Page 53 of Welcome Home: When Shifters Unite!

Before anyone can speak out the door opens and a male and female enter the office. Adira smiles, “Just in time Stella, Warden. Take a seat.”

Stella smiles and takes a seat on one side of the room and Warden sits next to her. Both settling quickly and wait for what Adira is going to do or say next. “Stella, Warden, I’d like you to meet your Co-Alpha and my mate Barrik.”

Stella jumps to her feet with a huge smile on her face. Launches herself at Adira, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Rawlin surges to the fore and I have to fight him to go back, telling him that the woman is not a threat.

“Sorry, Alpha Barrik. Sorry Wolfie, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Stella says as she moves away from Adira swiftly.

‘Wolfie? She called me Wolfie!’

I don’t react to the indignation Rawlin is feeling, but the shocked look on his face is more than a little amusing. “My wolf is Rawlin, and it’s nice to meet you, Stella. I have heard much about you from Adira, and all good, too.”

“Hello, Rawlin. I look forward to meeting you one day. Thank you Alpha Barrik, I’ve heard nothing about you,” Stella must realize that sounds bad as she covers her mouth with her hand.

I turn to look at Adira, who is giggling while looking at a scarlet-faced Stella. “One of these days, Stella!” Adira laughs.

“I’ve been with her on the stake-out, and honestly, she could get you hung,” Warden states, but he’s smirking all the while he’s speaking.

Banter flows around for a few minutes, and it is well meant banter, no nasty comments and everyone takes it as it is meant, no ill feelings. It’s a good pack, and the higher level sitting here are good people, or shifters. I am finding I’m very lucky to have found my mate, and this beautiful bunch of pack members.

“What did you find, Warden?” Adira eventually asks.

“It, thankfully, is nothing we feared. Alpha Rudik has been building his pack financially. It seems his grandfather, and then father, ran the pack finances so low that it was struggling to continue. Alpha Rudik moved pack members into the nearesttowns. They took jobs, and between them all they were able to open a pack construction business, and then a smaller business that the females wanted to open. He helps finance the business, and the pack then takes a cut of profits depending on the amount they put into it.” Warden looks at Stella as she takes over the telling.

“Alpha Rudik has a Luna. She is supportive of the females of the pack being warriors if they want and are good enough. Equal opportunities for all pack members, and it’s working well for them. The three towns we visited all had a business or businesses with Blue River in the name, showing they were partly owned by the pack. We didn’t meet anyone that disliked Alpha Rudik. But not one person had a good thing to say about his father or grandfather.” Stella rubs her hands on her thighs and gives everyone a look that tells us she wasn’t impressed with the later information.

“I didn’t know he had a luna,” I blurt without thinking.

“No, neither did I,” Adira says.

Mavis taps her pen on a notepad and writes something on it, “I’ll check that out, Alpha Adira, Alpha Barrik.”

“Do you think we should invite Alpha Rudik and his mate to visit. Put this issue to bed. See if we can form an alliance, instead of always worrying if they are a threat to us?” Robbie states, and I see Blaze and Talon nodding in agreement.

“Yes, let’s do that, Adira. It would be good to get it in the open. As I said earlier, I’ve found him more than reasonable.” I take Adira’s hand and give it a light squeeze.

“Okay, we’ll do that. Mavis, can you help me write that and get it sent?” Adira asks.

“Yes, I can do that. I’ll double check first if we have any information regarding his Luna.” Mavis scribbles something else on her notepad.

“Anything else to bring to our attention?” I ask.

“No, I think we covered what we found, Alpha Barrik. We only found that Alpha Rudik and his Luna are working hard to improve the status of their pack. They have not infringed on any other territory, and they have never placed any statements about the Strongbow Pack. When we mentioned the Strongbow Pack it only ever led to people saying how terrible it was and that Alpha Rudik’s grandfather should have been hung, drawn and quartered,” Stella states.

“Okay. Let’s get the letter of invitation to Alpha Rudik and see where it takes us. In the meantime, we stay on alert.” I look at Adira and she nods agreement.

“Let’s go eat. You better have something good in the kitchen Robbie, my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut,” Adira grins, and with that we all follow Robbie to the kitchen.

Chapter 27

*Adira*

Spending time with Papa last evening after I officially integrated him into the pack was nice. It was satisfying to see how much he has improved since he came to live here. He is a different male than the one I knew growing up. I always saw him as weak and kowtowing to his mate. Now, however, he has come into his own. He’s showing his true personality and I have to say I like him, the one he is now, that is. He’s showing a growing confidence, but care to all around him. He also informed me he was officially dating Bella. That is not a surprise, but I made out it was just to mess with him a little.

“Adira, I’m going with Leo to supervise some training. Do you need me to do anything before I leave?” Barrik asks as he wraps me in his arms and kisses me.

I take a moment to recover my breath, and looking at my mate, I can’t help but be thankful that Travis and I rejected each other because I am far better now than I would have been. “I don’t need you at the moment,” then lower my voice, “but later you can show me how much I need you.”

Barrik chuckles, gives me another kiss, but before turning to leave, he gives me a scorching look that is a promise of what will happen later.

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