Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Chapter 57 Guilt
At pack dinner, Conri gave the same speech he delivered to the training group to make sure everyone knew about the potential new pack members
Davie was at dinner. Thea sat next to him to talk shop. Over the past month, Davie visited the pack more than he ever had. He felt responsible for putting Thea in the position to get attacked, and his guilt made him go above and beyond during her recovery. He brought her treats and gifts every time he visited.
She was adamant that he wasn’t responsible, and it would’ve happened one way or another, probably in a worse way. He was too traumatized from seeing her bleeding out on the forest floor to believe her
Thea wouldn’t let her injuries slow the plans for the bar. Davie took over the legwork, procuring the site and getting clean-up and renovations underway. A few weeks back, he brought the interior decorator, Jane, to talk with Thea. They met at the coffee shop in the pack’s little village and Jane got a feel for what Thea wanted. She had been emailing her ever since with ideas to approve or disapprove.
“We’re getting the decor dialed in,” Thea said.
“Jane thinks we’ll have it finalized in the next week.”
“I fast-tracked the parking lot expansion,” Davie said.
“Quality won’t suffer, don’t worry. We’re just jumping the line a bit.”
“If I wasn’t so tired and I didn’t want this so bad,I might put up a fight,” Thea said.
“I know. I am absolutely taking advantage of that.”
Alaric chuckled next to Thea. Conri and Kai smiled. They continued silently caressing Thea.
“It’s probably time to start hiring and training staff, putting the menu together, then we can advertise the opening and events shortly after,” Davie said.
“I think I want to hire security first,” Thea said. “I want to know my staff and clientele will be completely safe. Then the manager next.”
“There are a few managers of restaurants and bars we could poach. They’ve proven they’re competent and run things according to your ideals. I could discreetly talk to them and see if they’re interested in making a change.”
“Will we be making enemies by poaching?” Thea said.
“It’s an expected part of business,” Davie said.
Thea eyed him and sighed. “Okay. What about— ”
“I’ll look into security companies. You’re back in school?”
“As of today. There’s a month left.”
“So meetings and interviews will need to be after school?”
“For the next month Or weekends.”
“Do you have people in mind as servers, bartenders, cooks, cleaners?”
“I do, but I don’t know if it will be enough to staff us completely, and they may not be ready in time, They can be options down the road.” She thought the new pack members might want a job outside the pack lands. They could make their own money and begin to feel autonomous.
“Okay. If we get the manager first, he can take care of that.”
“Oh, right. That’s kind of the point, huh?”
Davie laughed. “Yes. He’ll probably have people he wants to poach, and he’ll have experience in hiring staff regardless.”
“Perfect. I will defer to your expertise. I don’t know that my brain is functioning optimally yet.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Davie said, “Alphas.” He bowed his head, then left
The next day at school, Garret Knight found the group at lunch.
“My father would like to talk to the she-wolves involved,” Garret said. “I know they won’t want me to approach them, being his brother.”
“I talked to some yesterday, and they’re willing to talk to your dad,” Thea said. “Is it okay if I accompany them? You’re right. The fear is strong.”
“Yes. My father requested you be there. Do you think you could bring them to our pack tomorrow after school?” Garret said.
Thea thought. “They may feel more comfortable in a neutral location. Would your father be willing to come to New Dawn?”
“Can I have him call your Alpha this afternoon?”
“Absolutely. If that’s amenable, we can take the girls home with us from school tomorrow, yeah?”
Thea looked at the triplets.
They nodded.
“I’m going to spread the word,” Thea said. She stood up and went around the cafeteria. She sat next to each girl who said they’d come forward to Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
Alpha Knight
“Will you come home with me tomorrow after school? It’s time to get Xavier’s title taken away,” she whispered in each of their ears.
They all nodded.
“If anyone else wants to come, especially if they want to talk to Alpha Knight, spread the word. Meet me at my locker right after sixth hour starts tomorrow.”
They talked to Alpha Ulric when they got home from school. Alpha Knight called shortly after. They worked out the meeting.
The next day, Wednesday, the bell rang to start sixth hour. Thea, the triplets, and Thea’s Delta team guards waited by her locker. Girls began congregating around them. Several more she wolves came along with those she talked to the day before, including a higher-ranking member of Xavier Knight’s pack. She recognized her as hanging around Garret Knight. Thea pulled her aside.
“You’re in Moonlit Pack, right?” Thea said softly.
The girl nodded.
“What’s your name?” Thea said.
“Brenda Bleiz.”
“Are you dating Garret Knight?”
The girl nodded, and tears poured out her eyes.
“This was recent, wasn’t it?”
Her face said it all.
“Xavier wanted to hurt Garret. Garret doesn’t know yet, does he?” Thea said.
Brenda shook her head.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Brenda said. “We’re all powerless to do anything by ourselves.”
Thea squeezed her shoulder. She walked back to the group.
“Is this everyone?” Thea said.
“I think so,” one of the girls said.
“We’ll wait two more minutes.”
One more girl timidly walked toward them. Thea motioned for her to join them.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Thea said to her. “You can come and watch. Speak if you feel up to it.”
Thea had the rest of Delta team waiting outside the school to escort the group to New Dawn.
On the walk there, Thea sensed someone following them. They didn’t give off a scent. They stayed out of sight, but she felt a presence. Female, she was pretty sure. She also sensed goodness and fear in her. She figured it was another she-wolf who had been abused, heard about New Dawn, but was leery.
She got some paper and a pen out from the bag on Alaric’s back, wrote her number on it, then dropped it. She could contact her when she felt safe.
The triplets mind linked their dad and told him they’d need a bigger room than his office. He told them to go to one of their ballrooms.