Good Intentions

Galen stood up straight and faced Fiona.

“You don’t want to be Alpha of Summer,” he said.

Fiona furrowed her brows and looked back at him.

“This isn’t about what I want,” she said.

Galen nodded.

“It’s about making sure that Caleb can still be Alpha if he returns,” Galen replied softly.

Fiona stared back at him, tilting her head slightly.

“When,” she said. “When he returns, he will still have his rightful place in this pack.”

In the three years since Caleb disappeared, Galen and Fiona had kept their hope of his return alive. And though they had talked a few times about that hope, they both tried to keep their minds set on reality.

Hope was a wonderful but dangerous thing.

Because they were both very well aware of that fact, neither had ever been willing to state that Caleb would absolutely return. They tried their best to keep the pack running in a way that was ready for his return, but it was always a hope, a wish, and never a guarantee.