Page 4 of The Alpha’s Heir

“You need a shifter to marry a human?” Mom glanced at Dad. “Don’t we count?”

“No, witch.” Morrigan sighed. “That would be too easy. It has to be a sacrifice. We’ll make it an arranged marriage like the days of old. The best way to appease the gods is to entertain them or give them an offering. We do both at once in return for hopefully many more years of slumber.”

Did she say hopefully?

Do we have a better plan?

“And whose happiness do you suppose we sacrifice?” Kera had her fork in her hand now, tongs raised as if she were about to stab someone.

“Mine,” I said, before she did something stupid and tried to handle this like a wolf would.

Everyone stopped to look at me.

“It’s fine,” I told them. “I already accepted.”

“The heir to the great Cerberus Pack mating with a human dignitary. A grand wedding in honor of the gods.” Morrigan giggled like she was tickled with the idea of it all. “This will work beautifully.”

“Absolutely not,” Mom growled.

Dad pushed back from the table. “Over my dead body.”

My sisters started yelling.

“I’ll handle this.” Alpha Kera’s eyes glowed red.

“Are they always so intense?” Morrigan was still laughing as I excused myself and let my family learn their lesson the hard way.

We did try to warn them.

2

Meg

Morning rays of sun danced on the crystal-clear water that rushed over the river stones, glossing them like jewels underneath my bare feet. The line grew taut as I reeled in. A rainbow trout broke the surface, its smooth underbelly slicing through the water and silver scales reflecting the rising sun.

I unhooked it and added the fish to my stringer with the others, knowing I should be heading back to the house instead.

Just one more. Even my wolf agreed as she paced within my mind.

I re-baited the hook.

Honestly, I didn’t need to be doing this. My dad could fish for the family. He was the one who’d taught me how to fish and had stumbled onto this honey-hole I’d officially claimed as mine when I was just a pup.

But I was restless. I hadn’t been able to sleep last night, and no books could hold my attention. I’d read the same paragraph ten times over before ending up at Kera’s office in the middle of the night, trying to anticipate what needs she’d have in the coming days. Then I’d made some plans for Three Sisters’ Cleaning that I knew Alec would throw away.

My business would go under while I was gone. It already struggled with three sisters down to two. And I thought of every other project I’d started that might go unfinished.

It’s only temporary, my wolf refused to think any other way. We’ll be back.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything I knew was about to change.

“There you are.” Mom’s soft voice stirred the birds above. She wasn’t quiet. I’d heard her a mile away, but I let her believe she’d snuck up on me.

“What are you doing out here?” I focused on the fishing line and the current that pulled it downstream.

“I could ask you the same.” Exhaustion laced Mom’s tone.

I smiled to myself, imagining what they’d been up to after I left the family dinner and how late that must’ve gone. “Did Dad survive his fight with the goddess?”