Chapter 73
CHARLOTTE’S POV
“Dad, what are you saying?” I asked in confusion, trying to wrap my head around what I’d just heard.
< 379%
“You want me to become the next Alpha?” I can’t believe he just casually told me I’d take his position as the next Alpha when he steps down. “I may not remember my true identity,” I continued, shaking my head slowly, “but I’m not of Alpha blood. You know that too” My eyes moved between Dad, Ethan, and Ethan’s father, searching their faces.
“I know this may come as a shock to you but that has always been the plan. I understand being a gifted healer already places a huge demand. It’s going to be a little too much on you but you are the only person qualified for this task,” dad said in a determined tone. I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into my palms.
“Ethan will be there to help you as your second in command. He’s reliable, I promise you don’t have anything to worry about,” Ethan’s father, my dad’s beta, added, adjusting in his seat. Ethan didn’t look shocked, he knew about this but never told me.
I shook my head. “I don’t have what it takes. I don’t have the capacity to become the next Alpha of this huge pack. And why are you suddenly talking about stepping down? You’re still strong My eyes became moist. This was not a small responsibility. This was the entire pack, lives, decisions, war.
Dad walked to me, taking my hands in his, his grip was warm. “After I lost my wife and child, I thought I wouldn’t live again, I thought everything ended for me. But then I found you. Almost dead, barely breathing, but you were fighting. You refused to give up.” He squeezed my hands lightly. “You are one hell of a fighter, Charlotte. You wanted to live and you did.”
“You have everything it takes to become the next Alpha of the Brimstone pack,” he continued. “You are strong in ways you don’t even see. You’re a natural leader. It doesn’t matter if you’re not of Alpha blood. Strength is not only in blood, it’s in actions. You care for this pack. You love these people. You protect them. And when it’s time to act, you don’t hesitate.”
“Have you forgotten you joined our army force to fight a few times?” he added. “You stood beside trained warriors and
you came out unscathed. Not because you were lucky. Because you were capable.”
I opened my mouth but nothing came out. The room suddenly felt too small. I took a deep breath, forcing air into my lungs. “I don’t know what to say,” I muttered softly.
“Char,” Ethan called gently. I looked at him. “You can take some time to think about it. No one is forcing you to answer right now,” he said. “But the Brimstone pack could never ask for a better leader than you.” He held my gaze. “And I’ll be there with you, every step. You won’t carry it alone.”
They all say it as if it’s easy, it’s not. I’ve been in this pack for over six years and I’ve seen how hard it is to be the Alpha. Everything falls on you. You take responsibility for every wolf under you. I’m a doctor and I know what it means to take accountability for people’s lives. Sometimes, you fall off with other packs and if not handled immediately could lead to war. Alpha Marcus Graves, my father, was a man of power and influence. His name alone commanded respect. How did he expect me to live up to that? How did he expect me to fill a space that big?
“In a few months, you will be introduced as the next Alpha of the Brimstone pack. The world already sees and knows you as the Alpha’s daughter. You have no idea how happy the pack will be to have you as their next Alpha. They’re expecting, looking up to you,” Ethan’s father said. “You still have a few months to spend in America and after that you’ll come down here permanently. This is your home, Charlotte and will be forever.”
Dad went back to his seat, his expression unreadable. “The Moon Ascension Festival is taking place next week,” he said. “Different Alphas will be there. You’ll attend in my name. It’s time you start meeting and interacting with them.
The Moon Ascension Festival? The same festival Ace was going to take Moon and mark her. The same place everyone would celebrate them. I didn’t want to see that
“Alpha, I don’t think it’ll be necessary for Charlotte to go there, especially not by herself. She’s unmated, and a famous doctor. The other unmated male wolves will surround her. Most of them in heat. It could get out of control before she even
11:35 Thu, Feb 12 D
Chapter 78
senles, Ethan explained.
