The Packless Wolf

Chapter 3

Reika looked out the window of the plane. It had been a month since the incident. her and Fiona graduated on the dean's list. Reika had got her CPA certification and Fiona passed her NCLEX. While growing up Reika had trained in the family coffee shop, she was to inherit once her dad stepped down from being alpha. Fiona wanted to be a nurse at the pack hospital, so Reika went in support of best friend.   

     She loved flying, everything seemed so small and insignificant. They would be home soon, and Reika had let her sprillix grow. Once the shaved part was long enough, she gave herself a pixie cut. She donated her black clothes, halters, zippers, plaids, and chains to her perfect daughter of an alpha act.

Hey, I have something to tell you, Reika mind linked to Fiona. She hadn’t told Fiona what had happened yet, and Fiona never asked. She just stood at the edge of the tree line with a change of clothes. A hurricane of emotions had made it hard to tell her best friend. She didn’t know where to start. 

Yeah, what’s up?  Fiona not looking up from her book. 

So…. It was me, Reika started. I was the lead singer’s mate.

Yeah, I kind of guessed that. Fiona looked at Reika as she closed her book.   Did you reject him?

Well, that’s the thing. Reika looked up at Fiona, her face all scrunched up. Conri took over and marked him. 

“What!?” The people around them turned in their direction. “Sorry, someone just died,” Fiona nervously laughed as she held up her book. I thought you had Conri under control.

I thought so too. My dad is going to kill me. Conri huffed in her mind. There was a little excitement behind it. 

~

Disappointment filled Reika when she saw it wasn’t her dad who picked them up. “Uncle Alex, where’s dad,” Reika asked their beta, Alex Case. He wasn’t really her uncle, but it was something she had started saying when she was younger. Most of the humans in the airport were gawking at them. It was normal and none of them took notice.   

“Unfortunately, something has come up,” Beta Alex replied. “Let’s go get your luggage and head home, you two.”

They headed down to the baggage reclaim area. Between the two of them they had 3 suitcases. They only packed up their clothes, a couple of their bed sheets and all their college books. Everything else was donated to charity. They were both going to be staying in the pack house now that they were of age. 

The ride home was very informative. It wasn’t nothing neither Reika nor Fiona knew, but it made the car ride fast so neither of them said anything. 

~

“We will honor the law and allow you to stay until you decide if you’d like to join our pack. I do ask that tonight you stay in a separate house. We are having guests from other packs. They are not as-” the alpha, Eric started. He stopped when he saw his daughter and her best friend walk through the door. “Reika and Fiona, welcome home,” he announced with his arms outstretched. 

“Dad,” Reika responded. Running into his arms. Then the smell of rotting flesh and rain hit her nose. Mate, Conri rejoiced, jumping up and down. He came!

Reika froze. She looked over at the 5 men standing in front of her dad, looking over each one of the men.  So many emotions started swirling around. Part of her was excited that the man her wolf marked came but, oh goddess. Dad is going to kill me. What if he plans on rejecting me?  Her face contorted into fear when her eyes landed back on the man who is her mate. He tilted his head in confusion but then smiled at her. 

“Oh honey, no need to be afraid. These men contacted me a couple of weeks ago and they wished to visit the pack. They are looking for a pack to join,” the alpha said. 

Reika’s eyes widened as she moved from her dad's arms and stood next to him. Though he refused to move his protective arm around her shoulders. She suddenly remembered there was a law stating if a rogue wanted to join a pack they contact the alpha and ask permission, they could come onto pack lands without fear of death. Well, unless they attack first. 

“Let me see if I can remember your names. This is Tobias Summers, Ambrose Ridge, Bruce Parker, Roloand Verbinski and Jasper Crest,” Eric said, pointing at each of the men. “And this is my daughter Reika.”                                  

“Reika what a pleasure to meet you,” Jasper said, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to his lips, softly kissing it. 

Electricity shot through her. She could feel Jasper form a michevious smile behind her hand. Eric eyed them suspiciously. “So, Reika,” Eric started, causing Reika to release the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She pulled her hand from Jasper’s and looked at her dad. “I know you don’t really have time to settle in, but most of the pack alphas are bringing their unmated men and women.  I expect you to be present,” he said to Reika. “You too, Fiona. It start at 7.”                           

“Oh,” both women said, deflated. 

“Well then, I guess this is our cue to go get some rest,” Reika said, heading towards the stairs of the pack house. Conri growled. “It was a long night, we still have to unpack, and apparently put on our best clothes," Reika said sarcastically.

“This is going to be torture,” Fiona whispered to Reika. 

“I heard that,” Eric called after them. 

Giggling, the two friends headed up to their rooms. Reika could hear her dad asking one of the omegas’ to bring their luggage upstairs. Unlike most of the packs, the omegas weren’t treated like servants. Yes, some of them would cook or clean, but they would get whatever they needed, an allowance and it was their choice. It’s one reason why Fiona was able to choose to become a nurse. Many of them even worked over in the human town, paying rent for either a room in the packhouse or for a house.  Most of the pack members that stayed in the packhouse were required to take care of themselves. ‘They aren’t helpless’, her father always said. 

Reika and Fiona went into their own rooms. Guilt weighed Reika down as she laid on her bed. She should have used that opportunity to tell her dad about Jasper being her mate, but fear had frozen her. She was not looking forward to this party. Yes, when her mate touches her, a pleasant sensation would occur, but the opposite happened if it wasn’t her mate. 

You are such a coward, Conri declared before he closed himself off. 

I know, Reika responded, unsure if he had even heard her. A sign escaped her lips and she drifted off to sleep.