“Uh huh. A partial truth is almost as bad as a lie.” Good mood notwithstanding, if Luc wanted to be here, he needed to be here. “What’s going on?”
“Like I said, just sick of being here.”
“Okay, when she says you can go, you can go.” No point in interceding if Luc wanted to be a dumbass. Pivoting, he headed for the stairs.
“Dammit. Wait.”
Pausing at the nearly sub vocal words, he said, “I’m listening.”
“Sam’s planning to leave.” He grit the words out between his teeth. Brett might be his best friend, but Samantha was his sister. “Simone, too. Though, to be honest, I think this is more Simone than Sam.”
Pacing over to him slowly, Brett studied his expression. “Where are they planning on going?” Having suspicions and knowing the absolute truth were two different things.
“Three Rivers.” Finally, Luc met his gaze. “Sam wrote me after the pack first formed, wanted to know if I was going. I told her hell no. Then Simone called a few weeks later, wanted to know if I’d checked it out. This was probably about the time you were in Willow Bend.”
His trip hadn’t been advertised, but a few key people knew. Apparently someone let the Danes know. Brett would deal with that issue later. “Go on.”
Leaning an arm on the end of the bed, Luc shifted his weight. Earlier protests aside, his leg obviously bothered him. Brett didn’t order him back to bed. Yet.
“I told her the same thing I told Sam. Three Rivers was a fool’s errand. Even if the Alphas voted to keep it around, they are years away from becoming a stable pack. Years away from prosperity. Years away from security. Hudson River is a good thing, you’re a good leader, why rock the boat?”
“Why, indeed?”
“Look, I’m telling you about this…”
“No, you’re confessing it to me because I didn’t let you blow me off.” There was a subtle, but key difference. “I appreciate the support, however you were not here. You left right after I became Alpha, so you can’t say for certain anything about my leadership.”
“You know, fuck you and fuck Sam. She said the same thing. I don’t have to have been your wolf to know you were a good leader, or that you can be again. I’m watching you wake up, dude, and you need to wake up.” The advice might have meant more if…
Brett shut off the thought. “When are they planning on going?”
“Are you going to stop them?” All trace of his familiar tone vanished.
“I won’t force anyone to stay who does not want to be here.” Whether they had a righteous grievance or not was another matter. “That’s not how pack works. Not how it should ever work. We have laws and a rules for a reason. I didn’t make you stay, and I won’t make them.”
“I get that.” Though the struggle playing out over his features decried his statement. “These are my sisters, Brett. They’ve never lived outside of a pack that’s always had their back. They have…” He didn’t finish the thought.
“They have issues. They’re pissed at me. I don’t really care if they’re mad.”
“They’re not mad, dude, they’re confused. They think you’ve checked out. Hell, Sam asked me to come home and take over the whole shebang.” The confession slammed onto the floor between them.
“Did she?” Though he searched within himself for even an ounce of surprise, he found none. Instead, he discovered hurt. Had his best friend come home to usurp him?
“Who the fuck are you?” Luc stood, his grave expression turning darker. “I tell you someone in your pack asked me to come home so I could take the pack from you and you just say ‘did she’? What the hell kind of response is that?”
“The only one you’ll be getting today. I do not answer to you, Luc. I don’t answer to your sister. If she wants to leave for Three Rivers, I’ll drive her to the border myself.” He ground out every word between his teeth. “Let me be clear on something here, you have no rights to demand anything.”
“I have the right of Alpha challenge.”
Upstairs, all movement ceased. Brett could practically smell Gillian’s distress. “You want to challenge me, Luc? Man up and do it, or sit the fuck down and do as you’re told. I am not playing a game with you.”
“I don’t want to challenge you. I want my best friend back.”
“Then grow up. Life moved on while you were gone. Be here. Be a part of the solution, but don’t pretend to tell me how to lead.” The quiet fury in his blood surprised him. Luc even intimating a challenge drew more than ire, it drew lines in his territory. Hudson River was his to take care of, dammit. If he had to remind every single wolf, then that was exactly what he would do.