Game of Power Ch. 03

Airami sighed softly and reached out to stroke his cheek. She was a fool. She wasn't the only one hurting. Her bond with Daniel was faint, but still there. He was upset to see her go, just as she was miserable to leave.

"I'll always be a phone call away. And you don't have to be alone. You know Sophia was my right hand, you can promote her for the time being. Or Katelyn, she's the closest thing to a mate for you. Allow one of them to take my place until you find your own mate, Daniel."

"No. Sophia and Katelyn will have bigger roles, but neither are getting the title. Duchess Alpha will only be a Windsor." He informed her with a shake of his head.

"You can always call when you need me, at least."

Daniel laughed, "You'll have your hands full. I did my research last night. Crawford's pack is twice the size of ours. Not to mention your mate has only been Alpha for less than ten years. There was some sort of brawl with his uncle. The details were never reported to The Council. I'm sure there's still the typical resistance when it comes to accepting a new Alpha."

That was odd.

Whenever a new Alpha took control of a pack, it was law to report the full incident to the Council. Records could back centuries, telling tales of each Alpha and how they earned their position. Most of the time, the position of pack Alpha was passed from father to son. Of course the position was always up to be challenged, but The Council required documentation of how and why the change of power came into effect.

"His uncle? You're sure we have nothing else about it?"

"Nothing," Daniel confirmed with a shrug. "You'll have to find out and let us know when you do."

* * *

The sun had risen over the horizon moments ago, offering its first rays of light to the new day.

With her hand on her hip, she closely watched while her bags were placed in the cargo compartment of the jet. She had been packing all throughout the night. It was only about two hours ago when she tried to lay in bed to get some rest before her big move. Her mind couldn't find peace and she didn't get a wink of sleep.

She was beyond exhausted.

"Airami?"

She glanced over her shoulder when her name was called. A group of people were coming towards the plane with small bags in hand. Colton was ahead of all of them, jogging over to her.

Her wolf whined at the sight of him. The attraction was there; it was undeniable. She never had this strong of a reaction when she just looked at someone. The low rays of the sun illuminated his gold hair. She curled her fingers into the palms of her hands, fighting the desperate urge to run her digits through the soft locks.

It was there. The problem was her wolf and she couldn't justify it. She couldn't accept that he simply was her mate. There had to be a reason why. In her eyes, he had done nothing to prove himself worthy of her. Airami had endured an aeon of unfulfilled longing to find her soulmate. Centuries ago, she let go of her hopes. She focused on her pack and her duty to The Council. Now that Colton arrived, the reputation and image she built up for herself was shattered. The loss of the Duchess Alpha role was devastating; she was expected to bear the burden of becoming an ordinary Madam Alpha.

"What are you doing out here?" Colton asked, approaching her and stopping a few feet away. He glanced over her head and saw the numerous bags being stowed. A grin slowly spread over his face, "You're coming home with us? Now?"

She sighed and shrugged in defeat, "There was no point in drawing this out. I couldn't bear to stay with the pack and feel my bond with them disintegrate day by day."

"There's always our bond-"

"That's different," she growled and narrowed her eyes at him.

She was extremely resentful regarding how their bond was created.

At birth, pups instinctively formed bonds. Parents and children shared thoughts and knowledge. Instead of using a cell phone, parents could access the bond to physically see where and what they were doing. A similar experience happened with siblings, creating an intricate set of mental bridges within a family.

As pups grew older, they would be invited to join the pack bond if they wished to remain with them. It was a collective consciousness, allowing for telepathic communication when in their lupine forms. Entering the pack bond was permanent; the only ones able to thrust wolves out were the Alpha pair. Alphas had complete power over the pack and that included access to anyone's thoughts at any time. The pack trusted their Alphas to protect them and lead them to prosperity; no one considered it to be an invasion of privacy.

Humans, who transitioned, had issues understanding. They claimed there were too many "voices" in their head. They were used to their thoughts being the only one they could hear. Pups were born with the ability and mastered the technique early in life. It was the only thing they knew.

Mate bonds were the most intimate connection you could strive to have with someone. Wolves grew up believing Luna had placed their soul-mate in the world. It was up to them to find each other. It was physically impossible to bare offspring without one. A wolf without their mate was incomplete.

"Yo, Crahfad! Is ya woman comin' home today?"

Airami tried not to shudder at the butchering of the English language. She looked around Colton to the rest of the American Alphas, who were approaching them. She had been previously introduced to the older ones, but about half of them were too young to have met her.

The male who spoke was as tall as a mountain. A solid, burly frame was under his clothes. His black hair was short, but she could see small curls beginning to form if it got any longer. With a lop-sided grin, he clapped his hand on Colton's shoulder.

"That's what she says," Colton looked back at the man, then redirected his gaze back to Airami. "Airami, this is Bill. His father is Alpha of Boston's Tavares Pack."

"Me and ya Missus here have already met beforah actually. I was a bit youngah then," Bill chimed in, winking at Airami.

