** Donovan POV **
Donovan lay in bed, his mind full of stray thoughts. A lot had happened in the last few days. He had found his mate, learned that Victoria was deceiving him, and the pack's finances were being syphoned away. Bonding with Keira had truly been a blessing in disguise, even though he was against it from the start.
Thanks to Keira, the pack was slowly stabilizing. Families were out of the hotel rooms, whether they were staying at the pack house or at the furnished homes; it was good to have everyone together. The number of complaints had been greatly reduced. Through the bond he shared with the pack, Donovan could tell that everyone was a lot happier.
However, as much as Keira was helping, Donovan wasn't sure if Keira was planning on staying. She hadn't said anything else about her cousin. Now that he was alive, was she planning on leaving the pack to look for him?
What of that rogue that they encountered on their trip? What of him?
'The full moon is a few weeks away,' Nolan pipped in. 'When will you speak to Keira?'
Donovan sighed heavily. 'I'll speak to her as soon as I can. We have a lot more pressing matters to deal with.'
'More pressing than becoming impotent?' Nolan asked.
'We haven't caught the culprit who has been stealing from us,' Donovan replied. 'I just found out that the pack hasn't been paid in over two years, and Keira wants to have the territory mapped out.
'We need to look into our businesses. I'm not sure how much income is coming in. Victoria was in charge of handling that. I'm afraid she might have stolen from the income as well.'
Nolan pouted. 'Just don't forget about it.'
'I won't,' Donovan promised.
The next morning, Donovan woke. Keira was still asleep, her dark curls fanned out against the pillow. One arm was flung across his chest, her fingers loosely curled, her breath a gentle against his skin. Her lips were parted slightly, and a stray strand of hair clung to her cheek.
He shifted, just barely, careful not to disturb her. Her eyelids fluttered, a faint frown creasing her brow for a moment before smoothing out again. Donovan couldn't resist. He lifted a hand, his thumb gently brushing the hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.
A low hum escaped her, and then her eyes slowly opened. They blinked once, twice, focusing on him, and a slow smile bloomed across her face.
"Morning," she mumbled, her voice husky with sleep.
"Morning," he whispered back. He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Slept well?"
She stretched, her body arching against his, a soft moan escaping her lips.
"Like log," she murmured, her eyes still half-closed. She snuggled closer, her face burrowing into his shoulder.
Donovan tightened his arm around her, pulling her even closer. The sunlight was growing brighter now, painting the room in soft golds. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
"Why don't we stay in bed?" Keira muttered.
Donovan chuckled softly. "I wish, but we have a lot of things to do."
Keira groaned. "I know."
Donovan leaned forward and gave her another kiss on the forehead.
Keira groaned again and sat up. "Fine, I'll go get ready."
Donovan eased himself out of bed. He moved to the dresser, pulling out a crisp blue shirt and dark jeans. As he waited for Keira, his mind began to sift through the day's agenda. Today was the day he would ask the pack about the missing pay, followed by asking for volunteers to help Keira with the mapping of the territory, and then finally, meetings with contractors. A lot to do, indeed.
When Keira came out of the bathroom, he went in to shower and get ready for the day.
*
The mess hall was busy as usual. Keira was already sitting with two plates of food. When she saw him, she waved him over.
"Come eat," she said, taking a bite of her bread. "The meeting is starting in 30 minutes, so the mess hall will be cleaned up a bit early today."
Donovan nodded and ate quickly. Lorraine and a few other pack members began putting the extra food away. Once he was done, Donovan stood.
"I'll be back," he said to Keira. "I need to grab a few things at the office."
Keira nodded and waved goodbye. He hurried to the office and met Marcus, who was also headed that way.
"Alpha," Marcus greeted.
"Marcus," Donovan replied.
"I spoke to all the contractors," Marcus began. "They all confirmed their participation for this afternoon's meeting."
"Good," Donovan said as they entered the office building and headed upstairs.
