Chapter Two

"It's cute," Jennifer said as she peered out the car window.

She was right. Green Hill was cute, in a typical small-town kind of way. It looked clean, and there were flowers in vases and pots everywhere. Kyle was driving down what had to be the main street, and it was lined with stores, from a coffee shop to a yarn store to a bakery. Kyle could tell his siblings wanted to explore, but they couldn't until they found out what was happening at the pride.

That wasn't something Kyle was willing to drag them to, so he'd drop them off before heading there. He'd already looked up the directions, so he knew where to go.

"It's small," Christopher complained over the phone speaker.

He was driving his car right behind Kyle's. Their grandfather was with him, while Jennifer had settled in the passenger seat of Kyle's car. They'd filled both cars with everything they wanted to keep, but leaving their home had still been an arrow to the heart.

It had been hard for Kyle, even though he'd never truly felt like he belonged with the pack. He could only imagine how it felt for his siblings and, even worse, his grandfather. He'd lived with the pack much longer than Kyle and his siblings had. He'd met, loved, and lost his mate there. He'd had children and grandchildren. It couldn't have been easy for him to leave it all behind, yet he'd done it.

For Kyle.

Thatwas why Kyle was ready to do everything in his power to keep his family happy and safe. If that meant taking over the pride so they'd be welcome there, he'd do his best.

He just hoped it wouldn't come down to that.

But he couldn't go in with hopes and hesitancy. He had to appear strong and like he knew what he wanted and how to get it. That meant going in strong and seeing how his father reacted to that. If he was as much of an asshole as Kyle expected, it wouldn't be easy, but Kyle wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting for his family. That made him stronger.

"Not that small," Jennifer said. "And look at how nice it is. I want to grab a coffee in that shop." She turned to Kyle. "Can we?"

"I'm sure you'll have a chance eventually. We should find a motel first, though. I don't want to keep driving around with everything we own in the back of the cars. Besides, you need rest."

"As if you don't," Christopher grumbled. "We've been driving for hours. I'm sure you want to rest as much as we do."

He was right, but Kyle couldn't afford to rest right now. Someone might notice them and warn the alpha they were in town, and even though there was no way they could know he was the alpha's son, he was still a strange shifter in someone else's territory. Kyle needed to be proactive and not wait until his father came to him.

His father hadn't seen him since he was a toddler. There had to be a good reason for that. If Kyle's father hadn't been an asshole, his mother would have brought him around more or maybe even moved in with the pride. Instead, she'd kept Kyle away, which to him was a sure sign that he wouldn't like what he'd find.

But he'd deal with that later. First, he needed to find a safe place for his family.

He was sure he could find a cute bed-and-breakfast on the Internet, but that wasn't what he was looking for. He needed something more anonymous, so instead, he chose a cheap motel just out of town. They could walk to Main Street without too much trouble, but hopefully the pride didn't consider the motel part of their territory. The pride would still be wary if they found a bunch of shifters they didn't know staying there, but they wouldn't be able to do much if the people weren't encroaching on the pride's territory.

Kyle parked and climbed out of the car. He stretched, grimacing at the way his spine cracked. He was young for a shifter, but sometimes he felt like his body was crumbling to pieces.

He looked at Christopher and their grandfather, who were climbing out of Christopher's car. Christopher was already complaining about the motel. Kyle and Grandpa looked at each other. Kyle nodded, sure his grandfather understood why they were there.

Kyle clapped his brother's shoulder and gently pushed him forward. "Stop complaining. We only need to stay here for a few days."

Christopher didn't look convinced. "Are we sure? It's not like you can take over the pride in just a few days."

Kyle looked around, but no one could have heard them because they were alone. "Don't say that out loud. You don't know who's around."

Christopher rolled his eyes, but he obeyed. Kyle could see how nervous Jennifer was, but she seemed to relax as they got rooms and took their bags out of the cars. It wouldn't make sense for them to unpack and settle in, but Kyle hoped they wouldn't have to be here for long, so they left most of their stuff in the cars.

He should probably go straight to the pride now, but he could see Jennifer wouldn't like that, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the car. "Come on. Let's explore a little bit."

"Are you sure?" their grandfather asked. "Someone's bound to notice a group of four new shifters."

