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“No.” He shook his head. “It’s different for every Alpha.”
“What was your previous Alpha’s gift?”
Mathias’s gaze locked on mine. “If you’re asking about the Alpha I replaced, he was never my Alpha.”
“What?” I had no clue what he was talking about. I shook my head as I looked up at the ceiling. “I grew up in this pack, and I suddenly feel like I need a history lesson.” I met his eyes. “Why did you keep all this a secret?”
“It wasn’t intentional.” Mathias chuckled and came over to sit next to me on the edge of the bed. “You weren’t born yet, and after you all grew up, I guess it didn’t seem important.”
“Who was your Alpha?” I asked.
“John Hall. His ability allowed him to draw power from the pack to make himself stronger. His eldest son was Victor. Most of us were drafted during World War II, but John decided the pack needed a few of the younger generation to stay in Salem to protect our territory. He was able to keep his sons and three other pack members home while four of us were shipped out to fight the Nazis.” Mathias stared at his shoes. “I was the only one who made it home.”
He also had a Purple Heart medal in a glass case downstairs, but he rarely talked about those days even when we asked.
Mathias lifted his head again. “John died of lung cancer while I was in Europe. When I made it back to Salem, his eldest, Victor, had already ascended to Alpha and had been banished. The elders asked me to lead the pack, so I did.”
I rubbed my chin. “Shouldn’t it have fallen to Victor’s twin brother?”
Mathias nodded slowly. “Yes, but Vincent left the pack right after Victor did. Last I heard, Vincent was living up in Mount Washington on the western side of the state.”
I’d never been to Mount Washington, but I knew of it. It was probably the most remote place in Massachusetts with a population of less than a thousand people. The perfect spot for a lone wolf to hide.
“Do you think Victor still had his ability even after the pack banished him?”
Mathias smiled and patted my knee. “This is why you’re going to be a good Alpha. You’re always thinking.” His gaze went a little distant as he stared out the window. “I don’t know. I heard from some of the others that Victor’s ability was telepathic. If he had line of sight with a pack member, he could speak directly into their minds.”
Okay, that was handy gift. I filed that information away for later and changed the subject. “Have you told the pack about your decision yet?”
“No.” He met my eyes. “I did ask Wyatt to send a group text to gather everyone here at seven o’clock tonight so I can make the announcement.”
Tonight. I had a date with Ruby at seven thirty.
One of my Alpha’s bushy white brows popped up. “Is there a problem?”
My fucking heart rate. I shook my head, forcing a smile. “I have a date.” That much was true. “I’ll just change it.”
Mathias grinned. “And here I thought you’d given up on finding your mate. We can tell the pack to come earlier. Maybe four o’clock instead?”
Not being able to tell him I’d already found her sucked, but I kept my mouth shut and nodded. “That would work.”
“Good. You can text everyone to let them know, right?”
“Yeah, I’m on it.” I took out my phone and hesitated. “Have you talked to Kiefer again?”
“No.” He sighed. “I think it will be better to discuss this with the entire pack. If Kiefer decides to leave, he won’t be able to recruit allies to follow him.”
“I think the ship has sailed on that.”
Mathias shook his head. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
I stood up. “I better get downstairs. I’ve got some calls to make before the Pack meeting this afternoon. Are you coming down?”
“Yeah. I think so. I’m sick of this room anyway.” He smirked.
“Need any help down the stairs?”
“No.” He got up without wincing. “My ankle is barely swollen today. The antibiotics are working.”
