Gideon let out a breath. “I hate that. But that’s why we have an Heir,” he said with a snort. “You’ll be my voice?”
Ryder met his brother’s, his Alpha’s, gaze. “Always.” Always the Alpha’s voice. Never his own. That was his duty as Heir.
You’re nothing. You’ll fuck it up like everything. The witches will war. The humans will revolt. You’ll drown in the blood of your people like the bastard pup you are.
Again, he ignored the voice. He had to if he wanted to survive.
But do you want to survive? Wouldn’t it be easier if you let it all go? They don’t need you. They never did.
Leah put her hand on his knee and he looked down into her dark blue eyes. “Ryder?”
He took a deep breath and tried to look normal. It was how he’d made it this long. It was how he would now.
“We’ll meet with the Coven and try to come up with a plan,” Ryder said finally. “The witches are in the public eye now, and as you can see, they’re lumping them together with us. We don’t know what Washington’s plan is, but we heard what the Senator said in his broadcast, remember? He told the humans to stand together on the other side of the invisible line we hadn’t wanted to form. He made it us against them. We need to keep informed. None of us want bloodshed, and to try and prevent that, we’ll need to ensure that we’re communicating with the others.”
Gideon nodded and ran a hand through his beard before tangling his fingers with Brie’s. “Parker is out with the other Packs around the country. We’re staying in communication with them, but it’s hard to keep everyone’s priorities in line with so much history.”
Parker was a Redwood wolf who had been born a Talon wolf and was now on a journey to each Pack around the country. It might have been easier to meet along digital lines with each Alpha, but centuries of tradition had to be accounted for. The Brentwoods themselves were each over a century old and had a certain way of doing things. He and his family may have acclimated to the changing of the times far easier than most, but not all wolves had. Eventually, each Alpha would have to meet to come up with a joint plan, as every wolf was part of this, not just the Talons and Redwoods. Though because of where the Unveiling had occurred, it was the Talons and Redwoods that were in the public eye. The other Packs were still in hiding, for now, but Ryder knew that wouldn’t be for long. There was only so much magic and warding available before those looking for the supernatural in earnest found it.
“We’re not going to figure it all out sitting in Walker’s living room,” Brie said softly. “It’s not as easy as making a plan on our own and trying to stick to it. We don’t know what the humans have planned, and we don’t know what the witches truly want.” She met Leah’s gaze. “We’ll try to find out, though. You said you weren’t theirs; so you can be ours for as long as you need to be.”
Ryder swallowed hard at Brie’s open nature. If Leah were to remain, it would make it that much harder to push her away. He couldn’t mate her, no matter what fate said. And he knew the only way to ensure Leah was safe was for him to tell her everything. Perhaps not everything, but enough so she knew there would be no future between them.
It was the only way.
Even if it hurt.
And again, he needed to get his head out of his ass and stop worrying about his own problems. There were wars, meetings, plans, people’s lives, and other worries to focus on. Not his own doomed future.
“I…thank you,” Leah whispered. “I’m not usually this…frazzled? I guess that’s the word for it.”
“You were just shot and have been through a horrible ordeal,” Brie said softly. “You’re allowed to be frazzled.”
Ryder’s wolf scraped at him again, and this time, he knew he’d pushed the wolf too far. He’d have to get through the next steps with Leah, and then he’d go on a run. He needed to let his wolf out, let his wolf breathe. He might have control, but it was on a weathered leash.
“I think it’s time I show Leah where she’ll be staying for as long as she needs,” Ryder blurted. “It’s been a long day.”
Brie nodded at him with understanding—maybe a little too much understanding. As much as Ryder loved the fact that his family was close, sometimes, they saw more than he wanted them to. Add in the fact that they were wolves and there was no hiding scents and muttered curses… Ryder knew it was time to go.
“We’ll see you soon,” Brie said. “Do you need anything to eat? We can send something over.”