Chapter One

I looked at the various papers scattered on my desk that needed to be dealt with. Just looking at them threatened to have my head splitting from pain. I closed my eyes and rubbed at my face. Five years of Alpha bullshit and I was nowhere near the level my father had been. Hell, I was nowhere near the level my second eldest brother, Derek, had been at. The thought of them sent a dull pain through my chest and I sighed.

Five years since I had been shoved into the Alpha position. Five years since my father and two brothers had died. Five years since my mother had lost her mind to grief and five years I had to put up a front to everyone around me. Some days all I wanted to do was put a gun in my mouth and pull the trigger just to be free from everything but I would never do that to my mother or the pack my father had spent so long building.

I took off my glasses and placed them on the desk before I leaned back in the chair and resisted the urge to set the entire office on fire. If the paperwork was burned then there would be no paperwork to do. I let out a heavy groan and pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes. It hurt slightly and caused a kaleidoscope of colours to emerge but it made me feel a bit more in-control. I was putting off the inevitable, I knew I was. I had Hunter forms to fill out, bank statements to process, bills to pay, pack members to file. Too much paperwork to deal with in one go but I had been putting it off and it had only compounded. I knew it would compound into a bigger mess but I had put it off anyway. That was on me.

The door to my office opened and I took a subtle sniff. The smell of forest, wolves, and dirt entered my nose and I relaxed as the sound of bare feet scuffed against the hardwood. Despite what everyone thought, Michael and Ezekiel did come out of wolf form on occasion, just never when anyone else was around. Which is why it was so surprising Kiel had done so with Maricella. True, he viewed her as a pack member but he rarely shifted in front of others. The door closed and there was the sound of cracking bones as one or both of them shifted.

"I should make you guys a doggy door." I muttered it out and was suddenly bombarded with images of what I could do with said doggy door. I chuckled, feeling a bit more relaxed as they showed me their displeasure. I pulled my hands away from my face and blinked at the ceiling, clearing the colours from my eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. No doggy doors. Besides I think your fatasses would get stuck in it." I chuckled as Michael snarled before putting his front paws onto the arm of my chair. His hot, foul breath brushed my face and I wrinkled my nose in disgust before shoving on his wide chest, without looking at him.

"You need to start brushing your teeth. I think I can still smell last Friday's rabbit on your breath." I smiled at the low huffing sound he made as he did as I requested. I let my eyes wander to Ezekiel who had taken up his usual spot on the couch below the wide window. His bulk took up the entire couch and I was reminded of him holding Maricella's hand. She looked like a child next to him and it made me smile. "Bennett and Maricella will be arriving tomorrow." At my words both wolves perked up. Michael let out an excited bark before bounding around my desk. I laughed at his puppy like antics as he ran around and around.

Despite what people thought about wilds and how they couldn't be trusted, once you had their loyalty, there was nothing they wouldn't do for you. I trusted the two wilds with everything I had. Our friendship had extended nearly ten years for me and Ezekiel and eight for Michael and I. They never challenged me because to them while we were equals, I held the authority of the pack. They were content on being my second in commands. Not that they really did much. When they were around the pack with me they were silent watchful and volatile. When they were alone they did as they were doing, Michael acting like an idiot and Ezekiel sprawled out on the couch looking deceptively lazy.

I winced as there was a loud cracking bang and yelp. I darted my gaze to Michael who had slipped on the hardwood and had crashed into an overstuffed chair by the bookshelf. I rolled my eyes as he whined at the broken chair. Ezekiel let out a huff before turning his head the other way. I found it highly amusing. Michael wasn't a puppy nor was he the size of a dog. He was nearly four feet at the shoulders and should have realized that bouncing around the room like he was smaller would end up in an injury.

He walked over to me, holding his front paw up in an almost pathetic matter. He waved it slightly and whined sadly. I put my glasses back on and crossed my arms over my chest as I watched him make an especially pathetic spectacle of himself. He looked at me through sad brown eyes and I shook my head.

"What did you expect? You went bounding around the room like a toddler given a redbull and you broke another one of my chairs." I gestured to the wreckage he had just made before pointing to the chair that was held together with duct tape. I didn't wish to spend any of the pack's money on frivolous items so I never replaced anything in my office if it broke. "What is Gamgam going to say to me, Michael? She is going to be very upset with me." I shook my finger in his face, speaking to him like a child before he snapped at my hand, his white teeth just missing my hand. All pretense of injury gone. I smirked at him as I leaned back in my chair once more. I let out a sigh and reached out to scratch his head.

