“I’ve served the Presley Acres community for years with my catering business. I went to school and played on the same sports teams with many of your children. I am simply a grateful member of the Keller pack—one who is begging you to help us find the man responsible for leaking the video and altering it to make it seem as if the Keller pack was responsible for the deaths of my people when, in fact, he was the reason. He is a murderer, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants: me.”
By the end of the video, there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind who the actual criminal was. The segment came to an end with the anchor wiping at tears. “Thank you to Dominic Keller and Liza Mims for providing their statements in this exclusive newscast.” Castro’s photo appeared on the screen. “If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Castro Neal, please contact the local authorities. Do not approach this dangerous man. Call the authorities so that he can be taken into custody and justice can be served.”
The lights came on as the projector shut off. After a few moments, Dad stood. “Liza, I understand that this wasn’t easy for you. I want you to know that I’ll forever be in your debt for protecting the pack.”
He hesitated and cleared his throat, and I could see he was trying to keep his emotions at bay. “I know I can’t take back what I did, but I hope we’ll be able to move forward and heal.” Heturned his gaze to me. “Ty, this goes without saying, but at the next full moon, it will be time to pass on the alpha power.”
I took a deep breath. “Yes. I’m ready.” I took Liza’s hand in mine, and the serene smile on her face reminded me a lot of my mother’s smile.
Liza’s parents stood—Scott shaking hands with me, then my father, “Thank you, Dominic. You brought a wonderful gift into our lives. With everything she has done and everything she has gone through, I couldn’t be prouder of our daughter right now.” He turned to me. “Ty, I ask you to keep my daughter safe, love and cherish her the way she should be. If you’ll excuse us, I think Rory and I would like to get some sleep.” Scott and Rory both hugged Liza, telling her how proud they were, before departing for their room.
“Tyson, why don’t you come on a walk with me? I think some fresh air might do us good.”
I nodded and joined Dad just as Mother stood and made a beeline to Liza’s side. “Care to join me in the kitchen? We have a lot to talk about.”
Liza glanced at me, and I winked. “Sure, Persephone. I could use a snack, anyway.”
I assumed Mother wanted to talk to her about becoming the mate to the alpha, since she’d need more lessons about the role she was about to take on. Poor Liza, having to jump from the newscast to listening to Mother blab on about various community obligations. She smiled at Mother, though, and it was genuine.
Dad led the way to the garden in the backyard, the gravel trail illuminated by a row of solar lights. It was a quiet night, and the crunching of our shoes against the rocks was the only sound aside from the occasional chirp of crickets. I took a deep breath, savoring the scent of blooming roses in the air and letting it wash away some of my worries.
We’d done it. We were now two steps ahead of Castro, not the other way around. I wasn’t naïve, though. That bastard would retaliate, and when he did, I’d be ready.
We made our way to a bench that overlooked the forest. Dad took a deep breath and crossed his legs. He was more at ease than I’d seen him in weeks.
He turned to face me. “I’m damn proud of you and the man you’ve become. I still remember you running around buck naked through these gardens. At that time, it was hard to imagine you as the alpha of the pack. I see it now. You’ve become the leader our pack deserves.”
“Thank you, Dad.” I watched as a bat flittered above our heads, trying to catch bugs mid-air. “That means so much coming from you.”
He nodded. “I know I’ve handed a lot over to you and Liza, but the way you’ve both reacted to all of this is impressive. I know the pack is in the best hands possible. I have no reservations about handing the alpha powers down to you.”
I smiled at him. “I promise I’ll do my best to lead the pack with honor and integrity.”
He clapped me on the back. “That’s all any father could ask of his son. I have to warn you, though, that sometimes the power of the alpha can be a heavy load to carry. At times, it will feel like too much, but that’s why it’s important to have a loyal council and a partner who can help you carry the burden. Fate obviously knew what was to come and that there would be no better partner for you than Liza.”
“I agree. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Dad stood and placed his hands on his hips. “I’m not dumb enough to think that this is over. Castro is going to make a move to punish us, and when he does, it will be harder than before. I’ll be there by your side to see this to the end. Just because I’m passing the alpha powers to you doesn’t mean I’m abandoningyou. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Dad put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Are you ready for all of this?”
I nodded.
“Glad to hear it, Ty.” Dad yawned and stretched. “I’m going to head to bed. You?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. I’m going to walk in the woods for a few minutes. Clear my mind. Today has been… a lot.”
“I understand. See you in the morning, son.”
He turned and made his way back up the gravel path. I watched for a few minutes, noting how much slower he moved, and the extra effort it took him to walk uphill.
My mating with Liza couldn’t have come at a better time.
Walking through the trees, I reached out and touched them, needing that connection with nature and its energy. Soon, these woods would be filled with pack members shifting at my command under the light of the full moon.
In some ways, it was hard to imagine. There had been so much build up to get to this point, and now that we were on the cusp of transferring the alpha powers, I found myself contemplating the future more than ever.
As I ventured deeper into the woods, the scent of damp earth and moss mingled with the fragrance of pine. It was my second home, the place I was most at ease.
The symphony of nature surrounded me: rustling leaves, the distant chirping of insects, the susurrus of the nearby stream. The familiar sounds grounded and gave me a sense of direction and purpose as if they were aware of the shift in my identity. Did they know I would soon be the leader of the forest, the one who would lead the other wolves that roamed the area at my command?
