Page 19 of Fated to the Rogue

And after having breakfast alone in my office, I headed downstairs to talk to our golden girl.

Since I couldn’t mindlink anyone for reasons not even Dawn could explain, I had to either text pack members or go around searching for them if I wanted to contact them. Fortunately, I was familiar with my Delta’s routine. As expected, I found her in the kitchen, discussing the week’s menu with Mrs. Robinson.

“How are my favorite girls doing?” I smiled as I smoothly interrupted their conversation.

“Oh, Alpha! I’m not a girl anymore. Haven’t been for a few decades!” The head cook chuckled.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Alpha Zephyr?” The brunette turned to me, holding the clipboard closer to her chest.

“Just wanted to make sure everything’s ready.”

My Delta nodded. “All’s in order with your tickets and the driver has been notified. The car taking you guys to the airport should be out front in fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks, Alex. You sure you and Zach will be fine taking care of the pack all by yourselves?”

“With all due respect, Alpha, I’ve been in charge of Wind Howlers longer than you have.” She winked playfully at me.

“Fair enough. But if you need anything-”

“We’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Just relax and enjoy your visit to Dune Drifters.”

“I’ll try.” If only there wasn’t a major meeting I had to attend, maybe I could relax. “I’ll be on my way then.”

“Oh!” I was about to turn around to leave when Mrs. Robinson suddenly ran to the countertop. She returned with two paper bags, both carrying something warm, and held them out to me. “Have a safe trip, Alpha Zephyr.”

Her sweet surprise made me blink a few times before I could react. “You didn’t have to, Mrs. Robinson…”

“Nonsense! I heard this will be a very important negotiation trip, and you can’t do business with an empty stomach. These snacks will hopefully help keep your bellies full until your arrival.”

A smile played on my lips. The old woman had always been kind and caring, but her sweetness still melted my heart. “Thank you. I will miss your cooking every minute I’m away.”

“I’ll make sure to prepare a special meal for your return.” She bowed her head at me, and I waved goodbye to the two women.

After leaving the kitchen, I decided to text my friends and wait for them at the entrance hall. I was done packing and had already brought my suitcase downstairs to save the Omegas the trouble of doing it for me, so it wouldn’t hurt to use these last few minutes to review our plans. Before long, Malin and Zach were standing in front of me.

“Alright, I’m ready to go!” my second-in-command chanted excitedly.

“I’m ready to stay. And finally have some peace,” the Gamma muttered the last part in a lower tone.

“Alex will keep up with her daily tasks, but I also told her to assist you with whatever problems you might face.” The moment I rested my hand on Zach’s shoulder, he stepped away.

“Problems?” he scoffed. “You’ll only be gone for a day. What do you think will happen?”

“You never know.” I shrugged. “Make sure you answer every phone call in case another Alpha tries to contact us, don’t forget to check the reports I left on the desk, and-”

“I know, I know! You think I can’t handle being Alpha for a day?”

“Just wanted to remind you that it can be a lot of work.” A smirk lit up my face. “You might even have to skip training tomorrow morning if there’s too much to do…”

His eyes widened as he returned the gesture, which was extremely rare - Zach was mostly seen wearing his usual frown, or a neutral face at best if he was in a good mood.

“Sure, but only if I have no other choice. Wouldn’t wanna miss training for no reason, you know.”

“You boys ready?” I immediately recognized my father’s voice. Turning around, I realized he was standing at the foot of the staircase with his Beta by his side. Mom was holding his left arm so tight, his skin was turning red.

“I’m going to miss you so much, my grumpy condor!” She pouted at him, her eyes watery.

“I’ll be back before you know I’m gone, my sweet dove. I promise.” He mimicked her melancholic tone, leaning closer to her.

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