Chapter 6 - Jace
I tug her Jeep door open and shove Mira into the passenger seat. This woman is going to push me to my limit. Why the hell can’t she obey me? I am her Alpha and her husband.
I let out a gruff moan when I climb into the driver’s seat, relieved that the Jeep is convertible and doesn’t have a roof; otherwise, I’d be scrunched up like a sardine in a tin can in this little car.
“I could’ve driven,” she snaps, folding her arms across her chest. The sudden moment sends a wave of her scent washing over.
“You could’ve obeyed me!” I snarl at her.
“You didn’t have to embarrass me like that. Barion is my superior. He will make my life a living hell if I don’t do things the way he likes them done. You can’t come home and start messing up other people’s lives,” she huffs.
“He was speaking to you like dirt. That man had zero respect,” I say in shock, confused why she would be defending him.
“It doesn’t matter. If he’s happy, I get to do what I love, and right now…he’s not happy at all, and I’m the one who will have to suffer because of it,” she sighs, turning her face away from me.
It’s easy to realize what’s going on here.
Mira has always been the outcast, the nerd, bullied and rejected from the rest of the pack. Rejected by you.
Clenching my jaw, I let out a heavy sigh.
“Just because you were late to work doesn’t give him the right to disrespect you, Mira. He was in the wrong.”
She shakes her head. “Like I said, that’s not the point. I need to choose the path that makes my life easier in the long run,” she says quietly.
My chest tightens when I realize that Mira has been putting up with being scolded and poorly treated for much longer than she should be. Perhaps her entire career.
That isn’t how I want my pack to function. I want unity. I want respect for everyone, even those considered to be the lowest members.
Ranking doesn’t give someone the right to be disrespectful.
I arrive at Mira’s cottage, lost in thought about how to make this right. I also want to understand more about her role in the tech lab and what she does there.
Over the next few days, Mira works at home because I refuse to let her go into her workshop. She has odd little gadgets everywhere, and the more I get to know her cottage, the more I realize it is not by any means the same as anyone else’s.
Sure, it looks the same, but inside, she’s created a tech-savvy smart house.
On my first day here, I thought the coffee machine was nifty because it could be programmed. But it turns out that was just scraping the surface of what she’s created here.
Her fridge tracks the food she puts in and takes out.
It links to her phone, which can then place orders for her and even track her calories and macros to help ensure she’s getting the nutrients she needs.
Her lights are set up to respond to one voice command for whatever mood she’s in.
She’ll walk into a room and say sunset, and the entire space will light up in orange and purple.
She’ll say Chill, and the lights will glow pink and pale yellow.
It’s not just the lights, though. It’s everything. The temperature of her bath and shower water, the functions of her air fryer, and the way her home responds and senses when she walks into or out of a room. It’s absolutely incredible.
She also has some test equipment set up around her garden space. Security devices that she’s perfecting before she presents them to her superiors.
She’s fucking smart. Like so smart she should be running the tech lab, but instead she’s stuck in a back office, hidden from everyone.
It doesn’t take me long to investigate the tech lab and her superiors.
I have my Beta look through the reports and files, and sure as hell…
her name is listed as the designer on every single piece of equipment we use in our security system and around our compound.
Incredible tech that has improved the life of the pack by leaps and bounds.
Watering systems for the farms, purification systems from the river, programs to help the school, and security scans so advanced that we didn’t even see stuff like that at Black Ops.
So, why, when I ask around, doesn’t anyone know who she is?
I’m standing outside Mira’s cottage, speaking in hushed tones to her brother, Miles.
“So then, who is getting the credit?” I ask quietly.
“Barion, the other two superiors that run the tech lab, and the elders.”
“No one ever mentions her?” I ask, shocked.
“I think that Barion presents it in a way that suggests he designed it. He might mention that his team helped him with the grunt work, but as far as the elders are concerned, Barion is the creator and they own him, so they get to bask in the glory too,” Miles explains.
But if you ask anyone on this compound who created whatever system, their reply is Barion.
“Fucking selfish asshole. That’s not teamwork. That’s not how a pack is run,” I groan.
“Tell me about it. It’s worse than being in the military,” Miles agrees.
“This is proof of the drastic changes that need to be made in this place. I’ve given them enough time to get used to me being back; it’s time I started being the Alpha now.”
Miles nods, “Tell me what you need and I’m there.”
“Set up a meeting with the elders for this afternoon.”
***
It’s a few hours before dinner when I walk into the pack house to speak with the three elders. They stand when I enter the dining room, but I wave for them to sit again. Miles walks in behind me.
“Gentlemen, thank you for seeing me,” I huff, standing at the head of the table and not taking a seat. Miles sits with his arms folded over his chest, his eyes tight on the elders.
His stare is intense enough to make them shift uncomfortably.
“What is this about?” Jeremy demands, keeping his tone as neutral as he can, but I sense the loss of power he feels since I’ve taken up my position as Alpha.
