by Casey Lane
One of the elders walked straight up to me. “Savvy, I’m so sorry. We were too late.” Gigi choked back a sob. “Can you ever forgive us?”
I swallowed hard and then nodded. “Of course. The Alpha should always be quick to listen, slow to speak, forever fair and just.” Then I licked my lips and waited for my words to sink in.
Her eyes widened and then Gigi lowered her head and stared at the ground. “Thank you, Alpha.”
I studied the group of adults. Most of them followed her lead, bowing and showing me the proper deference, but there would always be one or two who would balk. Case in point, Tanner.
Frank stepped forward, his thick arms crossed over his barrel chest. He swallowed hard and then sighed. “Savvy, I thought you knew.”
Patiently, I waited, knowing what he would say, already anticipating every argument. I was ready, as ready as I’d been earlier, maybe even more so. Here, where I felt even more tied to our land, our home, I’d fight to defend what was mine and protect what was ours.
When I greeted his remark with silence, he continued. “Alpha isn’t an inherited position.”
Glen stepped up beside him and tugged awkwardly at his collar. “That’s right, Savvy. This is a position which must be earned.”
“I already did.” Then I moved into fighting stance. “I beat Tanner as a wolf. Did someone want to challenge me in human form? What will prove to you I’m more than capable of acting as your Alpha?” I eyed each person in the group.
Dallas stepped forward. He’d been my father’s Beta, second in command. His face gave nothing away. “Aye.” He grunted at me.
I smirked. “Speak your piece and then let’s get on with it.”
“As the Beta, I should be next in line. There.” He huffed.
Clearly it pained him to confront me. “Oh, but it’s not an inherited position. It doesn’t get passed on to the next in the pack or the eldest child. If you’re serious, pick your form.” I knew what he would do. Dallas had always been predictable. There was no way he’d be seen as a man beating on a woman. Better we were both wolves and the playing field was level.
In an instant, he shifted and lunged at me. Apparently, there’d be no circling, no sizing each other up. He wanted this to go down quick and dirty.
I leapt the other direction, rising as a young woman but landing as a wolf. Instantly, I snarled. Guess you won’t be playing nice.
His laugh echoed in my head. This isn’t the time for games, Savvy. The pack is at stake.
Exactly. So, no hard feelings, right? My lips curled back.
His head twisted to the side. About what?
Remaining the Beta, or even being demoted. The pack already has an Alpha. And you have much to answer for, since my father was killed on your watch. I lowered my head, but my eyes never left his face.
A growl rumbled in his throat. Packs have never had a female Alpha. The Phoenix Pack won’t start now.
It already has. I snickered.
Dallas charged toward me. Inwardly, I sighed. This was like my fight with Tanner all over again. He hoped to intimidate me with his size, but my father had taught me long ago that bigger didn’t mean better, men weren’t superior to women, and those who thought more than they fought would always rule the day.
My father’s words rang true. He’d have been so proud. He’d always warned me about Dallas. I remembered a conversation we’d had a few years ago.
“He thinks because he’s big and tough, he should be the Alpha.” He lifted my chin. “We know better. Right over might.”
“What makes you think I’m right?” My brow furrowed.
“You have the heart of a warrior.” He chuckled.
I smirked. “Like you.”
He nodded. “Yes, and the sharpest mind of anyone I’ve known. You get this from your mother.”
My cheeks warmed. I found few similarities to my mother. She was beautiful, graceful, and loved counseling father behind the scenes. They were the perfect team, the perfect couple, the perfect leaders for our pack.
“You may not be what the pack wants, but when the time comes, you’ll be exactly what they need.” He hugged me close.
I swallowed hard as I tried to accept I’d never be wrapped in his love ever again. Dallas took advantage of the split second I’d been distracted. He lunged, aiming for my shoulder, but I whipped my head around catching him off guard. Then I knocked him to the ground and went straight for his throat.
His eyes widened in shock. Savvy…
What? My teeth dug into his fur, and for the second time that evening, I found myself tasting the blood of one of my pack mates. I didn’t enjoy it but understood the necessity.
