Chapter 140

• The Mountain
• After eating with Sierra, I stroll down the main sweeping staircase, feeling heavy with everything we discussed. It’s almost noon, and the house is eerily quiet, but outside noises of the busy village filter through the now open windows on the light breeze. It’s still raining, but it has the promise of a brighter day again, and the schoolhouse is getting its first proper use today, now it’s almost complete. No more children in the great hall from now on, and I squint that way as male wolves begin streaming out of the double doors at the far end of the hall as I step the last tread.
• It’s where Colton has convened the sentinels from patrol, his best packs, and they have been discussing everything to do with maintaining our peaceful and safe existence. Supply runs, and financials, as we still have to bear the weight of our pack, even with severance from the main Santo millions. Luckily, Colton had his own inheritance and trust fund that Juan couldn’t touch, and with some of our adopted packs from the mountain, they also brought in funds to help keep us afloat for a very long time. We have investments and shares in the human world, and we seem to be ticking over nicely, despite the loss of Colton’s rightful wealth. Wolves don’t need the things humans do to survive, but it’s easier to feed and clothe a pack than to hunt, forage, and live like wild animals.