Chapter 174
It’s very rare that I appreciate the man my brother is, but at this moment, I’m so thankful that he is the man he is.
When I finally wipe my tears, he hands me a tissue and I blow my nose, still swiping at my
eyes.
“Did I ruin everything, Christian?” I ask him, looking at him and knowing that he’ll give me the truth, even if it hurts.
“No, Sebi, you didn’t ruin everything. What you did do is give Shane a big dose of reality. When someone faces reality in the harsh way that you made him face it, it changes them. Before, Shane was willing to drop everything to spend time with you. I’m guessing you expected that again this time and he isn’t doing that. Does that sound about right?”
I nod. “I came early so we could talk.”
“Did you
tell him you were coming early?” he asks.
I shake my head, looking at the tissue in my hand. “No.”
“Sebastiana, Shane is an Alpha. He’s working to take over this pack in a very short year and a half. He has a lot to do and a lot to learn before he goes to the Academy in a year. He can’t drop everything every time you show up, even if he wants to. He has responsibilities and you need to respect that. You need to realize that, unlike you, he has things he has to take care of now.”
“I just
…
I wanted him to know I made a mistake,” I say.
“And he’ll make time for you, Sebi. He’ll make time for the two of you to talk. But it’s going to be on his time, not yours. You need to understand that and respect it.”
I nod again. “What can I do? What should I do?”
“Well, that depends. Do you want him to have more time to be with you?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m here,” I say.
“Then, help out around the packhouse. Do things that make his job as the Alpha easier.
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Chapter 174
“Like what?” I ask, frowning.
“My dear sister, you are an intelligent, intuitive woman, even if you usually ignore your intuition. Look around. Figure it out. He’ll respect you more if you
do.”
I nod again, then throw my arms around my brother. “Thanks, Christian.”
“You’re welcome. You know I love you.”
“I do.” I say, then stand.
288 Vouchers
I take a deep breath and pull my shoulders back. “Time for me to see what it means to run a pack.”
When my brother smiles at me, I know I’m doing the right thing.
I turn and walk out of the office, having no idea what to do next.
Shane
I wanted nothing more than to drop everything and spend time with Tiana when she arrived. But after last weekend, I’m feeling a little gun shy. Not only that, but I really do have a pack to run. Christian is amazing, a natural born leader, but this pack is mine. If I don’t start acting like an Alpha, I could end up losing everything. So, fun and frolicking will have to wait. And this time, I’m going to be a bit more careful of my heart.
Jaden’s idea of having our candidates spar with Tiana is a really good idea, one that I will implement in the morning, if Christian has no objections.
Since today is Jaden’s day to assess his skills as a possible Gamma, he follows me around and I use the time to ask him what he thinks about certain things, what he would like to see changed and why, and a myriad of other questions that pop up during the morning.
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