Chapter 4

Sheppard

Maybe I was a little…harsh on the man. It wasn’t his fault my betas acted like jerks and strung him along. He thought he was coming here for his mate.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

I got up from my desk and paced the floors for a bit, trying to close my eyes and allow some of the stress of the day to evaporate from me. But when that didn't work, I marched to the window to see what my pack was doing.

The usual suspects were hanging around, trying to look busy while doing a lot of nothing. I trusted my betas to watch over them and to appoint some leaders to correct those situations, but none of that was working.

In fact, as I looked out over the rows growing our food and the fields that pastured the pack’s animals, I didn’t see a lot of work at all.

I breathed out a sigh that created a little haze on the window in front of me. I didn’t ask a lot. There was no clocking in and out. No one was asked to be a slave. It was all for the common good. About 90 percent of what this pack ate and used was produced right here on pack lands. Those who did not work the land, like the forest rangers, many of whom were members, contributed in other ways.

So, we got only what we put in, and, from my vantage point, we were going to be starving soon.

I’d tried everything to motivate them, including spending time out there working myself, trying to provide a good example. But even then I heard the whispers.

Look who came down from his throne.

Must be nice to be the alpha and work when you want.

They had no fucking idea that I would trade a month of my alpha work for a year of theirs.

They had the option of letting their work go at the end of the day. When you worked the gardens, once the sun set, your work was done, and all you had to do was maintain it.

Being alpha plagued my thoughts twenty-four hours a day. There was no such thing as being off the clock or my work being done. Most of the time I added to my to-do list before I could begin to finish the first draft.

I even dreamed about situations I couldn’t resolve. And had nightmares about our fate.

It wasn’t that we were so far gone, but, for some reason I couldn’t discern, things had trickled downhill for the past six months or so. Production was down. Animals were dying in the jaws of wolves in the area while those on security detail napped.

They had lost their desire for this pack’s welfare, or at least, that was what it seemed.

I cocked my head to the side as something in the distance caught my eye. It was someone who wasn’t dawdling around at all.

Oh, it was him. I shifted closer to the window to get a better look. He had taken his shirt off, and the sun beating on his bronzed skin was making him sweat. Tiny rivers trickled down his spine as he raised the axe and then slammed it down, sending shards of cut wood around the stump.

His muscles tugged and pulled, giving me the best show I’d had in a while.

So good in fact that I had to adjust myself to keep things under control below my waist.

It didn’t work, for the record.

Shit. It was like the male called to me. He stood out there in the woodyard alone, working his ass off, raising his arm to brush sweat from his brow now and then.

I swallowed against the need threatening to bubble up within me, fueling a passion I hadn’t experienced in years—maybe ever.

I needed to see him in action. Closer. Raise my nose in the air and take in his scent.

Not thinking twice, I marched downstairs and outside. I was half-ass greeted by some pack members, but they tittered to each other after they thought I was out of hearing range.

Had I become a laughing stock? If so, I needed to pass on my post to another alpha who might be better suited for the job.

Finally, I got to a tree near where Toklo was working, and I leaned against it, just wanting to observe him for a bit.

He paused and whirled instantly. “Alpha.” He lowered his gaze to the ground and bared his neck.

More of a greeting than I’d gotten in years from most of those in my pack. Well, my betas still showed respect, but it was on the surface. I mean, clearly, they didn’t respect me much. They’d tried to buy me a mate.

“Toklo. I see you have some skills with an axe.”

He nodded and gave a smile. It didn’t reach his eyes but still seemed sincere. “In Alaska, you learn to cut wood or you freeze to death.”

“Well, if you don’t hurry, we will, too.” Gods, why was I such an ass?

“Yes, sir.”

He turned and went to it again. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched in awe. But as I ticked my gaze around, I realized I was not the only observer. My lazy pack members had nothing more to do than watch me? I’d see that change.

“Keep it up,” I barked at him before leaving the area.

He didn’t respond this time. Probably because I was a colossal jerk.