Karli's Resolve (The Black Ridge Wolf Pack Book 3)

by Lilli Carlisle

  “Wonderful. Would you like help gathering your things from your home?” Karli asked, but immediately thought better of it and stated, “What am I saying? Of course you do. I’ll come along, and we’ll bring one of the trucks and a few warriors to carry things.” She wasn’t letting Sara go it alone.

  Karli could see the relief in her new advisor’s eyes and knew she’d made the right choice. She relayed the information to her mates before approaching Theron. “Did you find everything you two need?”

  “And much more. It’s going to take some time to go through all of this. I suggest we move back to the pack house.”

  “Let’s box everything up. Don’t leave anything behind,” Karli ordered. She turned to find the king’s advisor, Simone, standing silently off to the side. She had been so quiet that Karli forgot the woman had come along. “Madam.”

  The woman stepped forward, and Karli had a moment’s reservation about how they’d dealt with everything. If she had the choice, she’d do it the same all over again, but that didn’t mean the advisor wouldn’t find fault in some aspect.

  “Omega Karli,” she acknowledged, and Karli held her breath. “I will be happy to report to King Leonidas that the three of you have everything in hand here.”

  Karli let out a deep breath before saying, “Thank you.”

  “I’ll leave you now. Take care of your pack, Karli.”

  “We will, I promise.”

  “I believe you,” Simone assured with a smile and walked out of the office door.

  Karli turned around and found Sara looking at her strangely. “What?”

  “You looked nervous.”

  “Of course. I wanted to make a good impression.”

  “But you’re an omega. You have more power than her.”

  “I may, but first and foremost, I’m a person, wanting to be accepted just like everyone else.”

  Sara looked at her for a moment before smiling. “Where do you want me to begin in assisting you?”

  A change came over Sara. She seemed a bit happier or lighter in some way, but before Karli could examine it too closely, her mates and John walked in. Joseph and Rowl came to her before dealing with anything else. You make me feel so special.

  Because you are special, love, Joseph’s voice whispered in her mind as he folded her into his strong arms. Rowl stood in front of her and stole a passionate kiss, not caring who was present to see.

  “You’re so sweet, my mates.” I’m taking Sara to collect her things.

  We’re not about to let you go in there alone. We saw what you saw, Rowl insisted.

  I was going to take warriors with us.

  We’ll bring them along as well, Joseph replied.

  By now, Sara was looking at them strangely, considering they hadn’t said a word since they arrived. At least, not out loud. “Let’s go get your belongings, Sara.” Rowl smiled and began leading her out the door. Joseph gave everyone a few last orders before joining them in the hallway.

  When they walked outside, the crowd was gone and Karli could hear machines moving in the background. She took that as a good sign that they made it past this first hurdle. More warriors were standing by their truck as another truck came to a stop beside them. General Jensgar got out and joined them.

  “Alpha Triad. We have taken seven people into custody and placed both families under house arrest.”

  “How many times do I need to tell you, call us by our first names? You’re a friend, Jensgar,” Joseph chided. “I want you to remain here and assist in the transfer of the information to the pack house offices.” Karli had discovered a set of six personal offices in the west wing of the house, but none looked like they had been used in a long time. Saxx’s personal office was the only one they found that had been occupied.

  “Yes, Al—Joseph,” General Jensgar responded before heading toward the mill.

  Jerome and Niven stood by their truck, ready to follow to Sara’s house. Seriously, the warriors seemed to have a knack for being where they were needed; it was kind of spooky.

  We have trained each of these men, beautiful. They know us well, Joseph explained.

  I still think they have some sort of sixth sense.

  Both her men laughed, causing Sara to look at all of them. “What’s funny?”

  “We have to tell her. She’s going to be by my side a lot of the time,” Karli stated with a reassuring smile to Sara. “It’s nothing bad, promise.”

  “Tell me what?” she asked.

  Joseph walked up to the truck and opened the back doors of the crew cab. “We should discuss this in private.”

