I don’t think I want you to watch, Grey signed. I think I want to do it alone.
Why alone? Gen signed back.
Grey frowned and stumbled on the explanation. His signs were clumsy, and they weren’t word-for-word, but she seemed to get the gist. I remember the day my dad killed the alpha in our crew. I remember the horror on the humans’ faces. I’ll challenge Ben, but I don’t want you to look at me like that. Like the humans looked at my dad. At me. Like we were monsters.
The early-morning breeze lifted the ends of her short hair, and she snuggled closer to Grey’s side on the stairs to 1010. He loved her so much it scared him sometimes. She smelled like sleep and fruit shampoo and his Gen. Her signs were much more graceful than his, and thankfully she used the alphabet slowly so he could keep up. Tonight, I’m going to move my stuff into your cabin. It doesn’t matter if you are Alpha, or if you stay at the bottom of the crew. I’m going to move in with you either way. What you are doesn’t matter to me. Who you are does.
Sweet mate, settling the panther inside of him with just a few gestures. People said 1010 was magic, but it was Gen. She was the one who had come into his life and changed everything for the better. She was the best kind of magic. He kissed her temple and cupped her cheeks, and inside, his panther purred when she nuzzled his hand. Affectionate little gorilla. It was as if she’d been made just for him. As if they’d both had to go through struggles so they could appreciate each other fully. He was probably fucking this up, but he signed as best he could, You said I wasn’t a ghost. The other day, you said the words out loud, and I loved the sound of your voice as you said that.
She blushed and tucked her chin to her chest. I see you just fine.
Heaving a sigh, Grey looked over at the crew, who were gathering around Ben in the field of charred daisies. He’d become so comfortable at hiding over the years. So good at being quiet. So good at invisibility. He’d trained his panther to pretend he was something he wasn’t, but he’d gotten careless. He’d worked so hard not to be like Dad, and Ben was going to push him to fight. To really fight. To lose control. Now everyone will see me.
Gen signed slowly. You won’t kill Ben. I know you won’t. You’re scared of being like your dad, but you aren’t. You have more self-control than any man I’ve ever met. Last fight with Ben over alpha. Win or lose, I’ll be waiting to hug you up. Get it done, and we can come back to 1010 and get lost in our bed for a while. Fall back asleep. Move my stuff to your cabin. Last fight, and then we can get back to living.
Grey drew her hand to his lips, kissed them in silent thank you, then pulled her up with him. “No more being invisible. No more Ghost Cat.”
Gen looked so proud as she walked beside him. She’d been so strong in the war with the gorillas. So protective. Perfect. Three days ago, this place had been burned by dragon’s fire in a battle that had showed him just how dedicated she was to him and this crew. She hadn’t run. She’d been in the thick of it, right in the fray, fighting to the death. And truly, if Vyr and Torren hadn’t showed up, it could’ve been to the death.
Brave mate. So fucking brave.
Inside, his panther was snarling, and restless with bloodlust. He was ready to bleed Ben. He’d been kept in check too much as time and time again Grey had left the fight early, just when he was hitting his stride. Why? Because he hadn’t wanted to be alpha. He wouldn’t be any good at it.
He pulled off his shirt and let it slip to the ground as he faced off with Ben. He expected the same fight as every other morning Ben had pushed him for a challenge. But today, Ben left his shirt on, and his eyes stayed blue. Ben’s panther didn’t burst out of him and bleed Grey like he thought would happen. No, instead, the alpha stepped forward and shocked Grey to his bones as he hugged him tightly and clapped him on the back. “You’re ready now. I can feel it, and I know what you’re capable of. I have for a while.”
Ben dropped suddenly to his knees in the ashes and exposed his neck. “I’m tired. Tired of fighting to hold a crew that isn’t really mine to hold. Tired of all the big decisions resting on my shoulders. Tired of staying up nights wondering if I’m good enough to keep you all safe. That’s your burden now.”
“I don’t understand,” Grey murmured as Gen slipped her arm around his and held it tightly.
