Chapter Six

Ray watched as Leah flew away from him, silently willing her to turn around and come back. She didn't. It wasn't fair. He had found his mate, only for her to be taken away from him. He would fight anyone for her, but he couldn't fight her. There was nothing he could do if she wasn't willing to meet him halfway. He understood loyalty, but this was ridiculous. She was his, dammit! 

"Is everything okay, Alpha?"

Ray turned around to see his sister and pack healer, Francesca, standing a few feet away from him, a look of concern etched across her face. His two cousins and pack betas, Dallas and Jagger, stood beside her, looking equally as concerned. Ray rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. They must have heard him standing here shouting like a crazy person. Alphas didn't do shit like that! Especially not in front of his inner circle, even if they were related.

"Yeah. Everything is fine," he reassured them. 

None of them looked convinced, but they wouldn't push it because he was the alpha. At least Dallas and Jagger wouldn't. Francesca, on the other hand, had no problem speaking her mind when she felt strongly about something. That's what made her a great Second. Ray knew that if he didn't tell them about Leah now, Francesca would drag it out of him sooner or later. She looked at Ray with a frown and a raised eyebrow, silently telling him that he was full of shit. 

Ray chuckled. "Alright, fine. Meet me back at my place, and I will tell you everything."

They all nodded in agreement. Dallas and Jagger turned and walked to the pack supply truck, while Francesca followed Ray to his pickup. That explained why they were in town; they had come to pick up more supplies for the new homes they were building for the pack members. Their pack was growing significantly. Wolf shifters from all over were coming to the east to be a part of the Winston Pack. Ray didn't mind. His philosophy was 'the more, the merrier.' The only problem was the lack of homes for the new pack members to stay in. Ray and some of the other pack members that were skilled in construction were building new homes to house all the new members. Currently, they were staying with some of the old pack members that had extra rooms available, but that wouldn't suffice for long, especially with some of them having pups on the way. They would need the extra room.

Ray started the truck and pulled off. He could feel Francesca staring at him. She wanted answers, and he knew she wouldn’t wait much longer to get them. Unlike his cousins, Dallas and Jagger, patience was not one of Francesca’s virtues. She didn’t even know the meaning of the word.

“So, about the she-dragon…” Francesca began.

Ray burst out laughing. He knew she couldn’t wait to get the scoop. He shook his head in exasperation. “I told you I will explain everything when we get to the house. Can’t you wait ten minutes?”

Francesca glared at Ray. “I just want to know if she is your mate.”

Ray smiled indulgently at his younger sister. “Fine. Yes, she is my mate, but it’s complicated.”

Francesca began to ask another question, but Ray held up a hand to forestall her. “I will explain it all when we get to the house.”

Francesca sighed, and turned to stare out the window. “Fine, I will wait.”

The rest of the ride was completed in silence. Ray took the time to think about his growing pack. They still had a lot of work to do before the homes would be ready to move in. It was a slow process as they were building four new homes simultaneously, with only 20 skilled construction workers and 15 of the older pups as trainees. Once these homes were finished, they would start on four more, and so on until each of the new families had a place of their own. While bringing in new pack members was a lot of work, it was also a good thing. New pack members meant more pack dues, and thus more money to support the pack. 

Ray pulled up to his home, parked his truck in front of the large, one-story, cabin-style building, and got out. His place was a five-bedroom home that he currently shared with his inner circle, but if things worked out with Leah, he would have to think about adding more rooms or building a home for just them and their future children. It was something he would think about later. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.