Even though the second floor was being added to the main building, everything else remained the same. It almost made Tex feel at home as Tabitha led him to the conference room with no windows. While there were two, this one was used the most by the Elders because of the location. It gave them additional protection. The walls were a cheerful yellow, giving a light and airy feel, but it was seeing Robin sitting at the table that drew a smile to his lips.

“Well, it seems being an Alpha suits you.” She rose from the table and came to him with her arms spread, ready for a hug.

“You won’t believe it, but I’m not half bad at this.” He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tighter than usual, as if that would make it last. “You should come see all the changes with the clan.”

“I knew you could do it.” She returned his squeeze and they separated.

“Does that mean we’re invited back?” Adam stepped into the room.

Rhett’s sudden movement from his side caused Tex to push Robin behind him, using his body to shield her from whatever danger Rhett had sensed as he turned toward the doorway. It quickly became clear there was no danger, but why had Rhett reacted?

“Hey now…” Adam sized him up, clearly ready to tear his throat out for blocking his way to his mate—Robin.

“Rhett.” Tex had never seen him overreact, and he needed to rein it in.

“Adam’s my mate,” Robin explained, as Ty stepped in, directly behind Adam. “He’s no threat to you or Tex.”

“Easy. Everything is fine.” Tex could see Rhett’s unease but before he could do anything about it, Ty came farther into the room, heading directly past them as he made his way to Tabitha.

“Your first time on duty protecting an Elder can be a challenge, Rhett. Especially surrounded by another clan and outnumbered,” Ty said, while standing next to his mate. Felix remained close to her opposite side. “You’re uneasy and that’s to be expected, but you’ll find no threats here. We would never harm you or your Alpha. Tex is not only our ally and our friend, he’s family.”

“I apologize.” Rhett’s gaze landed on Ty. “This is your home and I never meant to imply you weren’t keeping your clan safe.”

“Another Alpha might jump to that conclusion, but I know what happened in Texas. You’re not…how should I put it? As socialized as other guards might be. So far, you’ve mostly had to protect the Elders from people who’ve come to you and you know they’re on our sides, which takes some of the worry out of your job. It’s always easier to defend your Elders on your own land than it is when you’re visiting another clan.”

“But he knows we’re committed,” Robin reasoned. “Everyone here has committed themselves to you and to Tabitha’s goals.”

“True, but it’s still overwhelming for him. Adam…” Ty nodded to him as if giving him permission for something, but Tex wasn’t sure what.

Adam shut the door to the conference room and stepped closer to Rhett. “Take a deep breath. What do you smell?”

A growl echoed the space and when Tex reached out for his guard, Ty shook his head, stopping him.

“Stand down, Rhett. That’s an order.” Tex trusted Rhett, but the change in his stance caused him to issue a command. He glanced back at Ty. “What’s going on?”

“You’re used to it, so you’re not alarmed, but your guard isn’t accustomed,” Ty explained. “Adam’s arrival brought a scent that alarmed him. It put him on edge, even if he didn’t realize it.”

“It’s Daisy.” Tabitha shook her head, sending a strand of her strawberry blonde hair falling from her hair clip. “I should have warned you, but I hadn’t considered that her scent would alarm him like this.”

“She’s a threat.” Rhett snarled.

“She’s been here weeks and while she’s not committed to the clan, I can ensure you she’s not going to cause any problems,” Ty explained. “She was kept prisoner by Pierce and is—”

“Unstable,” Adam supplied.

“Anyone who’s gone through what she has would be.” Robin stepped back to the chair she had vacated and sank into it. “She’s gone through Hell and I tried to work with her but she’s not ready to move past it. As much as she doesn’t want to continue to relive the past, she’s unwilling to let it go. Every time we take a step in the right direction, it seems we lose momentum. She’s not moving backward, but she’s unable to move forward for days…sometimes longer.”

“Daisy is guarded. She’s not leaving her cabin, but even if she did, there are too many guards stationed around the grounds for her to get this far.” Adam stepped past Rhett and went to his mate, Robin. “Either myself, Felix, or Taber accompany Robin each day to meet with Daisy.”

