Page 36 of Dark Sold Mate

“Did he?”

“No. According to him, it was because I showed up on a daily basis, right on time, and I was willing to work. And slowly, I got better. I studied the patterns of the restaurant and knew how to read human beings. I could guess what they wanted before they even asked.”

Silas listened, fascinated. This was a side of Elle that he never saw. She was confident and proud of her achievements.

Elle continued. “A year later, I climbed up the ranks and became the manager. I took over the planning of schedules, inventory, and training new employees. I was good at it.” She met Silas's eyes. “It was the first time in my life that I was great at something, you know?”

“You've always been great at stuff.”

“Like what? Serving as a punching bag for the pack? Failing to shift? Being a disappointment?”

“You were kind. Gentle. You found goodness in people that didn't deserve it.”

Elle laughed bitterly. “Yeah, look where that got me.”

“It got you here. Alive. You never gave up. You kept on fighting.” Silas leaned forward. “You survived, Elle. That takes strength.”

She fell quiet for a moment. “The humans I worked with were some of the strongest people I've ever seen.”

“How so?”

“One of the waitresses, called Sarah, used to work two jobs to take care of her kids, and she never complained. She just pushed through. Marcus was a former soldier who suffered from PTSD, yet he never missed a day of work to operate his restaurant and assist kids like me who had no other place to go.” Elle's voice grew passionate. “Jennifer, my neighbor, went through an abusive relationship. She left with just clothes on her back and changed her entire life completely. They didn't have wolf strength, speed, or the ability to heal fast. They could get hurt easily and die. But they still forged on. That's real courage.”

“I never said that humans were not brave.”

“Your pack did. Your father did. All the wolves that I have ever known scorn humans and look down on them as lesser beings. But you're wrong. All of you. Human beings are powerful in a way that shifters can never comprehend since you have never had to be vulnerable.”

Her words were like a mirror for Silas. Elle was right. His pack, his father, they all viewed humans as lesser beings, and Silas had internalized that prejudice without doubting it.

Until now.

“You're right,” he said.

Elle clearly looked taken aback. “What?”

“You're right. My pack got it wrong. My father got it wrong.” Silas set down his coffee. “But these were his rules and not mine. I'm Alpha now, and I'm going to make a difference.”

“By following up on the trafficking ring?”

“Yes. By trying to save the women from—”

“That's because your pack's reputation is at stake,” Elle interrupted. “Would you still care? Would you still hunt down this operation if it were not a threat to your pack?”

His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach.

“I...” He trailed off. He didn't know what to say.

Because Elle was right. Again. He only started this investigation into the trafficking ring because of the evidence planted against his pack.

Oh, he was horrified by what was happening to them. Disgusted by the shifters running the operation. But if his pack hadn't been implicated, would he have gotten involved?

Probably not.

The realization made Silas feel sick.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Elle studied his face. “You're not this selfless man that you think you are, Silas. You're helping because it benefits you and the pack.”

“That's not entirely true.”