"They'll probably think we're just passing through and thought the town was worth a visit."

Grandpa nodded, and they climbed back into Kyle's car. He really hoped he was right and that he wouldn't put a target on their backs just by going to the coffee shop. There was no way to find out until they did it, and Kyle felt they deserved it. His family had left everything behind for him. They could get a coffee.

Once they were back in town proper, Kyle found a parking space by the park. It was well maintained, and from a distance, he could see children playing, both humans and shifters. A little girl was running after a tiny tiger while two women watched them from a bench. More children were swinging on the monkey bars and the swings. It gave the impression of an idyllic town, and that wasn't what Kyle had expected. His father was an asshole, but maybe he had less influence on the town than Kyle had thought.

"I changed my mind," Jennifer said as she hooked her arm around Kyle's and pulled him forward. "I don't want to go to the coffee shop. I want to go to the bakery. Look at those cupcakes."

Kyle did. They were pink and blue and green, and while he wasn't one for sweet things, he couldn't deny they looked delicious. His sister was bouncing on her feet as she dragged him in, and he was happy to follow.

She deserved a small respite before things got serious. So did Kyle.

The woman behind the counter smiled at them when they reached it. "Good morning. What can I do for you?"

Kyle let Jennifer order for the four of them while he looked around. He noticed a big man with a tray that held more pastries coming in through a door behind the counter. The man didn't even glance his way, but Kyle couldn't look away. He wished the air in the bakery wasn't so heavy with sweet and spicy scents, because he wanted to know if the man was human or shifter.

But before Kyle could think about men and the future, he needed to think of his family's future. Once Jennifer and the rest of their family had settled down with their pastries and some of the coffee they'd gotten at the self-service corner, Kyle grabbed his coffee and left for the car. He knew they were safe for now, which meant he could take his next step.

Talking to his father.

It wasn't hard to find the pride house. It was just out of town and pretty isolated, but to Kyle's surprise, there were signs. He hadn't expected his father to make the place so obvious, but maybe things had changed. Kyle would find out soon enough.

He stopped the car in front of the gate and peered out. A big house was on the other side, surrounded by a yard and trees. The entire property was hidden in the woods, and Kyle could see it stretched behind the house, too. The place was well-maintained, and Kyle noticed a few people talking in the yard. They appeared peaceful, and he hated that he was about to shatter that.

He didn't know these people. As much as he disliked the thought of hurting the pride and its members, he had to focus on his family.

They were who he thought of as he leaned out of his car window and pressed the buzzer.

* * * *

Dennis noticed the small group of shifters who'd entered the bakery when he brought a tray of croissants to Shirley. Gordon was working in the kitchen, which was why he wasn't the one doing it.

For once, Dennis was glad. It hadn't been easy to smell that they were shifters, but Dennis was used to the scents of the things he baked. He'd recognized the smell of unknown shifters under them right away, so he knew what he was dealing with.

Wolves.

He kept an eye on them as they settled in a corner to sip coffee and eat the pastries they'd bought. There had been four of them, but one had left.

The most interesting one.

Not that the shifters who were still here weren't interesting. They were clearly a family, with one older man, a younger one, and a young woman. The man who'd left had been older than the last two but younger than the older man. Maybe a grandfather with his three grandchildren? Whoever they were, Dennis hoped they weren't here to start trouble. It wasn't like he could ask them why they were there outright, so he decided to stay in the front of the shop for a while.

Shirley noticed. Dennis spent as little time in this area of the shop as he could, so of course she did.

Once there was no one waiting to be served, she stepped closer to him and leaned in. "What's going on? Do I have to worry?"

Dennis shook his head. "I don't think so."

She eyed the group of three like Dennis was. "Are they criminals or something? Because they don't look like it."

"I don't know them, but they're shifters, and I've never seen them in town."

Shirley nodded. "I see. You don't look like you think they're dangerous, though."

"That's because I don't. They're probably a family passing through, but just in case, I'd like to keep an eye on them. I can go if you feel crowded, though."

"It's your bakery, so you can stay. Besides, if you feel the need to keep an eye on them, I'd feel better if you stayed."

