The senior Alpha transforms into a tall, aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a harsh scowl etched in the fine lines around his eyes. Josie suppresses the want to shrink away, maintaining her composure as she smiles courteously at the Alpha.
“I do not converse with young girls,” Alpha Jacque retorts, his gaze filled with revulsion as he observes the wedding band on her finger. “I am here to confer with Mark regarding my daughter.”
Andrew and the guards scowl at his insolence towards their Queen, yet her grin remains unwavering.
“Regrettably, you have squandered your time, Alpha,” Josie responds, pivoting to confront me. “Wishing you a safe journey back to France,” she remarks as she walks away.
The younger Alpha growls and charges at her for turning her back, but Josie remains unfazed, as thorny vines emerge from the ground to protect her from his assault. The young Alpha emits a whimper of agony as the vines ensnare his limbs, while Andrew smirks at the fool for attempting to assault his Luna.
Bray weeps as the wolf convulses in agony alongside us, clutching my fur with his small fingers for solace, prompting me to move my body to shelter him from the distressing scene.
“Transport Braylon home, Jadi,” Josie commands while simultaneously levitating Bray onto my back and enveloping the young Alpha in a cocoon of vines.
I swiftly return to the guest home, navigating cautiously through the trees.
“Please hold on, Bray,” I reassure him. “We are nearly home.”
He responds with a faint whimper, his arms securely encircling my neck.
Upon reaching the lawn in front of the guest house, I gradually descend until I am prone on my stomach, endeavouring to get Bray to dismount from my back. Initially, he declines, quaking with trepidation, but upon my assumption of a lateral position, he ultimately dismounts. Jimmy cleans him by licking, examining him for any injuries, and to my relief, we discover that he is uninjured.
He is seated on the patch of grass before me, with Jimmy resting his large head on Bray’s lap. I can perceive his little pulse pulsating in his chest as he places his chin atop my head and embraces me.
I am aware that Ricky will be incensed by my violation of our contractual agreement, which intimidates me; but, I do not lament revealing my wolf to Bray. He required my assistance… and I responded.
Jimmy proclaims, nuzzling his head against the young kid, “Bray is our puppy now.” He ought to be aware of my identity.
I merely hope that Ricky has the same sentiment.
Ricky’s Perspective
The pack clinic is, in fact, a comprehensive hospital designed to accommodate its expanding population. The three-story edifice included a paediatric wing and obstetrics-gynecology department on the ground level, laboratories and operating rooms on the second level, and temporarily accommodated refugee women on the third level. The first level, previously the infirmary, was repurposed to accommodate the Amethyst women and children, as Celina, Josie, and Valentina, being healers, rendered it unnecessary.
Celina informs me about the work they have been conducting with the girls as we ascend to the third floor.
Approximately 200 individuals, comprising men, women, and children, were saved from Amethyst Lake; half reside on the third level, while the remainder are at Coscaris,” she elucidates, as my eyes widen at the substantial number of survivors from the fallen pack. “Thirty men were rescued alongside the women, the majority being victims of the no mate rule imposed by Nicolas. They are decent individuals seeking to love their partners, thus we have no significant concerns regarding their presence here. Only authorised and mated males are permitted on the third floor,” she says. “We do not require an unpaired male becoming agitated and attacking one of our females during her oestrus. Authorised males will display a blue badge, while resident males will exhibit a pink badge.”
The living arrangements are explicit. We prioritised the preservation of family units, ensuring that mothers, children, and mated pairs are accommodated together, while unmated women and siblings are grouped together, typically three or four to a room. Numerous orphaned children were adopted by some of the women present or by members of the Kingdom who were willing and capable of taking in one or two children.
No individual here is confined; they may enter and exit at their discretion. However, the majority choose to remain and venture out solely for group activities. We are actively fostering their self-assurance for independence, yet it will take time before all feel at ease alone. Our primary objective is to ensure they experience a sense of security independently and to offer a conducive environment for their personal growth and development.
Our volunteers alternate in preparing meals, escorting the girls on excursions to the city, and conducting vocational and self-defence training. We aim for the girls to achieve independence by the time the pack renovations are finalised, enabling them to transition into their apartments and become productive members of the community.