You wouldn’t. He closed his eyes and tried to scratch at me with his hind legs.
His sharp nails dug into my skin. This was of little importance. I’d heal. If I gave in, the pack could be lost. My jaw closed further, tightening on his windpipe. He gasped for breath and froze. Say it.
I can’t. Dallas struggled for breath.
Would you rather die than see me as Alpha? Believe me, it can be arranged. I growled as I stepped on his chest. I could feel warm sticky blood running down my legs from his scratches. Did you know my father taught me how to rip out another wolf’s throat?
No. He struggled against me, thrashing at me with every bit of reserve he had left.
Instead of worrying or feeling frantic, I simply focused on gradually applying more pressure until he whimpered. I could finally sense his fear. Last chance. Last warning.
You’re the Alpha. His eyes closed and he positively winced. You’re the Alpha.
Those words seemed to hurt Dallas more than the fight. I released him and watched as he scampered away from me. He lay on the ground, head on his legs, completely humbled. Slowly, the rest of the pack lowered their heads. In an instant, I was officially the Alpha. I couldn’t be happy about it. How could I when I’d had to lose so much to win the title?
Chapter Five
We loaded the vehicles and drove back in silence. As I parked in front of Phoenix House, I made the announcement the pack had been waiting on. “Let’s check on the pups, then we’ll assemble in the Great Room for a meeting.”
Their relief was evident. They quickly rushed into the mansion. I leaned heavily against the car door and focused on the future, pushing the sadness away. There was no room for it, no time for it. The pack needed me.
“Well, I think that went well,” Shelby joked as she pressed her back against the car beside me.
“You think?” My brows rose.
She shook her head and laid a hand on my shoulder. “You had to fight Dallas. You have to be the Alpha.”
I stared into her eyes, reluctant to simply trust her words. In them, I found no deception, no doubt. “You mean it.”
A hollow laugh escaped her lips. “Of course. You’re my sister. I’ve always known you’d be the next leader. Father wanted it that way. You’re stepping up, just as he expected you to.”
“This won’t be easy.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed.
“Nothing worthwhile ever is, dear.” Shelby rested her head on my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. “You know you channeled Mom there, right?”
She snickered. “I’m supposed to. You must’ve known I was groomed for a role, too.”
I glanced up at the window where I’d last seen her twin. “What about Lenoir?”
She shrugged. “Maybe this is why she feels so lost. She was the baby, the smaller twin. Nothing much was ever expected of her. Our parents weren’t even sure she’d live.”
Pushing my back off the vehicle, I slowly stood. “Okay. Let’s do this.” I took my first step, but Shelby reached out, grabbed my arm, and stopped me.
“There’s something you should do if you want the rest of the pack to see you as the Alpha.” She bit her lip.
I frowned. “I won. I beat an elder. I beat Tanner. What more can I do?”
“Pick a mate.” She winked and
then raced past me and up the steps.
Pick a mate. From everything I knew about being a shifter, this wasn’t how it worked. We didn’t simply mate for convenience. While I’d seen differing levels of devotion among the pairs in our pack, the relationship I’d seen at home had shaped my ideas of the kind of mate I wanted, the way I’d imagined our life together. This would be far more challenging than Shelby could dream.
Shaking my head, I made my way to the Great Room and prepared to address my pack. Everyone was assembled inside, sitting on the couches, chairs, and even lounging on the floor. This was my chance to unify them, bring everyone together. As I scanned the room, taking visual attendance, I realized Tanner had finally returned in my absence. He sat in a far corner of the room in a chair while Lennie curled up on the floor near him. The sight made me feel prickly. Especially since his eyes met mine and he refused to look away, all while my little sister threw herself at him.
Taking a seat in the chair to the left of the fireplace, I began. “Twenty-five years ago, my parents moved from Arizona to Asheville, after a honeymoon in Savannah.” My cheeks grew warm. There were some chuckles in the room. Everyone knew the story. “They settled here because they had a big dream for the future and the pack they would create. Because they never wanted to forget their roots, they called themselves the Phoenix Pack.” I could hear murmurs in the room.
