Page 58 of Protected Promise
I groaned and tried to hide my face with my hands.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. It doesn’t matter why or when, just that you did it.”
“He seems like a great guy, Tobi.”
“But…”
“No but. I’m excited to see my new territory and meet the rest of the Pack.”
“Territory is big, Pack small.”
“He warned me of that.”
“It’s really cool though. Lots to explore. There’s a city nearby. No one but Landon ever goes there, but I’m sure he’d make an exception for you. It’s so beautiful, Kaitlyn. I can’t wait to show you all my favorite places.”
“Are you and Jackson seriously considering putting his headquarters there?”
I wasn’t just trying to change the subject away from me, I was genuinely curious.
“That will be up to Landon, of course, but there are a couple of areas for potential on Pack land. I want to check them out again with the business in mind before deciding if it’s even feasible or not. The Pack always stays away from that side of our territory.”
“Why’s that?”
“Too close to the human world. It literally butts up to one of their cities. I can’t even tell you how many offers Landon has turned down for even a small piece of property along the highway.”
“The Pack lands butt up to a major highway?”
“Yeah. Always has. His family dates back hundreds of years settled there. My family wasn’t that far behind them. The Blacks and the Lowerys have lived side by side for generations and never actually crossed.”
“The Pack thought you and Landon would be the ones to break that?”
“Well, yeah, but Jackson pretty much screwed that one up. Thank God! Could you even imagine? Me and Landon? That would be terrible. I am definitely not Pack Mother material.” Her eyes widened and then began to tear up. “I have a new Pack Mother!” She hugged me yet again.
The thing was, up until that moment, the title hadn’t really freaked me out much. Sure, I’ve had my concerns but they were mostly my own selfish worries. Now all I could think about was how I could screw it all up and fail Tobi and the others.
She grinned. “I’d be a little concerned if you weren’t worried at least a little, but you don’t need to be. I’ve seen how you take care of the boys at the doghouse. I know how nurturing you can be, but also stern and authoritative. Add in your hospitality major and you’re going to rock this Pack Mother stuff.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, you are. You were made for this Kaitlyn, and I couldn’t be prouder to call you my Pack Mother.”
Landon
Chapter 16
I liked Owen a lot. He was smart and funny. We’d been laughing and drinking for hours, but this time I sipped the scotch he offered, knowing I did not want to risk getting drunk again. I had to admit, I did like the amber liquid I swirled around in my glass, far more than the stuff I’d had the night I’d bonded with Kaitlyn.
I couldn’t help but notice that Tobi and Kaitlyn had been locked in a room for several hours. They had only come out for dinner and even spent most of that time talking with each other. I liked to see they were bonding, but I couldn’t help but feel a little left out when my two favorite people in the world were laughing at an inside joke that I wasn’t a part of.
“The room the girls are in is for you and Kaitlyn,” Owen said.
“Or the girls from the looks of it. If they’re going to run their mouths all night long, you can just crash with me, man,” Jackson said.
“Thanks. If it’s okay with you guys, I’ll go check in on them. I’m about to call it a night.”
I was exhausted. It had been a long day, but a good one. Even though in a way I hadn’t really spent much time with my mate, I had enjoyed just being near her. It was those simple moments in life that meant the most to me, like the fact she was comfortable enough with me to sleep the day away in a car.
I knocked softly on the door and listened. The voices on the other side silenced and the door flew open.