She stared at him openly. She had an almost perfect memory of faces and scents. Why didn't she remember him? Scanning his facial features and sniffing subtly, it was his hair that jogged her memory.

She smirked, "A bit younger, I'll say. You were barely taller than my knee and your hair was a curly mess down to your shoulders."

"Ya well, Ma couldn't bring herself to cut it until I was seven. She thought the curls would disappeah, but luckily for her, they didn't," he scowled, scratching the top of his head briefly.

"How have your parents been fairing? It's been difficult getting in touch with them, even to get the yearly pack population reports."

"That's been a tricky situation. I'm ready to take over but Dad isn't ready to step down. We decided it'd be best for me to start my own pack into the Western part of the state. It's been a process of who's comin' or stayin'."

She held back a growl. The Council took a yearly population report, to see how numbers were doing and ensuring all packs had what they needed in order to thrive. The Tavares Pack never answered their calls, as if they were avoiding them. The development of a new pack was something that The Council was required to be made aware of. The Council had knowledge of where pack boundaries ran; if a new pack was forming, they'd have to claim unmarked territory or meet with nearby Alphas to come up with a new boundary agreement.

"Well, you'll have to keep us updated on your progress," she smiled.

She did what she was trained to do.

She was beyond annoyed even this simpleton couldn't follow the rules. But you could never get someone to do what you wanted by yelling at them. Luring them into a false sense of security was the best way to get information; Airami learned this at a very young age.

She also knew how stubborn the American packs were with their independence. Ever since the doltish human war, the American Revolution, the wolf packs thought they were included when it came to not having to answer to England.

Colton briefly introduced her to the others. Only two others had been paired with their mates last night.

"You lucky bastard. I have to wait two damn weeks for my mate to come home. It's going to feel longer than the fifty years it took to find her!" One of the males playfully growled, punching Colton's arm before climbing into the jet.

The two women of the American party had not located their mates. Airami recognized the brunette from the previous night. Colton had briefly touched her elbow before Airami and he locked eyes. It sounded foolish, but her inner wolf wanted neither women within a mile radius of her mate.

As the American woman approached with a smile, Airami's hand darted out and grabbed hold of Colton's. She interlocked their fingers, squeezing tight. She growled softly, narrowing her eyes at the women.

The two stopped in their tracks, but immediately smiled. The brunette held up her hands innocently.

"Message received. I've heard stories of the battles you've won. Trust me, I have no interest in fighting you over this punk. I, and every sane minded female, will keep my paws off."

Airami snarled at the insult. She could say whatever she wanted about her mate, but they had no right. Colton was hers to insult. She bared her fangs and her fingernails sharpened into claws.

Colton motioned for the girls to disappear inside of the jet, then spun Airami to face him. Her claws pierced the skin of the hand she grasped. Small trickles of blood began to flow from the minute wounds.

"Easy there, mate. She's only joking. I've known Brandi for years. Besides, she has no chance. You're the only one I want. Calm down." Colton whispered, dropping his lips down to her ears.

Before Airami could process the situation, Colton had his free arm wrapped around her waist. He pulled her to his chest and held her there firmly. Not that she couldn't fight him off, but she didn't. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. His scent filled her scenes and eased her temper almost immediately.

"But dang, you look sexy as hell when you get territorial," he growled seductively.

She could have sworn she already felt a budge in his pants beginning to swell. Exhaling, she put her hands up to his chest and pushed away gently.

"Listen Craw... Colton. I meant what I said last night. This isn't what I want. Not yet. And I don't know when I'll be ready."

"I have no problem waiting-"

"Let. Me. Finish." She gritted through her teeth.

She paused and looked up at him. He was trying. She'd have to blind not to notice that.

"Of course you'll wait. Your wolf won't allow you to even look at anyone else. But that's not my point. It's better that no one knows why we're not mated yet. We'll stick to a story that I want privacy. It's less embarrassing for both of us."

He agreed, releasing his arms from around her and dropping them to his sides. "It's not a bad idea. But I'm honest with my pack. If they ask when we're not mated once we get home, I'm not lying to them."

"I'll deal with that situation when we get there. I can only do this one step at a time."

Taking in a deep breath, she straightened her skirt and looked behind her. This was it. She never thought this day would ever come. She was actually leaving home and starting life anew. As a little girl, she couldn't wait for the day she found her soulmate. But her first heat had come and gone. And it came and went again. And again. Many times. She stopped waiting and took control of her life, focusing on her duty to lead and protect her pack.

Colton reached over and took her hand in his. He meshed their fingers together and squeezed reassuringly. A warmth radiated through her entire body at the contact. Airami glanced down at their hands and back up to him. She raised an eyebrow in warning.

"Watch it."

"I'd rather watch you."

He grinned down at her, winking before leading her up the steps into the aircraft. Airami rolled her eyes at his humor, carefully climbing the steps in her heels.

But, she also hid a smile.