Twenty Six year old Blake Hunter is the Alpha of the largest pack in the region. Finding his mate is the last thing on his mind.
But, in the midst of dealing with uninvited relations, aspiring future Lunas and increasing rogue attacks on his easter...
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Never had a day been more frustrating than the one Blake had just been forced to endure. After waiting for nearly an hour in the uncomfortable hallway - his patience thinning by the second - a lowly Omega shuffled out to whisper into Riker's ear. Syrus was not available to meet with them when they arrived - caught up in some important pack business, or so they said.
Instead, they were escorted to their rooms to freshen up and prepare for the welcoming feast, with assurances that Syrus would meet him formally the next morning. Riker stayed to offer them a brief tour of the house at the centre of the Elmwood pack – a fascinating insight that revealed a pack living deep in the past.
If Samuel’s observances were to be believed, the decor had not changed since he'd lived there decades ago - the aged and yellowing wallpaper was peeling slightly, the furniture was past its best and the rooms seemed to sag forlornly under the lack of care.
It was clear Syrus did not consider his guest-quarters a priority when dispersing funds, but Blake was shocked at how little interest the man seemed to have in keeping up appearances. Each bedroom matched the last - a depressing parade of worn, dingy quarters more frequently seen at a roadside motel than the guesthouse of a powerful Alpha.
His growing suspicions over the Alpha's willingness to hand over his seal were confirmed the moment he first encountered the pack's Beta - a portly man who showed little sign of regular exercise, unusual in a wolf of his status.
"Where did you get –" Gareth spluttered, before catching himself and narrowing his tiny eyes towards Riker.
"Is there a problem?" Blake asked politely, feigning ignorance.
The Beta forced out an unconvincing laugh. "Not at all. I had a horrible feeling the seal had been left behind this morning, is all." He shot a look of irritation at Riker, apparently oblivious to the fact that Blake could see every expression on his face. "I'm delighted my nephew remembered it."
Nephew? Well, that explained the Beta blood he'd sensed in the young warrior.
“I knew the Alpha wouldn't wish to risk insulting his guests, Uncle,” Riker said with an edge of defiance in his voice. “So, I made sure to double check the gifts before we left. It's lucky I spotted its absence.”
“Isn’t it just,” his uncle said between gritted teeth. He glanced at Blake; a fake smile plastered across his doughy features. “I apologise for our Alphas continued absence,” the Beta gushed, his voice dripping with insincerity. “The duties of a leader can be so time consuming, as I'm sure you're aware.”
The man was all kinds of slimy and - as it quickly became apparent - completely incapable of hiding his true feelings. Blake felt unclean just talking to him and they parted company at the door to his rooms with a feeling of relief. He watched them disappear together, the Beta snarling at his nephew all the way down the corridor and Blake silently filed the new information away to chew over later.
