Page 96 of The Immortal’s Mark

“So…” Paige hits the brew button and then turns around to rest against the counter, studying me with curious eyes. “You’re the chosen one, huh?”

I nearly choke on my spit. “Chosen one?”

“Yeah. You know…the whole soulmate to an Original Immortal thing.” She waves her hand in the air. “Apparently, you’re a big deal.”

“I’m not a big deal.”

“You’re all anyone talks about. Well…” She pauses and lifts her gaze to the ceiling, thinking. “You and Adir. And the rebellion. That’s all anyone seems to talk about these days.”

I groan and let my head fall forward.

It’s too early to try to conceal what I really am to Des.

But if I don’t, Paige will keep adding to the circulating rumors.

I can’t have that.

Not while Adir is still out there, somewhere. And not when Des is determined not to honor the bond.

“I’m sorry,” Paige says before I can figure out what to say. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I lift my head. She looks apologetic.

“It’s alright.”

She offers a weak smile. “Dad says I’m too impulsive with my words.”

I think about Lucas, specifically, how he spoke against Alex and his coven at the alliance meeting. “Your dad seems…intense.”

She scoffs. “You have no idea. But he has to be. Being alpha means he has a lot of dominant personalities to keep under control.”

“I thought betas were naturally submissive to their alpha?” I say, basing my assumption on my knowledge of animals. Specifically, wolves. “If they aren’t, don’t they get kicked out?”

“No, we welcome strong members, but it’s a fine balance between questioning leadership and insubordination.”

I bet.

“So, your dad is intense to maintain his position as the most dominant were-beast in the pack?”

“Exactly.” She bobs her head. “He took over the position from my great-uncle back when he was in his early twenties. No one has physically or politically challenged him yet.”

“How did he take over?” I shudder at the thought that the abrasive man might have actually killed his uncle to become the pack leader.

“He was elected,” she says. “Alphas tend to come from the same bloodline. A member of my extended family has been the leader of the Northwestern pack since its creation over three hundred years ago.”

“Wow.” Packs, clans, witches, vampires… I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by all the new terms and information. “That’s…cool.”

Paige crosses her arms and tilts her head, assessing me. “So, it’s true. You really didn’t know about the supernatural world. You were raised as an ordinary human.”

“Yeah…it’s true.”

“Wow.” She shakes her head. “That’s crazy.”

“Not as crazy as all this.” I half-laugh. “There are times I still can’t believe this is all real. Immortals were one thing, but vampires and were-beasts?”

“And witches and warlocks.” She grins. “Don’t forget about them.”

“How could I?” I mumble.