Leader of the Pack

Leader of
the Pack

Francesca Hawley

Yohana
Whitewolf
paced Serena
Goldwolf’s
office, barely containing her irritation and
impatience. Between the flu plague sweeping through most of Denver and the
pressure from her pack to provide an heir,
Yohana
was
ready to kill something.

She knew the only way to prevent the
pack from splintering was to find a Mate and soon, so she stayed in the
deserted office. Her sire had died only six months ago, leaving her with the
task of consolidating her pack leadership. A Mate and a pup were distractions
to the vital work she must do. Still, she needed to placate the pack or it would
disintegrate. She couldn’t allow that to happen and had a duty to prevent it.
Plus, she’d made a promise to Jeremiah—her father.

Yo
restrained her annoyance because most of Serena’s staff at
the
shapeshifter
match service Predator-Match.com was
out with the flu, leaving them short-handed. The flu was sweeping through the
Whitewolf
pack too, so she could relate. Serena rushed into
the room, flopping into her chair.
Yohana
smiled
reluctantly at her longtime friend.

“I think I need roller skates today,
Yo
. I am
so
sorry I’ve kept you waiting. There
are just two of us in the office and of course we couldn’t reach people to
cancel.” Serena groaned.

“I don’t think your Mate would
approve of a female in your condition on roller skates.”
Yohana’s
dry response elicited a laugh from Serena. Serena patted her baby bump.

“Maybe not, but I still could use
some skates.”

Yohana
sat, fondly remembering how she used to
pupsit
Serena years ago. They had remained friends and were like sisters in many ways
because they were both only children and daughters of pack leaders.

The biggest difference between them,
other than height, was that Serena had no interest in following her father as
pack leader. She was happy being the Alpha Female allowing her Alpha Male True
Mate, Damien, to lead their burgeoning family. Leading the
Whitewolf
pack was all
Yohana
had ever wanted. She felt a deep
commitment to guide and serve the members of her pack so they could all
prosper. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“You aren’t here for lunch,
Yo
.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you
made an appointment with me.
Are you finally going to let me put your profile together to help you hunt for
a Mate?”

“I don’t want to
hunt
for a
Mate. I need to
find
one.”
Yo
couldn’t stay in
the chair any longer, so she rose to pace again.

Serena frowned. “
Find
one?”
She pulled a pad of paper to her. “Okay, what’s going on and what do you want
in a Mate?”

“My pack is what’s going on. They
want a pack leader with a stable Mate and me pregnant as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, they’ve been rumbling about my
cousin Dan taking over if I can’t do what’s necessary. I’m looking for a male
wolf
who
won’t fight me for my pack.”

“Oh,
Yo
,
I’m sorry.” Serena started to get up but
Yohana
waved
her back.

If someone hugged her, she’d break
down and start crying.
Yo
just didn’t have time to
let her emotions overwhelm her right now. “I know. I appreciate your concern.”

“You want a Beta then?” Serena
blinked tears from her eyes, starting to type into her computer database.

“I do, but every pack member I’ve
asked about this doesn’t. They want me Mated to an Alpha.” Serena’s raised her
gaze and her mouth dropped open, prompting a wry laugh from
Yohana
.
“Yes, I know. Finding an Alpha not interested in running a pack is as likely as
finding a needle in a haystack, but
find
him we must.
I want a male who has a commitment elsewhere.”

“
Elsewhere?
”

“I don’t mean another female.”
Yo
shuddered. “Worried or not, the pack would never accept
a male with another relationship. I mean an obsession with his career or a
hobby.
Something other than
my
pack.”

“You aren’t making this easy.”

“Life is hard. Even harder than
finding a Mate obsessed with something other than dominating a pack, I want a
male who is tall enough to look me in the eyes, not the tits. I’m six feet
tall, so I don’t want a short wolf. I’ve known some wonderful males who are
short, but it won’t work for me to take one as a Mate. The
Whitewolf
pack will expect my Mate to be able to act as my enforcer if the need arises.”

“Some short males are extremely
muscular and physical.”

“True. But when I date males who
aren’t as tall as me, I seem to pick the ones who feel they need to prove
something. I don’t choose well, which is why I’m here. I want a male with
interests elsewhere and nothing to prove to anybody.”

“Every stipulation you add limits
the pool.”

“I know, but I need to be
Mated
soon.”

“Why?”

“I’ll go into heat Friday or
Saturday, and I want to get pregnant right away. It will ease the pressure if
they know there is a new generation on the way.”

