Page 3 of The Alpha’s Heir

I nodded as pride made my chest swell.

That’s why I’d been rushing to family dinner tonight. I’d wanted to see it with my own eyes and I was glad it happened now, because I didn’t know where I’d be next week.

The thought of that threatened to pull me under. To choke me.

Everything I worked for…

“I’m one of them, but not all of us try to sculpt the world in our image.” Morrigan laughed. “As a goddess of fate and prophecy, let’s just say I’m in the select few that enjoy free will.”

“When you say all the gods…” Aunt Coral’s question trailed off as she glanced at me. “Like all of them?”

My cheeks flushed when I realized why my aunt was looking at me that way. Was it last year we’d read the spicy series on contemporary Greek gods and their romantic partners? It was a good one from what I could remember, but I read so much that books and plots tended to blend together sometimes.

Trish hadn’t read it. Not that I was aware of. So I didn’t know why the color drained from her face now.

“In the temple tent, Vincent had statues of so many different religions and gods.” Trish seemed to answer the question on my face.

“Well, of course.” Morrigan shrugged. “Earth is a diverse world. There are many different gods.”

“How many?” Dad asked.

“Too many to count. It’ll be chaos if they all wake at once.” Morrigan bit into another piece of steak.

Do gods even need to eat?

I needed to brush up on mythology—and not just the kind from my romance books—to understand what she was saying. But if it all went according to her plan, then it wouldn’t matter. We’d stop the gods before they came back. Everything would return to normal.

Except for me.

“Why are the gods asleep in the first place?” Jaxon asked. It was different to have his deep voice at our table. But he belonged here. I’d always known it.

“You all stopped praying to them,” Morrigan said, like this was our fault. “And they would’ve stayed that way if the ritual hadn’t woken them up. You’re lucky I was already half-awake and got here first.”

So lucky… My wolf rolled her eyes.

It’ll be okay.

I looked at my family again—really looked at them. The way Alec’s leg bounced under the table. Knowing she twisted that knife in her hand.

Trish and Jaxon. Newly mated and in love. The way Dad watched Mom like she hung the moon, even after all these years together. How Mom soothed him with just a look. Or a tender smile that she gave us all. Aunt Coral and her hulking mate Skoll. They’d never had children of their own, preferring to travel the world together and spoil their nieces and nephews rotten.

Then Alpha Jareth. His dark eyes that only lit up or seemed at peace when he was in Alpha Kera’s presence. Likewise, she leaned on him. Secret touches they thought no one else noticed.

Kera caught me looking at her and frowned.

I stared a second longer, knowing I should lower my eyes in submission, but unable to do that. She understood, even if her wolf hated it.

I loved my family. I’d die for them.

“What exactly is this plan?” Kera looked away first. I almost laughed at the irony of the situation.

Good Alphas always put the needs of the pack before their own.

Hadn’t Kera been the one to teach me that?

She’d hate this plan, but she’d know why I had to follow it through.

“We need a sacrifice.” Morrigan finished chewing her meat like she had all the time in the world and my life wasn’t hanging in the balance. “The gods can’t resist a good drama or tragedy. And we’ll give it to them. A marriage. One to show that the humans and shifters are working together as nature intended.”