Chapter 272: Reluctant Housemates
"They’re still staying in the packhouse, unfortunately," Milo said with a snort. "Our dear new Alpha here is too softhearted to throw them out onto the streets like my dad would’ve had."
"You wouldn’t?" I asked, the corner of my lips quirking up into a teasing grin.
"Oh, trust me, he would," Darach swiftly cut in before Milo could speak, chuckling when Milo rolled his eyes. "He was the one who questioned why they were still staying at the packhouse. Unlike you, he had the misfortune of running into Dahlia Elrod right upon entering Thunderstrike."
"Wasn’t that one of Alpha Burke’s conditions?" I asked, blinking in confusion. "I recall he specifically mentioned to keep your sister away from his son."
"It wasn’t planned," Milo explained. "And Dahlia Elrod happened to be out and about with some of her friends― it wasn’t in the packhouse."
"My sister hadn’t even known that Milo would be staying with us until she saw him with her own two eyes," Darach continued.
"Did she make a fuss?" I mused.
"Surprisingly, no," Darach answered.
"She was oddly quiet," Milo agreed. "It was quite a surprise since that’s not exactly the way she would usually react to things."
"I reckon she must be regretting her decision of rejecting you," Darach said. After all, she has no clue the power Hornstead has, and now that she isn’t the heir apparent of Thunderstrike, she has got nothing left. If she had decided to mate with you, she would’ve at least been the luna."
Instantly, Milo’s face darkened, storm clouds gathering across his features as he sneered.
"She’s nothing more than a vain, empty shell of a woman who is desperate for power," he said. "I see that so much more clearly now that the bond between us has been broken. It’s insane the sort of power it holds over a werewolf."
"That’s all the better," Darach said with a nod. "Who knows? You might even find your second chance mate soon."
"None of that for me for the foreseeable future," Milo said with a shake of his head. "I’ve already got my hands full watching over you. I have no time for a mate."
"Touching," Darach said, smiling widely. "Don’t let my sister hear that, though. With how vain she is, she might think it’s because you still can’t get over her."
"Why is she still staying at the packhouse anyway?" I asked, addressing Darach. "You did promise Alpha Burke to keep her far away from Milo."
"Thunderstrike is big on traditions," Darach said with a sigh. "There are people that are high in the ranks that I can’t replace. Unfortunately, they have petitioned to have my father and sister remain in the packhouse."
Darach scratched the back of his neck as we began to walk with Milo leading the way. It wasn’t long before we entered the familiar doors of the Thunderstrike packhouse― a mansion or a palace would’ve been a better description for it. Even all three of Fangborne’s packhouses combined together might not match up to this building that was to be my home for the unforeseeable future.
"I don’t know what it is that my father said to them," Darach continued, "but they’ve made it very clear that he needs to remain here."
"You’re the alpha," I pointed out. "How are they ordering you around?"
"Being the alpha doesn’t mean whatever you say goes," Milo said. "You have to take into account the suggestions, advice, and general requests of the pack, especially those that make up the leadership roles of the pack. Otherwise, the pack could easily divide and collapse."
Darach nodded. "And my father, unfortunately, has many who are still loyal to him occupying those roles. Until I can find a way to shake their influence and replace them with people loyal to me, they will have to stay in the packhouse."
"Dad already knows this," Milo said. "We explained it to him the day he sent me here."
"I doubt he’s too elated about this," I said, wincing.
"Downright pissed, you mean," Darach said.
"He was ready to haul me back to Hornstead when he caught sight of Dahlia Elrod," Milo recalled with a groan. "Thank the Goddess my mom wasn’t around. Otherwise, she might’ve even gone forward and physically fought with her."
The mental image of Luna Cassidy tossing hands with Dahlia Elrod brought a small smile of amusement to my face. It would’ve no doubt been entertaining to watch. Luna Cassidy might not be as young as Dahlia was, but she was by no means any weaker.
Dahlia might have the blood of an alpha running through her veins in addition to all the training she had received all her life — her muscles were evident of her hard work — but Luna Cassidy was still a luna.
As the highest-ranking leader of the pack, on par with the alpha, Luna Cassidy would best Dahlia easily.
"But fret not, Harper," Darach continued. We turned down the corridor and soon enough, the hallways of this grand estate started to grow more and more familiar. "This place is huge, and I’ve made sure to move their rooms to a corner of the mansion. My father and sister aren’t staying in their previous rooms, and the chances you’ll run into them outside of arranged mealtimes are little to none."
"They have a separate wing all to themselves," Milo said, chuckling deviously. "The worst one here, though that isn’t saying too much."
"Oh, but I doubt Dahlia is too happy about it," I said with a grin of my own.
"She made a fuss," Darach confessed, "but she was quickly shushed by my father. He, at least, knows to pick his battles. Having a roof over their heads is already a great mercy after all they’ve done."
An odd silence befell us as the atmosphere turned grim. Darach stared straight forward, his jaw clenched and tensed as he marched ahead without turning back or shifting his gaze.
"Darach," I asked, "do you feel... guilty, perhaps?"