“Daisy’s presence here is my decision, but it does alert us to an obstacle you’re going to face. Let’s sit.” Touching the small of Tabitha’s back, he led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Felix took the one closer to the door, giving Ty the opposite side of her. Adam and Tex sat on opposite sides of the table.

As Rhett took a seat on the other side of Tex, he asked Ty, “What obstacle?”

“Manetka Resort will be opening soon and you’re going to have visitors with all different scents. You’ve put safeguards in place with security and the computer system, to weed out anyone who might cause problems, but that’s not going to eliminate everything. At the very least, you’re going to pick up lingering scents from someone who’s against us that visitors might have had encountered while traveling. You need to be able to weed through that in order to know immediately whether the person before you is a threat.”

“He’s right,” Tex said. “Unlike Avery, I’m not going to hide while others handle the resort. This is my clan and my resort. I’m going to be at the forefront, just as Ben will be. That’s why we’re seeking additional guards. You’re our most trusted guard and you’re going to need to learn to decipher the scents.”

“I’ve got a solution.” Ty reached toward the coffee pot in the middle of the table and poured himself a mug. “For most of us, separating the scents is natural. In your case, Rhett, being closed off from the outside world for so long has left you with a weakness. I believe Thaddeus might be able to help you learn this skill quickly. While we haven’t had someone who needed help with this particular skill, we’ve had a couple of the ground guards who needed to boost the ability in order to be able to continue working the perimeter. Thaddeus was able to assist with that.”

“If he’s available maybe he could help Rhett after we interview the possible guards,” Tex suggested. “After that, we’ll need to get some rest. I was going to discuss this with you and Tabitha, but I trust everyone here. Rhett’s going to pull the guards from the short list for another session with him.”

“I figured you’d want to test them yourself.” Ty nodded.

“They’ll be expecting that as well, but they won’t be expecting it in the middle of the night.” Tex leaned forward, placing his hands on the long mahogany table. “I came here hoping to find a couple additional Elder Guards. We need resort guards but I can’t afford to bring in as many people as it would take to fill the positions to keep the clan safe. So, my hope is that the new guards can help train some of the Texas Tigers. Rhett’s been trying but there are only so many hours in the day and he already has enough on his plate. As you know, the duties of an Elder Guard are more demanding than some other positions and the best way to see how they work under a little pressure is to wake them up and put them through challenges.”

“Sleep deprived.” Felix nodded. “Good idea. Styx has been working them hard but they’ve been working themselves harder. I’ve seen many of them in the gym after they’ve finished their sessions. They work together, helping each other to improve. Even though they know they’re competing for a position with you, Korbin, or David, they’re willing to help each other to be successful. Whoever you chose will be able to help you train others and that’s what you need to be successful.”

“We knew the Elders who needed to bring on extra guards would need to continue training others, which is why we started this.” Adam grabbed one of the muffins from the tray and tore off a piece.

“Styx, Taber, and Tad went to meet with those who had potential before bringing them here. We had to know they were going to make it through the training and if they were security risks,” Ty explained. “This is the last time Styx will be in charge of training. It’s becoming too much for him and it’s interfering with his duty to protect Bethany. He’s Shadow’s right hand and separating them is risking Bethany’s safety.”

“Between protecting Bethany, working with Brooklynn, and these potential guards, it’s too much for him,” Tabitha added. She slid a lose strand of her hair behind her ear. “His mate, Mira, doesn’t complain but I can see it’s affecting her as well. A few weeks ago, Carran was on a mission in Pittsburgh. He was there to locate Ambrose, the lion shifter who exposed himself to two police officers. One of those officers was Brooklynn Armstrong, Carran’s mate.”

“She’s the one heading up Shifter Peace Keepers, isn’t she?” Tex remembered Ty mentioning it, but there hadn’t been much shared about it.

