Ryker narrowed his eyes and just looked at him. Steve squirmed, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. His father had given him an ultimatum that led to him leaving Alaska, but after spending a few months on his own, Steve was beginning to realize that his father was absolutely sure he would come crawling back with his tail between his legs.
Joining a different pack would throw a wrench in his father’s plans that the alpha of the Northwestern territory absolutely would not accept.
“Come sit, and start from the beginning.” Ryker walked over to the dining room table on the other side of the room, taking a seat with his back to the window. August sat next to him, crossing his arms and looking caught between pissed off and confused.
Steve joined them, taking a seat across from them and feeling like a naughty student being called before the principal and superintendent.
“Okay, so last year when I finished up my degree in criminal justice, I wanted to go into law enforcement and get a job with the Anchorage Police Department. I-”
“Wait, Anchorage, as in Anchorage, Alaska?” Ryker asked, the furrow in his brow finally disappearing. A confused expression took its place.
Steve nodded, not expecting to be interrupted so soon. “Yes.”
“How did you expect to swing that?” August asked. He sounded genuinely perplexed.
“I knew that my dad wouldn’t be happy about it, but I didn’t think he’d object,” Steve said, feeling defensive.
“No, what he means is, how did you think that you would be able to join the Northwestern pack?” Ryker clarified. “They don’t accept new members.”
“Yes, we do,” Steve said, confused. “You just have to be recommended by someone we trust.”
Ryker and August stared at him with matching looks of confusion.
“What do you mean, we?” August finally asked, sounding pained.
Steve flushed. He hadn’t talked to anyone about his pack since he moved, and he’d forgotten that it was no longerwe. Now it was them.
“Sorry, force of habit. I mean, yes, they accept new members if they come recommended by a trusted ally.”
Ryker pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and breathed in. When he opened his eyes, he leveled Steve with a serious look.
“Steve. Who was your old pack?”
Steve blinked. “The Northwestern pack.”
Ryker shook his head. “Your paperwork when you moved here said you were from New York.”
Steve realized the confusion. The New York pack had sponsored his application to live in neutral territory, part of their treaty with the Northwestern pack, but his home pack had been clearly listed.
Ryker must not have read his paperwork very carefully.
“They sponsored me, but they’re not my pack.”
“So you’re from Alaska?” August asked, sounding too calm.
Steve nodded.
“Okay, we didn’t realize that. We thought you were from New York.” Ryker cleared his throat. “Go on, you wanted to join the Anchorage P.D.?”
Both Ryker and August were giving him strangely blank looks. Steve knew that his pack had a bit of a reputation, but he didn’t think it wasthatbad.
“I did, but my dad wanted me to work exclusively for the pack. He thought I was getting my degree so that I’d be equipped to help my brother when he takes over as pack alpha, but when he realized that I wanted to go to work for human law enforcement he gave me an ultimatum. I called his bluff and got a job here.”
“I see,” Ryker said, looking down at the table. He drummed his fingers on the varnished oak, expression inscrutable.
“I don’t think that my dad expects me to last on my own.” Steve put his hands in his lap, lowering his gaze. “He’s probably expecting me to cave and come home any day now.”
“But if you join another pack, you foil his plan.” Ryker sounded matter of fact.
