Page 6 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

“But what?”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, and my frustration spikes. Alec has been my right-hand man for years. He’s always had my back, no questions asked. And now? Now he’s acting like there’s something pulling him away. Something more important than his responsibility to this pack.

“Look,” he says, finally meeting my gaze, “I’ll help however I can. But I’m not taking the beta position.”

I stand up, pushing my chair back with more force than necessary. “You’ve already said that. What I don’t get is why. If this is about Jade—”

Alec’s entire body tenses, and I know I’ve hit a nerve. Jade. I haven’t brought her up once in three years, not since the day she left, but I’d be a fool to pretend she wasn’t at the center of all this. Her banishment fractured more than just her place in the pack. It fractured Alec, too.

“This isn’t about Jade,” he insists, his voice hard.

“You sure about that?” I step closer, not backing down. “Because ever since she left, you’ve been different. And you had every intention of serving as my beta until after she left.”

“Damien, don’t.”

I keep my gaze locked on him. “You’re pissed at me. Is that it?”

His fists clench, and for a second, I think he might actually take a swing at me. But he takes a deep breath and forces himself to calm down. “It’s not about her. And even if it was, that’s none of your business.”

My wolf bristles at the way he says it, like I don’t have the right to ask. Like she wasn’t part of this pack—part of my pack—before everything went to hell. But I’m not about to push this any further. Not now, at least.

“Fine,” I grit out. “But I need you to step up. I’m not letting this place fall apart just because you’ve got personal shit going on.”

Alec’s expression softens for a moment, and he looks more tired than I’ve ever seen him. “I’m not trying to leave you hanging, man. I’ll be around when you need me.”

I don’t respond right away. Instead, I glance out the window, trying to shake the frustration that’s been digging at me for weeks. The trees sway in the wind, and for a second, I wish I could disappear into them. Just run until everything makes sense again. But that’s not how this works. I’m alpha. I can’t afford to check out, even when it feels like everything is crumbling around me.

“You hear about the psychic?” I ask, changing the subject.

Alec frowns. “The one in Glory Town?”

“Yeah. The neighboring packs are talking about going to see her. Apparently, she’s got some kind of ability to see things. Visions, or whatever.”

He crosses his arms again, looking skeptical. “You really think a psychic is going to solve this?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, but I’m out of options. We’re blaming each other, and if this keeps up, we’re going to end up in a full-on war. If seeing her gives me any kind of lead, I’ll take it.”

Alec sighs, shaking his head. “I’ll see what information I can dig up about her. When are you going?”

“Soon. I’ve got a few things to wrap up here, but after that, I’m heading out.”

He gives me a long look, like he’s debating whether to say something more. But whatever it is, he keeps it to himself. “All right. Let me know what you find.”

“I will,” I reply.

With that, Alec turns and heads for the door. He hesitates for a second, then leaves without another word.

Things haven’t been right between us since Jade left, and I’m starting to wonder if they ever will be.

I sit back down at my desk, but my mind’s already somewhere else. I don’t trust this psychic crap, but at this point, I don’t have any better ideas. If there’s even the slightest chance she can help me figure out what’s killing my people, I’ll take it.

Because if I don’t get answers soon, we’re screwed.

***

I’m halfway to Glory Town before I realize how tense I am. My knuckles are white around the steering wheel, and the sound of my engine humming is the only thing keeping my head from spinning too far out of control. Seeing a psychic is the last resort, and I know it. Hell, everyone knows it. But with the pack on edge and shifters dying, I’m desperate. And desperate people do stupid things.

Like driving two hours through the mountains to see some woman who claims she can see the future.

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