Chapter 13

Chapter 13 After Benny decided to use the old guest cabin he had occupied a few years ago when he, Harper, and Kalea first came to the Hounds of the Night Pack, Kalea, Eddie, Kurt, and Hailey burst into Eddie’s office, dying of laughter. Since Hailey hadn’t been present for everything that happened when Kalea first arrived after the Silver Moon Pack was attacked, they filled her in, leaving Hailey doubled over. “No wonder he doesn’t want to be here! His first stay was horrendous!” “His first stay?! What about mine?!” Kalea shouted, throwing her arms up inside the bubble. “Well, yeah, yours was too, but damn—Benny and Harper willingly let themselves get captured and thrown into the dungeons just to find your ass. That’s dedication and loyalty. It definitely makes sense why Benny said he’s paid his dues.” “And I don’t know why he said my handwriting was atrocious. Yours is worse!” Kalea shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Hailey through the bubble wall. “What handwriting? I never turned in my assignments!” Hailey retorted triumphantly. “That’s not something to be proud of, baby,” Kurt commented, shaking his head at his mate’s odd pride in skipping her schoolwork. “Wh—Well, yeah, in retrospect I know that it’s not. But Kalea can’t say I had bad handwriting, and neither can Benny. As I said, I never turned in my assignments. I can’t be graded on something that doesn’t exist.” Hailey shrugged, then realized as the words came out that defending it sounded just as bad. “I’m going to stop talking now,” Hailey grumbled, deciding it was best to stop before she dug herself an even deeper grave of past humiliation. Kurt let out a low chuckle, wrapping an arm around Hailey’s waist and pulling her flush against his side. He leaned down, resting his chin on her shoulder with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh, don’t quiet down now, sweetheart,” Kurt murmured, tapping the tip of her nose teasingly. “I’m just learning so much about my brilliant mate. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out how you even managed to walk across the stage with a real diploma in your hand. Did you bribe the school board, or did Benny hand it over out of sheer pity so he wouldn’t have to deal with you for another year?” Hailey rolled her eyes, though a small smile betrayed her attempt to look annoyed. “It wasn’t pity, Kurt! It was strategic priority management. Training took up most of my energy back then, okay?” “Right, priority management,” Kurt laughed, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Meaning you were either sleeping through history class or convincing the pack warriors to give you extra combat reps instead of doing algebra. I’m genuinely amazed they let you graduate. But don't worry, babe, I still love you—even if your academic record is a total crime scene.” “Training!? You skipped morning training as much as you skipped school!” Kalea shouted, shocked at Hailey whitewashing the past that way. “Shhh! Why are you giving away all of my secrets?!” Hailey hissed, trying to cover Kurt’s ears as if he hadn’t already heard every word. “How does it feel, huh?! Having all of your secrets spilled!” Kalea responded, shooting her a triumphant look through the bubble and reminding Hailey that it was originally her fault their old pack found out Kalea didn’t have a wolf—or so everyone had thought at the time. “We were kids! Kids are bullies! Taking revenge on me this late in the game only shows how petty you are, K!” Hailey shot back, tossing her hands in the air with dramatic flair. “Call it petty, call it karma—I call it long overdue justice,” Kalea replied with a smooth, satisfied smirk, resting her hands against the inner surface of her bubble. “Besides, revenge is a dish best served with an audience.” Kurt chuckled against Hailey’s shoulder, tightening his arms around her. “She’s got a point, babe. Secrets out. Though I have to admit, hearing that you dodged morning training and class explains a lot about your sleeping habits nowadays.” “Not helping, Kurt!” Hailey whined, though her lips twitched into a reluctant grin as she leaned back against him. Seeing Kurt and Hailey together made Eddie realize something important. He looked down at Kalea, then back at the shimmering barrier surrounding her. “F*ck!” Eddie groaned. “What?” the others asked in unison, their lighthearted mood instantly shifting to worry at his sudden outburst. “It’s nothing bad, I just realized that Amelia left without removing—” Eddie’s words were cut off as a portal abruptly snapped open in the middle of his office. Amelia poked only her head through the swirl of light and looked around the room when she spotted Kalea. “Ah, there you are, darling. I forgot to remove the bubble,” Amelia said lightly. With a quick snap of her fingers, the protective sphere burst like a bubble of air, dissolving into nothingness around Kalea. “Cheerio!” Amelia chirped, pulling her head back through before the portal snapped shut and vanished into thin air once again. For a beat, the room remained dead silent as everyone stared at the spot where the Queen’s floating head had just been. Kalea took a slow, deep breath, stretching her arms out wide in the wide-open space of the office—finally free of the protective barrier. “Oh, thank the Goddess. I was starting to feel like a prize goldfish in that thing.” Eddie immediately stepped in, closing the distance between them to pull her tightly against his chest, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Much better,” he murmured, his hands gripping her waist as if double-checking that she was truly back