“If you didn’t want anything to do with being alpha, you would’ve left, Grey. You would’ve taken Gen and gone. But you’re still here.”
“And still a motherfuckin’ monster,” Barret said unhelpfully.
“I want donuts,” Anson complained. “Seriously, can your first alpha decision be to hurry this up so we can get breakfast?”
“I’m going to be super shitty at this,” Grey admitted.
“Grey, you’ve been doing alpha stuff quietly for years,” Ben said. “I know you’ve been watching our backs with the Cold Mountain Pride. I know you’ve protected us from other battles too, and never for attention like those assholes would do.” Ben gestured to Anson and Barret.
“I resemble that,” Barret muttered, chewing on his thumbnail.
“Donuts,” Anson reminded him.
God, this was a crew of idiots and C-Teamers, and Grey was really going to be the king of them.
Jenny made her way to Ben and knelt beside him with little Raif tucked against her. “You won’t suck at this, Grey. You were built for this. You’ll keep the crew steady. They’ll listen to your orders and not question everything.”
Jaxon raised his hand like a schoolboy. “I’ll question everything.” Annalise snorted and knelt in the ashes, then tugged Jax’s jeans and pointed to the ground beside her. With a put-upon sigh, Jax lowered himself too and exposed his neck. “Try not to get us all killed.”
One by one, the others dropped down until, beside him, Gen went to her knees last of all. She smiled up at him, looking so damn pretty with the dawn light touching her cheeks and her crystal blue eyes locked on him like he hung the moon.
He was going to do everything in his power to give her a safe home, and a safe crew.
With a sigh, he said, “First act as alpha… Genevieve Taylor, welcome to Red Havoc.”
Her face transformed into a radiant smile, and her eyes rimmed with tears. Not the terrifying kind, but the kind that made his heart hold onto her a little bit tighter.
She stood so fast and jumped up into his arms with such force, he had to take a couple steps back to keep his balance. She left smacking kisses all over his face and made soft noises in her throat she probably didn’t even know she was making, but were so fucking cute.
“Ew.” Anson crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. “Okay, what’s your second act as alpha?”
Grey set his mate on her feet and murmured, “Fine. Second act is breakfast.”
“I’m driving!” Jaxon and Barret both yelled at the same time. “Jinx! Jinx again! Twins! Jinx, jinx, jinx. Pinch, poke, you owe me a coke.” They’d said it all in unison and were now speed-walk-racing toward their trucks. And then they were jogging. Barret tripped Jaxon, and the grizzly shifter pitched forward and caught Barret’s ankle on the way down. Barret fell on his face, and now they were wrestling in the ashes. The rest of the crew stepped around them, talking quietly amongst themselves like there weren’t two grown-ass men rolling around and punching at each other’s dicks.
God, his crew was weird. Grey gave a private smile. He secretly loved them.
Are you happy? Gen signed beside him.
Grey pulled her close against his ribs and kissed her soundly. Was he happy? Being alpha was going to be a huge pain in the ass, but he didn’t have to hide what his panther was capable of anymore. He wouldn’t have to dwell in the shadows. Everything had changed for the crew in a matter of weeks. Lynn was with the Gray Backs, trying to get better, Red Havoc Woods had been burnt to a crisp by a dragon, they’d survived a war, and now he was alpha. And for some reason, Ben looked relieved. He was smiling down at Jenny and Raif easier than Grey had seen him do in a long time.
On top of all that, Grey found his person. That was the best part—Gen. She was everything he ever could’ve imagined in his other half. She pushed him to be better, and stronger. To reach his potential. And he was the luckiest SOB on the planet to get to watch her grow stronger in the crew. He was so proud that she was his. There was no doubt in his mind that on the hard days of being alpha, she would be there, lending support and keeping him upright.
She didn’t even know how incredible she was.
With her eyes glued to his lips, he admitted something he used to think would never be true for a man like him. “Yeah, Gen, I’m really happy.”