I meet Ryna outside of the change rooms after having a shower and getting spare clothes to wear from my locker.
I see him in the hallway talking to some of the older warriors, and he dismisses them when he sees me coming over. “Whatever has gotten into you, I like it.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him as he opens the door for me, and we walk outside.
“What you did today! Taking charge and putting Tony in his place! Revving the warriors up with your speech! I’ve never seen anything like it! You and Enyo absolutely mesmerized them!”
“Well, if I want to be the Gamma once all of this is over, then I need to act like one. I’m not a little girl anymore. So, I need to stop acting like one.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and ruffles my hair as we walk back to the pack house. “Just don’t grow up too fast, kid. It all goes downhill once you hit twenty,” he laughs.
“Oh yes, you’re such an old man now. I can see the grey hairs coming through!” I tease him.
“Hey!” He yells, feigning shock. “I’ll show you, you young whippersnapper!”
I squeal as he grabs me around the waist and starts tickling me. I manage to get out of his grip, and we spend a couple of minutes laughing and goofing around.
“Enough!” I yell eventually, breathless from all the laughter. “I’m supposed to be meeting Alpha Damon, remember?”
Ryna stops chasing me and takes a minute to catch his breath, then we start walking again. “Seriously though, Athena, you two were impressive today. Even the more seasoned warriors came to say how impressed they were.”
“Well, let’s just hope that I can keep it up,” I say with a small smile.
We arrive at the pack house, and I look up at the four-story old farmhouse. It has a rustic charm that I’ve missed. The inside has been remodelled a lot over the years, but it still looks the same on the outside.
‘*Are you worried*?’
‘*I’m a little nervous*,’ I say, finding the large tinted window of the Alpha’s office.
‘*You can do this, Athena*,’ he reassures me. ‘*Just remember, let him lead the conversation. If we want to know if he’s involved in anything, you and Enyo need to stay calm*.’
I nod, take a deep breath, and then walk up to the porch, walk inside and head to Alpha Damon’s office, knocking on the double doors when I get there.
“Come in!” I hear him call out, so I open the door and go inside, closing the door behind me.
“Athena! Thank you for coming. Please, take a seat on the couch. Would you like a drink?”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I say, sitting on the small two-seater leather couch. “No drink for me, thanks,” I say to his assistant, Laura. She smiles, then bows to the Alpha and leaves the room.
“I hear there was quite a show at training this morning. I’m sorry I missed it,” he says as he stands from behind his desk, walks around it and then leans on the front of it.
“Just a little character building for one of the warriors,” I say, trying to downplay this morning.
“The howls sounded like a lot more than just that. It carried over the whole territory.”
“I think the warriors were just excited, Alpha. We all got a bit revved up and had to release it,” I say with a small smile, trying to hide the pride I feel about this morning.
“Yes, I see. So! Nasty business down south. What made that girl attack you?” He asks as he sits in the single seat in front of me.
“She blamed me for her father being banished from the pack,” I explain.
“And you weren’t to blame?”
“Not exactly. I was sitting in on a meeting that Alpha Peter held, and her father was upset by my presence.”
“Why would he be upset by your presence?”
“Well, the girl who attacked me was his daughter, and Enyo got a bit rough with her during a training session. He wasn’t happy about that,” I say, leaving part of the story out.
“He got banished over a scruff up?”
‘*He’s fishing, Athena. Be careful*,’ Enyo warns.
“Well, there was more to it, Alpha. But it was about pack business.”
“I see. So you can’t tell me anymore?”
“I don’t think it’s my place, Alpha,” I say.
“I see. Well, I also received a call from the Elder Council. They weren’t impressed with your attitude towards them, Athena.”
“Would you like me to call them and apologize? I didn’t mean to disrespect them. Emotions were high after I was attacked and the banishments,” I say as a way of explanation.
“I don’t think that will be necessary. But as you know, they generally attend the annual mate balls, so I will need you to be on your best behaviour.”
“Of course, Alpha. I would never do anything to shame you or our pack,” I say sweetly.
“Thank you. Now, I understand you don’t want to take your place as Gamma yet, but I was thinking of a different role for you,” he says.