Dad nodded slowly. “That is true.” He leaned back in his chair. “But the festival doesn’t happen often. This one is being hosted near the Brown League pack. We can’t suddenly decide not to attend without a solid reason.”
His eyes came to me. “Do you not want to go?” he asked gently. only want you to meet the other Alphas.
79%
He has always been like that. He never forces things on me. I wanted to refuse and stay far away from that place. But I had no real excuse. I couldn’t tell him I didn’t want to see Ace. That didn’t want to watch him mark another woman in front of
everyone.
When I didn’t answer, Dad spoke again.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to go, I’ll come up with a reason why I won’t attend either.”
I shifted slightly in my seat. “Could I take some time to think about it?”
“Of course,” he replied without hesitation. “And whatever you decide, I’ll respect it.”
After the discussion ended, I stood up to follow Ethan and his father out, but Dad stopped me. He said he had something else to talk about. I went back and sat on the sofa, my back stiff.
“What is going on between you and Alpha Virel?” he asked suddenly. The question knocked the breath out of my lungs.
I blinked a few times. “There’s nothing going on between the both of us.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either.
“That isn’t what Liam told me,” he grumbled. “And don’t dismiss it by saying Liam is just a boy. You and I both know he doesn’t speak on things he hasn’t seen.”
I swallowed hard. “It’s not like that.”
“I don’t care what it’s like. Alpha Virel has a Luna. His mate. And hear they’ve been together for years.” He held my gaze. “You didn’t survive everything you did, you didn’t rise this far, just to become someone’s mistress.”
I bowed my head slightly, he went on. “That Alpha is trouble. He’s not someone to play around with. He has many enemies, and if they sense even a hint that there’s something between you they won’t hesitate to come after you.” He paused. “Maybe it was one of them that attacked our mansion in New York.”
My head snapped up. “How did you…?” My heart thudded. “You knew about the attack?”
“I found out too late,” he said, regret flashing across his face. “You should have told me you were in danger. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t want you to worry.”
“You’re my only child,” he said in a broken voice. “It’s my duty to worry the moment I sense something is wrong.” He leaned forward. “Stay away from that Alpha. Do what you went to America to do, then come back home. Trust me, you don’t want to be pulled into his mess. There’s a lot you don’t know about him. His secrets. His true identity. The things that make him who he is. If you ever find out who he truly is, you might never want to speak to him again.” His eyes softened. “Whatever you think you know about that man is only a small part of what He hides.”
I stayed quiet, my thoughts spiraling. Ace is complicated, yes, but secrets? His true identity? What exactly wasn’t he telling
me?
I couldn’t sleep at night, so I decided to do something with my time at the gym. I started doing intense sprints on the treadmill, pushing the speed higher and higher until my legs bumed. When that wasn’t enough, I got down and did hard push–ups, then moved to the punching bag, hitting it over and over again like it offended me.
2/4
11:36 Thu, Feb 12 e
Chapter 73
79%#
55 vouchers
I was sweating and locked in my own thoughts when I felt like someone was watching me. I turned quickly to see Ace standing there in his suit pants and shirt, folded to the elbow. His scent hit my nostrils, making me lose focus for a second.
“What are you doing here? I thought you left,” I said. I shifted my gaze when I realized I’d been staring at how his shirt hugged his body.
“I will leave tomorrow evening. I still have some things to finish up. I stepped out for some time to handle some important matters at your father’s company.” When I didn’t say anything he added. “For the newly developed cars.”
“And how did you know I was here?”
“I drove in and saw you walking alone, so I followed you to make sure you’re safe.”
I raised a brow. “This is my pack, no one can try to hurt me here
I needed him to leave but he didn’t. He closed the space between us, wrapping his hands around the small of my waist, pulling me flush to him, breathing me in like I was air.
“You smell so good,” he murmured. He nuzzled his nose into my neck, slowly, inhaling me like he was trying to memorize it. Then his teeth grazed my collarbone, giving me a soft bite, not hard but enough to make my breath hitch. I knew it would leave a mark by morning.
