Chapter 5

DARIUS POV

     Dinner is over and I have about an hour until this Diamond chick arrives. Gives me enough time to shower and look more presentable. I walk over to my personal cottage within the pack. There is a packhouse where my office is located. Most alphas and ranked wolves usually live in the packhouse, but I like my privacy. Plus, the extra rooms in the pack house are great for the younger pack members to use until they can afford their own places. While they stay in the pack house, they maintain it and share duties like cooking for the pack members who stay there, and general cleaning around the packhouse. It’s good for them and teaches them some responsibility, while giving them a sense of independence.

     I get inside and let out a big exhale. I’ve never been one for extravagance. My pack’s main source of income is a construction business that has been doing really well the last few years. I’d rather put that money into maintaining the pack and helping my pack members. I built this cottage on my own, with a little help from Tobias over the years. After taking over as Alpha, it didn’t feel right to take Calvin’s old room. It was massive and beautifully decorated, but it wasn’t me. I’m all about simplicity. My cottage is one bedroom with an attached bathroom. I definitely splurged a little on the bathroom. Being a bigger guy, I hate feeling cramped in a shower. My shower is big enough for three people, with rainfall showerheads and even a small bench to sit on if I’m feeling sore after a training session. I turn on the water and let my muscles relax under the warm water. The glass door fogs up from the steam and I can’t help but draw a smiley face in it. Once I’m clean, I towel off and brush my teeth. I dry my hair that’s gotten a little long- my black waves reaching the tops of my ears. I slick my hair back and clean up my beard, then walk out into the adjoining bedroom. This is a first meeting, but this girl has been traveling all day. There is no way that she is going to look super put together, and it would be a dick move to have a fresh suit on and make her feel out of place. I want her to feel welcome and comfortable. I know she is just signed on to be here for a few months, but any opportunity I can get to make a great impression for my pack, and potentially get a new pack member- especially a warrior- I’ll take it. I decide on a pair of black jeans and dark grey t-shirt, with simple black tennis shoes.

     I glance at the clock and it’s 6:45 PM. She should arrive at the territory by 7. I make my way over to my office at the pack house. A couple of the warriors picked her up from the airport and are driving her onto our territory. Tobias and Justin are waiting for me outside my office.

     “Alpha.” They both say in unison while slightly bowing their heads. I nod at them both and wave them into my office.

     “We can keep this meeting short. I’m sure she will be tired from a long day of traveling and want to get settled into her apartment before training starts tomorrow morning.” I said to both men. They didn’t seem to have anything against my suggestion. Tobias and Justin are similar to me in that we don’t enjoy meetings, so I do my best to keep all meetings efficient.

    “Can I pour us all a drink while we wait for Miss Tannerman to get here?” Tobias asks. He was already halfway to the mini bar in my office before I responded to his question.

    “Sure. Why not?” I said and took a seat behind my desk while he poured the three of us a drink. I don’t drink often. I’ll have a drink or two with Tobias if we are hanging out after a long day, or week. We don’t hang out with Justin too often. He’s a little younger than us and he tends to stick with the warriors during his free time.

     A little time goes by, and I get the mindlink from one of my warriors, Carlo, that they are driving to the packhouse with Miss Tannerman now. I take a swig from my glass of whiskey and relax into my chair. Carlo knocks on the door even though it’s not necessary- I heard him coming from down the hall, but it’s nice he knocked just in case I was in the middle of a serious conversation with Tobias and Justin.

     “Come in.” I called out from my desk. The door opens and Carlo enters and not even two steps behind him is a drop dead gorgeous she-wolf. What. The. Fuck. This can’t be the great female warrior from Washington. This girl is model-quality beauty, and she’s not even wearing make-up…and she has been traveling all day. Jeeze. She’s tall, but not too tall, maybe 5’7. Her hair is jet black, pin-straight, and it’s pulled back into a ponytail. She has naturally tanned skin. Her eyes are a light brown and look super curious. Within seconds of entering my office, I can see her eyes darting in every direction, taking in her surroundings. That’s something I do too, so it’s easy for me to recognize that habit in others. She is clearly athletic. I can see her muscle tone through her black leggings and even though she is wearing a dark grey hoodie, I can tell by her posture that she is physically fit. I’m suddenly excited for her to join our training team.

     “You must be Miss Tannerman. Welcome to the Running River Pack. I’m Beta Tobias, this is Justin, our head warrior, and this is our Alpha, Darius Barnett.” Tobias announced. He probably noticed the awkward silence developing and this dude can’t handle awkward silences. I’m happy for him taking the lead on the introductions because I was trapped in my thoughts about what I would do if it was just me and Diamond alone in this office. I blink a couple times and force those thoughts to the back of my mind. Fuck, she’s gorgeous.

     “Nice to meet you Beta Tobias, Mister Justin, and Alpha Darius. My name is Diamond, but everyone just calls me Daya.” She replied. ‘Daya’, that’s a great name. What is up with me? I guess it has been a while since I’ve gotten laid, and this new girl is definitely a feast for the eyes. Even my wolf has perked up and he doesn’t really like any of the she-wolves I’ve ever shown an interest in.

     “It is great to have you here at the Running River Pack. I’m sure it’s a unique request to want a female warrior trainer, but we have never had female warriors here. We are excited to finally incorporate the women into our warrior ranks.” I said to her, ensuring that I’m looking her straight in the eye and not running my eyes up and down her body. She matches my stare right back. If she was a man, I would think she was challenging me, but I can tell she is trying to display confidence. I smirk at her and release her hand after shaking it for maybe a second too long.

