Page 72 of Alpha Reid

“First, I want to thank all of you for stepping up to volunteer to defend the pack,” I say, a sharp edge to my tone to convey my sincerity. “While I hope the battle doesn’t make it into town, I can’t begin to say how appreciative I am to each of you for your willingness to fight for your pack.”

I pause before going on, a few murmurs of assent rising from around the room.

“As you know, I’ll be on the front lines, so Cy will be in charge as far as things here go. The two of us have gone over the strategy, so I’ll hand it over to him to bring you all up to speed as to battle positions.”

“Right,” Cy says, clapping his hands and rubbing his palms together. I look his way as he begins, but Serena catches my eye over his shoulder, leaning against the counter and watching me from the kitchen. The way she’slookingat me…fuck, I can’t describe it. I just know she’s never looked at me quite that way, and I wish she’d never stop.

A car horn sounds outside signaling Brock and Astrid’s arrival and Serena pushes off of the counter, giving me a little wave as she turns to go. I watch after her until she’s out the door, still trying to place that look in her eyes. Whatever it was, I hope I earn it again.

Once Serena’s gone, I turn my attention back to Cy, refocusing on the task at hand. This meeting is important to finalize battle plans with my pack since my focus is going to be primarily on the squad and the strategy for the front-line battle after this. Cy finishes delivering his spiel, turning the reins back over to me.

I wish I could be in two places at once. It kills me to step away from my pack for this battle, but it’s most important for me to join the squad on the front lines and hopefully prevent the shadow pack from ever infiltrating the townships of the six-pack. As I look around the room at the faces of my pack members, I know I can’t adequately convey my gratitude for their selflessness and bravery. I’m damn proud to be their Alpha, knowing any of them would willingly give their lives for their fellow pack members.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m going to try my damndest to make sure it doesn’t come to that.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Serena

I felt it when he held me in his arms and consoled me after my nightmare, and I felt it when he kissed me in front of his pack without hesitation. I felt it when he told that little boy that I was his Luna. I felt it when I watched the way he spoke to his pack and when I saw how they looked at him with so much admiration and respect.

I can feel it- I’m falling for Reid.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Not only does the mate bond make me biologically predisposed to fall for him, but the man is so damn easy to fall for. He’s smart, kind, courageous, devastatingly handsome, impossibly sexy… he’s perfect; I can’t find a single flaw. Me, on the other hand… how am I supposed to ever measure up to that level of perfection?

I allow myself to dwell on my self-doubts all the way to the squad complex, each adoring thought of Reid countered by a self-sabotaging one of my own. It’s not his fault that he’s the perfect man, but damn it’s difficult to be the imperfect woman on his arm.

All that aside, fate also has a strange sense of humor when it comes to the timing of this. Reid and I are finally in a good place, and of course it comes right when we’re about to march into a war that one or both of us may not make it out of. Then there’s the fact that we only have until the next full moon to decide whether to seal the bond between us, yet we can’t take the time to nurture our relationship because we’re too busy preparing for battle. If this is fate’s idea of a joke, I’m not laughing.

“You alright?” Astrid asks as we climb out of Brock’s Escalade once we arrive at the squad complex, brows drawn together in concern.

I’m so lost in my own head that I startle a little when she addresses me. “Huh?” I turn to her as I nudge the door closed with my hip. “Oh, yeah. Why?”

She shrugs. “You’ve just been really quiet on the ride in.”

She’s not wrong- I barely said two words once we left Stillwater.

“A lot on my mind, I guess,” I sigh, tightening the cap on my water bottle and tucking it under my arm to carry it. “I know I’m not the only one.”

Astrid nods in understanding. “As much as we’ve prepared for this, there isn’t anything we can do to really beready, is there?”

“I’m ready to eliminate the threat of the shadow pack once and for all,” Brock grumbles, coming up behind Astrid and sliding an arm around her waist. “Ready to live without watching over our shoulders, waiting for them to show up.”

“Me too,” she agrees, allowing Brock to pull her backwards toward the sidewalk. I’ll never not find the size difference between the two of them amusing- he could literally tuck her under an arm and carry her around effortlessly.

I follow them around the side of the complex and through the gate onto the practice field, scanning the various groupings of people. It looks like most have already split into their teams for the morning training session, and I quickly locate Reid’s team across the field and make my way over, a lump forming in my throat as I draw closer.

“Hi guys,” I greet with an awkward wave as I approach, trying my best to come off smooth and self-assured even though I feel anything but. They all turn their attention to me and I swallow past the lump in my throat before continuing, resting my hands on my hips. Maybe if I take on a confident power stance it’ll make me feel that way, too. “Reid’s tied up with pack business, so he asked me to lead training this morning until he can get here,” I say, looking around at the group.

I brace myself for people to question me or push back, but to my surprise, none of them do. I guess it’s a testament to how much they respect Reid- people just trust and defer to him. I saw the same thing this morning when he addressed his pack; they were all hanging on his every word, ready to charge into battle the moment he gives the order. That level of respect is hard-earned, and from what I’ve seen of Reid as a leader, he’s deserving of it.

His pack is lucky to have a leader like him. Any pack would be. I can’t help but wonder if he’d entertain the notion of taking in my pack if we’re able to get them out alive. Maybe it’s selfish of me to think I can have it all- my mate, my sister, my pack… but I have to keep the hope alive for a happy ending, right? Something worth fighting for? It has been so long since I’ve allowed myself to hope like this. I suppose I owe that to Reid, too- he’s helped me to see a light through the dark.

Yet another mark for him on the list of reasons why he’s perfect.

I suggest that we all do a few warmup laps around the track before starting in on training, which buys me a little time to formulate a plan. I probably should’ve asked Reid what exercises he was planning for training today or at least what he was planning to focus on. I didn’t even think of it- I was too anxious and worked up about how the team was going to take it when I told them I’d be leading. Now I’m kicking myself for not thinking past that to the actual training.

“So I was thinking we could build on what we started yesterday,” I say once our warmup is over and the team is gathered around again, looking to me expectantly. “Keep working on our battle formations, but rather than sparring in groups of two, let’s split into threes.”

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