Page 34 of Cruel Alpha Beast
The tension in my shoulders relaxes significantly. “Thank you.”
“However,” he continues, “the others in this village? They’re going to need a lot more convincing than I do.”
There’s a steely look in his eyes; all I can do is nod in response.
***
The mess hall is abuzz with whispers and theories tonight. I hear the name “Cassie” over and over again and realize that she must have been the woman who caught the plague.
“I saw Lucas bringing her to the infirmary.”
“Did you see her?”
“What were all of those spots?”
My mouth runs dry as I walk through the mess hall with my plate and Shea’s. I need to find the table Greg is sitting at with my daughter. If only for a moment, I need to get away from all of these mutterings.
“I mean, seriously, is Sawyer going to do a fucking thing about it?” a man says, probably much louder than he meant to.
And by the time he closes his mouth, the damage is done. The whispers rise in volume. By the time I’d located my brother and sat down, the people in the town hall were halfway to rioting.
“People are getting sick!”
“The plants! Who’s going to do something about the plants?”
“Can we even trust thewater? I mean, come on!”
My eyes widen as I try to find Sawyer. He’s been standing at the back of the room with Jasper and Ellis, thinking, watching his people for any more signs of the plague. He must hear what people are saying. They all must.
“Do something!” an old man yells gruffly. “What’s the point in all of these alphas if no one’s going to stop this!”
“Silence!” Sawyer roars over the din.
Though his power is being questioned, it’s still respected enough that the shouting stops. I turn to check in on Shea, whose eyes are like saucers.
“Why are people yelling at Daddy?” she asks.
“It’s okay,” Greg murmurs in her ear. “Your dad’s got this.”
I nod, reinforcing what her uncle just said, then look back at my husband.
“I’m hearing that your trust in me as a leader is waning,” Sawyer projects across the mess hall. “But I assure you, Ellis, Jasper, and I are doingeverythingin our power to discover the source of what’s going on, and, more importantly, trying to stop this.
“All I ask of you is that you regain your trust,” he continues. “Send your best wishes that our sister Cassie recovers well. And do what you can to look after each other in these trying times, rather than fighting with each other over small issues. Quell your rage, because it only serves to pull us apart, rather than keep us together.”
My lips part as I stare at him. There’s a burning in my chest as I watch my husband gaze across the hall, almost as though he’s begging for someone to retaliate against his message. No one does, thankfully, and it only makes my heart swell even more.
It’s like I’m seeing him for the first time again. Like I’m that young girl discovering she has a crush on her older brother’s friend once more.
I’ve always known that his face was molded by the gods. I’ve always appreciated the way he carries himself. The broadness of his shoulders, the length of his legs.
But that’s all physical. Now I’m seeing Sawyer truly in his element. He’s no longer just my brother’s friend. He’s the powerful alpha he was groomed to be.
And I’m falling in love with him all over again.
Chapter 14 - Sawyer
I sit in my usual spot in the living room—a modern armchair my father gave me as a housewarming present when I took over his position as alpha. While I usually sit in this chair to relax after another peaceful day in the valley, I cannot relax tonight.
