Summer's Alpha (7 page)

I have unpacked our
clothes in the master bedroom.  Ours had to be the fastest move in history.  This
place is huge.  It is a nice house and better than I expected.  The house is
set off in wings.  The main part of the house in the center where the kitchen
and living room are located has four bedrooms.  There is a wing to the left of
the main living area and it has four more very large bedrooms.  I think they
are guest quarters.  The wing to the right of the main is a very large meeting
area.  This house has to be a hundred years old or more.  I’ve heard of packs
living all in the same house and maybe that’s what went on here.  I decide to
ask Shirley.  If this was her house, she should know its history.  There’s a
porch all the way across the front.  It has rocking chairs strewn about and it
has a roof over it.  The center portion of the house is made of huge logs, but
the wings are stone in the front.  I haven’t walked all the way around yet.  I
thought we would do it together but Jackson is off exploring the community and
greeting his pack members while I unpack.  I grab a broom and start sweeping
the porch.  The fall leaves are gathering.  I’m going to rearrange the
furniture out here too.  “Hi there.”  An older man says coming to the bottom of
the steps.  “We met at the meeting.  I’m Gregory.”  He sticks out his hand and
I shake it.  I remember him.  He seemed nice at the meeting.  “Is the alpha
around?”  I smile.  I wonder how old he is.  He looks about sixty by human standards,
which puts him nearing one hundred in wolf years.  His hair is gray, his skin
is weathered, and his back is rounded.  He seems proud though in his red
checked flannel and blue work pants.

“He’s out and
about somewhere.  He was going to check out the empty houses and see who he
could find while I tidied the house.”  Gregory nodded. 

“Good.  When will
we have our first official meeting?”  I consider it.  He’s right; the pack will
expect a welcome meeting.  His voice is a gravelly drawl.

“I think next
week, there are several new wolves on their way.  Larry said that your pack
wanted new young breeding pairs.  My sister and her mate plus a group of
friends are on their way.  We will give them a chance to get here and get
settled then we can vote on them at the meeting.”  He scrutinized me.  “If
Jackson thinks that’s the best plan.  Of course everything could change if he
thinks we should do it differently.”  This man is old.  He will expect me to
submit to Jackson’s wishes even though I am alpha, Jackson is the alpha male
and has the final say so in all pack matters.  Jackson is the alpha but I have
his ear.  If this man needs to think that Jackson is in charge, let him.  I
want everyone to be happy.  Earl’s car passes by and it is heading down the
lane to a small white house.  Kelly gets out of the passenger side and looks my
way.  “Will you excuse me?”  Gregory tipped his imaginary hat as I passed by.

“Summer!”  Kelly
runs to hug me.  I wrap my big little sister in my arms and twirl her around. 
“Earl helped me get my things from Frank’s house.  I explained what happened to
the pack and they weren’t very upset about it at all.”  Her eyebrows rose and
one corner of her mouth lifted.  “They seemed quite happy to get a new alpha.” 
I let go of her and shook Earl’s hand.  He’s standing protectively behind her now. 
I smile because I like it that he has her back.  I get only good vibes from
Earl.  He will take very good care of Kelly.  I can feel it.  “Anyway, while I
was there I spoke to several of the other wolves.  There were several that were
going to consider it but they want to see what happens there first.”  I nod.  I
understand how they feel, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. 
I would do the same thing.  Earl was carrying her suitcases toward the house. 

“So is this the
house that you chose?”  I ask.  I’m not sure why Kelly would pick the smallest
house in the neighborhood.  Kelly’s cheeks turn bright red.

“This is Earl’s
house.”  My eyes must be as big as saucers because Kelly is biting her lip and
trying not to laugh.  “This house has been in Earl’s family since it was
built.”  I nod.  “He wants me to stay with him, and I want to, is that okay?” 
I make a face.

“Of course it’s
okay.  Why wouldn’t it be?”  I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lead her
toward the house.

“You’re the alpha
female Summer.  You have to give the okay for an unmated female to stay with a
male.  So as my alpha female, is it okay?”  I shudder.  Wow.  I have to approve
my sister’s extracurricular activities. 

