“Thank you, Alpha.”
The Alpha arched his eyebrows.
“I mean, thank you, Brian.”
“That’s better.” Alpha Berger grinned, patted his hand, and then stepped back. “And you’re welcome. I’m glad we talked through this. You’ll stay in Purple Sky.”
“The thing is…” Ricky bit his lip, trying to figure out how to explain himself without contradicting his Alpha. “Purple Sky is great. My parents are great. You’re great. This job has been great. But I think I’m supposed to be somewhere else.” He let out a frustrated breath and dragged his fingers through his hair. He was an ungrateful jerk. “I’m sorry.”
Eyebrows scrunched together, Alpha Berger studied his face and, after several moments of silence, he said, “Your instincts are telling you that you should leave Purple Sky to find your mate?”
“Yes,” Ricky said, relieved at having his feelings articulated so clearly. But as he thought over the words, he realized they probably sounded ridiculous. “You think that’s dumb?” He bit his lip again.
“Trusting your gut is never dumb.” Alpha Berger put his fingers under Ricky’s chin and raised it. “If you believe your place is in another pack, I’ll do everything I can to help you find the right one. I’ll take care of you, Ricky. Don’t worry.”
That respectfulness combined with immense power was both the reason Brian made an incredible Alpha and the reason he would make a wonderful mate. It was also a confirmation that Ricky had to leave Purple Sky. Even the strongest wolf could only resist the double punch for so long, and Ricky was an eighteen-year-old virgin, which was the farthest thing from strong when it came to turning down sex.
***
Flicking his gaze toward Ricky’s side of the car, Alpha Berger grinned and said, “There’s no reason to be nervous.”
“I’m not, uh…” Ricky sighed and gave up on the lie. Brian exuded so much confidence in every situation that Ricky suspected he had never even met Nervous let alone felt him. “I can’t help it. I’ve never been to another pack, and Golden Valley is so”—he leaned toward the windshield and looked from side to side—“beautiful. Everything here glows. The land and the buildings and all the people we’ve driven by and just…” He sucked in a deep breath. “All of it’s beautiful. This is nothing like Purple Sky.”
“We’re in a build-up phase. Give me some time; I’ll make Purple Sky stronger.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean…” Ricky cringed and lowered his gaze. His Alpha had invited him along on an important visit with a powerful pack, and he was already messing it up by insulting him. “I’m sorry.”
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Alpha Berger’s shoulders shaking. When he looked closer, he realized the man was laughing. “There’s no reason to apologize to me, I just got here, so I didn’t get Purple Sky into this state.”
“Alpha Parson was committed to the pack, but he was getting on in years,” Ricky said diplomatically.
“From what I’ve heard, the last couple of decades have been a struggle for Purple Sky. The pack has been losing members for at least that long. I get it. It’s hard to build up infrastructure when people aren’t sure if they’re going to stay or if the pack will survive. But I’m here and I’ll change all that. I’ll make sure our pack prospers.”
“I know you will.” Ricky bobbed his head, relieved that he wasn’t in trouble. “You’re a strong Alpha. People already feel safer. I haven’t heard of any more families planning to leave. Purple Sky will be just as great as Golden Valley in no time.”
“Maybe not in no time.” Alpha Berger grinned, and Ricky’s heart rate slowed, his worry about upsetting his Alpha easing. “Progress doesn’t happen overnight, and Golden Valley has had generations of strength and growth while Purple Sky has been languishing.” He squared his shoulders. “But it’s not a competition. The point is, Purple Sky is a solid pack and we’re getting better. One way to make that happen is meeting with surrounding packs, forming relationships, and seeing how we can help each other.”
“Right,” Ricky agreed. “I’m ready to help with whatever you need on this trip.” In Purple Sky, Ricky spent his time answering Alpha Berger’s questions about pack members and businesses, managing his calendar, and talking to folks who wanted something from the Alpha but were too nervous to talk to him directly. None of those tasks would be needed on this trip, so he wasn’t sure why Alpha Berger brought him along, but he wanted to be useful. He bit his lower lip and glanced at Alpha Berger again. “Is there, uh, anything specific I should be doing while we’re in Golden Valley?”
“Our goal is to make connections with the Golden Valley Alpha and others in leadership positions. We want to learn about them and their pack so we can come up with ways we can help each other. You’re more familiar than me with the skills we have in Purple Sky so keep your ears open about what we can offer them.”