Chapter 22
Tanner’s POV
Blood Rose Pack, Greenville, CA
I rolled my eyes again at the email on my screen. I have been formally requested to come to the Crimson Shadow Pack. I would rather stab myself in the eye with a knife than go back there alone, but I am going to have to go. We are good neighbors, they are a strong pack, and we have a treaty together, so I won’t be able to dodge it. They are having a ball in 2 weeks at the beginning of July, to celebrate their daughter Taylor's 17th birthday and I have been requested to attend. Of course, I have. Taylor has been chasing me since she was 16, and frankly, a more spoiled daughter I have never seen. I am 21 years old now for the love of the Goddess and she needs to let this go. I have been looking for my mate for years and I haven’t found her yet, but I know the Goddess wouldn’t punish me with the likes of Taylor. She is a pretty girl, 5’9” tall and with a shapely figure, with light brown hair like her mother, and her mother’s green eyes. Taylor is beautiful because her mother is a beautiful lady. But she is the definition of entitled. She is grateful for nothing that she has, and she is given everything she asks for because of her parents' guilt. Her older brother Stone will be 18 in four months, and he is a good guy, and I believe that he will be a good Alpha. Stone has dark brown hair like his father and his deep blue eyes, is already 6’2” tall and dedicated to the pack. He takes his responsibilities seriously and I enjoy getting to speak with him. I know that we will be able to continue our treaty for years to come unless Taylor goes too far.
I am the Alpha of the Blood Rose pack, and my name is Tanner Wright. I like to run a strong pack, and I take their safety very seriously. I have black hair and blue eyes that have grey in them. I have been told they look like a stormy sky before, but that was by girls flirting with me. I don’t take them seriously. I have been on the lookout for my mate for 4 years already, and I have not found her yet. My wolf, Rafe, is really upset and always trying to scent her when we go to other packs. He really wants me to find her. I admit that when I was 17, I went a little crazy after the ladies, and then my mom mentioned that I needed to watch that, as I didn’t need the reputation, or for me to be with girls in my pack. Because when I did find my mate, she would be upset at being confronted by the other women. So, I stopped, cold turkey, and I haven’t slept with anyone for over 3 years. I just turned 21 two months ago and I am still on the lookout for my mate. I am sure that I will find her soon. Just as I am sure, well I hope and Pray that it had better NOT be Taylor.
I decided that I would go to the ball, but I would just change into my suit for the ball, and then change back when it was time to leave so I didn’t wrinkle my suit. Plus, it’s only 2 hours and 20 minutes to get back home. Two months ago, I had spent the night there and when I woke up it was to see Taylor in my bed, naked. She has got a big crush on me, and she is trying her best to try to tie me down. She can keep on trying. I don’t want a chosen mate or a girl who is totally comfortable with getting into a stranger’s bed, because she wants to be Luna of a pack. I will wait for my mate, however long it takes. My mom and dad help me with the Luna duties and the Beta’s wife does as well.
My Beta is Peter Davis, and he and his mate Josie always help out when they can for me and both agree 100% with me waiting for my mate.
My dad and mom, Dawson and Aria Wright are still madly in love, and I want that for myself. Dad has black hair and blue-grey eyes too and is 6’3” tall and I am him made over. My mother is a beautiful woman, and has blonde hair, hazel eyes, is 5’10” tall, and a tough warrior. Mom still trains all the time with dad. I see how happy my dad gets when mom comes into the room, and even when they get mushy, I still love seeing them together. I am the oldest, and I have a brother, Gavin, who is 19 and looks like dad too, and is 6’2” tall. Gavin trains a lot and wants to see us making up a team of trainers like Heath Poe has over at Ever-Green pack. He really respects what they do, and the guys on the team make good money each time they go out to help. Plus, they are doing good, by helping people who can’t protect themselves. My sister is the youngest of us all and is 18 years old. Her name is Alicia and she has our mom’s blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is 5’10” tall and she likes to train as well. Come to think of it, I could make this a family affair, with the invite, and we can just take the SUV, so I have an excuse for us to get out of there. I don’t want to be in another predicament like I was on the last trip. It took forever to get Taylor to get dressed and out of my room. That is exactly how rumors get started and I don’t want to be a part of it.
I mindlinked my parents to come to the office, when they are free. An hour later, I heard a knock on my door. “Come in”, I called out, and I saw the door open. My mom came in, followed by my dad.
“Hey Tanner, how are you today,” Mom asked and waited for my dad to sit down, and then she plopped down on his lap. My dad puts his arm around her waist to keep her secure and I smile at them, as I want that, I want what they have with my mate.
“I need some help. The Crimson Shadow pack is having a birthday party for Taylor here in two weeks and I need you to go with me, to help keep Taylor off of me”, I asked them.
“I have never seen such an aggressive girl in my life. I hate what happened to the Wilsons, but they have created a monster with Taylor. You cannot fix what happened to one, and spoil another who never deserved to be spoiled in the first place, and it help anyone. I understand why they did it, they just had misplaced guilt. They have NOT helped Taylor by giving her everything. I knew she had her sights on you, son. We can go, and your brother and sister too. Alicia can rein her in as needed and we can use being tired as a reason to leave early, honey. We won’t let you spend the night there. I don’t need a scandal, as Taylor is going to keep trying until she gets her claws in you. I will not allow it”, my mom tells me, and dad nods in agreement.
“We will go, son. We will help you all we can. You never know, with it being a ball, your mate might very well be there” dad said, and I hope he was right. I would be glad to get to meet my mate, as long as it isn’t Taylor. I could just stay single my whole life if she was. I cannot live my life with her, she is a whiny, spoiled brat, and I cannot deal with her.
My parents leave a short time later and my Beta, Peter Davis, rolls into my office and plops down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“Guess what I just heard through a reliable source,” Peter asked me.
“What,” I asked with a little sarcasm, as it could literally be anything under the sun. He likes to keep his ear to the ground and he finds out the most random things.
“You know the training team that Heath Poe has over at Ever Green Pack?” Peter asked me.
“Yea, you know Gavin wants to do the same thing here, right? I know about their team”, I told him and went back to work as I really had a stack of paperwork to get through.
“Well, they now have a fifth member, an 18-year-old girl, who made the team,” Peter says.
I looked up in surprise. They have never had a woman on the team, let alone a girl. She must be a force to be reckoned with. I have to say that my interest is piqued. I would like to meet her and find out a little bit about her.
“What is her name?” I asked him.
“That is the weird thing, they only announced that the training team has a fifth member and that she is 18, but they will not release her name, or anything about her right now. Apparently, it is “hush-hush” right now as they have to get some things sorted, so nothing can be found out about her. They said that they would announce it at the end of the month. So, I will let you know when I know”, Peter tells me. He gets up and leaves just as fast as he had shown up, but I wanted to know more about the girl.
I wondered who she was. That team is no joke, and they can hold their own. My mom is a badass, and I don’t think that she could get on the team. Those guys are highly effective. I have never needed them, we train regularly, and I learn new techniques for training as much as I can. I may have to reach out to Heath and maybe drop in for a visit in July and see if I can meet her. I am amazed that an 18-year-old made that team. Stunned actually, it has just been the four of them for three years now, and no one in those three years has been able to beat them, to make the team. This girl must be really impressive. I get back to doing my work, but this girl stays in the back of my mind. I wonder what she looks like.