  Karli climbed into the truck and motioned for Sara to join her. Sara looked from left to right before taking a deep breath and jumping in. Rowl and Joseph sat in the front but didn’t start the truck, both turning to look at them.

  Karli decided to start. “You know omegas have abilities, gifts. Well, we also gain and share powers when we mate. You’ll need to know what those powers are, because you’re going to work alongside us. We are entrusting you with information that needs to be kept private. No one is to know but you.”

  Sara nodded her agreement, so Karli continued, “Everyone in the pack is aware of my ability to make things grow and my control over electricity. But what isn’t common knowledge is the fact that we can communicate through our mating bond.”

  “In your heads?”

  “Yes, and that’s why sometimes we seem off in our own world. We’re still getting used to it.” Karli winked at her mates. “Also, we are immune to the effects of dark magic and can protect others. I can calm people when necessary,” Karli explained, but left out the part of being able to “read” people through touch. She believed if Sara knew Karli had seen her personal pain Sara would refuse their help.

  “Okay, that explains a few things. I was beginning to wonder if it was me seeing things. I can accept that, and I swear, I’ll tell no one.”

  “Thank you. Now give us directions to your house so we can get you moved,” Karli ordered as Joseph started the truck and put it into gear.

  Moments later, they were driving through what could only be described as an old, worn-out neighborhood. Paint faded, driveways cracked, windows dirty, it seemed as if the life had been sucked out of the area. It gave Karli chills. This would be one of the first neighborhoods to undergo renovations.

  “It’s the third house on the right,” Sara mumbled, pointing toward a house that could be the definition of desolate.

  A car sat rusting in the driveway, the left side of the house appeared to be sinking, and there were tarps over the roof, keeping the rain out. Karli watched as Sara seemed to sink into herself.

  Not a word about the condition of her home. She’s embarrassed.

  Never. None of this is her fault, Rowl swore.

  Not a word, Joseph agreed just before she could feel him suppressing a growl at the state in which Sara had been living. Love, when you lived with this pack, what was the house you lived in like?

  Now isn’t a good time to discuss that. Later, we’ll talk.

  Why can I not access that time in your life? It’s like there’s a wall blocking me, Rowl complained.

  “You guys are doing it again, aren’t you?” Sara asked.

  “Sorry, it’s new and we need to learn how to compartmentalize conversations.”

  Joseph slowed and pulled into the driveway, followed by the truck containing Jerome and Niven. People stopped on the sidewalks and came out of their houses at their arrival. It seemed the sight of the alpha triad out in the community was foreign to them. She hoped they got used to it, because she intended to be out in the community every day.

  Sara and Karli opened their doors and slid out of the truck. She followed Sara to a side door, with Joseph, Rowl, and the two warriors behind them. She knew her mates weren’t happy that she had insisted on going along with Sara. Her new friend deserved the opportunity to slay her own dragons, and Karli was going to make sure Sara had her chance. Sara’s hand sho
ok as she opened the side door and stepped inside. They had only made it two more steps when a glass came flying past their heads, smashing into the wall behind them. That’s when the fun started.

  Chapter Eleven

  “What the hell are you doing home? You know better than to leave work early, bitch. I expect you to have my money by the end of the week, or you know what’ll happen,” an angry, slurred voice yelled from the living room. It took a serious amount of alcohol to get any shifter drunk, and Karli didn’t need her powers to know where the money for his booze was coming from. Right out of Sara’s paycheck.

  Karli and Sara were pulled back behind her mates as Jerome and Niven rushed into the other room. “You know I can take care of myself, right?” Karli asked.

  Before her men could answer, Sara’s father began yelling and cursing up a storm. That accompanied by the furniture crashing against the wall told Karli there’d be no easy way out of this confrontation. But after what she’d seen in Sara’s memories, there was no chance they’d leave her in this house.

  “I’m so sorry.” Sara dipped her head over the sound of breaking glass. “You should probably go.”

