Chapter 6: Wolf in the Woods

Chapter 6: Wolf in the Woods

Daniel Jones

Her scent carried in the air. Lifting my nose, I take a deep inhale of it, closing my eyes to focus on the sweet vanilla smell. When I open my eyes, instead of focusing on the paperwork in front of me, I steady my gaze on her sweater. 

I paid William extra to lift it from her. I didn't- couldn't tell him why. There was still a touch of new scent to it, like she had just bought it from the airport. I can picture her in it. Hell, I can picture her without anything on, too. 

My wolf stirs inside of me. It's not hard to tell he's upset with me. 

"You know I can't claim a fucking Mundy. It's a death sentence for the pack." My chest rumbles unintentionally. I hate it when he does that shit. 

"The council will have me thrown out of the pack like a mutt if I pulled something like that. We don't breed with Mundy's. End of discussion." I can hear his whimpering in my head, so I finally look down at the papers in front of me. 

Now what the hell am I going to do for breed-week? Louisiana is sending their mate-less wolves up here to Washington for a week of hungry sex and claiming each other. It's meant for wolves to find their mates, but those who don't find them enjoy the week just as much. 

I'll be expected to participate just as much. 

A knock at the door drags me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, Mitch. Come in," I grumble out, signing the bottom of the form and flipping to the next page. I really wish I would have known about all of the paper pushing I had to do before becoming Alpha of Clearwater. 

"Alpha," he says, lowering his head for a second before continuing into my office. He pulls the seat out from the other side of the desk, dropping himself into the seat dramatically. 

"You look stressed." I tilt my chin down at his observation, glaring at him from beneath my brows. 

"What the fuck is it, Mitch?"

"Everything alright? You didn't get back until this morning." His gaze doesn't leave mine as he asks. 

"Fine." It's the only thing I say, but he huffs and crosses his arms impatiently. 

"Don't give me that shit, man. Someone new is staying in the area. I was following up on them to make sure they're not getting into any problems." It sounds believable to me, at least. 

"We have pack members who do that. So who is this wolf?" For the first time since we started talking, I break eye contact, looking down at my hands before signing another page I couldn't focus on reading. 

"Fuck. There's a Mundy on pack property? That never goes well..." he mumbles the last part, and I nod my head in agreement. Wolves tend to be a little more aggressive than humans, especially those who aren't in my pack. I'll be damned if someone from my pack acted like Roddy fucking Randal. 

"So where are they now? Marissa's motel?" He leans forward on his knees, already contracting a plan in his mind. 

Before I can respond, his eyes widen with an inhale, followed by another deep breath. 

"You brought a fucking Mundy to the Council Lodge? Are you insane?" There's a low rumble that rattles my chest cavity, and he closes his mouth with a snap. I glance at the door where her scent traveled from, then to the sweater on the back of the chair Mitch strapped himself in to. 

"Roddy took a liking to her. Last thing we need is another cop poking his goddamn head around here. William can only keep things tranquil if we keep our heads on a swivel." There's no stutter or hesitation in my tone, but he still squints studiously at me. 

In his defense, bringing her to the lodge where the North Woods council lives, including myself, was probably not the best call. But fuck, I can't let her out there without keeping an eye on her. She's safer here. With me.

"What if something happens to her here? How's that gonna blow over with the cops?" He groans as he speaks, running a hand down his face like he's been mulling this issue over for a year.

"Nothing's gonna happen to her, fuck, Mitch." God, I shouldn't care what happens to her. I can't have her. I can't breed with a Mundy and ruin the pack's blood line. The council would sooner have me exiled than to allow that. 

"Okay," he says, tossing his arms in the air in surrender. 

"Listen, breed-week is the next full moon-" he starts.

"You think I don't know that? This is my fucking pack." My words bite through the otherwise stale air. He clears his throat before continuing in a lower tone. It's not my fault the first thing he did this morning was piss off my wolf. 

"...I was wondering what your plan was for Redriver?" Damn, now I sound like an ass. 

"Mated wolves will keep watch at our border. Keep it tight. I don't want any mixed pups popping up with those Canadian assholes." The Clearwater pack has always been known for our royal-like approach for mating. Redriver is more concerned with their emotions and killing our pack members to care.

Mitch must have seen my reaction to the mention of Redriver, because he leans over the desk and speaks in a hushed tone.

"And Carson?" 

I shrug, thinking of the last time I saw him. His teeth latched onto my fathers throat. 

"He won't show his face anywhere near our territory." Mitch nods quickly, obviously not wanting to go into further detail. With that, he stands to leave.

"Mitch," I stop him, holding my breath as though that will keep the words from coming out of my mouth.

"Protective detail on the Mundy. Twenty-four-seven." I let the words sink in for a moment before continuing, glancing down at her sweater.

"If anyone touches her they deal with the pack. Understood?" My teeth ache from clenching them together.

"Yes, Alpha."