Lessons in Love

Chapter 2: The Beginning

POV: Riley Campbell

“You’re out of your mind, Riley!” My father snapped. “You can’t seriously be thinking of taking that job! They just fought a war.”

“Which they won three months ago.” I slipped in.

He gave me a disgruntled look. “There are still skirmishes along their borders.”

“There are skirmishes along our borders.” I raised an eyebrow. “That both Jenny and I fight in.” I added. He let out a sigh. “Dad, I’m not making a rash decision here. I’m qualified for the position, and you’ve made sure that I can handle myself.”

“It’s way too dangerous, Riley.” He retorted.

“You trained me, Dad, and you train Alphas. You’ve always told us that being girls didn’t matter. Why should it this time?” I said sternly.

“Because you’re my daughter, that’s why!” He yelled.

I took a deep breath and started over calmly. “I know you’re worried, dad, but I need to get a job somewhere other than Forest Pines.”

“She’s right, John.” My mother finally spoke up. “She’s 27 and has yet to find her mate.”

I ran my hand down my face. “Not where I was going with this.” I mumbled. “I double majored in social work and education so I could be effective as a pack teacher. We already have enough teachers here. I’m not getting the experience I need. Sapphire Lake’s posting gives me a chance to use all those skills.”

My father let out a heavy sigh and looked at my mother. “What kind of mate is she going to find there? A broken soldier or a farmer? Is that really the life we want for her?” He asked.

“Dad, there are no other teaching jobs looking for my level of experience.” I said before my mother could answer. “And mom’s right,” I swallowed, trying not to vomit in my mouth. “I’m not mated, and I went to the largest college in the country. A soldier would be ideal. They won’t be threatened by my level of combat training, and a farmer would have the same work ethic as me. Neither would be a terrible fit.”

“And what if you don’t find your mate there?” He said with less fight. I could tell I had worn him down a little.

“Dad,” I tilted my head to the side and gave him a look that told him he was being ridiculous.

“Alright,” he grumbled. “Apply for the job.”

I hopped up from my seat and threw my arms around him. “I already did,” I said quietly. “The interview is tomorrow.” I pulled back from him with a smile.

He shook his head at me, but I saw the smile forming. “When you get the job, please make sure you remember to come and visit us. We’re old and we’ll miss you.” He said with a bit of pout.

“I love you, too, dad.”

After dinner, I went for a run. Just me as my wolf. The conversation of the day was playing over in my head. At 27, I didn’t really believe I had a mate out there. My parents were clearly holding out hope. A part of me hoped I would never find a mate. The thing I loved most about being away at college was the freedom from pack life.

Crystal Lake College was a pack sponsored institution, but it was modern. Forest Pines, where I grew up, was progressive, but not modern. My sister and I were allowed to fight as warriors, but we weren’t allowed to serve as officers. My father was still Delta at 53, with no sons to replace him. Even here, women wolves ended up mated baby making machines, most as they graduated high school at 18 years old. Some got to go to college only to have that all stripped away and get relegated to housewife status before they can finish their degrees.

At Crystal Lake, women led departments and were in charge of entire programs. The assistant dean was a woman the year I graduated. They had lives, mates, and some had children, but they still had their own sense of self. It was one of the reasons I wanted the job at Sapphire Lake so badly. The population of men had been brutally decimated by the war. Their pack was mostly women, children, and elderly folks. It would be the perfect place to promote women going to college, women in careers, and a chance to show them what women could do.

That, and honestly, the chances of me finding a mate and having to cut short everything I’ve worked for, was low. The mere idea of matehood was gross to me. Being ‘possessed’ by someone made me angry. I was nobody’s to own or protect. I was my own person, my own wolf. I owed men nothing, and, quite honestly, they owed me nothing. It was an unsettling thought to have fallen asleep with that night.

The next morning, I locked myself in my room to do the interview by phone. The phone rang twice when a man answered.

“Hello, Beta Ben Westlake,” he said.

“Hi, I’m Riley Campbell. I’m calling for my interview.”

“Interview?”

“For the …”

“Teaching position!” He grumbled. “Uh … right.” He said. I heard some papers rustling, and then I was put on speaker phone.

“Riley Campbell, thanks for calling us. I’m Delta Rick Wallis. Let’s get to it, shall we?” I could hear a smile in his voice. It was warmer than the Beta’s, who was all business as the interview went on, but the Delta was amiable and laughed with me here and there.

As the interview was winding down, the Beta got serious again. “Riley, are you mated?” He asked bluntly.

“I beg your pardon?”

“No, sorry, that’s not how I … We provide housing for the first year, I need to know for housing purposes.” The Beta stammered and stuttered.

“It’s just me.”

“You said you had combat training…”

“No, I said I’m a warrior at Forest Pines where I was trained by Delta John Campbell. He runs Alphas camps for top fighters in the country.”

