Keeping My Pack (33 page)

Time flies as we keep busy with getting everything situated and organized around the house. I met with Philip, Perry’s older brother and Damon, Morris’ father because Mikey seems to be inseparable from the other boys now. We had gotten the other kids bikes to ride so that Mikey could ride his and the others wouldn’t have to miss out. Now, it’s hard to keep track of them as they cruise around for most of the day. Phillip and Damon are nice guys though, and when my guys or I have things to attend to, they look after the boys. A so Albert and Grandfather, and pretty much everyone else. Grandfather pointed out that that’s how the packs were, everyone looked out for each other, especially the children. I still worry about Mikey when I’m not around though; I wasn’t raised in a pack like him, and this pack has been through some things.

He was right about the off-site pack members though. More and more families have been showing up, with moving trucks and all, asking to be allowed back in the pack house. I try to tell them that they don’t need to ask, and I made the offer in the first place, but they do anyway. So now we have other women in the house, finally. Some of them look my age, but they’re older, a fact I was a little disappointed in. There’s only about ten of them and most seem nice enough, though a couple just come off a spoiled to me, but then again they are spoiled, so that makes sense. With few women around so many men, it’s just the way it is, and I haven’t taken the time to get to know them yet either. The only issue I’ve had with any of them were the two who laughed when I asked them to help me sort out the new clothing Logan and Jace had gotten. Logan was worried they’d all look like clones, so he got each person an entire wardrobe, but the companies who shipped the clothing didn’t know, so it got all mixed up. I kept my anger at the women in check and explained that everyone around here helps out. Well, maybe I said that if they want to remain in my pack they have to earn it, but it’s about the same thing.

The biggest difference and my most favorite change are the wolf pups running around now. They’re all boys, but they are the cutest little things I’ve ever seen. There're a few bigger ones too, so Mikey got more friends to play with. I had to tell him not to pet them and talk to them like he would a dog, but treat them how he would a person at first. He got the hang of it quickly and the boy he treated like a dog came around again after the slight insult. I have to keep after Perry and Morris about riding their new friends in wolf form, but Remy explained that boys are weird, and as long as no one is complaining, then it’s fine. Two things I never thought I’d hear myself say are the two things I always have to say when I’m around the boys. You don’t bite your friends, and you don’t ride your friends like a horse.

Even with keeping the floor below ours reserved for children and families, we were able to move some of the soldiers inside the house as well. Of course, almost all of the rooms had to be converted to bedrooms, but we made it work. That made less room for common areas, but it became understood that we could go outside and run around if we needed space. Ash even suggested turning two of the smaller ballrooms into bunkhouses so we could get the rest of the soldiers out of the trailers and get those out of here. So now three-bed high bunk beds are lined up in rows in those rooms. It’s a bit cramped, but we make it work, and everyone pitches in where they can.

The next step for us is converting the basement into laundry facilities. As it is now, there are daily runs to laundry mats and the washing machines we have here are working 24/7. And hot water? Nope, we don’t have that anymore, not even on our floor. I’m not sure how we’re going to make that possible again, but Finn is working on it.

Tristan spends most of his time in the kitchens. Not only cooking but showing others how to prepare and cook food for the masses. With some of the ballrooms gone, dining space is limited to the small dining room and the bigger ballroom. Finn took over a big office room to start teaching the children, and I sneak away from whatever I’m doing to try to catch him with the kids during their recess.

Seeing him playing with the children makes me love him more than I already did. The wolf pups usually make their way outside with the rest of the kids, and they shift when their siblings do, running around as yipping balls of fur. They seem to like me too as they come up to me without reserve and nibble away at my shoelaces and whine for a good belly rub. Grandfather told me that they can sense that I’m their Alpha female, and that’s why they act the way that they do. Why all the children act that way in wolf form. I told him that may be true, then again, I’ve always been good with kids.

Tonight is New Year’s Eve though, and I’m excited to get to run with the rest of the pack. I’ve been running with Ash and the soldiers he’s training in the mornings, after my private yoba sessions with Reed, of course. Ash and his men stay human as they run around the perimeter, but I think it’s fun to chase them as a wolf, so I do.

“
You ready for this, Princess?” Jace asks as we head down to the backyard, or mud pit.

“
Don’t you call me that too. It’s hard enough to remember people are speaking to me when I get called that all the time.” I tell him.

“
Actually, if you’ll remember, I called you that first. Long before I knew you were an actual princess.” He reminds me.

I smile up at him. “That’s right. I guess you were ahead of the curve.”

“
Always.” He replies cockily.

“
Oh my god.” I gasp out, before covering my eyes with my hands.

“
Remy laughs behind, Logan joining him. “It’s okay, Love. We haven’t been taken over by flashers; these wolves just don’t care about nudity. They’ll be shifting soon.” He assures me. Or tries to.

“
I don’t want to be naked in front of a bunch of people,” I tell him nervously.

“
Don’t worry, you don’t have to. I think the other females have chosen to shift inside the house once everyone else leaves. I’ll wait outside the door for you, just bark when you’re all ready to come out.” He tells me.

“
I guess that’s a little better.” I grudgingly agree.

The men file out, and I wave awkwardly at Maxine, one of the other women that I’ve come to really like. She has two kids, Sway and Maxwell, and Mikey really likes them.

