He shook his head emphatically. “No way! I’m an enforcer, a fighter, and a bodyguard. That’s who I am. I make a good second, but I don’t want the responsibility or the Alpha’s title. That’s where Aiden has always excelled. He’s destined for this job. He’ll take the pack far. If …” He narrowed his eyes at me.
The pressure was enough to make me crack. I was getting it from all angles. Turn for Aiden, turn for the pack, or leave. Those were the only options.
“This is ridiculous.” I threw my hands up in frustration. “Isn’t there any way for them to just accept me as I am? Aiden will be a great leader now, but I need time to consider what’s being asked of me. This isn’t a simple decision. It’s a life-or-death choice. It’s, it’s …”
“It’s unfair, I get that.” Brady patted me on the shoulder. Beneath his hard exterior, there was a compassionate man. Every now and again I caught hints of it hiding within the deep chocolate pools of his eyes.
“This is the way the pack works,” he said. “We have strong traditions that have served us well for centuries. Just know that if you won’t take that title, there are plenty of pack females who will. Any female would jump at the chance to be the Alpha’s mate.”
I cringed at the thought of another woman touching my Aiden.
Brady softened his tone. “I know this is hard to hear, but Aiden must choose his mate before he can officially take the title. It’s already been too long. Connor …” his voice cracked and his mouth drooped. The pain of his father’s death was still too close for him to hide the suffering. “Father’s death was more than a month ago, and our members are growing restless to regain order. If he doesn’t take a mate by the next moon, one will be chosen for him. Or, if worse comes to worst, another wolf might step up to claim the title.”
I didn’t like the sound of that at all.
Brady regained composure. “We both know Aiden is destined for the job. But, if he abdicates his claim to the title, then it becomes a free-for-all. All eligible males would be pitted against each other to fight for the title. The pack would descend into anarchy. Aiden is not going to see the remainder of this pack destroyed by power plays.”
“So the only two ways this works is either I agree to the transition now, or I watch my love take another woman as mate?”
Brady nodded. “That’s the bottom line.”
“You’ve said it yourself: The transition is only a fifty-fifty shot. What if I choose to try it and die?” Beyond the fact that once I became wolf, I’d be expected to be a den mother as well, I feared the risk of death in the transition. I may have come from Las Vegas, but I was not a gambling girl. Especially with odds like those.
Brady shrugged. “I don’t mean to sound heartless. I really do like you, and I think you’d make a pretty cool wolf. But considering what’s at stake, even if you don’t make it, isn’t love worth the risk?”
Was it? I couldn’t quite answer that. Yes, I loved Aiden. Yes, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And yes, I wanted to see him become Alpha. But I didn’t want to die.
I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words to say.
“Let me put it to you this way.” Brady spoke before I found my voice. “If you don’t make the choice and Aiden walks away from the pack to be with you, a dominance war will be started. Those aren’t pretty.” He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned in close. “Do you know how wolves settle their differences? We fight to the death. Think about the pack, not just yourself. If you’re not going to make the transition, then dump Aiden altogether and walk away. Don’t give him a reason to follow you. There’s more than just your life at stake.”
“Brady,” Aiden shouted from the end of the hallway. Both of our heads whipped around in his direction. The scowling expression on Aiden’s face said it all. He was pissed. He held tight to a blue towel wrapped around his waist and stalked towards us. “I told you not to say anything.”
Brady held his hands up and took a half step backwards. “Look, bro, she came to talk to me. She needs to know. You’re running out of time, and the pack needs leadership.”
“What she needed was to make the decision on her own, with no pressure. You’ve ruined that now.”
“She is standing right here. Don’t talk about me like I’m not.”
Both men lowered their heads and looked at me sheepishly. Even though I was angry, I had to admit, to myself, that it was pretty cool to have such powerful men bowing like that. Maybe I could consider being an Alpha Female after all.
I grabbed Aiden by the arm. “Let’s go to bed, baby. We can deal with this in the morning.” I turned to Brady. “Thanks for the talk.”
“You got it.” Brady nodded and turned back to his room.
Aiden opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “I don’t want to talk now. Please, let’s just go to bed.”
He let me pull him down the hall toward our room.
Chapter 2
What was I thinking? I can’t do this. I tossed and turned. Brady’s advice had really hit me hard.