Page 11 of Coveted By the Alpha Pack

“I know, Grace. She would want us to carry on and protect the pack,” my wolf responds, her words a soothing caress to my shattered heart. “All the packs in our region are ours to protect. We are their Luna.”

Her warmth lingers, a comforting presence that allows me space to process, even as we move silently through the house. My thoughts drift to the upcoming trip to Wolverton, a journey that feels both daunting and necessary. I need to see the pack, to connect with them in this time of uncertainty.

In the kitchen, I find Barrett packing food for the trip, his actions a silent testament to his protective nature. I sidle up beside him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, grateful for his presence and the comfort he brings.

“Why are you making food?” I ask, curiosity mingling with concern in my voice, my mind already racing with possibilities.

Barrett tilts his head, a subtle gesture that speaks volumes. “At the moment, I don’t trust anyone,” he replies cryptically, his words sending a shiver down my spine. For my Omega to adopt such a defensive stance, something significant must be unfolding, something I’m not yet aware of.

“What do you know?” I murmur, planting several more tender kisses on Barrett’s cheek before gliding to the opposite side of the kitchen island.

“The elders are still there because there’s a lot of infighting. I’m worried we’re walking into a war zone,” Barrett confesses, his words punctuated by the sound of his hands slapping over his mouth in realization. It’s a raw moment of vulnerability, unintentionally laid bare.

I nod, absorbing the weight of his words. The tension in the room is palpable. Digesting the information, I finally come to a conclusion. “I’m going to have Griff stay here with you, Conrad, and Lorcan, while Ethan and Nicolai come with me,” I declare, a wry smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. “Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war,” I add, arching a brow and reciting my favorite quote from Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar.

“What’s this about dogs of war?” Ethan’s arms fold over his chest, his lips twisting into that infuriating half-smirk that always seems to provoke a flurry of conflicting emotions within me—anger and attraction swirling together in a maddening dance.

“You and Nic are coming with me to Wolverton. Griff, Con, Barrett, and Lorcan are staying home with the babies,” I assert, lifting my chin in Ethan’s direction, silently daring him to challenge my decision.

“Okay,” Ethan responds, too easily, before retrieving his phone from his pocket and firing off several messages with practiced efficiency.

“Okay? That was too easy. What don’t I know?” I demand, my gaze flicking between Barrett and Ethan, a sense of unease settling over me like a heavy shroud.

“There’ve been multiple threats on our lives. They know if they kill you, the rest of us die. What they don’t know is what you are and that you are stronger than you appear,” Ethan declares with unwavering confidence, his words a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the shadows.

“So, the short version is that I stay with you and Nic, and everything will be okay?” I chuckle softly, but there’s an edge of uncertainty in my voice. It’s not just about me anymore; my death could leave multiple packs without leadership. The elders’ sudden interest in the ongoing skirmishes adds another layer of complexity to the situation, one that could either tip the scales in our favor or plunge us into chaos.

Ethan steps forward, his presence comforting yet probing. He presses the tip of his finger between my eyebrows, a gentle gesture that draws my attention. “This tells me you have something brewing in that brilliant mind of yours. What’s not sitting right, darling?”

I sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and gratitude for Ethan’s perceptiveness. “The elders still lingering concerns me. From what yours and Nic’s moms have said, they normally don’t take this much interest in pack squabbles,” I confess, seeking solace in Ethan’s embrace.

Sliding into his open arms, I bury my face against his chest, taking in the familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the earthy undertones of the forest. It’s a comforting sensation, grounding me during uncertainty.

“They don’t usually get this involved,” Ethan murmurs against my hair as he kisses the crown of my head, his lips leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. I find solace in his embrace, even as his words send a shiver down my spine.

“We have two theories,” he continues, his voice low and measured. “The first is they want to be on your good side because they have bigger plans.” His arms tighten around me, sensing my tension. “The second is it’s a power play. If we take over the region, they can set their sights on another to conquer.”

I take in his words, feeling the weight of their implications settling over me like a heavy blanket. Before I can respond, Nic enters the room, his presence commanding attention. “I’m betting it’s a mix of the two. At least, that’s what I would do,” he says, his voice tinged with a hint of concern. There’s something more he wants to say, I can tell, but he leads us away to a different part of the house.

In the library, Nic locks the door behind us and closes the shutters, enveloping us in a cocoon of secrecy. The sudden change in atmosphere makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I can’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

“Why do I think this is going to send me into a panic?” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath.

“Because it probably is,” Nic replies bluntly, earning a low growl of protest from Ethan. “I refuse to sugarcoat the problem. Grace deserves the full truth. She’s not a fragile human,” he adds, his words a rare acknowledgment of my strength. It’s a minor comfort in the midst of uncertainty, but it’s enough to bolster my resolve.

“I know she’s not human; I turned her,” Ethan bellows at Nic, the intensity of his voice reverberating through the room, stirring up a storm of emotions.

“Then stop treating her like she’s a thread of glass and treat her like an equal,” Nic retorts, his voice a low growl as he challenges Ethan’s overprotectiveness of me.

“She’s our Luna. Grace is the Moon Wolf. She has dominion over all of us, and yet you treat her like she’s less than she is,” Nicolai adds, his stance firm as he stands up against Ethan, his words carrying the weight of conviction.

“Please don’t fight,” I interject, feeling the tension between them like a tangible force. I push my way between the two of them, placing a hand on each of their chests in a feeble attempt to diffuse the escalating conflict.

Ethan’s hand covers mine, his touch grounding me even as his gaze shifts between Nic and me. “We’re just having a little bit of a disagreement, that’s all,” he assures me, his voice softer now, laced with a hint of apology.

“You have to understand, Grace. Alphas run their packs differently. I am more about brutal honesty than carefully curated narratives. I would rather give you all the unhindered facts than be selective about what I tell you,” Nic explains, his hand resting over mine on his chest, a gesture of solidarity despite their differences.

I look between the two of them, seeing the validity in both of their perspectives. “Can we agree to find a middle ground between both styles? I mean, if needed, we can have Conrad blend both tactics since he seems to be the most logical out of all of you,” I suggest, hoping to broker a compromise.

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