“We have no choice,” he answers.
She pulls him aside, and they whisper to each other for a few seconds, with Brad dropping a word in as well.
I never thought I’d see the Eccles and Rose Hollow elders agree with each other for any reason. It must be a hell of a trip for Rex and Scarlett to see, as well.
“Okay,” Rex says, addressing the crowd. “We’ll appoint a new alpha and send the word that we’re coming in with our rulers, expecting a leadership ceremony.”
“They’ll know what that means,” Hazel says. “And they’ll be ready with a suitable woman.”
A faint wave of disgust flows through me, but it passes quickly.
I’m glad that job isn’t up to me.
“Okay, now we just need to decide who’s taking on the new job,” Rex says.
Silence follows his words, and I look up to find all eyes on me.
“Whoa,” I mutter. “What?”
“Shawn,” Rex says, his voice imploring me a little. “You’re the best we have. I can’t even think about giving this job to anyone else.”
“We’ll need to coordinate, just like the old days,” Brad says. “If we’re running Luke and Marcus between us, we need you in the lead position at the other site.”
“But—I have no experience as a leader!” I protest. “I’m a grunt, I follow orders—”
“And you can keep following my orders,” Rex says. “Besides, you’re selling yourself short there, and you know it.”
“I’ve seen you go alpha on more than one mission,” Brad says. “All of us are trained to take command when needed. You can’t wriggle out of this with that argument.”
“Leading a unit is very different from leading a pack,” I say. “I’ll have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Welcome to the club,” Brad says with a grin.
“These people are in need,” I say firmly. “And they deserve—”
“They deserve a man who cares about innocent lives,” Rex answers. “On more than one mission, I saw you push the rules to save civilians, and you always came through. You’ve seen the worst out there, and yet you’ve kept your sense of justice. I can’t think of a better man for the job.”
I open my mouth to protest, but no words come out. Thinking strategically, it is an excellent idea to have me take the point out at Clover. The last thing we want is an alpha appointed by a power-hungry elder, someone in it for glory who won’t follow our orders.
Or someone with divided loyalties.
An even worse thought strikes me as I wonder about the innocent girl who will be waiting at Clover pack. If we choose the wrong man, it could be a traumatic experience for the poor woman, as well as a disaster for bringing all our packs together.
I flip the idea back and forth a few times, letting out a low groan as I realize the only way to make sure this deal goes smoothly is to take the job myself. When I look back at Rex, he has a triumphant grin on his face.
“Figured it all out, did you?”
“Yes,” I mutter. “I’m not saying I like it.”
“And no one’s saying this situation is a pleasant one,” he answers. “But we have to step up here. For the good of the people.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. The idea of suddenly running a pack and getting married on the same day is too big for me to handle, so I try not to think too hard about it. My thoughts return to the restless state they’ve been in for the last few weeks, and that’s when I realize this job might actually be good for me.
Retirement doesn’t suit me. Since WS pulled out of here and things have been quiet, I’ve been going stir-crazy. No action in sight! This might be exactly what I’m looking for.
I let myself think a little about running a pack and what that might entail, but I keep my thoughts far from my potential bride.
I’ll deal with that when I have to. I still can’t believe we’re doing an archaic forced marriage!