“Yeah it’s okay Kel. 
Try to keep it down though.  I know how wild you can be.”  Kelly gasps and
hides her face in her hands.  I can see her red cheeks through her fingers.  It
must suck to be so pasty white that every dirty thought you have is evident on
your face.  “Which house do you think Autumn will choose?”  Kelly looks around
at the houses considering.  At the same time, we both point at the same time
and say “that one!”  Then we both laugh until we have tears leaking from our
eyes.  We’ve both pointed at a big Victorian.  It has a lot of gingerbread woodwork,
a turret, and a wrought iron fence around it. 

“Don’t judge a
book by its cover.”  Earl says from the porch.  “That one needs new plumbing,
new floors, plaster and half of the roof is rotten.  It’s been empty the
longest.  Summer, would you like to come in and see your sister’s new home?”  I
nod and smile.  I’m smiling partly because Earl has assumed that I approve and
partly because he called it hers, that’s sweet.

Inside, Earl’s
house is so cute.  It has wood floors except the kitchen has red and white
checked linoleum.  All of the walls are white but there are plenty of pictures
of wolves in Earl’s family.  The furniture looks comfortable and it has three
bedrooms.  “The basement is finished and if there is a need for more bedrooms,
it would be easy to divide it off.”  Kelly blushes again.

“Do you want a lot
of pups Earl?”  Kelly gasps and turns her head.  “Jeez Kel, obviously this is
going somewhere, you asked permission to live with him.  I believe you asked
permission as an unmated female to stay with a male.  I assume that means that
you two will be mating soon?”  I stare pointedly at Earl and damned if he
didn’t blush just a little.  He nods.

“We will be with
Kelly’s permission of course.”  She nods and slips into his side and lays her
hand on his chest as if she’s been doing it all of her life.  I smile sentimentally. 
It’s just so perfect.

I stiffen my
backbone and stand up straight then give them my sternest alpha look.  I feel
official.  “Earl.  Your intentions toward my sister seem honorable but I want
your word that they are.  I want your word that you will take care of Kelly and
her unborn pup.  That you will always look out for their welfare, that you will
put their needs and feelings above your own.  You will treat her pup as if it is
your own, that you will never do that pup harm even though he is from an
alpha.  Do I have it?  Do I have your word as an honorable man, on your honor
as a member of the East View pack and as a wolf?”  I lift my chin and stare him
straight in the eyes.  I am alpha, I do not back down from lesser wolves, and
it doesn’t matter that they are six and a half feet tall and nearly as wide. 
It doesn’t matter that he could smash me like a bug or that he has a gigantic
gun strapped to his side.  My sister and my sister’s child are at stake here. 

“Ma’am, I will do
everything within my power to give your sister the very best and to make her
feel like my queen.  She will always come first and so will all of her pups. 
If she will do me the honor of mating me, I will take care of her, she will
always come first.”  He smiles softly down at Kelly and she’s lost in his gaze.

“Okay then.  Have
at it.”  I giggle and let myself out.  The song from childhood,
Kelly and
Earl sitting in a tree
… floats through my mind. 

“Hey you.” 
Jackson comes up beside me as I’m walking home.  “What have you been up to?” 
He can tell I’m happy.

“I just approved
Kelly and Earl living together and mating.  I probably should’ve left that to
you, huh?”  I let my eyes slide over his chest and belly.

“Nope.  She’s your
sister, and she’s your problem.  Oh by the way, that applies to Autumn when she
gets here too.”  Jackson laughs loudly when I make a face.  Crap.  That rule
sucks.  I hear a ringing and look around.  Jackson pulls a cell phone out of his
pocket and my brows furrow.  He has a new phone and not only did I not know
that he had one but I don’t have the number.  “Don’t give me that face, it’s
borrowed.  Jake had a spare that he took away from his daughter before she went
back to college.  Apparently, she likes to surf the net and run up the bill.  He
lent it to me until we get ours.  We need to get the landline turned on and the
cable too.”

“We don’t have
TV?  What will we do?”  I give him a horrified face.  Jackson loves TV.  “We
might have to spend time together.”  He smirks at me.

“Sounds good,
let’s go spend some time together now.”  He waggles his eyebrows and I giggle
until I look up and see my father standing beside his truck staring us down. 
How did he get here so fast?  I look at my watch it has only been five and a
half hours or so. 

“Break any land
speed records dad?”  I really shouldn’t smart off to him but it was too
tempting.  It’s been five and a half hours; it’s a wonder that you are alive. 
Do you know that?”  He smirks.

