"An alpha that leads by fear will only receive fear. But an alpha that leads with love and respect will earn a pack that will follow them into any battle, no matter what."
"Are you trying to tell me something?"
"I'm trying to tell you you're an a...
BECK STEPPED DOWN the stairs to the loft. It was just after the bonfire, Derek had taken Beck home to shower and change. At the moment, everything was calm and she was safe.
Once she stepped off the last step, Braeden turned from her spot to look at the small blonde, a sad smile on her face. "We have company."
Heartbeat spiking, Beck looked to where Braeden was gesturing, only to find Derek standing with Tessa. Tessa looked like a mess. Her curly red hair was disheveled while a trail of blood wound down her face from her forehead.
"Tessa, what happened?" Beck gasped as she looked her friend up and down.
"We were attacked," Tessa choked out, struggling not to cry. This made the small blonde more concerned for her friend. Tessa never cried. "A group of assassins attacked me at Dahlia's house. I didn't know what else to do. Beck, she saw me. Dahlia saw me. She saw my claws and my fangs and my eyes. She knows." That's when the floodgates opened. "She knows I'm a werewolf."
Tessa released a sob as Beck pulled her into a hug. Tessa never cried.
"It's okay, Tess," Beck whispered as she tried to comfort her friend.
"I never wanted to tell her," Tessa whimpered. "I thought it was safer not to tell her. But I never wanted Dahlia to find out this way. What can I do?"
"Just give her a moment," Derek answered, making both girls look up at him. "Give her time to understand what she saw and calm down from what happened. Then, you talk to her. Explain everything to her."
"But what if she's scared of me?" Tessa asked, glancing from Derek to Beck. "She's my aunt. She's the only family I have left. What if she doesn't want me to live with her anymore? What then?"
"Then you can stay here with us," Derek offered. "But that's not gonna happen."
"How do you know?"
"Because she's your family," Derek answered, resting a hand on Tessa's shoulder comfortingly. "She probably cares about you just as much as you care about her. She just needs time, Tessa."
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THE GIRLS WERE sitting on the couch when Derek got a call from Scott saying he needed their help. Now they stood in one of Argent's warehouses. That was where Scott was hiding what was left of Satomi's pack.
There were so few of her pack left. Mostly older adults. The youngest was Brett and a younger girl. They all looked terrified. And Beck couldn't blame them.
Looking down, Beck eyed the pistol in Derek's hand. Since Derek lost everything, Braden had been teaching him how to use other weapons to protect himself. Including guns.
"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Beck asked, gesturing down to the handgun.
"It's not that hard," Derek muttered, looking down at the weapon. Beck gave an uncomfortable hum, still eyeing the gun. "Beck, it's gonna be okay. Braeden taught me how to use it."
