CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & NINETEEN
Talia’s POV
I joined Nolan for breakfast earlier than usual. He had already finished working through a stack of documents, though several more were arranged neatly beside his plate. I could tell he was trying not to work too much while I was there.
“You don’t have to stop working because I’m here,” I said, reaching for my cup.
“I’m not stopping,” Nolan replied calmly. “I’m pacing myself.”
“I don’t want you rearranging your entire routine because of me,” I said firmly.
“I’m just adjusting to the new norm, that’s all,” Nolan replied.
The new norm should be me sharing the responsibility with him, not me sitting around in our residence but waiting for him to
come back. I was Luna and I needed to start acting like it.
“I don’t want to sit idle anymore,” I told him.
“You have only just recovered. There is no reason to rush into anything,” Nolan replied and gave me a soft kiss.
“No, I want to take on my Luna duties officially. I want to help manage pack affairs,” I said. “If I hadn’t been kidnapped, I would’ve been doing it already.”
Nolan smiled and said, “Honestly, I was waiting for you to say that.”
“And I have experience,” I continued and winked at him. “I assisted Solon in Silverfang, remember? And I managed Shadowclaw on my own for a while. I am well prepared to do this.”
A faint smile curved his mouth. “I know. You don’t have to convince me, Talia.”
He turned slightly toward Maggie, who stood at a respectable distance near the doorway. “Is everything ready?” he asked.
“Yes, Alpha,” Maggie answered with a smile.
I frowned. “Ready for what?”
“You’ll see,” Nolan said as he stood and extended his hand to me.
I took it. He guided me down the corridor toward the Alpha’s office. The guards nodded as we passed. When Nolan opened the office door, I stepped inside and stopped.
There were now two desks.
His remained where it always had, facing the window that overlooked the central square. But beside it, positioned close enough that we could speak without raising our voices, stood a second desk. Several books I often read were stacked neatly along one
corner.
“This office isn’t mine anymore. It’s our office,” Nolan explained.
I turned to him. “You did this?”
“I had help,” he replied. “Maggie oversaw the setup.”
I nodded. Maggie was really trying to make amends. I still wasn’t at the point of trusting her, but I appreciated the gesture, even if she had been ordered to do it.
I walked to the desk and ran my hand over the smooth surface. “You trust me this much?”
“You’re my mate. My Luna. Of course I trust you,” he said.
+25 Bonus
I didn’t want Nolan to trust me only because we were mates. I wanted him to trust me because he knew I was capable.
‘Then we will prove to him that we are worthy of our position,’ my wolf stated.
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you,” I told him.
“I don’t expect you to,” he answered.
Nolan walked over to his desk and gathered a stack of reports. “Start with these. These are patrol summaries, border activity, and pack member concerns. The more complex matters, we will review together.”
I took the stack from him and sat down with a confident smile.
The reports were organized by region. Most of them detailed rogue sightings along the outer borders. Some villages reported livestock stolen. A few mentioned attempted intrusions at night. Nothing too aggressive, but there was a persistent consistency of rogue activity.
“This has been happening for a while,” I said as I scanned the fifth patrol summary.
“It has,” Nolan admitted. “The terrain near the outer borders is overgrown. It makes it easier for rogues to approach unnoticed. I have increased patrol rotations since your kidnapping.”
“We cannot keep expanding patrols forever,” I said. “It drains manpower and leaves other areas exposed.”
Nolan leaned back in his chair. “What would you suggest?”
I set the reports down and thought through the terrain in my mind. “We build a wall,” I suggested. “A defensive wall along the most vulnerable stretch of the outer plains border. We establish limited entry points that are heavily guarded. Anyone entering must pass through those checkpoints.”
He listened without interruption.
“With defined entry points,” I continued, “we reduce the number of guards needed to maintain security. It would be a stronger defense.”
Nolan considered the idea for a moment. “It would change how we operate,” he said.
“Yes,” I replied. “But it would also force rogues to confront us directly and seek sanctuary properly. It would keep rogues from sneaking in anything that could harm us.
“It’s a solid plan,” Nolan said. “We’ll need to review cost, materials, and labor distribution, but I agree with the direction.”
Relief settled in my chest. For a moment, I had been concerned that I might have been overstepping.
“This is our pack now. You have as much a say in how to protect it as Nolan. Start thinking like this is our pack,’ my wolf scolded
‘You’re right,’ I agreed.
“I’ll call a meeting with the high-ranking wolves. Marco will want to hear this. The elders as well,” Nolan continued.
“I can explain the proposal to them,” I offered.
“Are you ready for that now?” Nolan asked. He looked genuinely concerned.
“I stood before Shadowclaw as Luna,” I reminded him. “I can stand before Bloodmoon.”
A proud smile returned to his face. “Good. Let’s go!”
2
