Chapter 10

Rylee’s POV       

The visit to the Northern Valley Pack was a good start. It may have been a waste of time from Kris’s perspective. But from mine, we made an ally. Neither Alpha Steel nor Beta Dwight had done that in years. They always felt that others should come to them. Seek their support. They weren’t the best leaders.       

Finding a suitable mate for Kris is the primary goal. But if we don’t find one on this trip, then there is the next one. The trips might not be a complete waste if we find some allies along the way.        

It wasn’t far to the next pack, maybe a four-hour drive. We did the bulk of the driving on Sunday. It’s not that I have to drive, but all the girls driving scares the crap out of me. When I let Kris drive yesterday, it was because my brain was frazzled.      

As we waited at the border of the Mountain Crescent Pack. You could tell we were being sheltered from the icy winds. The thermometer in the car hadn’t changed. But it was at least bearable.      

Once, we were waved inside. We carried on our journey to the pack house. “Fancy going for a stroll around the town?” Kris asked anyone listening. “Not a chance,” Lacie responded. She felt the cold more than the others, but she also wore fewer clothes than them as well. Lacie is now a woman who is proud to flaunt her flesh.     

I carried on driving towards the pack house. On the way there, you couldn’t help but notice that there weren’t many people around. I guess it’s because of the cold.      

I stopped the car outside the pack house and people came out to greet us. “Alpha Kristen, welcome to Mountain Crescent Pack. I am Alpha Steven.” a man not much older than us said as he walked towards us. He had a really warm-looking coat on. Whereas if you looked behind him, a young girl was on the pack house steps shivering.      

“Thank you for bringing her Beta.” He held out his hand towards me for a handshake. He didn’t know which one of the girls was Kris. It was a safe bet I was the Beta. Well played Alpha Steven.      

“Thank you for the invitation,” Isabelle responded.     

“I should have known you were the female Alpha. You stand out among your friends,” he said. Isabelle gave him a weak smile and held out her hand to shake his. But he turned her hand over and kissed it. I nearly laughed at this old-fashioned gesture from such a young man.     

A man beside Alpha Steven stomped towards Isabelle. Grabbing her arm, which she yanked back. “Come inside. Come spend some time with me, Alpha Kristen. You don’t want to spend time with him. He’s an ass.” The look on Alpha Steven’s face was one of sheer horror.      

“Forgive my brother Alpha Kristen. He’s young and impatient. Full of hopes that I’ll be one day killed. Then he can take over my pack. Isn’t that right Derek?” Wow, that is on the next level. Derek openly wished his brother to be killed, so he could become Alpha. How power-hungry is he?     

“Or maybe become an Alpha if I mate with a female Alpha.” He says, looking at Isabelle. “The brother is definitely motivated by power.” I mind link Kris.      

She doesn’t take her eyes off the siblings for a second. Especially seeing as they are so close to Isabelle.     

“Come inside where it’s warm. We can talk.” Alpha Steven suggests. Gesturing for Isabelle to go with him.      

“Make sure she doesn’t leave your sight.” Kris mind links me. She is on the defensive. A sign she’s not happy.      

“Yes, come inside, and I can tell you how I can please you, Alpha Kristen. Yes,” Derek tells Isabelle. Woah too far. Way, way too far. “If my Alpha wants to go with you. You should have the decency to ask her civilly.” I snapped at Derek. He snarls at me. “Kris, we’re leaving. I’m not having you going anywhere alone with someone so disrespectful.” I bark at Isabelle. 

“She can go when she is ready, Beta.”       

“We’re leaving,” Kris speaks. “In our pack, we respect each other. We value their opinions. No one from the River Valley Pack would tolerate being spoken to or treated this way.”      

Isabelle turned and walked towards me, and I opened the door for her. The rest of us all got into the car, and I drove away. “Bang out of order, he was. They all were.” Erin says through gritted teeth. Her comment makes me laugh. “Bang out of order and bang out of luck. I wouldn’t even want them as allies.” I said as I drove as quickly as I could away from this disgusting pack.     

“He was awful. Exactly the type of man I want to avoid. I wouldn’t want any man even close to being like that,” Kris says. “The type of man every woman should avoid,” Erin remarks.     

“They made my skin crawl,” Isabelle says. They are all right. No, she-wolf, with any self-respect, would want a mate like that.     

We had hoped we could stay at the Mountain Crescent Pack. But after what happened, there was not a chance that on the goddess's green Earth, we would be staying there. Which gets me thinking about the girl on the steps. Are they abusing their pack members? I will talk to Kris later about my concerns. There is nothing I can do right now. But I will make my concerns known.      

We checked into a family suite at a motel en route to the next pack. The girls went to the local store for something to eat. I went to the room and had a shower.    

When I walked out, they all had green clay on their faces. Their giggles made me nervous. “Just enough left,” Lacie said.     

“Just enough left?” Her eyes lit up. She smiled, cracking her mask.      

I could have protested. Put up a stronger fight. But it was pointless. They would have gotten me at some point. Minutes later, the green clay was smothered on my face. Dillon is going with them next time. This is humiliating. I’m going to look like Shrek.    

At least, that was the worst part of the night. Or it was until we went to bed, and I found out I was sharing with the scantily clothed Lacie. “I’m a hugger, by the way.” She told me as we climbed into bed. Great, just what I need, a half-naked woman in my bed, wanting to spoon me.    

She must have seen the look of horror on my face. “Don’t worry Rylee. I’m all bark and no bite. I won’t be the one to take your virginity. Just like you won’t be the one to take mine.” She whispered into my ear. I am shocked and relieved by that. Shocked, she is a virgin. The way she acts and dresses. She is so confident and sexy. “Your mate will be pleased to hear that.”    

“Not as pleased as I would be. I am sick of running out of batteries. That man had better satisfy my needs. Repeatedly.” She laughs. “Come to bed. I need my beauty sleep.” She says once she has stopped laughing. I can’t help but smile now, knowing my body is safe from her. I wonder what else I will discover about Kris’s friends on this trip. That’s tomorrow’s goal. Discover something new about each of them.