Page 82 of The Night Wolf

Lyram’s gaze narrowed. “Yes, Supreme Alpha.” He chuckled. “You know my name, and since you’re my boss still, I’d prefer that to a title.”

“Only if you call me Gareth.”

“Okay, then, Gareth. Yes, I’d like to talk to you, if you don’t mind.” He rubbed Caleb’s head. “Would it be okay if I spoke with Gareth for a few minutes?”

Caleb got up and hopped off the sofa, then headed out the door.

“How’s he doing?”

“Still won’t shift back. I know he can, but he hasn’t.”

“Oh? How do you know he can?”

“I can sense when he’s out of his wolf form. His thoughts are clearer and more concise. I want to talk to him, but I need him to feel like he can come to me.”

“That makes sense.” Gareth took the chair. “What did you want to see me about?”

Lyram blew out a breath. “Are you sure I’m the man for the job? You’re the Alpha. I was happy being your Beta.”

“We talked about this. You’ve changed, and for the better. You’re stronger now, more in control. Mother has tasked me with a job, and in order for me to do it, I have to turn over Lydon to someone I trust. That’s you.”

“But you had training. I’ve had nothing. What if I screw up?”

“You won’t. You’ve done this job many times—the only difference now is that it’s going to be permanent.” Gareth leaned in. “Okay, what’s really bothering you?”

A grin split Lyram’s face. “You can still see right through me.” He got up and padded to the window, where he stood looking out. “My greatest fear is that I’m going to disappoint you. You’re leaving me in charge, and what happens if the pack collapses? What if later you decide this was a mistake and want the pack back? What if—”

“What if you do an amazing job and the pack thrives? What if you do it better than me?”

Lyram spun, his eyes wide. “What? I could never—”

“You’ve got your council if you want it. You have your brains. And you’ve got heart. What more do you need?” Gareth got up and joined Lyram at the window. “The pack will never collapse. You’re too stubborn to allow that to happen. And, if it ever happens that you need advice, you know you only need to call me. No matter where we go, our hearts will always belong here.”

A slow sigh rolled out of Lyram. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. There’ve been so many changes, what with us absorbing another pack. And we’re getting a ton of applications to join. Everyone wants to belong to the pack that the Supreme Alpha belongs to.”

“All this tells me is that you’re the right man for the job. You’re not jumping in or running away. You’re assessing, contemplating your alternatives, and once you have the facts at your fingertips, you’ll make a decision.” He nudged Lyram with a shoulder. “And never doubt it’ll be a good one.”

Though they’d never been overly affectionate, Lyram turned and pulled Gareth into a hug. “I’m going to miss you, Alpha. Lydon won’t be the same without you and Sean here.”

“No, it’ll be better. You’re going to make it into something that everyone in the pack will be proud to call home.” He kissed Lyram’s forehead. “And for the record, I’m going to miss you too. You were always by my side, and you never once wavered in your convictions. Let those carry you forward now.”

They stepped back.

“Now, I have a mate to get to the car so we can head out. Milwaukee is a long way from here, and I want to meet with the Great Lakes pack next week. Then it’ll be down to Chicago, where the Windy City Alpha has been dealing in some questionable things.”

“Mother picked the right man for the job, you know.”

“Like you, I certainly hope so.” Gareth tilted his head toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go down and party. Milwaukee will always be there one more day. Tonight, I want to celebrate with my family.”

And as they walked down the stairs, the sounds of celebration drifting up to meet them, Gareth had a flash of intuition. He saw Lyram working hard, building Lydon into something even greater than Gareth had ever imagined. There were still things that needed to be settled. Would Caleb open up to Lyram about how he felt? Would Deke be able to help Quinn find himself once more? Yes, there were stories still to be writ.

And Gareth couldn’t wait to hear all about them.