But even if I hadn’t seen his strength myself, as the Pack beta, Hector radiated a soft kind of strength that meant people listened to him when he spoke.
I peered at Hector, trying to get a better read on him. “Thanks for telling Ember. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, why can’t we go with Pip?” Aeric asked. “Did something happen?”
“Just political red tape, I’m afraid,” Hector said. “We’ve received more complaints that the Northern Lakes Pack should split into two given its size. It seems the Alphas of the area let their envy get the best of them as they stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our Pack cohesiveness means we’d never survive such a split.”
I grimaced in sympathy.
Politics are the worst. I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with them!
“Now that’s a pile of trash if I’ve ever smelled one,” Wyatt said. “You look stressed. Have a Pomeranian Puppy Power-up.”
Aeric gently pushed me across the gap between us and the beta.
Hector smiled ruefully and shook his head. “As delightful as Phillipa’s powers are, I’m afraid they will not fix the problem.” He slightly nodded his head to me, but it seemed like the call of my puppy pheromones were too much even for Hector to resist. He patted me on the head as if I were a dog, and the tension in his shoulders eased a fraction.
Magic puppy pheromones—they are useful.
I heard the purr of a golfcart puttering down the road and peered around Hector, trying to figure out if I needed to move.
The wolves could take getting hit by a golfcart. But even with my slightly increased healing capabilities, I couldn’t.
But Hector was still patting my head, and given the werewolves’ touchy-feely-ness with those they considered family, he’d feel a little hurt if I just walked off.
“Greyson oughta just go down to Magiford and set the Curia Cloisters straight so they’ll stop accepting complaints,” Wyatt declared.
“You’d think other Packs would be happy we’re actually growing,” Aeric grumbled.
The golfcart hummed its way along, emerging from a bend in the road.
Two of the humans that belonged to the Northern Lakes Pack were sitting in it—Olivia and Tucker. They were a little older than me, and I’d known them since I’d been adopted into the Pack.
I gave the pair an awkward wave.
Olivia gave me one of those equally awkward tight frowny-smiles you give people when you see them but don’t want to talk. Tucker didn’t seem to notice—his gaze was flickering between the three wolves, who absently waved to the pair without looking at them.
“Regardless, Greyson would like to speak with both of you.” Hector gave my head one last pet, then took a step back. Unlike most of the Pack, he respected the concept of space, even if he had a personality as warm as the spring sun. “And if Phillipa is to make her morning shift, I believe she must leave shortly.”
Tucker and Olivia puttered off in the golfcart, but they glanced back with a look I recognized unfortunately well: dislike.
Wyatt nodded decisively. “Got it. We’ll report in. See you later, Pip!”
“Shania is coming in at lunch time. We’ll come with her to say hi,” Aeric said, referring to his girlfriend and my closest friend.
“Okay.” I glanced at my phone—I had ten minutes to make the fifteen-minute walk. “Good luck with that guy,” I said, referring to the venerated Alpha.
“Aww, Pip, come on. It’s been years. You’re going to have to accept him eventually,” Aeric laughed.
I shrugged and hitched my backpack higher up my back. “Someone has to be a doubter, or his fanclub will get too crowded. See you guys later!” I jogged off before he or Wyatt could protest—Hector knew better.
Running in khakis and my short-sleeved polo shirt wasn’t too uncomfortable. I was wearing my orthopedic walking shoes with their special inserts for maximum cushion. （It made for a fabulous combination with my business casual clothes, but when you’re on your feet all day, granny shoes will save your feet. And your knees. And all your joints!）
Gravel crunched under my feet, and the sky was an inviting shade of blazing blue that cut through the trees above my head.
Running was something I’d gotten good at since I’d been adopted into the Northern Lakes Pack. The biggest irritation was that my khakis didn’t stretch very well at the knees, which kept my stride short. But I wasn’t even sweaty when the gravel trail merged with three other gravel paths and turned into a paved road that led directly into downtown Timber Ridge.