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Amelia shook her head, her brow furrowed.
“She challenged her old alpha as well—and won. But she didn’t want to be the alpha—that wasn’t her aim.” Just as, I assumed, it wasn’t Amelia’s either. As far as I could tell, she had been acting to protect others in her pack, not because she had ambitions to take over.
“What happened?” Amelia’s eyes were wide now, her interest piqued.
“Keeping with her unconventional ways”— I grinned. My alpha’s mate was a force to be reckoned with— “Kayden held a vote for who the next alpha should be. She gave her pack the chance to choose their own leader.”
And I had to admit, as unorthodox as it was at the time, the Southcentral Coastal pack was doing better than ever because of that very decision.
Amelia leaned forward, frowning. “Do I have to give up the title as well?”
I paused, surprised. She didn’t sound too pleased by the idea. “Well…” I began carefully “…there isn’t really a precedent for that. There’s never been a female alpha before.”
Amelia straightened, another flicker of uncertainty flashing across her features before she pulled her brows together and set her jaw in determination. “I haven’t heard of a law preventing it.”
So, she wanted to be alpha? I took a minute to let that sink in. “Honestly, this is a question for Holden. I haven’t heard of a law either,” I admitted.
“Then let’s ask him. I want to keep my title. I earned it fair and square.”
I blinked, taken aback by the determination in her voice. With Kayden, she’d had no desire to keep the title. As the North American alpha’s fated mate, she wanted to lead all the packs by his side. Handing over her title hadn’t even been a question.
Glancing back toward Holden, who was shaking hands with Flynn now, I nodded. “Okay, let’s ask.”
We stood and walked toward my alpha, and he met us halfway, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of us, already sensing something was up. Before I could even broach the subject, Amelia jumped right in.
“Garrett here says there hasn’t been any female alphas in known history, but I want to change that.”
Holden didn’t show a single sign of surprise, though I knew Amelia’s statement had to have shocked him. The woman was determined, that much was certain, because she didn’t even pause to let him speak before coming to her own defense.
“I don’t want to give it up like your mate,” she said, determination hardening her features even as her voice took on a pleading tone. “I’ve been a leader my entire life. It’s been ingrained in me since birth—a part of who I am. My family held the title of alpha for over fifty years. My father, and his father before him. We had no males in the family to pass the title down to in my generation.” She squared her shoulders. “But I’m qualified, raised by leaders. And I want to be the alpha.”
I lifted my brows to Holden, curious to see what he’d say. I, for one, thought this woman had already proven her worth.
Holden glanced at me then back at Amelia. “What is your leadership experience? Your qualifications? Do you really know anything about what you’re asking?”
Amelia placed a hand on one hip, lifting her chin high. “Would you ask me those questions if I were male?”
Holden blinked. Damn, this woman wasn’t messing around.
“Honestly? Probably not,” Holden admitted with a rueful smile. “Though I certainly will be going forward. One of my goals as alpha is to implement change within the packs. Many of our laws are simply based on tradition. While there haven’t been female alphas in the past, that doesn’t mean you can’t be the first.”
Amelia sucked in a little breath, her eyes lighting up. “You’re serious?”
Holden nodded then revealed something he’d only discussed with Kayden and me. “I’ve been rethinking how alpha-ship works—how positions are just doled out without anyone needing any type of qualifications. In fact, Garrett and I have been throwing around the idea of alpha training. Attending classes, working with the council, leadership development…”
Holden looked at me, and I nodded, my grin widening. We had indeed been in discussions, and here was the perfect opportunity for us to implement the changes that the North American packs so desperately needed in the modern age. We’d operated on tradition for far too long.
“There’s a lot involved,” he warned. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it—it won’t be easy. But I'll stand behind you if you want to be the alpha. You have the qualifications, the family history.” Holden nodded. “I’m going to change how becoming an alpha works. Starting with you.”
I did a mental fist pump. Despite the carnage today, the always regrettable loss of life, this was exactly what we needed to make the changes we wanted. We’d already discussed ongoing classes and training for existing alphas. Here was our chance to make our ideas a reality.
Amelia took a long, deep breath, surprise and excitement shining on her face. “I’m willing to do what it takes. You won’t regret this.”
Holden met my eyes, and I gave him a nod of encouragement. It wasn’t going to be easy, just like he’d said. I had no doubt we’d encounter resistance along the way. But when had change ever been easy?
Holden and I both wanted to make a difference with our generation coming into power. And now was the time to make it happen.
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