LOVING TATI

4 – Unnoticed

AFTER speaking with the rogues that asked for the refuge in the pack, Keena went back to the office. She has to add what she got from the group to the pile of reports she has made for them since Calhum placed the rogues under her care.

Truth be told, the case of the refugees that came to the territories three months ago was hard to stomach. One of the things that she hated was the abuse of power. And the reason why these refugees decided to go rogue was because of the power-hungry alpha that used his position to force himself on his subjects.

One of the teenagers is pregnant and the alpha was the father. They are not mates but the vile alpha forced himself on her.

Not in her best self, Keena coop herself in the four corners of the office. She decided to work on the papers that she has been neglecting for a while.

Calhun came in a little later. He placed a letter on top of the keyboard.

Instead of asking him, she read it.

She sighed. She saved the document that she was doing. She was done anyway.

“What’s your thought on it?” Calhun asked when she stood up. The alpha was behind his table, too.

“Give it a go. I don’t give a damn.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s high time that I show them what I’m made of.”

Without looking at her cousin, she knew that Calhun has a wide grin on his face.

It was after one in the afternoon already. She was famished and her wolf has been pestering her to go out.

It was an unwritten rule in the office that there should always be a person inside the office in case there are members of the pack who wanted to speak with the leader.

The leadership that Calhun and Solana wanted to portray in the Omittaa pack was the open communication between the leaders and its members. In connection with that, the letter that Calhun made her read earlier was a formal letter that contests Keena to be the beta of the pack. The signatory of the letter wanted to challenge Keena for the position.

It was the same man who she heard about months ago at the back of the training facility. He was older than Keena for a couple of years but they have been trained together in hand-to-hand combat and in no way related to the Alexanders.

“The usual, beta?”

She smiled at the older woman at the counter. She has been in the cafeteria for a long time and she made sure that everything was in order.

“I want a full meal today.”

“You skip breakfast again?”

Knowing eyes squinted on the beta who pouted her lips in guilty.

The older woman huffed in disappointment. She did not ask for the woman’s choice of food. Rather, she made a portion of different rations before giving it to Keena.

“Finish that meal or I’m going to s***k your nice rear, woman.”

“With the hunger that I have at the moment, for sure, I can finish this in no time, hot momma.”

“And that mouth can speak. Go, I will bring the drink.”

“Thank you.”

Holding the tray with both her hands, Keena chose a table far from most of the members of the pack that were also having their late lunch.

She was used to having meals alone. When she reached eighteen years old, she signed up to become a full-time trainee in the pack. She lived in the barracks together with the other trainees.

That went on for two years until she invested to have her own cabin far from her parents’ house.

Although she was still in the same territory as her parents, having her own place has given her peace of mind. She breathed easier without her mother breathing on her neck on daily basis. Eighteen years was enough.

Ewa Alexander can be a pushover.

A bottle of water and a tall glass of OJ was placed on the table. It was followed by a woman sitting opposite hers.

“What has been your mind, Keena?”

The young beta chuckled. She sipped from the tall glass of orange juice.

“Mama Lulu, relax. I’m good.”

“You are always fine.” There was sympathy in the older woman’s eyes. “Is this about the challenge that Ikahl has presented?”

Keena finished her meal. She pushed the tray into the middle of the table before she met the other woman’s eyes.

“No. I do not worry about it. How did you know about the challenge?”

“They have a loud mouth. By now, the whole pack must have known about it.”

The young beta exhaled. She shook her head at the annoyance on Mama Lulu’s face.

The older woman has been her confidante since she was a teenager. It was her who found Keena in the woods when she was crying after Ewa Alexander insisted that her daughter should aim for the gamma position rather than become an ordinary warrior like her father.

She was fifteen.

She cried her heart out when the woman hugged her. It was the mother figure that she has been longing for and Mama Lulu gave it to her without asking in return.

Mama Lulu is only a few years younger than Keena’s own mother. She looked younger than her age and she appeared to be in her mid-thirties than her forties. Her mate died a few years after they met and she did not choose to have another or was given a second chance mate.

Keena grasped the other woman’s hand.

“I’m fine. I went to the cabin occupied by the refugees. I did not like why they were in this predicament.”

Understanding dawned on Mama Lulu’s face. She knew the rogue refugees. In fact, two of them were working in the cafeteria with her. Perhaps, they told her their story.

“You have a good heart, Keena. Too bad, your mother can’t see it.”

“Her eyes were on the prize.” She stated with a laugh.

Their conversation halted when a group of individuals entered the cafeteria. Mama Lulu is about to go but Keena did not let go of the woman’s hand.

“I have something to do, woman.”

“Stay, please.”

“The alpha told me to entertain them. I’m supposed to serve them lunch.”

“You have staff to do that. Please.”

“Five minutes.” Keena made a face. “Dinner on me. Come to my cabin later.”

The beta immediately unclasped their hands together. A wide smile was plastered on her face. Free food is great but Mama Lulu’s food is even better.

“I’ll see you later, momma.” Mama Lulu rolled her eyes before leaving. “Yow, sexy.”

The older woman gave her the finger. It made Keena laugh even louder.

Keena stayed where she was. She still has twenty minutes before her break is over.

She was not surprised when coffee and dessert were served. Mama Lulu must have seen that she stayed.

“Thank you. I appreciate the dessert.” She said in the mind link.

“You are welcome. Worry about your mother another day.”

“I’ll live, Mama Lulu. Ewa Alexander is just bored since her other child just left.”

“Bless your brother, Keena. He is lucky that he left again to follow his dreams.”

“I know. I’m a very proud sister here.”

“I know. Finished the coffee and the pie. You’re slacking on your job, Beta.”

Keena smiled to herself as their mind link ended.

Her parents attended her brother’s graduation. They stayed in the city for a night but Kitchi no longer come with them when her parents returned to the territory. He was on his flight to India.

“You might want to look at your left, beta.”

She indeed looked to her left when she got the link from Mama Lulu.

She straightened when her eyes met with the curious eyes of the woman she met weeks ago.

After less than a minute of staring off, the other woman looked away. She spoke with the man on her left side.

A frown marred Keena’s face. She did not know that they have guests in the pack today. Calhun did not mention it.

Her eyes went back to the petite woman in the group.

She was the only woman at the table. She was with a team of five. The four others were all men. Buff men.

Calhun was interested in the state-of-the-art technology that the Krieger pack has shown him during the attack so he purchased the services of Security First. Admittedly, it was a jaw-dropping technology.

Keena sighed.

Tatiana Weasley was the brain behind Security First. She was also the beta of the Krieger Pack. The mere sight of the woman, she was obviously sure of herself and knew what she wants. Sadly, she made it clear the first time that they met.

The person that the moon goddess bestowed on Keena as a fated mate did not want anything to do with her.

She heaved another sigh. She drank the rest of the coffee before she pushed the chair back.

Without looking back, she headed in the direction of the office. She refused to glance at the person who choose not to give their mating a chance without even trying to.