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The wolf stirring inside me was helping keep me calm-ish. The familial connection with Markus had been immediate, which also eased some of the anxiety, along with how much this place felt like home. Like this was somewhere I could figure out who I was meant to be.
There was something in the air. I didn’t know how to describe it, but after hearing Markus talk about Fire and Fluorite needing someone to come in and make things better again, I knew I needed to be that person.
I’d never been a leader in my life—not in any form—but I was confident enough in myself to know I was strong. Not just in the physical sense, either. I’d spent years living amongst witches I hadn’t belonged with. Deep down, I’d known I hadn’t. I just hadn’t known how true that had been.
My nights spent under the moon and in the forest should have been my first clue, but then again, I’d been sheltered and kept ignorant. It was as if the coven had known I’d figure things out if given the opportunity.
I briefly wondered if the witches would come for me, if there was some sort of deal that had been made when I’d been dropped off. But then I realized none of that mattered. I couldn’t change the past. There was no reason to be angry about things that had already happened.
There was only moving forward in the best way possible, because if I wanted the life of freedom I’d always dreamed of, then living in the past was the last thing I needed to be doing.
“So, how does one become the new Alpha Supreme of Fire and Fluorite?” I asked. Since nobody had been appointed, I assumed there was a process we needed to be aware of before deciding our next moves.
I felt Grayson’s eyes burning into me, but I didn’t meet his gaze. He might have been my mate, but it was my life. Hell, technically, it was my family.
This was something I needed to decide on my own, though I already knew my choice. In a way, I felt like I’d been preparing for this moment all my life. My body wasn’t weak, and neither was my mind. Not after the way I’d grown up. Not unless you counted my hesitancy in making friends.
Markus blinked at me several times before answering. “Sorry. Being around you and recognizing you as my sibling is going to take time to get used to.”
I smiled, and a flutter of emotions moved through me. “Same.”
“Anyway.” Markus shook his head. “An Alpha Supreme can be passed down generationally should the current Alpha produce a strong enough heir. Our father was trying to prepare me, and I let him dictate my life and my actions for a long time, but once I saw how easily he turned on me, I knew this wasn’t the life I wanted.”
That was admirable to hear. He could have taken Mathis’s betrayal and decided to best him, becoming an even worse version, but the fact Markus had chosen to walk away made me want to know him more.
He continued. “The other way is to fight for the role. I believe that’s why nobody has been elected yet. Ryder doesn’t truly want the spot and the others who are leading the opposing factions aren’t strong enough to consistently win fights that will garner the support they’ll need to rule over a House that has been savagely led for decades.”
“You’re saying Kinsley will need to fight these other wolves in order to garner their respect?” Grayson asked, his voice husky.
I finally looked at him. His eyes were nearly black, and his fingers dug into the arm of the couch. Yeah, this was going over really well.
“You can check with Ryder since he’s been here more than I have lately, but I would say yes, that’s correct since a current Alpha Supreme isn’t here to pass down the title,” Markus answered.
Lia grinned widely at me. “That won’t be a problem. We’ll prepare her.”
Grayson slowly turned his head toward me. His eyes appraised every inch of me, burning my skin as he openly judged me. “Do you want to do this? More importantly, do you believe youcando this?”
The directness of his questions made my head flinch back. I took a deep breath, carefully considering what he was asking.
Finally, I straightened and placed my hands in my lap. “I know I can do this. The heaviness in me, the power you were explaining to me…I can’t ignore that even if I wanted to—which I don’t. I might have needed a moment to process everything, but I know this is where I’m supposed to be, helping this House.”
He nodded stiffly. “I figured as much.” Then he muttered almost inaudibly under his breath. “Damn woman.”
I had a feeling he was only annoyed because this information changed everything, but he’d come around eventually. At least, I hoped.
Lia clapped her hands and moved from Markus’s lap. “Great. So, we know why we’re here and we know what we need to do. Let’s get started with a plan.”
Grayson growled. “We’re not rushing into any of this. There’s still Johnathon to consider. I don’t believe the groups inside Fire and Fluorite are the only ones we need to worry about.”
The unicorn frowned and closed her eyes, but her lips turned down further when she looked at Grayson again. “I can’t get a read on this Johnathon guy. Maybe he doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
“He sent me to kidnap or kill Kinsley,” Grayson answered brashly. “I doubt when I don’t deliver that he will let that go. He likely knows who she is somehow and is hoping to use her to get into Fire and Fluorite himself.”
“If he’s from No Man’s Land, why would me being Mathis’s heir be of any use to him?” I asked, considering it hadn’t sounded as if Mathis was missed or revered.
Lia sighed. “Maybe it’s not as complicated as we’re trying to make it. What are the things men typically want most? Power, sex…”
“Vengeance,” Grayson cut, voice gravelly, making me think he knew a thing or two about being vengeful. “Maybe Johnathon didn’t always live in No Man’s Land.”
