The essence of the Maxwell pack resided within her. I hoped she would stay loyal to us.
"Thank you, Alpha." She smiled at me before leaning into Xavier who was smiling from ear to ear.
"Make sure you go to the pack doctor to get checked out within the next couple days." I pursed my lips. "You two are free to go now."
"Thank you, Sophia. I mean it." Xavier grinned before he left with her in tow.
"Think he gets it now? The pull of the matebond?" Blaine asked.
"I do." I nodded, staring at the door.
"What is it?" His arms slipped around my waist from behind.
"When I made her a member of this pack, there was a remanence of something. Another pack, I think." I frowned.
"She said she didn't remember anything from her past. Maybe her parents were a part of another pack until they abandoned her." He kissed my neck, making me shiver.
"Yeah, maybe."
But something still didn't feel right.
"We'll monitor her. I thought something was off too."
I nodded. "I hate feeling that way. She's Xavier's mate. You know? I want to be happy for him." My heart sank.
"I know darlin'. But your worries are valid." He turned me around. "You are the Alpha of this pack and need to protect everyone in it."
"I know, you're right." My frown deepened.
"Don't frown so much." He peppered kisses over my face, the last one landing on my lips.
"It's hard to frown when you do that." I smiled.
"I can do other things that'll make you smile." His eyes twinkled in excitement.
"Don't tempt me." I cupped his face and planted a kiss on his soft lips. "I want you just as bad, but for now, we have work to do."
I scanned the meeting room; the preceding command filled the seats around the table, as well as Riley, Xavier, Gabe, Cole, Ivy, and Nolan who were also there. Ivy and Nolan came with my mother, something I was not told prior to the meeting.
We had to devise a reliable plan to deal with the Lockhart pack. They'd been scheming against us too long with no backlash and that had to end.
I cleared my throat. "Caroline ran tests on the body of the rogue wolf. The wolf was male, a man named Antonio. He was ripped apart by more than one wolf, and his body was riddled with silver bullets. He was killed nearly two weeks ago but dumped on our land yesterday. He reeked of the Lockhart pack."
Everyone burst into whispers.
"That pack has been causing us problems for years. Why do anything about it now?" my dad's former Gamma asked.
"Because they've never done something so malicious," Mom said, shaking her head at him.
He scoffed. "Lockhart is known to be malicious. This isn't something we should be surprised by."
"Lockhart's pack has never come at us directly before. Surely we have to do something?" another member asked.
I held up my hand. "We will not allow this to go unnoticed. Alpha Blaine and I believe they are trying to paint a target on our backs for the rogues."
"We suspect that the Lockhart pack is trying to diminish the reputation this pack has with rogues. We found the body on the East perimeter, closest to their pack. The land in between this pack and theirs is still unclaimed, and they want it," Blaine said, walking around the room as he spoke.
"But that land has been unclaimed for years. Why don't they just take it instead of trying to destroy our rogue relations?" a member asked.
"Because they need us out of the way to take it as theirs. We have laws we have to follow for claiming territory. If this pack won't give him the land, then he can't take it and vice versa. That's one law no wolf goes against," Blaine said.
His voice sent chills down my spine and the way he commanded attention made me want to sprawl out on a bed in front of him and beg him to take me. I craved him in every sense of the word.
"Sophia." His hand brushed against mine.
I shivered, feeling my cheeks heat up. "With that being said, I'm up for taking suggestions. We need to put our heads together and devise a solution."
"What about calling their Alpha and setting up a meeting?" my father suggested.
I nodded. "That would be the best way to handle it."
"Going directly to the source instead of waiting around." Blaine rubbed his scruff. "I like it."
"What will be said during the meeting?" someone asked.
"We could compromise and split the unclaimed territory in two," an elder of our pack, Gretta, mentioned.
"That's a great idea," Dad said, snapping his fingers.
My father's former Beta, Lee, sneered. "That's ridiculous, Shawn. He didn't listen to you when you were in charge. Hell, he never even agreed to a phone call. What makes you think he'll speak with Sophia?"
My father's eyes sparked with anger. "You'll address her as Alpha."
"This is not a time to argue. Remember Lee, my father was your Alpha just as I am now. He nor I will tolerate your disrespect." I narrowed my eyes at him before directing my attention to everyone else. "Raise your hand if you want to hold a meeting with their pack."
I counted eight out of twenty.
"Alright." I pressed my lips into a thin line. Speaking to Alpha Lockhart would've been the easiest way to figure this all out. "If we can find an alternative, I'm all ears." I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, exposing my mark.
A growl resonated from Nolan. "Why are you even leading this whole thing?"
I met his gaze, my eyes burning into his as I cocked my head to the side. "I'm the Alpha of this pack."
"You won't be for long. The way I see it, with that mark on your neck, you'll be leaving our pack for his," he spat and his eyes darkened.
My eyebrows knitted. "Not that it's any of your business, but Blaine and I are still deciding what to do
