Page 34 of Eclipse Pack

“Taria, it appears your Gamma has arrived and is not happy that you have killed someone to protect yourself. My warriors have them subdued in the hallway for the moment. All except one female that is standing alone and has injured two of my warriors with a stick that she refuses to relinquish. Could we take a moment to calm the situation, please?”

Jumping from the couch, I rush to the door and dash into the melee that is Ember. “STOP! That’s enough. I am safe and was never in any danger while I have been here. Ember! Stand down at once. The rest of you behave in a manner befitting your position.” Ember turns to me, stands with her feet apart, rests the head of the bat on the floor while leaning on the handle. She gives me a beautiful smile that looks so innocent, you wouldn’t think that only moments before she had been trying to decapitate half the Wolfsfoot Pack.

Looking at the Wolfsfoot warriors, I see four of them restraining one of my Eclipse Pack escorts, two more of my escort restrained by two Wolfsfoot Pack warriors each, and the two on the floor injured. Ember is surrounded by what looks like a dozen others, but I don’t take the time to count them.

“Release them, please. There will be no repeat of this incident. What are you thinking of, coming here and behaving like rogues? You bring shame on the Eclipse Pack with your actions. Go seat yourselves in the dining room, and wait until I call for you.” Pointing at the escort that had been restrained by the four warriors, as he tries to speak, “Not a word until I call for you, do you understand?”

Nodding, he turns and walks into the dining room, where he gestures the others to a table that gives them a clear view of the alpha’s office door.

Back inside the office and I can’t help but smile when I see Luna Tati laughing with tears on her cheeks. Alpha Gabriel is smiling, but definitely not laughing.

“Well, Taria. It’s never going to be boring having you visit us. I’ll give you that. One death and one riot in less than two hours of your arrival in the packhouse. I’m confident that is going tostand as a record for some time.” Luna Tati wipes at the tears as she speaks.

Alpha Gabriel then joins in. “Apparently, my pack members were a little too enthusiastic when explaining the incident in the forest, and what happened with Savannah. Your Gamma was concerned that you were in very real danger and my warriors wouldn’t allow him to speak with you, because you were with their Alpha. I think we can say that both parties were responsible for the riot. I must say that I’m impressed that it took four of my warriors to subdue your Gamma. Impressed with your Gamma, that is, not my warriors. I think I’ll be speaking to our trainer, Thomas, about that.”

“Speaking of which, do you have somewhere private where I can speak to my escorts? I haven’t met my Gamma yet, so this should be interesting, to say the least. Before that, I’d like to contact Bronze and let him know what happened to Savannah.”

“Use my Luna office for both. I’ll be busy for a while now, so it will only stand empty.” Luna Tati smiles again and I just thank her. I don’t know what I’m going to say to the escort team other than well done. Seeing Ember, the only one still standing in that hallway, will be an image burned into my mind for a long time to come.

Seeing a bench outside the Luna’s office, I fetch my four escorts and have them sit on it, like naughty pups awaiting my displeasure. Sitting behind Luna Tati’s desk, I pick up the phone and call Bronze. He answers almost immediately.

“Alpha Heir Bronze speaking.”

“Hi, Bronze. How’s things there?”

“Taria! How wonderful. I wasn’t expecting to speak to you until tonight. I thought you’d be far too busy with just arriving at theWolfsfoot Pack to take time out for a chat with me.” He sounds excited to hear from me but I think that will die off shortly.

“Just arrived and very busy, you are correct in that. Time for a chat, no. This isn’t a chat, more of an incidents report.” That certainly curbs his enthusiasm.

“What incident? Are you okay?” Now he sounds worried.

“Incidents, plural, and yes, I’m good,” Taking my time so I sound calm and okay, I explain the incident in the forest. Fending off his questions about the possible informant and their location, I give him the lowdown on Savannah.

“Your stalker Savannah, remember her?”

“Oh no. What has she done this time? I thought Luna Tati would have her reined in by now,” He sounds exasperated at the mere thought of her.

“You won’t have to worry about her as an issue anymore. I’ve dealt with it,” I think a little bit of pride may have slipped into my voice, that I didn’t mean to.

“You’ve solved it? Oh, well done you. How?”

Taking a deep breath, “I broke her neck. She’s dead.”

“No. Seriously. If you’ve solved it, how did you solve it?” I knew he wasn’t going to believe this.

“Yes. Seriously. I broke her neck in the middle of the Wolfsfoot dining area, in front of everyone having their lunch.” I then explain what happened and that Swan, from my Blackshadow Pack escort, heard and saw everything. There’s a stunned silence and then an enormous sigh.

“Wow. So, she was certainly unhinged. I’m glad that you dealt with it as you did. That prevents any further future issues with her. Are you okay in yourself with taking her life?”

“Strangely, yes. Ultimately, it was going to come down to her or me. In fact, it was already at that point after the rogue attempt, so I feel completely justified in my actions.”

“Well, I didn’t see that coming, but I’m glad that you’re safer now, with her out of the picture.”

“I have something else you didn’t see coming,” then proceed with the story of the near riot in the packhouse, and of how Ember was the last man standing!

Once the call is ended, I take on the next task of speaking with the escort. I need to speak with my Gamma, alone first, and will then deal with the rest in one fell swoop.

Opening the office door, I give all four my sternest look, which I feel backfires when Ember beams at me. What on earth am I going to do with her never ending optimism and boundless enthusiasm?

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