Orphan Alpha Daughter: Unwanted (The Sable River Series #1)

Chapter Eight

**Ealiah**

We finished the meeting with a quick wrap-up of what Jason knew of what had happened the night before. It seemed the guards had been surprised, shot, then by the looks of the tracks, Alpha Bronce and the pack had come on their bodies and ambushed.

The part that didn’t seem to make sense was that there was little evidence that the Alpha or those with him, had resisted capture. Beta Jason ended with an instruction to continue the day as planned, because the consistent safety of the pack, and routine for the elders and children especially, was foremost in the practical at this moment.

Warriors would continue to expend much of their force with guard duty and search parties, but the rest of us would make arrangements to mourn the dead guards, and continue with day to day living as best as we could.

As I finally walked back to my bungalow, feeling a little surreal in the warm sunny day and pondering what I was going to do with the fact I still felt hurt by my father, I was suddenly tackled from the side, making me fall over and panic. I fought my attacker off with my new, unexpected strength, and they moved off me, laughing hysterically.

“Tahni!!!!!!!” I shrieked, hitting her arm. “Why would you do that?!”

Then I shrieked again and dived on her for a proper hug. “You’re HOME!! Wow! How was the expedition? What was it like? Did you have enough good food?”

My best friend Tahni threw her long black hair behind her shoulder and laughed at me.

“How am I? How are YOU?! You turned last night for the first time! I couldn’t make it back in time - how was it?”

We linked arms and she walked me back to my bungalow, sharing our news and information we thought of as we walked. It seemed Tarni had loved the trip to the remote pack, and was able to help women and children with some basic essential defence training while she was there. Many packs did not approve of women fighting, but ours was determined to give females equal opportunities to males.

That was another thing about Tahni. Not only was she a fantastic linguist, that girl could fight. I was SO not planning on having her against me in a fight, ever. She had trained me a little too, when we got the chance. “You need to be able to defend yourself!” she would scold, and go another round with me, even when I was hot, sweaty and completely over it. Thanks to her, I was a passable fighter myself, which was only of benefit to me and our pack. Not all packs considered women worthy of training.

As we entered my bungalow, I shared my Turning experience with my friend, who listened with rapt attention, asking questions here or there to get all the details.

“Your wolf is BLONDE? That’s so rare, Ealiah. Blonde wolves are known to be always of Alpha blood. Why would yours be that colour?”

She looked at me with a penetrating gaze, and I looked away. “I don’t know, but …” I fell silent.

“There’s something I don’t know from your past, isn’t there? I can see it in your face.” she said, sitting down heavily.

“Yes, there is. I will tell you, I just need a little more time to process everything that’s going on,” I told her, placating her for now.

“Well, OK. But when you’re ready, I will be too!”

That’s something I loved about Tahni, she was always ready to hear, but rarely pushed for information. It’s what made her such a good interpreter and linguist, because she made others feel safe while sharing their words as they chose to.

We cut our conversation short, because I had to go to work. I had already had a whole day and a half off, and I needed to get back in there to set up for heir Alpha Larson’s birthday celebration in two days. His father had never accepted that he was dead, convinced that he was still looking for the changed, somewhere out there. We needed to continue with Alpha Bronce’s wishes and keep things as normal as possible for the pack right now.

I wasn’t a slave, I knew I was treated well here- but everyone had to work to keep things going. And all wolves from mid-teens up, were regularly working around the place. Consequently, this pack was a place mostly filled with hardworking and happy wolves who knew the value of what we had.

So I knew what was expected of me, and I moved to the kitchen. With Marta taken along with the others, my duties would be bigger today anyway. I refused to dwell on the ‘could be’s’ and sadly pushed my older friend to the back of my mind so I could focus on the jobs at hand.

After a steaming seven-hour shift in the kitchen, all the delicacies, pastries and hot food were ready for the big party in the big hall tonight.

As I sighed and pulled off my apron, throwing it in the laundry bin out back of the kitchen, I felt an unwelcome hot breath on my neck, followed by a hand on my shoulder. I knew exactly who it was and internally cringed and eyerolled in disgust, although I knew never to show the Alpha’s son disrespect like that on the outside.

“Mmm, you smell like donuts.” He started sniffing further along my neck, making me shiver.

“Hi, Mr Blakely. The donuts are right over there, along with some other sweet things if you want to help yourself.” I carefully removed myself from his space and walked back into the kitchen to show him. Urgh.

He was always in here, getting fresh with the female staff, helping himself to food that others weren’t allowed to touch, and generally being a nuisance. At a time like this, he should be showing his leadership qualities and trying to impress the pack elders, not smarming up to kitchen women and creeping them out. What an i***t.

“I’ve been watching you for awhile, Ealiah. You are starting to look much more delicious than these pastries. You wanna jump up the food chain a few notches and be with me tonight at the party? I’m sure you’d scrub up better after you washed off the kitchen mess.”

He tilted my chin in what I’m sure he thought was a sexy, handsome sort of way.

I, however, was horrified and suddenly scrambling for a reason to decline his offer without being disrespectful.

“Uh, how kind of you, Mr Blakely. Unfortunately I am busy this evening as I..” I ground to a halt, stumped, when a kitchen hand called Brad, who was watching this interlude, saved me with a quiet comment.

“I’m afraid that so many kitchen staff were taken that we just can’t serve much of this food appropriately if Ealiah isn’t here tonight, Mr Blakely. She is one of our top staff, you know.” I almost died with relief and resolved to get Brad a huge box of his favourite chocolates the minute I could.

‘Thanks, Brad’ I mind-linked him privately.

“My big brother’s party - he’s been gone for years, but it’s still a good excuse for a feast. Suit yourself, Ealiah- but don’t think the kitchen will need you more than I do, forever!” Blakely scowled Brad’s way, grinned sleazily at me, then skulked off to whatever he should have been doing the whole time.

I shivered, thankful for Brad and the fact I was needed for this feast preparation. I would NEVER let Blakely get his hands on me, I knew that for sure. But could I stop him forever?

As I turned and made a thankful face to Brad, I prayed he would find someone else who wanted him, and focused my mind on my next task- a shower and makeup in my short break before serving dinner.

As I scurried to my bungalow, the gravity of our current situation was brought home to me again with the sight of warriors stationed around the packhouse grounds. I knew there were patrols around the borders too, ensuring that any who came in were authorised to be here.

It was enough to give anyone chills-yet we had to stay as ‘normal’ as possible. How could we?