Page 2 of The Alpha’s Heir

Though my wolf loved to fight against it.

If Kera heard me, she didn’t show it. But I could sense the aggression ramping up in her. That was my problem too. Being an alpha wolf kept us tense and on alert at all times.

Honestly, it could get exhausting.

“There’s plenty of food and drink for everyone,” Mom told Morrigan, being polite as always. It wasn’t in her nature to let anyone go hungry, even if the woman standing before her was about to sacrifice her daughter.

But I needed a drink before dropping that bombshell on the family.

“Thank you for your hospitality, witch.” Morrigan stabbed her knife right through a piece of steak and ripped off a chunk with her teeth.

“You’re welcome.” Mom arched an eyebrow as Alpha Kera began to growl. I could sense my Alpha getting ready to fight. To try and put the goddess in her place for acting like a beast at Mom’s table.

Might as well warn them all, my wolf sighed as she licked her metaphorical wounds from earlier.

“Don’t try to fight the goddess. She’s stronger than she looks,” I told my family. “Morrigan is strange in her ways, but from what I can tell, she’s trying to help.”

Alpha Jareth, Alpha Jaxon, and Mom didn’t share a telepathic pack link with the rest of us, but they seemed to get the message anyway when Alpha Kera stopped growling. Everyone settled in their seats. I pretended not to notice Alec take the steak knife and bring it to her lap under the napkin.

“As I was saying, Morrigan here has a message and a plan, apparently.” I grabbed the pitcher of beer and filled my cup.

Morrigan motioned for me to pour her some too. She looked us all over; her eyes lingered on the three of us triplet sisters for a moment too long.

“The two of you.” Morrigan turned her attention to my mom and Aunt Coral. “Is it true what they say about the human city? That if you hadn’t escaped, you would’ve been tortured for your magical abilities?”

“It’s getting better,” Aunt Coral hurried to say. “We’ve been working with the humans to open the borders and change a few things. To accept that magic exists and change policy surrounding those with Lycan DNA. Progress is slow, but it’s there.”

I adored my aunt. She was the diplomat of the family, always keeping the peace. We both shared a love of reading, and she was the one who’d gotten me into books at a young age, feeding me juicier stories the older I got.

I hated seeing Coral downplay her abilities.

My first instinct was to protect my aunt. “Kera and Coral and Mom have done more for human and wolf shifter relations than anyone else in our known history.”

“It isn’t enough.” Morrigan sipped her drink.

Dad started growling.

Mom shushed him before turning to the goddess. “What else do you think we should do?”

“It’s too late anyway.” Morrigan sighed just as a cloud passed over the moon.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, showing the glowing whites.

My family gasped. I took a long drink of my beer. Seeing this the second time around wasn’t as terrifying. It’s amazing what the brain can rationalize and accept in such a short time.

“The scales have tipped, and the gods shall walk among us again, restoring the balance of nature. Blood calls, demanding a sacrifice.” Morrigan’s voice rang with an eerie, haunting echo.

The cloud passed by the moon and the goddess blinked as her vision cleared again.

I didn’t think anyone in my family had breathed for the last few seconds.

“You speak in riddles.” Alec was the first to recover. “Say what you mean.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Morrigan smirked at my sister. “We have one chance to stop them from returning to the earth to remake the world as they see fit. Trust me, it’s in everyone’s best interest if that doesn’t happen again.”

“You say it like you’re not one of them,” Trish said. She and Jaxon sat so close together it seemed they were fused at the side. Hearing her speak up to the goddess this way, with no hint of fear in her voice, did something to me.

She’s feeling strong again.