Chapter 4
1113 Words
Evan stood in the alpha office, looking out the window. After Ty had shown him to the master bedroom, he’d brought his bags in from the car. He had showered and tried to lay down, but his mind wouldn’t shut off. Eventually, he’d wandered back into the office.
He sat behind the desk for a while, imagining what his father had looked like in that very chair. Had he liked being Alpha? What had he been like? Did the pack like him? Respect him? Fear him?
He wondered again, for what felt like the millionth time, what his birth parents had been like.
His eyes drifted to the forest below, staring absently into the trees until something caught his attention. Two figures walked into the woods. One was a young woman with a long blonde ponytail. A step behind her was a shirtless man with messy black hair.
Evan’s gaze fixed on the woman. She was tall, slender, graceful. Something about the way she moved tugged at something deep inside him.
The man reached for her hand, pulling her back into his arms. He kissed her.
Evan’s chest tightened with a sudden, burning rage. His wolf, Atlas, snarled and paced restlessly in his mind. He didn’t know why, but he hated the sight of that man touching her, kissing her.
The man finally released her, and she took a step back.
Evan blinked, realization sinking in. It was Kari, Alpha Ty’s older daughter.
She turned and walked into the woods alone, and Evan was gripped by a powerful urge to follow her. He wanted to chase after her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her until she forgot the other man even existed.
He shook his head hard, trying to push the thoughts away. He’d known Kari for years and had never once thought of her like this. Why the sudden possessiveness?
He watched the man turn and head back toward the pack house. Something about him looked familiar. Evan’s fists clenched.
A knock on the door snapped his attention back to the present.
“Come in.”
The door opened and in stepped a young woman with the same blonde hair and build as Kari.
“Hi, Evan,” Mia said, grinning as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Mia.” He smiled, coming around the desk to hug her. Mia had always been kind to him during his visits. Friendly, chatty, and easy to talk to. Very unlike her sister.
As he stepped back, she gave him a mock pout. “So I guess you’re not my mate, huh?”
He laughed. “Sorry to disappoint.”
She smirked and tossed her hair over one shoulder. “Eh, I’ll recover. Maybe. Eventually. I mean, I only planned our wedding twice in my head.”
He chuckled again, amused by how little she tried to hide it. His adoptive father used to tease him about how Mia had a massive crush on him. The last time he visited, she’d barely left his side.
“I heard you were resting in the master bedroom,” she said, flopping onto the couch.
“I tried,” he admitted, sitting beside her. “Too restless, I guess. I’m tired, but my brain won’t shut up.”
“Too many alpha thoughts already?” she teased, nudging his arm.
He smiled faintly. “Something like that.”
“Is it weird being here?”
He nodded. “Yeah. A little.”
She leaned back, her smile fading. “It’s been a weird year. Mom passed last spring, and Dad hasn’t really been the same since. I’m honestly relieved he’s stepping down. He needs the break.”
“I noticed he looked... worn,” Evan said softly. “Losing a mate is devastating. I’m honestly surprised he’s holding it together as well as he is.”
“I think it’s because they weren’t fated,” Mia said, surprising him.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Mom had a fated mate once,” she continued. “He died in an accident before they could even really build a life. Dad never found his. After you were taken, he told me he realized he’d have to become Alpha and that the pack would need a Luna. He was already in love with Mom, and they’d been dating for a while, so he asked her.”
“That must’ve been hard,” Evan said. “But I’m glad he had her.”
“They were happy,” Mia said. “I don’t think anyone in the pack would’ve guessed they weren’t fated.”
Evan nodded, though Atlas was still pacing in the back of his mind.
“How’s your family?” Mia asked, tilting her head.
“They’re good. Mom and Dad are well. Emma’s still in high school. Alex found his mate and moved to a different pack. He’s Beta there now.”
“Wait, isn’t he supposed to be the Beta at Red Moon?”
“Technically, yeah. But the Alpha of the pack he joined is a good friend of our family. Plus, there’s a pretty big age gap between Alex and Wyatt, the heir at Red Moon. Wyatt probably won’t take over for at least another four years.”
Mia nodded thoughtfully. “So... Alex gets to be a big fish in a smaller pond for a while.”
“Something like that.”
There was a brief pause before Evan asked the question that had been burning in his chest. “How’s Kari?”
Mia gave him a sly, knowing smile. “She hasn’t come to see you yet?”
He shook his head.
“Well, don’t hold your breath for a warm welcome. She’s not exactly thrilled that you’re here.”
That stung more than he expected. Kari had never been particularly warm toward him during past visits, but he’d never really considered why. She had barely taken up space in his thoughts, until now.
“Why not?”
Mia shrugged. “She wanted to be Alpha. She really thought Dad was going to name her heir. So, yeah, she’s a little salty.”
“I don’t want to take that from her,” he said quietly.
“She’ll get over it,” Mia replied breezily. “She’s tough, even if she acts like the world’s ending when she breaks a nail.”
Evan raised an eyebrow, and Mia smirked. “What? I'm allowed to talk about my sister like that. Anyway, Dad explained his decision to her several times, but she’s still bitter. Just... don’t take it personally.”
Evan nodded slowly, but deep down, he knew he already was.
- Writer
