Lakota It is just me and Lance left in my office; I am still trying to wrap my head around everything I heard. Romano is a Grizzly Bear, he is related to Darrius, and he is Josy's fated Mate. I stare at the journals he left behind; he wants Mylana to use them to teach our youngsters, and I have to contact Armas to tell him about Night Shade Pack. If Jazzy's former Mate is behind this, I need to take this battle to his doorstep. I won't allow him to cause mayhem here, and I will make sure the rest of his Pack knows to stay away from us. "Why don't we start with calling Armas?" Lance interrupts my thoughts, and I nod my head as I walk over to my desk; the sooner I get this call out of the way, the better it will be. "Alpha Lakota—" I don't let him finish his sentence. "Night Shade Pack murdered an entire Bear shifter family to get access to a journal that contains information about the entrance to our hidden territory," I say, and I hear him mutter "Fuck" under his breath before he looks at me again."How can you be sure they were Bear shifters?" He asks, and I tell him about Romano, Ivan and Malik. "We think it might be Jazzy's former Mate and his Alpha that are behind this. I can't think of anyone else who would be willing to take it this far, to kill an entire family to get that information," I state. I know I have permission to wage war on Jazzy's former Pack, but I also know that there is no one capable of running that Pack, and I wouldn't know what to do with so many new Pack-members. Jazzy also doesn't trust most of them to keep the hidden territory a secret, not with the loophole we found, and I won't risk the safety of my Pack-members. "I just can't handle so many new Pack-members, and I believe Jazzy when she says that most of them won't be able to keep this to themselves," I continue, and I see Armas looking at someone on the other side of his laptop. It takes a few moments before he starts smiling, and I wonder what he has for me. "A neighboring Alpha wants to expand his territory, and he is willing to take in anyone that is willing; he is a fair Alpha but not one you want to cross. Ask Jazzy to write down the names of those she trusts and leave the rest to the new Alpha," he finally says, and he gives me the information of the neighboring Alpha before we say goodbye. I link my Dad because I want his advice on what to tell Alpha Mauro; he will want to know why I don't want to take every Pack-member with me. "Jazzy, I need you to make a list of members from your former Pack that would fit in here and that can keep the hidden territory a secret," She tells me she will have the list ready in an hour. Dad walks in with Kobal and Argos; I gesture towards the sitting area and the three of them sit down. "Dad, Romano's family was murdered a few days before he collapsed in the diner," I tell them why they were murdered and by whom; I also tell them who I believe is behind it all. "I am going to take this battle to their doorstep. They want that location to get to Jazzy, and if they find out that there are three members of that family still living, they will come for them too," I say. Argos roars when he hears that they might come after Romano, Ivan and Malik; Kobal tries to calm him down, and it only seems to anger him more. "Uncle Kobal, they are after my family, and I will help Alpha Lakota to take them down," He growls, and we all look at him, a little confused by his words. "Romano is Josy's fated Mate, Uncle Kobal," He states, and I know that Kobal, Cian and Jahi will be right by his side. I explain to them what Armas told me; that I want to know what to tell Alpha Mauro and that I need to decide if I call him up front or not. "Let me handle that phone call; we know one another. I will tell him we don't want all the Pack-members to join because of Jazzy; I doubt she will mind," Dad says, and I hand him the information I wrote down. Dad put the phone on speaker before he punches the numbers, and after the third ring the phone gets answered. "Alpha Mauro speaking," We hear. "Alpha Mauro, it has been a while since we spoke. My name is Keir; I was the Alpha of Crystal Blood Pack," Dad replies, and for a moment there is a deadly silence on the other end of the line. "Fuck, I thought you had died with your Mate and Pup," Alpha Mauro responds. "My Daughter and I survived. Lakota survived because my Mate protected her, and I was with the Council when it happened," Dad explains. "We settled down in a new territory six years ago, and after a year I handed over the Pack to my Daughter. She has been the Alpha of Crystal Blood Pack for five years now, and she is about to wage war on one of your neighbors; their Alpha threatened to take back one of our Pack-members by any means," Dad says, and we hear Alpha Mauro chuckle. "That future Gamma is still after the Mate he rejected; I thought he would have given up by now. I heard rumors of a Pack with the name Crystal Blood Pack, but I thought they were just rumors. I guess your Daughter wants to take down the Alpha and the future Gamma, but that she doesn't want to take in all of the members. Am I close to the dilemma?" He asks, and Dad nods at me. "Yes, Alpha Mauro. You are very close to my dilemma. I know Jazzy doesn't trust many of them, and I am only willing to take in those that Jazzy trusts. Council-member Armas told me that you wanted to expand your Pack and would be willing to take in most of the Pack-members," I answer him. He asks me for my name. "Alpha Lakota, just let me know when you are heading there. I will have your back, and I will take over the remainder of the Pack and its members. Maybe once everything has settled down we can talk about an alliance," He responds, and Dad is smiling as I tell him we can definitely talk about an alliance. I link the rest of my leadership and Jazzy; I want to start planning this attack and I want to prepare for any new members that might join Crystal Blood Pack. Romano I know I lost my entire family, but I have a Cousin in this Pack, my Nephews are safe, and I found my fated Mate. How the hell did I get this lucky? I let Josy guide me towards the dining room, and I hear Ivan giggling while I hear Malik growl. "Okay, what is going on here?" Josy asks, and Malik rushes into her arms. "Argos says I am too small to shift; he says I have to wait until I turn eighteen," Malik grumbles, and Josy bends down on one knee to look him in the eyes. "He would be right if you were a Wolf or a Lycan, but Argos doesn't know that you will shift at the age of ten, and that is just five more years," She says to Malik, and I see Argos' eyes widen. "Mano explained to me that that is when Bears shift for the first time," Josy says as she looks up at Argos, and Malik turns around with a triumphant smile on his face. She tells Ivan and Malik that they will have to get ready for school, and Ivan grabs her hand as she wants to stand up straight. "Aunt Josy, can I tell Mylana that I will be a Bear one day?" He asks. "Of course you can, my Carebear," She answers, and a megawatt smile spreads across his face. I am not sure it has to do with the nickname or the permission to tell his tutor that he is a Bear shifter, but I am glad they have Josy in their lives. Anyone can see that she loves those two boys and that they love her. After they have changed into more appropriate clothing for school, we walk them to the library in the Pack-house, and in the back of the library there is a small area with tables and chairs; there are already a few other Pups waiting. Ivan runs over to a female with a baby bump, and she smiles at him as he stops in front of her. "Mylana, when I turn ten I will shift into a Bear," He says. "Oh, I can't wait to see you and Malik shift. I have never seen a Bear shifter before; I would like to know if you are as cuddly as a Teddy bear," She says. Her eyes land on me and her eyes widen. "You are awake," She says softly, and when she sees my arm around Josy's waist her smile becomes even bigger. "Congratulations to both of you. I think the Goddess made the right decision to pair the two of you," I hear a few murmurs behind me at her words. The murmurs aren't bad ones; they are happy and excited murmurs, and I turn around to find two teenage Wolves smiling at us. "Congratulations, Josy. Did that Brother of yours already give him the third degree?" The young female asks. "No, Argos hasn't had the time yet. I am not sure if he will though; he just found out his Brother-in-law is a Grizzly," Josy responds. "So, Argos wants to give us the third degree. Let's see if he still wants to, after we show him what he is up against," Torben says in my head.