Page 120 of Unclaimed Bonds
A clap of thunder erupts, and flashes of lightning illuminate the sky. Raindrops cascade onto my face as more lightning strikes, and the deep rumbles of thunder persists. The windswirls around me, lifting me higher until I hover above the pack and gently spin in a small circle.
A torrent of varying emotions fill my soul. Memories of ancestors past surge through my mind—love, trust, faith, betrayal, heartache, pain, and death. So much death, so much loss, so much anguish. I silently vow to bring down the leader of the Resistance. The agony will cease with me.
A distant rumble trembles the earth. The raindrops intensify, becoming harder as they strike against my skin and ground. I whirl faster in the escalating wind. The thunder delivers its muted whispers and intensifies in resonant power. Lightning draws nearer, streaking across the sky.
Then, everything halts.
My feet return to the ground. The sun shines bright, blessing everything under its warm rays. The harsh winds return to a gentle breeze, caressing my skin and filling the air with a sweet floral scent. Birds start to sing as if in approval. I drop my arms to my sides and slowly open my eyes.
Wide eyes stare back at me. Looking to Odyssey, I ask,Did that just really happen?
His expression bewildered, he answers,That shit really fucking happened.
Everyone remains in their kneeling position. “Is everyone okay?” I wince at my weak, insecure tone, waiting for them to stand and run for the hills.
Heads turn, back and forth, checking on their neighbors and the children within their clutches. Yet no one stands.
Miller clears his throat. “Princess, uh, Alpha Princess, you need to direct us to stand.”
“Oh, uh…” I think back to the Alpha King, how he commands the room when everyone is around him at conferences and meetings. I square my shoulders, lift my chin, and proclaim, “You may rise.” My voice shakes, but everyone stands.
Miller announces that dinner will take place in the pack hall tonight. Anders rests a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You will get used to it. Think of it like bossing around a board member in a conference room.”
“I don’t boss anyone around,” I reply.
“No, but when it comes to business, you have command. I’ve seen it. You’re a natural. This too will come to you naturally. Speaking of business…” He walks toward the twenty-five guards, plus Xavier and Joe. “Your new pack members.” He waves toward them. I raise my eyebrows. “Alpha Princess, these men and women have voluntarily joined your pack, sworn their allegiance to you, and would like a position as members of your guard.”
“Didn’t you swear your allegiance to the Emerald Pack as guards?”
Odyssey and Alexis step forward. “We resigned,” Alexis offers.
Anders lifts a hand to stop my protest. “There are over 300 guards in the Emerald Pack and then some, some training now as we speak. This was their choice. These are the ladies and gentlemen who could be here today. As time goes on, I am sure there will be more.”
My brow furrows in confusion. Sixes was born into the Emerald Pack, and she is a direct descendant of the royal bloodline. She can’t just leave the Emerald Pack. Can she?
This is my choice. I belong with you. Her voice whispers in my head.
Tears prick behind my eyes, and my lungs expel a long breath of acceptance.Okay. Forcing the tears back, I touch Anders’s arm. “As a former head guard, who among here do you think will qualify as the next head guard?” I ask. He quirks an eyebrow at me.
Alexis chokes in shock, startled by my question.What are you doing?Odyssey exclaims in my head.
Relax. I’m just messing with him.
Please don’t. He’s still my boss, and I’ve seen him pissed.
“Oh, I thought you were retiring. No?” I chuckle.
Entwining my arm with Anders’s, we shift to face the former guards of the Emerald pack together. “This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Quartz pack head guard, Anders Knight. He will oversee your positions within the guard.”
He lifts his chin, and the guards, with a fisted right hand placed over their hearts, dip their heads in respect.
“Shall I leave you to it then?” He nods. Before I walk away, I turn. “Oh, I have one request. I need one of your guards to be my assistant.”
Anders smiles. “Sixes will be your assistant. Joe will be your head of the household. Xavier will be your driver. Odyssey will be the second in command. Alexis the third in command. Does that meet with your approval?”
I smile. “It does.” I look over the group. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
After the festivities, I take a stroll from the pack hall to my home. Alpha Agnus’s house appears exactly as it did eight years ago. With its rusty iron roof, the sagging porch, boarded-up lower floor windows and the chipped, nearly brown, white paint on the exterior walls. Most of the homes I just passed by seem just as rundown. I don’t know how much money is in the pack account or even if there are enough funds to accommodate all the new pack members, but I would like start by renovating theirhomes. Heading to the office to review the business accounts and anything else I need to learn about my new pack.
