Chapter 24

(Chapter song ‘Hey Jealousy’ by Gin Blossoms)

RIVER I enter the meeting room. I see Blade and Zeke sitting at a table. I slide over and grab a chair on the other side of Blade.

He leans back. He looks about as impressed as I feel. “Nice day off.” He grumbles.

“Yep. This better not take too long. I’ve got shit to do.” I lean back and cross my arms.

“You mean a hot recruit.” He leans in and grins.

“Shut up!” I smack his arm as he chuckles. I look around to see if anyone heard. “Knock it off.”

“Relax. No one cares, Riv.” He settles more into his seat.

I know he caught Anna's scent, that’s why he's ribbing me now. Thankfully none of the other guys here know any different.

I shoot him a warning look. “Not here.”

He smiles. "Fine." He rocks on the back legs. "So, what's this all about? It looks like all the departments are here."

I shake my head. "I don't know. I thought it was just for trainers."

Just then the door opens.

Department heads all file in with files and binders under their arms.

All eyes follow them to the front of the room.

The head of the security unit stands at the front podium. Alpha Fredericks. Tough bastard. He's been fighting the Dragon Pack for years and he doesn't fuck around.

He clears his throat. "Thank you all for coming." He opens a binder and flips some pages. "As you are aware by now, the Falcon Ridge border unit, with the help of Alpha Blake and his team's, captured the Dragon Packs Beta."

Eyes turned to me and my boys. We beamed as salutes and claps filled the room.

"Ok. Ok." Alpha Fredericks says loudly. He waits for the room to quiet down He continues. "Going forward. Draco Torrent is still a massive threat. Cole Karver has provided much needed Intel. Knowing we're entering into dangerous territory; we have decided to streamline our security. We decided to put everyone under one roof, so to speak."

I look at Fredericks confused. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't like where this conversation is going.

"Starting next week, the border units of each connected territory, will be combined and sent here. Recruits will be chosen and any cases for border will directed through this office. Each corresponding pack Security Unit facility will house a border liaison office, but the main office will be here."

My eyes go wide and my jaw goes slack. "No." I whisper.

"Stevens, you'll head up the border agent's integration. They'll go through the recruitment process first before they are assigned to their offices. In the meantime, the pack defence teams will be deployed until the border agents are brought up to speed. Have your trainers prepare to adjust their groups for the added bodies."

Stevens clears his throat. "That's a lot of bodies, Alpha. We'll need more trainers."

Alpha Fredericks nods. "We understand. We already have volunteers heading your way."

Zeke reaches behind Blade and hits my arm. I turn and he smiles and points to his chest. Indicating he volunteered.

I smile, offer a fist bump and he returns it.

My smile quickly fades though. Anna isn't going to like this. If we absorb the border agents, that only means one thing. Michael.

I'm in no way ready for that. After what happened with Anna, I cant help but think this is going to be trouble for us. There's a real threat of Michael snagging her from me. There's also the very real threat he'll blow this wide open on me. It's too soon to tell Anna how I really feel. I’ve been thinking a lot about us and I want to tell her, but I’m afraid she’ll freak out and leave me.

I rub my forehead as I process this.

Blade leans over. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

I’m totally lying. I’m freaking out.

What’s worse is I know when Anna hears this, she won’t have any problems with it all.

This is so fucking bad.

****

I walk into the pack house common room after the meeting. Anna is reading on one of the couches. I sit on the coffee table across from her. "Hey, Baby girl.” Isay solemnly.

"Hi." She smiles, dropping her book beside her and giving me a kiss.

I hold her hands and run my thumbs across the back of them, thinking about how tk tell her what’s going on without pissing her off.

Her smile fades. "What's wrong?"

I meet her eyes. "We have a problem."

She takes her hands back and crosses her arms. "What?"

I draw in a breath. "Michael."

Confusion fills her face. "How's Michael..." I cut her off.

I lean on my knees. "The meeting today.... Anna. They're moving border here. All the border agents will be joining the recruitment training. Michael's coming."

