Chapter 4

Stormie

I wiggled my nose a little, unsure of how to answer.  Luckily my father stepped in and answered for me.

“She can. She’s like an alpha but more. She has to focus when she does it and too much can be draining.”

“She can even link to rogues, which was quite fun,” Matthew said before high fiving Alton. Tristan raised his brow in question towards me and I watched Arkin shook his head and rolled his eyes at them. “You don’t want to know,” he said. Tristan looked at me with a grin that stole my breath and made my wolf start panting.  I knew he wanted to know, he eyes alight with curiousity.  He asked through the link 'What did you do little wolf?'

My pulse picked at his nickname for me and I took a deep breath before linking him back.

'Well the first time it was an accident. Apparently I was projecting and they overheard me talking shit about their smell and then started fighting each other thinking the name calling had come from the other one. Once we realized, well the easiest way to sort them was to scare them, you know like the boogie man. And most of the Elite’s wolves are dark colored so it’s been pretty entertaining. I would sometimes hide high in the trees.  I never knew how easy it was to make a grown man pee himself' I smirked.

Tristan busted out laughing and the others stared, not understanding until they saw me laughing too and I could feel a blush heating my cheeks again.

“You told him?” Aerick asked and I nodded. The other Elites began laughing at the memory while my dad just shook his head. Tristan's beta, gamma and his father watched it all play out, King Travis's eyes darting back and forth between me and Tristan, an odd look on his face.

Once Tristian stopped laughing he said “Why don’t we meet with these girls and see if this is something that they would be willing to do and if they think that they have the connections to do this. I don’t want anyone hurt needlessly - not these nomadic wolves nor the packs. In the mean time we will need another reason to visit the packs.”

King Travis smiled and an idea came to him. “Why don’t we announce that you will be out visiting packs in search of your mate? The council as well as your mother and I have been discussing with you about the need to find your mate. This would be a perfect excuse for the Elite and a few more if you have them to spare to be in the packs with you. You can spend a day or two in each pack so the Elite can have free range and you can have a better understanding of the packs. If everything works out then the rogues, I mean the girls will be able to make the arrangements for these little play attacks and you can make your way out to his pack. If for some reason he’s not the guilty one, you’ll still be able to ferret out whoever is.”

I had to hold in a growl as my wolf was angry hearing about Tristan looking for a mate.  I took a few breaths trying to calm her down, not understanding this sudden obsession with Tristan that my wolf had.  Yes he was the handsomest man I'd seen and he was my friend or at least he had been.  I would like to think that we were still friends.  I looked up and watched as several emotions passed across his face before he glanced back at me, our eyes locking for a minute.  It was like he could see into my soul. 

My wolf wouldn't be able to recognize her mate until we were 18, but this... this felt like something.  I just couldn't understand.  I'd been around fit and attractive boys and men all my life, many times with very little clothes on and have never experienced the feelings that Tristan was stirring in me.

 Then he sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. How can such a simple motion be so sexy? I thought as I watched as his shirt pulled tight across his shoulders when he ran his hand through his hair and I could see that his hands would easily dwarf mine.  I wondered if his hair was a soft as it looked from here.  I shook the thought from my head as I heard Tristan reply. 

“Alright well then. Father you will run coordination from here. Beta Anders and Gamma Caleb will help. Tell mother to begin preparing for an after party - hopefully we will celebrate their defeat but I guess it’s possible that I will find my Luna Queen. And then you, mother and the council can cease your pestering,” Tristan said almost rudely.  I could tell from his tone and his stance that this was not something he was looking forward to and it peaked my curiousity.

'You promise not to hurt the girls?' I asked him in the link. Tristan nodded solemnly. I signed that this was the best way to do what we needed to and then I asked my dad for specific warriors, already knowing who would be best. I asked for the warriors that most resembled the other Elites and my father frowned and asked me why. I put my hands up to my temple again and attempted to connect to everyone but I was drained. This was the most I had used the link in such a short amount of time.  When we were home I usually just signed still preferring that.

“Fuck,” I whispered before putting my hands down and sighing. I said softly “I picked warriors who can protect the king and pose as Elites. This gives the appearance that the king is being protected by the Elite when in reality we are out using our skills in the pack and surrounding areas to find what we are looking for. Those outside our pack will not sense the difference and we can mix it up so he stays protected. 3 Elite 5 warrior rotation. Protect and serve while scouting. Unfortunately there is no doppelganger for me so I am stuck on duty as the alphas here have already seen me,” I said sounding rather despondent.