“Once, our name was solely about our past. Now, it takes on a double meaning.” Heads tilted. Some elders nodded. “You may be familiar with the legend of the phoenix. In case you aren’t, the phoenix is a bird who lives a long time and dies in a burst of flames. Out of the ashes, a new phoenix is born.” I clapped my hands together. “Today, my parents died, and the Phoenix Homestead was destroyed. This isn’t the end of our story. Like the bird of the legend, we shall rise up from the rubble and build a new homestead, a stronger pack.”
“That’s right,” one of the elders murmured. “Preach, Savvy!”
A smile played at the corners of my mouth. “Tonight, we shall mourn our loss. In the morning, the work begins. We’ll see what we can salvage. We’ll get rid of anything we can’t. Before you know it, we’ll be back in our homes. Together.” Finally, I allowed myself the luxury of a smile.
“And we’ll punish whoever murdered the Alpha and destroyed our homestead, right?” Tanner’s eyes narrowed and he rubbed his hands together.
My left eyebrow arched dangerously. “That should go without saying, but yes. The person or persons who are responsible for my parents’ deaths must pay.”
He smiled, eager to dole out some vengeance. Finally, he had a place to direct all his pent-up rage. “Good.”
“Any other questions?” I glanced around the room, but everyone seemed to be contemplating my speech, or their own situation. In human form, I had no idea what the rest of the pack thought. “Well, there’s food in the kitchen. I’ll order more pizza, if we need it. Then let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
The men and women slowly stood and wandered around. I knew none of them had cause to visit the Asheville Phoenix House previously. They were in awe of the property and exhausted from the day.
The room cleared of all but one woman, an elder who’d lost her mate many years ago. She’d powered through and chosen to live so she could raise their pups. Lula gnawed on her lip while she studied me.
I grinned as I moved to sit beside her. “How’d I do, Lula?”
She reached out and patted my hand. “Not bad, Alpha.” Her head tilted and I knew she had more on her mind.
“Go on, Lula. I can tell you’re dying to say something.” I playfully huffed while I waited.
Lula held my hand in both of hers. “I know you have a lot going on right now between rebuilding and ferreting out those who played a role in your parents’ deaths.”
“But?” I urged her to finish.
“Well, you need to add one more item to your agenda, Savvy.” Lula paused to lick her lips. “You need to find a mate.”
I sighed and yanked my hand from her grasp. “You don’t think the pack will truly accept me without a mate? Is that it?” I ran a hand through my long, wavy hair and instantly wished I had a ponytail holder available.
“It’s not that, dear.” She shook her head. “See, being the Alpha is a huge responsibility. It has always been a two-person job.”
“Two?” My brow furrowed. “There’s a second Alpha?” I rubbed my shoulder as I worried over who I’d have to fight next.
“The Alpha’s spouse is pretty much Alpha by proxy. The support, love, strength, and sounding board they provide is essential to the success of the pack.” Lula struggled to her feet. “Arthritis,” she grumbled. “Just please…think about it.”
I nodded sadly as I watched her limp away. This was the second time tonight I’d been told I needed to find a spouse. Closing my eyes, I leaned back and considered the only prospects I’d met. Tanner. I scrunched up my face. Anyone else in the pack was too young, too old, or already mated. My head tilted. There was that fireman. We’d spoken to each other. He’d touched me. I’d felt nothing. Still, he seemed nice. I sighed. With my luck, he was already mated. This whole finding a mate thing wouldn’t be easy.
Though I was utterly exhausted, I knew I had to prepare for the coming day. I checked my phone. Already it was after eight in the evening. There was little chance anyone would answer my call, but if I left messages, I might hear something first thing in the morning. Opening the browser on my phone, I searched for architects near me. We’d need to redesign and rebuild the main house.
