74

Kade’s POV
I held Joey’s hand tightly as we walked through the camp since he told me that he was going to walk me around and tell me the information that I didn’t know yet. Members of the pack were shocked when they saw us walking through the street with the betas behind us since Joey felt better with Cody coming along.
Earlier in the day, Lila told me that we had to start planning the wedding because she was so excited. Joey told me a few nights ago that all he wanted to help with was the date and the reception guest list. I found out that with the ceremony, anyone from the pack is allowed to come to see us, but the reception was closed and just for the people we invite. I had been looking at some websites to see what I wanted and I’ve basically already found out what we were going to wear and the colors.
So whenever someone transfers to our pack, we decide to let them in based on their past records with other packs. We always have empty houses for precaution and if we don’t, then we usually start building more because people are always transferring, Joey tells me as he motions to the houses that look like the normal ones you would find in a regular neighborhood.
And they have to pay for the houses ? I ask, wondering what the payment process was.
Yeah, we have a realtor that works specifically with us that walks the new members through our houses until they pick the one we want, then they sit down and make up a payment plan that works best for them, he says.
Sounds pretty normal, I say with a chuckle.
He chuckles, leaning down to place a kiss on my head. We do things normally, just like the non-supernatural humans do. I’m not too in on the whole buying houses part of our pack, but I know a bit about it. We give people the option to build their own in one of their lots because we love letting people have free range since it’s where they’ll be living. So we have rental properties that they can live in while it’s being built by our contractors.
So you have a lot of people working in the camp, right ? I ask, realizing that he’s mentioned multiple times of people that work within the camp.
Yeah, we have nurses and doctors in the hospital, contractors and realtors for the houses, guards for the perimeter, office workers that help give out information about pack meetings and other stuff we need the pack to know, and there’s a lot more people that help us run smoothly, he tells me.
I look up at the light poles that stand in front of some houses that hold a white camera on it that’s turning to scan every point it can see. I point towards it, wondering if there was a specific reason for it. Cameras ?
Just for protection, Joey says, looking over at Cody and Melissa, who catches up to walk beside us as we continue to move past the houses until we get to some empty lots that have half built houses on top of some of them.
How many houses are you building right now ? I ask, following him as he walks through the dirt to stand next to the wooden structure. The house looks like a fairly small house, but has a huge backyard that looks like there might even be a pool or something like that going in there.
We have two transfers that decided that they wanted to build their own houses since they expect to be here for a bit, Cody says.
Are we going to show him the lake ? Melissa asks.
Cody gives his best friend a confused look before crossing his arms with a sigh. You haven’t shown him the lake ? The best part about the camp ?
I just haven’t had time to show him yet. We can go now if you’re so adamant about it, Joey says with a chuckle before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and guiding me back down the street where people were starting to come out since it was lunchtime, which is when most people decide to hang out in the courtyard.
We get back to the quarter house before Joey and I pile into a car while Cody and Melissa go into the house since they said they needed to get something first. We leave the gate and go down the dirt road, which is where Joey and I fucked in his car that one time, making my face heat up immediately. As we move past the trees, a beautiful lake comes into view that has a fountain in the middle of it. There’s a box filled with different floaties next to the lake that I’m assuming they put out at the beginning of spring.
I notice that there’s some people, mostly teenagers and kids, playing in the water or sitting at the picnic benches with food laid out. Joey parks his car next to the others in the grass before getting out to look at all the people. I follow behind him as he goes to stand at the edge of the lake, taking my hand in his.
This is the place I first shifted, he whispers, smiling as he looks out at all the tall trees.
I look at him in surprise. Really ? You shifted here ?
He looks down at me with a smile and a nod. Yeah, alphas-to-be shift earlier than most, so I was 12 when I did it. My dad took me here with his beta, Cody’s dad, and helped me shift since you usually do it in a private setting since it’s pretty intense your first time.
How’s it intense ?
He grabs my hand before sitting down on the ground, pulling me into his side before kissing the side of my head. When you shift for the first time, you’re letting your wolf out after years of being hidden inside. Your bones are being moved around for the first time, which gets easier to do with time, but it’s probably the worst pain you feel when you do it at first. It’s like all your bones are breaking at once and your wolf is finally being unleashed, which basically means you lose all control at once.
So what happens ?
Your wolf takes control, which means lots of running and hunting. It can last from two to ten hours, depending on how feisty your wolf is. I think I was out for, maybe, about seven hours with my dad until my wolf gave me control back, he says.
That’s terrifying that you just don’t know what’ll happen once you shift, I whisper to him, setting my head on his shoulder.
Yeah, it is, but we have ways to help new cubs learn control and safety within themselves, he assures me. Before I can say anything else, Joey turns his head to see Cody and Melissa coming with two bags in their hands. Melissa tosses one in front of us before giving me a smirk.
What’s this for ? I ask, looking into the bag to see towels and swim trunks.
Get changed, we’re going swimming, Cody said before rushing to his car with his mate. I looked over at Joey to see him giving me a smirk as well before pulling me off the ground to his car.
Wait, we’re actually going swimming ? I ask.
Yeah, come on, let’s have some fun for a bit, he says and I immediately start to worry about our safety until I look around and notice the guards standing around the lake for our protection. I get pulled into the backseat of the car with my man who hands me a pair of bright blue swim trunks.