Page 68 of Nick
“You think it’s laughable?”
Raising his hands in a motion of surrender, Nick headed toward the door Larissa had just vacated.“Not at all.But what I do think is…” He waved one hand back and forth, pointing between Larissa and Malcolm.“I’m staying the hell out of this discussion.”
With that, he slipped out of the room, his deep chuckle fading away down the hall.
Malcolm frowned at Larissa.
A woman as alpha?
The thought had never crossed his mind before.
“An interesting proposition,” he said, his voice betraying none of his internal conflict.“But is the pack ready for such a change?”
“Change is what we need,” Larissa shot back.“Fresh perspectives, new ideas.”
Malcolm’s pulse quickened as he realized Larissa wasn’t just challenging his plans—she was challenging him.
Again.As usual.
Yet there was no denying the thread of truth in her argument.Could a female alpha be the catalyst for the healing the Sunburst Pack so desperately needed?
Larissa took his silence as an opening to press her advantage.
Damn her.She had never given him time to think things through.
“Female alphas in other packs are doing amazing things.They could guide a new alpha here.”
“Guidance?”Malcolm asked.“Our pack doesn’t need hand-holding.We need decisive action.You know as well as I do that experience and strategic thinking are what will pull us through.”
Larissa’s lips pressed into a thin line.But Malcolm didn’t back down.He had fought tooth and claw to protect his pack before—he could do so again.
So has Larissa, a quiet inner voice reminded him.
No.He would be alpha.Not just because he craved it, but because he believed, with every fiber of his being, that he was the one who could shepherd the Sunburst Pack into a new era.
“Besides,” Larissa continued, “the pack might benefit from a leader who can unite, not just defend.”
“Defending is uniting,” Malcolm countered, his voice rising.“It’s ensuring our survival.”
“Fresh ideas,” she insisted, “that’s what we need.A female alpha could offer a new perspective, one that might solve problems you haven’t even considered.”
He bristled at the suggestion, his muscles tensing as though preparing for a physical challenge.“And what problems are those?”
“Empathy, for one,” Larissa shot back.“Understanding the needs of each member of the pack, not just the strongest fighters.We’ve lost too much to continue on the same path.”
Malcolm’s jaw clenched, a low growl building inside him.He was protective by nature, every inch the alpha his pack needed.But Larissa’s words struck deeper than he cared to admit.
“Empathy doesn’t win battles,” he argued.“Strategy does.Strength does.”
“Strength isn’t just about brute force.”Larissa moved closer, her simple proximity a challenge.“It’s about adaptation, growth.We’re shape-shifters—change is in our nature.”
Malcolm’s competitive tendencies, always simmering beneath the surface, flared up as he faced off with Larissa.
He would not yield.
Not when the future of the pack was at stake.
“Change for the sake of change is reckless,” he said sharply.“I won’t stand by and watch our traditions crumble because you think it’s time for a revolution.”
