Game of Power Ch. 04

He reached over and took hold of the hand that was resting on her knee. He lifted it, brought it to his lips, and kissed softly.

She fought the simultaneous urges to growl and swoon. But she focused her attention on a more important matter.

"Someone is acting as Madam Alpha?"

"Yeah. Rebecca, a distant cousin from my mother's side. She knew the recovery process wasn't going well, so she stepped up. She never thought she had the Alpha instinct in her, but it just kinda appeared when she felt the need to do something to help."

"I assume she'll know enough to step down once I arrive."

Colton had the nerve to snort loudly, as if she had just told him a joke. "You assume wrong."

Her nostrils flared, "That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

"Airami, I would hope you'd be here for me. For us and what we can become. I want you to lead the pack with me. But you have to prove yourself before any of them are willing to accept you, let alone as Madam Alpha."

She crossed her arms over her chest like a spoiled child. How dare he! She had just relinquished the title of Duchess Alpha from one of the oldest and most powerful packs in the world! She was more than capable of handling any pack she wanted to; she had nothing to prove to anyone. She'd have a nice talk with this Rebecca when she arrived.

She unfolded her arms and decided to switch subjects, "What about your parents?"

He shrugged, "Residing happily with the pack; they're anxiously waiting for grandpups."

She ignored that last bit purposely.

"Was your father Sir Alpha any point before your uncle?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Dad had planned on it. My grandpa was Alpha before my uncle, Dad was next in line for it. He was ready to challenge Gramps, but then we had a visit from another pack. Mom and Dad found each other, but Mom was an Omega and had no interest in trying to become Alpha. My father backed out to settle down and have a family."

"Just like that? He gave up everything to be with her?" she questioningly scoffed.

"Just like that. Love makes you do crazy things, so I hear," he winked at her.

Airami rolled her eyes, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Yup, twin sisters. They're younger than I am. Abby and Chrissy."

"Are they mated?"

He chuckled, "God no. They're not old enough for Recognition. I'm dreading the day those two hellions decide that they're interested in boys."

She smirked, "I hate to break it to you. Just like you boys, we're interested in sex before mates. I was no longer a virgin by the time I was ready for Recognition."

Airami could have sworn his face paled, but he didn't comment.

"Are we even close?" She groaned, becoming annoyed with pine trees as her only scenery passing by.

"Very close. We hit pack territory a few miles back at-"

Even with the windows rolled up and the radio playing softly, her ears picked up a long howl that was soon followed by many others. The pack welcomed their Alpha home from afar.

A chill went down her spine. Her kind was all around them. But yet, she had never felt more alone. Her pack bond with the Windsors had already faded away to nothing. She could feel Daniel's presence, but it was barely a shadow of what it was. She couldn't reach out to him; the only thing she got out of the link was knowing he was alive.

"Man, it's good to be home. It feels like I've been gone forever. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again."

"How long were you away?"

"Three days."

"That's it?" Airami scoffed.

Her duties as Duchess Alpha and Council member required numerous trips around the world, visiting packs from all around the globe. Sometimes, she could be gone weeks before returning home.

"I don't leave the pack much. I traveled a lot when I was younger. My parents were all about me seeing the world, exploring my options. But I knew from the start I wanted to stay with the pack. After I became Alpha, I made sure I'm always around. It makes everyone feel safer and deters anyone who's up to no good."

He seemed dedicated enough. It wasn't easy to manage a pack who had been betrayed by a previous Alpha. There was a mess to settle after her own parents' death. She was too young to remember clearly, but she had been told of the struggles to put together the pack after the devastating loss.

Colton smiled as he rolled down the window. She watched as he propped his elbow on the door and stuck his upper half out the window. He raised his head to the heavens and howled back to them in response. The noise coming out of him was purely animalistic; it was something a human could never do. A chill traveled down her spine as his pack respond in kind.

Grinning, Colton slid back into his seat properly and sped up the truck over the rough terrain. The truck bounced over the unpaved road, and she could tell he was back in his element. He was dashing last night in his tuxedo. But he looked more comfortable in his jeans and long sleeve t-shirt. She was mated to a bumpkin and she was conflicted on her opinion of that.