within reach. “Get a room, you two,” Hailey groaned, though a fond smile played on her lips as she leaned into Kurt. “If only…” Eddie muttered under his breath, knowing all too well that while Kalea was still recovering from the chickenpox, s*x was the absolute last thing on her mind. “I think we should take your advice,” Kurt growled softly into Hailey’s ear, his voice dripping with intent—an exchange that instantly made Kalea gag exaggeratedly. “Bleh! Gross!” “You’re just jealous!” Hailey spat, sticking her tongue out at her. “Jealous of what? I have my mate right here!” Kalea shot back, pointing down at Eddie, who still had his face comfortably buried in the crook of her neck, completely unbothered by the chaos around them. Eddie chuckled against her skin, the vibration sending a warm flutter straight through her chest. He finally lifted his head, resting his chin on her shoulder as his arms wrapped securely around her waist. “She’s not wrong,” Eddie said, casting a smirk over at Kurt and Hailey. “Though as much as I’d love to stay right here and ignore the rest of the world, we’ve actually got a massive pile of pack business to clear off this desk—starting with how we're going to handle security with Benny taking over as temporary Gamma.” Kurt sighed, letting out a breath as the playful mood settled into something a bit more grounded. “Right. Duty calls. I’ll go run the perimeter checks with the afternoon patrol and give Benny a quick rundown of our shift rotations.” “Appreciate it, Kurt,” Eddie said with a firm nod. Kurt and Hailey bid their farewells and went to take care of their duties, leaving Kalea alone with Eddie. “Do you need help with anything?” Kalea asked, glancing at the daunting stack of paperwork piled high on his desk. “No, baby, I’ve got it. It looks like a lot, but most of it is just filing that needs to be done.” “I can file for you,” Kalea offered immediately. “I appreciate it, baby, but you should rest. How about going to take your bath?” Eddie suggested gently, smoothing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure?” “Positive.” “Okay, I’ll go do that then. Let me know if you need anything, okay?” “I always do. I love you,” Eddie murmured, leaning down to press a warm, tender kiss to her lips. Kalea reciprocated the kiss, lingering for a sweet moment before stepping out of his office to go take her medicated bath. When the Royal family returned to the Royal pack, Jared was eager to get started looking for his mate, but that was put on pause when an urgent message was delivered to Amelia. “Tobias! Perfect timing!” Quenton called out, hurrying over the moment he saw the Royal family return from their visit to Kalea. “Quenton, what’s wrong?” Tobias asked, instantly picking up on the troubled look on his closest friend’s face. “I just heard from Atlas, and rumor has it that Parliament is looking to move up your and Renee’s coronation to King and Queen—and force you two to conceive another heir.” “WHAT?!” Tobias and Renee shouted in complete shock and disbelief. “Why would we need to conceive another heir when we have Kalea?!” Renee demanded, her eyes wide with fury. “When did Parliament decide this?” Stephen asked, his brows furrowing as a dark anger filled his gaze. “Today, Uncle. They decided not too long ago,” Quenton replied, bowing his head. “Atlas overheard a conversation between two of the Parliament members and immediately reached out to tell me.” “Why on Earth would they make a decision like that without ever discussing it with us?” Amelia asked, her voice calm but laced with absolute steel. And again, for what reason?!” Renee asked once more, her patience wearing thin. “I can’t answer that, Renee. Atlas didn’t hear those details. But I’m under the impression it has to do with the fact that Kalea has no wolf,” Quenton answered softly. When they heard Quenton’s hypothesis, the Royal Family and Jared all scowled in absolute disbelief. “What the f**k? What kind of cockamamy horseshit is that?!” Jared snarled, his protective instincts flaring up immediately. Quenton turned his head toward the voice, finally noticing the familiar Gamma standing alongside the family. “Ah, Gamma Jared, welcome back to the Royal Pack. I didn’t see you there.” “It’s good to see you, too, Royal Beta Quenton,” Jared replied, bowing his head in respect. “Please, just Quenton,” he said with a brief, weary smile. “Until this man officially takes the throne, I’m not the Royal Beta yet.” “Who cares about your rank, Quenton?!” Renee questioned, her anger flaring at the thought of Parliament trying to push Kalea aside. “Why the hell is Parliament upsetting the natural order of things?!” “I think that’s something the King and Queen will have to take up with them,” Quenton replied reasonably. “Along with us!” Renee added, stepping forward with her chin high. “No, darling, you stay out of it. This is obviously more political than it is personal,” Amelia said, immediately shutting down Renee and Tobias’s involvement. “But Mother?!” Tobias opposed being cut out, raising his voice in frustration. Amelia fixed him with one stern, unyielding look, and he immediately backed down. With this being a high-level political issue, the Queen had the final say, and her authority was absolute. “We will tell you why Parliament is making this decision, son,” Stephen said, placing a firm, grounding hand on Tobias’s shoulder. Tobias nodded, understanding what his father was telling him. “Come, Aimee,” Stephen continued, turning to his wife with a hardened edge to his gaze. “Let’s go find out why Parliament has gone behind our backs and made this outrageous decision.”