I’m not the only one who doesn’t measure up to the Alpha’s high standards. My pack and his own brother aren’t what wolves are ‘supposed’ to be in his eyes, all too soft for the mighty Elias Blackwood.
Elias leans forward, refocusing on his son. “You were eighteen, Bane. The clock had officially started ticking. You had five years to find and train with the most powerful partner you could find. Only five years, there was no time to waste. Your siblings had longer to practice their skills and work with their mates. If you were going to have a chance, Josh Fielding wasn’t the path to success.”
“He was my true mate,” Bane counters.
“But not a strong mate,” Elias retorts calmly. “I believed he would only hold you back and keep you from your true potential.”
Bane opens his mouth to object, and Elias raises a hand.
“That wasn’t an invitation to voice your own opinion. You wanted an explanation, so there it is. To give you the best chance of becoming the next Alpha, I made you believe Josh rejected you. I ensured you both had reasons to keep your distance.”
“Do you, um, do you feel bad about it?” I wonder.
“For doing what was in my son’s best interests? Why would I?” Elias looks to his son, blunt and unapologetic as ever. “You were hurt for a while, but this was supposed to make you tougher in the end. With him out of the picture, you could find someone capable of fighting and leading with you.”
“Except for one problem,” I voice.
“You never found another,” Elias acknowledges. “Yes. That was unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate?” Bane laughs sarcastically. “Oh, sorry, can I speak now?”
“I suppose,” Elias concedes.
But Bane’s done talking. He’s gripping the leather armrests of his chair so tightly I worry he’s going to tear the material even with his human nails. Most of his energy seems devoted to staying in his chair and not decking his father.
Elias turns to me. “You asked if I felt bad. I don’t.” He made that perfectly clear. “But do I still think I did the right thing?” He sighs. “That’s debatable. Instead of setting Bane up for success, my actions ultimately put him at an extreme disadvantage.” His expression softens, something close to sadness as he looks at his son. “My only regret is that you’re the one who suffers for it.”
“Because the fight is coming up,” I say. “And Bane’s the only one without a partner.”
“Indeed.” Elias nods gravely. “I’m not sure it’s even possible to win alone, not against the rest of my children. And here we are anyway, here you two are. You found your way to each other anyway.”
“What are you gonna do now?” Bane wonders, eyeing his father suspiciously. Good question. Does the Alpha still stand in our way?
Elias considers the question. It seems to take forever. I have no idea what will happen if he’s still against us. Then again, I have no idea what will happen if he isn’t.
“Whatever happens now, it’s out of my hands,” the Alpha finally announces. “Maybe I should have given you the decision before, but it is your choice now.”
16.The Blame Game
Josh
We stand in the hallway outside Elias’s office. It’s awkward. Neither of us quite knows how to break the silence.
“So, um. That was something.”
Bane nods. Doubtful he even really hears me, considering I clear my throat and search for something to say and he nods again, still lost in thought.
After spending so long disliking and distrusting each other for various reasons that were never even real, what happens now? No clue.
Whatever we talk about and decide on, all I know is that standing around outside ofElias’s officeisn’t the place to discuss anything.
“Do you live here?” I ask.
“What?” The youngest Blackwood looks very lost and confused, but I doubt my question trips him up.
“Is there somewhere we can talk? Do you have a bedroom?” Oh my god. I sound like an idiot. “Of course you have a bedroom if you live here. Could we go there? Or anywhere other than here, really. To talk?”
Bane stares at me for several seconds like what I asked really was incomprehensible. “Uh, follow me.”
