hundred responses, but she plucked out the one that felt most true as she ripped off a piece of cinnamon roll and sluiced it through icing before answering, pre-bite. “Sacrifice?”
He smiled at her response. “Consistency. Consistency is what makes an Alpha just, and it’s difficult to do in a pack where you’ve got blood relations mingled with pack relations. Our tendency toward loyalty leads us to favor our kin while our placement in the pack demands we show no favor. It’s a difficult task, even more so for females. It’s why there are typically no female Alphas. Your tendency is to nurture and to be motherly. Nowhere is that need so great than with your own offspring, your siblings, and your mate.”
She snorted. “Well. Clearly I don’t even know what it takes to be an Alpha, let alone try my hand at it.”
She’d stopped eating and was fiddling with her mug when Delano reached across the table and captured her hand. “The mere fact that you believe sacrifice is what makes a great Alpha proves that you’re wrong about yourself.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “These people, these wolves, have followed you for a reason, Eleanor. And what I just witnessed between you and Bose shows that you’re unwilling to put your petulant sister’s needs above the good of the pack.” He tugged on her hand, pulling it closer. “Don’t be fooled. You were this pack’s Alpha and you still hold a position of authority over them.” He smiled. “They—much like me—just aren’t sure what that position is yet.”
Eleanor pulled her hand free of his. “Well right now, it’s as an injured inconvenience.” She eyed the roll and coffee before shoving to her feet.
“Sit down,” he growled.
Half turned, her head swiveled around until her eyes collided with his. She saw his wolf flash in his eyes and understood it wasn’t a request. His words were an Alpha command, not a suggestion. Reclaiming her seat, she fidgeted, not liking authority being used on her, but was helpless to resist it. Unsure of what she’d done to garner his wrath, she asked tentatively, “Delano?” She mentally kicked herself for once again using just his name rather than his title, but forgot the slight when he shoved her plate toward her.
“Eat,” he commanded and stood to retrieve the coffee pot.
“I’m not hun…”
“I can scent your lie, Eleanor, just as I can scent your hunger, your pain, and your weariness. Eat and finish your coffee so I can get you back to your room. Your wolf needs nourishment and rest, and my wolf needs to see to yours. If you’re unwilling to take care of yourself, you should at least take care of your wolf.” He spoke as he busied himself behind her while she ate. “One thing I’ve noticed that you need to learn—aside from making time to care for yourself—is that you need to learn to become more inaccessible. It’ll create time for you to do what you need to for the good of the pack as well as making them see that they can’t bother you with every fucking itch they want scratched.”
She wanted to speak to this, but her mind was still reeling from the whole, ‘my wolf needs to see to yours’ admission. What did that even mean? Forcing her mind to catch up with the conversation, she offered, “Well, it’ll be more difficult than ever now. With me being injured, I’ll be at their beck and call.”
“The hell you will!” He snapped with too much vehemence.
The last bite of cinnamon roll stalled halfway to her lips. Why did everything he said regarding her sound so damn… possessive? She wished he’d stop doing that because it got her damn wolf all hot. Well, truth be told it wasn’t just her wolf that was affected by him.
Delano must have realized it too because he cleared his throat and plowed a hand through his dark hair. “Sorry,” he muttered, turning his back on her as
He smiled at her response. “Consistency. Consistency is what makes an Alpha just, and it’s difficult to do in a pack where you’ve got blood relations mingled with pack relations. Our tendency toward loyalty leads us to favor our kin while our placement in the pack demands we show no favor. It’s a difficult task, even more so for females. It’s why there are typically no female Alphas. Your tendency is to nurture and to be motherly. Nowhere is that need so great than with your own offspring, your siblings, and your mate.”
She snorted. “Well. Clearly I don’t even know what it takes to be an Alpha, let alone try my hand at it.”
She’d stopped eating and was fiddling with her mug when Delano reached across the table and captured her hand. “The mere fact that you believe sacrifice is what makes a great Alpha proves that you’re wrong about yourself.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “These people, these wolves, have followed you for a reason, Eleanor. And what I just witnessed between you and Bose shows that you’re unwilling to put your petulant sister’s needs above the good of the pack.” He tugged on her hand, pulling it closer. “Don’t be fooled. You were this pack’s Alpha and you still hold a position of authority over them.” He smiled. “They—much like me—just aren’t sure what that position is yet.”
Eleanor pulled her hand free of his. “Well right now, it’s as an injured inconvenience.” She eyed the roll and coffee before shoving to her feet.
“Sit down,” he growled.
Half turned, her head swiveled around until her eyes collided with his. She saw his wolf flash in his eyes and understood it wasn’t a request. His words were an Alpha command, not a suggestion. Reclaiming her seat, she fidgeted, not liking authority being used on her, but was helpless to resist it. Unsure of what she’d done to garner his wrath, she asked tentatively, “Delano?” She mentally kicked herself for once again using just his name rather than his title, but forgot the slight when he shoved her plate toward her.
“Eat,” he commanded and stood to retrieve the coffee pot.
“I’m not hun…”
“I can scent your lie, Eleanor, just as I can scent your hunger, your pain, and your weariness. Eat and finish your coffee so I can get you back to your room. Your wolf needs nourishment and rest, and my wolf needs to see to yours. If you’re unwilling to take care of yourself, you should at least take care of your wolf.” He spoke as he busied himself behind her while she ate. “One thing I’ve noticed that you need to learn—aside from making time to care for yourself—is that you need to learn to become more inaccessible. It’ll create time for you to do what you need to for the good of the pack as well as making them see that they can’t bother you with every fucking itch they want scratched.”
She wanted to speak to this, but her mind was still reeling from the whole, ‘my wolf needs to see to yours’ admission. What did that even mean? Forcing her mind to catch up with the conversation, she offered, “Well, it’ll be more difficult than ever now. With me being injured, I’ll be at their beck and call.”
“The hell you will!” He snapped with too much vehemence.
The last bite of cinnamon roll stalled halfway to her lips. Why did everything he said regarding her sound so damn… possessive? She wished he’d stop doing that because it got her damn wolf all hot. Well, truth be told it wasn’t just her wolf that was affected by him.
Delano must have realized it too because he cleared his throat and plowed a hand through his dark hair. “Sorry,” he muttered, turning his back on her as
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