I pushed him with all my strength but he didn’t move even a little. It felt like pushing a wall. “You need to go.” Dad’s words rang in my head, Moon’s face flashing after it. I really wanted him to stay away from me, I needed him to.
He placed his forehead against mine, his gaze locking with mine. “I’ve told you multiple times that I can’t stay away from you. It doesn’t matter how much you push me away. I’m not going anywhere. I can’t.” He pressed a soft kiss on my lips, lingering. “I love you.” He kissed my jaw. “I love you.” He kissed my cheek, then the corner of my mouth, whispering it again and again as his lips traced my face, until there was nowhere left to kiss but my lips.
“It doesn’t matter how long I have to wait, or how long I have to beg but I’m not giving up on you.” He closed the tiny space between us, capturing my lips in a full kiss.
Before I could stop myself, I was grabbing a fistful of his hair, tugging lightly, my fingers sliding through the thick strands as his hand moved down and grabbed my butt, squeezing slowly like he had all the time in the world. A shaky breath left me. The unquenched fire from earlier came back stronger, spreading through me, settling low in my womanhood, it was throbbing uncontrollably. He lifted one of my legs gently and hooked it around his waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. I felt him, erection pressing against my stomach through our clothes. My breath turned uneven, my head spinning from how close he was, how easily he could undo me.
“I want to make love to you,” he murmured against my lips, his mouth brushing mine between every word. “But this isn’t the right place.”
He kissed me again, slower this time, deeper, like he was trying to memorize every part of my mouth. His hand tightened on my waist before he finally pulled back. Our breaths were wild mixing in the small space between us.
I stared at him, my lips swollen, my body still burning. He had lit the fire and now he was stepping away from it, leaving me standing there, aching and frustrated, my leg still half wrapped around him. not ready to let go.
He tried to pull back, but I pressed my legs tighter around his waist. He groaned roughly, full of lust, and I felt it vibrate straight through me. His eyes darkened, almost black, and I saw he struggle written across his face.
I’m struggling he whispered, taking a sharp breath. “I’m struggling to control myself from taking you right here. I don’t want you to hate me the moment we’re done
He took my leg gently and lowered it back down his hands lingering on my butt, squeezing it hard, not wanting to let go completely. “I love you. No matter what happens, no matter wh you remember, I want you to know that I love you so much. I want nothing but to be with you and Liam. I don’t care that you kissed Ethan. I won’t let him have you. His votes was thick, possessive, his jealousy clear in the way his eyes roamed over me.
11:36 Thu, Feb 12 D.
Chapter 73
79%
55 vouchers
“I didn’t kiss him,” I blurted out. “What you saw was his lips on my cheek, not my lips. And we’re not in any kind of relationship.” I mentally slapped myself, knowing I shouldn’t have said it. He didn’t need to know, and yet the words had slipped out.
But when I saw the huge smile on his face, a warmth spread through me. I couldn’t help it, I felt good. He leaned down, capturing my lips again in a slow, deep kiss. “Trust me,” he murmured against my mouth, his hand brushing my hair back, “at least this once, let me prove myself to you. I’m not going to mark Moon, neither am I going to sleep with her to get her pregnant.”
He walked me to my room, holding me close the whole way, never letting me go. Once inside, he wrapped me in his arms, pressing me against him until sleep finally pulled me under. I must be going crazy, I thought, letting myself fall into the arms of the one person I knew I shouldn’t. But it felt like there was an invisible bond pulling us together and I couldn’t resist it.
As I slept, a dream clawed its way into my mind. I saw a woman behind the wheel barreling toward me, the force throwing me off the cliff. My body tumbled helplessly but before I fell off the cliff, my eyes caught a mark on her wedding finger, just below her knuckle. It was a tattoo.
I blinked, I couldn’t be mistaken. That face. It was Moon’s.
