Page 173 of Fated to the Hunters
Maximilian finally turned to Scarlett again. “When we cleared everything for me to take over, we found a few of your belongings. I packed them up and set them into your room.”
“Thank you.” She stood from the table, taking Ezra’s hand in hers. “C’mon I need some muscles to grab them.”
“You just want to babysit me.”
“I also know how nosy you are.”
Ezra shrugged, and they both followed Maximilian down the hallway towards her room. Ezra peeked into the rooms, snorting when he saw the entertainment room, the library, and then finally broke his silence when he saw the main bathroom with jetted tub and gold accents.
“Fucking golden cage,” he mumbled under his breath.
Maximilian’s jaw tightened, but he bit his tongue, pushing her bedroom door open. “I didn’t touch any of it. I couldn’t.”
“But it’s yours now.”
Her brother sighed and looked at his feet. “No one warned me how lonely it would feel once it was mine.”
She sat on her old bed, patting the mattress beside her. Maximilian accepted her invitation while Ezra took in the rest of the room. “How are you feeling besides that?”
“Good, I guess.”
“Have you decided to keep Jake as your beta?”
“Yes, but I think he’s having trouble adjusting.”
“He has been Father’s beta for all his life. It will take time.”
“I know, but I have a feeling he goes back to Father and reports everything.”
“Youare alpha, Maximilian. You are in command now and what you say is law. If you don’t want him to do that, put a stop to it.”
“Just what I needed: a kick to the guts by my little sister.”
“Am I wrong?”
“No.” He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. “No, you aren’t.”
“This isyourpack now. Of course, keeping certain things as they were might make your reign easier, but you can’t have people walk all over you.”
“Why does it sound so easy when you say it?”
Scarlett flashed her brother her best ‘I told you so’ grin. “Because you’re not as ruthless as you may seem. You’ve always wanted people to like you. But being the leader is not about being loved by everyone. It’s about making the right calls and putting your foot down. If Jake continues to go behind your back, you have every reason to appoint a new beta.”
Maximilian’s face softened. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I hope we can have more Sunday brunches like this.”
“We will.”
“Now we just need to find you a luna to fill this house with screaming babies and lots of mischief.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time.” Changing the subject, Maximilian said, “You still need your mating ceremony.”
She sighed and dropped her gaze to her lap. “We’re still figuring that out.”
“I assume it’s because it’s four of you and that’s a whole different ballpark.”
“It’s also because through me they will be connected.” She looked over her shoulder for Ezra’s help since she wasn’t sure how much they wanted to share of their own bond.
