Alpha Grant: Book 3 of The Alpha Series

25. First Council Meeting

Grant

I got an invitation from mom for my first Alpha Council meeting last week. I booked my flight to Virginia and packed my bag. I drove to the airport and boarded my plane. The flight was an hour and a half long. That had to be the shortest flight I had ever been on. While we flew, I looked at the prices of jets because that would need to be my next big buy. There was so much I still needed to do.

When I landed and grabbed my carry on, I walked off the plane and to the exit of the airport. I looked for a black SUV that would have my name in the window. Mom had set up a vehicle to pick me up, which was nice of her.

After looking at the pickup vehicles for a few minutes, I spotted the SUV I needed. It had an Omega attendant in the driver's seat. I jumped in the passenger seat and we left the airport.

"You’re different from other Alpha’s," the attendant stated.

"How so?" I asked.

"Most of the Alphas get in the backseat, but then again, most of them have Lunas with them."

"Ah. I'll ride up front with you until I have my Luna then. Then I’ll sit in the backseat to annoy her," I told him with a smile.

The attendant laughed at me as he drove to the Manor. We pulled through the gates and I saw the grounds that were so well talked about in my family. It was beautiful with its green grass, the trees were turning colors for fall and the large white Manor sat right in the center.

We pulled up to the front door and I got out with my bag. I stepped up to the small porch of the Manor and the door opened with another attendant on the other side. I stepped into the building and looked around the space as he closed the door.

"I'll show you to your room, Alpha Grant," the attendant said.

I nodded my head and followed the attendant to my room. I stepped inside and the attendant walked away to get to the others that were arriving. I took pictures of the room and bathroom that I would call mine this weekend before sending them to Madison. She wanted to see what I was getting to do here at the council. When we were younger, my siblings and I would stay with her and her family when my parents were away at council meetings or other business, so she was familiar with the council.

After taking pictures and sending them off, I left my room to roam around the building. After looking around for about an hour, I ran into mom and Eric in the hallway. I hugged them both before we began to talk.

"What are y’all up to?" I asked.

"Headed to the kitchen," Eric answered.

"Why the kitchen?" I asked.

"That's where all the unmated guys hang out, along with me, because your father is at home," mom said.

"Ah… wait, why do you hang out with the unmated Alphas?" I asked her with a sour look on my face.

"It's fun to listen to them be stupid," she said.

"Hey!" Eric and I said, taking offense.

Mom just laughed at us and started walking away. We turned and followed her into the kitchen. There we found Miguel and Wyatt talking. We greeted them and sat at the island to talk while drinking some water.

"So there's only four of us that are single?" I asked.

"Yeah. We are some of the oldest of the new group, along with James and Grayson, but they both have their mates now," Eric said.

I nodded my head, knowing they did.

"How are you doing Grant?" Wyatt asked.

"Good. Been working my ass off but I'm doing good. How are things back home?"

"The same," he answered with a shrug.

The five of us sat there and talked until the attendants needed to start dinner and chased us out of the kitchen. I walked with everyone out to a sitting area in the gardens. Mom smiled as she walked into the gardens and we watched the flowers perk up just being near her. She always had that effect on everything. Around her, spring was eternal.

We sat outside and told stories of our own. I listened to Wyatt talk about a trip he took to Trinity Forest to look for his mate. He had no luck there but he did enjoy the bar that James had.

When dinner was ready, an attendant came out to get us and we went into the dining room. There was one large table in the center of the room with chairs all around it. Right as we walked in, I saw uncle Sean and aunt Paris. I walked up and hugged them both before hugging James and Gillian, then uncle Jack and aunt Stella. I made my rounds greeting everyone here since I know them all now. No one new had taken over the packs while I was gone, but I'm sure it wouldn't be long before the younger Alphas started to take over.

Once I had greeted everyone, we all sat down and dinner was served. We were given stuffed bell peppers and salads. Dinner was amazing and I was stuffed by the time I finished. Conversation was light and I just listened to everyone talking around me.

I knew what would come next tonight, the pub and everyone trying to get me drunk. Eric was going to be the worst about having me drink more and more, but I look forward to this experience with them. I bet it will be fun to get Jaxson drunk.

When all the Alpha’s got up from their seats, I stood up also. Eric and I said bye to mom and walked toward the front door of the Manor with everyone else. I followed Eric, Miguel and Wyatt to one of the SUVs that was waiting for us at the entrance. We climbed in and the driver took off for the pub. The drive wasn’t long and we arrived at the establishment where the large group of Alphas filled with my family members was going to attempt to get me drunk. This was going to be interesting.

