Chapter 41
“Do you know why she’s up so early and where she went?” That was not obvious at all. I have to get control of my attraction to her. “I don’t want a human wandering aimlessly around the pack p>
“She’s our mate, idiot, there is no control over that.” My wolf scolds me
“She’s still a human. I don’t know if it will be safe for her p>
She raises an eyebrow at me. I don’t usually care about guest’s comings and goings. “She’s a warrior, and one who didn’t stay up until all hours of the night. So I’m guessing she went to workout or run or some warrior-like thing like that. I did not see what direction she went in, but I do know that she walked p>
“Thanks Robin. Did the rest of the guys eat already p>
“Nope, but they all were out and about until not too long ago. You might be running solo for a little while this morning.” She laughs and she’s probably not wrong.
I finished my coffee and smashed a breakfast burrito she shoved into my hands. She knew I would just run on empty if she didn’t remind me to eat regularly.
When I’m done, I take her advice and head out the back door, across the patio and through the back garage door to get to my truck. I would normally just shift and run, but I don’t want to have to come back for my truck later, and some of those vultures will still be here when we get back for a late lunch after that. I keep the main levels of the packhouse open. There are so many people with so many needs, my staff handles as much of the simple stuff as they can for me and this makes it easier for them. But that makes some think they have an endless access to me, which requires strategic sneaking around.
I drive over to the training complex and park in my spot, hop out and head to the side where the treeline starts. I’m not shy about changing and shifting, but we have guests on the pack grounds and not all packs treat shifting the same. Some are more conservative, so I try to be mindful. I also have had issues with photos being taken and shared amongst the females in my pack, and I really don’t need a repeat of that.
So I go behind a tree, strip down and place my shorts in the crook of the tree roots then shift and start my run. I love this part of my job. Being out here in my home forest and just running, feelling the wind and sun on our fur. The enhanced smells and sights are so amazing. I wish I could spend more time in my wolf form, just enjoying the forest.
Since I am over here, I start with the northern part of my border and run in a clockwise circle. I have all of my original pack borders surrounded by packs that I control now. That took some time, but it serves a two fold purpose. My pack has an extra layer of protection if there is a war or attack, but it also guarantees that those pack members that have been obtained, have a central location to go if there is an attack.
I still run our original border though. Not as an insult or a way to look down on the packs that I have acquired, although that is one of the major rumors the people like Claude like to spread. If it keeps people in line, I don’t argue the point. I do it because the run only takes an hour or so and I can check in on all the neighboring packs as I pass by. The warriors that run patrols will sometimes stop and give me updates and news. My pack is too big for me to keep track of everyone on my own and not everyone understands the system I have in place to keep everyone safe. That makes us less predictable to outsiders.