Bastards.
Silence descended upon the room, punctuated only by the sound of denim rustling against leather.
Jeb turned pained eyes on me. He was going to ask me to leave. I could sense it in my bones. “Ness-”
Everest blurted out, “Alphas can bring new pledges into the pack at any age, as long as they have pack blood and can change at will.”
All eyes were on him now. Everest’s cheeks, neck, and ears glowed crimson.
I mouthed a thank you
“You’ve been away a long time. Can you access your wolf form at will?” Liam asked.
“Yes,” I lied.
I hadn’t changed in six years, but now that I was back in Boulder, in proximity to the pack, I supposed it was a question of days until my nails turned to claws, my hands turned to paws, and the fine hair on my limbs thickened to fur.
“When was the last time you became a wolf?” he continued.
“Three days ago.” From the corner of my eye, I could see Everest’s lips pinch. Hopefully no one else caught his expression.
“The issue remains that there is no Alpha yet,” the white-haired elder said. “Once one is chosen you will be able to plead your case. Until then”-if he said shooor flicked his fingers, I would punch him-“you are not privy to pack discussions.”
“Who are the contenders?”
Exasperated sighs grated up corded necks.
“Liam Kolane.” The elder gestured to Liam as though I didn’t know who Liam Kolane was.
“And?”
“That’s it.”
I scanned each and every face around the table. Didn’t all wolves long to be leaders? Especially when the opportunity to become an Alpha so seldom arose? This would probably be our generation’s one and only chance. After forty, a werewolf was no longer eligible because his body couldn’t morph at will.
I looked at Everest. Challenged him to give Liam a run for his money. Heath would’ve hated that.
The elder with the gleaming bare scalp cleared his throat. “Kindly leave.”
Jerk. “What are the requirements?” I asked. “Besides the age, what are the requirements?”
“The requirements for what, Ness?” Nelson asked, his ebony skin crinkling.
“For becoming Alpha.”
“You must be under forty and have pack blood in your veins,” Everest said.
“So I qualify?”
The planes of my uncle’s face tautened. “Ness-”
“It’s just a question, Uncle.”
“It’s a very specific question,” Bushy-Eyebrows said.
August had paled, or perhaps it was the contrast to his father’s much darker complexion that made my friend seem paler.
“You qualify,” Everest declared.
The realization that I ticked all the boxes drummed against me like soft rain. But like rain, it also splashed a good deal of sobriety into me. What exactly was I thinking?
To put my name into the proverbial hat to annoy Liam Kolane was a dangerous game. One I wasn’t sure I wanted to play, and not because I was afraid of losing-I had nothingto lose-but because, what happened if I won? I’d have to stay in Boulder and lead a pack I abhorred until I died or was demoted.
That wasn’t the life I wanted.
At least, I’d never wanted it before.
As I applied a thin coat of mascara to my lashes, someone pounded on my door. Pounding was never good. It meant I was in trouble. After the stunt I’d pulled, I wasn’t surprised. Actually, that wasn’t true. I’d assumed the deafening knocks would’ve come earlier. Then again, I’d been helping Evelyn out in the kitchen, so maybe my haters hadn’t known where to find me.
Lips squeezed into a smile to hide my hammering heart, I drew the door open. My rigid lips slackened. I’d expected Jeb or Everest.
I leaned against my bedroom door, draping on an air of boredom. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Liam?”
He shoved past me.
I pressed away from the door but didn’t close it. “Come right on in…”
He whirled on me. “What the hell was that?”
I cocked an eyebrow.
“Are you seriously entertaining the idea of challenging me?”
“Oh. That.” I strolled back into my bathroom and lined the insides of my lower lids with kohl.
Oblivion irritated people. I had every intention of irritating Liam and trampling his inflated ego.
He filled the open doorway, eyes flashing to mine in the mirror.
“I’m thinking about it,” I said sweetly.
“If it’s just to get into the pack, I’ll consider your candidacy once I’m Alpha.”
“How generous of you.” I tossed my eyeliner into my makeup bag and spun, leaning back against the cold porcelain sink top and crossing my arms.
He lowered his brows. “Do not go against me.”
“Or what? You’ll hurt me?” I walked up to him and jabbed my finger into his chest. “I lost both my parents andwas forced to come back to this hellhole where people look down on me because I wasn’t born with the right blend of chromosomes. What exactly do you think you can do that will hurt me, huh?”