Alpha Games by Heather Hildenbrand & SM Reine

Author:Heather Hildenbrand & SM Reine [Reine, Heather Hildenbrand & SM]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YA PNR
Published: 2021-12-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Regan

The meeting hall was crowded even for a meeting like this one. I felt the weight of curious eyes, some concerned, some outright nosy, as I walked into the log building that housed our leader’s offices. The building was a long rectangle, nothing fancy, but solid—even now after housing four generations of pack leadership the thick wooden logs and double layer glass was solid and sure. A symbol of our strength, Dad said.

As a kid, I’d come with him and Mom a lot. I’d hang out in the meeting space that made up the atrium of the building, playing in the corners and making forts underneath the tables. I still liked the way it smelled of pine and orange cleaner every time. It was a strange nostalgic comfort to my senses—especially now, with Mom gone.

Still, even as my brain reminded me of it, I looked left automatically as I passed through the entrance. Mom’s office was that way. Now Dad’s office, I mentally corrected. And not much of her remained. I think it was too painful for him, but I’d still been hurt when he’d cleaned out her things so fast and put them in storage in our attic at home.

But something of her remained. I could feel it in the air as the crowd surged in behind me.

Shoulders jostled mine and I looked up to find Charlie wedged in beside me. She’d been different since I’d caught her running alone in the woods two days ago. Not quite enthusiastic about her fate but more … willing. Although she’d been guarded as well. And something told me Charlie wasn’t used to having to be strategic with her words. Still, she was doing it now. And still, every morning she ran alone at dawn.

I hadn’t mentioned it to Dad. He’d want her followed, but so far, she always came back. And I knew the importance of privacy when you were constantly in the spotlight, so I let her have it.

“Hey,” I said, taking in her pinched mouth and tight brow line. “You okay?”

“There are a lot of … people here,” she said, as if admitting a hidden fear.

“This is a bigger turnout than usual,” I said, debating how much to say. I was hyper aware of the others nearby who were probably listening to our exchange.

“Why?” Charlie asked.

I nudged her to the right toward our seats as others began to fill into the chairs around us.

“It’s the first meeting since … our leadership changed over,” I said, dodging the use of the word “Mom.”

“Do they want to see if your dad can handle it?” she asked, her word gentle.

“No, they know he can. It’s …” I sat and pulled her down beside me, sighing instead of finishing my sentence.

“They are here to see you,” she said knowingly. Sympathy broke through her nerves. “Regan, I’m—”

“And you,” I added hastily. I hated ruining the moment, but sympathy in front of prying eyes wasn’t something I could handle right now. “You’re shiny and new and they want to know about you,” I added.

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