Everything about him was so different.

Colton noticed her staring and grinned, "A few of the boys on border patrol were close enough to catch our scent. They know I have a female with me. They're rushing back to meet us in time."

"You didn't send word to them that I was coming back with you?"

He shook his head, "No, ma'am. I figured it would be better to be a surprise for everyone when they saw you. Mom is going to be over the moon when she finds out."

Closing her eyes, Airami inhaled deeply to calm herself. He clearly didn't understand anything. The last thing she wanted was to be greeted by a rapturous pack who would immediately want to know every detail about her. Meanwhile, she would know nothing of them. She had spent her entire life with her pack, knowing everything about them came easily. Now, she was an outsider and had to start learning all over again. This was royal pain the arse.

The forest they drove through began to thin. Pulling up over a hill, the forest abruptly ended to reveal acres of cleared land. A dirt path led them to the pack's dwelling area.

On the hilly terrain were many houses. It was approaching dusk, so many lights were on inside each building. Most had one or two panoramic window walls outlined with oversized timbers, while others had oversized glass plow walls. It seemed like every room offered an outside view with an oversized window. A stone chimney was present on each, some even having more than one. All the buildings ranged in size, but they were structured similarly. Multi-story houses constructed of logs made what looked to be a small town.

To anyone, the scene was breathtaking. But Airami had a different opinion.

"Well, aren't your little cabins quaint," she snickered.

Colton shrugged beside her, "I'm sorry if they're not up to your standards. I'll sleep alright in my little cabin if you want to spend your nights in the woods. It's up to you."

He smirked at her when Airami gave him a glare. She clucked her tongue and glanced out her window, watching many people start to trickle out of the homes. They grinned and waved to the truck, obviously happy to have Colton back from his trip.

"They're excited to see you. The pack link is going crazy with the news," Colton smiled.

"Why would they be excited? They don't even know me."

"All the more reason for them to find out who's the beautiful woman beside me." Colton answered, reaching over to take hold of her hand. He pulled her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist and then nipped at the sensitive skin.

"Stop that," she snapped, yanking her hand away from him.

He smiled sheepishly at her, "Sorry. I can't help myself around you."

"Well start trying," she growled.

She stayed quiet as Colton pulled up to the largest home. Its design was similar to all the others, but it was double the size. From what she could see, there were at least three levels. Unlike the other buildings, most of the windows were dark or had the shades pulled. This one was essentially bare of people compared to the others. She'd have to figure out why.

He mistook her silence for nervousness.

"You're going to do great. They're going to adore you."

"They will, trust me." She stated matter-of-factly, while flicking her hair over her shoulder.

Once the truck had stopped, Airami opened the door and elegantly slid out. She silently nodded acknowledgements to the pack members eagerly waving to her. But besides that, she paid them no mind. Her brain was overloaded with the scents of the strangers surrounding her.

She opened the backseat door and pondered the best course of action to get her bags out. She had no intention of doing it herself, but her usual Omega's were obviously not here. Giving orders already would have her come across as high-handed. That wouldn't be the best impression with this pack, who, at this very moment, were surveying her every move.

"Here, let me help you with that."

An older man's voice came from beside her. He gently shoo'ed her hands out of the way and began pulling bags out of the over-sized truck.

"Thank you." She said quietly, examining the stranger. His hair was a shade of lighter brown and beginning to gray at the temples. He wore a long-sleeved, plaid, button down shirt. The shirt was tucked into his blue jeans, which were covered in a dusting of dirt from thighs to knees. His black cowboy boots looked worn and filthy; they had certainly seen better days. He smiled at her while unloading her bags, his features were too similar to someone she already knew.

The truck bounced; Airami looked over her shoulder to see several men climbing onto the tailgate and beginning to remove the straps which were holding down her larger luggage. Colton came around from the back, kicking at the truck's back tire as he passed by. He smiled and patted the vehicle like it was his trusty steed.

Noticing the man beside her, Colton grinned, "Perfect! Airami, I'd like you to meet-"

"Your father," she interrupted him.

