After the conversation with the Council and the resulting agreement we made, our pack was rather busy for the upcoming weeks.

Of course we already had accommodations planned for any rejected that we encountered or that contacted us. But Drake had made the wise decision to prepare ahead.

Our pack could only reach so many people on our own, yet the Council had many eyes and ears spread over the world. And now thanks due to the aid of the Council, we could help more people, easier and without having to struggle for resources.

However, it was incredibly saddening to realize there were so many people who needed our help. How many people willingly squandered the unique and precious bond between mates, for the dumbest reasons first.

Thirst for power, realizing their mate was of an undesirable gender or a different supernatural species.... I shook my head, going over the files placed on my desk.

File after file detailed a sad tale of rejection and a person with nowhere to go. People who had been dealt a shitty hand by fate and were expected to just roll over and deal with it or die.

Now, they could start anew in our own pack. A pack where nobody judged one another for their past. Nor did we demand anyone to actually become a part of the pack.

They could stay here and be nomadic, they could stay unaffiliated, or chose to leave after they were recovered. But I had noticed from the countless reports that very few chose to leave.

And the only reasons why they left, was due to their Choice mates living across the world. Only a single individual had physically left due to unresolved issues, but even he still kept in touch with the pack.

Grabbing another file to put into the system, I started reading the contents before pausing and rereading them again. A relieved smile slipped on my face before I leaned back in my seat.

Max and Elliot had decided to give one another a chance at Choice mating. And what made me even more relieved is that the pair had decided to go to a different territory in a new pack.

Away from Elliot's oppressive mother and shell of his father. And away from here, where both their former mates had their happily ever after.

While I didn't want to seem insecure with having them around, it did settle some niggling doubts in the back of my head.

Even if the chances were small, there had been that doubt. What if Elliot or Max didn't accept that the mates they rejected, found someone else to be happy with?

What if maybe, just maybe, either one of those tried to get in between us?

It wasn't unheard of after all. Where the rejecting mate came back, realized their mistakes and tried to forcefully fix the issue.

I praised the heavens above that none of that had happened with me and Drake. And I made an extra note to make sure that our security would be extra careful with these matters.

Because it was very likely that someone would pose as a rejected wolf simply to try and get closer to their former mate within our pack. Or send someone else to do it for them.

Apparently it had already happened, early in the beginning of Drake's reign as Alpha. Where one of a regional's packs' runaway had found their way to Drake's pack, and naturally that pack sent someone over to investigate.

The Council had put an instant and permanent stop to those practices. Had made it clear to any involved packs, and everyone else, that espionage into another pack's members or their lives was highly illegal.

But that didn't mean that rejectors couldn't act on their own. Hell, even Max had abandoned his former pack when Alpha Curtis contacted him with my personal information.

At that, a grimace pulled over my expression before I shivered. Asami hadn't given me any details but after she learned that it was Alpha Curtis who had contacted Max and informed him that I was there, she knew he had broken yet another law.

And there were only so many warnings the Council would give before they acted.

The vampiress had smiled politely before excusing herself to make a phone call that would determine the end of Curtis' life. We may not know the specific details but we could piece together the available information to know that Curtis had crossed too many lines.

And in doing so, endangered the lives of innocents under his rule, especially given that he had apparently insulted a dragon and his mate.

Honestly, it was a miracle that the pack was still standing and not completely razed to the ground.

"Alpha Kyle?" One of the Beta's knocked on the door, making me blink out of the daze and look up. He smiled apologetically, holding up another pile of papers. "We got more people filing for asylum."

I simply reached out a hand, clearing my throat when my voice cracked when I thanked Brian. He cringed in sympathy, eyes flitting to the clock on the wall before he sighed.

One look was all it took before I understood why I felt so damn exhausted, why my eyes were gritty and sore from looking at the screen.

"I swear, you and Alpha Drake are almost giving us Betas more worries than you both fix." Brian muttered with a shake of his head before fully entering the room. Holding out a bottle of water that made me smile sheepishly.

Brian rolled his eyes, chuckling as I downed nearly half the bottle in one go. "While everyone appreciates the hard work, we'd also love to see our Alpha pair safe and healthy. Not falling asleep where they sit."

My stomach growled at that moment, as if to state its own point much to my embarrassment. Brian sighed before getting behind my seat and gently but with purpose, forced me out of the room.

All whilst I was protesting against my eviction, mentioning the newly added files, not to mention the heap still waiting for me. Brian just smiled sternly, "Those papers aren't going to grow legs and disappear overnight. You and Alpha Drake need to eat and sleep before even considering returning to your separate offices."