You couldn't really tell he was a dangerous shifter from the way his ears flopped slightly and his tongue hung out. His eyes closed as I hit a particularly itchy spot on his scalp. He looked ridiculous but it made his transformation into lethal weapon that much more powerful. Ezekiel always looked like he was three seconds away from ripping a person's throat out. Michael, on the other hand, was playful and approachable until he snapped without warning.

He placed his head on the arm of my chair and I absently scratched at it as I sorted through the papers on the desk, feeling relaxed enough to try and figure them out once more. I sorted the bills from the rest, only being interrupted when I stopped scratching Michael and he tugged on my shirt arm with his teeth, wanting me to continue.

Just being around my two guardians was relaxing. I knew they always had my back and I never had to worry about my life when they were around. I hated dealing with the pack when they weren't with me. I wasn't stupid. I could feel the heated glares that spoke of death. Some of my pack members believed I was too weak to lead and I knew I was but I held on in my father's memory and in the memory of my brothers. I did it for them. However, I was always in danger when I dealt with the pack.

I tugged on Michael's ear as I looked through the Hunter requisition forms. They were looking for several rogues that skipped check-ins. There was always the possibility that packs caught sight of them and so they sent requisition forms so they could use the territory to search of the wayward rogues. I could only count three of them and I signed off on them quickly before watching them curl up and disappear in a puff of smoke that smelled like lavender.

The Hunters would be in and out before I started my little weeding project five days from now. I didn't need them questioning my decisions about my pack. Having the Hunters sending Enforcers into my pack would only fuck my plans up. I needed to have a low profile while we banished or killed any and all dissenters in my pack. I rubbed at my forehead, pushing the thought away. I focused on the bills, writing them down in the business account ledger.

The pack owed the rights to two iron mines and owned several businesses in the nearby mundane town. That didn't include the logging company my father had started before I was born. It had slowed down as we waited for the replanted trees to get stronger. We worked in pulses. Every five years we would slow down the logging and work on restoring the areas we logged in and then five years after that we sped up again. All the ventures brought significant money to the pack and I was always careful to save and limit spending.

So far I had managed to be able to save enough to be able to send eighteen out of the twenty two children to college on a full scholarship if they so wished it. I had named the scholarship after my brothers, to let the pack know that despite the fact they were gone they would still take care of what would have been theirs. I wanted to carry their legacy forward, to not let the pack forget them.

There was a knock on the door and I looked up, running my hand through my hair. Michael stiffened before taking his spot beside my desk. Ezekiel wasn't long in following, low rumbling growls filled the room as they warned the person that they were unwelcome. "Come in." I watched as the door opened and a gruff looking male looked around. The growling coming from Ezekiel grew louder. He didn't much care for Dylan Colter and I agreed with him completely. The male wasn't a wolf, he was a spider crafting a web around me.

"There is an Alpha Thorn here." He spat it out before looking me over. "Sir." The derision in his tone was enough to make my wolf's hackles rise but I fought it off, shoving him away. Ezekiel had no such qualms and stalked around the desk, snarling as he did so. I looked Dylan up and down, wondering if I should let Ezekiel take a chunk out of him. It was tempting but I needed to keep everything normal until the pack wide sweep.

"Bad day, Dylan? Even so, you should probably watch the tone. They don't like it when anyone gets snarky with me." I stared at him, wishing I had the power to have him submit under my gaze but he held his head high right up until Ezekiel snarled once more and advanced. At the threatening wild that wouldn't hesitate to rip his throat out, Dylan grudgingly bared his neck before glaring at the wooden floor. I held out a hand and Ezekiel's growls stopped immediately but his form remained ready to spring at a moment's notice. I gave Dylan a smile he did not deserve. One had to keep up appearances. "Thank you for being so understanding. Ezekiel can be a handful sometimes. I will be right down to see to our guest." I stood up and walked around the desk as Dylan left quickly. He had always been the most vehement dissenter of the pack but I had to play nice. For now.

I walked out the door flanked by Michael and Ezekiel. We moved down the hallway and down the wide staircase towards the front door. I had never understood why my grandfather had such an extravagant place built. We had just about a hundred pack members but most of them lived in the small village just five minutes from the pack house. So as a result there were rarely more than ten people in the house during the day and even less during the night.