  “Go? Hell no. I wouldn’t leave you with that abusive asshole even if you weren’t my advisor,” Karli declared just as Jerome and Niven dragged Sara’s drunk dad to stand in front of them. “You don’t need to fear him any longer.”

  His long, matted hair clung to the sides of his thin face as blood dripped from his crooked nose. The man’s eyes were filled with pure hatred, but mercifully he remained silent.

  “Karli, darling. He’s all yours.” Joseph grinned as he and Rowl stepped to the side, leaving her and Sara standing a few feet away from the irate man. She smiled at her mates. They may be overprotective, but she was their equal in this triad, and they were getting the clue that they had to treat her as they did each other.

  Karli could feel the anxiety coming off of Sara. Even though she looked composed, the room was filled with the burning scent of fear. “Mr. Small, my name is Karli, and in case you didn’t know, I’m this pack’s omega. These are my mates, Alpha Joseph and Beta Rowl.”

  “I know who you are, whore. What do you want?” he slurred, his voice little more than a growl.

  Rowl stepped forward and grabbed Sara’s dad by his throat. “You will show your omega respect. I realize this might be difficult for someone like you, but say something offensive again and I’ll rip your throat out. Do you understand?”

  “What gives you the right to come into my house?” the drunk snarled.

  Rowl squeezed harder and asked for a second time, “Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” he barked out, revealing the sharp tips of his wolf’s canines. Karli sensed Mr. Small was having a hard time controlling his wolf. Never a good sign for an angry shifter.

  “Sara, what’s your dad’s first name?” Karli hadn’t had the opportunity to go through the records to begin learning the names of the people in her pack.

  “Stan,” she answered softly. “Please be careful, Karli. He’ll hurt you if he has a chance.”

  “Shut your mouth,” Stan ordered, and Rowl reached out to take him by the throat again, but at the last second, Karli stopped him.

  “He’s not worth the effort, love. No matter what we do or say, he’s still going to be a sorry excuse for a shifter.” Karli had second thoughts about what she’d said; after all, he was still Sara’s dad. She looked at her soon-to-be advisor and new friend, but she didn’t seem offended.

  “Don’t worry. I know what he is,” Sara stated in a somber voice, but she held her head high and stared at her father. Karli had the feeling Sara had been waiting a long time for this day. Karli’s heart went out to the young woman. She’d suffered at the hands of the one person who should have protected and cherished her. “After today, he’ll have no more power over me.”

  “That’s right, Sara. By the way, where’s your mom?” Karli asked. If she was here somewhere, they wouldn’t be leaving her behind.

  I don’t scent anyone else in the house, Karli, Joseph explained through their bond.

  Sara’s next words confirmed Joseph’s suspicion. “She left when I was a child.”

  “Left?” That seemed odd. Shifter parents would never willingly leave their child. Poor Sara got the short end of the stick when it came to her parents. Karli could relate.

  “She took off,” Stan spat. “The useless cunt left.”

  Apparently, her warriors had heard enough and physically forced Stan to his knees. “You can’t stop yourself, can you?” Karli asked, already knowing the answer. “Let’s get down to business. Sara will be collecting her belongings and moving to the main house. You will have no contact with her from this point forward. If you come anywhere near her, you will be punished.” Karli let the electricity in the room flood her body until her hands began to glow and spark. “This is your only warning.”

  “Take him outside while Sara packs,” Joseph ordered, and Stan was dragged from the room.

  Sara turned to face Karli, Joseph, and Rowl but refused to look them in the eye. “How did you know what my father was doing?”

  Karli stepped closer to Sara and held out her hand. “I’ve recently discovered that I have the ability to glimpse into another person’s life through touch. It wasn’t intentional, but I haven’t figured out how to control it yet. I would appreciate it if we kept this between ourselves for now, until I get a handle on it.”

