Leo

I jog up the stairs to the Alpha’s home, Ranveer and Apollo’s footsteps echoing behind mine. I’ve been waiting all morning for this meeting and I’m antsy to finally get some answers. Because that big speech Alydia gave at the funeral was clearly for the rest of the pack. It had to be. The three of us don’t know anything else yet, so there has to be something more forthcoming since one of us is going to take Samuel’s place as the Alpha.

Still, while waiting this morning for the meeting was frustrating, it was actually a good way to keep my mind focused on this problem instead of…other problems.

I try to exhale Margot’s remembered scent out of my nose, but for some reason it lingers. I have to just put it all out of my fucking head.

But at least with the Alpha problem, I get to have my friends at my side, even if this is going to end with one of us taking charge and leaving the other two behind.

It’s fine, though. We’ve always been together and nothing is going to change that. We’ve made sure of it. It’s why we made that, admittedly, dumb pact when we were younger. No matter who becomes Alpha, the other two will support him no matter what. The pact had eased any tension between the three of us. It’s how we manage to remain the friends we are to this day.

Though, honestly, we’re more than just friends. More like brothers.

Ranveer passes me up on the steps because of his long legs and reaches the door first. He presses the bell. A moment later Alydia answers. She looks at us for a moment, and though she’s put-together and beautiful like she usually is, she seems exhausted and sad.

Which makes sense, considering all that’s happened.

She opens the door wider for the three of us to enter and then leads us down to Samuel’s study. Though, I guess it’s her study now. And soon it will belong to one of us…

I can see Apollo and Ranveer on either side of me, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “So? Have you decided yet? Who it’s going to be?”

I feel ashamed as soon as the words leave my mouth. I flick my gaze to the ground. I—we—should all be in mourning over Samuel. But now it looks like the three of us are chomping at the bit to take over.

Which, to be fair, I sort of am. But mostly because the waiting is almost unbearable. I hate the not knowing. I hate letting things take their time. I’ve always been this way. Things are so much better when everything is in its rightful place and working smoothly. When—if—I take over, things will be set to rights.

Alydia doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I raise my eyes again.

Finally, she shakes her head. “Samuel never told me who he was planning on choosing. Or maybe he hadn’t decided yet, I’m not sure. But I’m working on it. I know—”

Before she can finish whatever she’s going to say, the door to the study opens behind us and a wolf I don’t recognize enters the room.

I feel the hackles on my wolf rise, and the hairs on my arms follow suit, giving me goose bumps. I’m pretty sure I’d recognize anyone from our pack, but this guy…

He’s older, with gray hair, though age is hard to tell on a wolf since we live so long. He’s well put-together, though, and he gives the room a smile that could rival one of Ranveer’s.

Like many of Ranveer’s, though, I can tell this one is fake.

Ranveer and Apollo tense on either side of me. No one returns his smile.

“Hendrix,” Alydia says, her voice clipped and cold. “I wish I could say it’s good to see you, but we’re in the middle of a few things.” She doesn’t offer him a drink. Doesn’t suggest that he take a seat. All five of us are just standing in a rough circle, tense and awkward.

The name is instantly familiar, but I’ve never put a face to it. I want to give Apollo and Ranveer a quick glance, gauge their reactions to this wolf, but I find that I don’t want to take my eyes off of him. Doing so feels like it would be a mistake, like I’d be asking for him to go for my throat if I did.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the man says, his voice commanding and loud, filling the small room. “One of your men told me I could come in, so here I am. Just wanted to come by and offer the condolences of the Iron Bite on the loss of Samuel.”

I don’t know how it’s possible, but the room seems to go even more tense. I can practically feel my wolf baring his teeth. This wolf—Hendrix Faust—is from the Iron Bite. He’s their Alpha.

But, wait. No. That doesn’t make sense. This can’t be the same Iron Bite Alpha who negotiated the treaty twenty years ago. He’s dead, right? I think so. Damn, I hate that I’m so thrown off right now and have a doubt in my mind at all. It’s clear I need to brush up on other pack politics, especially if I’m going to be Alpha sooner than expected.

But, no, this Iron Bite Alpha is likely the treaty Alpha’s brother.

I can feel Alydia’s eyes on me, and I can feel the message she’s trying to implore to us. She wants us to leave. Whether it’s because she wants to talk freely to this Hendrix or because she wants to protect us, I can’t tell.

Everyone in Silvercrest knows who we are, but I also know that Samuel tried his best to keep the three of us a secret outside of the pack. Which could explain why Alydia wants us to leave now. But leaving feels like running away, and I’m not a coward.

Hendrix looks at the three of us and gives a sly smile. He focuses on me, and our eyes lock. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Alydia?”

Alydia shakes her head. “They’re just a few of our pack members, Hendrix. You three get out of here. We’ll talk later.”

If we don’t leave now, it’ll be an admission that Alydia is lying to him, that we’re more than just some pack members. We have to play by her rules still. For now.

It still feels like running away, though, but I can feel the order buried in Alydia’s words. So I give a curt nod before turning and walking out of the room, sure that Ranveer and Apollo are right behind me.

As soon as we’re far enough away from the house to be safe and out of earshot, Apollo sighs and then laughs. “What the hell…”

Ranveer sneers, looking back at the house. “I don’t fucking like that guy. There’s something off about him.”

Apollo throws an arm around his shoulder and tugs Ranveer down to his height. “I mean, same, but you don’t fucking like anybody, man.”

Ranveer shakes Apollo’s arm off his shoulder and stands up straight once more. “That’s not true,” he says. “I like you two.”

“Barely,” Apollo laughs, then punches Ranveer in the arm. “Kidding. I feel your love in every gaze.”

Ranveer snorts, but Apollo has done what he often does and lightened the mood.

“Come on,” I say. I still feel restless. We didn’t get any answers. Everything is still up in the air, out of place. “Let’s get to the gym. We’re already late for our workout.”

“Shocking no one,” Ranveer says, “Leo’s wants to make sure we stick to our schedule.”

The accurate assessment rubs me the wrong way. “If you’re going to be Alpha,” I say, “you have to be fit enough to fight off any challengers, you know.”

“Who would dare challenge me?” Ranveer laughs, holding his arms out to show off his stature. “Other than you two assholes, that is.”

We take the next fork in the path and head toward the building that houses the gym. Off to the left, Faye and Vallie are heading somewhere together.

“Hey!” Faye yells at us, waving as she tugs her shirt down to better show off her breasts.

Normally her calling out to us would have encouraged me to stop. Both Faye and Vallie are sexy and know it—and know how to use it, too. And it’s not like Faye would turn me down if I went over there right now. But I’m just not in the mood. Granted, a quickie might help me lose some of this grating energy, but if I’m being honest with myself, I can’t stop thinking about Margot Solus, of all people.

Being with her in that pantry, kissing her… Fuck me, that was the best kiss I’ve ever had in my life. When I let myself relax, I can still feel her body pressed against mine, her tongue in my mouth, hungry. Her curves seem to fit almost perfectly in my hands. Usually, I have complete control over myself, but that was the fastest I’ve ever been turned on in my life.

My pants start to feel tight just thinking about her, and I slowly exhale. Fuck. I’m not going to let that happen again. Even though there is a small whisper in the back of my head that I know what all of it means. None of it matters. I’m not going to think about that or her anymore. And I sure as shit am not doing anything with her again.

Whatever the fuck is going on with Margot, I’m rejecting it and her. All that’s left to do is tell her that.