Page 89 of Forced Alpha Bride
“Mom!” I shout, mortified. “Will you stop?”
“Never,” she says gleefully, taking a sip of wine. “Gerald, you must tell me how you press these grapes. Everything in the Creek is made here, isn’t it? No outside ingredients?”
“Correct, ma’am,” Gerald says, getting into a detailed description of grape-picking methods I couldn’t follow even if I wanted to.
“The elders are very pleased with Damon’s cooperation,” Betty says, reaching over to pat my shoulder. “And Alpha Kit, too.”
“It was no problem,” I answer, gazing at the barbecue area where the men are. “Damon wanted to stop the war, not make it worse.”
Betty’s eyes follow mine, and we both watch as the alphas walk through the crowd together, Galen, Kit, Damon… and Xavier.
Six months ago, Xavier was a lesser council member of Cyan Lock, an ordinary guy with a simple life. Only after Allan’s sister asked for the return of the true alpha did we find out Xavier was originally from Valentine Creek.
And Allan’s son.
They’d hid him away at the Lock, trying to keep him safe from the feud. He might have lived his whole life never knowing he was an alpha’s son if we hadn’t come to liberate the Creek.
A lot of people had worried about potential conflict between Damon and Xavier, but all Damon wanted was to help the young man take up his position and be the best leader he could. Peace in the Range depended on the alphas working together, and for the first time ever, the new generation was closing the gap, erasing a hundred years of suspicion and division.
“I’m going to catch up with Damon,” I say, getting up.
Betty grabs my hand before I can leave, giving me an intense look. “You’ll stay close to him as it gets dark, won’t you, girl? And have the pack all together indoors before the stars are too bright?”
“Of course, Betty,” I reply, smiling. “We’ll take care of each other.”
As I walk away from her, my mind worries over the small, odd superstitions of the folk in Valentine Creek.
Always indoors before the stars are at zenith. No one to go into the mountains on a new moon night. And on days of the equinox, do not leave the town lines for any reason whatsoever.
Even though Damon and I have discussed it and asked around the town, we can’t understand why the rules exist. Pack elders from other towns have suggested it’s probably just because the pack was isolated for so long, they got a bit weird and kooky.
Damon has his back to me as I sneak up on him. He’s giving Xavier a lecture about pack politics.
“You see, son, the key is to be authoritative but not aggressive. You want people to listen to your words and take them on board, but not blindly obey.”
“Damon!” I shriek, digging my fingers into his waist.
He leaps about a foot into the air, spinning around so fast, he almost falls straight on his ass. “Jesus, Winnie. What the fuck?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I giggle. “Did I interrupt your serious lesson?”
“I’m just giving him a few pointers.”
“Xavier,” I whisper, elbowing him. “What’s it like to be called ‘son’ by a guy only two years older than you?”
Xavier looks tongue-tied, and I feel a bit sorry for him. He’s clearly got a lot to learn, having left his whole life behind to come and be alpha of a pack he never even knew existed.
Must be one hell of a head trip to find out your parents are actually dead and the woman who raised you was your aunt.
“That’s it,” Damon mock-growls, lunging at me. “I’m sorry, Xavier, but I’ve got to go and teach this vixen a lesson.”
I leap away from Damon, laughing as I start to bolt. I can hear him chasing after me, and I head straight for the trees, towards the little glade I found earlier.
As I approach my setup, I slow down, giving Damon plenty of time to catch up but still not making it easy for him. I time it exactly right, and he tackles me down on top of the blankets I brought earlier.
“Well, now,” he says, pinning me. “It looks like someone set me up.”
“Can’t imagine who,” I say, grinning.
