It was unfortunate because she was leaving whether she liked it or not. He’d take her entire family if she wanted, but she needed to be protected, and he couldn’t provide that here.
Not any longer.
He reached Erik, and they turned to face the pack. Erik would become the Alpha, and Seth would take Mia somewhere else. Somewhere nobody could find them. Maybe the wilds of Alaska. “It is time,” he said to the pack. To his people.
This was going to hurt.
Chapter36
Mia stood next to Alice, her heart hurting. She understood the plan, but she wasn’t sure how she’d get Gena and Dotty to agree to leave the small cabin. They had a choice, and she’d respect whatever that was. If they stayed, Pete would take care of them. But maybe they’d want to come with her. Though if they did, was it safe? Seth hadn’t seemed to think it’d ever be safe for them away from a pack.
Seth faced his people so bravely, his hard body in all black, his face in strong, compelling lines. Dangerous ones—all angles and fury and power. “I am not going to fight to be Alpha.”
“That’s unfortunate.” Erik’s expression was inscrutable, and his clothing matted to his hard body. “The pack needs an Alpha.”
Seth didn’t flinch but tension rolled around him. “Knock it off,” he muttered. “We discussed this.”
A second later, Emily Nightsom stepped from the forest behind the still-smoldering wood. She paused, and Erik stalked toward her, turning back to face his brother. “This pack needs an Alpha, and it’d be sad if it were anybody but you.”
Seth studied Erik. “What are you doing?”
Erik took Emily’s hand. With their blond hair, they looked like two powerful gods. “Well, it’s like this...”
Emily’s hair was in an intricate braid, and she wore black slacks and a white sweater with no weapons—no visible weapons, anyway. “Remember how my father hinted that he’d like to use me as a bartering chip for a merger?”
Seth gave a short nod.
Emily showed her teeth, looking beautiful next to Erik’s roughness. “And remember how he didn’t mean it and was just trying to use me as a pawn?” Anger glowed in her dark eyes.
Seth glanced at his brother, but Erik’s expression remained impassive.
Mia’s breath heated.
Emily smiled at Mia. “Well, I decided to take some control. While I have no interest in being the Alpha of the Slate Pack, Cousin Vic is a moron who’ll get us all killed. Erik is an Alpha, and we reached our own agreement.” She leaned into Erik. “Turns out we’re quite compatible.”
Alice kicked a rock next to Mia, her breath panting out.
Seth cocked his head. “You want this?”
Erik nodded. “Yeah. I want this.” He looked down at Emily. “I might need to challenge Cousin Vic, and I’ll try not to kill him, but whatevs.” He grinned, the rain running down his face to his shirt. “Philip has some good years in him yet, so there’s no hurry on this. But it’s convenient to have a plan. Right, brother?”
Seth’s breath steamed through the rainy air. “Erik. I can’t let you—”
“It’s done,” Erik said. “This is our decision, and we’ve made it.” He winked at Mia. “Just think how irritated the other packs will be with our alliance. Things are going to get interesting.”
Seth snorted.
“This can’t happen,” Alice hissed, her hands tucked into her jacket.
Mia frowned. “Why not?” What was she missing?
Alice sucked in air. “Seth is not of our blood. It matters. Erik matters. We need a true blood, and only Erik fits that rule.”
Mia paused, the thoughts coiling through her brain like sparking wires. Silver bullets. Gashes and pain. Fury. She turned on the woman. “They didn’t use silver on you.”
Alice blinked. “I know.”
Why? No. That wasn’t the question. “They used silver bullets on Ben and the bodyguard.”
