Page 47 of Fall of the Alpha

To his relief, Bella came forward, stepping into his arms and hugging him tightly. Finally, he could relax, feeling her safe against him. Yes, he was agreeing that she be mated to the Wolf, for the good of everyone, but in this moment, he was just a father, relieved that his daughter was unharmed.

Bella

Hugging her father tight, Bella could almost forget for a moment what kind of male he’d revealed himself to be. However she felt about his machinations, he was still her father. Closing her eyes, she held on tight, letting herself feel the child’s delight, the illusion of safety in his arms.

Then she let go.

Stepped away.

He let her, reluctantly. She could see the sadness in his eyes.

But he was who he was, and she was who he had raised her to be. She might have been a well-kept secret, but she had still been raised by the most powerful couple in Zone One. She had followed everything her father did for years. Watched her mother moving behind the scenes to support him. She’d studied them, even if she hadn’t been able to truly be a part of that part of their lives.

Her father’s focus was on Zone One.

Hers was going to be far greater.

“I’m choosing to stay,” she told him, even though she could see he still didn’t believe it. Maybe he would, one day. Malachi had offered her the choice, and she had taken it.

Her father had not asked to offer her a choice. Even when he’d asked if she wanted him to renege on the deal he’d just made, she’d been able to see the conflict in his expression. If she’d said yes, she honestly didn’t know what he would have done. And that made her sad. But her father was never only her father; he was also the leader of Zone One.

Now, she was going to be one of the leaders of the Wolf’s territories. Hard decisions were likely to be part of her future, soshe was trying not to judge her father too harshly. Though she hoped she would never be the kind of person to barter away her child.

When she had a child.

Her father nodded.

“Mother is going to stay with me a while.” Her mother had asked to, and Bella had said yes.

Her father’s mouth dropped open, as if he was going to protest, and his gaze flicked back and forth from her face to over her shoulder where her mother was standing. It wasn’t that her mother was weak, exactly, but she had never learned how to stand up to her husband. Bella had never tried to, but if she was going to be part of the ruling pair of a territory, it was time to learn how to.

Her mother wanted to stay with her a while, and she wanted the time with her mother.

Shoulders sagging as he realized that he was on the outside, her father nodded, dropping his gaze. He looked old. Sad.

A small burst of compassion went through her.

Bella stepped forward to hug him again.

“It will be alright, Father,” she whispered in his ear as he hugged her back. “I will make sure of it.”

There should be peace between the Zones and the territories. Life would be better for everyone if there was. Zone citizens should be able to choose if they wanted to take the suppressors, should be able to choose for themselves how they wanted to live. It was time to end the divide, and she was going to make sure it happened.

“I love you, Bella.” He said the words quietly, as if he knew she might not believe them.

Bella did. She just knew he loved power, too. And she wasn’t entirely sure which he loved more.

“I love you, too, father.” She released him again, straightening up with her shoulders back. Things weren’t ever going to be the same; she knew that. “Thank you for coming.”

It was the first step toward the future that was beginning to form in her mind, the futureshewanted to see.

Her father gave her a crooked smile.

“You have only to ask.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Carina… whenever you want to come home…” His voice trailed off. Then he sighed and straightened his shoulders, much like Bella just had, going from father and mate to the leader of Zone One with just a small adjustment. “I need to return to Zone One. There is much that needs to be done.”

She nodded. “There is.”

There were some things she needed to discuss with her soon-to-be mate as well.

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