“It’s been six
hours and twenty minutes Summer, math was never your best subject.  Where is
Kelly?”  His eyes flash.

“I’ll never tell. 
Kelly is busy with her new mate.”  I smirk stupidly.  He might smack me for
that.

“Her union has to
be approved by her alpha.  Since Frank is dead, her mating is up to me.”  My
head is already shaking in defiance.

“No, her mating is
up to the female alpha of her new pack, the pack that she is a member of, the
pack that she wanted to be in and the pack that will protect her, her mate and
her pup.  Her alpha female has not only approved her living with him, her new
union was approved.”  He snarls at me.  “Dad, is this really about Kelly, or is
it more about saving face?  You’ve lost control of all of your daughters and
you think that hauling Kelly back home will let you save face with the pack. 
Kelly was always a good girl.  She did whatever you asked.  She went with Frank
and let him beat her for God’s sake, because you wanted her to.  Can’t you let
her be happy?  Can’t you let all of us be happy?  Ever since Mom died, it’s
like you’ve been mad at us, you’ve taken it out on us and Dad, we’re sick of
it.”  I growl at him.  I just growled at my father, my alpha father, my alpha
father who can beat the crap right out of me.  He stands there ramrod
straight.  Jackson has said nothing but I hear a low rumble coming from him. 
He’s ready to defend me.  I love him so much right now.  Dad takes a breath and
sucks his teeth.  He knows that I’m right and he’s deciding what to say to turn
it around so he’s right.  “Don’t try it Dad.  We all love you but we are grown
ups, we are people.  We have the right to be happy.  You are our alpha.  As our
alpha, you should be happy that your pack members, daughters or not, are
prepared enough and educated enough to strike out on their own.”  I see Shirley
walking silently up behind him.

“You should be
proud of Summer.  She’s come here, alone and she’s not only made it on her own
but she’s the alpha of a pack that she joined just a few days ago.  You’ve raised
a strong and smart wolf Brandt.”  Brandt?  She just called my dad by his first
name!  No female did that unless she was brave.  “I think she has done so
well.  She’s brought a dying pack back to life.  The members are so happy and
so looking forward to her and Jackson’s leadership.  They have already arranged
for new members.”

“They haven’t
arranged for new members, they are stealing members from my pack.  Half of the
damned young people are asking for permission to leave.  So she has done
nothing but trade your pack’s problem and shifted it onto my pack.”

“Perhaps there’s a
reason that they all want to leave.”  Shirley says softly gazing up at him. 
“Perhaps, they’ve been controlled harshly for so long that their spirits ache
for some freedom.”  Oh, shit.  Shirley is human and she is walking a slippery
slope, I may have to defend her if she takes this much farther with my dad.  He
looks like he’s about to go nuclear.  “You have to govern your pack Brandt, not
rule it.  Wolves are free creatures and they need to express themselves. 
Today’s young wolves aren’t the same as they were in our day.  They have
computers and cell phones.  They can reach out and connect in milliseconds. 
They can come together faster than ever.  It’s our duty to let it flourish, let
it develop and see where it takes us.  The wolves in your pack are only doing
what we would’ve done when we were young.  They want to try something new
because they feel confined living as they are.  It will only be good for the
race to see that through.”

“What the hell do
you know?  You aren’t wolf.”  His eyes are full of fire. 

“No, I’m not, but
my husband was and all of my relatives are.  I may not be wolf, but I have been
caring for and protecting them for a lifetime.”  She says calmly.  I have to hand
it to Shirley; she is handling him like a professional alpha tamer.  “Summer
and Jackson have an opportunity to really do something here.  And aren’t you
the best of all the alphas, you raised two, that are a team and are the
youngest ruling alphas in over one hundred years.”  He perked up at that. 
She’d hit a nerve.  “Your daughter has broken a record.  You must be one hell
of an alpha and one hell of a father, and to think you did it all by
yourself.”  He’s suddenly gotten taller. 

“Well, I’ve been
trying to train them all of their lives, I guess some of it got through.”  He
looks us over.  “Maybe they were paying attention.”  I smile at him and wink at
Shirley who grins.  “Jackson, show me where I will be staying.  I want to visit
with my daughters before I go back.”  Jackson nods and gets Dad’s duffle out of
the truck.  We follow him up the stairs and inside of the house.