organize and refreshments after. Cook Ivy will think she’s getting out of the run by preparing the refreshments. Ha. Not a chance.
Opening the office door, I see Crispin on guard duty. I’m going to leave that custom in place now it’s been reinstated. I like customs and traditions. Having a warrior handy is never a bad thing, either.
“Crispin.”
“Yes, Alpha Gerry?”
“I’m a Pops. What do you say to that, eh?” Before he can even process what I’ve said, I’m gone. Leaving him standing there gulping like a stranded fish, I start to laugh. By the time I reach the packhouse doors, I’m in full belly laugh mode and everyone looks at me and laughs along with me.