Kingdom of Wolves - Page 74

Back in bed I settle down and relax my body, feeling myselfdrifting I murmur in my mind. ‘Ebony, watch over us while I sleep.’

I will. Rest and know you’re safe. I’ll wake you if Ineed to.

I sleep well and wake up refreshed and energized. Quicklyshowering and dressing, I make my way out of the bedroom, lock the door behindme, and place the key in the back pocket of the jeans I’m wearing.

In the dining room, I walk over to the open window to thekitchen and take a plate. Piling scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon onto theplate, I make my way to the end of the table where coffee machines are placed.It smells wonderful, but I opt for a glass of juice.

Taking a seat at one of the trellis tables, I keep my eyesdown and start eating my breakfast. When someone throws themselves into the seatnext to mine, I look up and can’t help the smile when Carolina grins broadly atme.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I must have been tired, as I didn’t wake at all.”

“That’s great. This morning I’m going to walk you around thepack, so you can see what it’s like here. You can talk to whoever you like. Noneed to hold back on any questions, either. Remember, you are here to learn,and you can only do that by asking what pops into your mind.” Carolina startseating her breakfast, which is huge, her plate is piled high, and at my look ofsurprise, she laughs. “I know I have the appetite of a male, but I don’t care.I never gain weight anyway.”

After breakfast, we walk out of the packhouse and down thepath that leads to a row of houses. The first one has an elderly shifter femalewatering flowers along the edge of the walkway to her front door.

“Morning Maisy-Bell.” Carolina hugs the lady affectionately.

“Morning Carolina, and who have you got here?”

“Good morning, I’m Tatiana. I’m here for only two weeksvisiting the pack.” Giving a slight smile.

“Oh, you are Tatiana Winterstorm. I knew your Momma. She wasa lovely person. What are you doing here?”

“I’m learning how a pack works. The ins and outs, thegeneral things, actually.”

Maisy-Bell gives me such a serious look that I squirm. “Whythe heck would you need to learn that when you were in a pack all your life?”Then a bell must go off in her mind and anger crosses her face. “That Alphatreated you wrong after your parents died, right? A piece of shit is what heis. So, are you not at the Blackshadow Pack anymore?”

Carolina obviously didn’t expect me to be questioned, andshe’s looking a little uncomfortable, but I don’t mind because Maisy-Bell isn’tbeing rude. She just seems genuinely interested.

“If you would like to ask me questions, do you think wecould step inside so not all the pack hears my replies?” I ask, looking over myshoulder as four pack members are standing near enough to listen to theconversation.

That is how I found myself inside Maisy-Bell’s kitchen,drinking chamomile tea and giving her my life story. Her expressions range fromamusement at my early years to rage at when I escaped the pack. When I tell herAlpha Torrance was sentenced to the ‘old way’, she nods and grimaces, knowingwhat happened to him.

“I cannot imagine how hard that has been for you. I wish I’dknown as I would have come for you and brought you home with me. I’d have donethat because I was your momma’s friend and because it would have been the rightthing to do to get you out of that pack. How the pack could stand for all thatI don’t understand. Even under Alpha command, someone should have been able tohold it off long enough to get you away.” I step to Maisy-Bell and hug her,taking her by surprise, I’m sure.

“Thank you. You do not know what that means to me.” Carolinasniffles and both myself and Maisy-Bell look at her, astonished.

“Sorry, I can’t help being emotional.”

A giggle bursts out of my mouth, which quickly turns tolaughter when Maisy-Bell rolls her eyes at both me and Carolina. It’s a greatvisit and when it’s time for us to leave, I promise I’ll return for anothervisit before I leave in two weeks.

“Oh, I’ll see you before you leave. I’ll force myself tocome to the packhouse for a meal so we can spend more time together, too.”

“That’ll be nice.” Before I can say more, Carolina grabs myarm and drags me out of the house, and I manage to wave before we are too faraway.

A few shops are placed near enough that the pack doesn’thave to walk far. A small diner, hairdresser, clothes store, and food store.There are other businesses that cover what the pack needs, such as a carpenter,mechanic, and decorator. The same as the town has basically, but they are noton the main street as we have in the town.

I meet a few more pack members and, on the whole, I’mreceived with smiles and warmth. One woman gives me bad vibes, and I keep herin my peripheral vision as Carolina talks to a few members. She is giving menasty looks, but as I’ve never met her before, I’m not sure why, but the stinkof hate rolls off her and it must attract the attention of the others as theyturn and look at her intently.

She feels the stares she’s getting, and the smell rollsback, but it’s a bit late as everyone had caught it. One male who’d beenflirting with Carolina frowns and then snarls at the woman.

“What crawled up your ass and died? Do you want me to speakto Alpha Aurora about how you broke her orders at welcoming Tatiana to thepack? You always were a bitter bitch, but it’s showing badly these days, and ifyou ever want a mate, I’d learn to become a nicer person.” Snarling at him, thewoman spins around and storms away, much to the male’s amusement.

Carolina is shaking her head but squeezes my arm. “Take nonotice of her. Izzy lost her fated mate when they were young. He stepped in tosave a child’s life when three rogues stepped onto pack land. The child ran onhis command, but he was killed. Since then, Izzy has been a bitter person, andshe’s never going to get another chosen mate.

“That’s very sad and I do feel sorry for her, but there isno need to be horrid to other people. She’s not going to have people wanting tosupport her if she continues like that.” Another one of the group standing withus speaks out.