Blake’s POV ~

After speaking with Marty and trying to figure out what the deal is between him and Angie.. it seems to be not only a chauvinistic approach but, he apparently really sucks at flirting! He likes Angie.. and he is definitely not winning any points.

And now, Alpha Thomas has decided it is in his packs’ best interest to bivouac on the southeast corner of our territory.. they will be arriving today. Jolene had a run in with Angie’s stepbrother the other night, so I have warned Thomas to keep him away from Angie.. and especially, my Luna. She could start an international incident, with her temper!

Damien called to let us know Lynette had had the babies, and she is doing well! Little girls.. Three identical little girls.. and I’m just saying “Thank Goddess it isn’t me!” They have five…count them..five little girls..and three boys! All under the age of three! All of them witch hybrids! Bigger cahunes than mine!

I’m in the gym with Jolene and Dalton.. watching the spars. Our people are becoming so well trained that I find it hard to believe there is another army out there that could best us. I’m watching the women though.. and I see what Jolene was talking about. Instead of listening to their Gamma female.. they wanted to trail after the Delta. And Marty was eating it up!

Jolene’s face showed she’d made a decision. She jumps up into the center ring “Listen up! Today, Ladies… we will all be sparring! I want to judge what your current levels are.. to help my Gamma better determine your placement! We will each be sparring a male. No more fighting woman on woman. Odds are you would be facing a male on the battlefield and you need better preparation. I get the feeling, instead of paying attention to your trainer, Gamma Angela.. you’ve been too busy showing out for the men! So.. let us begin! First spar will be Beta Dalton and me!” And I hear Dalton groan “Uggghhh! I’m getting my ass kicked and I didn’t even do anything!” He turns to Marty and sneers “This is all you, bro! Just had to piss the Luna off!”

He jumped in the ring and begs Jo not to break him too bad.. and I laugh. Because I know he isn’t joking! Marty looks at me and says “I didn’t mean to make Jolene mad, Alpha. And I don’t even know why I say and do the stupid shit I do, around Angie. My wolf thinks she’s our mate.. but she won’t let me get close enough to touch her.. and he says she’s hiding her scent.” I smile.. knowing what it’s like to fuck up around your mate.. I tell him “Start by apologizing.. this is going to take a bit of ass kissing to get around this.”

Jolene kicked the shit out of Dalton, then healed him.. Angie and Marty sparred..and I was happy to see they were pretty evenly matched. I spoke to Jo about Marty saying Angie could be his mate.. and she said “Well, he will be touching her now.. let’s see what happens..” Within maybe ten minutes into their spar, she leapt at him and locked him into a full nelson.. she immediately turned loose and jumped off him.. running out. Jolene followed her and Marty ran to me. “She’s my mate, Alpha! My wolf was right! Why would she hide her scent?” I shook my head at him “You heard her that day, in the office. You know what she’s been through.. what her stepbrother did! To top it off, she had another run in with him the other night at Luna’s restaurant.” He snarled “I’ll kill him if he goes near her again”

I called a team meeting for after lunch. We had cleared all the furniture from the study and had a huge oval table and comfortable chairs brought in.. twenty of them. Dalton and Toby had used the walls to place maps of our entire territory..marking where our cameras are placed. A map of Smoky Moon indicating where the rogues were crossing. And a map of River Run.. highlighting the weak points in their patrol. We had eight phone lines installed.. a large screen television to view documents and photographs.. videos..and camera feeds from any we may be able to hack.. as well as, our own surveillance equipment.

Jolene had spoken to Angie.. and possibly took some of her anxiety away.. because she is at least, sitting beside Marty and speaking lowly. That’s a win, in my book! I was proud of the way things were shaping up. I called the meeting today because Marshal and Anthony’s first team of trackers are back, and we all need to hear their reports.. Marshal has the teams set up with two intel gatherers.. two lookouts.. and four fully geared combatants. I like that he is taking no chances with our people. They are fast..stealthy, and strong!

Jolene came in, with a tea cart full of snacks..and Matthew riding on the bottom. Which was cute, because his little hand kept sneaking up and over the top..grabbing snacks. She finally had to snatch him up and bring him to me..”Enough, young man! You’ll get a belly ache!” And he huffed..pouting.. and looking just like his mommy when she’s wearing her pouty face!

The trackers arrived and one walked to the TV screen.. plugging in his IPad.. the other walked to the maps. Bobby pointed to the screen… “These are trail cams we installed. There are eight of them. They aren’t on River Run territory…so they should go undetected for awhile. Joseph is marking the map for their location..and the corresponding number..so we know where we are looking. Jacob has a decent border patrol.. but he is wearing them out. The majority of him men are in training. No women training.. which we find odd.. but he may believe they aren’t as good as men! He has brought in about a hundred mercenaries…and has two hundred rogues..easily. The rogues are sloppy and undisciplined. He can’t control them..which is why he is hiring mercenaries. By our estimate.. he is losing one to three rogues a week.. on average. The mercenaries kill them.. so.. that’s a benefit..and a detriment..because more mercenaries are coming in. Nearly four hundred wolves from packs all over the country have joined him. Bringing his fighting force up to around 800.” Then Joseph spoke up “Alpha, the circumstances in the pack are rapidly deteriorating. The she-wolves are being abused..assaulted. The infrastructure is falling apart. Jacob acts like a man possessed. His father John, is not much better. The Beta keeps himself separate…seldom seen. He lives in the family home, instead of the packhouse. So, Jacob relies heavily on the leader of the mercenaries. They are becoming organized..through intimidation and fear. As long as the fighters do as they are told..if not, they are punished! By whippings..starvation.. being forced to watch their families come to harm.”

I look at Marshal.. “Tell me.. what are the chances of kidnapping someone from that pack!? We know that Tyler is under an enchantment. If we can get a coded message to him.. and get him out of there. We could possibly help him..and, in turn, help us.” Marshal looks at Anthony, and we can tell they’re linking..”Alpha..we have several ex-military soldiers.. one of them we call ghost. If anyone can get in and out without detection, it would be him” and Jolene says “Do it! I have no feelings for Tyler..one way or another. But I adore my father..and he loves his son. If we can save him..then that’s what we do!”