I pushed open the door and looked at the rather large civilian Humvee that was parked rather rudely across the entire driveway. It was filthy and beat up looking but it matched the pack it drove around. I watched as a large male stepped out of the driver's side. I nodded at him in respect. Ezekiel and Michael sat down beside my legs as he opened the back door to the vehicle. It let out a rather irritating screech of misused hinges before a tall female stepped out. I let out a sigh. She hadn't made it then. She looked almost dejected as Alpha Thorn placed an almost gentle hand on her shoulder before leading her towards me.

"Alpha Thorn, it is nice to see you but not in these circumstances." I looked at the female and she discretely wiped at her eyes. I felt a pang of sympathy for her but I pushed it away. She had tried her best and not everyone could handle the trials the Mountain Alphas had for their mates. I moved down the stairs and grasped her arms. "No matter how you did, you still brought pride to our pack, Jessie. You were mates with a Mountain Alpha, that alone demands pride and respect." I grasped her chin and smiled at her.

She gave me a weak smile in return. "Really, Alpha Sterling?" She sounded defeated but I simply nodded before giving her a hug that she returned tentatively. The rejection had shaken her and I knew she had truly wanted to complete the trials. It was a big thing to be a mate to a Mountain Alpha. It spoke of great strength and resilience.

"You get yourself home. Your parents haven't stopped worrying about you since you left. I am certain they will be more than glad to see you. Tomorrow we can see about arranging a picnic celebrating your arrival back home." I had seen my father arrange similar things when he had been Alpha. He always celebrated the small things with pack members. A shifter returning from college or one going away. New babies and pregnancies, anything he heard about he loved to celebrate and even back then I could see how much it made the pack love him.

I let her go and patted her shoulder before she walked towards the village. Noah, please escort Jessie back home. She looks like she needs a friend. I sent the mindlink to him, knowing they were close before Jessie left two months ago. They had been nearly inseparable, the best of friends from what I had seen and heard. Despite how long it had taken I had made it my business to know of my pack members. It made it easier to pick out those who didn't like my leadership.

Yes, sir! His excited relief was nearly overwhelming and I blocked him out and looked at Alpha Thorn. His form was wide and muscles seemed to come to him naturally. I wasn't a short male by any means but he still had five inches on my height. His frame was coated in authority and power. It rolled off of him affecting everyone around him. I was lucky that my position as Alpha didn't make me want to kneel before him but it made my wolf wish to challenge him. I shoved him away unwilling to let him influence me. Azrael's dark blue eyes scanned the area and his mouth was pulled down into a rather cold frown.

"How many did she manage?" I watched as he shook his head, his raggedly cut brown hair moving around his face. His entire form spoke of the wilderness he and his pack resided in. A good amount of scruff covered his jaw and he scratched at it absently.

"Three out of five but only a few of mine." His voice was low and rumbling. It reminded me of an avalanche for some reason, maybe because both an avalanche and his voice were cold and deadly. "She did better than I thought. A sweet and soft female but sweet and soft females don't last long in Algus. It is best she failed." His frown deepened and I nodded. If he said she wouldn't survive then it was best for her to be where she would be safe and that was at home, regardless of how she was feeling at the moment.

"You'll find yourself a strong mate, Alpha Thorn." That much I was certain of. He was actively seeking a mate and I knew he would find one that would pass his trials. It was just a matter of time.

"I know." He let out a sigh before staring at me. "Formalities over, Luka. It's a long drive back home. Could I stay the night?" His face relaxed slightly and I chuckled but nodded.

"Of course, Azrael. As I said before my house is your house." I gestured to the stairs before starting up them. "Supper should be ready in about an hour. You can stay in the same room as before, shower up if you want. I need to go back and work on my paperwork." I ran a hand through my hair and Michael and Kiel walked into the house after me.

"Fuck the paperwork, Luka. Have a drink with me." Azrael sounded exhausted and I shook my head.

"That is what I have done for the past few weeks, now it's beyond ignoring." The pile of paperwork that I still had left to do was enough to make me want to tear my hair out or blow my brains out. I wasn't sure which. My two guardians headed up the stairs and I turned to look at Azrael.

"You lowlander Alphas are so strange. Need to fill out a form just to take a shit." He said it with disgust and I let out a laugh. He wasn't exactly wrong.

"That's what we get for living close to the Hunters. They don't like going up to the mountains so you guys don't get nearly as much paperwork." I shrugged and he shook his head before tugging on his slight beard. "You should shave. It looks like someone glued pubes to your face." I tilted my head at him and he let out a booming laugh before shaking his head.

