My Female Alpha

THREE

lenora

The wind whips through my fur as I lope back to the pack house. I shift and grab my phone off the tree where I'd left it. As I walked toward the pack house, I checked over the messages I'd received from pack members while I was out.

As I shrug a fresh pair of clothes, the back door reels open.

"Alpha," Denver calls out to me. "There's someone on the phone for you."

I nod and slip on the shorts and tee I'd left on the porch before I left. "Who is it?"

"Alpha Shores," he replied. "He says there's a development scheme threatening their borderlands."

Sighing, I pad into the house behind him. My cell phone is on the counter, blinking in wait. I place it against my ear and go to the sink to wash my hands.

"Shores, what a pleasure," I say dryly.

"Good morning, Alpha Dunn. I apologize for bothering you, but I'm afraid there's an urgent pack matter at hand."

"I understand humans are trying to build on your pack lands?" Wiping my clean hands on a towel, I move to the fridge and pull out the carton of eggs.

"Yes. Eminent domain will be in effect and there's nothing we can do to stop that. Not legally, at least."

"What are you suggesting?"

He grunts in displeasure. "You know what I am suggesting. One of your members is the City Planner. Have them step in and interfere."

"You could just as easily contaminate soil samples or something."

"Lenora, please—"

"Alpha Dunn to you," I hiss. The egg in my hand cracks and its yolk pools down my arm. I shake it off in the sink. "And anyway, it seems to me that your pack has been calling in quite a number of favors lately. First, it was that rogue bull incident that nearly killed one of my wolves. Then it was that damned search for your missing nephew. We wasted manpower for a child that wasn't even missing—if I must remind you. And now, you want one of my wolves to meddle with human business?"

"It is pack business, Alpha," he says gruffly. "You know as well as I do that if they get away with this on my land, they'll soon come after yours too."

Of course, I know this. Unlike him, I have the authority to prevent such a thing from taking place.

"I will speak to Candace about it," I tell him. "Only for the sake of pack alliance. If your pack is chased out, we are all the weaker for it."

"I'm glad we agree. Please let me know when you have a solution."

Grinding my teeth, I hang up and mutter, "Annoying prick."

Denver steps into the kitchen again, his familiar scent a comfort. "What'd he want?"

"A favor. As usual. Can you call Candace in?"

"Sure thing." He lingers for a moment with an uncertain breath. "Alpha?"

Smiling at his formality, I crack two eggs into the pan. "Beta?"

"I think there might be a rogue in our territory. I've been smelling him here and there. Always by roadways and closer to town. I wasn't sure, so I was waiting to tell you until I was certain."

I turn away from the skillet to look at him. "A rogue? Are you sure?"

When I took over this pack a few years ago, I made sure all rogues within the immediate vicinity were gone. The previous Alpha lost his position to me for many reasons, but his cowardice in handling rogues that violated pack boundaries was certainly one.