Page 6 of His Temporary Alpha Mate
Down the corridor from the office, I took a breath of fresh air. Almost instantly, I missed the strawberry and earth scent of Dalton. I needed to get my head on straight before Winter saw me. He didn’t need me panicking over Dalton’s health.
Instead of going straight to the kitchen, I went to Alpha Blake’s office. Roan was missing from his place outside Kade’s office, but Dakota wasin place.
“Hey, is it possible for me to speak to Alpha Blake for a minute?” I asked the other alpha. He was Blake’s assistant, as well as his father-in-law. It seemed like everyone in this pack was connected to everyone else.
“Sure. He’s just checking over some paperwork. Go right in.” He must have caught me glancing at Roan’s desk. “Roan is watching Kade have a nap in wolf form. For the babies,” he explained.
Roan was my best friend and roommate. He was also Kade’s ex. See? All involved with each other one way or another.
“Okay, thanks.” I knocked lightly on the door to Alpha Blake’s office, though he had likely heard me talking to Dakota, then waited for his reply before entering.
“Everything okay, Larken?” he asked. “Do we need to set a ward?”
“No, well, I’m alright. There’s no need for a silencing ward. Dakota’s okay to hear this, too.” I could understand his concern, it wasn’t like I went to him often, though I knew he was always there to help me if I needed him.
“Why don’t you explain your problem, then?”
For an Alpha, Blake was young. Just twenty-two. He had taken over leadership as soon as he came of age at twenty-one and since then had steered the pack out of financial trouble, making it flourish. There was still a way to go, but it was getting there.
He was responsible, caring, strong, everything a pack Alpha should be. Just being willing to listen to me like this, offering privacy, was such a stark change from my previous packs.
“I’m worried about Dalton.”
“Dalton? Why?” Alpha Blake sat up straighter in his chair and motioned for me to take the one opposite him.
“He’s… I don’t think he’s ready to be back at work. Have you seen how thin and pale he is?”
The Alpha’s eyebrows rose. “No, I haven’t had a chance to see him. I’ll do that later today—“
“Booking an appointment with Aldrin too,” Dakota called.
Alpha Blake smiled. “Thanks Dakota. Right, so I’ll have a look at Dalton. Though all the betas have to be cleared to return to work, so it’s likely just the lingering effects of the sickness.”
I deflated somewhat. Though I wasn’t sure what I’d hoped to gain from this chat, I guess I’d hoped for something more. Okay, they had listened to my concerns, Dakota even going as far to book an appointment, but they didn’t seem to grasp how upsetting it was for me to see Dalton like that.
“Could you just check him over, please?” I urged my Alpha. “Maybe he’s just overdone it today. I’ve been helping fix the mess I made in his office while he wasgone and feel responsible for him.” Alpha Blake gave me an approving look. I hadn’t spent much time with him since I usually went to Deke with any issues, but I liked the younger man. “I’m going to make sure he has a decent lunch—“
“Winter will make sure Dalton is properly cared for. If you’re heading to the kitchen, we can speak to him together, then I can come with you to see Dalton. See for myself what’s going on.”
We headed to the kitchen where a solicitous Winter made up a hearty lunch for the three of us. Then the Alpha followed me to the office where Dalton was still working.
Only Dalton wasn’t where I’d left him. He was lying on the floor, passed out.
“Shit! Get a healer!” I ran to his side, falling to my knees and frantically searching for signs of life, only to be nearly knocked over as Dalton jerked into a sitting position, clutching at his stomach as he laughed.
“Oh, my goddess!” Dalton laughed on and on until tears streamed down his face as I clutched at my poor heart. “So funny! Your face!”
Alpha Blake chuckled from the doorway. “Don’t think he needs that doctor’s appointment.” He laughed again. “That, I think, was your payback for the office.”
Something Like Friendship
Larken
Calling Dalton my friend was maybe an overstatement. Like everyone in the pack, we were all aware of each other, all had different levels of friendship. Dalton was friendly with me prior to the day I spent with him in the office. After that, we got closer. I sought him out to hang out with when Roan was busy and I was at loose ends, which was more often than not.
Dalton was easy to be around. While Roan was my best friend, I had a different thing with Dalton. He was happy to tease me. The prank he called payback was just the first in a line of gags. They were all harmless things like jump scares or moving things. Nothing mean. Dalton was never mean. He’d lived with that in his birth pack, so would never harmanyone if he could help it.
Spending time with him drew me further into the inner circle of the pack. He was so tight with Axel and Chase from working alongside them. Deke confessed to me he felt a sort of brotherly responsibility to Dalton since he had been the one to accept him into the pack. Alpha Blake was fond of the raccoon since he often helped him, as if Dalton didn’t have enough to do. The cook, Winter, loved the Mexican recipes Dalton knew from his grandparents.
