Chris emerged from his sleek, black sedan. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the forest air, while his fingers worked to loosen his tie.
The late afternoon was when the forest’s scent was at its richest. The aroma instantly soothed him. Just stepping out of the car, he already felt his tension melting away.
He glanced upward, taking in the sight of the Grey Mountains’ peaks, shrouded in clouds. This place, Miller Creek, was his sanctuary. He’d just returned from a week in Litchley, a place he loathed.
Litchley was a bustling, gray city filled with insincere people constantly fawning over him. He wished he could avoid it altogether, but his firm’s location demanded his occasional presence.
He retrieved his suitcase and a small briefcase from the trunk, then made his way to the steps of a grand, log cabin-style house.
The house was old, but it had been well-preserved and updated to meet modern standards of comfort.
“Evening, Chris. How was your trip to the concrete jungle?” Danny, his right-hand man, greeted him at the door.
“Stressful. I’m just glad to be back,” Chris responded, heading towards the grand central staircase.
Danny trailed behind him, saying, “Good to have you back, Chris. Nothing major happened while you were away, just the usual squabble between Garreth and Fritz.
“I’m relieved you’re back, Chris—I’m not a fan of being the sole person in charge here.”
Upon reaching his suite, Chris turned to face Danny. “So, nothing happened? Really? What about the rogues—any word from them?”
He opened the door and stepped inside. The rogues were a constant threat, lurking near the borders.
“All quiet,” Danny replied. “Maybe it’s the calm before the storm, but I’ll take the peace while it lasts.”
Chris set his suitcase in a corner of the suite and tossed the briefcase onto the coffee table. He removed his tie and flung it onto the couch. “Much better,” he sighed.
“You really detest the city that much, huh?” Danny asked.
“You know I do. If I could, I’d shut down the business in a heartbeat, but we need it.” He looked at Danny, his closest friend.
“While you were in Litchley, did you happen to find a certain woman, like your soulmate?” Danny asked, flopping onto the couch and propping his feet on the coffee table.
“Danny, feet off the table. And stop asking ridiculous questions,” Chris retorted, visibly irritated. His eyes darkened.
“So, that’s a no then?”
Chris nodded, still annoyed.
“It’s odd you haven’t found her yet. You’ve been searching for the right one for quite some time.”
“Well, I’m not the only one who hasn’t found the right one,” Chris retorted with a small smile. “You haven’t found your woman either.”
After their conversation, Danny left, allowing Chris to shower and change into more comfortable clothes. He sank into his sofa, his thoughts drifting to his friend. They’d known each other their entire lives.
They’d grown up as the most promising children of the pack; Danny was like a brother to him. They’d been through a lot since their childhood.
Whenever Chris needed support, Danny was there. He’d been there even before he became beta.
Chris knew Danny still blamed himself for Chris’s kidnapping by feral wolves when they were sixteen.
They were just kids then, transitioning from boys to the strong men they are now. Danny couldn’t have prevented the kidnapping.
It was a tough period, but they emerged stronger.
As the sons of the alpha and the beta, they were expected to succeed their fathers. Chris had assumed the alpha position from his father seven years ago, at eighteen.
His father had been killed by a hostile neighboring pack’s alpha, and his mother had passed away from grief shortly after. Even then, Danny had been there to help him cope.
Assuming the alpha role, dealing with his parents’ loss, caring for his brothers—Danny was there, supporting him through it all.
Chris was certain that Danny would take a bullet for him if it came to that. And he’d do the same for Danny, no question about it.
~“Do you want to handle it? Or should I step in? If you need more rest, I can take care of it.” ~
Adina was in charge of the clinic just a few hundred feet down the road. Chris had recently upgraded the facility, making it more modern and capable of accommodating more patients.
But with the expansion, they needed more hands on deck. That’s what Adina wanted to discuss.
A few minutes later, he joined Danny and Adina, who were already waiting in his office.
“Adina,” Chris greeted, shaking her hand. He moved behind his desk and sank into his black leather chair. “Good to see you. How are things? How’s the clinic? Settling in okay?”
“I’m doing well, thank you,” she replied, a small smile on her face as she took a seat across from him.
Danny stayed standing, leaning against the wall.
“I can’t thank you enough for the clinic upgrades. They were much needed. I think with a few more hands, we’ll be in good shape. Actually, that’s why I’m here.”
“You already have my approval to hire more staff, so what do you need from me?” Chris asked, his brows furrowing.
“This morning, I got a call from a friend of my brother Joe. Her name’s Ava, and she’s been looking for a nursing job in the city without any luck.
“Joe told her we were hiring, so she reached out to me. She seems like a good fit. She’s coming next Wednesday to get a feel for the job and see if it’s right for her.
“She’s human, though.”
Chris stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Good to know. From what you’ve told me, she sounds promising. I’ll let border security know we’re expecting a visitor on Wednesday.
“Offer her a place to stay overnight—traveling after dark can be unsettling for humans here. She can head out after breakfast the next morning.”
“I will,” Adina confirmed.
Chris turned to Danny. “Danny, can you make sure one of the cabins near the clinic is ready by then?
“We don’t want her stumbling upon our secrets before she’s officially on board, so she won’t be staying in the pack house.”
Danny straightened up and nodded. “I’m on it.”
After Adina and Danny left, Chris contacted his security team to inform them about the upcoming visitor.
Since he was already in his office, he decided to tackle some of the paperwork that had piled up during his absence.
As he filed away the last document, the dinner bell rang. He made his way to the dining hall, greeting the pack members already gathered there. They all bowed their heads slightly in respect.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. “Christopher Amos Desmond Anderson, why wasn’t I informed of your arrival? When did you get here?”
Turning around, Chris found himself face-to-face with his younger brother Leo. It was like looking in a mirror. Leo was a younger version of Chris, slightly less muscular but taller.
Chris had two younger brothers. Nicholas, or Nick, who was twenty-two and the beta of the neighboring Foggy Forest Pack, his mate Alicia’s pack.
Leonard, or Leo, had just turned eighteen and was still figuring out his path in life.
“Leonard.” Chris greeted him with a smile. “I got here this afternoon, but I didn’t get a chance to tell you. I had to jump right into work. You know they can’t manage without me here.”
They took their seats, Chris at the head of the table, Leo to his left, and Danny to his right, in accordance with their ranks.
Danny was seated next to Simon, the pack’s gamma, who was surrounded by his family. Adjacent to Leonard, Jason, the pack’s delta, was dining with his mate.
The kitchen staff served dinner, and everyone relished the robust meal.