     “Yea. It’s definitely a shock to hear you are only now viewing women as capable warriors, but better late than never.” She replied. Her sarcastic comment was not lost to me. I could sense Justin and Tobias stiffen at her comment. I felt my jaw tick and my fists clenched a little. Whatever attraction I was feeling towards her has gone to shit. Who is this girl to question how I run my pack?

     “I don’t know what you’ve heard about our pack-” I began saying, until she cut me off mid-sentence.

     “I haven’t heard anything other than the increase in rogue attacks this year and that there are other packs within this region who may be looking to take advantage of your pack since you lack a suitable defense force.” She stated very plainly, her arms crossed in front of her, causing her hoodie to tighten, highlighting the shape of her breasts. But I won’t let that distract me now. I take a deep breath to calm my wolf. I can feel him pacing in my mind, wanting to put this she-wolf in her place. She has been here for two minutes and already thinks she knows how to run my pack better than I do. Not today, sweetheart. I take a couple more breaths to try and calm my wolf before speaking again.

     “Exactly. You haven’t heard anything about our pack. So, let me set the record straight for you before you jump to anymore conclusions, and make an even bigger ass of yourself. Like almost every pack in existence, our numbers were decimated due to the Fated Plague, my parents being among those casualties. My older brother was the next alpha after our father died. He met an untimely death protecting his pack members in a rogue attack. We lost so many pack members from the plague and rogue attacks that we couldn’t afford to let our women fight. We needed to protect our ability to maintain the pack. In addition, none of the women in our pack have expressed an interest in fighting until now. And you better believe, once our she-wolves voiced a desire to fight, that I was not like other overbearing alphas, telling them to stay at home with their pups. No. I asked my leadership team to help find the best female warrior they could find to provide the best training to our women, because they deserve the best. And I was told you were the best. I can’t help but wonder if we got it wrong though. Did we, perhaps, hire the wrong person for this job, Miss Tannerman?” I asked curtly, with a growl escaping me as I exhaled. I could sense the tension in the room. I could feel Tobias’ and Justin’s eyes on me, bugging out in surprise. I could see Daya’s face shifting between emotions. This girl may display confidence, but she is shit at hiding her emotions. She starts with annoyance, as her eyes are scowling at me, then as my words sink in, I see her expression soften, and her brown eyes open wider in understanding. Then they close a little and her lips turn down into a slight frown, her shoulders dropping a bit, showing how she can relate to the number of losses our pack has suffered over the years. Then her cheeks are filled with a light shade of pink as she becomes flushed with embarrassment. Good. She should be embarrassed. And I stand by what I said that she may not be the right person for the job, and I have no problem sending her ass back to Washington and leading the training for our women myself. She opens her mouth to speak again.

     “My apologies, Alpha Darius. I appreciate you helping me better understand the history of your pack. I’m sure there is a lot more that I will learn while I’m here. That is, if you still would like me to fill the position.” Her tone was soft, close to submissive, which is probably not a tone this girl is used to speaking in. She strikes me as someone who is rarely wrong. But I can admire someone who owns up to their mistakes. “I know I can help your female warriors be confident and competent in combat if the need arises.” She added before I could respond. I almost let my jaw drop to the floor. This girl is giving me whiplash within minutes of meeting her. One minute she is hyper-confident, almost arrogant, critiquing how I should be running my pack. Then the next minute she is apologetic. What catches me off guard is that her apology felt sincere. I cannot get a read on this girl.

     “Hopefully, now you have a better idea why this position you are stepping into is very important. I hope you make a better first impression tomorrow morning for my pack members before training.” I replied to her with my arms crossed in front of my chest. I looked her straight in the eye and this time she did not hold my stare.

     “You’re willing to let me train your female pack members?” She asked me, sounding surprised. I could see her eyes were somewhat glassy, as if she was fighting back tears. I guess she cares more about this position than I thought.

     “I am still offering you the position on a probationary status. You have a week to prove yourself to our female warrior squad. I will be checking in regularly and keeping a close eye on you.” My tone was stern. I needed her to know I wasn’t messing around and that I have no problem sending her back home if she is not a good fit.

     “Of course, Alpha Darius. I think you will find that I will live up to my reputation.” Her confidence kicking in as she squared her shoulders up and matched my eye contact again.

     “Alright then. I think this concludes our introductions. Carlo is waiting out front for you. He will take you to the apartment we have for you. The women’s squad will be ready for training at 6 AM. I suggest you get some sleep. I was informed that your kitchen has been stocked with some food in case you’re hungry from your long day of traveling. Unless you have any more questions for me, Miss Tannerman, this is goodbye and good evening for me.” I said to her with my hand extended out for a handshake to show that this meeting is over. She stares at my hand for a couple of seconds before shaking it.

     “6 AM is perfect. Thank you for providing me with some food until I can get to the store myself.” She responds politely and turns for the door. She reaches for the doorknob and stops and turns towards me. “And again, Alpha Darius, my name is Daya. Thank you for your time.” She says before opening the door and leaving my office. My eyes practically bug out of my head, and I feel my nostrils flaring at her need to have the final word. The door closes behind her and not a second later does Tobias open his mouth.

     “That girl has some big balls!” Tobias said while chuckling and clapping me on the shoulder. Once again, dude can’t handle awkward silences for shit.