And this is the first time we will come face to face with me stepping up to make some drastic changes.
There is no telling how they will take this.
“As you know, I’ve been spending some time in the Omega sector…”
“It’s really not necessary, you know. As Alpha, you must demand…”
“Do not interrupt me, Marcus. You may speak your mind after I’ve stated my piece,” I say, polite but stern.
Marcus sneers, clenching his jaw so tightly it looks like he might crack a tooth.
“I’ve been watching the pack and doing some investigation. Firstly, I would like to bring up the topic of the incredible tech around our compound…” I pause, looking at each of the elders.
Lucas smiles, proud of our advancements. “Barion is really incredible. He’s an invaluable member of this pack…”
“Barion is not the one who designed any of that tech. Are you aware of that? Marcus? Jeremy?” I growl.
“Barion is most certainly…”
“Barion is the man in charge of the tech lab, but he hasn’t created anything for years. He takes what other people create and calls it his own. He presents it to you as his own, and you have never bothered to question him… or visit the tech lab to see for yourselves.”
“I don’t think…” Lucas stammers.
“That’s the problem. People haven't been thinking since I’ve been gone. The person who created our security scanners is Miranda Nelson. She set up every single system on the perimeter of our land. She also made the purification and filtration systems and programs for the school…”
“Now hang on a second, I know Miranda is one of the tech people, but she most certainly did not create…” Marcus snarls, standing up.
“Sit down,” I growl, commanding him. “I am telling you what I found out in my own private investigations. If you are trying to tell me I’m wrong or lying to you, then I suggest you first find evidence instead of contradicting me.” I inform him sharply.
He pouts, sulking at the reprimand.
“Miranda Nelson will be promoted. She is well overdue for a promotion, but also due to her position as Luna of this pack, she will be given a more respectful position doing whatever it is she would like to do,” I inform them.
Marcus stands, pressing his hands into the table. “Well, if that is all, then…”
“Sit down, Marcus. I will excuse you when I am finished talking,” I snap.
Jeremy grabs Marcus and pulls him back into his seat, shooting him a glare of warning.
I take a deep breath. The last thing I want to do is be at odds with the elders. Marcus is pissing me the hell off, but the other two have remained respectful.
I clear my throat and change my tone.
“The other change that we are going to implement immediately is to offer more training programs to the Omegas. I want every single member of my pack to have equal opportunity to make something of themselves. I don’t want them sitting around, bored, feeling useless or bullied.”
“Most of the Omegas are women,” Marcus scoffs. “They are weak; what use can we have for them other than breeding?”
My patience is wearing thin.
“That is exactly the type of archaic and outdated thinking that I will remove from my pack. Miranda is the perfect example of how an Omega, and a woman, can provide more for this pack than most of the elders and Betas have ever provided. Take a look around you. Every bit of advancement we’ve made to improve this place has been thanks to her efforts, and she didn’t even ask for recognition. That is a true pack member.”
Jeremy nods, glancing at Lucas, who smiles. “So, how would you like to implement this?” Lucas asks.
“I would like you to take control of putting together a program of available training lessons that they can choose from. We need to teach them things that are valuable to our pack. Whether it’s farming or building, or even fighting…”
“Fighting?” Marcus blurts out. “You want Omegas to fight?”
I clench my fists and slam them down on the table. “Are they not wolves?” I snarl.
He nods, angry.
“Are they not wolves of the Silver Lake Pack? The strongest pack for miles around?” I growl, pushing my point.
“I want every female in this pack to be strong enough to take on a male from another pack and rip him to pieces if need be. We fight for peace, but we prepare for war. We teach our pack members how to take care of themselves and each other,” I demand.
“But women…” Marcus complains, not catching on.
“Gone are the old days when gender assigns your role in my pack. If you want to be a Beta and you started as an Omega, then all you have to do is prove yourself strong enough. Train hard, fight for what you want. We are going to build confidence and give our people every single opportunity they deserve to be the best version of themselves,” I insist. “And I need your guidance,” I add quickly, trying to ease my commands and enforce the role the elders still play in this pack.
They still need to feel valuable and like they have purpose, even though I’ve taken over their jobs.
“Lucas and I will start working on a list of possible training programs. We will go and speak with the head of each department to find out what they might need or feel would add value,” Jeremy says.
Marcus grunts, reluctant, but finally keeps his mouth shut.
I can see that all three of them are confused by the changes I want to make.
But they need to get with the program, or they will have to face me.
“Thank you. That sounds perfect. Keep me in the loop. If I’m not available, you can update Miles, and he will relay it to me. That is all for today,” I smile politely.
Yes, I could have just used my Alpha Command on them.
I could have said the words, and they would’ve had no choice but to obey.
But I’ve seen packs run by that type of man.
The man who craves power and abuses it. This might be the easier way to get what I want, but in the long run, it certainly is the better way.