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I glanced over at Caleb and saw he wore a thoughtful expression. It bothered me that I hadn’t known he felt this way. I could see how easily it could happen though. An Alpha was ultimately in charge of his Pack’s fate and without the support of a loving mate and strong Beta, it could become a lonely burden.
“I know its not the same, Caleb, but you’re not alone. I may not always be a member of the Navarre Pack, but I’ll always support you as an Alpha,” I promised, hoping he felt my sincerity.
“Alpha to Alpha?” Caleb asked, smiling slightly.
“Alpha to Alpha,” I repeated, my tension easing as Caleb accepted my new role. “I owe you an apology,” I continued, not noticing as Thomas slipped away. “I should have told you a long time ago about Trent, and then Liam. You shouldn’t have had to figure it out on your own.”
“I was angry at you when I realized,” Caleb replied, glancing at me sideways. “Dad had just died, everything was confusing and the Pack wanted you as Alpha. I wondered why you didn’t just take it, to be honest.” I winced at the pain I heard in his voice, feeling about two inches tall. “I felt betrayed,” he continued, “And it wasn’t because you had your own Pack, but because you never told me.” He glanced away. “It made me wonder what else you didn’t tell me. If you thought I shouldn’t be Alpha.”
“I never thought that,” I swore. “I worried about you. Losing your dad, taking the position of Alpha, those are heavy burdens for anyone much less a seventeen year old.”
Caleb nodded. “I know that now. You never wavered from defending me, not even when I hit on Jess. You had my back and you taught me what it means to be Alpha. That sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good.”
“Caleb,” I paused as I took a deep breath. “I’m proud of you, but I don’t want you to sacrifice your own happiness. Do you understand? You are entitled to be happy, to live your life not only as an Alpha, but as a man.” I squeezed his shoulder. “Even your father knew that. He defied everyone when he married Payne’s mother but she made him happy and with that a better Alpha.”
“Until she died,” Caleb said dryly. “Then he turned into a bitter asshole.”
“There is that,” I admitted, unable to disagree with his statement. “But that doesn’t mean you’ll have the same fate.” I considered my next words carefully before speaking. “If you wanted to be with someone like Leah, the Pack would support you.”
Caleb gave me a confused look. “Leah?”
“Yeah, Leah,” I reiterated, confused now myself. “Haven’t you been checking on her?” Understanding dawned on Caleb with my question.
“I have, but it’s not because I want to date her,” he explained. “I feel responsible for her. I’m the reason she’s part of this world and it didn’t seem right to leave her unprotected. She saved my leg and kept our secrets, the least I could do is keep an eye on her.”
“You’re a good man and a great Alpha,” I responded, proud of him. He ducked his head, denying my words. “You are,” I stressed. “You have a good heart and its in the right place. I’ve always known that.”
“It means a lot to me that you think that,” Caleb answered, his shoulders easing. He looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in weeks and again, guilt punched though me for not having the conversation sooner.
A distracted look came over his face as he communicated with someone in the Pack. His expression was grim as he glanced at me and said, “Zeke Daniels shifted.”
“He wasn’t initiated,” I stated, knowing it was true as Caleb shook his head.
“I didn’t have time,” he hesitated, not wanting to give the reason why, but I knew.
“Because Jess was taken,” I finished and he nodded. “I’ll help you search,” I declared, standing up with him.
“Anna and Trent are searching,” Caleb replied and I couldn’t hide my surprise. “I know. I thought it was strange too, but apparently Zeke’s mom called Anna and she was with Trent? He didn’t want her going alone. They’ve been searching out from Zeke’s house but so far they haven’t found him.”
“So now we need to establish a wider perimeter,” I concluded. “Do we know where he was when he shifted?”
“No, honestly, we’re not sure he shifted. He just hasn’t been heard from in several hours. Apparently, the junior high had a scrimmage football game this morning and he never came home after it. His mom started to get worried, thinking he may have shifted.”
“She’s right to be concerned,” I agreed, my priorities torn. If Trent was with Anna that meant Jess only had Liam, and while the bond link told me she was okay, my anxiety didn’t ease. “I need to make sure Jess gets home safely, then I’ll join the search,” I told him, careful to remember I was speaking to him Alpha to Alpha and not as his Beta.
