My Mate's Joy

Chapter: Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two: Alone
{ Vale }

I stood there, alone, sad, and confused.

"Vale?"

I looked to find my sisters approaching me.

I quickly cleaned my face of the damn tears that fell when Jessa left.

I honestly don't why I had gotten so emotional, but my wolf was a little sad to have her leave.

I hugged both my sisters and looked at them.

"You okay," Evie asked, "You look like you've been crying."

I shook my head and tried to act cool, "Probably just allergies or something."

My sisters giggled, "Weres don't have allergies...anyways where is Jessa?"

"She just left...she'll be gone for a while."

Evie made a pouty face but smiled after. "And you're missing her already?"

"I am...but her mom needs her right now so I'll just have to manage without her."

My sisters dropped the silliness and got more serious.

"Sorry to hear that her mom isn't doing good... I really wanted Brook to meet her."

"Well theres always next time right?" I sounded.

Brooke nodded, "Yeah...how have you been Valley...seriously?"

I sighed, "I've been really good actually." I admitted wholeheartedly. "I mean Jessa's been a world of help to me and the pack, and Nico's wedding went off without a hitch thanks to the incredible maid of honor...who by the way I don't know if Titus told you Evie, Shelby Hawthorne is going to joining my pack soon."

There was no way I cold hide my proud smile for my lovely mate.

"He did tell me, and I think it's a very honorable thing you're doing fo rher."

"Honroable?" Brooke asked.

I sighed, "You make it sound like Shelby is a charity case...she isn't." I growled defensively.

But Everest ignored me, "Shelby Hawthorne is my new sister in law's best friend...she was the maid of honor, poor thing is mateless but found herself pregnant."

"Again, she isn't a charity case, please stop speaking about her as such...she is a lovely woman who had sex and got pregnant...her mate will love her regardless and be a lot less judgmental than the both of you are being right now."

"Why do you think we're so tough on you?" Brooke sounded gently. "One night of pleasure can lead to a lifetime reminder of your mistake in the form of an innocent child."

"Why does a one night stand have to be seen as a mistake?" I asked.

"It'll always feel like a mistake once you find your mate and you reflect back on it." Everest said, "Trust me, I know from personal experience...once you find your mate everything you did before finding them... you evalute more and regret certain things."

I wondered if Shelby felt this way.

"None the less, I won't allow anyone to talk down on any of my pack members...and as she's been approved to move over here She is already considered a member of this pack."

They both looked at me, clearly I was in a mood...maybe it was because my wolf and I didn't care for the way they were speaking about our mate...maybe it was because my best friend had just left and who knows when she'd be back?

"I've got to run...Need to brief my Beta about some changes happening in the pack and make sure our patrols are set for this week."

I told my sisters goodbye knowing they'd entertain themselves and left in a surley mood.

When I got to the pack house I actually did find my Beta and let him know what was going on.

"So Jessa is gone for a while...familial obligations." I said as I took a seat in front of his desk.

He put his pen down from whatever he was doing before and gave me his full attention now.

"You okay?"

I nodded, "I think we'll be fine...we were doing alright before she got here."

He shook his head, "That isn't what I asked Vale...I want to know how you're feeling about her leaving."

I sighed, "Well I mean I wish she didn't have to leave...for one her Mother is a member of this pack and you know I care for all of my pack members wellbeing and safety...but it is true that I've grown reliant upon Jessa helping me and being here constantly."

"So your friendship with her doesn't effect your feelings for her being gone then?"

"I mean yeah...of course I'm going to miss her...like you said she's a good friend, if anything...it'll be a lot more boring with her gone."

He offered me a smile, "We'll miss her and her absence will definitly be noticed by all of us."

I nodded, "We're also going to be getting a new pack member...I have to speak to her soon and find out when she's wanting to come on over."

"A friend of yours?"

"Yes...Her name is Shelby Hawthorne, and she's already been approved by the Alpha Supreme to move over whenever she's ready."

"Perfect...will she be needing a temporary room at the big house until she can get a place of her own?"

"Honestly I kinda thought she could stay here." I sounded cooly.

"Uh meaning no offense Alpha Vale...if you have a young lady staying with you the entire pack will talk...moreso if she isn't your Luna, of course this is your pack and your house and you are a grown man to do as you wish but I think this would even raise some suspicions in even the council."

I knew he was right, I was stupid to think this would be easy.

"Well she's a very important person to Nico's Wife and since I see Nico as a brother his wife is more or less my new sister meaning this girl means a great deal to me as well..."

He nodded, "Well you have a few family homes around town that wouldn't raise any eyebrows...especially since none of the Kirkshaw's have lived in them for more than a few years."

I nodded, "Thanks...I'll look into that, so what's on our list?"

"Well first we have patrols to set up, and we've got to start making the rounds on all of the young ones having first shifts, and there is a whole lot of them coming up just this month alone."

I nodded, "That's fine, anything else?"

He sighed heavily..."Yes...as you know with each new shifter we have to present the newest member to the rest of the pack...as of now for this month we have 23 new shifters ...that's 23 pack presentations unless we hold one big pack presentation, but that would become a party...which would include music, food, and drinks."

I groaned in frustration, "So 23 indiviual pack meetings throughout next month or one large pack presentation party at the end of the month to showcase all of them at once."

Now he nodded, "We've still got weekly patrols, Alpha duties such as one on one meetings with pack members seeking council, the ground breaking on the new park that Wex and Jessa got pushed through, as well as a couple ribbon cutting ceremonies for two new businesses here in town and that's just this month."

He looked down at the small stack of papers in front of him, "If I'm being honest here...Jessa couldn't have left a worse time...you are going to be running around like crazy here in our pack and then back and forward between us and your brothers pack."

"Shit I honestly forgot about that." I said, I really had forgot that I was suppose to be acting as his accountant until he gets his finances into better shape with his allies.

Honestly I hadn't felt more alone than I did right now.