Alpha Callen

Chapter 3

Callen's POV

I was knee-deep in paperwork when there was a knock on my door. I told Rachel my secretary I didn't want to be interrupted right now, and I had put up a block so no one could get through either.

"Come in," I yelled out.

The door opened, and her scent hit me immediately. Leah. My girlfriend. We had been together for almost a year. I had made it very clear this whole time that we could date and fool around, but it would never be more because I did want, my mate. She agreed, saying she wanted to find her mate as well, but there was no reason not to have fun in the meantime.

"Baby, you're working too hard, we should go out tonight?" she purred as she sat down in my lap. I knew what she wanted when we started dating. She is all for show. She looks good and acts the part, but honestly, she would make a horrible Luna, but a girlfriend, she is good at that.

"I can't. I have so much to do right now. The academy is about to welcome new recruits, and you know that it gets busy this time of year."

"Can we at least spend the night together?" she asked as she pushed her t**s up in my face. She knew the way to my heart or my d**k.

"It has been a few days, hasn't it?"

"Yes."

"OK, how about this, you let me work this afternoon, and we will spend the night together."

"Perfect, I will see you tonight," she said, kissed my cheek and walked out of my office, but my door didn't even close as Kaden walked in.

"How long are you going to keep her around?" he asked as soon as the door was closed. I loved the man like a brother, but he was always in a mood. He likes a total of four people and even those four could get on his s**t list easily.

"She's hot and a good lay. We have an agreement. We meet our mates and it's done."

"Ya, I can tell you right now, that's not how that is going to go."

"We'll see." I told him. I didn't want to believe what he said, but I knew the truth, and I was having fun with her in the meantime. When the time comes, I will lay down the law and she won't have a choice.

"Do you have the reports I need?"

"Yes, and I'm not impressed with this year's recruits," he said, handing me the file.

"You say that every year and every year they are just fine."

"I know but they seem worse this year. Look at this guy," he said, pointing to the first one in the file.

"James Robbins, top of his class and lead warrior in his pack. Nineteen, his speed is good, and his fitness is high. What is the problem?" I asked him.

"Look at his scores for stressful situations," he said. Each person that applies is required to take a test. They include endurance, strength and also different situations, like one section is based on situations that require you to make a snap decision. We call them stressful situations. They are based on things that have happened.

"OK, it's on the low side but that can be taught."

The door opened again and Asher walked in. "Do you own a watch or a phone?" Kaden snapped at him.

"Of course, I was busy," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He's used to Kaden. We all are and we still love him.

"What are the recruits looking like this year?" Asher asked.

"Like crap."

"They aren't that bad," I said, handing the file to Asher. They were in charge of the academy and who got in. They also assisted in training and taught very specialized classes, but that was towards the end of their training, and they had to be invited into those classes.

"She looks great," Asher said as he held up a photo. Typical behavior for him.

"We judge their ability and their test scores, not their looks."

"Lighten up man. You need to be laid, it will seriously make you a little nicer."

"Will you shut the f**k up, I get laid plenty," he growled at him.

"Can we please get back to this," I said, reaching over the desk and grabbing the file from Asher.

We sat there for the next four hours, going through everyone with a fine-tooth comb. They were already accepted and will be here in a few days, but we will know everything about them. Their fears, insecurities, their family, what they did for fun, and we would use that against them during training. They would face their fears and their insecurities would be conquered.

When they finally left my office, they were laughing about some stupid joke that Asher had told. I put the file in my cabinet and locked it up. We had made notes about everyone, and we didn't want anyone to see them. I locked up my office and went up to the Alpha floor. My parents lived in their house that they built. It's where I grew up, but I moved into the pack house as soon as I graduated from high school. I had to go through the academy. All three of us did. Our dads made it mandatory and, honestly, it was the best thing we could have ever done. It taught us to be better leaders, fighters, and we knew exactly what each of the students were going through.

I went to open my bedroom door when my sister's door opened and she stepped out. Lennox but we just called her Lenny. She stayed home and went through the academy when she graduated, but Everly she got the hell out of here and went to college and got her nursing degree. She met her mate one time when she came back to visit while she was at school. He was going through the academy, and now they live here, but they have a house on the outskirts of the pack, and we don't see them that much. They are still in the honeymoon phase.

