Chapter 292
Chapter 292
Cyra
“Well, that was unexpected,” Yorick says.
“Serves that asshole Stellan right!” Wendy says as we watch Landon walking away with Lila.
“He’ll be good for her,” Piper says quietly to me.
“Yes, he will,” I agree.
“Who wants to get some lunch?” Luna Yara asks.
Since none of us need to be back at the Academy today, we all agree to go to lunch. However, my uncle and cousin decide to go back to their pack.
“We’ll be back on Thursday for Arden’s trial,” Uncle Ramin says.
“Thank you for being here today. It means a lot to me,” I tell them.
“I’m glad we could be here,” Uncle Ramin says. He hugs me. Unlike Warren’s hugs, I can tell he’s unused to physical displays ofaffection. Arman’s hug is a
bit warmer, but still not as warm as the hugs I get from the Hill family.
We say goodbye to them and head to the same café we went to the last time we were here. Hacker and Hijack join us again, much to the excitement of Wendy and Yana, who begins peppering them with questions while we walk.
I’m surprised that Hijack tolerates her exuberance. Maybe it’s because she’s asking him questions about how they followed my mother’s money trail and got the recording that sealed Stellan’s guilt. I notice that Hacker doesn’t make any outward movements toward Wendy, but his hand continues to brush against hers and every once in a while as we walk, their fingers lock together for just a moment.
“So, what’s the deal with Henry?” Connor asks Quirin.
“Yeah, why isn’t Henry here?” Wendy asks.
“He went to his mother’s pack, searching for his mate,” Quirin says, but the look he gives Connor says there’s more to it than that.
“Bad idea,” Connor says softly.
‘I’m confused. Why is that a bad idea?‘ I ask Yorick in the mind link.
‘He’s looking for a chosen mate. He’s coming up on his thirty–third birthday and he’s starting to feel the need to take a mate and have pups,‘ he says.
‘But what if she’s younger than him? Quirin and Kennedy have quite an age gap. She’s young enough to have given him a lot of pups,‘ I say.
‘Yes, which is what Quirin keeps trying to remind Henry of. I get the impression that Henry thought that Kennedy would be his mate. I thought he was waiting to see if Wendy was his mate, but now it seems he’s lost patience with waiting.’
“He did offer to come today and for your father’s trial, but I told him we were good,” Warren says.
“You should have told him to come. He’s not that fucking old,” Quirin growls.
“Henry’s not like you, Quirin. He has wanted his mate from the moment he turned eighteen. Even I remember that. You never wanted a mate, you just wanted me,” Kennedy says, grinning up at her mate.
“You’re damn right. And you are worth every minute I waited for you,” Quirin growls, scooping her into his arms and making her laugh. He somehow manages to carry her and kiss her with utter abandon without tripping or falling until we get to the café.
“He really should wait,” Wendy says quietly.
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Chapter 292
“Maybe he’d listen if you told him,” Quirin huffs.
“I doubt it. He doesn’t come by as often as he used to,” she says.
Connor snorts. “Yes he does, you’re just always busy at your computer.”
“Really?” she asks.
“I told you! You are always at your computer, Wen,” Yana says.
“Is that so?” Hijack asks, looking between Wendy and Hacker.
‘Oh boy. Is that going to be a problem?‘ I ask Yorick.
‘It’s not my problem as long as they don’t make it a problem for Wendy,’ he says.
“I’m just trying to make sure I’m prepared for the Academy next year! Plus, there has been a lot going on with Cyra’s father and Stellan. I’m taking advantage of everything the Tech Team is teaching me. Speaking of, why didn’t Tracker join us?” she asks. I can tell she’s trying to divert the
conversation.
“Raptor took a sharp elbow jab to the jaw from Stellan. I think I heard his jaw crack,” Hijack says.
“It did,” Hacker says. “That’s how Stellan was able to lunge at Lila.”
“Who were the other two guarding Stellan?” Zach asks.
“Intrigue and Venom. I’m sure Raptor is going to rip them a new one for letting Stellan get past them.
“He didn’t get very far,” Chase says.
“He got close enough that Landon punched him. Their job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. They’re the Alpha Squad for a reason,” Hacker says.
“I think sometimes they become complaisant in the courtroom. It’s easy to think you have one person contained with three guards in such a small environment. I’m guessing they’ll be running tight formation drills again by tomorrow,” Hijack says.
“Have you ever run those drills?” Yana asks, making sure she sits beside Hijack so she can continue peppering him with questions. I notice that Hijack made a point of sitting beside Wendy, so she’s flanked by him on one side and Hacker on the other.
“In my first year, yes. But after I made the Tech Team, I began running different drills with them,” he says.
“Like what?” Yana asks.
