Page 28 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha
“What about Sheila?” Silas wants to know.
“Sheila is too busy, and I’d hate to put more on her plate. She is basically organizing and scheduling all the rides to school for the kids.”
I listen to Silas and Marcellus discussing pack business, trying to take in as much as I can. I only came here a couple of months ago, and it’s still a relatively new pack. It’s a project and a safe place, both Silas and Marcellus fought for and built up with the backing of some influential packs as their support. The original idea was to make this a place where disgraced werewolves could get a second chance, if they deserve one, but also for victims of abuse and sexual harassment to live safely and be able to heal.
And it’s a place for vampires who follow Silas and need a safe hideout.
The two of them built everything from scratch: the houses, the cottages, the fields, and did all the organizing. For a year or two, Sunset Hills was self-sustaining because there were only a couple of members, but now that we are getting bigger, Marcellus is considering investing in actual kitchen staff and building something like a pack house.
He doesn’t like to be called alpha, claiming he did nothing to earn that title, but everyone treats him like one, simply because he clearly is an alpha.
“You want to send a warrior with Micah?” Silas asks.
“Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”
“We are short on staff,” Silas says. “Two of my vampires are out to get supplies for the infirmary. It’s some rare, specific stuff we need to have just in case.”
“Oh, right, I almost forgot about that.” Marcellus frowns. “Let me think for a moment.”
“I could drive with Micah,” I offer, recoiling when the other two men look at me.
They exchange a look. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Marcellus says.
“I agree.” Silas nods at me while he puts a plate of freshly made crispy bacon in front of Marcellus and me. Then, he sits down with a cup of coffee.
Every time I see him, I’m so fascinated that I can’t help but stare.
“Do I have something on my face?” Silas asks.
“No, you have a very beautiful face,” Marcellus says promptly, before turning to me. “Just ask what you want to know, Benj.”
Now it would be awkwardnotto ask, so I swallow nervously and decide to get it over with. “It’s just… where I grew up, there were only fellow werewolves, and our education was limited, even considering our own species.”
“Oh, you want to know about vampires.” Silas perks up. “Ask, and I shall answer.”
“So, if vampires can turn someone, what happens when they bite a werewolf?”
I notice how Silas furrows his brow. “Nothing,” he says. “We can only turn humans. And if we turn them, it has to be a conscious decision, something both parties want. It’s very difficult to do. Only pure-blooded vampires can turn a human.”
“So, you aren’t dead?” I ask.
Marcellus coughs into his coffee, grinning slightly.
“No, I’mnotdead.”
“Does that mean you can procreate? Your sperm is alive?”
Marcellus chuckles while Silas glares at him, his eyebrow ticking again. “I can’t believe the things you don’t know,” he grumbles towards me. “From tomorrow on, I will summon you into my office for half an hour a day, and then you will learn about everything concerning our world. Not just vampires, but lycans and werewolves, witches and alike.”
“They can procreate,” Marcellus answers my previous question. “You must have noticed that Silas eats normally when he is with us. He feeds off blood only once a month. We haveblood supplies for that. But he is right.” He points with his fork at me. “Back to school for you, Benj. If you want to take an active role in this pack, you will need to know more.”
Anactiverole. “You… you are considering me working here?” I ask breathlessly.
“You are an alpha’s son. I hope you are going to work your ass off and take over a rank in the future.”
I stare at him, too shocked to form a sentence. For the first time in ages, I feel sudden hope filling me. I can actually achieve something here, I can help, I can have a goal. Silas and Marcellus exchange another glance, and Silas smiles. I don’t know what made him happy, but I am too preoccupied with my own thoughts to dig further.
eleven
