"I'm sorry for not saying anything." Jake blew out a breath and fell back into a soft leather chair. He laid his head back and stared at the tin ceiling. "I just … I haven't been sure what to do. I'm sure as shit not going to fight you. So I'm sitting here thinking, 'what the hell am I supposed to do now?' I guess I could try to suppress it."
"It'll never work."
"Maybe I could see a witch. Get it removed?" He laughed.
"Yeah, because you love witches. That's worked out real well for ya in the past."
"With Ilsbeth out of commission, I'd never find anyone powerful enough to run that spell. Can you imagine me asking to have her revoke my Alpha card?"
"Are you serious? You can't trust her as far as you can throw her. Don't even think about it."
"As if. I'm telling you there are days, I wonder if I made the right call there. Could've just left her in the woods to die."
"But you didn't."
"I don't know. When I think of all the shit she's done … fuck. What she did to Dimitri, she deserved to die."
"Perhaps. But you executed mercy. That's a call sometimes an Alpha needs to make."
"I don't know. That day. It wasn't like she was even herself. She was like another person. She was dying. Vulnerable. Didn't scent a lick of magick on her."
"She's in witch rehab. Maybe for centuries for all I know. They say her magick may be gone forever."
"For a million fucking reasons, witchcraft is out. So yeah … other options?" Jake closed his eyes and opened them with a long sigh. "Guess I could run alone. Live in the bayou. Just do things with the pack when I'm human."
"Yeah, you could try it. Doubt it'll work, but you never know."
"I could go lone wolf. Maybe find a plot of land in the middle of nowhere. Maybe Hunter will give me some acres in Wyoming. I could live like a hermit."
"Or … " Logan began, "you could go back to San Diego."
"I just came from there. No. No way. I already assigned an Alpha. If it doesn't work, they'll fight it out."
"What if you didn't have a choice?"
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Jake's eyes went to his Alpha's.
"I haven't heard from Alex in over a week."
"But he's required to check in with you." Concern coursed through Jake. He'd personally selected him to take over Anzober Wolves. Although Jake had initially fought, he'd overseen the internal challenges. Alexander had been strong, appeared to make good choices and to lead the pack with ease. More importantly, he held no ties to the former Alpha who'd tried to kill Dimitri's mate.
"Yeah, I know. I've texted. Called. Nothing."
"What about Silas?"
"He's texted but refuses to say what's going on with Alex. Said he'd gone hunting. He hadn't been officially made beta anyway. I'm not buying it."
"Fuck."
"You know what this means?" Logan took a deep breath, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why can't Hunter send someone? Wyoming is a helluva lot closer than we are."
"But they're your wolves," Logan countered.
"Oh no, no, no. Hey man. Just back up the train. Those wolves belong to Alex, not me." Jake pushed to his feet, rolled his eyes at his Alpha and brushed past him. He stared into the mirror, checking his mask.
"You fought to be Alpha, and you know it. You were running that pack."
"Yeah, but I handed things over to Alex. And that's because I'm an Acadian wolf. Don't get me wrong. They were nice people. And hey, you know I love San Diego. I could hit the beach every day, no problem."
"Tristan was also an Acadian wolf. Now he's a Lyceum wolf. You cannot deny your destiny."
Jake sighed, aware that arguing with Logan wasn't going to get him very far. It had been his responsibility to ensure stability within the pack. And although he'd taken care to choose the best Alpha, he'd always known there was a possibility he'd have to return. What Logan was suggesting wasn't merely a visit. He was giving Jake an opportunity to test the waters, to begin a future leading his own pack.
"I'll go back out and fix shit, but I'm not saying yes to a permanent relocation," Jake hedged. "I'll go and see what feels right. But this is my home."
"We don't want this to turn into a mess like it did before. Just go out there and find out what the hell is happening. And for the record, I'm not saying that this is your pack to lead. If it is, though, you'll know."