My father didn’t take the news of Marcus’s death as I expected. I thought he would react as Cade did, bursting with rage and the desire for revenge. Maybe it was because he was still suffering from the effects of the sedative or maybe he was even stronger than I thought. Either way, I figured I’d never know what he was feeling inside in that moment. Hiding his emotions was his specialty.
My dad didn’t say a word. Instead, he sat motionless in his bed, his head bowed, his hands still in his lap, as if he hadn’t heard us when we told him that Brian had murdered our alpha. But when I looked closer, I saw that his eyes were clenched shut, and I realized that he was struggling to keep it together. Marcus was no longer the alpha of this pack, my father no longer his enforcer.
As I looked around my father’s bedroom, the next generation of leaders looked back at me. Cade and Allison, our alphas. Aiden, Teagan, and Gage would no doubt become trusted advisors. And now I was the enforcer. I knew it would happen one day. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon, and I certainly didn’t expect to have the support of a mate behind me.
As if she somehow sensed I needed it, Scarlett laced her fingers through mine, and when our eyes met, she gave me the strength I needed to get through this. Her eyes said it all. She believed in me. She loved me. She was going to be by my side every step of the way.
“Cade, Luke, Aiden,” my father said softly, “it is up to you all, to not only save Noel, but seek vengeance for our alpha’s demise. We must show the Crescent Hills Pack that we are once again united and strong.”
“We will, sir,” Cade said as he stood up. “You have my word.”
Letting go of Scarlett’s hand, I stepped in to stand at my alpha’s side. Aiden didn’t hesitate to step up as well, and we all came together ready to do whatever we had to do to make Crescent Hills regret the moment they decided they could take down our pack. This was far from over, but together, we were going to make it right.