“I’m sure we will too.” Elise hugged her tightly knowing she’d miss the woman. While Sarah wasn’t exactly the warm, cuddly type, she’d still done her best to help raise Elise and her brother and sister, providing some of the attention that they missed once their mother was gone.
Jake gave her a one armed hug, before ruffling her hair. “I’m going to miss you, kiddo. Who will drive me crazy with their non-stop talking now?”
Elise leaned her head against Jake’s chest, breathing in his comforting scent one last time. She’d always had a fun, relaxed relationship with the easy-going Beta—he was like a favourite uncle who tolerated her questions and teased her unmercifully, yet was always there when needed. In many ways, he took the place of her father who always seemed too busy to have time for his youngest child.
Vaguely, she could recall times as a pup when her father had played with her or taken her into the woods. That had been years ago when her mother was still alive. With the death of his mate, the Alpha had seemed to withdraw from his children, possibly too caught up in his own grief to deal with them. Whatever the reason, Elise had found herself looking more and more to Jake for fatherly attention and, as a result, felt closer to him than her own biological father. She harboured no bitterness about the fact; it was just the way things were.
“I’ll miss you, Jake.” The simple statement was all Elise could get out due to the sudden thickness of her throat.
He nodded at her in understanding and kissed the top of her head. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away and turned to her father. She loved him but it was a much more formal relationship. He was always the Alpha first and being a father came second. For a moment they’d studied each other and then he’d pulled her into an awkward embrace.
“You’ll be fine with Kane,” he whispered in her ear. “He’s a good man.”
Elise nodded, knowing her father had done what he thought was best, and would never have consented to her going with someone totally unsuitable. Being the Alpha wasn’t an easy position and the needs of the pack had to be considered first—she just wished that their well-being hadn’t come at the expense of her own dreams. Since there was no going back, she’d plastered a fake smile on her face and climbed into Kane’s truck, waving at the other pack members who had gathered outside. Searching the group, she noted that Bryan was absent and regretted not seeing him one last time, but perhaps it was for the best.
As they pulled out of the driveway, she stared straight ahead. If she had to watch the house slowly disappearing from sight, she knew she’d burst into tears and she didn’t want to show such weakness in front of Kane. It wasn’t that she thought he’d say anything about it, but she had her pride. She wouldn’t be a snivelling, weak mate. There might not be any love between them but at least she’d ensure that Kane respected her.
Slowly Elise came out of her reverie and began to take note of the passing scenery. They’d left her father’s territory about half an hour ago and were now in Kane’s. Would his home be similar to her own? Each pack owned large parcels of land that consisted mainly of wilderness, clearly marked as private property. Within a territory, there was always one main Alpha house where meetings were held and the Alpha and Beta’s families resided. Surrounding the main home were several small cabins where other pack members could live when needed. Many had their own homes located within the territory and a few chose to live in nearby towns with the human population.
Packs were generally stable. Occasionally new members would join either through a mating or having to relocate due to jobs, but they tended to be close knit societies and spent a great deal of time at each other’s homes, though the Alpha house was the centre of most activity. At any given time, members could be found lounging about the living room, preparing food in the kitchen or roaming the property. There was never a chance to be lonely.
“How large is your pack?” Elise broke the silence between them.
“About the same size as the one you grew up in. Our Alpha house has six bedrooms and four baths, office space, a living room, a large dining area and a kitchen. The basement was recently renovated and is a multi-purpose room for meetings with a media centre, pool table, and play area for the young ones.”
“It sounds nice. Who shares the house with you?”
“Besides yourself?” He grinned over at her before returning his attention to the road. “My Beta is John and his mate’s name is Carrie. They’re expecting their first in a few months. Zack’s widow—he was the previous Alpha—she’s continued to stay there as well. Her name is Helen.”