Chapter 17
We continued the tour to the library next. Mish had warned me to do it last, as Willow is unlikely to leave voluntarily. We walk into the grand room, with half-empty bookshelves and books placed randomly. Most are still in boxes or just randomly on tables. All the artefacts are crammed onto the table, with some very close to the edge.
Willow looks like she is about to faint. “THIS IS AWFUL. WHY IS IT SO MESSY AND UNORGANISED?”.
I didn’t think she could get this mad. “All this stuff has been collected as we want to show the history of our kind and introduce it to others. Unfortunately, none of us has any idea of how to do that, so we’re just winging it really”.
“WINGING IT. THESE ARE PRICELESS ARTEFACTS AND BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE CARED FOR. WHERE IS THE TEAM DOING THIS?”.
“Errmm. That’s this other issue. As we have been rejected by the human world, no wolves go to mainstream school because our pups are viewed as acting out and disruptive. After all, they struggle being inside and still. Cause of this, most wolves are illiterate”.
“WHAT. ALL THESE PUPS ARE DENIED EDUCTION”. Great, now Kimberly was yelling at me. I should have known not to mention that, as she is a primary school teacher.
“Not denied. We are teaching them what we can, but we are still trying to work some stuff out. How do we teach a whole pack to read when out of 1500, only 10-15% can?”.
“OH HELL NO. I’m going to talk to Conrad so I can start teaching classes,” Kimberly states, not suggesting.
“And I’m going to start cataloging,” states Willow, with books already in her arms, going to the bookshelves.
I look over at Mish, who is trying her hardest not to giggle at the fact that I have lost complete control over these two.
“You going to help me out?”.
“Nope. I know what they are like and know not to get involved”.
For the next few hours, they’re busy bodying with books and cleaning. I mind linked Conrad to let him know, and he agreed to just let them loose on it.
After a few hours, the girls went and cleaned up to get ready for dinner. We explained we had something different for Eve, so to dress more casually.
They got to the entrance of the pack house to see a different Conrad. He was in slacks and a polo shirt. Still his designer gear, but not his 3 piece suit. All the girls look confused as we go outside, but Eve tries to hide a small smile. She has worked out where we are going.
We enter the barn for dinner so we can eat with the rest of the pack. The are not so subtle comments of wolves excited to see the Alpha King is dining with them, but he is focused on Eve looking around the room.
From behind us, we hear a voice call out, and she turns around. “Jellybean”.
Eve spins and freezes as she sees an older man from her old pack with tears in his eyes. “Arthur”.
He sprints over, picks her up for a hug, and she just melts into him. They embrace for few moments and I can see Eve crying to before she talks to him.
“I thought you were dead”.
Arthur laughs. “You should know I’m stronger than that Jellybean”. He pulls her close and kisses her on her head before inhaling her scent like he has never had oxygen before.
Conrad starts to let out a low growl, so I elbow him in the ribs. Arthur catches it, of course, and locks eyes to start shooting daggers at him.
While still embraced, he moves Eve so that he is now between her and Conrad. This is not going to go well.
“How did you end up here, Jellybean? I was hoping you would have run far away after the raid. I’ve always hated how you came back to support the pack”.
Conrad tries to join the conversation. “What does he mean?”.
Eve seems to of just realised there are other people are the room and that introductions are needed. “Arthur was from my old pack and helped raise me. I knew the condition would remain bad after I escaped, so I would go back occasionally and leave care packages in the forest”.
Arthur backs her up with nothing but pride in her voice. “Alpha Blake believed in the survival of the fittest, and the weak weren’t meant to die. My jellybean would leave tinned food, blankets in winter, warm clothes, and packets of jellybeans at drop points. Just like the ones I gave her as a child. Most of us would have died without this support. Still wish she was safe miles away rather than risk coming back”.
Arthur's expression suddenly changes to worry and turns to Eve. “There’s something I need to tell you. The royal soldiers found her during the raid”.