"Oh, hey, what are you doing up here?" she asked, and I knew she was hiding something.

"I live up here." I told her, and she just glared at me and pushed past me. She now teaches at the academy.

I went into my room, forgetting about Lenny, and went and took a shower. I definitely didn't get dirty today, but I just wanted to wash the day away, and I could stand to shave. It'd been a few days, and it was getting itchy, plus Leah liked it when I kept it shaved off.

"You know, I've been thinking since Kaden made the point of when are you getting rid of her?"

"I thought you didn't mind her."

"I didn't at first, but he's right. She is a title chaser," he said, and I just groaned. I'm over hearing it about her. I know they are right, but damn it, the s*x is good and, let's be honest, that is what this is about. I'm just going to need to remind her what this relationship is. I finished washing and shaved my face and put on a pair of clean pants and a t-shirt. Tonight was family dinner night. I planned on getting out of there as quickly as possible. Some nights were easier than others.

I walked into my parents' house and went straight to the kitchen. My mom came over and gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"How are you? You look tired, are you sleeping enough?" My mom asked.

"Lex, he's young, he's supposed to be going out and having fun too."

"Thanks dad."

"It's not all fun. I need to see you for just a second," he said, and turned and followed him out of the kitchen to his home office.

"What's up dad?"

"Look, there is something that I haven't told you," he said, and my stomach dropped. He was always honest with me. Whatever he was about to drop on me, I wasn't going to like.

"What?" I growled out and Ash was on high alert as well.

"Do you remember the night you turned eighteen and while you were shifting, we were attacked?"

"Ya, honestly it was one of the best nights ever. Minus killing a guy."

"Well, that pack, if that is what you want to call them, they are getting active again. They have laid low for a long time, but we've been keeping an eye on them, and we've had a few tracks around the outskirts of the pack."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I snapped at him.

"Calm down. You had enough on your plate and they weren't doing anything. I thought when you killed their leader it would end it, and it may be nothing, but I have a feeling we need to be on the lookout."

"When did you find the tracks?"

"This morning. I went for a run with your mom. I knew you were looking at the recruits today, and so I waited."

"What do you know about this pack?"

"From what I have found, they are made of rogues. They have some numbers behind them but still not a match for us, but we don't want to be caught sleeping either, and we don't ever want to underestimate another pack."

"I know dad and I can't believe you didn't tell me any of this." I yelled at him. I was so angry that he kept this from me.

"I wanted you to learn the role and be a strong leader and dumping everything on you wasn't the way to do that. You know that. Calm down."

"I have to go," I said and walked out of the room and sent a link to both Asher and Kaden to meet in my office. I practically ran there and up the stairs and paced in my office until they both walked in.

"Dude, calm your t**s, you are wearing a hole in the damn floor," Asher said as he sat down and put his hands behind his head and relaxed.

"Ya well I can't relax. My father decided to tell me tonight that the attack we had on the kingdom the night we turned eighteen, they are active again, and he found tracks along the borders of the pack this morning and thinks we need to be on high alert."

"I thought the pack disbanded?" Kaden asked.

"That's what he told us, but according to him, he didn't tell us because he wanted me to get my feet about me and not put too much stress on me and has been watching them ever since."

"We need to get ahead of this. Who knows how much they've grown in six years or what resources they have now?" Asher said, finally taking this seriously.

"I'm going to get extra wolves out on patrol. Everyone's shifts are going to double right now. We'll break them into shorter shifts." Kaden said, getting up from his chair and leaving the office.

"I will go talk to Declan. Make sure that our cameras are up and running, and we aren't having any issues and make sure that he is aware of this," Asher said, and then left the room as well.

Declan was technically our gamma, but without a Luna he didn't really have a job. He was a computer nerd and led our security department with computers. He was a genius when it came to computers. I left my office and headed to the academy to talk with them. They weren't official warriors here, but as part of their training they would tag along on shifts, and they were about to get a lot more of them.

"Baby, where are you?" Leah linked me. I forgot about meeting her tonight.

"Sorry, something came up that I have to handle. If it's not too late when I'm done, I will come to you."

"But you promised."

"I did, but the safety of the pack comes first." I linked back and then put up a block on her.