Page 194 of Ruled By The Alpha

“What do you want to do?” he asks us. “Stay in Whitshell, or flee like the others?”

I can only stare in shock as my mind spins, not having expected to be given a choice. I didn’t even realize we had one. Any other alpha would have just decided for us and demanded our obedience, yet here Maddox is, offering to let us go.

That thought immediately sours my stomach.

Then he adds, “Just know that whatever you decide, I’ll follow.”

I...

Oh.

Elation bubbles up within me. He’s not getting rid of us. I glance at Wes and see the same shock reflected back at me, and then the enormity of our decision sinks in, and just it’s too much.

What do we do?

What doIdo?

I think the bigger question is what do Iwantto do? What does my heart want, and what does my mind demand? What decision is the right one, and how will I know?

This... this is too much too soon.

Epilogue

Evelyn

It’s been a month since the rebels blew a hole in the wall, and the repairs are finally done. Maddox took control of Whitshell immediately, since his father was one of the alphas to die in the initial blast.

It turns out that one of the rebel factions had somehow managed to steal some explosives and set off for the slums on a suicide mission. The rebels blew the wall up and themselves, along with the alphas who were in pursuit. Unfortunately there were some innocent betas caught in the blast too, including a couple children. When Maddox told us that, fuck, it was awful. He struggled with it himself, having seen the body parts when he’d led the other alphas in their cleanup efforts.

He had cuddled us all night, and refused to let us and the twins out of the nest and his sight. Our alpha claimed my sisters as his own, albeit in a method vastly different from how he claimed me and Wes. He spoils them rotten, and they adore him to pieces.

Things have been peaceful, now that Maddox is in charge. He rules with an iron fist, but he’s never cruel. The slums no longer exist in the same sense as before. Most of the betas and alphas fled, leaving the homes in the mid and high zones empty. Those who stayed joined a lottery, and homes were distributed randomly, with priority given to families with children. No one lives in the low zone anymore.

In fact, the plan now that the wall has been repaired is to start tearing down the crumbling buildings in the slums and convert the zone to farmland for crops and cattle. This will provide people with more jobs, and will allow them to have first dibs on anything they produce, within reason. The rest is allocated to every household so that everyone eats well, not just the alphas.

Maddox is still finessing the food issues, but I have full faith in him figuring it out. He’s already made massive strides in Whitshell, and everything has changed for the better. Of course, we still have a long way to go before things are perfect, but it feels great knowing things are finally moving in the right direction.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the gate. Maddox removed the restrictions on leaving Whitshell, and everyone is free to come and go as they please. There is a checkout process, but that’s just to keep a record of who is coming and going, and when, in case someone goes missing.

This means that betas and omegas are no longer trapped in Whitshell. The sense of freedom this has given everyone has done wonders for their morale. It no longer feels so damn bleak here. Dare I say we’re happy now? Not just my family, but everyone—even the alphas.

Turns out a lot of them weren’t happy with how things were being run under Maddox’s father, but unless they wanted to be exiled from Whitshell, they didn’t say anything. And they’ve also been helping with all these cleanup efforts, pulling their own weight rather than leaving it all to the betas like they would’ve done in the past.

It’s been great.

Another huge change concerns the barriers between all three zones. They’re gone. Completely removed. Everyone is free totravel around the city and go where they want, so long as they respect other people’s space and property, of course.

Things are finally looking up, and I’m actually looking forward to our future. I’m no longer afraid of Leah and Avery’s secondary gender reveal, either. Honestly, it seems like my biggest concern at the moment is mine and Wes’s inevitable heats. Our bodies suppressed our estruses for years, so when they finally arrive—and they will, now that we are eating properly—they will be quite an ordeal.

It’s a little nerve-wracking, but I know our alpha will be there every step of the way, guiding us though it safely.

And yeah… I’ve finally accepted Maddox’s place in my life, even though I swore I’d never bond to an alpha. He’s everything I never knew to wish for, and Wes and I are damn lucky to have been claimed by him. I wouldn’t change it for the world, and eventually I’ll tell them both how much I love them.

For now, though, I’m perfectly happy, and that’s more than enough for me.

Gods, am I happy.

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