I yawned, stretched, and wandered upstairs to ready myself for when Theo returned shortly. He didn’t. I was alone until nighttime; I even opened the door to see what was happening, but the guards stared at me until I went back inside.
I knitted, cooked myself some squash and zucchini, and laid in front of the fire. Around six in the evening, the phone in Theo’s office rang. I let it go to the machine. It rang again, and I went over to it, debating on whether I should answer. It rang a third time, and I picked it up.
“Hello? Theodore?” the voice said. It was a man’s, most likely older than Theo.
“Theo’s not here right now,” I said back quietly. “Can I take a message?”
“Who is this?”
“Who is this?” I retorted.
“My name is Alpha Reed Porter, who are you?”
“Margo,” I drawled.
“Ah.” It sounded like he smiled. “I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet. I’m calling about a document I sent your mate. I’ve not gotten a response; I just wanted to make sure it arrived.”
I paused, wanting to put the phone down, but knowing it would be rude, and I would most likely have to meet the man one day.
“I don’t see any documents on his desk. I can have him call you when he returns,” I offered.
“I see he didn’t tell you about my little note,” Alpha Porter babbled.
“You’re the one who sent the letter?”
“I am.”
“What was it about?”
“You.”
I rolled my eyes. “What about me?”
“That’s something you’ll have to ask your mate about. I wouldn’t want to drive a wedge between the two of you. Now tell me, is it true you’re human?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Alpha Porter chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll be meeting soon, Margo. Best to have your mate change you before we meet, dear. At least you’ll have a fighting chance then.”
Bolder
The front door opened around nine in the evening and Cam, Beau, and Theo walked in noisily. Theo called out my name, to which I made some grunting noise in response. He came to the doorway of his office after saying goodbye to his friends.
“Why are you in here?” he asked, not upset, simply curious.
“Alpha Porter called,” I said hesitantly. I didn’t want to spark the fight again, but my curiosity and fear were getting the better of me. Alpha Porter’s last comment was festering like an open wound I couldn’t help but touch.
“Did you speak to him?” he asked, more concerned but trying not to look it.
“He called three times. I thought it would be rude not to pick up,” I explained.
“I’m not mad you picked up, Margo. What did he say?”
“He asked about his letter,” I ground out. “Wondered if you got it.” Theo nodded and let out a noise of approval. The festering wound split, and words poured out of me like puss. “And he also told me that I should have you change me so that I’d have a fighting chance when we meet.”
Theo stilled and opened his mouth though no words came out.
“Are you still going to tell me not to worry?”
“Margo.”
“Theo, this is about my safety. How am I supposed to stay safe if I don’t know what’s going on? How am I supposed to tell you when somethings wrong if I don’t know what I should be looking for? How am I supposed to…to…to survive if I don’t even know what I’m fighting against?”
“Okay,” he soothed, taking my hands in his. “Okay, I get it. I’m sorry. Will you please sit down, and I’ll tell you everything?”
“No,” I said, yanking my hands out of his. “I’ve been sitting all damn day.”
“Okay.” He nodded quickly. He ran his hand over his face roughly twice before telling me everything he knew about Alpha Reed Porter. How the Alpha’s had vetoed his run for Enforcer, how he was an outcast as a leader because of his aggression, and how he had a great hatred for humans because his mother had left his father for a human. Humans were weak to him, they were scum, and they had no place in the world of werewolves.
“ So, that’s why he hates me?”
“Pretty much,” he said nodding.
“Wait, pretty much? Is there another thing?”
Theo bit his lip and tried to reach for me, but I sidestepped him and began walking out of the office. He called my name sullenly, and I stopped.
“I said I would tell you everything, and I will!” Theo said loudly. “Would you just let me get it out?” His shoulders took up most of the door frame, and the light behind him cast a shadow on the ground. He looked demonic, or angelic, something otherworldly. I didn’t know if he was going to save me or damn me, but looking that good, I didn’t really care.
“Reed Porter blames me for the downfall of his pack because I got the Enforcer position over him. If Reed were the Enforcer, he’d be able to give him pack more territory and power, which is exactly why the Alphas denied him the position. His pack lands were recently terrorized by forest fires that ruined forty percent of his land. Now, he either has to expand into someone else’s territory or merge with someone else’s pack. No one else wants to merge with him, and I’ve denied every request of his to take over another Alpha’s pack lands.”
“Why would you do that?” I hissed. “It sounds like he wants a fight, and he has a good reason. His pack lands are gone,
