Danica's POV
It had been three days since Jenny and Mathew had returned to the city. Every day after Jenny had finished at the office we would make up for lost time by hitting every bar, the cinema or arcade. Today, however, we had gone to the largest laser tag venue and spent over three hours shooting at each other. I walked with my winnings and saw Mathew frowning at me.
"Don't be a sour looser." I grinned. "You underestimated me." He snorted and Jenny laughed.
"I think we both did." She swung her arms around before catching Mathew by the hand. "I suppose I should really pull some late nights at work. I can't forget the point of the trip here was to sort out the business. But I still can't figure out why we're losing so much money." I nodded slowly.
"Why are you handling that?" It just dawned on me that Jenny was running one of the Alpha's companies. "Isn't the Alpha the one who should be running the company?" I saw the look on their faces. "What?" We sat at a small café.
"The Alpha isn't doing too good at the moment and is basically running on empty. So I took over all the family businesses. This one though really needs my attention." I nodded. "His mate, The Luna, was killed in a car accident three years ago… It was so sad. They had just welcomed baby Lilly to the pack too. That's when I first took over the hotel and Casino to give him room to breathe." I frowned.
"Who's been looking after the kids?" Mathew sighed.
"He has. There has been complications with his daughters, especially Maggy, and his wolf is very protective of them." He held up a hand. "Everyone is doing their part. I came back to my brothers pack after I got the news about the Luna's death. I was here to see if my brother wanted me to stay permanently, but he's stubborn and it's taken me two years to get him to admit he needs my help. That's how I met Jenny." She nodded.
"I was always skeptical about leaving my pack behind to start anew with Mathew but when he told me that he was going to be moving to my pack in a year I was ecstatic… things just got sped up a little." I nodded.
"The attack." She nodded and threw her hands in the air.
"Fuck it, the only reason the Swift Runners weren't destroyed when that bastard Stevens attacked was because Mathew got there in time."
"But..." Mathew opened his mouth to complain but Jenny placed a hand over it.
"Not now please." He closed his mouth. "Mathew used our connections within the Swift Runners to get the warriors ready and when the attack came he led the pack to victory. He told everyone that the Alpha had instructed him to act but the truth is, since the death of our Luna Derick has become a bundle of nerves. He's more like a schoolteacher than an Alpha now. Not to mention his horrible track record with women." Mathew nodded.
"Emily, his girlfriend after the Luna, just up and left, then Jessica. She came from the Lightfoot pack with us one trip, they hooked up she got pregnant, and baby Maggy came to the world." Jenny nodded.
"Then she left him a month later." Mathew sighed.
"It's true, but he's still the Alpha." She nodded.
"With my business background I took over the last of the family company as executer and basically spoon feed Derick my reports. I've been here eight months and have dragged that company back up to its former glory and then some." She patted Mathew's arm. "And Mathew here has dragged the warriors back into a vigorous training rota. So, things are looking up." I nodded.
"I can't help but notice the white elephant you two have been skirting around." They looked at me. "From what you've said it sounds like, if you wanted it, Mathew could take over as Alpha." They went silent and from the looks of it I saw I was right. "Why haven't you? I mean the two of you are basically running the pack already." Mathew leant back in his chair.
"I'm no Alpha, I only have Beta genes. I'm told what to do and I can do it. The only reason things are still running is because of our grandmother. She was the former Luna of the pack and has kept the piece and made me the second Beta. But being older and half wolf she's weak and basically needs my strength to get things done." I nodded.
"Is there a reason she can't babysit and let Derick run the pack?" Jenny nodded.
"She's in her nineties and wheelchair bound." I nodded thinking of how much energy I had as a kid.
"Point taken… so, was there no one else to babysit for him?" Jenny glanced to Mathew and he shrugged.
"Well, he tried to get girlfriends, but they all left… Lilly and Maggy are… handfuls and cause his wolf to become overly obsessed with them... and any female that does try to help and gets too close... Lisa has gone nuts at, she's unbelievably jealous. Yet she won't stay in the pack for more than a week at a time." Mathew nodded.
"Some of the warriors have tried but the girls have beaten them down... Emily would have made a fantastic Luna…" He sighed. "Jessica too…" I frowned.
"Was there any signs that they would leave?" Mathew shrugged.
"No… He's slow to warm up to people maybe that put them off." I nodded.
"Does the pack not have a day care centre?" Jenny shook her head.
"Yes but it's small, and with Maggy being sick and Lisa around... " I rolled my eyes.
"So, the pack's barely holding together." Jenny nodded, but Mathew shook his head.
"Once Lilly is old enough to go to school Derick should be back in action. If needed I can handle Maggy while he works." I felt my pocket buzz and rolled my eyes, Rodger had sent a message.
"Booty call?" I heard Jenny giggle.
"Not exactly." I sighed. "So, truthfully. This new girlfriend is causing more trouble than good." There was another long silence. "That bad?" Jenny nodded and looked down as my phone went off again.
"He seems to really be wanting your attention." I sighed.
"Yep, but it's for a work thing. He wants me to look over some documents for him." She nodded.
"That reminds me, Mathew was going to get tickets for a fight at the Phantom tonight. Are you interested?" I frowned.
"I don't like that sort of thing. And besides, I'm doing an extra credit report for class." She sighed.
"Well, if you change your mind let us know." My phone began to ring. I rolled my eyes and answered it stepping away from the table.
"What?"
"You didn't answer your phone. Is everything ok?" I laughed and walked a little away from the others as Jenny ordered coffees and some snacks.
"You only just sent the messages." He sighed.
"Well, I need a yes or no right now. Can the Banshee come out to play tonight? There's an opening against a vampire and the show will be spectacular. She goes by the name Helvetica." I smirked.
"I've heard about her… she's meant to be good." I looked back and sighed. "Do you have a new sent blocker?" There was a chuckle.
"Dam straight, you name it I can get it. Nothings too outrageous for my fighters."
"If you can get one for tonight I'll fight. And ten thousand on the side." I could hear his grin on the other end of the phone.
"You got it toots. The fight will be at eleven another headline people have been waiting to see." I hung up and slipped my phone away then wandered back to the table. Mathew grinned.
"All sorted?" I nodded.
"Yeah, no big deal…" I frowned. "What happened to the other Beta?" His eyes narrowed.
"He and his mate were killed in their holiday cottage… It looks like hunters." I nodded.
"I can't help but think that someone is targeting the pack." He nodded.
"I know what you mean." He rubbed his face. "And now there's talk about Michael looking to be the Beta…" He grinned. "He got a shock when I turned up. Not happy." I nodded.
"Who's Michael?" He took the paper cup Jenny offered him.
"Lisa's brother." I nodded and took my cup.
"So, she gets the alpha and her brother gets the Beta position?" Jenny sighed.
"It's not that uncommon among packs. She is of alpha bloodline and her brother is a beta… It's just… He's not the friendliest especially since Mathew got the Beta position before him." I nodded.
"Then why don't you just get Derick to get rid of Lisa? Is pack life always this complicated?" She giggled and shook her head.
"No, just our pack… unfortunately and I have been putting pressure on him to get a different girlfriend but you know how people are." Mathew grinned.
"We just need Derick to pull himself together… or get a Luna that knows her stuff." I sipped on my coffee and saw the long look he was giving me.
"Don't fucking try it…" Jenny giggled and smirked.
"The two of you would make a fabulous power couple." I shook my head.
"No, no way. I don't even know if I want to be in this pack after hearing what you guys have said." She shrugged.
"Who knows… He might be your mate." I laughed and shook my head.
"Unlikely but you can dream." She nodded and sipped her coffee and I knew this conversation was far from over.