Page 81 of Ruthless Alpha Beast
“Look, I’m not going to ask what was said, but I’m sure none of it was respectful to mywife.”
Tara is speechless beside me. My shifters don’t dare utter a word.
“And that’s not even the full point. You shouldn’t be hateful to anyone. Doesn’t matter the race, where they’re from, you should always lead with acceptance and kindness. You should always try to get along first before going to war.”
They shift a little.
“Alpha, we didn’t—"
I’m not done.
“I know I haven’t led the best example, and for that I am to blame. I’ve led this pack to believe that shifters are superior to other races, and that outsiders have no place in our pack, but I was wrong.”
“But the witches,” one of them says. “Our valley is still under threat because of them. How could we ever accept people who try to destroy what we have?”
I shake my head.
“That one witch doesn’t represent them all. Neither does the human who wants to use our fur for clothing. There have been bad shifters throughout history, haven’t there? Do they represent us all?”
They’re silent, but I see from the look on their faces that they’re sort of getting the point.
“Look, I’ve been where you’re at, but what I’ve learned is that all that hatred is just fear in disguise. It’s a fear of the unknown and what it could bring. You can spend your time looking for evidence that a human or a witch is inherently evil in order to back up how you feel. But it’s wrong.”
I don’t know where all this has come from. I haven’t even had time to think through these thoughts properly, but the words flow out of me like a river.
I know exactly what to say, and I sincerely believe it.
It’s true, fear causes hate. And it’s only our own mindsets that we have to be afraid of.
Tara is a good person. She’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. The witches, honestly, aren't so bad either.
It’s that Willow who’s the problem.
Us too.
“We’re sorry, Alpha,” one of the guys says. They all have their heads down.
I’m sure that they’re sorry, but I’m not sure that they truly get the point. I’m still so unbelievably pissed that they even dared talk down to Tara.
“It’s not me that you should be apologizing to.”
Tara looks a little anxious, but she’s also being brave. She stares my packmates directly in the eyes, her expression cool and neutral.
I hate that she has to put that brave face on. I hate that she has to go through this experience with my pack mates, and more than anything, I hate the way I’ve treated her in the past.
I’d do anything to take that back now.
“Sorry, Tara,” one of them says.
She shrugs. “It’s okay, I just hope you get the point.”
Her arm is brushing against mine, and for the first time, it truly feels like we’re a team. Husband and wife, as though our marriage is real.
It feels nice.
“You know I want you guys to always be open with me. If you have any issues with what I’m saying, I want you to say it.”
One of my female packmates speaks first. “Look, it’s difficult, okay. Not all of us have gotten together with a human; it’s going to take some time.”
