No action in this one...More of a filler chapter letting you see that Tiff is taking on her responsibilites like a pro...
Chapter 20
Okay what do I say to that? I need to stand my ground! I need to be strong and remember all of the stuff he has said and done. He was staring into my eyes and that always makes me weak but he is the reason my mate is dead and gone.
“That is no longer your decision,” I said with full authority.
“But you know we are—“ I interrupted him at this point.
“My life is really complicated at the moment and I can’t deal with this or you right now. Do you get that? You must know how tough it is to be in charge. You trained for it all of your life. Not only do I carry all of the responsibilities you were supposed to shoulder but I have all of the responsibilities of a gonja,” with that I walked away from his gaping mouth. I had no time to think about him I had to prepare to meet with the council right away. Once outside again I mingled with the crowd until Shadow found me.
“The council is ready to deal with you now my gonja,” he said as he bowed.
“Okay Shadow but please do not bow to me it’s just weird,” I said. He nodded and said, “As you wish my gonja.” He led me to a small cottage about two miles into the forest. It looked like something I would imagine out of a children’s book. It looked like a gingerbread house. I entered with Shadow still leading the way I was surprised he hadn’t said one word the entire trip. He led me to a door just inside the entryway.
“Gonja this is where I take my leave of you. Good luck and may the spirits be with you,” with those words he opened the front door to the cottage and left. Great guess I have to face this alone. I walked through the door to a room I wouldn’t have guessed would be in the little cottage. It was a large conference room equipped with a big table in the center and large plush office chairs surrounding it. And the scary part was they were all filled save one, mine.
A few deep breaths and steps and I took my seat. That was when the old alpha which was Dylan’s father stood and began to speak.
“I have been relieved of the duties of Alpha. This will be my last time to take this seat at the head of our council. We have been notified from the spirits that our gonja is to take the head of our tribe until that time that she finds her true mate. I will gladly now let her take her place at the head of this meeting. Tiffany will you kindly come to the front please,” he asked. I could tell where Dylan got his incredible good looks from. His dad was older but he was quite handsome.
I made my way to the front where his seat was and he gestured for me to take it and he walked back to where I was seated moments before. Then I took my new seat at the head of the table.
“Well since I am new to everything including everyone’s mere existence I would like to call on you all to tell me what each of you are here for and your expertise,” I called out.
The man to my direct left stood immediately. “Gonja I am Carter and I am currently the right-hand man of the Alpha, which would now be you. You may however choose your own right-hand assistant now my Alpha. I currently take care of all of your needs. Anything you are in need of I am your man, so to speak,” he said. He seemed embarrassed by that last part maybe because I am a woman. He sat back into his chair and the person next to him stood.
“Gonja I am Stephen Lape. I am your protector. I serve as a bodyguard for you. I will be with you every place you go as well as some of our other guard.”
“Gonja I am Blake Johnson I take care of the pack’s financial matters,” he said.
“Gonja I am Liam Ness I am the head chef and I do the entire grocery parcel for the pack as well as other pack necessities.”
“Gonja I am Russ Crowell and I am the former Alpha and will serve as your liaison and counsel,” Dylan’s dad said. Just then something dawned on me. He is Russell. I wonder if he is Sarah’s Russell.
“Gonja I am Terrance Woddard. I am the ambassador to other packs. I take care of the packs relations and wars. I also train all of our warriors,” he said. He was kind of a scary looking guy you would see on a military movie so I understood his role.
“Gonja I am Louis Bernake. I am the pack elder. I am the oldest living member of the pack. I am here to provide my wisdom as well as anything else I can contribute to you.”
“Well it is nice to meet all of you and know who does what. Now I was told that I would be informed by you of my pack duties and responsibilities.” I said.
“Yes Gonja. Your responsibilities to the pack include but are not limited to: Peace and morale of the community, Saftey, Politics, Alpha conferences and treaty meetings, conflict management in between packs, and rouge patrols. And your gonja duties are to advise with the elders on matters of pack importance. Counsel dead member of society and their living family and friends. We know this is a hefty list for anyone and we are at your disposal day and night for anything you need,” Russell said. Whoa that is a lot of stuff to be in charge of.
“Well first off I believe Russell should be in charge of the day to day operation of the pack the same as it has always been until I finish school and can take over full-time. He will make all decisions through counsel with me. Dylan already has the respect and some authority over the pack will be in charge of all rouge activity. Everyone else here and in the pack should continue with their current activities until further notification. I think we should meet at least once a week until I understand exactly how things work,” as I finished my speech they all nodded with respect to my decisions. Then we all left the little cottage and walked back to the pack house.
It has been three months since my appointment to Alpha Gonja or AG. I have melted seamlessly into the lifestyle in the pack house and dealing with all of my responsibilities.
Dylan seems to run his perimeter shifts and then anytime he is off duty finds a party to be at and a party girl to be with. I haven’t seen it for myself but being the AG not much that happens on these lands get past me. It does bother me and I could order him to stay home and confined to his quarters but I will not use my power to take away someone’s rights just because it hurts me.
Right now I am sitting in my office in the house tending to some paper work about pack business and having a discussion with Shadow about some rumors of a rogue pack trying to take over other packs in the United States. Sandy, my best friend, comes bursting through the door.
“Tiffy poo we are going to Morgan Ferris’s party tonight,” she said.
“Look Sandy we have had this discussion for the past three months regularly. I am not going to a party I have too much work to do here. I don’t have time for parties and getting into teenage trouble. I am not going,” I said.
Shadow took that moment to butt into our conversation. “Gonja it’s important for a young leader to be young. It would be best if you went and had some fun with your peers. It will make you a better leader if you are not bound too tight and let loose. Go you have been hanging around with us old fogies for much too long.”
Shadow is the only person I listen to without a doubt. So if he says I need to party I will party.
“Fine! I will go. But you have to practice your battle stances with Rogan tomorrow for at least an hour!” I said. She rolled her eyes about the deal I gave her.
“EEEEH! YAY!” Oh boy after Sandy belting that out I am already regretting this idea. Sandy is really good at getting into trouble. Sandy said she wanted to help me get ready. I hate to tell her no when she is being all sweet so I let her.
By 6 p.m. we were dressed up, make-up clad, and high heeled. In my opinion we were a tad to dressed up for a high school liquor fest.
Sandy was clad in a little black dress that I was certain was more spandex than anything else. It barely made it past her bum. Her hair was in a sideways updo-she kind of looked like a hooker, a high end hooker though. She tried to stick me in one of those painted on deals but I refused. We finally agreed on a deep purple just above the knee, empire waist dress. She wouldn’t let me get away without the stilettos that matched though. She fish-bone braided my long red hair. She gave my eyes the smokey effect that made my sea-foam green eyes pop.
We made our way downstairs and into the kitchen where some of the teenage wolves were sitting stuffing their faces before time for the party. As we entered they all looked up and stared at us both. Then came the cat calls and whistles. The two of us just laughed at them and started to the front door. When suddenly someone grabbed my arm gently but enough to stop me and I turned to face Jonathon Mason. He was 6 foot 7 inches tall with blond hair and eyes almost the same green as mine. He had a prominent nose and perfectly straight impossibly white teeth.
“Is everything ok Jonathon?” I asked worried I had picked the wrong day to go party.
“Actually, since you’ve decided to go to one of our parties. I was wondering if you would go with me,” he asked. Jon was part of the security crew so I understood he wanted to stay close to me.
“Sure let’s get out of here,” I told him. Then the three of us left for the party.
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I'm thinking she misunderstood Jonathon's intentions...