Kingdom of Wolves: Blackshadow - Page 51

Hope says nothing for quite a while. I remain quiet and so does Caleb. He has dropped his head in shame, the same as I have. We could not help at that time and would have found ourselves tied to the post if we tried to intervene. It doesn’t stop us from feeling the shame of what happened.

Running her finger down my cheek, I hadn’t realized a tear leaked from my eye. But Hope catches it and looks at it balanced on her fingertip before she turns to me and smiles. “That’s okay. We’ll plant a bush of something bright, something that will diminish the evil that occurred there. I’ll sort it out, you forget it. We move on.” Kissing my cheek, Hope hops off my lap and hums as she leaves the office.

Looking at Caleb, he gives me a shrug before looking back at the account book and continuing as though that conversation never happened.

Walking over to the bookcase, I find the oldest one that covers the history of the packs around our area. I flick through until I find the Wolfsong Pack. Retaking my seat, I read every word that is written regarding the pack, but nothing is helpful for the impending war we are more than likely going to end up having with them. I’m going to have to wait until Flint gets back to me with any new information.

Walking over to the safe, I take out the journal, open the page, and, taking a deep breath, start to write.

Entry, Alpha Connell Torrance.

The new pack members total thirty-nine and have settled in far faster than I expected. Quickly deciding what part of the pack they wanted to work in. Gardening, building, fighting and even some housekeeping. It’s heartwarming to see these males and females smiling freely, and hearing laughter as you walk around the pack is something I’m not sure I’ve ever heard.

I found my mate. Hope. She is the light of my life and I thank the Goddess for her. She is sweet, kind, caring and everyone gravitates to support and protect her. Hope is, however, the worst fighter I’ve ever met, but she is a healer, so I suppose it is the opposite side of the coin for her.

I cannot wait to get Hope in pup. I’ve always wanted a large family and pups running around here squealing in delight is something I’m more than happy to aim for.

Hope has a history that is coming back to bite. Her mother was rejected by Alpha Soren Wolfgang at his father’s direction. Soren took a chosen mate for political reasons. This turned out to be a bad move as his Luna, Luna Corintha, is barren and she knew this before she mated. Withholding this vital information and causing Soren to be heirless. Hope’s mother, Rose, had one night with Soren before he rejected her, and this resulted in Hope. But Rose ran from the Wolfsong pack, taking up hiding in the Northern Parklands, raising her daughter by herself.

Unfortunately, Soren Wolfgang has been informed of his daughter’s existence, and this could cause our packs to go to war. We have been warned that Soren wants Hope for his Beta, so he can have blood as his heir. But it’s not going to happen because I’ll kill anyone that tries to take her.

Building work is happening on the pack lands. Cabins for any mated pairs we may have, and with the mating ball which I hope finds more mates for the pack, they will have a choice of a pack room or a cabin.

Merry’s cabin and Dorridge Lodge are being updated and will be used for the patrol warriors. Giving them somewhere to rest and shelter if needed. Delta Gamzin will monitor the buildings and if all works as we would like, the buildings will be beneficial rather than a hindrance.

Signed—Alpha Connell Torrance

The door flies open and Beta Walim, Delta Gamzin, and Chief Oscar all rush into the office. Laying boxes on my desk, right after I snatch the journal out of the way. I quickly lock it in the safe before turning and asking what the heck is going on.

“Oh, we have the goggles,” Walim laughs, and he has a pair on his face already.

“How many did you purchase?” I ask.

“Ten pairs. We may need more, but we don’t want to get caught out. We’re going to hang them in trees in certain areas around the border. Then the patrol warriors can climb into the trees, use the goggles, and see if we have any enemies approaching,” Gamzin states, and the eagerness on his face has me rubbing my mouth to stop my smile from showing.

“We need to be sure the northern and the eastern territory borders are covered. From the north we could see the Wolfsong Pack march toward us, but in the east, we may spot rogues from no-man’s-land,” Chief Oscar adds to the conversation. “You know they are night vision goggles too. Awesome if you ask me.”

I’m out of here. I’ve had enough. They are all acting like pups, playing war games. I know they are thinking right, but the goggles they are all sporting have them looking like a war movie is just starting.

Chapter 26

HOPE

“SILAS!” I shout as I near the garden, and I can’t help shouting out rather than being patient until I reach him, because I’m so excited about what I need help with.

“Is everything okay, Luna Hope?” Silas asks and I giggle, grab his hand and drag him behind me toward the side of the packhouse, and then around the front.

Pointing at the circle of earth, I can see from the set expression on Silas’ face he knows what used to be there. “Now, I know what was there once, but we are going to take that memory and make it go away. We…” pointing my finger between the two of us, “are going to plant flowers in a nice round flower bed. We can put bushes, shrubs, bulbs or whatever we like. We must make it bright and cheerful. It will need to look good with the sunflowers that we are going to grow too.”

Watching Silas mull over what I’ve said has him going from the frown and set expression to a light one in seconds, then a grin that forms. “Yes, that’s a great idea. Come with me and we’ll look at what we have already. I have spring bulbs in the potting shed that I was going to dot around the orchard, but we can use some here.”

Without thinking about what he’s doing in his excitement, Silas takes hold of my hand as we head back to the garden. When Baildon opens his mouth to say something I shake my head for him to say nothing, leave it alone. The sense of fun here is more than worth holding his hand.

I’m an herb specialist, not a flower one, although I know my way around some flowers. But Silas has a piece of paper with a plan of the border with flower names jotted all over it. I keep nodding that I agree, but half the time I’m not sure what I’m agreeing with.

Baildon is standing nearby, and keeps grinning as he realizes I’m not always able to follow what Silas is telling me, but I stick my tongue out at him when Silas isn’t looking. Chester catches me and chuckles before returning to weeding one of the plots.

“Come on, Luna Hope, grab those gardening gloves and the hand spade and let’s get to it.” Silas grins, pushing a wheelbarrow I’ve watched him fill with things I’ve never heard of.