"I believe you're right, Luka. I'll see you in the kitchen in forty-five minutes and don't think I am above dragging you out of your office by your hair." Despite the laughter I knew he was being serious. Mountain Alphas were very family orientated so meals were eaten together in the place they were made. They didn't see the need for dining rooms or other such formalities. Azrael expected me to eat in the kitchen with him and my mother as was proper by his customs. Refusing to eat with your family was seen as a great insult and serious disrespect to your parents and guests if you had any.

"I'll keep my eyes on the time then. I would like my hair to stay attached to my scalp." I nodded at him before I moved up the stairs.

Alpha Thorn and I had met at an Alpha Gathering two years ago. He was intimidating but he had seen me floundering and the Southern Alphas gathering like vultures and helped me out. We weren't exactly friends because I didn't truly think Azrael was capable of having friends but we were more than acquaintances and we weren't exactly business partners. I opened my home to him when he was travelling through and we had an understanding that anything either of us said after we finished with formalities wasn't to be taken literally.

I walked into my office and laughed loudly as Michael stood on my desk, pissing all over the paperwork I had yet to complete. He had taken everything I had finished off the desk and placed it on the floor but the rest was now covered in rather potent smelling urine. I covered my nose and coughed despite the laughter. "Fuck, Michael! That stinks!" I hurried over to the window and threw it open before looking down at Ezekiel. "Where were you when he decided this was a good idea?" I looked down at him and he simply rolled onto his back and gave me an uncharacteristic wolfy grin in response.

I shook my head and glared between the two of them, trying not to smile. "I needed to do that and now I have to get new ones and tell everyone it's because you pissed on my desk." I pinched my nose closed and glared at Michael who looked completely unrepentant as he jumped off my desk. I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes. "I guess we can go see mother." Ezekiel jumped off of the couch and Michael started to follow but I pointed at him. "You, kind Michael, pisser on office furniture, are going to stay here and clean up your mess." I stared at him and he whined pathetically.

"No. I don't want to throw out that desk. It was my grandfather's desk and I want it spotless by the time I come back." I watched as he lowered his fur and tucked his tail between his legs in an attempt to look small but I simply glared at him. "I mean it, Michael. After you are done, clean up and come down for dinner." I gave him one more look and turned around. A wide grin crossed my face as I walked out of the office. When Ezekiel left the room I closed the door behind him. I patted his head and we quickly went down the stairs and towards my mother's room.

I had to move her out of the master bedroom and down to the main floor a few months after the accident. She needed to be close to the front door and her room had to be big enough to accommodate a nurse as well as herself. Currently the nurse, May, no longer needed to stay with her in her room but she had a separate room close by so she could keep an eye on her. I didn't want to have May far away in case something happened with my mother.

I pushed open her door, ignoring the almost antiseptic smell of her room before moving over to where she sat in her wheelchair by the window. "Luka, darling, how are you?" Her voice was thin and wavering and her smile was almost lackluster but I ignored it all and kissed her cheek gently. Her skin seemed almost paper-thin and I smiled down at her.

"I'm fine." I crouched down and took one of her hands in mine before pressing a kiss to the back of it. Her veins were visible and her hand felt so delicate I was constantly afraid I would break it if I held it wrong. "How was your day?" I looked up at her and she gave me another sad smile.

"I missed them today. When are they coming back again? I hate it when my boys are gone." She let out a soft sigh and I wanted to wince. I wanted to do a lot of things when it came to my mother but I kept the mask on for her. To give her some semblance of happiness after her entire world crashed down around her. The Doc Howard said she had less than two years left depending on how she progressed. It could be more time or it could be less, he wasn't sure. "When they come home, make sure to get them to wash up. I have a special supper planned." She squeezed my hand absently as she glanced at me.

I nodded slowly in response. "I will, mum." I gently placed her hand back in her lap before standing up. Ezekiel nosed passed me and set his head in her lap.

She gave a small chuckle like she always did when she saw him. "Such a silly thing to have a dog for a pet, Luka." She patted his head gently before rubbing at his scar. He let out a groan and she looked up at me with a small smile. I knew what was coming and it hurt me as it always did.

"Luka, darling, how are you?" She looked at me and I bit back a sigh and smiled instead.

"I'm okay, mum. Let's go out into the garden. It's a beautiful day out." I pushed open the doors to the garden I had made for her and Ezekiel walked out into the sweet smelling air as I gently wheeled her outside.

