Chapter 30

Cara's POV

Today we're having a family party. Or rather... a family meeting that mix business and pleasure.

We’re having a barbeque in the backyard, and the sound of Mia and Ethan’s laughter in the background warms my heart.

The Arbun family is very nice. No matter what comes their way, they try to solve it together with their family members.

That's something I could never have imagined as an orphan in the past, but now I'm part of it.

“Hey, Ryan, nice outfit. Did you get dressed in the dark?” I hear my brother Aidan joke, and laughter echoes around us.

“I’d insult you back, bro, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t have enough brain cells to understand it,” His twin Ryan fires back with a chuckle. The banter between them is comfortable, like they’ve been teasing each other this way for their entire lives.

Aidan’s the troublemaker, the jokester, the risk-taker. His temper is as fiery as his bright red hair, but no one ever questions his loyalty to his family and his pack.

Ryan is grilling steaks, the delicious scent makes my mouth water. Though he tends to come across as much calmer, Ryan can hold his own with his rambunctious twin, Aidan.

Those two are seemingly always in the midst of one hairbrained scheme or another.

“What did you want to talk to us about, Eamon?” Colin asks as he throws a ball to Ethan. As youngest brother, Colin is usually the quietest, but he’s mature beyond his years.

Colin’s heart of gold is probably why Eamon involves him in more pack business than would normally be expected for a sixth son.

But Colin always thinks before he speaks, which unfortunately can’t be said of the older Aidan and Ryan.

“Let’s wait, Landon should be here any minute.” Eamon replies.

“Landon’s coming?!” Aidan and Ryan ask in unison.

As a painter and professional playboy, Landon is a perpetual world traveler and is almost never at home.

“I requested that he be here to discuss a very interesting proposition the pack has received.” Eamon says cryptically.

Everyone raises their eyebrows at him, curious what this is about.

The back gate opens and Landon rushes through, as if he’d been summoned by our talk of him.

“Hey, there he is!”

“Good to see you, bro!”

“How’ve you been?”

There are hugs all around as we welcome Landon back home. He looks disheveled as usual, multicolored paint droplets splattered across his shirt.

He flashes his charming smile before pulling me into a big bear hug.

“How are you doing, Cara? How are the kids?” He asks.

“Uncle Landon!!” Mia and Ethan scream together, running to hug his knees while I’m still in Landon’s embrace.

We’re all caught in one large mass of arms and smiles and laughter.

It’s a beautiful moment.

“Kids, can you go see Auntie Ruby inside? I think I hear a monster trying to catch her,” I say to Mia and Ethan with a chuckle.

The kids don’t need to hear the business part of this meeting.

“Let’s go save her, Ethan!” Mia screeches before running inside.

“Mia, don’t forget to take your medicine!” I call after her. Her doctors recently suggested a new treatment, hoping to minimize her symptoms. So far though, I’m not sure it’s working.

Ethan places a soft, sweet kiss on my cheek before turning to catch up to his sister.

Now that the kids are gone, Eamon starts the business portion of the meeting.

“First, I urge you all to truly consider this, no matter how you might feel when you first hear the idea,” Eamon says with an air of authority befitting an Alpha King.

“We’ve been invited to re-open trade and business dealings with Pack DarkWood,” Eamon says simply.

“What?!”

“Is this a joke?”

The outrage is voiced by Aidan, Ryan, and Colin.

“That guy is a dick, and we all know it!” Aidan says, referring to Alaric.

“How can we trust him to make fair deals?” Colin’s tone is more measured, but he’s just as skeptical.

“Yeah, it hates us!” Ryan replies. He elbows his twin Aidan and says more lowly, “As he should, if he’s a smart enough to figure out who’s been pulling all those pranks on him over the years…” The two laugh to each other.

Colin says, “How can we ask this of Cara? As Beta, she’d likely encounter their Alpha King at some point.”

“Wait, Cara’s Beta now?” Landon asks in surprise. He should be second in line to the throne by birth, but leadership never interested his free spirit.

“Amazing what you miss when you’re gone all the time,” Aidan jokes.

“That’s great! Congratulations, Cara. It’s well-deserved.” Landon says to me sincerely.

Everyone is staring at me now. I can feel their eyes on me, almost like a prickling on my skin. No one speaks.

Eamon’s gaze is gentle. He looks perfectly calm, as if he’s in no of a rush for my decision. Eamon is aware that I’ve already had time to consider the idea, but I’m still unsure about what to do.

As far as seeing Alaric again, honestly, I’m unbothered. Six incredibly long years have passed since his almost-wedding to Lilia.

I’ve changed packs, I’ve had children, I’ve gotten a new job.

DarkWood feels like it was a lifetime ago.

One thing that can be said for Alarics is that he is a strong leader, and he always tries to do right by his pack. He carries the mantle of Alpha King well.

He would make a strong ally.

But if I think back, I can remember those terrible things he said to me, ridiculing me. Calling me a “gold digger” I don’t know how many times. He could sabotage business negotiations with DarkWood to get back at me for his wedding falling apart.

Not that that was my fault, but still…

The more I think about it, what troubles me more than anything is that I really don’t know what Alaric might do. These last six years have completely changed my life, maybe Alaric has also changed?

I don’t even know him anymore.

I wish I had someone to help me think this over…

Instinctively, I reach to the back of my mind for my wolf, Lucy. But just as I have for the last six years, I find the space empty.

She’s not there.

Still in hibernation.

I’ve heard about theories for waking a wolf from hibernation, but nothing is working. It’s times like these when I miss her most.

“Remember that time we called in that fake bomb threat at one of the DarkWood warehouses?” Aidan laughs into Ryan’s ear, as if all of the us gathered here can’t hear him.

“That idiot Alaric had his security detail out there all day looking through every last package!” Ryan chuckles back.

Eamon clears his throat loudly. “Brothers, did I just hear that you’ve been wasting your own precious time for childish pranks?”

The twins have enough good sense to look sheepish and guilty. I can tell Eamon’s not really that upset or surprised by their antics, but as Alpha King he does need to chastise their risky behavior.

“And might I remind you,” Eamon continues, “That Alaric is a formidable Alpha King, and would make for a very, very difficult enemy.”

Colin nods in agreement, “Yeah, DarkWood is easily one of the top packs in the entire world right now. Give it another few years, and they’ll be the unequivocal number one.”

“We only pulled those pranks to get him back for what he did to our sister. Can you really fault us for that?” Aidan says, raising his chin into the air.

“A sister who can speak for herself.” I say firmly.

It’s the first time I’ve spoken since Eamon brought up the idea, and once again, all eyes are on me.

“Well,” Eamon says, “What do you say?”

The energy radiating from my brothers is expectant, and I feel flushed. I take a breath, calm myself, keeping my voice steady and smooth. The pack needs me at my best right now.

This isn’t about emotion.

This isn’t about the past.

This is business.

“We should reopen negotiations. Let’s call a meeting with DarkWood.” I say finally.

Everyone gasps in surprise, except Eamon who’s looking at me with what I can only describe as pride.

"...Well,"

Eaomon smiles to me and says，“Let's do this!”