“Yes. Once Styx is confident she’s ready, they’ll begin recruiting additional shifters. There are a couple here that have already been chosen, so they’ve been working out with the potential guards for other Alphas.”

“Ivy is thrilled to know her proposal is being put into action.” Tabitha leaned forward to place her hand on Ty’s. “Her mates, Turi and Trey, are already working on the changes for the shifter forum to include a tip database.”

“Are you recruiting outside of the clan? If so, why aren’t you keeping some of the guards I just watched?” Tex’s tiger rose inside of him, coming to brush along his skin with the anxiety flowing through him. There were dangers in their world, especially with the clans that were against Tabitha. With the Shifter Peace Keepers team, it would only be a matter of time before they began to move on the opposing Alphas. While it would save many shifters, just as it had with his clan, it also meant there would be death. He hoped none of the blood spilled would be the people he’d come to care about.

“Once our Elders quarters are complete, Ryan and the construction crew will begin on another building. That’s where the Shifter Peace Keepers team will stay, with the exception of Carran and Brooklynn. They have a cabin in close proximity to the location of the future building. We won’t be bringing the chosen here until the building is complete, and we’re keeping Shifter Peace Keepers under wraps until then, as well. The last thing we need is our enemies finding out about it now. When they travel to other clans, they’ll be representing Queen Tabitha.” Ty squeezed his mate’s hand, giving her comfort when she shifted slightly. “If they’re supporters, it will give them protection. If they’re not, it could bring further problems. Because of this, we’re recruiting from outside our clan as well. Jinx has a couple who have interest, Korbin has one, but we’re also going to try to bring some additional species on.”

“Other species? You mean like the Kodiak Bears?” The anxiety increased. Adding other animals could cause a whole different set of issues.

“Tad’s going to take on a role with the team, as well as others.” Ty was being evasive, but pushing wouldn’t bring further answers. “He’s been doing more for the clan and Carran wants someone we know and trust with Brooklynn. He was the perfect choice because we know he’ll keep her safe and he’ll be able to pilot them wherever they need to go. Unofficially, I can say he’s going to be her second in command.”

“Shifter Peace Keepers will eventually help moderate all species, so adding bears, lions, or other shifters onto the team will eradicate future problems,” Tabitha added. “We should introduce you to Brooklynn while you’re here. She’s learned a lot from your clan and that’s going to help her spot similar issues with other clans.”

“I look forward to meeting her.” He pushed back his chair and started to rise. “If you could excuse me, I need some air.”

He didn’t wait for anyone to reply before moving toward the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Rhett rising to join him and he shook his head. “Stay, get to know them. I’ll only be a moment.”

“I think—”

“He’ll be fine.” Ty cut Rhett off before he could finish. “You have ten minutes before the first interviewee should be here.”

Ten minutes didn’t seem like enough time to clear his head, but he’d have to make it enough. Strolling from the conference room, he headed to the one place that should be empty, the cafeteria. There, he could get a cup of coffee and look out onto the grounds without bumping into anyone who wanted to talk. He didn’t want to appear antisocial, but taking a few minutes to get his thoughts back on track was necessary in order to stay focused on the potential guards.

He wanted to blame his scattered thoughts on being back in Alaska but that wasn’t all of it. This had been the first place he felt at home, and this trip was making him realize how much he missed it. More than that, his thoughts kept circling back to her.

He’d only caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye before she scurried away, but her scent was alluring and drew his tiger forward. Her long ruby red hair shimmered and when she spun around to leave, it fanned out around her. Who was she? What had she been doing spying on the session? Or had she been spying on him? He didn’t believe she was a threat. Otherwise, Ty wouldn’t have allowed her in the compound, yet there was something suspicious about her sneaking in after the practice started and hiding in the shadows.

More than anything, her eyes drew him in. The amber hue with a warm gold outline held hints of something mysterious. Their gazes locked briefly before she took off, but it was enough for him to want to know what she was hiding. It was more than his tiger wanting to figure out the puzzle. He was intrigued by her and wanted to know more. He vowed to find out who she was—and why she’d been spying on the session.