"I really don't think they're here to start trouble." They looked like a normal family, nothing more.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean trouble can't find them."

Shirley wasn't wrong. Green Hill wasn't a big town, and the majority of shifters here were tigers who belonged to the pride. There weren't a lot of them, though. Many had left when Alpha Carter had been in charge. They'd settled somewhere else and had new lives, so they hadn't returned. There had been an influx of new pride members, most of them mates to tiger shifters, but not enough to replace them.

Not all shifters in town belonged to the pride, but Dennis knew everyone, at least by sight. Almost everyone in town had come into the bakery at one time or another, and he'd had a party for the opening. He'd never seen these people.

He wondered where the other guy had gone. He'd been about Dennis's age, maybe slightly younger, although it was hard to tell with shifters. Dennis had been thinking that he wished he had someone in his life, and he wouldn't say no to this guy. He was as tall as Dennis, so probably around six feet, but he was more slender. That didn't mean he wasn't well built under the t-shirt he'd been wearing. Dennis had been mesmerized by the slide of muscles in the man's arms when he moved.

The man's hair was a dark brown, and Dennis was sorry he hadn't been close enough to see the man's eyes. Maybe if he'd been close enough, he would have been able to talk to the guy and find out what he and his family were doing here.

He could still do that, even though the guy was gone. The others were eating pastries and softly talking to each other. The young woman kept looking around with wariness in her gaze, almost as if she expected to be kicked out or, even worse, hurt.

Dennis had no idea who these people were or why they were here, but from the way they behaved, he couldn't help but wonder if they were in trouble rather than being trouble.

"I'm going to step out for a moment to call home," he told Shirley.

She frowned and glanced at the three wolves, then nodded. "I'll keep an eye on them."

There wasn't much she could do since she was human, but at least she'd let Dennis know if something happened.

He stepped into the kitchen and, from there, into his office. He took his phone out as soon as he was alone, quickly dialing Liam's number. He could have called Gal, but he didn't want to bother the alpha if he was busy. Liam would tell him anything Dennis had to say, anyway.

"Dennis?" Liam answered. "Is it an emergency?"

There was urgency in his voice that made Dennis sit up. "I don't know, but I don't think so. I just wanted to warn you that there are three wolf shifters sitting in my bakery. I've never seen them around, so I'm pretty sure they're new to town."

"Shit. Three wolves, you said?"

"Yeah. They arrived with another guy, but he left. I don't know where he went or why they're here."

"Oh, I know where he went," Liam grumbled.

Dennis frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"I'll keep an eye on these people, all right?" Something told Dennis he should. There was nothing normal about Liam's reaction to the news that there was a group of wolf shifters he'd never seen in his bakery.

"Do it, but don't confront them."

"I don't think they'd hurt me even if I did."

"Tell me about them."

"They look like a family. There's an older man, maybe the father or grandfather. The other three are younger. The guy who left was around my age, but the other two have to be in their early twenties. They look young, even for shifters."

"I'll let Gal know, but since we don't know these people, don't try to stop them if they leave."

There wasn't much else Dennis could do. He wasn't a fighter, and he didn't like the idea of it. He was ready to defend the pride if he had to, and he wouldn't allow anyone to ruin his home, especially not now that it was finally the way it should have been since the beginning.

He should have known all of this was too good to be true, dammit.

Dennis hung up and left his office. He wanted to head home and find out what was going on, but he'd made a promise, and he would keep it. Dennis checked in on Gordon, who was decorating cupcakes, and he returned to the front of the bakery.

Shirley moved closer as soon as he joined her. "They're not doing anything, just talking and eating."

Dennis nodded. "That's good."

Dennis couldn't help but wonder. From the way Liam had spoken, it was clear that at least the guy who'd left was up to something. Dennis didn't know what that something was, and he wasn't sure how to find out, but if Liam knew, it couldn't be good.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but he should have known his perfect life wouldn't stay perfect for long. Trouble always found the Green Hill pride. First it had been Alpha Carter, then the elders had grumbled about Gal becoming the alpha. Anne had bullied half the pride and would still be doing it if Gal hadn't kicked her out. Dennis had hoped all of that was finally over, but it looked like new trouble had found them in the form of four wolf shifters.

