"This pack is willing to consider us!" Amber exclaimed. "They want to meet us first, though."

"Awesome!" I said, quickly hopping into the basket. "I knew that sending you, Jenna, and Andy in was a good idea!"

The bulk of our group trotted through the trees to where the meeting was taking place along the pack border. The Alpha, Beta, and a dozen others stood on one side of the clearing as they waited for us to arrive.

They slowly walked over while our group shifted to their human forms for this meeting. I trotted along beside Vera since Comforters were exempt from this sort of formality. Once we reached the group, I sat at Vera's feet and perked my ears at our potential new pack leaders.

"I'm Alpha Kiel," the brown-haired man said. He had a medium build, although his aura left no doubt about his rank. "And this is Beta Dawson. This is your entire group?"

"Yes," Andrew replied. "All twenty-five of us."

The Alpha's eyes skimmed over everyone, and I felt the flutter of his powers along my senses.

"And you all want to join?"

A chorus of "yes" and "yes, sir" echoed through the air, with mine being a mindlink confirmation, of course.

"You are looking to join and fit in? I don't want to have to worry about power struggles or strained relationships."

Another round of "yes" and "yes, sir" was the unanimous response.

He was silent as he thought. His emotions were conflicted as distrust, worry, hope, tiredness, and traces of desperation chased after one another. My senses picked up another faint aura – one of an Omega checking for lies – although it didn't surprise me this Alpha was taking such a precaution with a large group of newcomers.

"Normally, I would never consider this, but we are in desperate need of more pack members, and most of you look like you can handle a few lawless rogues if they show up." He took a deep breath, still divided internally, and finally said, "I will give you a chance. All of you. Any troublemakers will have to answer to me. Can you abide by this?"

Everyone nodded.

"In that case, welcome to the Darsha Pack."

"Thank you, Alpha," Andrew said, speaking for all of us.

"Do you want to join the packlink now or later in an official ceremony?"

"Which option does your pack prefer?"

"For a group of this size, a ceremony would be preferable."

"Then let's do that."

"Let me guide you to our packhouse. The others are gathering, and we can do it when we arrive," Alpha Kiel said and began walking in human form so he could speak with us. Vera picked me up and held me in her arms while Amber carried the empty basket.

Andrew inquired, "Can you tell us more about your pack?"

"There are only twenty-three of us. Nora is an Omega, and I'm sure she'll be delighted to meet Jenna and talk about recipes. There isn't an Enforcer, so everyone has to learn basic fighting in case we get attacked."

"Are we expecting an attack?" Conrad asked. He hadn't revealed his Enforcer rank, although he would quietly tell the Alpha later on to avoid secrets. He wasn't ready or willing to take on the responsibilities that went with the rank, although his abilities would keep pushing him. He just wanted to be normal for a while.

"Not really. Our territory is hilly and rocky, so many people prefer to keep to the roads and never realize there is even a pack here. Given our size, we prefer it that way. It's a rocky land that is better suited for small gardens instead of fields, but it sustains us."

Andrew bent over and picked up a rock, inspecting it as he walked. "Have you tried mining for resources?"

"There are some semi-valuable gems around, and we check the creeks for them, although we don't have the knowledge to properly set up mine shafts. The rock crumbles and collapses easily."

Andrew tilted his head. "The Woodhurst pack had several mines, and I know how to set up the support beams for such loose soils, although it would be best to hire an expert to train the pack first."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." He glanced at Vera. "Is she yours?"

"Close enough that I'll fight anyone else for that title."

I was both touched and amused by her declaration.

His lips quirked up into a smile. "I had always hoped a Comforter would appear in my pack during my lifetime, although this isn't quite the way I imagined it would happen. What if I wanted to adopt her?"

His tone clearly made the last part a joke, but Vera merely raised an eyebrow with a partial smile.

"You might be my Alpha shortly, and I'll respect your rank as long as you keep the pack's best interests in your heart, but that wouldn't stop me from fighting you for her."

He evaluated the seriousness of her tone and her lean, muscled body. "You'd actually fight an Alpha, wouldn't you?"

"Without hesitation."

He began chuckling and said, "I think our two fighting trainers are going to have their hands full with you. Please go easy on them."

"Before or after I teach them a few tricks?"

Perhaps it was a good thing this Alpha supposedly had a good sense of humor.

He grinned. "Why not after? But don't show them everything at once. They need someone to keep them on their toes for a few months."

Vera smirked. "I can arrange that."

I murmured to Anabel, "I think we have to stop by for a few of those sessions."

She nodded in agreement.