In the late afternoon of October 2015, the sun's rays pierced through the glass of the Ford Expedition. Ella stirred from her slumber, emitting a disgruntled grumble as she realized her sleep had been cut short. Glancing at her iPhone, she noted it was 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. They had been on the road since five in the morning. With a stretch to relieve her stiff muscles, cramped from the long journey and uncomfortable sleeping position, she inquired, "Where are we, Mom?"
"About twenty minutes out of St. Cloud, dear," replied her mother, Luna Emma Grey. Emma, a strikingly beautiful woman even without makeup, bore the clear marks of her Swedish heritage. Her angular facial features, long, straight blonde hair cascading down to the middle of her back, and pale complexion were a testament to it. At 38, she maintained a figure that many a twenty-something would envy and strive for with countless hours in the gym.
"We'll be arriving at the St. Cloud Pack House in around half an hour," added her father, Mitch. Mitch, the Alpha of the Belden, North Dakota Pack, was an imposing figure. His six-foot-five frame barely fit in the driver's seat, even when pushed all the way back and down. Weighing 240 pounds of solid muscle and bone, his light brown hair was styled in a flattop, with just the faintest hint of grey at the temples.
"Yes, Dad, we've been over it," Ella said with a hint of exasperation. "Four Minnesota Alphas and their teenage sons who will leer at me and try to get in my pants." She shook her head, clearly not looking forward to the encounter. However, she knew it was protocol for unmated sons and daughters of Alphas and Betas to attend interpack meetings. In their world, where matings were crucial for survival and their numbers were few, it was a necessary obligation.
The Belden Pack had amicable relations with some packs in Montana and the Dakotas but had minimal interaction with the Minnesota packs. Ella mused that it could be due to the eight-hour road trip required to reach them or perhaps because they were a bunch of power-hungry individuals. Maybe it was a combination of both factors.
In truth, Ella felt responsible for this meeting. She had been exploring college options, and one of her top choices for a business degree was the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. To her, obtaining a degree was as vital for her future as her training to become an Alpha. Her father managed a trucking company and also served as the CEO of the Pack's landholding company. Her mother oversaw the property management side of the business. The Pack owned vast expanses of range land, leasing out grazing rights and, more significantly, holding valuable mineral rights in the Bakken Oil Fields.
Ella wasn't an expert in the oil business, but every member of the Pack was involved in some way with the oil drilling operations. The oil trapped in the shale formations underground had only become economically viable to extract in the past decade, thanks to rising oil prices and new technologies like horizontal drilling and fracking. This had transformed North Dakota into an oil boom town. The mineral rights had made the Pack wealthy, with each member's stake in the private holding company worth several million dollars. The earnings were being reinvested into acquiring more land, as they were well aware that the boom could end as abruptly as it had started. The oil money had also given them one of the largest privately held territories among all the Packs in the country.
"We've discussed your attitude, Ella," her father said, looking at her through the rearview mirror. "You need to be polite and respectful to the Alphas and their families. We are attempting to build alliances with them. And who knows, perhaps one of them could be your mate."
"I don't want a MATE, Daddy," Ella retorted, gazing out of the window at the passing fields. Most of the corn had been harvested, leaving behind only the dried and brown remnants. "The last thing I need is someone who views me as a baby-making machine. I'm not ready for that. I want to pursue my education and make my own way in the world."
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