Serena shook her head. “Okay. What
else? Let’s get everything out on the table.”

Yohana
sighed as she paused by the window, crossing her arms over
her ample bosom. Some females with her height looked like movie stars or fashion
models, but
Yo
was built more along the lines of a
linebacker. She was definitely her sire’s daughter. She glanced down.
Correction, her sire’s daughter with her mother’s udders.

“He’s got to be able to Mate me. If
I leave him cold, he won’t be able to impregnate me.”
Yohana
glanced at Serena. “I know I’m no beauty queen. My features are too strong to
be considered pretty or beautiful, and I’m not built like a model. Don’t match
me up with a male who wants a gorgeous female to grace his bed.”

“Someone
who’ll lie back and think of
Whitewolf
?”
Serena teased.

“Something
like
that. In fact, if he wants a limited Mating, I’d accept it. My pack will be
happy if I make the effort and produce a pup. Once those criteria are complete,
any male I Mate can be free.”

“
Yo
, you
are a good person and you deserve more than that.”

“Maybe, but
not now.
Later.”

“What about a True Mate?”

“Lord, no! I’m not looking for a
True Mate. My attention will be on the pack and my pup. I’m not going to have
time for some male who wants to
bond
and
share
with me.” She
shivered.

“I used to think it would be awful,
but I was wrong. You might be wrong too.”

“Unlikely. Right now I don’t have
time to hold out for the ideal. I need Mr. Right-Now. Not Mr. Right.”

“I’ll see if I can find him for you.
Any clan preferences?”

“
Whitewolf
or
Goldwolf
…
Redwolf
at the
outside since a
Redwolf
pack lives near us too.” She
frowned. “Our entire pack is fair. It would disturb them to have a dark-haired
heir. Still, I’ll take what I can get.”

“Noted.
Do you want your Mate to live in
Whitewolf
or here in the city?”

“He can maintain an apartment here
in Denver if needed, and just come home at the weekend after he’s planted a
pup.”

Serena opened her mouth to say
something more but stopped. She slowly nodded then bowed her head.

Yohana
could tell her friend disapproved but was restraining
herself because of the situation. She walked over to Serena, setting a hand on
her wrist. “Serena, I know this is unpleasant, but I don’t have any options right
now. My pack needs this from me.”

“They expect a horrible sacrifice
and it isn’t fair.”

“Being a pack leader demands
sacrifices, and since when has life been fair?”
Yohana
sat down in the chair.

Serena shook her head, finally
lifting her blazing green eyes. “You are a special female and you should be
appreciated, not pressured.”

Yo
smiled sadly. “Is that what you think they’re doing?”

“Yes.”

“You are judging them by your view
of your own father. But, Serena, all they really want is stability and safety.
If having a pup will give them that, I can’t deny them.”

Serena shook her head.

“I need them to relax so I can… With
Father so recently gone…” Her throat closed and she covered her eyes, fighting
tears. She shook her head and looked up at her friend. “Find me a Mate.
Please.”

* * * * *

Serena leaned back in her chair,
rubbing tears from her eyes.
Yohana
was a good person
and the
Whitewolf
pack didn’t deserve her if they
couldn’t see that. She turned back to the computer, running the request through
her database but finding no matches. Today was Monday, so she didn’t have much
time, but there was no way she could fail
Yohana
. She
had
to keep looking.

“Serena, the next appointment is
here.” The voice of Serena’s cousin Kara startled her. She’d been hunting in
their database for nearly an hour, but still hadn’t found the right male for
Yohana
.

“
Serena
.” Kara sounded
panicked, which meant there was an Alpha Male out in the lobby. Serena rolled
her eyes. Kara was an Omega wolf so Alpha Males scared her silly.

“Send him in, Kara.” Serena stood
awkwardly, relieved she could still get to her feet. She could feel her body
change almost hourly with pregnancy, but it was a joy. When the door opened,
Kara led in an extremely tall male. He easily stood six foot five and he was
well muscled.
Good-looking too, with long, wavy, golden hair
and icy-blue eyes.
If she didn’t already have a True Mate, this wolf
would tempt her. She’d love to run her fingers through that long hair.

Serena looked briefly at the
appointment notes her partner Lea
Redcat
had written.
Dr.
Per
Goldwolf
, general
surgeon, was looking for a Mate and wanted to find one as soon as possible. Lea
had scribbled a note to herself to find out why. Serena crossed the room as
Kara ducked out the door as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. She held
out her hand. Per took it in his very large, warm hands, brushing a light kiss
on her knuckles. How very European.