The older man chuckled softly as he pulled out one of her bags. He faced the couple and nodded with a smile. "James Crawford, at your service. Uncanny sense of smell you got there."

She shook her head and smiled politely, "I can barely scent the resemblance. Both of you have the same jawline and eye shape."

Besides, his scent was masked by the reek of barn more than anything else.

"Tell Mom we'll be down for dinner. I want to get Airami set up and comfortable more than anything else," Colton informed the older man.

His father chuckled, "I'll try to hold her back for as long as I can, but I can't promise anything." He looked back to Airami, "My mate experienced the same thing when she switched packs. It's not easy at first. Anyone who says it is, they're lying. We're here if you need anything."

Airami didn't expect a sentiment like that. Everyone told her she was supposed to be thrilled to have found her mate. This man, an outsider, was the first to let her know her negative feelings were okay, even expected. It was such a small thing and yet the change it made in her perception of the situation wasn't. Her world had changed again with a suddenness that robbed her of speech.

Taking hold of her hand, Colton led Airami away and up the steps of the front porch. He turned to face his gathering pack, placed their joined hands on the railing, and grinned widely, "I hope none of you are too upset with me. I thought it would be a much better surprise not to tell anyone until we got here. I'd like to introduce all of you to my mate, Airami Windsor."

Elated gasps came from many. They cheered and applauded for their Alpha's good fortune. The number of people who had managed to gather in a matter of minutes was outstanding. Daniel hadn't been lying, this pack was definitely larger than the Windsor's.

Airami cleared her throat and smiled coyly at the crowd, "I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you. With my experience and Colton's strength, I know the Crawford pack will become stronger than ever."

Horse shit. This entire place smelled of horse shit.

As much as she wanted to cover her nose and retreat inside to hopefully escape the dreadful stench, she put on a show. She wrapped her free hand around Colton's waist and closed the space between them. She laid her cheek against his chest and felt the rhythm of his heart beat. The weight of his arm laid over her shoulders and his lips pressed themselves onto the top of her head.

She wished this was real. She didn't want it to be a fictitious display. She wanted to pretend that her pretending was authentic. She wanted to be in love and experience euphoric bliss to have her mate, but it wasn't how she felt.

Colton addressed his pack again, "I'm going to keep my mate to myself for a little longer. We'll be down for dinner, which I have a good guess everyone will want to be at. We all can take the night off, just be sure everything on the ranch is secure and safe until morning."

If they weren't already thrilled that Colton brought a mate home, they were after hearing their work was done for the day.

Airami unwound herself from around his body and tried to slide her hand out from his. But Colton's grip wouldn't release her.

"Let me at least bring you to our room. I like, well, this." Colton smiled down at her, motioning to their interlocked fingers.

She sighed, "Lead the way."

He pushed up the front door, revealing the house to be dark inside. With his free hand, he reached over to the panel on the wall to flick the lights on. While the interior was nothing compared to the Windsor Estate, it was quaint. Everything was clean and neat inside, almost too much. It was as if no one had been here to make a mess.

"Explain to me why it looks no one lives here?"

Colton looked puzzled, "Why would you say that? Plenty of wolves live here."

She gestured to the living area they walked by, "Whether they're Windsors or Crawfords, wolves make a room look like a tornado came through. And unless your cleaning Omegas are around the clock, a sitting room wouldn't look this intact."

"Oh, I see what you mean. The Alpha pair, most Betas, and any humans discovered as mates live here. Besides sleeping at night, we don't spend much of our day in here. But c'mon, our room is up on the third floor."

As she followed him, the clicking of her heels echoed on the wood floor. He was in front of her, still eagerly dragging her along by the hand. She wasn't surprised to discover the slim staircase was also made out of wood. She lazily dragged her fingers along the bannister, content to see a lack of dust on her fingers when she examined them. The cleaning wolves were capable of doing their job correctly.

After reaching the top of the first flight of stairs, they ascended up another set to the third floor. Colton continued to flick light switches as they went, illuminating the once dark building.

