♥
When Milo puts some clothes on and doesn't distract me with his body and those dilated eyes, we lay on his bed together. He's snuggled into my chest, my arm around his shoulders as we watch something on his TV.
I've never done anything like this. Cuddle and relax with someone you deeply care about.
"Reign said that you're taking your Beta role more seriously now," I comment, my fingers brushing over the fabric on his shoulder.
Milo hums and nods. "Yeah, I haven't been to another Alpha's house for a meeting in..." he trails off. "I haven't been to a third party meeting, ever."
A small chuckle passes my lips. "How did it go?"
He shuffles in my hold and turns to look at me. "I don't know if your pack has heard but apparently there is a threat from the North, our district might be under attack."
"What?" The word falls from my mouth within a second. "Since when?"
"The intelligence is pretty new so we're not entirely sure," he admits and I drop my arm from his shoulder to sit up. My brows begin to crease at the fear of a take over. "But Keanu was saying that there is information that the North are planning an attack as they want to take over the country, make it theirs."
I sit back into the headboard and run a hand through my hair. I don't know if Leon and my father are aware but it's a big deal if they're not. "I haven't heard anything about it."
Milo shrugs. "Neither did we until today, apparently it's pretty serious. Keanu and Everett have planned to get the Alpha's to meet up and discuss a plan because he believes it's going to be a bloodbath and I'm really not prepared for it."
My head turns to the window and I stare out of it for a few moments. Shit. "Do we know why they're doing it?"
"Something about taking back their ancestors' land or something," he sighs. "I don't know, it was all a bit complicated. They'll find out more as time goes on, I'm sure. Your pack will probably be contacted very soon, we're planning on working together to protect our land because it might be an army of wolves we need to defend ourselves from."
"Shit," I curse and drag a hand down my face. "This isn't good."
Milo then shakes his head. "Danika said it's pretty serious but they're all acting extremely calm for something so deadly."
"Showing fear will only break the pack into chaos," I comment. "Keeping themselves under control and ordering their pack when they know more information is best, otherwise it'll be carnage and won't be able to control everyone."
His eyes flick between mine slowly and then he smiles. "You'd be a great leader," he comments. "The way you talk, you're passionate. Unlike me, I have no idea what's going on. I stepped up because I'm trying to get myself better, and be distracted. But you... you really seem passionate."
You'd be a great leader.
"Your comment is biassed, of course you have to say that. You're my mate." I say playfully.
Milo tuts. "Not at all. I bet you'd be amazing, all bossy and ordering people around. They'd listen to you. I certainly would."
Heat spikes the back of my neck and I quirk an eyebrow. "So if I was all bossy to you, you'd just drop everything and listen?"
"Including my pants, yes."
A deep chuckle echoes into the air and Milo grins back at me. Oh fuck. This man.
I shove his shoulder. "I'm being serious."
"So am I."
My head tilts in his direction and I huff out a sigh. "A part of me doesn't want to take on any role because of my father. I don't want to give him that satisfaction. You know?"
Milo shuffles closer to me and crosses his legs. "Be honest with me right now, do you want to be a leader?"
I stare at the window again. Another sigh falling from my lips. "At first I didn't think I had the personality, that I'd be walked all over. But the more I've been thinking about what I've actually been doing, how well I train, and how much I want to give feedback to Leon about the pack. I realise that maybe I could do this after all. Insecurities aside, it's definitely something I could work towards."
"Fuck what your dad thinks," Milo says after a few moments. "If you want to give it a go, then give it a go. What have you got to lose? I think you'd be amazing, much better than me anyway. If I can do it–sometimes–then you can too. I have all the faith in the world. Don't let what you think your dad wants to change your mind, do it for you. Not for anyone else."
For a moment I sit back and let his words sink in. He's right. One of the only reasons I didn't want to become Alpha or the Beta was because I felt bullied into it, practically forced. But when I think about doing it for myself and no one else, it seems so much more appealing. I believe that I can actually do it without my father breathing down my neck.
"You're right," I exhale. "I still need to think about what I want but not for my father or for anyone else, for myself. I see the way Leon is crafting the pack and I don't agree with everything he does, including the fact he thinks women are weak. It's pathetic."
Milo grimaces at my words. "Outdated."
I hum in agreement. "Incredibly outdated, I know for a fact Imogen would be a great leader. Even my sister with the right training, they deserve a shot too. If I became the Alpha or the Beta, that would be one of the first things I change. Equality amongst all of us."
"I like it," Milo nods eagerly. "I'd love to be in your pack if you were the leader."
My lips stretch into a smile and I lean over to cup the back of his neck. "You'd be joining me anyway," I tell him. "You'd run it with me, as my mate. That would be a priority to me."
I notice that blood rushes to Milo's cheeks and he pulls back slowly, blinking a couple times. "You'd want to run it with me?" He repeats.
"Of course," I nod. "I wouldn't want you anywhere else. But I get that you're the Beta here and leaving wouldn't be easy. I mean this is a conversation we'd have way in the future but that's where I stand and will always stand."
Milo's throat clenches and he swipes a hand down the back of his brunette hair. "I mean yeah, definitely in the future," he laughs hesitantly.
"I didn't mean to scare you," I say quietly.
"You didn't," he flashes me an awkward smile. He's such an awful liar. "Just a big talk and I wasn't exactly prepared for it."
I nod. "I know, sorry."
