“Pru, you don’t understand how amazing you’re going to be as our alpha.” I wave my hand at the pack. “Everyone here just accepted you into the pack and as their leader.”
“I’m not ready,” she repeats quietly before turning to the crowd of people. “I’m not ready for this,” she repeats louder so they can hear her. She pushes her hair off her forehead with a shaky hand as she speaks. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to be your alpha. And you all need a leader who’s prepared for the job and has already been leading you for fourteen years. Elias…” She walks over to my dad and grabs his arm, urging him to stand. “Elias is your alpha and will continue to be until I’m ready. If I’m ever ready,” Pru adds.
Dad, now on his feet, faces the pack. “You may stand.”
The pack hesitates, looking between each other to figure out what they should do. Kody is the first to rise. The people around him follow suit, and soon, everyone is on their feet. I hear the hushed conversations as they talk amongst each other.
Kody walks over to us with Logan, another enforcer, close on his heels. “Grey, I don’t understand why you don’t want to be alpha. You’re the rightful leader of this pack.”
“Your father would have wanted you to take your place,” Logan adds.
“That’s just it.” Pru shakes her head at the men. “I’m not the Grey Thorne that you guys remember. I don’t remember being part of a pack or being raised by alphas. I just learned the truth to all this two days ago, and I need to figure out who I am before I can lead a pack.”
“I can respect that, but know the pack will struggle to accept Elias’ authority knowing that he isn’t our true alpha.” Logan's voice is stiff as he speaks. I remember him being the most reserved of the enforcers. He observes and usually stays quiet, to hear him speak up like this…
Pru is taken aback by this and jerks at his words. “Okay, fine.” Her face turns serious as she addresses the enforcer. “If that’s how you see it, then, as your possible future alpha, I command you follow Elias until further notice, and you treat him with the respect he deserves.”
Both Kody and Logan straighten their backs and nod their head in respect at my mate. My chest fills with pride as I watch her. She’ll be a natural when the day arises for her to take over the pack as alpha, and I’ll be right there at her side when she does.
“Yes, Grey,” Logan answers.
“It’s Pruitt now,” she corrects him before giving each of the enforcers one more look then turning to me. “Okay, I believe we have something else we need to do.”
“Esme was of some help then?” Dad asks.
“She suggested we try summoning my wolf under the full moon while I stand in a circle of moonstone.” Pru shrugs. “The idea is the moonstone will absorb the light from the moon, amplifying its power. Since wolf shifters are most powerful during full moons and other lunar events, she believes the moonstone will give my wolf the extra kick she needs to come through.”
“She also has to drink this foul looking concoction that’s supposed to weaken the barrier between Pru and her wolf,” I add. The expression on Pruitt’s face when Esme was mixing up the drink was priceless. The complete look of disgust was something I wish I could have taken a picture of.
“Oh, yeah, forgot about that part.” Pru wrinkles her nose.
“We’ll meet you guys back at the house. Have a good run,” I tell my parents. The pack members behind them have started shifting into their wolf forms. My wolf nudges me to join them, but I have to push him down. As much as I wish I could go run with my pack, there’s something more important I need to do.
“Soon, you’ll be out here running with us, Pru.” My mom reaches for Pru and gives her a tight hug. “Everything will be okay.”
Pru was quiet as we made our way to the lake. We decided we would do the ritual next to the water. Esme had mentioned the moonlight reflecting off the water could possibly help, and right now, we’ll take all the help we can get.
As we set the moonstones in a perfect circle and the same space apart, Pru is still quiet. “I know you’re scared,” I say, “but I’ll be here the whole time.”
She sighs from her crouched position as she digs in the bag for another stone. “The shift isn’t what I’m afraid of. Which is surprising since the idea of shifting into a freaking wolf should terrify me.” She dusts her hands off on her jeans as she stands. “I’m afraid this isn’t going to work, and if it doesn’t, then I don’t know what we’re going to do. You need—”
“No, don’t worry about me right now,” I say, cutting her off. “I already feel much lighter knowing you’re alive and breathing. Just knowing that has bought me some time. And Esme said there’s still a chance of your wolf coming through on her own.”
“Yes, but she said it’d have to be in a very emotionally charged moment,” Pru reminds me, “and I think it’s fair to say the most intense moments of my life have happened in the last couple of days, and I still didn’t shift.”
Esme had explained to us since Pruitt’s wolf is so sensitive to emotion and has come through during upsetting times, there’s still a chance she could shift during another intense moment. It would probably have to be during a severely emotional moment, but it could still happen.
“She said if the ritual doesn’t make you shift