"Any particular reason no one keeps the lights on?" Airami questioned the strange behavior.

"If no one is here, why waste electricity? I don't know how things are for the Windsor Pack, but this one has an electric bill to pay. We're financially stable, but we don't own the electric company."

This entire place was strange to her. This wasn't going to be as much of a smooth transition as she hoped. She hated to admit it, but she had a lot to learn on how the Crawford Pack operated.

Up the second flight of stairs, the couple reached the third floor. Colton reached for the first door on their right and held it open for her. He finally released her hand, which she hastily pulled back to her side. She entered the room, nearly overwhelmed by the aroma of his scent. If he wasn't the most delicious smelling male, she didn't know who was. She shook the thought from her head and examined what was to be her new room.

"Well? What do you think?"

"At least it's not in a stable."

He laughed softly, "Oh c'mon. The horses aren't that bad."

"They shit where they sleep," she sneered.

Being raised with horses, Airami was a very talented equestrian. Being in the saddle came naturally to her. The issue was their complete lack of sense when it came to dropping their waste. Doing it whenever and wherever they had to urge disgusted her. Her wolf was an animal just as a horse was, but the she-wolf had enough sense not to go to the bathroom in her own bed.

The Alpha bedroom was considerably smaller than her suite with the Windsor Pack. But that was expected when your family lineage reached back to the time of Edward the Confessor.

The room wasn't all that bad, she supposed. Overall, it reminded her of a lodge she stayed at during some resort weekend trip.

The floor and ceiling were hardwood; the floor was stained darker than the ceiling. The walls were completely covered in an assortment of stones. Varying in size, shape, and color, they created an uneven texture. At first glance, she thought it was tacky but her wolf was comfortable. She realized, it gave her the feeling of being outdoors even though she was inside.

All the furniture was a dark brown shade, from the bureau, the bed frame, and the ottoman at the bed's foot. Airami moved to the bureau and ran a hand over the smooth door. Her fingers paused to trace the intricate design etched onto the side of each door.

"Mahogany?"

"No, pine. I stained it after I was done. Everything's made with the lumber from the pack's forest. Only thing growing around here is different species of pine."

"You made this?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, turning her head to look at Colton.

"Sure did. I've made nearly everything in this room. My father taught me when I was young. It's something I like to do when I have some spare time."

Airami gave him a small smile. She didn't understand what made him so happy when the pack could just buy everything. She had never even made a birdhouse. But she had never seen anyone so passionate about making... furniture. Seeing him happy gave her the same kind of feeling. Maybe it was a good sign?

Colton walked to the opposite side of the bed and sat down on the edge. He allowed himself to fall backwards and sprawled his arms across the bed. His eyes slipped closed and he groaned softly, "It's going to feel so good to sleep in my own bed again."

An idea struck her. Now was the best time to test his limits. She was curious to see how much it would take to get her way with him.

"And where am I supposed to sleep?" Airami questioned him, while crossing her arms over her chest.

Colton's eyes opened and the confusion was evident on his face. He answered slowly, "In here. On the bed. With me?"

She scoffed, "Oh no. I don't think so. I don't share where I sleep with a man I'm not mated with."

Colton sat up on the bed and turned to face her. The confusion was evident on his face and by the tone of his voice. "What? Airami, you're my mate just as much as I'm yours."

"Absolutely not. Until we're physically mated, I have morals I must abide by. So again, where am I supposed to sleep? I can assure you it's not going to be on that couch." She sternly told him while disapprovingly pointing to the brown, leather sofa that was besides the bed.

He smirked at her, "We can easily fix your problem. If you're in a rush, I can have you mated in just a few minutes. Just tell me when to start."

She rolled her eyes and sarcastically answered, "As tempting as that offer sounds, I have to decline."

He frowned, "I don't understand why you keep on fighting this. I know you feel everything the same way I do."

"That's besides the point."

"No. It's the entire point." Colton softly corrected her. He pushed himself off the bed and came around to stand in front of her. Airami eyed him cautiously, but didn't protest. He unwound her arms that were still crossed and took hold of one of her hands.