Donovan grabbed his folders needed for the meeting today and went back to the mess hall. Marcus followed behind him. Along the way, Antoine and Montego also joined them. When their group arrived, the mess hall was almost full.
"We'll need a bigger place soon," Marcus muttered.
Donovan nodded and made his way to the front, where Keira was waiting. He waited a few more minutes before beginning. He finally cleared his throat, the sound a low rumble that instantly commanded attention.
"Thank you for your patience," he began, his voice steady. He waited a beat, letting the last of the whispers die down. "Before we begin with our agenda, I… I have something of importance to address."
A ripple went through the crowd. This wasn't the usual pack meeting opening.
Donovan took a deep breath, the scent of pine and damp earth that always clung to the pack house seeming to deepen his resolve. "I have recently uncovered a grave injustice within our pack," he stated, his eyes locking with no one in particular, yet somehow meeting everyone's gaze. "An injustice that has gone on for far too long, and for which I, as your Alpha, must take full responsibility."
He saw the flicker of surprise, then confusion, on many faces. A few curious glances shot toward Keira.
"It has come to my attention," Donovan continued, his voice hardening with a quiet fury, "that many of you have not received your rightful pay for… for close to two years."
A gasp, then a collective murmur, louder this time, like a sudden gust of wind. Hands flew to mouths, eyes widened in disbelief and dawning anger. Two years? How could such a thing happen?
"I understand your shock, your anger," Donovan said, holding up a hand to quell the rising protests. "And believe me, it pales in comparison to my own. I have learned that the funds allocated for your tireless work… were not disbursed. This is unacceptable."
His gaze finally landed on a group of younger wolves, their faces pale and drawn, a look of grim confirmation in their eyes. They had been struggling, and now he knew why.
"Though this duty fell on the shoulders of Victoria, who was entrusted with these responsibilities," he continued, his voice firm, "the ultimate blame rests with me. I appointed her. I trusted her. And I failed to oversee her actions. For that, I am sorry."
He bowed his head. "I promise you, from this moment forward, this will be corrected. Every single outstanding payment will be made good, with interest, and within the shortest possible timeframe. And Victoria… Victoria will answer for her betrayal."
Keira's hand subtly reached for his arm.
"Alpha Donovan," a voice spoke up from the crowd.
Donovan looked up and saw Lorraine standing.
"It's my fault as well," she said, her voice clear for everyone to hear. "I urged everyone to stay silent, knowing that the pack was having financial issues. Many of the pack members didn't want to add to your burden."
A murmur of agreement rose in the crowd. Lorraine took her seat once more.
"Yes, Alpha," one of the pack members called out.
"It's our fault as well," another chimed in.
Donovan held up his hand to stop more members from speaking out. "I do not blame any of you. We will distribute the missing funds as soon as possible."
"Secondly, Keira is in need of volunteers," Donovan continued. "As everyone is aware, this territory was given to the pack by King Richard. In order for our pack to function properly, we need the territory to be mapped. This will allow Keira and me to create accurate patrol routes and security points.
"With the Task Force disbanded, the duty of hunting and taking care of the rogues in the area falls to our pack."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Donovan motioned for Keira to take over.
"Alright, everyone," Keira announced. She held up a makeshift map. "This is our next step for true stability. We map our borders."
A she wolf by the name of Lyra leaned in. "How precise are we talking, Luna? We know our territory."
"Knowing and recording are different," Keira countered, tapping a finger against the map. "We need to understand the vulnerabilities, the natural barriers, the choke points. We align our patrols with these features, not just with a general sense of 'here and there'."
"I have a general idea where the internal border will be placed," Keira continued. "But with the river and the mountain range close by, we need to make sure those areas are closely monitored. Once I have selected an assistant, I will need volunteers."
"I will leave flyers for the assistant selection at the pack house," Keira continued. "Anyone who is interested can apply."
Donovan waited for Keira to finish her speech before he walked up. The pack meeting wasn't done yet, there were a few more things that needed to bea ddressed.