Meeting His Mother

ALLIE

He takes me into a cozy living room, where a tall silver-haired woman sits on a comfortable sofa. She stands up and, with a warm smile on her face, walks toward us.

“James, my dear, it has been far too long since I last saw you,” she scolds him gently.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” He hugs her. “I’ve been so busy with the Red Moon Pack that it hasn’t left me time for much else, but I should have made more of an effort to come and see you sooner.”

“And busy finding your mate. I can’t begrudge you spending time with her.” She turns and gives me a welcoming smile. “It’s good to finally meet you, Allie. My sons have told me so much about you.

“You must call me Eleanor. I’m sure that we will become very good friends. I’ve been longing for James to meet his mate, and now finally you’re here.”

“Thank you. It’s good to meet you too.”

She sits back down on the sofa and pats the seat next to her. “Sit down and tell me all about yourself. I understand that you were brought up as a lone wolf. That must have been very hard for you. To survive without the support of a pack cannot have been easy.”

I sit beside her. “It was just me and my mother. We moved around a lot, but it never felt particularly hard. It was just the way it was, and I didn’t know any different.

“Having spent time recently with the Red Moon wolves, I’m beginning to appreciate the benefits of being part of a pack, but I’m still proud of the way my mom brought me up.”

“She must have been a very strong wolf to have kept you safe, for you both to have survived and thrived as lone wolves.

“I can see that you have inherited that strength too. It will be an advantage in your role as luna.”

“She has,” James tells her proudly. “She has already proven to be a fierce warrior.”

“Good. I’m not going to lie and tell you that it will be easy for you to become the luna of this pack. You’re at a disadvantage.

“Your background means that you do not have the knowledge of pack life, and you haven’t been given the training that a new luna would usually receive.”

I sigh. “I know that I’m not what James needs. That there are so many she-wolves better equipped to be his mate.”

She clasps my hand. “It’s not a criticism my dear. Knowledge can be imparted, and training can be given to help you become a good luna.

“What matters is that you have the right qualities as a person. From what James has told me you already have these.

“Besides, the moon goddess would not have chosen you to be my son’s mate if you were not worthy.

“I’ll be able to provide you with the instruction you need. With some effort on your part, it won’t be that long before you’re comfortably fulfilling the role.”

My hopes rise. “Thank you. I want to be a good mate to James. To be worthy of being his luna.”

She touches my face, smiling warmly. “And I know you will be. Now let us leave James to catch up on pack business, while we start your training.”

“I would love that.”

JAMES

That went better than I had expected.

I knew my mother would welcome Allie and wouldn’t hold being a lone wolf against her, but I had worried that Allie may be shy around her and feel too overwhelmed to open up.

Instead, she warmed to my mother immediately, and I could tell that my mother liked her too.

It made it easy for me to leave them alone together while I concentrated on pack business.

I’ve been so consumed with the takeover of the Red Moon Pack that I’ve been neglecting my own wolves.

I’m lucky that the Silver Fang Pack is strong, and my ranking wolves are more than capable of running the pack in my absence.

However, there are some things that only the alpha can resolve, and I need to deal with these.

Now that Allie is settled and the Red Moon Pack is firmly under my control, I intend to devote more time to my pack.

Allie needs to get to know them, and spending more time with my mother will help her grow in confidence.

I’ve arranged to meet my gamma and other ranking wolves to discuss pack business. I want them to brief me on pack welfare and security.

With Ryan devoting so much time to his attacks on the Red Moon Pack, I don’t think he’ll have time to target Silver Fang, but I’m not going to get complacent.

I join them in my office and start by asking each of them to provide me with an update.

Eric, my gamma, goes first.

“Things have been pretty quiet. Our patrols haven’t encountered any rogues, and our spies have reported no new threats you should be aware of.

“We’ve continued with warrior training as you instructed, and the information you have provided on Ryan’s tactics is being studied by the warriors.

“We are taking precautions, but there is nothing at present to worry about.”

I relax and sit back in my seat. “Good. I don’t want us to be fighting on more than one front.

“The majority of my time is obviously being taken up by the Red Moon Pack. They need extensive warrior training, but Lucy has made real progress with them, and they’ve been developing well.”

I turn to address Amy, the head healer in the pack, next. “How has the general welfare of the pack been?”

“Good. Two new pups were born in the last week. No new illnesses or injuries have needed treatment. The pack is stable and, apart from missing their alpha, everyone is reasonably content.”

“Once this threat from Ryan is neutralized, I’ll return, and things will go back to normal,” I assure them.

“I’m going to integrate the Red Moon Pack more closely with us, but I’ve decided against a full merger.

“Getting to know them has made me realize that they operate well as a separate unit. Their entrepreneurial skills outclass ours, and there is some benefit in giving them more autonomy.”

“This means I’ll still have to spend time there, but I won’t need to give them so much of my attention.”

“You seem to have had a very eventful time while you have been there,” Eric observes. “Taking over the pack. Meeting your mate…”

“Yes, I’ve been blessed by the moon goddess.”

“The whole pack is pleased for you. They’re excited that you have finally found your mate. It will bring stability to the pack. When will we get to meet her?” Amy asks.

“I’ll introduce you at lunch. I want to wait a little longer before presenting her to the rest of the pack.

“She’s not used to pack life yet, and although she’s integrated very well into the Red Moon Pack—the role of luna still seems overwhelming to her.”

“Well of course, she was a rogue,” Eric points out. “She will find living in a pack very different from what she’s used to. There will be a great deal for her to learn and she has a lot to live up to.”

He considers before adding, “No one could make a better luna than your mother.”

That gets my hackles up, and I grip the arms of my chair tightly. I hate that he refers to her as a rogue. Though she does have a lot to learn, he makes it sound as though he’s expecting her to fail.

“Fortunately, she’s a strong, compassionate wolf, and I have no concerns about her ability to excel in the role,” I reply. “You’ll discover this when you meet her later.

“The moon goddess chose her to be my mate for a reason. From the time we have spent together, I know that she will make the best possible luna for the pack.”

Eric shrugs his shoulders, unwilling to back down. “No one would dispute that the moon goddess has chosen a fitting mate for you. It’s just with so many eligible she-wolves in our pack, it would have been so much easier if she was one of us.”

“Easier perhaps, but not better. Knowing her as I do, I would never want anyone else. I feel truly blessed to have her.”

I can see through him. By “one of us,” he means his daughter Karen. I can’t think of a worse candidate to be our pack’s luna.

It’s obvious he’s annoyed that my finding my mate has thwarted his ambitions for her. No wonder she has been throwing herself at me.

I decide not to rise to the bait. Eric is a solid gamma, and he’s been a loyal friend to my father.

His disapproval doesn’t matter to me, and the pack won’t back him if he attempts to put his daughter above my mate.

“Anyway, shall we wrap up here? I’m keen to spend some time with my mate and my mother before lunch.”