  Sara finally looked Karli in the eyes. “I don’t know how to feel about that right now. But I’m willing to go on a little faith that you’re an honorable triad.”

  “We would never break your trust by sharing what we’ve seen. I swear it to you, on my word as your alpha,” Joseph stated firmly, and Karli knew he was trying to convey how seriously he took his oath.

  Sara slowly nodded her head in agreement. “Okay.”

  “Let’s get you packed,” Karli offered, and she followed Sara down a short, dingy hallway. Karli swore the young woman would have a better life—that all the innocent members of her pack would.

  The next few weeks were spent in meetings with the members of their pack. The first week or so, there’d been an air of suspicion surrounding each gathering. Joseph knew they had a right to be cautious. Up to this point, their lives under their former alpha had been hell. But the tide was slowly turning toward optimism, and pack members were smiling more easily at him, Karli, and Rowl.

  A lot happened since they’d taken over the pack. John McNaught was now the lead manager of the mill, and everything was up and running after several safety concerns were addressed. No surprise given who was running the mill; the workers’ wellbeing had never been a top priority. The seven individuals receiving money stolen directly from the mill, along with Renfrew Haleybrook, had been sent to King Leonidas to have their day in court. Of course, Joseph could have handled that himself, but he wanted his new pack to understand he was a fair alpha and everyone deserved their day in court to put forth their case. He knew there was no good explanation for what they had done, but that was up to the court to decide.

  The remainder of the Restone and Haleybrook families had left Eagle’s Cove’s pack lands soon after their family members were taken away, leaving behind several large houses in need of no repair. Joseph had chosen families whose houses were ready to fall down to take possession of the former Restone and Haleybrook homes.

  Karli spent most of her time working with pack members to get a handle on their basic needs and the farmers to get their crops off to a solid start. As promised, three more deliveries of supplies had arrived, and everyone was working hard on rebuilding the homes and stores in the community. Once his pack was safe and comfortable in their homes, they could start returning to a healthy community with stores selling what they needed and honest wages to buy them with.

  Joseph stood outside one of their latest projects, the community center for the pack. The original one stood derelict and abandoned, with the forest reclaiming t
he back half of the building. With repairs well on their way on individual homes and businesses, it was time to think of his pack’s continued wellbeing, and that started here with a community center that benefited the whole pack. Wolf shifters were social creatures, needing the comfort of their pack members around them. A community center provided the opportunity for that, getting people out of their homes to gather together. By the looks of the building, a sense of community had never been a top priority.

  “Well, do we just tear it down and start over?” Rowl asked, as a group of them stood staring at what had to have been an impressive building at one time.

  “Probably the best idea,” Glen replied. Glen McNaught was the eldest and head of the McNaughts, and he and his family had stayed on at the main house to aid the alpha triad. He’d become an irreplaceable asset, from his knowledge about everyone in the pack, to his insights into what Saxx had put all these people through.

  “I see this becoming a place for the pack to gather, socialize, and have fun. There should be a few restaurants to choose from, a games area, theater, and maybe even a bowling alley.” Karli’s excited voice made Joseph smile. His mate was always seeing what could be, instead of the condemned building in front of her. Her generous heart and the joy she shared with every pack member had gained her the trust and affection of many.

  “We should ask the pack what they’d like to have,” Rowl suggested as he took Karli’s hand.

  “That’s a great idea, mate,” Karli agreed and kissed Rowl’s cheek. Joseph loved watching his mates. He knew how lucky he was.

  “I’ll add it to our weekly newsletter,” Sara agreed.

  With the extra money that was found in Renfrew’s safe, they’d decided to put it toward pack renovations and computer systems, along with the funds they had brought. Karli had noted when meeting several members of the pack that hardly anyone had a computer to access the Internet or updated news and information. It was as if Saxx kept them in the dark and uninformed on purpose, but that wasn’t what Joseph and his mates wanted for their pack. So the three of them decided to have one complete computer system installed in every house, along with available instruction if needed.