Her father’s sigh, tinged with disappointment, made her wish she’d held her tongue. “Rachel—”
“I know,” she snapped, irritated. “It’s not like I can go see her if she is. You shipped me off to London, remember? I wanted to know if she’d come back home yet. Where’s the harm in that?” Despite sounding like a petulant child, Rachel didn’t apologise. Yes, it was her own fault she’d been sent away, but the rest of it was all Gallen. She didn’t believe for one second that Sara hadn’t wanted to see her. Their connection had been too raw and pure to forget overnight.
Another sigh, and some of Rachel’s ire fled. It wasn’t her father’s fault either. And he had his whole pack to think of too.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered into the silence. “I miss her… and ithurts.”
When he spoke, her father’s voice was softer than she’d heard him speak in a long while. “I know. And if there was any way I could change Gallen’s mind, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But he’s a stubborn bastard, Rachel.” Another beat of silence, and Rachel gripped the phone tight. “It kills me to know my daughter is in such pain, but as much as I want to make things right for you, I can’t risk the lives of the pack to go against Gallen.”
“I know.” Tears filled her eyes, but a fierce warmth burned through her at his words. Her father was a good alpha, the kind a pack respected and trusted to keep them safe. She wouldn’t have him change that. Even for her.
Especially for me.
They were her pack too, and although her father took away her beta status after she’d stupidly tried to sneak out and see Sara, the loyalty remained. Pack came first. “And I would never ask you to.”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she struggled to steady her breathing before speaking again. Letting him hear how upset she was wouldn’t help either of them. “I had my first unit meeting today,” she said instead, smiling despite the ache in her chest.
“Oh? How did that go?”
A spike of pride worked its way in, chasing away some of the hurt. “Good, I think. They’re a great bunch. I’m lucky to have such a well-formed unit.”
“And they’re lucky to have you.” Even down the phone, his voice held a hint of alpha power, and she closed her eyes as it wrapped around her, soothing her frayed nerves. “I’m proud of how you’ve settled in with Alpha Harley’s pack. I know it had to be a challenge, going from here to somewhere so starkly different.”
A laugh burst out of her at such a gross understatement. “You could say that.”
“But you’re happy? Well, as happy as you can be,” he added quickly.”
Taking her time to think about it, Rachel answered honestly. “Yes, I’m happy. I have bad days, still, but this pack has been more welcoming than I ever hoped. And while you’ll always be my alpha, father, I feel like I fit in here too.”
“Good.” His pause seemed to be laced with tension this time, and Rachel instinctively braced herself. “If you want to stay there until your potential—until you feel ready to come home, then you have my blessing.”
He might not have finished the sentence, but the words rang loud in Rachel’s ears.
Until your potential bond fades to nothing.
With more tears threatening to fall, Rachel hastily said her goodbyes and lay down on the sofa, phone clutched in her hand. A glance out the window showed her the waning gibbous moon, still mostly full, and the faint pull thrummed through her veins. Getting up, she moved closer to the window and leant forward until her head rested against the cool glass. She imagined Sara looking up at the same moon and feeling the tug of their potential bond.
Hot tears spilt over her cheeks, and this time Rachel didn’t try and stop them.
It wouldn’t do either of them any good to hang on like this, but Rachel still found herself clinging to the hope.
Don’t forget me.
AT HALF PAST NINE the following morning, Rachel was back at Cam’s flat for a beta meeting. Her shifter healing had erased all traces of the past night’s tears—no puffy eyes or headache—and Rachel appeared as fresh as if none of it had happened. On the outside anyway.
All six betas took their seats, and Cam stood in front of them.
Rachel glanced around the open living area but couldn’t see Gareth anywhere even though his scent hung heavy in the air. He might have relinquished his beta status, but Rachel still expected him to be present. She needed to accept the fact that he wasn’t going to be there to hold her hand.
Sitting up straighter, she subtly eyed the other betas. Out of Cam’s original four, Daryl was the one she’d had the least interaction with. Not on purpose, not on her part, anyway. He seemed to keep to himself quite a bit. She wasn’t one to be easily intimidated, but Daryl gave off a vibe that made her want to tread carefully around him. She hadn’t had much chance to talk to Paul or Jason either, but in comparison to Daryl, they seemed infinitely more approachable.
Jenn though… Rachel smiled at her. As a fellow newbie, Rachel had made a point of speaking to her straight after the pack meeting on Tuesday. Whereas Rachel inherited a stable and amicable unit, Jenn had the exact opposite. The six members of her unit were disgruntled former members of the Primrose Hill pack. Rachel knew all about the history between the two packs, and what a complicated mess Jenn—also a former member of the Primrose Hill pack—was walking into.
Ex-Alpha Steven Newell’s death at Cam’s hands had caused upset and animosity within the newly joined pack. While most understood and accepted what a terrible alpha Newell had been to them, there were those still blinded by his lies. And the worst of those were who Jenn now had in her unit.
They were lucky the alpha council hadn’t tossed them out of Cam’s pack for their behaviour.
Rachel didn’t envy her one bit and had immediately offered her full support and an ear to bend any time Jenn needed it.
