** Donovan POV **
Thirty minutes later, the van was rolling to a stop. Donovan looked outside, not recognizing the area, and saw a very run-down gas station.
'This isn't our usual stop,' he thought. 'Where are we?'
"Where are we?" he asked Bain, who was driving.
"A small town called Outville," he replied. "We are stopping for gas and then heading out. We are meeting the rest of the group in about five hours. We will get to the territory late tonight.
"I've already sent word ahead. There should be someone waiting for us."
"Wait," Donovan said as the information caught up with him. "When did we get separated from the other vans?"
"Captain Luna said that it's easier to track a large group," he replied. "We split up a few stops ago. Captain Luna gave each of us new coordinates for different stops, where to stop, and when to leave."
'Not bad,' Nolan commented. 'She knows what she is doing.'
Donovan nodded.
He would have to speak to Keira about changing his plans. He didn't appreciate his orders being undermined or overridden. The least she could have done was speak to him about it first.
'She's a lot better at planning these things,' Nolan reminded him. 'You should let her use her strengths to help us get our home up and running. Most of the pack is still in hotel rooms. There is talk of members leaving our pack because of it. They are unhappy.'
'You have a point,' Donovan agreed. 'But that doesn't mean she can do whatever she wants. I am Alpha, and my decision is final. I will have a word with her.'
Nolan growled softly.
While everyone got out and Bain went to fill up the van, Donovan waited for Keira to wake up. He wanted to speak to her before they set out and reached their home. This was going to be the only chance he had without anyone else listening too closely to their conversation.
"Keira," Donovan said in a low voice. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Keira," he repeated.
"Hmm," she mumbled, stirring.
"I need to speak to you," Donovan said in the same low voice.
Keira opened her eyes and peered at him.
"Can't it wait?" she asked, yawning.
"No," he stated.
Keira groaned and sat up.
"What?" she asked.
'She's still mad at us,' Nolan commented.
"I don't appreciate your undermining my authority," Declan stated, getting straight to the point. "The next time you think about changing my plans, don't. At least not without my authority."
Keira narrowed her eyes at him and growled. "Is there anything else, General Donovan?"
"Last night I sent word to my Omega," Donovan continued. "I told him to move Victoria out of the pack house and get paperwork ready for you."
Keira stayed silent and narrowed her eyes at him.
'She doesn't believe us,' Nolan commented.
"I take my responsibilities to my pack very seriously," Donovan said. "The King has threatened those responsibilities, and now I must do what is right for them. I don't like that I'm being forced to do it, but I will do what I must.
"If that means fulfilling my obligations to you as the Luna and mate, then I have no other choice."
"You forget that I had to give up my whole life because of you," Keira said after a few moments of silence. "It's not easy for me to accept that I no longer have control over my life. That I am stuck with a mate that hates me and wishes I had never come into his life."
"I'm here because I know what I have to do," she continued. "I am also being forced. You're not the only one suffering."
Donovan stayed silent. Truth be told, he had forgotten that she hadn't wanted to be with him either.
"I don't expect you to give me your love and affection," Keira said in a serious tone of voice. "But I do expect some respect. I assure you that you will get it from me if nothing else. I'll stand by you no matter what."
"That's fair," Donovan agreed. "I, too, will stand by you."
'Alpha,' Marcus said. 'Are we ready to leave?'
"Yes," Donovan replied, sitting back in the seat. "We can leave."
A few minutes later, everyone came into the van and headed out.
"We should be meeting up with the other vans soon," Keira spoke up. "There is another rest area a few hours from here, just before we arrive in the territory."
"How do you know this area?" Simon asked curiously. "It doesn't look like this is a well-traveled area."
"The Task Force has the entire territory mapped out," Keira replied. "We studied all of the known landmarks in the area. When my cousin was the captain, I took some time to drive through the territory and update the map.
"This gas station has been around for many years. There aren't many visitors, but most rogues and wolves dont know this area. As long as we keep to the less-traveled roads, we'll be safe from being tracked."
Donovan was slightly impressed by her. Who would have thought the Task Force kept track of all the less-traveled roads?
'I wonder what else the Task Force was responsible for?' Donovan thought. 'Did removing the Task Force cause more harm than good?'
"Similar to how you keep track of the populated rogue areas?" Donovan asked.
Keira nodded. "If you don't keep them in check, they think they can get away with just about anything."
"That's another thing our pack now has to deal with," Marcus muttered.
"Yes," Keira quietly agreed.
Donovan almost cursed out loud. He had almost forgotten about the new responsibilities that each pack now had to take care of in place of the Task Force.
'One thing at a time,' Donovan reminded himself. 'First, we need to figure out what is going on with the finances, then we need to get the pack situated in their new homes. After that, we can worry about the rest of the logistics.'
'We sure have a lot of work to do,' Nolan interjected. 'We'll need all the help we can get, and our mate is the best kind of help the Moon Goddess could have given us.'
Donocan doubted that was true, but he didn't have a rebuttal for Nolan.