Page 13 of A Kitten for Alpha Kenny

Chapter Nine

Kenny

I hated leaving my mate at his home, even though I had my luxurious room waiting for me. But I’d rather stay in a tent with my mate than the finest hotel in the world without him. We were mates, and the separation was only temporary, I promised myself before clicking off the bedside lamp and trying to sleep. My busy mind refused to stop showing reels of our evening together from the moment I first scented him until our sweet kiss good night. I wanted so much more, yet the press of lips on lips was infinitely satisfying at the same time.

We’d be kissing goodbye all our lives, even if we did live under the same roof. And then, later on, kissing hello. Finally, toward dawn, I drifted off for a while, waking just in time to shower and dress and get to Wolfe Enterprises on time.

Since I hadn’t remembered to eat at Animals, more interested in my mate and my conversations with Aspen, and I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I was very pleased when a staffer led me into a small conference room where a delicious-looking spread was waiting for us. A lot of food on platters and keeping warm over candle flames. Way too much for the two of us. Perhaps the rest of his staff would also be eating at some point.

“Help yourself.” Aspen arrived right after me and waved toward the sideboard. “I thought you might have been too busy to eat, and I haven’t had breakfast yet either. Sometimes pack business isn’t nine to five. But look who I’m telling that.”

“Preaching to the choir.” I accepted a plate from the alpha and proceeded to fill it far deeper than was polite. But then so did Aspen. “This is my first day off in years.”

“This is a day off?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Business meetings.”

“You have no idea how much I love the air of an office.” I took the seat Aspen pointed to and waited for him to join me before picking up a fork. “You might have to throw me out at the end of the meeting.” Except that I wanted to get to my sweet kitten even more than be in a meeting.

Aspen forked up a chunk of fresh, juicy pineapple and savored it before replying. “Now, I know you had one heck of a mess to clean up when you got there, but you’ve done a wonderful job to all accounts. Rumor has it your people are on track to be better than ever.”

“Thank you. I’m glad word is getting out to that effect. The members of our pack have worked very hard to achieve these results and they will be proud to hear your kind words.” The frittata was creamy and savory and everything I missed about city food. We ate well, but it was nothing fancy. I supposed I could ask for anything and someone would make it, but I didn’t want to put them to extra trouble.

“So, while I’m sure the work is still hard, you don’t strike me as someone afraid of putting in effort.”

I shook my head, chewing.

“So, why are you so happy to be here? Most alphas squirm when they have to sit indoors for hours for meetings? I am the other exception. My skills are best used helping the pack succeed with this company.”

“I never thought I’d be an alpha—”

Suddenly the room filled with others, mostly males and a couple of females, and nobody had to tell me they were all pack alphas from the region. I knew some, not all, but their aura of command told the whole story. Well, most of it. Not why they were here.

“Welcome, everyone.” Alpha Aspen stood from his seat and held out a hand to me. I also rose. “We’ve waited far too long to bring Alpha Kenny into our group. He’s earned his seat not onlythrough challenge but by correcting all the mistakes of an alpha we shall not honor by stating his name.”

All the alphas came over and shook my hand, introduced themselves, and then helped themselves to heaping plates of food—the quantity of which was now clear to me. When we were all seated, they began discussing business matters as if I had always been one of them. They even asked my advice about some matters it could be surmised I had experience in. Like cleaning up messes and making money. Every so often, someone stood up to get more to eat, so I didn’t feel bad doing the same. I had anticipated being done with my meeting in an hour or so, but in fact, it went past lunchtime before our business was concluded.

When the last of the others had left for the day, I leaned back in my seat and let out a breath. “That was so much fun.”

Aspen stared at me. “You really do like this kind of stuff, don’t you?”

“I love it. But, most of my time is not about this now. I do meet with betas, but the only way to correct everything that was wrong about our lands and our people was to be out among them. The suit I am wearing now hasn’t been used in years. They probably all knew it was out of style.”

“I doubt it. You saw the others. Wearing everything from jeans to suits and back again. They don’t care about that.”

“No, and I suppose I don’t either anymore. How much do you know about my story?”

He shrugged. “Very little. I know you were living away and declared rogue then came back to challenge the alpha for dominance.”

I huffed out a breath. “Is that what they’re saying?”

“It’s not true?” He cocked his head and picked up his coffee cup. “Then enlighten me.”

“Well, you see, I never wanted to live on the packlands. I wanted to live in the city and be a businessman. So, I went tocollege and got a degree and a good job and made a success of myself, I think.”

“And then they decided you’d forgotten yourself and declared you rogue?”

“The alpha when I left was fine with my choices, and I visited my dads often, contributed to the pack funds, and it seemed fine. Then the last alpha came in, and slowly things changed.”

“For the worse.” It wasn’t a guess. Word would have gotten out somehow. I wasn’t the only pack member who visited their family and friends.

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