Blackshadow (Kingdom of Wolves #2)

It takes a few minutes for the shouts, whistles, and applause to calm, before I could even be heard again. Still smiling, I look at everyone who has competed, and I’m more than happy to see them all standing proudly. This is what my pack is going to have, ‘Pride.’

“I won’t waste any of your time, because I know you all want to go inside and eat. Even though you have eaten everything on the banquet tables and they are now bare out here.” Laughter rings around the lawn, and again, I see how much the pack has changed in the relatively short space of time since I took over as Alpha. I see Flint nodding at me, arms folded across his chest, and looking pleased with what he sees. “Okay, I have given some thought to the Beta position, and I declare from this point onwards that Caleb remains my number one Beta, but Walim will be my number two Beta. Walim, please step forward.”

Walim walks from where he’d been standing alongside Iona and Armon. I place my hand on his shoulder and give it a squeeze. “Do you have a surname, Walim?”

“Walim Blackclaw, Alpha.”

“Do you, Walim Blackclaw, vow to protect your Alpha, and pack members? To be the best Beta you can be for the pack?”

“I solemnly swear to protect and serve my Alpha and pack.”

Cheers ring around the pack, and Caleb holds his hand out and shakes Walim’s hand, before wrapping him in a man-hug and whispering into his ear. Whatever he has said has Walim look at him solemnly and nod his head in agreement.

Caleb understands how Walim feels as he was sworn in as Beta when I asked him to step into that position, on the understanding it could be a permanent position or a temporary one.

“Come, let’s eat.” I watch with amusement as the pack bustles inside, and the excitement that I’m seeing in everyone’s eyes has me rubbing my chest once more.

Flint steps to my side, grips my shoulder, and gives it a squeeze. “Come on, let’s eat too.”

Sitting and eating, my eyes roam around the pack members and we have around seventy now with the new members. We have a few more coming, and I can’t wait to greet them and swear them into the pack. I’m convinced taking the Northern Parklands rogues into the pack is a good thing, not only building our numbers, but giving these shifters the chance of a better life.

Knight is pacing around in my mind, and I’ve done my best to ignore him for hours, but I’m annoyed with him now. ‘What is wrong with you, Knight?’

Don’t know. I feel like something good is about to happen, but I don’t know what yet.

‘Well, can you just calm down, because you’re giving me a headache?’ I feel him turn his back on me, circling a few times before throwing himself down and placing his chin on his paws, and letting out a loud sigh, ‘Drama King!’ I laugh at him but get no response.

Walim, I notice, is listening to everything Caleb is telling him. His first lesson at being a Beta, I presume. The look of concentration on his face tells me he is going to take his position seriously, and I’m more than happy to see that.

Noah jogs over with excitement all over his face. “Alpha Connell, I’ve just heard from my friend in Wolfsfoot, and the truck and minibus are just passing through the town. They’ll be here before we know it.”

“Noah, it’ll take a while, so calm down. What has you so excited, anyway?” I ask because he’s more than a little giddy.

“I don’t know, but Moses is excited about something.” Now Moses is his wolf and pretty laid back, which is one of the reasons his fighting skills are not as sharp as they could be.

“Go away, but let me know when they arrive?” chuckling as I watch him dash away. Turning, I speak to my Betas, “I’m going to the office. I’ll come and greet the shifters when they get here.”

“Okay, Alpha Connell,” Caleb responds, and Walim gives me a nod, letting me see he’s heard.

Walking into my office, I look behind me when I hear my name, groaning inwardly when Zoella rushes toward me. “Alpha Connell, I’m going to visit my friend at the Blood Pearl Pack tomorrow. Oh, sorry, is it okay if I visit my friend?”

Now I know this is her way of getting what she wants, but she does not know that I’m pleased she’ll be gone because she’s been getting on my last nerve of late. “Yeah, it’s okay. How long do you think you’ll be away?”

“I was thinking six months,” she timidly informs me.

“Six months! I don’t think so, Zoella. Now you decide, you go for a month and come back, or you become a pack member of the Blood Pearl Pack instead of the Blackshadow Pack. I’m all for everyone having time out for family and friends, but to drop that on me without prior warning is not okay, and I’d have to replace you in the office, anyway. But to be so disrespectful is just not going to happen. Now, decide!” My voice has gotten louder and louder, and by the end it’s nearly at shouting pitch.

“I’ll stay at Blood Pearl Pack,” Zoella whines, then turns and leaves the office.

Watching as she walks away, I see Caleb and Walim standing either side of the office door and looking as shellshocked as I feel. Her actually taking me up on my offer never entered my mind. All I wanted was to shock her somewhat, because of the disrespectful way she’d gone about it.

“I think she was going to go. She’d already made her mind up. She hasn’t been doing much around here and she’s not been mixing with other pack members either. I mentioned it to William last week, and he told me to watch her, as he thought she was being suspicious,” Caleb informs me, and I shake my head in disbelief as I walk over to my desk and drop into the chair.

“Sounds like you were played, Alpha Connell. She had you make the move she wanted, and now she’s going to be happy with how she’s leaving the pack,” Walim adds, and I look at him, give him a nod, and look back at Caleb.

“Bring Zoella back here.” Caleb nods and rushes out of the office, leaving me and Walim watching the door. “Take a seat Walim, may as well rest your legs a while.”

Walim takes a seat but remains attentive to the door. “You going to allow her to leave, Alpha Connell?”