Emma popped her head into my bedroom door as I was getting dressed.
“I’m going to help Diane prepare lunch for everyone. She’s closed all the blackout shades in the main house, except for the ballroom, so you can move freely when you finish your call,” she informed me.
“Thank you, Emma,” I said, and she left the apartment.
I dressed quickly, headed to the small office inside our hidden blackout apartment, and flipped on the light switch before sitting at the desk.
I dialed Alpha Clovis in a video call. I needed him to see the urgency of the situation. I know he wouldn’t deny me anything if he could help it, but one hundred-plus rogues crossing pack territory was a big ask.
After two rings, he picked up, “Gabriel, old friend, what can I do for you?”
He was clearly at his training field.
“How did you know I need something?” I laughed.
“Video call. That’s where you give me the pleading eyes,” he chuckled as he walked outside of the training arena to step into the edge of his forest nearby.
My voice somber, I began, “I’ve got a big ask, Clovis. It’s a serious situation, and you might be the only person that can help us.”
“Does this have to do with the 116 rogues we can scent about a mile from our eastern border?”
Alpha Clovis was a bright man with strong senses and a keen awareness of all that happened around his territory.
“It does,” I started, “I’m up at the ranch in Montana. It’s no longer mine. I’ve given the entire thing to Alpha Tristan Martin and his Luna Jane Martin. Jane is my new feeder, and Tristan needed his own pack.”
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“Tristan Martin? Ah, yes, I remember the boy. He was an intelligent kid when I met him. Hates his father. We have that in common, so I liked him right away. He’s Alpha in Montana now, eh? And your feeder is a Luna?” he asked curiously.
I answered, “Yes. The million-acre ranch I paid in the contract is now his pack territory. When we’re all settled, he’ll be inviting all the North American Alphas to introduce the new pack.
“But the rogues near your border are his pack. They left Alpha MacKenzie to join Alpha Tristan. Tristan’s Beta is Avery MacKenzie.”
Clovis let out a low whistle, “You really took on a big project this time, Gabriel. A huge crowd of treasonous wolves on the run from Alphas Martin and MacKenzie. I’m sure you know there’s going to be a war from this.”
“We’re all aware, but there’s a good reason. The Alphas in question threatened Tristan and Avery’s true mates to reject them. He intended to mate Tristan and Avery to each other. Tristan’s mate, Jane, ended up in my forest near death. If I had been even three or four minutes later, she would have died.
“She’d been whipped near to death, Clovis. Martin had beaten them both, and still, they would not reject each other. He hung Tristan from some gallows to force her to reject him before they rogued her and threw her into my forest. I’m sure he believed I would scent the blood and finish her off for him.”
Clovis’s stern expression turned angry as I spoke.
“Say no more, Gabriel. We’ll let them through. I’m glad to hear that Tristan and Jane are mated and safe in Montana.”
I nodded, “As am I. Thank you, Clovis. I owe you one.”
Clovis waved his hand in the air as if it were nothing, “Martin whipped and hung his own son, did he? Not honoring the mating bond is bad enough, but treating his only child like that is unforgivable.”
“I’ll tell border patrol to get them a few miles inside the border now, and Saranya and I will go to meet them. We’ll escort them to the pack house and give them lodging and meals so they can rest safely before we send them on their way to you. I’ll even provide them an escort if necessary to make it to Montana without incident.”
“I’m grateful,” I said truthfully.
“We all have a responsibility to this world, Gabriel, as you know. If a war is coming, Alpha Tristan and his pack have my full support,” he assured me, and then we hung up the call.
I texted Tristan, “All is well. Alpha Clovis escorting pack to pack house for rest before helping them on to you. Tell them to meet border patrol at the border ASAP.”
“Thank you, Gabriel,” he messaged back immediately.