"This is beautiful. Your father must have done this to surprise me. I'll have to thank him when he gets home." She gave me such a serene smile that I felt my breath hitch in my chest. I bent over and kissed her temple before heading into the garden, looking for flowers I could pick for her.

She had Alzheimer's. It was usually a mundane illness but after the trauma my mother had suffered it had just happened. The doctor said it was most likely the shock of losing so much of her family and her mate bond that caused the rapid deterioration of her mental state. She was stuck in a time when my father and brothers were alive. She was constantly forgetting conversations or repeating them over and over again. I tried my best to be patient and keep her happy despite how badly it was tearing me up inside to see her as she was.

My mother had always been a strong female. She knew exactly what to say or do to lift your spirits. She was quick to give a reprimand but there was never a time when she wouldn't hug you, kiss your cheek, or tell you how proud of you she was. Not just strong emotionally or mentally but physically. She had always insisted on running patrols and participating in training. She said there was no use in being a delicate wallflower. She wanted to be able to protect the pack as everyone else did.

Now she was a thin, sick, delicate creature confined to a wheelchair and at the mercy of her deteriorating mind. She was fragile now, delicate. It was against everything I had grown up with and it seemed to make the hurt that much worse. I had known what she had been like before and now I suffered with her, watching in silent agony as the female that had raised me all but disappeared.

I looked at the bouquet of flowers I had picked and headed back to where I had placed her. Ezekiel was sitting by her wheelchair with his head on the arm of it as she scratched at his scars. I appreciated how gentle he and Michael were with her. They never growled where she could hear and allowed her to yank and tug on their fur or ears without retaliation. I trusted them with her more than I trusted any of the pack members other than May.

I stopped in front of her and she smiled up at me. "Luka, darling, how are you?" She moved her hand from Kiel's head and he nudged her arm. She chuckled at the action. "Such a silly thing to have a dog for a pet, Luka." She tsked at me and I crouched in front of her before gently placing the flowers in her free hand.

"Oh, these are so beautiful, Luka! Thank you. You were always the sweetest of my boys." She smiled brightly at me and I nodded. "Benjamin used to bring me frogs. Such an adorably evil little boy. He knew I hated them and Derek would show me handfuls of worms but you always brought me flowers." She looked down at them before her face fell. "Your father was going to pick me some flowers up for our anniversary. Do you know when they will be home?" She looked up at me and I kissed her forehead gently.

"Soon, I think." I watched as her face brightened and guilt ate away at my stomach. The doctor told me to not feel guilty about the lies because she never remembered but she was my mother and I had always spoken the truth to her. The white lies I told her weren't hurting her, they were making her happy but the guilt was still there. "Let's sit and watch the garden for a few minutes." I watched as she nodded before I stood up. I carefully sat on the bench beside her wheelchair, she was staring at the garden with a small smile on her face.

I reached over and picked up her hand, she looked at me, a slightly surprised look on her face before she smiled. "Luka, darling, how are you?" Her grey eyes were shining and I patted her hand gently.

"I'm fine, mum. Let's watch the garden for a bit." I watched as she turned her head and stared at the garden in awe.

"Your father must have done this for me. He is such a sweet male. When will he and your brother be home?" She looked over at me a small frown on her face and I kissed the back of her hand.

"Soon, mum. They should be home soon." I watched as her face lit up and she gave a happy nod.

"That is good. I have a special supper planned for them. I am going to make all of their favourites. Benjamin loves my lasagna and your father simply adores steak and potatoes. Oh and Derek loves chicken parmesan. That sounds good, right? You think they will like it?" She looked at me with happiness shining in her grey eyes and I nodded and kissed the back of her hand again.

I pushed away the feeling of tears burning my eyes as I squeezed her hand gently. "It sounds wonderful and I'm sure they will love whatever you make for them." I watched as she looked down at her lap and saw the flowers. A bright smile covered her face and I clenched my jaw.

"Oh you are the sweetest of my boys, Luka. Benjamin used to bring me frogs. Such an adorably evil little boy. He knew I hated them and Derek would show me handfuls of worms but you always brought me flowers." Her voice trailed off and another small frown appeared before she looked at me. "Your father said he would bring me flowers for our anniversary. When do you think he will be home?" The look she gave me made my chest tighten and I blinked away tears.

"Soon. I promise you." I leaned over and kissed the side of her head. It was painful going through the motions with her but no matter how many times she asked me the same question I would always answer because she was my mother, despite how fractured and broken her mind was.

