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“Byron is really important then,” I said. “If anything happened to him…”
He paled. “Don’t.”
“How does he do it?” I wondered aloud. “How does he take care of so many people?”
“He kind of has to. He’s the alpha.”
“Yeah, but what if there wasn’t one? What would happen then?”
“There’s always one,” he said. “Good or bad, somebody has to do it. Not everybody can cope though. You heard Heddy’s story. That’s what it’s like when they can’t. I feel better around Byron. That’s how I know he can handle it. The wolf part is kind of on a leash, so I can relax.”
“Dorian doesn’t seem to need him like that though.”
“He’s different. Maybe I used to be jealous of that. He’s close to Nathan, too, and he’s the next best thing to Byron. Without them, I get too restless, too reckless. I can’t control myself. It makes me look weak. I hate it.”
“You’ve been hanging out with me just fine while Byron’s been gone,” I said. “So you must be getting better at it.”
“Yeah. Maybe. You’ll be busy when Dorian comes back.”
“So?” I held his gaze. “We’re friends now, right? That won’t change unless you do something stupid and bully people in front of me.”
He grinned. “I get it.”
“You must be looking forward to seeing Byron. I’m starting to get how important he is to everyone.”
“It’s been pretty quiet without him. Everyone’s on their best behaviour in case Perdita gets upset.”
“It seems like she’s important, too,” I remarked. “Can a human have that much power in the pack?”
“Not usually, but a potential alpha’s mate? A potential alpha’s mother? Her words go a long way, especially because she’s a favourite of the real alpha. Besides, she’s always nice to us, and she doesn’t mind sharing food.”
“Potential alpha’s mother? But you won’t even know if the kid is a werewolf until they’re a teenager, right?”
“It’s expected,” he said huffily. “She’s Nathan’s soulmate for a reason. Why wouldn’t she have a werewolf?”
“That’s a lot of pressure on the kid’s shoulders,” I said. “Imagine how stressful that would be, and then to potentially never shift? I don’t envy that baby.”
“Still pack, no matter what,” Victor said stubbornly. “And why do you even care anyway?”
“Dorian cares, so why wouldn’t I?” I said. “Besides, I like Perdita. I don’t want her to feel stressed about any of this.”
“It’s a long way off.” He stretched. “We’ve other things to worry about.”
We finally reached my house. When I said goodbye and made to go inside, he caught my arm to stop me.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not good with words,” he said. “But no matter what happens tomorrow, no matter what you find out about harbingers or whatever, it doesn’t change who you are. Okay?” He let go of my arm, gave me one final nod, then left me there.
Victor’s words didn’t stop the growing dread in the pit of my stomach, but it was nice to have somebody around who understood what I might be feeling. I would face whatever happened with friends and family by my side, at the very least.
Mam and I held hands as we waited with Perdita and Nathan for the others to arrive.
“It’s okay to be nervous,” Nathan told me, noting my trembling. “But we’ll all get through this together.” His presence reassured me. He seemed strong and steady, but I wasn’t sure how much of that was my perception and how much was me being influenced by Victor’s and Dorian’s opinions on him.
Perdita rubbed her bump. “I can’t wait to see them. It’s been so quiet without Dorian, even with all of the teens hanging around.”
We sat in silence then, just waiting, until the front door opened. Dad and Dorian burst into the room, neither looking unhappy, and my heart lifted a little with relief.
