Page 79 of Alpha Chase

“Give it a couple weeks,” Jax suggests with a smug grin. “We’ll meet back here after the full moon and you’ll be head over heels, just like the rest of us suckers.”

I grunt noncommittally, taking another swig.

“And we’ll officially have another Alpha, right Theo?” Reid grins, nodding to him as he polishes off the rest of his beer.

A smile slides across Theo’s face and he leans back on his stool. “Fucking finally,” he beams, cracking his knuckles. “Didn’t I tell you guys I’d be the last one to take over my pack? I should’ve put money on that shit.”

Gray shrugs. “Hey, if it wasn’t for Damian’s injury, it would’ve been Jax.” He throws a thumb in my direction. “And there’s still Chase.” He turns to face me, and damnit, I already know what’s coming. “Have you given any more thought to being initiated this full moon?”

There it is.

I sigh and shake my head. “Nah, not really. I know Rob wants me to.”

“He’s not the only one.” Reid claps me on the shoulder, turning to me with an encouraging grin. “We need young blood on the council.” He’s being over-the-top friendly tonight, and I have to wonder if Serena had something to do with it. I love the girl, but sometimes she’s too meddlesome for her own good.

“True. Though Vaughn was probably the least resistant of the old dudes,” Jax points out.

My throat tightens at the mention of my dad’s name and I raise my beer, downing another gulp.

Gray chuckles, sliding his elbows onto the table and leaning forward. “Remember that time he put Anders in his place about the Denver thing when I first wanted to reach out to them?”

“Shit, I forgot about that,” Reid chuckles, shaking his head. “I wish you were there, Theo. Your dad’s face got so red that I thought his head was gonna explode.”

“Fuck, that’s nothing new, happens every time I talk to him,” Theo replies with a mischievous grin. “Would’ve been a treat to see him blow up on someone else for a change, though.”

Brock’s lips twitch into a rare smile. “Vaughn wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, that’s for sure. I miss that guy.”

Me too.An odd, tingly feeling spreads through my limbs, my chest burning. It feels good to hear these guys talk about him so fondly, but fuck, I miss him. Sometimes I still pick up my phone to send him a text or walk through the door and catch myself before I call out to tell him I’m home. I know he’s gone, but old habits still linger, a cruel reminder of how much I truly miss him.

Reid drains the rest of his beer, sliding it onto the table. “That’s because he didn’t care about the politics. Vaughn was a fucking idealist, he just wanted to do what was right, even if it wasn’t the path of least resistance.”

“That was what made him so great,” I murmur, picking at the corner of the label on my bottle. My eyes flicker up to the guys, all five of them staring at me earnestly. “The pack loved that about him. They knew they were always in good hands.”

“They will be with you, too,” Reid says, offering me a sympathetic smile.

I pick harder at the label, avoiding his eyes. “Eh, I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” Gray states with a curt nod. “You may not see it, but there’s a lot of your old man in you. Not only that, but you’re smart, and your instincts are spot-on.” He picks up his beer, tipping it to me. “And that’s why you’re going to be a great alpha.”

My throat burns, my fist clenching and unclenching on the tabletop.

“And hey, if you struggle, you can always come to us,” Jax adds. “That’s the great thing about the alliance. We may be separate packs, but we’re all in this together.”

“Yeah, I basically had to hold Gray’s hand for his first year,” Reid teases, tossing a beer cap at Gray. He swats it out of the air with a chuckle. “About time he has to pay it forward.”

A waitress with a platinum blonde bob steps up to our table, leaning between Gray and I to collect empty bottles off the top. “Another round?” she asks, shoving her tits toward me as she drags the bottles away.

Theo chuckles, raising his beer to his lips. “Do you even have to ask?”

“Thanks, Kelly,” Gray murmurs, fishing a wad of cash out of his pocket and holding it out to her between his fingers.

She blushes, snatching it from him and turning on a heel, scurrying toward the bar.

Gray turns to me, giving me a little nudge with his elbow. “You good to stay for another?”

I came here with the intention of having a quick drink and dipping out, but Vienna was right- I’m enjoying their company more than I thought I would. Although it’s tempting to take off and rush back to her, I find myself nodding in agreement. “Sure, fuck it. You guys got any other stories about my old man?”

Gray’s lips tip up into a wide grin. “Well there was this one time…”

---