Intransigent

Intransigent | 2

Chapter 2

Emma's POV

Elizabeth resisted me helping with lunch, but I eventually won through pure stubbornness. And pointing out that I had nothing to do until the party tonight unless I helped her because I wasn't allowed to see the decorations outside until the party tonight.

We made something simple for lunch: sandwiches. We made ham, turkey, tuna fish and bologna sandwiches for about an hour. When they were done, we piled them on platters and put them in the fridge until it was lunch time.

Elizabeth and Lisa moved on to cleaning and Elizabeth refused to let me help, saying no girl should have to clean on her birthday. I couldn't even argue, because on Elizabeth and Lisa's birthdays, my parents and I took over cleaning and cooking duties for the day and sent them somewhere fun for the day.

Dad, I'm going to take over your office for a while, I told him through the pack link.

You're supposed to be relaxing, young lady, he replied.

I sighed rolling my eyes. Relaxing is boring! I whined.

I heard his laughter through the link before he said, Alright. Call the Dust Valley Pack and talk to Alpha Jackson about setting up the treaty we've been talking about. That should keep you busy for a while.

I grinned, thanking him and walking into his office. His office was cozy. There was a fireplace along the west wall, a plush couch along the east wall and the back, north wall, sat my dad's cherry wood desk with the most comfortable desk chair I'd ever sat in. He had two chairs in front of his desk that were also comfortable, but not as comfortable as the desk chair.

I quickly started a fire in the fireplace before dropping into the chair behind the desk with a sigh. It wasn't cold, but I loved the sound of the crackling fire along with the smell. I turned on the computer before picking up the phone and dialing the number for the Dust Valley Pack.

"Dust Valley Pack, Alicia speaking."

"Hello, Alicia," I said politely. "I'm from the Falling Star Pack and I was calling to talk to Alpha Jackson about the treaty we're supposed to be arranging."

"Let me check if he's available," was her short reply, before there was a click and I was put on hold.

I hit the record button on the phone to record the conversation and waited for Alpha Jackson to take my call.

A minute later there was a click and a deep voice said, "David, I thought you were calling tomorrow."

I grinned. "This is his daughter, Emma. He told me to call you and sort everything out."

"Really?" he asked, his tone disbelieving.

I bristled slightly, but didn't let it show in my voice. "Really," I told him. "Now, shall we get started?"

We didn't have a rocky history with the Dust Valley Pack, so the treaty was relatively easy to negotiate. They had just moved their pack to our southern border and we only needed to discuss boundary lines and some basic rules to prevent misunderstandings. The entire process took about an hour.

"Emma, you are remarkably good at this," Alpha Jackson praised me when we had finished.

"Thank you," I told him. "My dad raised me right. Now that we have all that out of the way, how do you feel about a party?" I asked.

"Straight from business to pleasure, huh?" he asked, chuckling slightly.

I laughed with him. "I just figured it was a good opportunity to set up some good relations. My seventeenth birthday party is tonight and I'm sure my dad would love to meet you face to face."