He sighed and leaned against the counter. This was going to be a long morning.

* * * *

Maybe Kyle shouldn't have announced that he was here to see his father when someone answered the buzzer at the gate. He should have asked to talk to the alpha. It was too late to change what he'd said, so he looked up at the house in front of him.

He'd parked as close to the gate as possible so that he could quickly leave if he had to. No one had opened the door yet, and he was sure that was a bad sign. Whoever had answered knew he was there. Why was he stuck outside?

The door finally opened. Kyle stared at the man standing there for a moment. He was cute. He was shorter than Kyle's six foot one and slight, with long dark blond hair. The way he stared at Kyle made Kyle want to explain why he was there as fast as he could, but instead, he raised his chin and moved toward the man.

"You said you were here to talk to your father," the man said.

Kyle nodded. "I am."

"Who's your father?"

"My name is Kyle Carter."

The man's eyes widened, but that was all the reaction he had to Kyle's declaration. He stared at Kyle for a moment longer, and Kyle wondered what was going through his mind. Would he finally take Kyle to his father?

Instead of doing that, the man offered Kyle his hand to shake. Kyle hesitated for a moment before taking it, wondering what was happening.

"I'm Liam," the man said.

Kyle nodded. "Can I see my father now?"

Liam stepped aside. "I'll take you to the alpha."

"Thank you." Kyle hadn't thought it would be this easy. He was still on edge, but it looked like Liam would take him to his father, which was what he wanted.

He followed Liam into the house. The office wasn't far from the front door, which wasn't a surprise. It had been the same in Alpha Davis's house. No alpha wanted the people he met with to see more than they should.

"Can you wait here for a moment?" Liam asked as he knocked on the door.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Liam disappeared into the alpha's office. Kyle looked around, but there wasn't much to see. They were in an empty hallway, and while it was nicely decorated, Kyle wasn't interested in that.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. Liam returned and opened the door for him, gesturing at him to come in. Kyle did and immediately wondered if he'd made a mistake.

The man behind the desk wasn't his father. Kyle had never seen this guy, just like he'd never seen the guy standing next to him behind the desk. That one had to be a guard of some sort from the way he held himself.

But who was the man behind the desk?

The man got up. Kyle eyed him, still wondering what was happening. The man was taller than him by several inches, and Kyle was pretty sure he could take him on in a fight.

Kyle really hoped he wouldn't have to fight him.

"Liam told me you here to see Alpha Carter," the man said.

Kyle swallowed and nodded. "I am."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to. He's not the alpha of this pride anymore. My name is Gal, and I am the alpha."

Dammit.When Kyle had thought about his next steps, he'd been sure his father would still be the alpha. That was why he was here. He'd hoped his father would welcome him into the pride and that he'd be able to bring his family in, too. He'd been ready to fight, but he'd hoped he wouldn't have to.

But his father wasn't the alpha anymore. This guy was, even though Kyle was supposed to be. He didn't want to be, but he and his family were here to build a life, and they couldn't do that if they weren't safe.

Kyle raised his chin and looked Gal straight in the eyes. "You shouldn't be the alpha. As Alpha Carter's heir, that role goes to me."

Gal looked amused. "Is that why you're here? To take over the pride?"

"I'm its rightful heir."

Kyle expected Gal to freak out and kick him out. It was what anyone else would've done, including Alpha Davis. Instead, he stood there, staring at Kyle as if trying to read him.

Kyle couldn't be honest with him. He hadn't known his father, but he'd heard he was an asshole. He assumed the same went for Gal. Assholes were usually replaced by assholes who'd worked with them before. Gal had probably been Kyle's father's beta or something.

But Gal didn't smell like a tiger. Kyle glanced at the guy standing next to him. Maybe the smell came from him. There was no way Gal was a bear shifter.

Liam was a tiger. That much, Kyle was sure of, because he'd smelled him when they'd been close earlier. With the desk separating him from Gal and the other man, Kyle couldn't tell which one of them was a bear shifter. He was stunned. He hadn't thought his father would ever allow a bear shifter to live with the pride.

But one did.

"Why don't you sit down and tell me what's happening?" Gal said, gesturing at the chairs on the other side of his desk.