Brian's emphasis made me blush even worse, quickly hurrying out of the room while the Beta chuckled. After all, it had been Brian who had opened the door to our shared office before pausing mid question as he noticed my position bent over the desk and Drake behind me.

Let's just say that after that encounter, I made sure that any quickies were done behind firmly locked doors. I still remembered the shock and utter horror as Brian had tripped over his feet in order to leave the room while our wolves hadn't even given a second thought and kept going.

Drake had even released a rumbling snarl, eyes flashing as Brian fell backwards and kicked the door shut. Covering my body from view while nipping at my mark, as if to remind the both of us that I was claimed.

Which Drake and I quickly realized was their own sneaky attempt of staking a public claim onto one another beyond being marked.

It wasn't too surprising though. With two newly mated wolves, Choice mates at that, they were bound to be more territorial than the average Fated mate.

There would always be that instinctual fear, knowing that there was a Fated mate out there who could potentially steal what was rightfully yours.

Willing the flush on my cheeks to relent, I headed to the dining room and smiled when Drake was ushered in by the other Betas.

"See? Even Alpha Kyle takes a break every now and then." Jasmine scolded gently, giving me a pointed look over Drake's shoulder. "You should take better care of your health, Alpha, so that nobody needs to be worried about your health and sanity."

"Alphas." Brian sighed with a shake of his head and a shared look with Jasmine.

I smiled and inclined my head, taking the barely hidden advice with gratitude. Scratching at my nape, I sheepishly admitted "I guess we were both a bit too absorbed into our work."

Jasmine scoffed at that and shook out her blonde curls. "Either you guys can't keep your hands off of each other, or you're hyper focused into Alpha matters. Seriously, both of you need to take a breath and relax from time to time. Why else would you require Betas in the first place, if you guys are gonna do all the work?"

"Thank you, Jasmine. Brian. Seriously." Drake took a deep breath as Brian nodded, patting me on the shoulder before he went back.

"Jas and I will do paperwork for a few hours, then we'll swap with the others. You guys can sit down and relax, trusting us to keep the pack afloat when you need a well deserved breather." Brian waved over his back as Jasmine chuckled and jogged after her mate. "Without a fear of any heated distractions."

I groaned and covered my face at Brian's teasing joke echoed through the hallway along with Jasmine's laughter. "I blame you." I murmured as Drake pulled me in his arms, making the man chuckle before I felt his lips against my temple.

"I'll fully take the blame for that." He flushed, nuzzling against my mark and sighing as I leaned against him with a content huff of my own.

"We need to eat something." I murmured after enjoying the moment of love and affection before my nose crumpled together at a whiff of air. "And shower."

Deciding to quickly shower before dinner, both of us hurried to our bathroom. After a quick shower where we miraculously to keep our hands mostly to ourselves, we arrived back in the kitchen squeaky clean and relaxed.

"There are so many new arrivals, we might even need to think about constructing new houses and expanding the territory." Drake muffled a yawn against his shoulder before shaking his head.

I hummed, eying through the contents of the fridge before shrugging as I closed it and went for the freezer. "Pizza?" I asked, dipping down into the chest freezer to grab some of the homemade ones.

"God yes. Extra pepperoni and cheese?" Drake drooled as I wiggled the pizza at him, snatching a bag of sliced pepperoni and grated cheese.

He flicked on some music to listen to while both added desired toppings and herbs before plopping it in the oven. I nearly smirked as a distant groan sounded, one of the pack cursing under their breath for making them hungry this late in the evening.

Drake simply shrugged, taking a seat after setting the table and groaned. Shoulders popping as he stretched before rubbing over his neck.

"Perhaps we should call the Council and see if they have some additional workers to spare." I suggested after a moment, feeling the fatigue slowly set in as we waited for our meal to cook.

I watched as Drake yawned before he chuckled when I yawned as well with a grumble. "It's not a bad idea. We're doing them a favor after all and it's not like we're lazing around doing nothing."

"Plus the quicker we can process the new arrivals, the quicker they can get the aid they desperately need." I pointed out, shutting off the oven as it beeped.

After quickly slicing up both of our pizzas, I handed Drake's plate to him and groaned at the taste of the first slice.

We quickly devoured the entire thing and cleaned up behind ourselves. It was a communal kitchen after all and nobody wanted to come into the kitchen hungry, only to be forced to clean someone else's mess.

By the time that Drake and I had stumbled back to our room and lazily kicked off our clothes, we barely managed to drape the covers over ourselves before falling into a deep and exhausted sleep.

There might still be work waiting for us. But it could wait for a day longer.