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1
Mist sprayed on my face and I closed my eyes, pretending the cool water was helping wash away my anxiety. The roar of the waterfall eased my racing mind, giving me a few blissful moments of peace before the weight of the world came crashing in around me.
My eyes snapped open as I wiped the water from my face. I took a step back, then crossed my arms over my chest. The sun was low in the horizon and my clothes were soaked from standing so close to the waterfall. I was freezing, but that was a small price to pay for a moment of peace.
Star had agreed to let us stay the night at her place, but I had to admit, the thought of fleeing had crossed my mind. It wasn’t that I wanted to run from my problems, it was that I was tired of getting swept up in everyone else’s. Since when was it my job to help my absentee father with a coup?
I shifted my weight and my feet slipped on the mossy ground, nearly causing me to fall. Finding my balance, I backed away from the edge of the water. At least my sense of self perseveration was strong enough to provide a will to live. That was always good. I recalled when I’d constantly considered ways to end my life in Wolf Creek. At least things weren’t that dire. I might be on a suicide mission by making a run against the shifter king, but at least I didn’twantto die.
Pushing aside the dark thoughts, I turned and walked back toward Star’s house. It was easy to sneak out for a few minutes while Star attended to Alec’s injuries. I wanted to be with him, to make sure he was healed, but I knew I’d be in the way. Plus, ducking out for a few minutes let me avoid having to speak to my father. I wasn’t ready to get to know him any more than I had to.
There was too much to process and too much at risk to move forward without a few moments of reflection.
Not that it helped in any way.
I was still confused. And pissed.
Why had I agreed to help Spencer? I shook my head as I walked. My friends seemed to think that if I helped him, it would benefit my upcoming claim on Wolf Creek. All I could think about was how it delayed the breaking of the mating bond. Again.
In the few hours since Spencer had turned up, my mind had been preoccupied with more than just the prospect of overthrowing the shifter king. I’d found myself constantly worrying about Tyler.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably as my mate made his way into my consciousness again. My emotions were all over the place. One minute, I was worried about him making it back to Wolf Creek safely, the next I was hoping he died before he arrived. It was enough to drive anyone to madness. How much longer was I going to have to face the bond between us? Each time I thought we were moving closer to breaking it, something else prevented the task.
Then there was Alec. For now, I was letting myself take comfort in the fact that he was recovering and that he was safe. Everything else between us would have to wait. Between my father showing up and the mate I couldn’t get out of my head, there wasn’t room for anything else. Even if I was starting to think my feelings for Alec were far more complex than I originally thought.
I caught sight of Malcom walking toward me. He waved and I returned the gesture. He picked up his pace and met me in the middle of the tall grass, a short walk from Star’s home.
“Hey, can we talk?”
We hadn’t had a chance to talk since everything went down. At least not just the two of us. As a group, we’d decided we’d get some rest and figure out our next moves in the morning. “Sure, what’s up?”
“It’s been a long time since I had family,” he said.
“I know.”
“I need you to know that blood isn’t always thicker than water.” His expression was dark.
“I think we both know that,” I said. “But that’s not comforting considering we just found out we’re siblings.”
“I’m talking about Spencer. He might have contributed to us being alive, but he’s not one of us,” he said.
Warmth spread through me.One of us. He was talking about him and me, as if we were a family. I’d said as much about my friends when I met Spencer, but it was different hearing the sentiment returned.
“He hasn’t earned the right,” Malcom added.
“Thanks,” I said.
Malcom’s forehead creased in confusion. “For what?”
“It’s nice to have people on my side instead of taking the side with power,” I said.
“I’ve been running my whole life. Even when I settled in at the feral camp, I never thought I’d stay. I kept my few belongings packed at all times,” he said. “But you’re changing things. Not just for yourself, but for those around you. You’ll make a great alpha.”
“You have to say nice things to me since you’re my brother,” I teased. I was trying to be playful, but it was to cover how inadequate I felt. I still couldn’t fight well enough, and I wasn’t convinced I was the best wolf for the job. I knew I’d be better than Ace, but that wasn’t difficult. Most anyone would be better than him.
“You know that’s not the reason I believe in you. You’re stronger than you think. You stood up to Spencer and your mate. You could have buckled to either of them, simply accepted them blindly. Belonging is a strong motivator. Instead, you stayed true to yourself. You turned them down because you know your own worth. That’s fucking brave. And it’s exactly what is necessary in a good alpha. You’re going to listen to people, and you won’t let money or power do the talking,” he said.
I considered the way things worked in Wolf Creek. If you made the alpha happy, it meant good things for your family. Hearing Kyle’s story solidified it. A child’s life was in danger and all Ace cared about was if he could barter something for himself in the transaction.
