We’ll figure it out,she whispered back to me.Together.
Together,I agreed. We hadn’t spoken about the future yet. We just sort of knew where we were headed without the conversation. However, I suspected we’d still engage in it, as there were a few unresolved items between us on that front.
Particularly the one surrounding her job, which I would not be taking from her.
“Welcome home, Alpha,” my mother whispered into my ear before kissing my cheek. My father placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze, then pulled my mother into his arms to guide her back into the crowd.
Everyone around us rumbled a similar sentiment, all welcoming me home… asalpha.
The word reverberated through their minds and out their mouths, the revered hum singing to my soul.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been called by the title, but it meant so much more coming from my mother and my pack as a unit. “Thank you,” I responded quietly.
“And welcome home, Alpha Makayla,” my mother added softly, her lips curling.
Several members of the crowd echoed the comment, causing Makayla to melt a little into my side. Her resulting smile lit up her entire face, her acceptance a radiant light inside her that basked all of us in a warm glow of approval.
“Thank you,” she said, repeating my sentiment, but in her own way. Then she stepped forward to embrace my mother, the two alpha females hugging and setting the pack even more at ease just as the other two trucks pulled up in front of my house.
Everyone turned to face the newcomers, a hint of unease lining some of their shoulders as Hardt jumped out of the driver’s seat.
Timothy and Gregory hopped out of the other truck, flanking him as he approached me.
Makayla took a step away from my mother, her stance protective.
It’s okay,I told her, already reading Hardt’s intentions. It wasn’t done on purpose. I just… had no idea how to block him out yet. A quirk that had worked in the man’s favor earlier because I’d felt his shock over Paul’s betrayal, and his subsequent anger at himself as a result.
Hardt had known Robert and Paul were friends after training to become enforcers together, so he should have pieced together that there might have been a link between them in regard to the Bortex case. Of course, he hadn’t realized Robert had been there with a special “package” for my father—a package that the computer records on-site had indicated contained silver.
Another fact that made me wish Bortex had suffered more.
But I didn’t hold the incident against Hardt.
While I agreed that he should have caught on to the link between Robert and Paul, I didn’t blame him for not telling me about Robert’s appearance on our lands. He’d handled it as a beta should. And it hadn’t been a noticeable breach that really required alpha involvement.
However, I’d sensed his internal vow to never keep details—no matter how trivial—from me again. That was apology enough.
Hardt stepped forward, his eyes holding mine for a beat while everyone around us held their breaths. Then he went to one knee, his head bowed as he said, “Alpha.”
A collective gasp went through the crowd, followed by a round of relieved sighs as he glanced up at me from the ground with a grin on his face.
“It’s about time you came home,” he added.
I huffed a laugh and shook my head. “I had to find my mate.”
“And we’re all very glad that you did,” he replied.
I held out my hand to help him up. Not that he needed it. The gesture just served as an assurance to the pack that we were comfortable working together.
More than comfortable, really.
He’d been the first to give me energy when I’d needed it, bolstering me while I’d fought Bortex’s machine.
Hardt stood, his height nearly bringing his eyes to mine. But he flicked his eyes away again in a show of reverence. I pulled him in for a hug, thanking him with my actions for having my back out there.
Then I stepped back and looked at him.Reallylooked at him.
He’d demonstrated loyalty to me last night and again this morning even while he’d still questioned my ability to lead. However, I realized nowwhyhe’d questioned me. Why he’d pushed me. Why he’d infuriated me.
