Page 16 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

"Our people,” Alex corrects me. “My pack is also yours.”

"Our people," I begin with a small smile, "will need time to settle in. But I don't know where to take you all. I don't have any home there…"

"The Red Rock Wolf Pack is yours," Alex tells me, seriously. "Brian was right. You cannot leave that pack in Noah's control. The more power you leave in his hands, the more of a danger he is to you. Also, from what you have told me, you still have a lot of enemies in the Red Rock Wolf Pack.”

“I wouldn’t call them enemies.” I blow out a breath. “They were following Robert's orders.”

Alex raises a brow. “If they enjoyed making your life miserable, and you've now come into power, they are your enemies, trust me. It’s time to get rid of them.”

“What about your pack?”

Alex smiles at me. “Don’t worry about me. The truth is, Sophia, my people will always look at me as their Alpha. Not out of stubbornness, but because of how we've struggled together. Even if we combine the packs and give them a new name, ultimately, both of us will still be ruling the pack together. The title doesn’t matter.”

“Do you truly feel that way?” I ask, hesitantly, my hand on his chest. “Don’t lie to me."

"It was strange at first," Alex admits. “But the more I thought about it, this is the best possible outcome I could ever have imagined. If you can combine the packs, you still need me. Like I said, I will be there to keep protecting you. You just need some guidance. Brian will be there to help you with the politics while I can help you by teaching you how to run the pack.”

"I don't want to run the pack," I finally reveal my own feelings. "I just want to be happy for once, and with you."

"You are the Queen of the South Alliance, Sophia," my mate tells me, gently. "You can't run from this. This is what you were meant to do."

"Alex," I try to hide my anxiety before giving up. "I don't know anything about any of this. My world was restricted to the orphanage, and then that small town. Asking me to lead the South Alliance would be unfair to the packs within it. Brian or you are better suited. All I can do is magic. I can't even fight properly."

"So?" My mate stares at me. "You think every great leader was a general on the battlefield or a scholar? Education and fighting prowess alone don't make you a good leader. Thinking about the people under you can do is what does. A good leader surrounds themself with those who can be their arms and legs. A good leader, a capable leader, will look out for the people they're supposed to protect. Karina isn't a good leader. And Brian recognized that you had the capability of being a great leader, which is why he stepped down."

"He doesn't know anything about me."

Alex scoffs. "Don't underestimate him. He was the King of the South. He must have been keeping an eye on you. Even if hedidn't know what you were, he knew you were an orphan being shuffled around by Robert. And I would bet anything that he must have been aware of your little cage fighting stint."

My face pales. "You think so?"

"Brian was a good king. One of the things he's known for is his ability to extract knowledge from his sources. He's got spies everywhere."

"Then why didn't he have me captured? I broke pack law by fighting against humans," I murmur, shocked.

When I was still under Robert's control, I was recruited by the owner of the boxing gym in Oakrest town, where I lived, to be a cage fighter. Shifters are not allowed to fight against humans, but at the time, I was desperate to make some money to buy my freedom from the South Alliance, and I had thrown caution to thewind. Later, I discovered that Robert had not only known about this, he also had a hand in it. He had planned to push me into a corner where my only salvation would have been to become his mate.

"He was most likely waiting to see the outcome." Alex shrugs. "But Brian WolfFang is not known for being a hasty man. He must have managed to put all the information he had on you together in that banquet hall."

"You expect me to fill his shoes?" I feel like my heart is going to crawl out of my throat and then spontaneously combust.

"No. I expect you to be yourself." Alex squeezes my hand. "If I thought for even a moment that you weren't up to the task, I would have told you. I do believe you are the right person for this. The fracture in the three alliances is growing. Karina is onthe verge of starting a war between the shifters, the humans, and the witches. We have to prevent that. And we have to bridge the growing divide between the alliances. I don't know what we're going to do but you are a beacon of hope, Sophia. And we start with that."

I gape at him.

It’s the blind leading the blind.

However, I'm not in the mood to argue with him. These are my own insecurities. I just need to figure a way around them.

"Forget it." I wrap my hand around his. “Where were you taking me?”

He smiles at me, his cheeks creasing and the corner of his eyes crinkling in the way that I adore. "I think you'll like it."

We move through the dense trees and vegetation, silent but comfortable in the forest. My heart feels lighter. Alex’s hand around mine makes me feel secure. In a world that I still struggle to make sense of, he is my constant.

Alex pushes aside some large leaves that are in our path and when he does, I find myself looking at a strange rock formation. I can hear the bubbling water and see steam rising from what look to be natural hot springs. Stepping forward, I realize that it's a series of pools that have heat rising from them. Coincidentally, the air is colder here.

Although it's nighttime, this area is illuminated. The rocks in the pools are light gray, and the water inside them is a clear blue. It's the water that is providing the light. It's almost as if it is glowing.

---