“We can only hope it all turns out all right,” Ollie said, rising. “Speaking of my cousin, I should check in and see how he’s doing.”
“Good idea,” Mac said, getting up and grasping his mate’s hand. “That way, he can see for himself you’re okay since I doubt he’ll believe it otherwise.”
~/~/~/~/~
Heath pushed open the door to the Silver Point Pack’s Alpha House and wrinkled his nose at the musty smell. Tristan had finally agreed to move into it after his grandparents had sided with Heath about how important it was for the Alpha to live there. But that agreement came at a price because he’d consented to get rid of all the tacky over-the-top interior decorating that Josiah had done and make the house into a warm, cozy, comfortable place he and his mate could enjoy living in.
Reaching for the light switch, he flipped it on, sighing at the amount of faux gold on every surface. Reeve had assured him the gold wasn’t real, but the carvings reminded him of what he might find in old English manor houses, and merely painting over them wouldn’t do. They’d all have to be removed.
After walking through each room, Heath concluded that getting down to bare walls and woodwork would take at least a month—and that estimate was based on whether there were enough able-bodied men in the pack who knew what to do. Somehow, he doubted it, which meant it was going to take much longer, and the only good thing about it was that Tristan wouldn’t complain about that.
Heath sat down at the plain kitchen table—one of the few pieces of furniture that remained—and flipped open his notebook to the first empty page he found. It had become his constant companion shortly after assuming the duties of the Alpha Mate, since pack members usually asked him to solve their problems. He initially tried to remember everything, but as the list grew, he gave up and decided that writing them down would be easier.
Taking a pen out of his shirt pocket, Heath started his list of what needed to be done before they moved into the Alpha House. After filling one page with notes, he turned to the next, but before he could continue, his phone rang. Answering it, he said, “Hi Dad, thanks for calling back. Do you have a minute?”
“For you? Always,” replied Monty Morrison, Alpha of the English Wolves. “What’s up?”
“Tristan’s cousin is visiting friends in Scotland and wanted to stop in to meet you. His name is Logan, and he’s the twin brother of the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. His mate, Kieran, is a powerful Shaman. Do you remember me telling you about them?”
Huffing, Monty growled, “Of course I do. I’m not that old.”
Chuckling, Heath replied, “No one could ever mistake you for being old, but I wasn’t sure you heard me with all the shouting my brothers and sisters were doing when they found out about Tristan.”
“Bloody hell,” Monty said. “That was all I heard for the rest of the day…that and demands to know when they could go to meet your mate.”
“Ahh, about that,” Heath said slowly. “There…”
“Forget whatever you are going to say, son,” Monty growled. “Your mother has already bought mating gifts and has been nagging me to set a date.”
“Have you? Set a date yet?”
“I can’t until I finish settling the agreement between the Tamrood River and Moonclaw Pass packs,” Monty barked.
Raising his eyebrows at his father’s tone, Heath said, “I guess it’s not going well, eh?”
“That’s putting it mildly. That’s where I was when you called—in another useless meeting with the Alphas, who both recently took over their respective packs, which is why I have to sit through meetings where each of them is trying to prove his balls are the biggest. I swear they need to have some sense knocked into both their heads because, right now, they are the two dumbest Alphas I’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of meeting,” Monty grumbled.
“Hey, maybe that’s the solution.”
“What is?”
“Make them take out their balls and measure them,” Heath said, chuckling. “Then whoever has the biggest—you rule in his favor.” Silence ensued, and when his father failed to respond, he muttered, “Forget I said that. I meant it as a joke.”
“You know what?” Monty replied thoughtfully. “I think you’re on to something.”
“Dad, they willnotagree to that.”
“Son, it’s not up to them, and once they realize I’m serious, I’ll bet anything the issue will magically solve itself,” Monty said, laughing heartily now.
“Oh my gods!” Heath mumbled, dropping his head to the table with a thump. “Don’t you dare tell Mum it was my idea.”
“Why not? She’ll love it.”
“Whatever,” Heath said, “just don’t forget to tell her about Logan and the Shaman’s visit.”
“Righto…do you know when they will be here?”
“No, Jackson didn’t say…do you want me to ask?”