Maxine waves back, stepping closer to me. “Hey there, Princess. Nervous?” She guesses correctly.

“
Just about the naked part, I’m excited for the run. I run with my mates all the time, but never with so many other wolves.” I tell her honestly.

“
Oh, it is fun. I suspect you’ll be in the back with our Alphas, so I’ll probably see you at some point. I’m going to stick near the middle back where the kids will be. Sway is always going off, trying to do his own thing, so I have to my eye on him.” She tells me with a roll of her pretty blue eyes.

“
He is a bit of a rebel, isn’t he?” I joke with her.

“
Gets that from his father, I assure you.” She with a shake of her head.

“
I guess we better shift and head on out then. The men are probably getting impatient.” I sigh.

I slip my fussy robe off and toss it onto a chair. I shift quickly, shaking out my fur then scratching an itch behind my ear. I give the other women a few moments to shift in privacy before looking behind me to check if they’re done. Yep, all finished up.

I bark at the door, and a naked Remy opens it for me. I rub against his leg as I exit and sit next to him. Ash is on my other side, so I lean up to lick his muzzle. As my eyes turn back to Remy, closing the door, I catch one of the other females checking him out. Before I can think about it, I’m on top of her, snapping at her face with my teeth. Her head turns to the side, and she whimpers, so I let her go with one last growl. She gets to her feet and sulks away with her tail between her legs.

I grumble as I trot back to my guys, not caring if anyone thought I was mean. Remy is mine, and no one looks at them that but me. As if to reassure myself, I walk the line of all of my mates, rubbing against them and licking under their necks. Yep, mine. All mine.

Remy’s red wolf comes to stand over me, bending his head down lick the top of my head, his chest rumbling at me in approval.

I finally turn my eyes to the rest of the pack, who sits patiently waiting for us. Remy takes his time showing me love, then backs away, taking a deep breath. He howls loudly, his voice carrying across the land and bouncing around the night. My responding howl mixes with the rest of the packs. All eight of my mates chorus the next one, and that’s the signal for those in front with Grandfather to starts running. The younger wolves yip in excitement, and I see Maxine up ahead with the pups, herding them to stay in line. I bark a hello, and she turns her head to see me, bowing her head and giving a short bark back.

The pack runs in groupings, the older wolves out in front, followed by the best fighting soldiers, other than my guys, the majority of the pack follows them, with more fighter, the families, even more soldiers, then us, the Alpha family running behind them.

Somehow, the guys seem to not only know where the wolves up front are going, but they’re directing them from all the way back here. I howl when they howl, turn when they turn and every now and again pounce a rabbit. The last not to the guys’ liking at all, but it’s fun. I don’t know how long we run for, but my energy seems to build instead of drain. It’s exciting being out here with the pack. We move as a team, as several parts of a whole, and I’ve never felt closer to them. I’ve also never found my guys to be as attractive as they are right now either, and that’s saying something since I have always found them attractive. The way they command the other wolves, the way they never break stride, their paws moving at exactly the same time, their fur brushing up against one another as they run side by side. It’s infuriatingly sexy, and I find myself wanting them more than I ever have, all of them.

Eventually, we circle back to the house and wolves shift back into men and flood the house. I, however, have only just ran myself into a hot mess, so I issue a challenge to my wolves, getting their attention with a bark, then turning and raising my tail high, swaying my hips as I walk. Several turned on growls meet my ears, and I know they’re watching me now. I take off as fast as I can, heading for the orchards, wanting us to get some distance from the other people still milling about. They let me lead, for I know all of them could catch me if they wanted, especially the fast as lightning Logan. I weave through the barren trees, finding a nice spot for us. With a low howl, Remy orders the guys to surround me. Oh, this is fun. They play with me first, probably getting back at me a little. I try to guess which one tries to nip at my leg next, they’re too good, and there’s too many to keep an eye on at once. After a while I pout, huffing and sitting down. I don’t like this game; I can’t win.

Ash steps forward and nuzzles my neck, telling me it okay and they were just playing. I nuzzle him back, and Reed starts in on my other side. They begin their slow seduction, and I’m soon lost in a tidal wave of love, lust, and passion.

And that’s how I find myself waking up in the middle of an orchard, freezing my naked butt off, feeling irritable with lack of sleep. I cross my arms over my chest and kick out at a still sleeping Ash. “Ash, wake up. Let’s go get coffee. I need coffee.” I demand. I am so not doing this again in winter.

“
I apologize, Love.” It was never our intention to fall asleep out here. Come here, I will keep you warm.” Remy tells me, picking me up in his arms. I wrap my body around him, stealing his heat.

“
It’s okay.” I sigh. “I fell asleep too.”

“
Because we wore that fine ass out.” Logan brags, with a slap to my bottom.

I yelp in shock, a little in pain as my backside stings. It’s cold out here. “Hey!”

“
Let’s go inside. I too would like some coffee and some more rest.” Remy says loudly, ensuring the rest of my sleeping mates wake up and come with us.

Well, this is going to be fun, walking into a house full of people who know exactly what we have up to. And we have the added bonus of being completely naked. I sigh heavily, oh well, it was totally worth it.