  &quot;There are children on the mountain who have no choice but to stay. Do they feel safe… are they safe? Or are they just pawns that Juan clings onto in a bid to feel he retains some control and would throw them to the vamps in a heartbeat to instill fear into those left.&quot; I verbalize my frustration knowing fully that Juan never cared in any way for his people. Colton exhales heavily, letting me go as he stretches his arms out behind his head and scrubs his scalp in frustration, letting his breath out loudly as he does so and it s not hard to tell he s finding this stressful to talk out. Despite everything that has happened, Colton s heart still sees his father inside the monster, and it leaves him conflicted anytime we talk about him.
  &quot;Tell me what to do…. I honestly have no fucking idea. We have a split pack. We have two vulnerable communities. Our priority should be he

  Colton is preoccupied most of the day with overseeing the new buildings, checking in with the sentinels on patrol and keeping himself busy. We have fallen into a routine of doing what we need to do separate first thing in the day and gravitating back together by lunch, or after, to do things together. Today was exceptionally busy I guess, as I had lunch with Sierra, like we always do, and then checked in on the school and some of the smaller workshops without laying eyes on him once. 
  The wolves have started getting life back on track again. With the kitchens being used as both a mess canteen and a bakery to provide for the village, we have started to bring in some animals to graze on the surrounding lands to fill our meat, egg, and dairy needs. Although occasionally vampires kill a few. We have managed to get them within the boundary for nightfall most of the time, but animals like 

  I stroll down the stairs of the main sweeping staircase after I am done eating with Sierra, feeling heavy with everything we talked about. It s almost noon and the house is eerily quiet, but noises of the busy village outside are filtering through the now open windows on the light breeze. It s still raining, but it has 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 at all 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 continuing to maintain our peaceful and safe existence. Supply runs, financials, as we still have to bear the weight of our pack, even with severanc

&quot;There are children on the mountain who have no choice but to stay. Do they feel safe… are they safe? Or are they just pawns that Juan clings onto in a bid to feel he retains some control and would throw them to the vamps in a heartbeat to instill fear into those left.&quot; I verbalize my frustration knowing fully that Juan never cared in any way for his people. Colton exhales heavily, letting me go as he stretches his arms out behind his head and scrubs his scalp in frustration, letting his breath out loudly as he does so and it s not hard to tell he s finding this stressful to talk out. Despite everything that has happened, Colton s heart still sees his father inside the monster, and it leaves him conflicted anytime we talk about him.
  &quot;Tell me what to do…. I honestly have no fucking idea. We have a split pack. We have two vulnerable communities. Our priority should be here, but I get what you re saying…they need us too. It s just ……&quot; He drops his arms and grabs my 

chapter 73