Page 86 of Fate Awakened

“But you weren’t there?”

“No, I wasn’t,” he says.

“Then how? If only the Alpha can scent an Unawakened, and you weren’t there, and Deacon wasn’t there. How many Alphas are there?”I ask, confused.

“First, let me clarify that a shifter can be an Alpha and not be the Alpha of the pack. My pack, the Vegas Pack, has four Alpha shifters.”

“How does an Alpha shifter become the Alpha of a pack?” I ask.

“That’s not the question you want to know, but I’ll answer it. In some packs, when an Alpha dies, the heir takes over. In others, a gauntlet occurs, and any with Alpha blood may fight to win the role. Sometimes, a takeover happens where an Alpha is challenged, and they fight to the death. The surviving shifter takes over.”

“How did you become Alpha?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

For the first time, his face drops. His mask of indifference slips, revealing a pained expression that immediately makes me regret the question. “My father died in a car accident. I took the seat unopposed.” Grief flows from him for a moment before he schools his expression.

“Is Cain an Alpha?”

“Yes, and my best friend. He agreed to take the role of my Second when I took charge of the pack five years ago.”

I nod, understanding. Cain and Dante seem like a good pairing in the same way Liv and I were. Dante seemed reserved, whereas Cain was more direct and outgoing. They balanced each other.

“Why didn’t Cain tell me I was Unawakened?” I almost whisper the question, wanting but not wanting the answer.

Dante pauses, pulling on his beard for a moment before responding.

“I’ll let him answer that because any reason I tell you would be my assumption. Only he knows the truth. What other questions are in that notebook?” he asks, reaching out as if to take it.

Reluctantly I hand it over, and he skims through it, laughing out loud at something in the middle. I snatch the list back from him, mortified by his response.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to laugh. These are all valid questions,” he starts.

“Yes, vampires exist, though not in the sparkle in the sun way. They can walk in the sun like the rest of us, though many do prefer evenings because they have heightened vision, and the sun can be a bitch.”

Dante continues to answer the questions from my list for the next hour. Yes, there are other types of animal shifters. No shifters aren’t immortal. Yes, they have heightened senses and reflexes. Yes, there are rogue shifters. No, you don’t have to join a pack. Yes, silver can kill them, but so can many other injuries. They heal faster than humans and can shift to heal more significant injuries. Yes, they’re at war with Deacon. Yes, the video I filmed was of his pack against Deacon’s pack. Yes, that’s why Cain was assigned to watch me. On and on.

“Who are the four Alphas in your pack?”

“Myself, Cain, my sister Presley who I believe you met, and a pack mate named Wyatt.”

“How did Hudson know I was Unawakened?”

“He didn’t. He just knew Cain cares about you.”

I bite my bottom lip before going out on a limb.

“Will you punish Hudson for taking me to the other pack?”

Dante stops. He’s silent for a long time before carefully choosing his words. Anguish briefly crosses his features, and I hope I can convince him.

“Before you answer, you need to know he only did it to save his parents. He made sure I was fed and comfortable. I know it's weird, and I probably sound like a rambling idiot with Stockholm syndrome, but Hudson deserves grace. He was put in an impossible position, and yes, he made the wrong choice, but he’s twenty-one. He’s supposed to make bad choices.” I watch as Dante clenches his jaw, making me ramble more.

“You didn’t see him. He was devastated when he saw how easily you were able to make a deal. He didn’t want to break your loyalty. He thought he had to…”

“Brielle,” he says, stopping me and taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Hudson didn’t survive the trade,” he says softly, pain filling his tone. His eyes drop, and guilt flashes across his face. My heart leaps into my throat.

“What do you mean? What? What do you mean he didn’t survive it?” Tears form in my eyes again as I try to understand his words. My body shakes again as they fall.

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