Page 70 of Fated
She said it with such determination, even I believed her. Scarlett looked back at Cade and I saw her true fear as she wavered for a moment. He kissed her on the forehead.
“She will wake up,” he reassured her softly.
Seeing them share a tender moment felt like a knife slice through me. I let out a breath and turned to focus on Curtis. I needed to sort out the pack so when Keri woke up everything was running smoothly.
“I need to talk to Curtis alone,” I told Scarlett and Cade. Cade gave a brief nod as he released Scarlett but kept his arm around her waist as he led her out of the hospital room. Despite Curtis’ apology, Scarlett gave him one last glare before she left. Being on her bad side was never a good idea.
“I know you’re doing everything you can but our pack needs a leader who can pull them together and keep things running smoothly until Keri wakes up,” I began to explain.
“Thank God,” he said, sounding so relieved. “I can’t be beta and run the medical center. It’s just too much.” I hadn’t expected that. “I only accepted the role because Keri asked me to. I was the only person she’d trusted enough to depend on. It was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement,” he explained, rubbing his forehead.
With traitors in her pack, I knew it was hard for her to know who she could trust.
“I’m not cut out to be a leader,” he added. “And I’m not the best person to run this pack while Keri can’t. She would want you do it.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“As of now I’m making you beta,” he said.
Unlike the alpha title, the beta role could be changed easily.
“I don’t want to take over the beta role. I just wanted your permission to help run the pack while you ran things here,” I explained as I ran a hand through my hair.
“You’re a better fit for the role,” he explained. “Besides, she would want her pack in the best hands and those are yours.”
There was no doubt about it—I was more than qualified to lead this pack.
“Are you sure?” I asked. I didn’t want to force him into a decision he didn’t want to make.
“Yes.”
He nodded his head, looking visibly relieved.
“I’ll organize the pack so we can make the announcement,” he said.
“Okay,” I said as he hurried out of the room.
I took a deep breath and released it. I wasn’t nervous about taking over the role as beta. I was finding it hard to handle that I had to be away from Keri. Reaching out, I touched her hand. The feeling that spread through me eased any fears that I had.
Thirty minutes later I was standing outside the medical center, facing my new pack, with Curtis standing on the one side of me and Kyle on the other side. Curtis had just made the announcement that he was relinquishing the role of beta to me and I watched the reaction from the pack.
Cade and Scarlett had promised to watch over Keri. Despite Curtis’ apology, I still didn’t trust him enough to leave Keri without someone to watch over her. Kyle had given Curtis a piece of his mind and lucky for Curtis he hadn’t used his fists to reinforce the message like Scarlett had.
Kyle had offered to help me with the running of the pack and I’d accepted. I knew that he was a great leader. He wanted to protect Keri’s pack like I did. We both loved her and we’d do everything we could to keep her safe as well as her pack, which was now my pack.
Some looked nervous about it and others looked hopeful. I would prove I was worthy of the job.
“I know you don’t really know me,” I began to say, “but I will do everything I can to keep everything running smoothly until Keri is able to take over again.”
I began to issue orders. Everyone was to get on with their usual daily tasks and everyone was expected to start training again. With a potential attack looming, everyone had to make sure they were in their best fighting form.
Surrounding packs would look at this pack as a weakened and easy target because their alpha was injured, so I had to ensure that all the pack members were fit and ready to fight. There would be an attack and I needed to make sure the pack was strong enough to fight it off.
I looked at Kyle and he gave me a nod. He was going to oversee the training in the gym while I focused on the security around the territory. It was hard trying to keep my mind focused on anything other than Keri, but I had to. Curtis left me to go back into the medical center.
I walked to the meeting room to have a look at the territory maps to be able to formulate the best way to position the guards.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
