Page 158 of Song of Her Siren

Twisting my fingers in my lap, I asked, “What if you were both alphas?”

Ash shook his head. “There can only be one alpha, Tari.”

“Who says?”

He shrugged, reminding me of a sad hound. Why was he giving up so easily? “It’s how things have always been with shifters.”

“Helian isn’t a shifter.” I motioned toward Helian, distraught when he didn’t say anything to support my claim. “We can make our own rules.” My voice faltered, and I knew I was fighting a battle I couldn’t win.

“Tari, Helian should be alpha.” Ash took both my hands in his, stroking my fingers while hanging his head. “He’s my older brother, the king of Caldaria.” His features hardened as he looked back up at me. “The Lupine shifters won’t obey and respect him if he’s not alpha.”

They wouldn’t? I was keenly aware of the loudness of Helian’s silence. By refusing to refute his brother, he was saying that he was ready to take over as alpha. There was just one problem—would Ash be able to handle taking orders from Helian?

I ran my tongue over the roof of my mouth, feeling like I’d swallowed a mouthful of grit. “But I hate the idea of stripping the title from you.”

“Tari, I had a lot of time to think while I’d been demon-possessed.” His eyes softened, saddened, the shame reflecting in them making my heart wither and die many deaths. “Helian deserted his army and risked banishment and his own life to save mine and Finn’s lives. He’s saved you many times. He killed the leader of the army that attacked Lupine. I’m okay with it.”

I couldn’t comprehend this paradox, my heart breaking and soaring at once. I crawled into Ash’s lap, clinging to his shoulders. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

A tiny voice inside me whispered that it was Helian’s birthright to be alpha, that my brave king had already sacrificed so much by being willing to share me. So why was I mad he didn’t fight for Ash?

Helian stood, dusting sand from his trousers. He held a hand down to me. “Tari, you need your sleep.”

He was acting the alpha already. Well, maybe he thought he was alpha of our pack, but I was still a goddess capable of making my own decisions. I stifled a yawn as he gave me an expectant look.

“Fine.” I took his hand, then pushed him off, flouncing down the hill while my mates dodged my heels. “I’m not marrying you without a proper proposal,” I called over my shoulder.

Helian pushed in front of me, stopping me with his hands on my shoulders. He slanted a smile. “You want me to bend the knee?”

I turned up my chin, holding back a smile when I saw the adoration reflecting in his eyes. “I want more than you telling me that I will be your queen or that we have to marry to prevent our son from becoming a bastard.”

He looked at me as if I’d sprouted wings. “Well, what do you want?”

I pushed past him with a huff. “I want you to figure it out.”

Ash’s deep chuckle resonated behind us. “Don’t ask me. You’re the alpha now.”

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