Chapter 67

Several weeks later….

– – – – – – – –

Kelly “We are very sorry for your loss, but we are happy to see you are adapting well to your new position.” Councilwoman Leslie said as she and the rest of the council took their seats in the conference room I had setup for our meeting.

“Thank you.” I said, pulling out my chair. “It has been a lot of work, but it’s all paying off.” I said with a forced smile.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the council, no one was really. They were an ominous group of powerful individuals who could decide your fate quite easily. Sadly, I did not invite them here today, they simply told me they were coming, which told me that they might be bringing me some less than appealing news.

“Your people seem to be quite happy with some of the changes you have made. Well done.” Councilman Frederick smiled.

Of course, they spoke with my pack behind my back. It felt like they were buttering me up before throwing me in the frying pan.

“I am just trying to do what’s best for my people.”

“Which brings up the reason for our visit,” Councilman George began. “It has come to our attention that you have not had a formal ceremony presenting yourself as queen.”

“I’ve been a bit busy…nor did I know I was supposed to throw my own ceremony.” I frowned.

“We are well aware, which is why we asked King Edward to lead your ceremony, he will present you to your pack as the new Queen. That should stop the mummering.” Councilman Chester said.

“There are mummers?” I frowned.

“There are always people talking against the monarchy.” Councilwoman Leslie brushed it off. “How you came to be queen was very unconventional, which, given the circumstances, is understandable. Really, what the people want is a formal announcement.”

“And when will that take place?”

“Two weeks. That should give you enough time to also pick your Beta, Gamma, and Delta team.”

“Oh, well I was just using my fathers men-“

“Which will come to an end soon.” Councilman Chester cut me off. “They have served their years and it is time for a fresh start.”

“Okay.” I nodded, knowing all too well there was no room for debate.

“That brings us to our next order of business, your mate,” Councilman Frederick said.

“I don’t have a mate.” I shook my head.

“Precisely,” he sighed. “We will give you five years to find or choose a mate. That should be adequate time, still within your breeding years too.”

How generous of them. Luckily, I didn’t think I would need that much time. “Understood,” I said, and the entire room breathed a collective sigh of relief. I must be easy compared to King Derek, who was pushing it to the last minute. Apparently, he found his mate, but she was abducted and he was still searching for her. Whatever, not my kingdom, not my problem.

“Is there anything else?” I asked.

The council went over some basic expectations with me, most of which I was already aware of. They also wrote me a very handsome check to help with fixing my kingdom, which I was not expecting. I had a number of ideas about what I could use the money for though. They left soon after, giving their condolences and congratulations once again. I breathed a sigh of relief when they were finally gone.

Now, all I had to do was pick a new Beta, Gamma, and Delta in less than two weeks’ time. That won’t be problematic at all. Not like I have an entire kingdom to run and I’m still learning the ropes, and let’s pretend we didn’t just lose hundreds of people, most of whom had jobs that need filling now. No problem at all.

– – – – – – – – – –

Jonas “You want me to be your Beta?!” I asked, flabbergasted.

“Is it really that shocking?” Kelly chuckled from behind her desk, her nose scrunching up.

“I mean, I hoped that you might consider me for one of the positions, but I never expected to be asked to be Beta.”

“You take orders well, you are very personal, and you are a diplomat. It’s exactly what I need in a beta.” She shrugged.

“Well, I happily accept.” I smiled.

“Perfect, the council is having a mass ceremony to present me and my new team.” She said, shuffling some papers. “It’s in a week and a half.”

“So soon?”

“It’s not my decision.” She sighed.

“Alright, well then I have a lot of learning to do in a very short time.” I laughed. “Anything you need help with right now?”

“Can you look over the patrol schedule? Make sure I didn’t miss anything? And then maybe go and check on Kelsey? See that she eats and takes a shower?”

“Of course.” I half smiled, taking the schedule from her.

I tweaked the schedule a bit, making sure everyone who requested time off got it, while also ensuring that every opening was covered. After that, I made my way over to the hospital.

“Kels?” I asked, knocking quietly on the glass door that separated her and Mason from the rest of the world.

She didn’t acknowledge me, she just laid on the edge of his bed, looking just as broken as him. It took the better part of the afternoon, but I eventually convinced her to go home, take a shower, change her clothes, eat a hot meal, and even play with her girls for an hour before she finally asked to go back.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think Mason was going to have a good outcome, which made my heart hurt for Kelsey. She was rotting away just waiting for him to die. Her girls needed her now more than ever, and here she was, looking more and more like a vegetable every day. And I couldn’t even blame her. This was an impossible situation, this was her mate. Her true love, who was supposed to live a long and happy life with her. It wasn’t fair.

– – – – – – – – – –

Thorin “You would be in charge of all the new recruits and training, you would decide who gets placed where or if there is a mission, who goes and who stays. So, what do you think? Will you be my Gamma?” Kelly asked hopefully.

“This is high honor,” I said, taken back. “Are you sure you want mercenary such as myself to be in such position?”

“I cant think of anyone else who would be better suited for the job. Plus, you are the only one who can give Keres a run for her money too.” Kelly laughed.

“Then I accept.” I said with a curt nod.

“Thanks Thorin.” Kelly said, relief crossing over her features.

“Where do I begin?”

“I just sent out a draft letter to every household. I am requiring that, starting now, all high school graduates are required to serve two years in our forces. I also sent out a sign-up sheet to everyone eligible to serve, in the hopes that we can make up for the gap we currently have. They were told to arrive at the main training field at seven on Monday morning. Do you think you would whip them into shape?”

“I will see that they are ready for anything.” I smirked.

“That is perfect, thank you.” She said, already getting back to work. “There will be a formal ceremony later next week to present everyone.” She said.

“Da.” I nodded before I started casually making my way out of her office. “If you need to blow off some steam later, you know where to find me,”

“Oh, I’m back on my meds Emmett gave me.” She dismissed. “Keres shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That was not the primal instinct I was referring to.” I winked, earning a flush from Kelly, before leaving her office.

I had not forgotten our time together, and it would seem she didn’t either, apparent from the familiar painting hanging in her office behind her desk. The same office that was still in shambles and cluttered with boxes of her father’s things, she seemed to have found the time to hang the painting. I was a patient man, but I was also a forward one too. I understood she had duties that needed her attention, but that would not stop me from continuing to pursue her. Hopefully, she will make another big decision soon.