Tristan frowned and replied sullenly in my head  'I will try my best not to make it such a burden on you little wolf.'

I looked over to him and could see that his mood had worsened. I didn't mean to upset him more.  I replied through the link 'It is not you my king. I always enjoyed our time and our friendship. It is the staring eyes of others that follow where I go. I prefer to blend into the forest like my pack. I am highly skilled and prefer to be out there using them to track these rogues down then to be your shadow again. A shadow to a king that was rumored to be more than capable of handling himself in a fight, unless you got soft these last years with a crown on your head?' I looked down with a small smile, unwilling to continue meeting his inquisitive eyes.

After a moment I couldn't help but glance up.  His face had brightened with a smirk and a little rush went through my heart.  He asked outloud “Where are the girls we need to meet?”

I walked over and placed my left arm over the map and closed my eyes thinking about the girls. It was almost as if I could feel my wolf reach out to them.  After a minute I opened my eyes and pointed to a pack and said out loud “We start here.”

Tristan sent his gamma to bring up a quick lunch while we solidified an actual plan. After lunch he dismissed us my father told Arkin to call in the reinforcements needed.  Tristan was going to meet again with the alphas and pretend that there was not enough information to move on the rogue issue and that any sightings or issues with rogues were to be reported to him as well as my father and that we would continue to investigate it. 

He was then going to announce that at the request of his council and his parents he had decided it was time to find a mate and thought the best way to do this as well as address any needs of the packs would be to travel out to the packs. He would be bringing the Elite for protection but also to address any rogue issues in the areas that he was going. He would let the pack that we were starting in know that he would be there in 3 days and that he would like to have a gathering at each - he had not traveled much outside the pack in years and it would be good for the wolves to see him as well. He would send out a rough itinerary in a few days so they knew when to expect him unless he came across his mate before reaching their pack.

I had decided to go back to my room and take a nap after the meeting.  My head was hurting from using the link so much. And I needed to try and get Tristan off my mind.  I knew that the other Elite were planning to go hang out at a local bar.  They loved when women flocked and fawned over them.  I wondered if Tristan did as well. 

After several hours I woke feeling much more refreshed, my headache gone.  I heard a knock at the door and called out "Come in" as I got up from the bed.  The door opened and my father walked in smiling.  "Feeling better?" he asked and I nodded, stretching and rolling my neck.  "Where are your packmates?" he asked and I sighed, wrinkling my nose before signing 'Drinking and whoring at the bar.' He laughed at the face I was making before replying “Well the king has invited you all for dinner. They will have not doubt eaten but I want you to escort me since your mother stayed behind. She had me pack a dress for you just in case.  I  pouted and growled lowly in disagreement which made him laugh more as he patted my cheek. “Come on you know this is part of being an alpha’s daughter. I’ll have a maid come up with it and help you get ready. Go take a quick shower. You only have 30 minutes,” he said before leaving my room.

I had just gotten out of the shower when I heard the maid knock.  I opened the door for her and she came in laying out the dress my mother had picked out for me.  I sighed, resigned.  It was beautiful but it was a dress. My mother had amazing taste and had picked out a single shoulder low back form fitting dress in midnight blue with shimmering crystals that glittered like stars. It would leave my arms completely bare and had a slit on each thigh almost to my hip. This would allow me to wear my knives on my legs and wrists, the familiar weight giving me a sense of comfort.  The maid sat me down and quickly did a beautiful fish tail braid with dark blue ribbons and a few loose curls around my face. A little eye liner and lip gloss and I was ready.

My mother has also sent slippers that matched the dress knowing full well that I would have gone bare foot over wearing high heels. When my dad came back he made me stand still so he could send mom a picture. I wrinkled my nose at him but knew that my mom had picked out a great dress and deserved to see me in it.  We made our way to the waiting room where the other alphas were milling around mostly with their lunas. I held my father’s arm tight as I remembered my mother's words to keep my head held high. I was the daughter of one of the strongest alphas and a powerhouse unto myself as the youngest female warrior, my knives and tattoos on display in this dress. I smiled softly as my father greeted various alphas as we walked over to greet the old king and queen. They made small talk with my father and asked if if I remembered my time there. I nodded slightly and thanked them for their generosity though my mind was on Tristan and the times we spent together.  I didn't really remember much other than that.