“Are you not curious to meet your mate?” Jace asks them.
“I am not really feeling any urge to find her immediately,” Vincent admits. “I am a bit weird with what I want. But what happens will happen. That’s fine. I am sure I will find the right person.”
“I agree with Vince,” Calvin says. “I am not stressing over it now.”
“How does it feel?” Jace asks me. “To be alpha?”
“Powerful,” I admit. “I thought it would be scarier than it is to hold so much power.”
“That’s because it comes naturally to you,” Calvin says. “You were born for this.”
“Yeah, I have heard it’s similar for all alpha heirs. It will be the same for you, Jace,” Vincent says.
Jace’s smile freezes shortly, but then he nods. “I hope so.” He turns to look at my betas. “What about you? How does it feel to be betas officially, now?”
“Pretty amazing,” Vincent grins. “Can’t lie about that.”
“It’s a great honor,” Calvin adds.
“Hey!” Flora calls out while she and Janice approach us. She wraps her arms around me. “Finally, I found you.”
“It’s not like he doesn’t stick out, huh?” Vincent teases. “Easily the tallest guy here.”
Flora ignores him. “This event is fantastic,” she exclaims. “I didn’t think so many would come and join us to celebrate.”
“Elden is incredibly popular,” Calvin explains to us. “He has always been, ever since his birth.”
“It’s true, huh?” Vincent says while scanning the huge gathering of wolves and lycans, who are paying us our respect.
“It means I have a lot to prove,” I say.
“Don’t worry, we are here too,” Vincent reassures me. “Rome wasn’t built in one day either. We are going to rebuild this pack properly and turn it back to its former strength.”
“I disagree,” Calvin says. “Why strive for something in the past when we can turn it into something better?”
“Wow,” Vincent says breathlessly. “That was deep, Calv! I had no idea you could be so thoughtful!”
We all laugh.
“How are you two doing?” I ask Jace and Janice, in a joyful tone, as if I am talking about the weather. Vincent already suspects something, but Calvin has no clue, probably because it doesn’t interest him.
“Fine, thanks to Flora,” Janice says with a smile, winking slightly at us.
“Yeah, we are looking forward to university. Did you know that Janice and I coincidentally are going to study the same subject?”
“No way?” Flora mock-gasps.
“We are going to be fine,” Jace adds. “We are in it for the long run.”
“We are,” Janice agrees.
They both look like they have put together a plan that’s going to work for them. The goal is to focus on college, and then it’s hopefully Jace’s turn to claim his pack. Once alpha, he can take Janice as his mate without anyone opposing it. Until then, Flora and I will cover for them as much as possible.
“Say, what are you going to do with your father’s true mate?” Flora asks me. “I completely forgot about it, but you said you had plans after you won the challenge.”
“Oh,” I smile brightly. “Actually, I put things into motion already. Samuel forced my dad to reject the mate bond, settinghis fated mate, Alma, free. And he was also forced to break his bond to Emilia. I have talked to Tobias and Alma, and also to Aunt Elspeth.”
“And?” Jace asks curiously. “What’s the plan?”