Chapter 386
Chapter 386
49 – Elara
Ben wasn’t wrong. Melanie wasn’t angry with me at all; in fact, she eagerly seized the opportunity to prove her loyalty by personally taking charge of preparing meals for the coven. Once she got started, there was no stopping her whirlwind of energy. I gave her the freedom to select five Omegas to assist her with the task and to gather anything necessary for the coven’s needs. Content orıginally comes from
A few hours after our meeting, Jax and Dev reported that every member of the coven had been accounted for and was comfortably settled in the clearing near the packhouse. I sent them off to update the rest of the warriors and prepare them to learn new scent markers so we could easily distinguish allies from enemies.
“Now, I just have to break it to the pack that I’m bringing witches into our home—and that they have to behave themselves,” I muttered under my breath, though Ben was close enough to hear.
“Is it really that bad?” he asked, his voice calm but curious.
I paused, locking eyes with him for a moment before it dawned on me—Ben had never actually been inside the packhouse with me before. He hadn’t witnessed the hostility I faced, like the time Jeff twisted rumors among the shopkeepers and I got chewed out for it. This was going to be a harsh reality check for him. My pack had always been wary of me stepping into my father’s shoes, but now that he was gone and couldn’t shield me from the worst of it, the situation was far more complicated than I’d realized. Ben might even decide to reject me and walk away. I mean, who wants a mate who’s not accepted by their own pack? Especially when you’re the Alpha that everyone resents an Alpha who can’t even command basic respect, all because I’m missing a third leg.
I rolled my eyes. “Why don’t you come see for yourself p>
Without waiting for a response, I started walking. He could either follow or not. As I moved through the house, a strange feeling settled in my chest. I’d never loved this enormous place; it always felt excessive, like someone trying too hard to appear important. Our pack had always been relatively small-between three and five hundred members at any given time. Most of them ran small family businesses or served as warriors. Others left to pursue higher education and only came back when they were ready to retire.
There was never really a reason for a packhouse this grand. Especially not until this rogue and witch problem arose. I couldn’t even remember the last time my father had entertained members from another pack here.
“What?” Ben’s voice startled me from behind, and I realized I’d stopped moving, staring into the grand formal living room. “Is everything okay? Jax, Dev p>
I blinked and shook myself out of my thoughts. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I was just thinking about how useless this house really is. Why didn’t my dad ever fix it up or move somewhere smaller?” I spun around, taking in every detail.
“What do you mean?” Ben asked as I completed my turn.
“I don’t know why it never occurred to me before, but this entire house feels pointless. My dad was an only child, I’m an only child, and we hardly ever entertain anyone. So why the hell do we need a house this big p>
“Maybe your ancestors needed a larger place?” he suggested.
I snorted. “That was rhetorical. My ancestors were jerks who needed to feel bigger and better than everyone else p>
Ben raised an eyebrow. “What exactly are you saying p>
“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted with a shrug. “One problem at a time. Come on, let’s go meet the pack.” I laughed dryly.
He followed me out the door as we made our way down the lane. I couldn’t help but notice the ostentatious design spilling out here as well. At least the circular driveway was practical for coming and going, but the statues, ornamental trees, and elaborate landscaping looked more fitting for an Alpha King in his castle than for an Alpha with a pack of just three hundred members.
Once we reached the main drive, I led Ben to the left. Our pack only had four main roads; everything else was a network of trails created by running, walking, or driving off-road vehicles. This was one thing I loved about my pack—the simplicity and minimalism. I just wished that aesthetic extended into the packhouse itself, but I had a feeling my great-great-grandfather had deliberately made it stand out, wanting to assert his importance when he built it.
We passed the entrance to the training grounds, and a memory of when the Silver Crescent guys first arrived hit me suddenly. We mostly walked in silence. Ben asked a few questions about the houses and pack history as we headed toward the center of town, but he didn’t chatter incessantly. The quiet was a welcome change.
The main stretch of town consisted of two parallel roads lined with most of the shops and restaurants. At the far end, a perpendicular road connected them and housed our school, along with the homes of several elders. I wondered if that arrangement was the elders’ design or my ancestors p>
I took Ben into every shop, introducing him as our new Beta. Everyone seemed to accept him when I made him part of the pack, though I knew he hadn’t used the mindlink or his aura with anyone out of respect. He truly had been trained well to be a leader. I didn’t mention that he was my mate, and he didn’t correct me when I introduced him.
Most of the pack members were polite to the newcomer. I’d never seen my father do any of this—he rarely inducted new members, and he hadn’t gotten to this part of my training before he died. Most of the females seemed fine with me as Alpha; it was the males I worried about.
Finally, we reached Deacon’s shop. The last time I’d seen him, he’d stormed out of my office, telling me I wasn’t his Alpha and warning me to fix things so the pack wouldn’t be afraid.
The little bell above the shop door chimed as we entered. If Deacon weren’t such a pain, this would be one of my favorite places. He and his mate ran an apothecary of sorts. His mate specialized mainly in kitchen and healing supplies. She was a healer by trade but didn’t want to work at the pack hospital, so she handled smaller issues. Werewolves didn’t get sick like humans, but when injured or ill, herbal treatments often worked better than modern medicine. Her skills allowed our pack doctor to focus on the more serious cases.
Lately, they’d been busier than ever.
“What do you want?” a growl came from behind me.