Page 99 of Forgotten Arcane

“No. I think it’s unlikely that anyone will want to come back here,” Doc agrees. “I know some really good therapists, who I’ll get to come out here. I think it’s really important that this is dealt with properly, and not just brushed under the proverbial rug.”

“I know I definitely need therapy, and lots of it,” Rana says as she pulls a face and adds, “yikes.”

I burst out laughing. She’s definitely similar to me in the way that she deals with trauma.

“The kids will need help to deal with it all as well,” Reed says. “Not only have they experienced some horrific things, but they will have also heard some pretty horrendous things as well, and they understand more than anyone thinks that they do. It can affect their development if it’s not dealt with now.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a really good idea for everyone involved,” Asher agrees.

Logan looks at River, “Alpha, we should probably head back. We need to organize the wolves. Rana needs to burn Derek to a crisp, and we need to sort out some accommodation for you all.”

River

Idid the right thing.

I know that I did the right thing by killing Derek, but I really don’t want to be the alpha of this pack. Hell, I don’t want to be the alpha of any pack. It’s not that I don’t want the responsibility, or that I think I wouldn’t be good at it. Apparently, it comes quite naturally to me. Despite all of that, it doesn’t feel right.

It doesn’t feel like it’s something that I’m supposed to be doing.

There’s also the selfish part of me. I don’t want to lose Neith and the guys, and I would, because our lives would become so separate. They would work for SID, and I would be here. Even if they lived here with me, it would be complicated.

There are pack dynamics that would get messed with, especially with so many strong supernaturals in one place.

That would cause problems, big ones.

Packs run on hierarchies, and having the guys and Neith living here would put a massive strain on that because they’re higher up the hierarchy than any of the wolves, but they wouldn’t be taking on those roles within the pack. It would make things strained, to say the least.

Despair fills me.

I really don’t fucking want this.

The guys are all looking at me, they know what a big deal this alpha thing is, and how I feel about it, and Neith is watching me closely like she really would stay here with me if that’s what I had to do.

As I open my mouth to reply to Logan and accept my fate as alpha of this pack, my magic stirs, and a lightning bolt of intuition hits me.

I smile, I can’t help it.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Asher asks.

“This is supposed to be your pack, isn’t it?” I ask.

His eyes widen in shock, “How? I mean, my parents were the Alpha and Luna Regia before Derek took over. I’m fairly certain that he killed them. It’s the only way that he became alpha. Our bloodline is so strong though, that he couldn’t have me anywhere else in the pack but as beta, and he couldn’t get rid of me without raising suspicions. Even though it was obvious to everyone that he killed them both because otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to overtake me as alpha.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

River

“Then it should be given back to the rightful Alpha,” I reply, running on pure instinct.

Asher smiles sadly, “I appreciate the gesture, I really do. But the only way that I could take over the pack would be if I killed you.”

A violent growl from Neith shocks the shit out of me, and turns me the fuck on all at the same time.

Asher holds his hands up, a knowing look in his eyes as he looks at Neith, “Rest assured, I would never do that. I will not sink to the same levels as Derek.”

Neith smiles a little sheepishly, “Sorry, that was sort of out of my control.”

“It was hot,” Reed says, making her cheeks tint red and us all smile.

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