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“Hello, dear. I hope you’re holding up well.”
Eliana gave her a gentle smile, walking toward her. “Hello, Lorissa, is Lio home, by chance?”
Lorissa nodded, and then her eyes rose to him. She narrowed them slightly. “And he is?”
Eliana turned and gestured to him. “This is Lucas. He is an alpha we recruited to help us snuff out a new alpha for our pack.”
The door behind Lorissa opened, and a man stepped out. His peppering hair was long and fell down his back in wiry waves. He looked about the same age as the lady. He was a tall, bulky man that loomed over everyone.
Eliana gave him a smile. “Hey, Lio. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
His eyes went from him to Eliana. He then smiled. “Our door is always open to you, Eliana.”
They all headed inside and sat in the kitchen. The room smelled of lavender and honey. Lorissa poured tea and handed everyone a cup.
He stared at his and then looked at Eliana.
“How are you holding up, dear?” Lio asked, his voice gentle. It surprised him, considering the size of the man.
Eliana shrugged. “I’m doing all right. I’m trying to keep everything together. That’s actually why we are here.” She waved a hand between him and her. “We need a little help finding an alpha for the clan.”
“Ahh.” Lio tipped his head, looking at him. “How is that going so far?”
He snorted, shaking his head. “Well, we know there are plenty of betas on the island.”
Lio nodded and sighed. “The island certainly has changed over the years. Your uncle and I spoke about it often. How the island is different from when we were younger.”
Lorissa nodded next to Lio. “It’s true. A lot of people are leaving because of the lack of jobs. The interest in keeping the island going forward is fading. It almost feels as if people have given up on wanting to see it thrive.”
He looked at Eliana, who scowled at the new information. Or had she already known that? Was that something her uncle had told her?
He wondered how much Eliana already knew that he didn’t. He planned to ask her later about the island and a little more.
“Shifters are moving away. Our lion tribe isn’t as large as it used to be.”
“The wolves aren’t any better,” Eliana said.
“No.” Lorissa shook her head. “But you are still the largest group that occupies the island. That says something. If you guys wither away, we will as well. We depend on you.”
He frowned, seeing how that weight dropped onto Eliana’s shoulder. He saw the shift in her eyes, the worry if she failed.
“We will find someone,” Lucas said, determined. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Lio gave him a grunt and shook his head. His face shifted into disappointment. “I don’t think you have a lot of time to think about this.”
The air shifted, and he looked at Eliana, seeing the blank expression form on her face. She took a sip of her tea, and he felt the urge to give her a hug. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay.
He couldn’t assure that, though. He didn’t know that. If they didn’t find someone, it was only a matter of time before someone else arrived to take over.
And what would he do? Could he stop them? This wasn’t his pack. He had no power here.
“We can’t have you failing,” Lio said in a different voice that made Eliana stiffen. He didn’t like it.
“Hold on, what do you mean by that?” Lucas asked. There was something hidden behind that word. Even Lorissa tensed when he said it.
Lio and Eliana exchanged a glance as he watched her swallow. Her finger rubbed at the rim of her teacup before she looked back at him. Her eyes had gone dark, and her voice dropped slightly as she whispered. “We don’t believe the autopsy of my uncle is true.”
He looked at Lio, still confused. He only knew that her uncle died. He didn’t know how.