“I was going to wait until this weekend, but since we have some time, we can talk now,” Warren says, drawing my attention away from Hijack.
“What’s up, Dad?” Yorick asks him.
“Beta Lewis approached me after you left. He apparently wanted to talk with you this weekend but with your family there, he didn’t think it was a good time. He wants to retire. He’s your father’s age, Cyra, and he doesn’t have any heirs, just two girls who are already mated. He feels that Beta Eric, being younger, is a good choice for Beta, especially if you’re going to combine the packs. Before I speak to Eric, I wanted to talk to you, see if you wanted me to have the conversation with him or if the two of you want to have it,” he says.
I look at Yorick. “What do you think?” I ask.
“I think we should talk to him. I think he’ll be excited at the opportunity, but it means a lot more work for him over the next year while we’re away and we work to combine the packs. Let’s plan to talk to him this weekend while we’re there,” he says.
“And that reminds me, I have plans drawn up for a new packhouse. I’ll have them sent over to the two of you tonight,” Connor says.
“Thank you, Connor, Your gift is very generous,” I say to him.
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He grunts, glaring at Quirin who grins, but doesn’t look away from the conversation he’s having with Piper and Wade,
“You know, we’re going to end up with that same problem with Gamma Elliot and we don’t have the back up in the Christer’s old pack any moci tehn Yorick.
“You’re right, he’s older, although not as old as Lewis, I don’t think,” Yorick says, looking his father for confirmation.
“He hasn’t approached me, but he never took another mate after his mate died and he only has the one daughter who is also mated. So, yeah, you’re going to need a Gamma,” Warren says.
“Maybe…” I begin.
“No!” Quirin says. When I look up, I see he’s focused on our conversation. I realize he was talking to me.
“I need a Gamma more than you do,” he growls.
Yorick begins laughing. “Lila is terrified of you. She’ll never agree to moving to your pack, Quirin. Too bad.”
“Oh! Landon and Lila as Gammas? What a great idea! Although, do you think Landon would want a ranked position?” Piper asks.
“I’ll plant the seed, but now that he has Lila, he won’t want a position on Alpha or Beta squads and the C–Squad position is mine,” Yorick says, grinning.
“Why is she terrified of Quirin?” Yvonne asks.
“She watched him kill her Alpha,” I tell her.
Yvonne looks at Quirin, who watches her, waiting for her reaction.
“Yeah but, once you’re under his protection, all that violence is used to protect you,” she says.
Quirin winks at her. “Yes, it is.”
“Not everyone was born under Quirin’s protection, Yve. Lila never had that and her first interaction with Quirin was when he was in feral mode. There’s a reason Quirin’s name is known and feared by all the packs,” Yorick says to her.
She shrugs. “I guess. Well, I’d be happy to be your Gamma, Quirin.”
“I’d be happy to have you, Yvonne. Can you grow up a little faster?” he asks, making her giggle.
After lunch, we head back to the Academy and use the free afternoon to study hard, getting caught up on everything we’ve missed lately.
On Wednesday, Landon and Lila return to the Academy, both sporting brand–new mate marks.
“Congratulations!”
We all rush to congratulate them. Lila blushes sweetly while Landon hovers over her protectively, grinning proudly.
“Is Alpha Nevaeh around?” Landon asks.
“Her office, I think,” Yorick tells him.
“Good. I need to speak with her, then I’d like to talk with the two of you about joining your pack. I know it’s a bit sudden, but…”
“Actually, it aligns perfectly with something we want to talk to you about,” Yorick says, interrupting him.
uce her
Landon frowns. “Alright. Let me speak to Alpha Nevaeh and then we can talk. Lita and I are going to see my family this weekend so I can and let my parents and Alpha know that I’m going to join her pack. But the following weekend, we’d like to spend at your pack, We stoppey on the
way here for Lila to get some things, but I’m hoping that Alpha Nevaeh will agree to letting Lila stay here during the week and then we can do what the two of you are doing and return to your pack on the weekends.”
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“What a wonderful idea,” Yorick says, pulling me against his side.
Landon frowns again but takes Lila’s hand. “I’ll find you when we’re done.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Yorick says. I can feel the excitement in him.
When they walk away, Yorick turns to me. “Perfect. While we’re learning how to run a pack, Landon and Lila can learn how to be Gammas from Elliot’s a win–win all the way around. And since they won’t be there this weekend, we can talk to Elliot about his retirement plans and see if he likes the idea of training his successor.”
I slide my hand into his hair. “Everything is coming together, isn’t it?”
“I promised you a beautiful life, and I intend to give it to you, my beautiful, amazing, wonderful mate.”
“I can’t wait,” I say, before he leans in to take my mouth in one of those passionate kisses that I can’t get enough of.