“Uh … right.” There was more paper shuffling. “Okay, well, we have two more interviews, but we’ll let you know.” He said in a rush, like he wanted to get me off the phone. We said our goodbyes, and I honestly didn’t believe I was going to hear from them again.

POV: Beta Ben Westlake

“Well,” Rick smiled at me. “I think you blew that.”

“Ugh,” I dropped my forehead down on my desk and stared at my shoes. “Why did you let me talk?” I yelled at my feet.

Rick laughed. It was an honest, genuine laugh for the first time in weeks. The sound of it made my mood lighten and forced me to straighten up in my chair.

“She’s our girl.” Rick said firmly.

“She’s the only candidate with combat train …” Rick started to snicker at my choice of words. “Combat experience.” I corrected myself.

“Correction,” he held up a finger at me. “She’s the only candidate out of the 3 that applied with training or experience. I told you it was too soon to post the position.”

I had to agree, but we needed a teacher before the school year started. “We have to get the schools up and running on time. The kids need the structure, and Sam and Katherine can’t do it alone. Especially if we promote Sam.” I said.

Rick’s smile faded, and he nodded, looking away as he did. It’s how Rick had been for the last three months. Laughing and smiling one minute, then sullen and tense the next. “We should.” He said quietly. I wasn’t sure if he meant we should promote Sam or get the school up and running. Rick stood up and headed for the door. “I’ll call her back around dinner time and give her the good news.” He gave me a weak smile as he left the room.

It had been three months since the war ended. There was still the odd skirmish, but that wasn’t unusual. Rogues seemed to find a way to always have people in their ranks. That wasn’t unusual either, I thought, as I tried to focus on the papers scattered across my desk. The larger packs nearby thought nothing of casting out wolves that didn’t follow orders or who pissed off officers. It was ridiculous, but it was how our packs had operated forever.

I pulled out a couple of our invoices and started thumbing through them. We had only just finished assessing the damage last month, and repairs had been slow. It didn’t help that since Cody’s funeral, our Alpha and Luna had become reclusive. Eleanor had made one public appearance in nearly three months, locking herself in her suite and visiting only with a select group of ladies who had included my mother. That all stopped a few weeks ago.

Alpha Marcus, on the other hand, had seemed like it was business as usual at first. But the harder his mate fell into depression, the harder it had become for him to ignore it. He hadn’t been able to function properly, feeling the pain his mate was in.

Considering how Marcus had handled her in the past, I had been surprised he’d felt anything at all. He had been going to his office during the day, not that he had been working. He’d been drinking with my father most afternoons, which meant business had had to be done in the mornings. Marcus kept to their suite too now, not that my father’s drunken afternoons had stopped.

It had left a huge void. Marcus hadn’t turned the pack over to us, which was an option now that he had no heirs. Rick and I certainly weren’t going to bring it up to him, but we had discussed what we’d do if and when Marcus finally made the decision.

Rick and I ran the pack, but I had to make daily trips to their suite to get funds released or permission to barter with other packs for supplies we desperately needed. Marcus had given us permission to hire new people, which hopefully included Riley Campbell, I mused, raking my hand through my hair. I lost track of time after that. It wasn’t until Rick came in carrying a tray that I realized I’d missed dinner.

“Thanks,” I mumbled as he put the tray on my desk.

“Hey,” Rick tapped the desk to force me to look up at him. “You need to eat, and we need to talk.”

I rubbed my eyes and pulled the tray toward me. “What’s going on?” I asked, concerned the answer was going to be something that cost us more money.

“The teacher took our offer.” He smiled. “She’ll start in two weeks. Do you mind if I do the welcome thing with her?” He asked. “I checked the schedule. We also have the contractors coming that day for the schools.” He avoided holding my stare for more than a moment.

Rick hadn’t stepped foot in the schools since the war. It wasn’t surprising considering the last time he was in there, nine people died. “Oh, I think I’ve put my foot in my mouth plenty with our new teacher already.” I smiled. “I’ll happily take the contractors.”

Rick gave me a chuckle. “You talk like you’re scared of her.” He said.

“Scared? No, but …” I ran my hand through my hair, trying to think of the right word. “I can’t put my finger on it. There was something about her voice that just … I don’t know, maybe made me nervous, or anxious.”

“Whoa, wait! You don’t think she could be the elusive Mrs. Westlake, do you?” Rick’s head snapped up.

“No,” I laughed. “It was her confidence, the tone she took with me when I asked about her training. She’s likely very strong-willed, aggressive even.” I shrugged. It was my turn to avoid eye contact. I had grown up with a drunken father who was always yelling or lashing out. The idea of a mate who was aggressive and direct made me nervous.

“Maybe she’ll be my mate.” Rick said, reading my demeanor. “I like them feisty.” He winked at me and left me to my ledgers.