Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
He gives me that dad looks like he knows the answer and is waiting to see if I will lie to him.
“| don’t know if changes need to be made, | just need to know what | did to piss off my floor leader so | can fix it. She has hated me since the day | walked in, and seems to like making things difficult for me. It’s nothing like what | was going through back home. | think she is just trying to establish her dominance, | just don’t know why.”
I tried to explain.
“Even she can feel your aura, she has never had another female to challenge her. While she is an exceptionally strong wolf and a great warrior, her ego and her temper get in her way. Her maturity will be what holds her back for now, but | believe she will outgrow it. She has potential and drive, she just needs some more time. You came in witha reputation and the respect of almost every warrior in the bunkhouse. There was plenty of buzz about you after your trials and then again when they all found out you would be arriving sooner than expected. | think she may feel threatened by your presence.
“But | just want to train like everyone else, | don’t care about being in charge or a leader, I’m new here, no one in their right mind would follow me with my lack of training.”
“And that, Little One, is where you are wrong. You have already proven to many of them you know how to lead, especially in a tense situation. You stay calm and objective. Your friends Lillian, Wyatt and Nathaniel can attest to that already. The rest of the warriors are not stupid. Each has taken their turn as lead, everyone has to be ready to at all times. For some it’s difficult to step into that role, but you do it effortlessly.”
“If you say so. I’m always afraid of making a mistake and getting someone hurt.”
“When you lead, that is always a possibility.”
He shrugs and | just look at him incredulously. He was supposed to say something fatherly like you would never do that to someone but no, he had to go and be honest with me. “What? Would you prefer | lie to you? You are a leader, born to be a leader.
It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. People will get hurt or suffer on your watch and you have to be able to both cope with and then handle it. You also have to learn that you cannot save everyone. Some people are destined to hurt themselves no matter what you do to help them.”
| just nod.
It makes sense logically, but in real life | have a feeling it will be easier said than done, which is why he’s telling me.
We make it inside and Alpha Reggie leads me to the dining hall which is situated on the main level we just walk in from the massive patio. The dining hall is super formal and everything is exactly as you would picture it from a fairytale.
With murals well maintained and taking up entire walls, fancy framework around everything and a hint of gold accents make each surface shiny and fancy looking. The hall is huge and could easily fit several hundred people, but down at the far end is a lone table set under a stained glass window for the five of us with Luna Anne, Xander and Sierra in animated conversation. Sierra notices me first.
“There you are, | thought maybe you left without saying goodbye. It’s been hours, what have you been doing?”
| look to Alpha Reggie for an explanation that would satisfy her curiosity, but wouldn’t be me outright lying to my friend.
“We were going over the details of her assignment, naturally there are several layers to what she has to do. Unfortunately working with and for the Royal family has its levels of complications.”
She just nods. Well played, It was a very detailed answer that actually wasn’t an answer. | was going to have to pay close attention to how Alpha Reggie interacted with people, he was really good at this.
We ate and joked and there was no more talk of what my job was. At about seven Sierra got a summons from her parents. She gave me a huge hug and told me she would see me on Tuesday and expected a study schedule.
Once she was gone, Xander turned to me. “Well, dad said he was going to give you all the news. You seem to still be breathing so it didn’t shock you too bad.”
He laughed at me.
“Being your cousin wasn’t the most shocking part of that whole story, really.”
| laughed back. “The magical powers and poison immunity, that will take some getting used to though. Do the Elders know? Or will they put me in the pool of potential mates to throw at Xander on a regular basis?”
“| actually would prefer it if they kept throwing you my way.
It prevents them from setting me up with some of the others.”
He shudders at the thought and | have to suppress a giggle.
“Why do they keep trying to set Xander up? Didn’t you say the Alpha King is only at his strongest with his Goddess given mate”
| look at each of them in tum, confused by the idea now that it came up. You would think that the Elders would want their Alpha King at his strongest in order to protect and lead the packs.
“Some are of the opinion that the way the Moon Goddess goes about making us find our mates is asking too much and that our mates should be more accessible.”
Luna Anne begins.
“Meaning they are lazy and don’t want to put in the effort.
Xander chimes in and | agree with him completely. Part of finding your mate is becoming a strong enough person on your own without them so you can be better with them.
“Also, some of them take that line of thinking a step further, believing that being from the same pack, specifically Royal pack members having mates from the Royal pack would be better.”
Alpha Reggie adds.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.