“And what is his real name?” JC prodded, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“His name is Nathan Bishop,” I said. “The son of Jacob and Rosa Bishop. Grandson and nephew to the last two Toronto-Ottawa pack alphas.”
A shocked silence descended on the room. Nate sat, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. He was basically Canadian shifter royalty, and had been living his life as a wandering outcast for the better part of two decades.
The older, dark-skinned alpha rose from his seat and pointed at Nate. “You? You’re Jake’s boy? But…” He glanced around at the others like a man looking for shelter in a storm. “Jake’s boy died in the crash.”
“Wrong,” I said. “He wasassumeddead in the crash. A death certificate was registered for him along with his parents. Due to what was most likely negligence or incompetence with the government foster system, Nate was lost in the shuffle, and the connection was never made.”
JC walked over and clasped Nate’s shoulder. “This man is the grandson of the greatest alpha Toronto-Ottawa ever had. He is the nephew of one of the mostrespectedalphas this pack has ever known. Had his father not died, and he not been lost all these years, there is agoodpossibility that Nate would be your alpha right now.” JC shook his head in disgust. “We, as a species, have shunned this poor man his whole life, and he is one of the best of us. What does that say about our kind?” He scanned the room. “Anyone want to answer that?”
All around the table, the other men either bowed their heads in disgrace or stole curious glances at Nate. Reaching over, I took his hand again, and he clung to my fingers.
“Our laws were put into place because we wanted to stay safe, but all I see is that we’ve done ourselves a disservice,” JC continued. “They are now a detriment to us and our way of life. As the reigning alpha of Toronto-Ottawa, I move that the laws against lone wolves being accepted into packs be stricken from our books. Do I have a second?”
For a moment, no one moved, but one hand shot up after a second of hesitation.
“I second,” the man said.
“I third,” another said.
JC nodded once. “All in favor?”
Every hand in the room slowly rose until each man in attendance had voted. Nate shook his head in disbelief, his grip on my hand growing tighter with each passing second. JC threw a glance at Ollie, who looked like he’d just won the lottery. Alec gave the young alpha a single nod of approval, the mentor congratulating the student on a job well done. My smile was so wide, my cheeks hurt.
“Nate,” JC said, turning to level his gaze upon us. “Nathaniel Bishop, I, as alpha of the Toronto-Ottawa pack, hereby grant you the full rights and privileges of an official and binding member of this pack. Effective immediately.”
58
Nate
Istared at the men, still reeling from everything. My father had been the last alpha’s brother? I was related to the people who’d ruled the Toronto-Ottawa pack for nearly forty years prior to Alec taking over as the interim? It was almost impossible to believe.
The first emotion that flooded through me was not relief or happiness, but bitter rage. It roiled inside me like a storm, but I kept my expression carefully neutral. All the times I’d been looked down on, turned out, and pushed away came back to me. I wanted to scream, curse, or break something. All my life, most shifters had acted like they’d rather spit on me than talk to me, all because I was a lone wolf. I was a pack wolf, andalways had been. It gave me an even more bleak outlook on how outsiders were treated.
So many wasted years. My life would have been so different if only these fucking people weren’t so bigoted.
Cameron gave my hand a gentle squeeze, pulling me from my thoughts. As I looked into her eyes, the anger and hatecoursing through my blood faded. The emotions didn’t vanish completely, but something more important surged forward. What I experienced when I looked into her eyes was hope beyond measure. If I was really and truly a member of the pack, then we could be together. She wouldn’t have to leave her family and live a lonely life with me. She could continue the career she loved. We could both have a normal life, and that was something I desperately wanted for her.
A smile crept to my lips. Some things were more important than anger and bitterness.
“I think…” I hesitated, running my thumb over her hand. “I think I’m okay. It’s alot.”
“Maybe you two need a minute?” JC asked. “Head outside. Me and the guys here have some details to iron out. Stuff you don’t need to worry about.”
“Sure. Yeah,” I said vaguely, my head still spinning.
We stepped outside and took a seat in the chairs lining the hallway. Cameron put her hand on my thigh, her dark eyes penetrating deep into my soul.
“I thought you’d be happy.”
Snapping myself out of my daze, I leaned forward, taking both her hands in mine. “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head as though to clear it. “Iamhappy. Truly. You were amazing in there.”
“Awe-inspiring” was a more accurate term, but I didn’t want to lay it on too thick and make her think I wasn’t serious.
“Then why don’t you look happy?” she asked.
“It’s the past. When you and JC said all that”—I waved at the door—“it brought back a ton of old baggage. Knowing that I had always been a member of the pack, but having so many people treat me like shit ever since I was a kid… it hurts. That’s all. It almost would have been better if I’d been born to some outcastlone wolf family. It would make it easier to take somehow. That sounds dumb, I know,” I added with a little grimace of distaste.
