“We’ll be home in a few hours,” I replied. “We may stop for lunch or something, but it shouldn’t be too long. Early afternoon.” I licked my lips, and before I could talk myself out of it, I blurted my next question. “JC, what would it take for me to join your pack?”
JC stayed quiet. The pregnant pause sent a million thoughts through my head. Had I offended him? Perhaps he wasn’t as open to lone wolves as I’d thought? I should have kept it to myself. It was a pipe dream, and nothing more. JC was probably only treating me well because he needed me. Gritting my teeth, I prepared myself for rejection.
When JC finally spoke, his words were slow and deliberate. “You know, Nate, I think?—”
“Right. Got it. Stupid question. I know. Uh, Cameron, uh, wanted me to ask. That’s all. I knew the answer would be?—”
“My brother, can you stop for a second?” JC said, his tone calm and friendly but stern.
I clamped my mouth shut.
“What I was going to say was that I would really like you to be a part of my pack.”
Swerving the car only slightly at his words, I blinked in confusion and surprise as I steered back into my lane.
“You would?” I asked.
“Yeah. You’re capable as hell. Strong, powerful, smart, and tough. Ollie respects you, as do other members of the pack. And from what I’ve seen, you would make a great addition.”
No one, especially not a pack alpha, had ever praised me like that. My wolf stirred deep in my mind, a hopeful howl echoing at the back of my skull.
“It won’t be an easy road,” JC explained. “What with the way the pack laws are set up. I can’t bullshit you, it will be tough with you being a lone wolf. Even an alpha would have a hard time accepting a lone into a pack. The laws were designed to make it incredibly difficult. They state that you need a ninety percent vote from the elders, and the alpha needs to vouch for you. The odds of that many people agreeing is low, but it’s never zero. I think if we prove everything we’re saying and show how you helped, I might be able to get you in. That being said, we have to be successful with bringing this case against Rick and his father.”
Some of the hope that had flared in my chest faded a bit.
“Yeah. The laws,” I said, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. “Every one of them is aimed at screwing over people like me. What’s the penalty? If you went rogue and allowed me in?”
JC shrugged. “Forced abdication. Either by my own hand, or in a challenge with the next most powerful alpha. That’s what’s written in, anyway.”
I let out a disgusted snort of laughter. “Really great system you guys have.”
“Hang on there,” JC said. “Let’s not give up hope yet. I saidtoughbut notimpossible. We have some steps to go through if you really want to pursue this.”
“And those would be?” I asked, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, unable to keep the nervous energy from coming out.
“First things first, you need to petition the pack for acceptance. I’ll put in a good word with the elders on the council. I know Lincoln Masters has a few of those guys in his backpocket, but my standing as alpha will be more than enough to force their hands. They might want a Masters at the helm, but until I’m gone, I’m still top dog—or, uh, wolf.Anyway, you get the idea.”
“Let’s say they do allow me in. What, uh, does that look like?”
“Most likely, there would be a trial period. You would be under onehellof a microscope. Every dumbass will be looking for you to exhibit some feral symptoms. You already have a friendly bond with Ollie, so you have a connection to the pack. I have zero worries about you turning, let’s get that out in the open here and now. Ollie told me what you’ve helped the pack with before I took over.” JC let out a small sigh. “You’ve done a lot for this pack. It shouldn’t be this damn difficult to bring a good man into the fold, but the laws are stringent as hell. Honestly, I’ve been wanting to repeal them, or at least loosen the guidelines associated with them.”
The smile on my face was one of surprise and hope. Was this really happening? Could it be?
“I know you said it was tough,” I said, “but to be honest with you, I thought it would be a lot more difficult than this. Are you sure?”
“Look, I can tell the type of life you’ve led. You’re not the first lone wolf I’ve run into in my time as alpha. I understand how tough life can be for you. The reason I paused a minute ago wasn’t because I was trying to get out of answering; it’s that I was shocked you had the balls to ask. That couldn’t have been easy. It shows the kind of man you are. I doubt anything has come easy for you, and the fact that you haven’t turned into a total piece of shit because of that speaks volumes.”
“I appreciate you saying that.” I really did.
“That being said, I can’t promise this will be successful or easy. Even if youarebrought in on a probationary acceptance, I can’t change other people’s opinions. There’s a lot of bigotrytoward lone wolves. Shit, you know that better than anyone. Even in the pack, you may have to deal with that.”
Glancing over at Cameron as she slept, I thought about setting down roots. Actuallylivingsomewhere. She and I could be together. It could happen.
Emotion flooded me, burning my throat and clawing at the backs of my eyes. I’d never felt this before.
“I can handle that,” I said, grinding a knuckle against my eyes. If I had Cameron at my side, I was sure that was true. The thought of having a circle of friends, a community, made my head spin—in a good way.
“Listen, JC, I need to go. I’ll, uh… we’ll see you soon. Okay?” I needed to end the call before my emotions got the better of me.