“What would that be?” I ask, unsure of where this is going.
“With attacks happening on packs again, I’m worried about the safety of my Luna. Would you consider taking the position of Delta and lead the Luna guard?”
For a moment, I’m stunned into silence. When I find my voice again, I ask, “It’s been a long time since we had a Delta in the pack, Alpha. Are you sure it’s necessary?”
“While none of the attacks have been local yet, I am concerned that they could come this way. Packs around us know we were weakened by the previous attack. So we could become a target.”
“I see,” I say as I contemplate what he’s saying. “And you want me to be Delta?” I ask.
“Luna Cassia asked for it to be you. She said she got a good vibe from you last night,” he explains.
“This could be our way in, Athena. Getting close to the Luna could give us an advantage,” Enyo points out.
“Do you mind if I take a day or two to think about it, Alpha?” I ask. “This would mean staying here in the pack, and I’m not sure I’m ready to give up on looking for my dad’s killer.”
“Of course. It is a big decision.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, unless you have any more questions, I have a meeting in town I need to get to,” he says, looking at his watch.
“I have no questions, Alpha. Thank you for the honor of asking me to be Delta. I will have an answer for you as soon as possible,” I say, standing up.
“Great. I’ll speak with you soon,” he says as he stands and walks me to the door.
He closes the door behind me as I walk out of his office. I hurry up the hallway and go upstairs to my room. I watch out the window and wait for him to leave for his meeting.
When he finally does ten minutes later, I mind-link Uncle Alex and Ryna. ‘*Alpha Damon is leaving for a meeting in town. Meet me at the cabin.*’
A couple of minutes later, Ryna says, ‘*Gino is going to follow him*.’
‘*No, it’s not safe*,’ Uncle Alex says.
‘*I told him that, but apparently, we have no say*.’
#
“He wants you to be Delta?” Uncle Alex asks in surprise. “The last time we had a Delta in the pack was for Alpha Dorians Luna. And that was only because the werewolves were trying to start a war.”
“I don’t like it,” Noah says. “It’s probably a trap.”
“It’s a way for her to get close to the Luna and see if she knows anything,” Ryna adds.
“That could take time that we might not have,” Noah says.
“Either way, it’s a risk. I don’t want you to take this position, Athena. But it could be the only chance we have to find out if Alpha Damon is involved in any of this,” Uncle Alex says.
I’m sitting in front of the fire in the cabin, watching the flames lick the wood as it pops and crackles as if it were alive. For a few moments, I bask in its warmth, momentarily allowing myself to feel the grief that sits in the pit of my stomach. After a few moments, I say, “I’m taking the position.”
“Are you sure, Athena? I don’t know if this is something that Andreas would like…” Noah trails off.
Rage suddenly takes over my grief. “Well, Noah, he doesn’t have a say anymore, does he?” I snap at him. “If he hadn’t been such a stubborn ass and been with me instead of insisting on staying apart, maybe he’d be alive,” I say, getting up from the ground and storming outside.
I hear someone follow me outside, and I take off running, wanting to be alone.
“Athena, wait!” Noah calls out, running after me.
I stop and turn on him. “DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT ANDREAS WOULD WANT EVER AGAIN!” I exclaim.
“HEY! YOU WEREN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO LOST HIM! HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!”
“HE WAS MY MATE!”
“PLEASE! YOU BARELY KNEW HIM! HE DIDN’T EVEN MARK YOU!”
I slap Noah hard across the face as tears sting my eyes. We stand there in silence as the frigid air blows around us, both of us panting.
“I’m sorry, Athena. I shouldn’t have said that,” Noah says, breaking the silence.
“We may not have been marked, but he was still my mate. You have no idea what I’m feeling,” I say as I cry softly.
“Actually, I do,” he says after taking a deep breath.
“What?”
“I lost my mate too,” he says quietly. “She died in the attack on our pack. She was pregnant with my pup.”
Tears start streaming down his face, and he looks absolutely shattered. I walk closer to him and hug him. “I’m so sorry, Noah.”
Neither of us says anything else. We just hold each other, and cry as fresh snow falls around us.