We went inside and I watched as everyone ordered their choice of beer. I ordered a Michelob Ultra with Eric and sat next to him. Our drinks arrived and I took a drink of my beer.

“Since it’s your first meeting, I feel it is my duty as your uncle to inform you that we will be hazing you tonight,” uncle Jack told me.

“I already know about it and all I can say is try y’all’s best,” I told him with a s**t-eating grin.

Everyone laughed and shook their heads at me. As we finished our first round of beers, Eric ordered a shot for the two of us. We downed them, then uncle Sean got a second beer for me. We all talked as we drank our night away. None of the conversations pertained to Alpha duties or work. It was all about stories from their first council meetings or getting drunk and showing up to their Lunas at the Manor. I laughed more at their stories than I had laughed in a long time.

Everyone either bought me a shot to drink with them or a beer. I was twelve drinks in before we started to slow down. My phone's text tone went off. I pulled my phone out and saw I had a message from Madison.

“What are you up to?” she asked.

“Out drinking with the other Alphas. They’re trying to get me drunk.”

“Is it working?”

“Kind of.”

I kept texting Madison as I drank and talked with everyone. Eric looked over my shoulder to see who I was talking to and what about. He sighed and shook his head. I looked at him with a questioning gaze. He didn’t say anything but I already knew what he was thinking and he could f**k off.

When everyone was ready to go, we got up from our seats and started to leave. When I stood up, the room swayed a little. I took a relaxing breath and did my best to walk straight to the SUVs. I heard a few chuckles as we all got in the vehicles and the attendants drove us back. I wasn’t too drunk but I could feel it.

We arrived back at the Manor a few minutes later and we all got out to walk into the building. We all stopped at the front door and I watched as the others listened. The building was quiet. I looked at Eric, Jack, James and Sean for an answer.

“Sometimes the Luna’s stay in the dining room to play games or drink while painting,” uncle Sean said.

“That’s f*****g cool,” I said while nodding my head.

Since it was quiet, that indicated that they were all in their rooms. Everyone was standing there looking at me. I looked back at them with an odd smile on my face. I knew what they wanted. They wanted to see how drunk they had gotten me by the way I walked down the hallway.

I took a deep breath and felt the buzz I had eased even more before I said, “Have a goodnight, gentleman.”

I turned to walk away without an issue. I heard all of them grumble before several of them walked down different hallways to their rooms.

“Show off,” Eric yelled after me.

I laughed as I made my way to my room. Once I was in my room, I got undressed and lay on the bed while texting Madison. They had failed to get me drunk but I was at least buzzed.

~

I woke up the next morning with my phone under my face and I had been drooling. I wiped my face off then my phone. I got up and made my way to the bathroom. I took a quick shower then got dressed for our meeting. I picked out an all-black suit with a red tie for today.

Once I was dressed, I walked to the dining hall. I saw Miguel and Wyatt there eating already. They pointed me to the kitchen, so I went and got my coffee and food. While I was getting my food, mom and Eric walked in behind me.

“So how drunk did they get you last night?” mom asked me.

“They didn’t. They got me buzzed but not drunk. I slept really well after that though.”

She laughed and we got our food, then went out to the dining room to eat with Wyatt and Miguel. James and Gillian joined us soon after we sat down, along with Grayson and Lysandra. While we ate breakfast, I asked Gillian about being an oracle because it fascinated me. She was someone that was different from everyone else, just like I was.

When breakfast was done, it was time to go to the meeting and the other Lunas joined Gillian and Lysandra in the dining room. I followed the Alphas to a large meeting room. There was a big table in the center of the room with chairs all around it.

Mom went to sit down and Eric joined her, sitting in dad’s old seat to her right. Mom looked at me and patted the tabletop that was right next to her with a smile on her face. I took the hint and sat next to her. Everyone walked in and took their seats until the room was full. There was a lot of conversation going on until the door was closed and the meeting started. I watched as Ryan got his laptop out and got ready to take notes.

“Good morning everyone,” mom said.

“Good morning,” everyone said back.

“I’m glad we were all able to get together this weekend for this meeting. We are officially adding the Red Stone Pack to the table and to our map of US packs,” she said before she got up from her seat.

She walked over to the maps on the wall. I could see the locations of all of the packs and then she added mine. When mom was done, she sat back down next to me.

“We will start our meeting with Grant this time. Can you share with everyone the information that you learned while you were traveling?” she asked me.

