West POV
He was so busy trying to make sure everything was ready for his first official meet and greet with his allied pack’s Alpha’s, all would be coming for a 3-day visit, the day of arrival, afternoon arrivals, a casual dinner that night in the pack's common dining hall. Then back to back meetings all day the next day and a full formal dinner in the Alpha’s private dining room. They could seat them all comfortably. It was built for this type of occasion, then an informal breakfast the next day and see them off out of the pack mid morning to early afternoon.
His father was talking at him for days about how to address them and what was expected of him. It wasn’t like West had never seen this before, or been in attendance, for that matter, for the other pack’s heirs' first official meet and greets. As the future Alpha, he had been to all Alpha meetings and special events.
Had been to a lot of these, even had to field many questions about when he would be taking over himself. The answer was always ‘when father steps down.’ usually elicited a laugh from other Alpha’s. They too understood the annoyance waiting to be handed the pack.
There were a few Alphas younger than him, having taken over at 25 or 26, and one that had inherited his pack at just 22 when his father had died fighting another Alpha. And here was West at 32 and only just taking over. He’d likely be in charge a very long time, not having a Mate at this time, so producing an Heir, not even on the cards, and not likely to happen soon at all.
At least he had plenty of experience before taking over, his father had often left him in charge when he’d gone off on Alpha business that didn’t require West to be there in attendance. And West did attend to the running and managing of most of the human world companies. Was often in Olympia with the new airline business, in fact.
His mother had been in and out of his office a lot in the past 2 days as well. Sorting out menus with him and finalising decorations and flowers of all things, to go into the visiting Alpha’s rooms. Giving him, no he thought, telling him what to do, informed him of the gifts she’d purchased for the visiting Alpha’s to the pack.
Telling him about what Alpha went to what room and made sure all the Mated Alpha’s got suites to accommodate their Beta’s as well. And that the un-mated Alpha’s and Beta’s all got single rooms in case they wanted to Mate un-mated she-wolves while they were here.
She went over the seating arrangements for the formal dinner, but told him they could sit as they pleased when it was informal, wanted to know if he wanted them seated according to the strength of their packs and how long said Alpha had been in charge or the strength of their alliance with his pack. That had made him think long and hard. Opted for strength of the pack.
Only one Alpha coming had bothered him, but not so much anymore. That big bastard had reportedly finally found his Mate and he and his whole unit now all mated off. That was actually a relief. West was not looking forward to the Alpha’s who were un-mated walking around his pack-house on the prowl for an un-mated she-wolf to entertain them and their needs.
T.J. didn’t seem to be worried about it though, he had shrugged it off when West had begrudgingly told him at T.J.’s insistence to know why he suddenly fumed with anger for no apparent reason yesterday, T.J. had just laughed it off and shaken his head “Not a full moon West, don’t worry about it.”
How could that man be so laid back about Jo-anne coming into contact with so many un-mated Alpha males or their Beta’s for that matter? There was no full moon, but that did not mean an Alpha wouldn’t scent the woman out or one of those Beta’s. The Goddess did gift Mates at will to her own liking. Probably thought it was funny.
His mother had picked out the clothes for him to wear, frustratingly annoying to him. West could do that himself, he was not a child. Hadn’t bloody been a child for a very long time. She had glared right at him, pointed one of her long manicured fingers at him and rolled her Luna Aura at him “You will do as your mother tells you. I’m still the Luna around here, till you get one for yourself...Could have one now, if you weren’t so stubborn.”
He’d not wanted to get into an argument with her yet again about Miranda, so he had just frowned at her and said nothing, reigned in his anger, he did not want to Mark or Mate the girl, no matter what every one around him wanted him to do.
Knew it was going to be a sore spot with her father when he arrived today. But West needed other things sorted out in his life before he made that decision. Had actually been thinking about the girl and how attached to him she was, what to do about it. He’d not made a decision yet. Still needed to wait at this point.
She would not be standing by his side for these Alpha meetings. That much he did know. It would speak volumes if she did, and he did not want that. Was going to have to talk to her father about it. A new alliance would have to be drawn up if she didn’t go home with him, now that he was the Alpha. West was not looking forward to that, the man was definitely going to be pressing for a Mating Alliance for sure.
He was standing on the front steps of the pack-house, had been notified that the first Alpha was at the front gate, Alpha Thomas, Miranda’s father. It did not surprise him that he would arrive a couple of hours earlier than all the others would. Here to see his daughter, no doubt, hadn’t seen her in a couple of months now.
West could feel it, there were eyes on him. Felt for the tether in his mind and knew it was Jo-anne. It had not escaped his attention that for the past 2 days the woman had been stalking his every move, and with that camera of hers to boot. What she was after exactly he had no idea. She’d stayed well away from him, got a good zoom he thought absently, as he stood there.