"It's okay," he says slowly.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to see a message from Viola. "I should probably head out," I say as I tuck my phone back away. "I was meant to leave like thirty minutes ago."
"Okay," Milo pouts in my direction. "I'll see you soon?"
I take his chin between my fingers and nod. "Most definitely," I whisper before pecking his plump lips.
Sparks zap through my body when our lips touch and I smile at the same time Milo does.
"Bye," I say, climbing off the bed.
"Bye."
♥
When I get home I head straight to Leon's office, no shock that my father is there too. I knock on the door and wait to be invited in. As I hear Leon's weak voice, I press a hand to the door and step inside his office.
"Nathaniel," my father's voice floats across the room. "You're back from avoiding the pack house like the plague."
I ignore him and focus my eyes on Leon instead.
"What can I do for you, Nate?" Leon coughs and then wheezes.
I shut the door behind me and I walk towards his desk. "Have you heard about the possible attack from the North on our district?"
Leon's head tilts and he leans back in his chair. "Alpha Keanu left me a message to say that he has things to discuss with me."
"Well there is intelligence that the packs from the North are planning on taking over and destroying us, the entire district." I state and my father gawks at me.
"Where did you hear this information?"
I glance at him. "A friend," I lie. Not a complete lie.
He still doesn't know about Milo and I tend to keep it that way. Not that he wouldn't be accepting of me having a male mate but because I could already imagine what he has to say about it, wanting to meet him and grill him for everything he has.
"I presume that's why you're covered from head to toe in another wolfs scent," he quirks an eyebrow at me.
"What I do in my private life is none of your business."
His eyes flare in my direction, no doubt furious that I spoke to him like that in front of the Alpha but I don't care. He has no right to make snarky comments like that.
I glance back to Leon. "This is serious. When you speak with Keanu, we need to get the pack training as hard as possible and expect the worst. We haven't had an attack on our territory like this for almost three hundred years and by the sounds of things, it's going to get messy and we need to have as few fatalities as possible."
Leon clears his throat only to cough again. "When I've had my talk with Keanu–" he cuts himself off to take a breath. "Then we will come up with a plan and we will do everything in our power to keep our pack and our territory safe."
I nod at him. "And we need to come together with the other packs in the district, we can help each other out because we are suffering the same way they are. You might not like all of them," I glance at my father because I know he holds grudges. "But they're also our best shot at surviving."
"Thank you, Nate," Leon says gratefully. "I'll keep you in the loop with what Keanu says and the next steps."
Without another word I leave his office and head to the kitchen.
"Nathaniel," I hear my father call out my name behind me.
I stop but I don't turn around. No doubt he's going to give me an earful for talking to him like that in front of Leon but right now I don't care. He was an ass to me this morning and I have no patience for it anymore.
Somehow I've grown thicker skin over the last few months.
I feel amazing for it.
His footsteps inch closer and I suck down a breath, finally turning around to face him. A part of me is confused when he doesn't look angry, another part is in shock when he looks sort of... proud.
"Thank you for sharing that information with us," he starts.
My shoulders raise and release quickly. "I couldn't exactly keep it to myself if we're at threat, could I?"
He shoves his hands into his pockets, as if he doesn't know what to do with them. "I guess not," he says quietly. "But I wanted to talk about the future of this pack, of us wanting you to become Alpha."
A strangled grunt comes from the back of my throat. "I don't want to talk about this right now," I huff out before attempting to walk away.
But my father steps to my side and grips my wrist, for some reason I decide to stay and listen. "I realise that pushing you into it and being harsh on you wasn't the best way to go about it."
"You think?"
"I'm trying to be reasonable here, Nate," he presses a hand to his forehead. "I only pushed you to become the Alpha or the Beta because I believed that you could do it, because you possess qualities that I don't even see in myself. It's not because I want my bloodline to continue in the hierarchy of this pack, it's more important than that. I see your skills, I see your youth and know that you could make this pack legendary."
I hate the way his words have pride burning in my chest but I don't want validation from him, not after everything that he's said and done to me growing up. He wasn't acting like a father, he was acting like a stranger who wanted me to run this pack.
"And what you just said to Leon," he takes a pause. "I know he's going to value your opinion on this because he wants you to be on board."
My arms fold across my chest. "If I get to be on board then so does Imogen."
"Nate–"
I hold up a hand. "She is incredibly important to this pack, her father is literally the Alpha. She is strong, she's smart. If I'm going to do this, then I want her by my side. And I know for a fact she'd be honoured to do it."
His jaw tenses and I choose to ignore it. "It's something that will need to be discussed with Leon."
"These decisions I make will be for myself, not for you or anyone else. If I choose to become the Alpha, it's because I want to. Not because you're forcing me to, do you understand?"
"Yes," he says without hesitation.
My eyes widen slightly at the sincerity of his tone but I try to push it away. I have no idea where this conversation truly stemmed from but if he's true in what he says, then maybe we can step forward with our relationship and learn to accept each other's boundaries.
♥ ♥ ♥
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Author's Note
Eeeeekkkkk. This threat isn't looking fun😬🥲
What did you guys think of this chapter?👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼
I'm so proud of Nate for standing up to his father and I'm totally on Milo's side when he says that Nate would be a good leader, he just needs a bit more confidence that he can do this!
Thank you so much for the love on the last chapter! If you want an early update before next Thursday, help me get this chapter to 200 votes and 90 comments!✨
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