She looks down for a second, taking in everything I just told her.

I search for her eyes. "Anna? Did you hear what I said? This is bad.

She raises her head. "I don't think it will be that bad, River. Michael's my friend. It'll be good to have him.”

I knew this is what she would say. It sends a wave of irritation through me. "Anna, he could ruin us. Ruin me. If he outs us, I'll lose my rank. Probably get discharged. Do you want that?"

She shakes her head. "Of course not, but what can we do? He's coming. It's not like we can avoid him. Especially, if you have to train him. We can't do anything about it without exposing us, so just relax. It'll be fine. Michael and I came to an understanding. He's no threat to us, ok."

I arch a brow. "You sure about that?"

I throw my arms around his neck again. "Yes, I'm sure. I want you, River. Michael’s not changing that.”

“I hope you’re right. I just…I don’t want to lose you Anna.” I sit next to her on the couch.

“River, I get you’re worried. Please, have faith that I know what I’m doing. Trust me. Michael is not what you think.” She turns my chin and looks into my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. Unless, you continue this Alpha attitude of yours.” She smirks.

I smile a little. “Yeah, ok.”

She kisses my lips and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Now, I distinctly remember an Alpha soldier promising to finish something when he got home.” She looks away tapping her chin with her forefinger.

I sit straight and smirk. “Oh yeah.”

She looks at me and smiles seductively.

I tick my head. “You better run.” I playfully growl.

I dive for her and she jumps up, yelping. Squealing, she jumps over my legs and runs for the stairs.

“Oh, you’re mine!” I bolt off the couch and run up the stairs after her.

I’m making sure Michael is so far out of her head that she won’t even remember his name by the time I’m done.

****

Come Monday morning, I’m racking my brain. I’ve got five days to prepare for Michael.

I need to make sure he stays away from her. Even on the training field. I just don’t know how to do that without exposing us to the higher ups.

I walk into the trainers office to get my clipboard off my desk and see someone sitting in my chair.

I recognize that haircut. “What’s up?”

A blonde, crew cut trainer spins in my chair.

Cass Raven. A good guy. One of Jayson Dukes friends. He’s an Alpha, but he’s completely soft.

“Hey. I need the team roster for the new recruits. I was told you had it.” He says. His voice sounds little down.

I pull open my top drawer and pull out a list. “It hasn’t been updated yet, but I’ll be handing out the list by Friday.” I hand it to him and cross my arms. “What’s wrong?”

Cass is usually way more upbeat than this. It can only mean one thing.

“Tracy left me.” He leans back in my chair.

I hang my head and shake it. “You gotta stop man. I’m telling you.”

“What? We had something good. I don’t get it.” He holds his hands out.

I point to him. “No. You had something good. Dude, you can’t date someone for a week and start love bombing them. They don’t like that.”

“I don’t love bomb.” He scowls.

I tilt my head. “Cass, this is your tenth relationship this year and it’s only June. Come on, man. Open your eyes.”

“Ok. I may be a little overly affectionate.” He waves me off.

“Overly affectionate? Cass, you want these women to live with you after the second date. You’re going to be single forever if you don’t change your attitude.” I say.

“Whatever. I just haven’t met the right one. Women love affection and I have a lot of it.” He gets up and smiles.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I smirk.

He points to me. “See you on the field?”

I nod. “Yeah. I’m coming.” I grab my clipboard and push off my desk.

It’s guys like that, that make guys like me to nervous to even start the L word conversation. They throw it around so easily that the rest of us are scared to even think it.

As much as I want tk say to Anna after 3 months, I know she’s put off. She’s one to think love means fated. I know she lost her mate, but does that mean she can never love anyone else? If I love Anna does that mean I give up my fated for her? I feel like I could.

Another question that’s been spinning around in my head is, is it possible Anna’s my fated after all. These feelings I have feel like I could head down that road with her. Does it even work like that? I’ve never heard of anyone finding a second chance mate. As far as I know, it doesn’t happen.

I want to be sure before I ask Anna the big question. There has to be someone who knows.