“Sure. While we were in Spain, Alpha Antonio pointed me toward Rome. He had gotten information about a possible dragon shifter there. After several weeks of looking for this guy, we found him and I was able to talk with him. I learned that Valco is in fact a dragon shifter. They have been hiding in the mountains of Hungary, but I don’t know how many there are or anything else. I gave him my contact information in case he ever needed anything. I have yet to hear from him.”

While talking, I heard a few light gasps and people mumbled under their breath in shock. Everyone in the supernatural community thought that dragon shifters were all gone.

“While we were there we noticed the Vatican was watching us closely. They followed a group of rogues that we came into contact with from Rome to England. That group is now back at Red Stone and we haven’t seen any sign of the Vatican again,” I informed them.

I saw a few people nod their heads.

“The dragon shifter was a great find and I hope we get to learn about them at some point,”

mom said.

“I do too,” I told her in agreement.

“Can you share the progress on the buildings at Red Stone?” she asked.

“Of course. The packhouse is done along with the other necessary buildings and a few homes for the pack members I already have. I would like to announce that I am officially opening the pack up to take new members from the packs that are overflowing. I now have room to take twenty members off of everyone's hands. We need nurses, teachers, a baker, and anyone else that would like to join us.”

I saw everyone smile and nod their heads. Taking that many pack members off everyone's hands would help them out a lot. Especially the ones that were running out of room for their people.

The meeting continued and I listened to everyone give updates to mom about things that had been going on. Topics ranged from personal and pack related accomplishments and issues. I learned that Grayson and Lysandra were having problems conceiving a pup and mom offered to check on Lysandra when the meeting was over. I never realized everything that was talked about in these meetings until now. Nothing was off the table and mom was a little nosy.

At the end of the meeting, everyone let me know that they would be getting a hold of me soon to let me know how many they would be sending to me, and to see when I was ready for them.

~

I had just arrived home and walked through the front door of my house. I set my bag down on my bed, then changed into work clothes to go to the packhouse and see how everything was going. I walked next door and went inside. I went to the office area and found Otto, Aksel and Krew setting furniture in the office spaces. They saw me in the doorway and smiled before stopping to see what was up.

“We should be expecting phone calls soon. I opened up the pack to take twenty members from each pack,” I told them.

“Nice,” Otto said while nodding his head.

“How were things while I was gone?” I asked.

“Good. We learned a few things about our current members while you were gone. I set up a patrol after we noticed movement in the woods and found out that Nikolay has a Beta wolf. He had shifted and went for a run without telling me. This pack is going to be beta heavy,” Otto said.

“It happens. With Eric’s Gamma campaign, more Beta’s might be needed in the packs,” I said with a shrug.

We stopped the conversation there and I started setting up furniture in the other places in the packhouse. As I set up the TV in the living room of the packhouse my phone chimed with a text. I dug my phone out of my pocket to see who it was. It was uncle Sean.

“I don’t have any pack members that want to leave and I still have plenty of space. If one of the other packs still has too many after sending you twenty, take more off their hands.”

“Ok. Sounds good.”

I went to my office and got my white board set up. I wrote down the pack names and beside Midnight Forest I wrote a zero. We would see what happened with the other packs. I knew of a few that had too many and needed to send more than twenty to a new pack. I just hope that members will be ok with leaving their birth pack.

I went back to what I was doing and finished setting the living room up with furniture and entertainment stuff. I walked around the packhouse to make sure that everything was in order and I didn’t need to order anything else.

I went back to my office and started setting up my business model properly on my computer. As I worked away, I got several texts. Some from Eric and some from James. They were both sending me twenty pack members. Mostly workers that I could use in my construction business and that made me excited. I needed to get this up and running soon so I didn’t run out of funds. That would be awful.

Soon it was dinner time and I went to the dining hall with Otto and the others. The construction crew stopped working to eat and relax before getting back to it. This was the life we would live until we were finished building.

~

Over the past couple of weeks, I got my construction company off the ground and running. My employees didn’t help Eric’s crew with what they already had going. Instead, they started on new projects I had here on the pack territory while I did online classes to become an architect and ran the business.

The pack was currently at two hundred and thirty-five members. Most of them are warriors, some nurses, teachers, a baker, a barber, a hair stylist and other workers that spend their time in the gardens and kitchen.

Eric’s crew was finishing up the school and the clothing store along with the last three houses I had commissioned them to do. When that was done, they would go back to Texas to work on projects there that he had. My crew was working on a few other houses while I looked for work for them in the towns close by.

I was happy to see the pack had grown this much and I was excited to help it grow more. Our future looks bright.