They released me from the hospital yesterday. I have stitches literally everywhere. Whatever isn't stitched is wrapped in gauze. I refused every visitor except Sara. She probably relayed the story hundreds of times. And I'm still at a loss of words with what happened.
"What happened, Dean?" Nash asks. Oliver, Wyatt, and Jessica stare back at me from their offices.
I told Sara to sit this meeting out. She's an alpha now. She listened but I feel she would've sat it out anyway. We're still deciding if we should merge the two packs and who should be the alpha of that pack.
I tap my pen on the table. I clear my throat. "When Alexia was alpha," I say, holding in my smile, "she ordered her East Wolves to harm Anna till the point of death—to kill me."
Oliver's eyes dart to another portion of the screen. Which alpha is he looking at? "It doesn't make sense," Oliver says. "With your death, Sara would take over and Alexia would have the same problem again."
I shrug. "I'm trying to wrap my head around it too. But I didn't die and Sara killed Alexia with the help of her mate, Tristan." I still have bruises on my neck and a few puncture wounds that I didn't want covered up. I don't like the alphas seeing me in a weakened state, and I definitely don't like my pack see me like that either. Keeping it uncovered is my best shot.
"Tell us why Sara was there to begin with. You went alone," Nash says. I don't look at her as I reply. I still haven't forgiven her for her words last time we spoke.
"Sara was at Tristan's. They were waiting to leave for the party here, when I arrived. I didn't know she was mated to an East Wolf until she took out Alexia."
"So let me get this straight," Jessica says. "Sara is mated to an East Wolf, and you're mated to a mutt." I clench my teeth. "The Blackwood's were always a disgrace."
"Jessica," Oliver says. "That's irrelevant. Dean, you have to understand why we're concerned. You have nearly double what you used to."
"So what, you're saying I can take over the West Coast Packs with double the wolves. And it's two separate packs. Two Blackwood's just happen to be alphas of them." I sit forward. "Alexia was a problem that Sara dealt with. Alexia became alpha on her own and terrorized the Blackwood's ever since. She was the cause for my parent's deaths. You were all an alpha of your own state, now I am. Stop trying to twist things around just because there are three alphas that are younger than you."
Oliver narrows his eyes. "You mean four."
"What?"
"Anna's an alpha, is she not?"
I bite my cheek. "We haven't consummated it. So she's not an alpha, yet."
Jessica perks up. "Can we talk about this then? A mutt as—"
"Stop calling her a fucking mutt." I slam my fist on the table, wincing. "She's my mate. That word isn't to be used anymore. She's a wolf and that doesn't define if she can shift or not."
"Where is Sara now?" Oliver asks.
"She and Tristan are with their pack, going through the motions, I presume." Truth be told, she's packing up her belongings with Tristan right now. An alpha has to be with their pack for a majority of the time. Although Tristan was the one to kill her, alphas are strongest with their mates. I look at the door as Bennett walks through. I hold up a finger for him. "We're done here."
"Not until we talk to Sara."
"What more must you know? She's alpha. Get over it. Accept it. We are no threat to the West Coast Packs. And last I checked, the West Coast is the Blackwood's territory." Oliver levels me with a look. "We're done here." I disconnect the call.
I walk out of the office and into the lobby where Bennett is. "How'd everything go?" He looks over my shoulder at the office.
"They're scared. They don't like that Sara and I are alphas to our own packs."
He rolls his eyes. "That's to be expected. I just wanted to tell you that Anna wants to see you and that her memorial is ready for tomorrow."
I nod. "Do you know why she wants to see me?"
"She didn't say. You're not nervous are you?" He hits my shoulder. I wince and grab my shoulder. "Shit, sorry."
"It's fine."
Bennett scratches his head as I pass. "Oh yeah, and the holes for the funerals were dug."
"When the moon rises," I say.
Tristan is in the kitchen. I'm still getting used to his scent. I haven't been too sociable with him but I'm going to have to start when they have their ceremony. I'm going to have a brother.
Anna comes rushing down the stairs. She's flustered. Her hair is falling out of her bun. She blows a strand away. Her green eyes are vibrant as they wash over me. She's in a baggy shirt and some shorts. She couldn't be more beautiful.
"Tristan, can you help Sara?" She pulls her eyes from me and to Tristan.
"On it." Tristan jogs upstairs. He probably senses me. I decided not to hold anything back. I was hoping she would stop holding back but I still get nothing more than 'nervous' from her. Sometimes I get anxious, like right now.
"Living room, c'mon." Anna jerks her head to the living room. She sits at the recliner and turns it toward me. I sit on the loveseat. She looks at her hands. "This is going to be awkward."
My heart quickens.
"Do you... remember... what you said before you passed out?"
Yes.
I furrow my brow. "What did I say?"
She rests her elbows on her knees, leaning on them. "You said," she looks away, "you said that we were mates." She looks at me. Embarrassment goes through her body. "I mean you were delusional, you were dying. You didn't know—"
"We're mates, Anna."
She pauses.
Please accept me as your mate. I want to make you happy. I want to make you scream. I want you.
"How do you know?" she says.
This is a good step. She might want to try to feel it too.
"It's kind of like a gut feeling—instinct. Open yourself up, don't hold it back." Please feel it.
"You're attractive, Dean." Pause. "I guess I've always had a crush on you, but that's all it is: a crush." She looks at her feet. "Maybe it's because I'm a half-breed that I don't feel it. I don't know. I don't really want a mate anyway."
"Anna—"
"No, look where it could've gotten us. You dead and I would've been collateral damage."
"Anna—"
"Dean, they tried to kill me." A tear falls from her eye. "What if Jessica wants you dead next? Will she come after me because I'm weak? I'm your kryptonite."
"You'll be my kryptonite regardless." I reach for her hand. "Mates are strongest together."
"We can't be mates." She pulls her hand away and wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry." She stands. "I have to help Sara."
I watch her leave.
She said we can't be mates, not that we aren't. She has to feel something. She's just afraid.
#
When the moon falls, the pack gathers at the burial site.
Four graves are dug for four wolves. I lost Daphne, Darryl, Aaron, and Brooklyn. When Sara told me what happened, I needed time alone. I lost Daphne and Darryl. Those two had been protecting me from the beginning.
I walk between the middle graves. The wolves hold candles and flowers. Sara and Tristan stand behind me as respect from their pack to mine.
Anna and Bennett stand in the crowd. The pack doesn't seem to remember that she was at my side at the last funeral. Their focus is more on the East Wolf behind me, holding hands with my sister.
Matt and Katie stand behind them. Julia is propped on Katie's hip. She wears a little black dress.
"The events of the past few days have been kept from you. I sincerely apologize for that, but I had to be the one to tell you." I take a breath. "Alexia, alpha of the East Wolves is no more. She was attempting to kill Anna and when I found out, I took matters into my own hands." An eruption of murmurs starts up. "Alexia took me down. Brooklyn, Aaron, Darryl, and Daphne tried to get to me, but were killed in the process.
"Sara was already there. She was with Tristan, her mate, and also an East Wolf. They killed Alexia and have since become the new alphas of her pack." I look down at the graves. "My actions led to the deaths of these wolves. I will never forget that. Let's have a moment of silence for these fallen warriors."
Everyone closes their eyes and bows their heads. I look over my shoulder. Sara nods and smiles. I smile back. She's going to be a better alpha than me.