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At that, Silas bursts into laughter. I am confused at first, just watching him and how he almost doubles over laughing. Something about his reaction is so refreshing. “They didn’t think you’d agree, did they?” he finally asks, still amused.

“I believe they fooled themselves with it,” I say.

Silas looks at me thoughtfully. “You are interesting enough,” he muses. “But I’m not ready to even consider someone my beloved.”

“And I’m not ready to accept someone as my mate, at the moment,” I say. “But I don’t want to lose my second chance either.”

“Maybe you don’t have to,” Silas says thoughtfully.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you have your own little pack here, and I have my own little coven. We stumbled over each other. Why not make the best out of this coincidence? Your weird goddess probably sent you my way on purpose, anyway.”

“You want us to work together?” I ask, stunned.

“It’s the only logical consequence,” he says. “And frankly, it’s the best shot of survival for both of us. We have a child with us who we saved from my crazy brother. He thinks it’s dead, and it’s best if we make sure he keeps believing that.”

“I could ask Sheila or Micah if one of them would be up to adopting it,” I think out loud. “But I want to make sure they are up for it first. I’d hate to spring something on them they wouldn’t want to do.”

Right at that moment, I hear laughter from the little clearing in front of the cave, where the others are gathered. When I peek around the corner, I see that one of the vampires has fetched some water for everyone to drink. Micah and another vampire are tending to the baby, while Sheila chats with the rest of the group. She smiles and looks happier than I have ever seen her.

There is a tug in my chest, almost like something is nudging me and pulling me towards the group. I rest a hand on my chest. What is this?

We were born alpha,Amos says.It’s an instinct. You can’t just shake it off and run from it.

Silas has stayed quiet, just watching me while I battled with my own thoughts. When I turn around to look at him, I’m once more mesmerized by his beauty and his overall charm. I like that we share so much, despite being so different.

“So?” Silas asks.

I grab my wallet and take the little sheet of paper out of it. I had memorized it by heart, but glance at it to be sure.

“Time to make a call.”

ten

A New Life

5 years later

*MARCELLUS*

Irub my tired eyes before raising my head and staring at the moon above us. Sleep didn’t come easily to me tonight, as stupid memories of my past were haunting me. All those painful memories of what led me to Silas and us building this place here. A joint pack and coven, for vampires who want to break free from their beliefs and wolves who need a second chance or who were cast out for unfair reasons.

We have a lot of victims of abuse and assault here in Sunset Hills and have started working together with bigger packs. My call to Beta Floyd’s friend turned out to be life-changing. Floyd did mention that his friend was beta of one of the most influential packs in the world, but I was still young and a little naïve at that time, and wasn’t quite aware of what it truly meant. With the help of his alpha, I managed to build this safe haven, whilst able to keep my identity a secret.

We are branching out more and becoming bigger, though, so I’m not sure how much longer I can stay hidden from the outside world.

“What are you doing here?” Silas asks, quietly closing the door behind him while he steps out onto the terrace.

“Nothing,” I mutter, taking another sip from my beer.

“It is not nothing,” Silas says, approaching me and wrapping his arms around me. Despite his slender frame, he is surprisingly strong. Everything about him is so alluring, from his scent, the way his long fingers touch my chest, to how his silky hair is touching my shoulder now.

“I’ve been remembering things I left behind,” I admit.

“Your brother?”

I shrug.