He had seen the photos she had taken of his swearing in ceremony. He’d looked like one angry, imposing Alpha. That was fine with him, his pack was not as large as others, but he was not one to be messed with. Not many Alpha’s were, though some more than others.
West knew at this very minute he could feel through his tether to her that she was somewhere down off to his right, tuned his hearing to location and could hear her laughing softly at something she found amusing, likely that she thought he had absolutely no idea about her sneaking around after him for the past 2 days.
Couldn’t actually help it, when his mouth twitched into a smile, as he heard her chuckle at something, it sounded so genuine, she was really happy right this minute, he could hear it, lifted his head though he didn’t want her to know he knew exactly what she was doing right this moment, allowed his eyes to sweep over the pack and right past her position, did not look directly at her.
She was sitting cross-legged under the shade of a large tree, her camera pointed right at him, somewhat hidden by a hedge along the road, her hair was pulled up into a pony tail, she was smiling behind that camera of hers, and she looked very comfortable. Been there a while, he thought.
Waiting on him, it seemed, she knew he would be out here waiting to greet the arriving Alpha’s 'What are you smiling at?' T.J. stepped out of the pack-house mind-linking him
‘Nothing in particular.’ West replied, but even he could hear the cheerfulness in his tone. Something rarely heard.
‘She still stalking you, huh?’
‘What?’ West asked, a bit confused.
‘Jo-Jo, still stalking you, you think I hadn’t noticed?’ T.J. shot at him fully amused. Like it was stupid of him to think he wouldn’t know where the woman was.
‘Yes’, West admitted ‘Why? Who knows? Do you know?’
‘No.’ T.J, laughed, and shook his head ‘Her own mission, I have no clue.’
They heard the car coming and his happy mood evaporated just like that. Alpha Thomas was here. He stood and waited for the man to step out of his car.
It did not surprise West in the slightest, that he was met with a frown by the man, or that his son Ryan stepped out of the car after him. He was due to take over their pack on his next birthday, only a few months away. Beta Edward and his son the future Beta Brian also stepped out of the car. None of them greeted him warmly, they were all expecting him to have Marked and Mated Miranda by now.
“Alpha Thomas.” he greeted the man.
“My daughter not with you?” he frowned.
West knew that it would normally be the Alpha and the Luna that would be standing here greeting arriving pack members. Today it was just West and T.J. “No, I believe she is with my mother.” he answered honestly, he had seen the two of them walking and talking earlier.
“Fair enough, though greeting packs, she should be on your arm, Westley.”
West raised an eyebrow at the man as he walked up the stairs. “Other things to attend to, I suppose. She knew when you would be arriving.” She did actually and he’d told her, she would not be greeting the arriving pack members with him, had made her pout.
She’d thought to argue with him but had decided against it, seeing their conversation the other night over him telling her exactly where she stood. She’d not left and still slept in his bed, still wanted him every night, it seemed.
But had been put firmly in her place by him and had to respect it or he would put her in a car and send her back to her father, that little bit of news had not gone down so well and she’d stalked away from him muttering about that he would come to realise he loved her one day, like she did him.
He and T.J showed them to their rooms on the first floor, at the eastern end of the pack-house, the man knew who Jo-anne was and what she had been to West, their packs alliance went way back nearly 2 decades old now. Even West’s mother had though it was best to put him at the opposite end of the building, in the hope of the man not seeing her.
Laying eyes on West’s ex-Mate, might tick the man off, as he would likely think she was the reason he had not claimed Miranda. Might start an Alpha fight of massive proportions. His mother and father had both voiced concerns about this to him on separate occasions over the last two days.
Apparently Jo-anne was going to be out for dinner with her friends tonight, away from the pack-house down in the towns centre, all organised by his mother, dinner and drinks with her old school friends. West didn’t like the drinking part but had no say it in. did not argue about it they were likely right about Miranda’s father.
West spent the afternoon on the pack-house front steps with T.J. greeting his allied Alpha’s and their Beta’s more than he thought had brought their Heir’s with them along with the future Beta’s as well. West hoped his mother had extra rooms prepared for all the unexpected guests, he had not seen some of them on the guest list, but didn’t say anything about it greeted them as thought he was expecting them as well.
The pack-house was large enough to accommodate them all but not knowing half of them would be bring two extra guests with them he only hoped his mother had presumed to allocate extra rooms to be made up for them.
West left them to get settled in, his mother had prepared every room apparently, on the first floor laughed at him and said “Son, you got to be expecting them to test your hospitality at every turn.” then had walked away from him. She had expected unannounced extra guests it appeared.
Each room had a printed itinerary for the next 3 days, so they knew what to expect, they had all been here on at least one occasion so knew their way around and were free to roam about when not doing anything on the itinerary.