I scrolled through the firms in the results. None of them spoke to me. For some reason, I rather thought one would stand out. Then, I saw it: Rogue Designs. I clicked on the website. The portfolio was impressive. The pricing was a little higher than I anticipated, but I could afford it. After taking a deep breath, I hit the phone number and listened to it ring. On the third ring, while I was preparing for the voice message I would leave, a man answered.
“Rogue Designs, how can I help you?” He had a deep voice that resonated within me and had me imagining what he looked like. In my mind, he was a cross between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. “Hello?”
His second greeting jolted me to action. “Oh, yes, uh…hi?”
He chuckled. Clearly, this man was used to rendering women speechless. “How can I help?”
“I need an architect.” Suddenly, I started blurting out everything. “My family home burned down and my parents are dead and I need to rebuild as quickly as possible because I have two younger sisters to care for and so many people relying on me…”
“Slow down,” he urged. His voice had grown serious. “Now give me an address and I’ll meet you at nine in the morning to look over the site. Will that work?”
I liked how he cut through the crap and went straight to the point. I exhaled, feeling immensely better. “Yeah. That will work.” I rattled off the address.
“And who will I be meeting there?” His voice seriously caressed me through the phone.
“Savvy. Ugh. I’m Savannah Silver. See you then.” I felt so unnerved, I ended the call without even asking his name. “Dammit,” I grumbled. Rarely did anyone leave me so off balance that I made these kinds of mistakes. Tomorrow, I’d have to be back on my game.
Chapter Six
In the morning, I made sure everyone knew what they had to do and how they were going to accomplish it before I left the security of the gated estate. “Wait!” Dallas stopped me before I could climb into my car.
“What is it?” I was distracted as I tried to mentally prepare for the day.
“We don’t have the gate code.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
I sighed. “Nor will you. This wasn’t an oversight. I’m following father’s instructions. Only the Alpha is to ever have access to this information.”
“Then how do we get back in?” He spoke carefully, but I could sense his rage beneath the surface.
“Simple. Eithe
r one person remains here at all times to push the button, or you wait for me to return and we enter together.” I glanced at the time on my phone. “I have to meet the architect at the homestead and I have several stops on the way. We’ll talk later.” I watched as his hands dropped to his side with clenched fists. “When will you be up there to work on sifting through the rubble?”
Dallas frowned. “As soon as possible, Alpha.”
There was more than a hint of disgust in the way he spoke my title, but I refused to address it at the moment. I had more important concerns. “See you at the homestead, Dallas. Soon.”
Though it was barely after seven in the morning, there were reasons I wanted to leave already. For one, I needed caffeine desperately. For another, I wanted to check on the safe before the rest of the pack arrived. This had always been the biggest Phoenix Pack secret. It must remain that way. The funds in my father’s account only told part of the story. The wealth hidden in the wall explained everything.
After stopping at the nearest gas station to buy several sodas, I drove the mountain roads while deep in thought. There were only so many reasons to murder a person: jealousy, revenge, to keep a secret, and probably most popular of all, money. My parents lived a quiet, peaceful existence. The pack stayed on our lands. We never ventured past our territory. By outward appearances, we lived a modest existence. Though rumors had circulated through the years, no one outside of the pack knew about the mines.
Slowly, I navigated the gravel driveway to the homestead. There were no other vehicles in the area, so I confidently exited my car and strode to the house. The fire had obviously started in the kitchen and then radiated through the wooden structure. Parts of the second story had collapsed, but luckily not in the study, my destination. Pushing open the front door, I froze. My parents had always left it unlocked, a sign of how safe they’d felt on the homestead. I wouldn’t make the same mistake.
I picked my way through the entry, past the stairs, and shoved living room furniture out of my path. Finally, I reached the French doors, which closed the study off from the rest of the house. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I pushed them open so I could assess the damage. I sniffed the still smoky air, hoping I might catch the scent of the killer or killers. Unfortunately, I smelled nothing other than the hint of an accelerant, and the stench from the charred wood.