"Lily, how did you- Oh Alpha Sterling!" May's voice sounded shocked and I looked over my shoulder towards the door.

"Hello, May." I gave her a small smile before I looked at my mother and kissed her head again. "I'll be right back." I moved around her and headed towards the slightly plump female I had hired as my mother's nurse. I glanced over my shoulder and Ezekiel resumed his position by my mother's side.

I led the nurse back into the room and she looked at me sadly. "She didn't eat today." Her voice was low and I nodded. I had gathered that much for her fixation on making food for my father and brothers when they got home. "I think you might be able to convince her. She was getting agitated when I tried."

"Thank you, May. I think I'll be able to get her to eat." I frowned, if I could convince her that it was a small meal before supper and only for politeness with Alpha Thorn she might eat something. Despite everything she was forgetting she never forgot how to be a polite Alpha Female. "Any other changes?" I watched as May walked over and grabbed her chart.

"Not really but she isn't improving either and looking at her charts from two weeks ago she is still declining. Not rapidly but enough to cause concern." She gave me a sympathetic look and I nodded before rubbing at my forehead. I knew she wasn't getting better. I knew she was slowly declining and her health would get worse but I didn't like hearing about it. She was my mother and I just wanted her to be safe and healthy and despite how safe she was, her health was something I couldn't control.

"I understand, May. I thank you for your diligence in caring for her." I gave her a tight smile and she shook her head.

"She was a good Alpha Female for this pack and I love her as we all do. You do not have to thank me for something anyone should have done. The pack is a family and she was at the head of this family for many years." She gave me a curt nod before setting the chart down and moving to stand beside me. She wrapped me in a motherly hug. I appreciated the gesture and hugged her back.

May was like an aunt to me. She and my mother had been close before the accident and there wasn't anyone else I would trust my mother's health and care to. "I know it hurts you to see her like this but you are doing so well with her. She never smiles as much for me when I'm around. It brightens her day for you to come and do things with her." She gave me one more squeeze before she let me go, holding me at arm's length. "No matter what they say, you are a great Alpha. You put this pack before your own needs and you take care of your mother just as intensely. They are too blinded by what the meaning of power is to see that you are just what this pack needs." Her hazel eyes crinkled at the corners as she gently patted my face.

I gave her a small, thankful smile. "Alpha Thorn is here. Would you like to bring mother and yourself to the kitchen for dinner?" I watched as she let out a small shudder at the mention of the Alpha. Not everyone was as comfortable with Azrael as I was and even then it was a cautious comfortableness.

"So Jessie didn't make the trials?" Despite the small frown she had on there was relief evident in her voice.

I shook my head slowly at the question. "Azrael says she did better than expected and she has still brought pride to the pack despite not making it." I was positive of that and I knew most of the pack would feel that way as well. Two months the pack had waited with bated breath not sure if we should be proud or scared for Jessie. I knew everyone would be happy to have her back, regardless of her failure.

"Mates with a Mountain Alpha. That is something to be proud of despite not making the trials. She was strong enough to be paired with one." May gave a firm nod and I chuckled slightly.

"She might not see that now but it's something she will grow to understand in time." I was certain she would be okay as time went on. Azrael had let her down gently, as he did with every female he had put through the trials. He had let her down gently and brought her home. Despite what anyone thought of him he wasn't a cruel monster. He did care for the females in his own way. He had told me before that it was better to reject them and bring them home then to let them die on the mountains. I looked at May once more. "So will you join us for dinner?" She gave a small jump and an embarrassed smile crossed her face.

"Yes, yes. Sorry about that, Alpha Sterling. We would be more than happy to join your for dinner." She nodded and I gave a sharp whistle, Ezekiel was by my side within a few seconds and I nodded to May. My mother was in good hands with her.

I led the wild out of the room and looked towards the stairs. "Michael!" My voice echoed through the large room and I was sent images of the now clean office through our mindlink. I chuckled and patted Ezekiel's head. "Okay, you can join us for dinner!" I bit back a smile as I could hear his nails scrambling along the hardwood as he bolted for the stairs. "Slow down, Michael!" As usual he ignored my warning and halfway down the stairs he tripped and tumbled the rest of the way, yelping in surprise as he did so. I shook my head and pinched my nose in irritation.

Every single time.

Every. Single. Time.

He would go too fast and fall down the stairs. I didn't understand how he even managed to kill people in moments like the one I had just witnessed. He was a bumbling, over-grown puppy. It was at times like these that I wondered how on earth he managed to kill anything.