My brother shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then why don’t you tell me?” I growled the words, and Trace gave me a look, telling me to calm down. I loved my brothers, I did, but the fact that Sage was so close, and I couldn’t do anything about it pissed me off to no end. It didn’t help that I felt as if I were missing something in the grand scheme of things. Something was going on within my pack and in the town. It felt like we were all waiting for something disastrous to happen.
“You can walk away. You don’t need to follow your base instincts,” Alden said.
“You want him to be unhappy?” Trace asked, shaking his head. “That’s not very kind.”
“I’m not saying he should be unhappy,” Alden growled. “I’m saying that mating a witch when our pack needs focus with the dark forces coming isn’t a good idea.”
My bear pushed at me, but I reined him in, knowing I needed to focus. “You’re going to need to stop telling me I shouldn’t mate with Sage. We’ve had witches and humans and fae and others in our pack. Sage wouldn’t be the first witch.”
“She would be the first witch as an alpha’s mate; therefore, an alpha in her own right.” Alden shook his head. “You know the elders won’t like that.”
I sighed. “Father doesn’t mind. And since he is our Alpha, I don’t give a shit what the old bastards think. They’re so stuck in the past with their heads up their asses, they don’t realize what’s changed over time.”
“Maybe some change isn’t good,” Alden said.
Trace cursed under his breath. “What change? The fact that our pack is strong and healthy?”
“How can it be healthy when the town wards are dying? The witches aren’t doing their jobs. They don’t have the same power they used to. Yet they’re still the ones ruling the town? How is that fair?”
I froze, trying to understand what Alden was saying. “The witches have given their lives to protect our den and this town. Without their power, we wouldn’t be as populated as we are. You know we’re one of the largest dens in North America.”
“There are larger ones,” Alden said.
“Out in the forests and terrain that is nearly inhospitable to humans. Nothing near towns or in large cities. Everyone needs to hide who they are. Ravenwood is special.”
“There are other places. Like that little town in Montana,” Alden stated, speaking of a town that was different than any other city in America, including Ravenwood.
I shook my head. “There are witches there, too, protecting its secrets.”
“There’s only one witch here now. And I don’t think she’s strong enough to protect the town.”
That worried me, also, but I didn’t say that. I didn’t voice my concerns about Rowen and prove Alden right. No, she wouldn’t be enough to protect the town from Faith and whatever other dark magic came, but perhaps we could do something together. And though it scared me because it would put her in danger, I knew that Sage would lend her power, at least that’s what we all hoped. She was training with the coven today, and that was good. She was learning to protect herself. And, honestly, that was all I cared about. Because even if she couldn’t be mine, I needed her to be safe. There was something seriously wrong with me, but I couldn’t focus beyond that.
“Come on, we have patrols to do,” Trace said, standing up. “You, too, Alden.”
“We never used to have this many patrols.”
I growled, moving towards my brother. It didn’t matter that he was my triplet. It didn’t matter that I could see my face in his. I was done listening.
“We have always protected this town. Like the witches have. We might not always have the power to protect our secrets, but we can protect the people. There is a darkness out there, one even our elders acknowledge has been coming for years. Well, it is finally here, at least in some respects, and we need to protect those who cannot save themselves. Yes, we’re going on patrol. We will do our best to protect who we can. And you are going to get over whatever the hell is blocking you and stand by our sides. You are third in the pack, Alden. So many people look up to you. You need to remember that.”
“As you said, I’m third,” he sneered. “I’m sure you and Trace can handle things.”
And that was usually the case with Alden. He didn’t like his place in the pack but wasn’t strong enough to take Trace or me. Not that I wanted a dominance fight between us. We were blood, connected at the soul level because we were triplets. Yet there was nothing I could do to make him see reason. Something needed to change and soon. I hated the idea of how that might look, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.
“Come on,” Trace said after a moment. “We’ve got this. I know you have a call with Dad soon.”
“Yes, I need to update him on the situation with Faith.”
Alden’s eyes tensed, but he didn’t say anything, and I didn’t ask. I honestly didn’t want to know.
They left without another word, leaving me wondering what to do about my brother. Maybe it was time for Ariel to step in and challenge him in a dominance fight. She would win, and Alden would live, but things would be forced to change. Alden’s bear wasn’t in tight control anymore. The man not understanding what needed to happen to protect the den. And that meant our shelter wasn’t as safe as it should be.
It was my job as alpha to protect my pack and my town, but now I wasn’t sure how to do it. Not with my bear pulling at me like it was. I needed to talk to Sage. For many reasons, her being my mate only one of them.
I sighed and made my way out to the front lawn, sensing three little interlopers that should be with their mother.
“Baby triplets, what are you doing?” I asked the little bears as they crawled towards me, little bear smiles on their adorable bear faces.
They couldn’t say anything in this form, but they rolled around and played with the leaves in the yard. I shook my head.
“Hi,” Sage said. I turned, having scented her, thinking I was losing my mind.
Sage was here. On my land, in my home. Walking towards me. Without me forcing her here or tying her up in the house so she could be mine forever. Not that I would do that, but my bear had weird ideas.
I cleared my throat. “Sage.”
The three devious little bears crawled right up to Sage, sat on their furry behinds, and waved their little paws at her.
Sage’s eyes widened, and her hand came to her mouth. “You’re shifters, then?” she said. Then flinched. “Not that I should ask that. That’s probably a little uncouth.”
I laughed and shook my head. “It’s not.”
“Don’t laugh at me. I don’t know anything.” She knelt in front of the three cubs and smiled. “Hello, I’m Sage. I’m new in town.”
The little bears approached her, the littlest one crawling into Sage’s lap. Sage fell and laughed as all three bears sniffed at her then gave me knowing looks—far too knowing for little bear cubs—and continued pushing and tugging at Sage, wanting her to play.
“Hey, now, cubs. Be careful. She isn’t a shifter. She doesn’t play as rough as you.”