Kyle frowned. "Haven't you heard me? I told you I'm here to take your place as the alpha."

"Oh, I heard you. I wish to know why you want to do that."

"I don't think that talking is the way to do this."

"Maybe not, but I'm curious. You've already met Liam, my mate. This is Forest, my beta. Why don't you tell all of us what's going on? That way, we can help you."

Kyle had no clue what to make of this. It was good that Gal hadn't tried to kick him out or hit him yet, but would he eventually? Gal was acting like a reasonable man, but it could be nothing more than an act.

And Kyle was here all alone with these three men.

Clearly, he hadn't thought this through. He'd been so convinced that his father would still be in charge that he hadn't thought of what would happen if he wasn't. He'd thought that if his father didn't welcome him and his family, he could fight him for the pride and win.

It would be easy for Gal to have Kyle killed. No one but Kyle's family knew he was here, and it wouldn't be hard for the alpha to find them once he was done with Kyle. They were waiting for Kyle at the bakery, and Kyle was sure that Gal already had eyes on them.

Kyle was an idiot, but at this point, he was an idiot with nothing to lose.

He sat in front of the desk, trying to decide what he could tell Gal and what he shouldn't. He didn't know what had happened or why his father wasn't the alpha anymore, but he hoped it was because his father had been a bad alpha and was removed or something. But maybe Gal had fought him and won. Maybe Gal was an even worse alpha than Kyle's father had been. That didn't sound possible, but what did Kyle know?

"Why don't you tell me about your father?" Gal asked. "You expected to find him still in charge."

"I had no contact with him. He was my father, though. I can assure you that."

"I never said he wasn't."

"Since you accept that he was, you also have to accept that I'm his rightful heir and that I should be in your place. I don't know what happened, and honestly, I don't care."

Something told Kyle that might not be the right way to go, but it was too late to stop. He needed a safe place for his family, and he couldn't back down.

"I see a massive problem with that," Gal said as he leaned forward.

"You want proof that Alpha Carter was my father?"

"I don't need proof that he was."

"You look like him," Liam interjected. "I could tell who you are as soon as I opened the door, even though I had no idea that Alpha Carter had a son."

Kyle hated that. He didn't want to look like his father. He wished to be nothing like him.

Yet he was behaving like his father would.

* * * *

Liam still hadn't called back, and Dennis was anxious. He had no idea what was happening back at home, but he suspected the guy who'd left had gone straight there. Dennis could only imagine why he'd wanted to talk to Gal, but it couldn't be good.

He eyed the small group of three wolves still sitting at the table. They didn't appear dangerous, but he wouldn't put it past them to be. He had to be careful.

He grabbed one of the boxes from under the counter and started filling it with pastries. He didn't want to look like he was trying to get information, so he didn't put too many inside the box, but there would be plenty for four people to eat later.

"What are you doing?" Shirley asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"How can I not? You're going to give that to those people, aren't you? Why are they here? Why are you trying to buy them with cupcakes?"

Dennis snorted softly. "I'm not trying to buy them. I just want to see if I can get information from them."

Shirley probably didn't care what the wolves wanted or why they were here as long as she was safe, but she wasn't in charge. Dennis was, and after he'd filled the box, he closed it and headed to the wolves' table.

The three of them looked up almost as one. It was creepy, especially because they seemed spooked. Dennis hoped they didn't think he was going to attack them.

He lifted the box to show it to them, then put it on the table. "We have a few leftovers. I thought you could use them."

The youngest man glared at Dennis. "We don't need charity. We have plenty of money to pay."

The woman put a hand on his arm. "Christopher. Don't be rude." She looked up at Dennis. "Thank you, but this isn't necessary. Christopher's right. We have enough money to pay."

"I don't need your money. These are pastries I would end up throwing away if I didn't gift them. There are only so many I can take home every day."

"Then give it to people who need them," Christopher snapped.

"Not many people in town need cupcakes. I'll take them back if you don't want them, but you're welcome to take them. I noticed that your friend didn't get anything for himself before leaving."

Christopher's expression shut down, but the woman didn't hesitate to explain. "Kyle doesn't really like sweets, but thank you."

A knock on the window made Dennis turn. He frowned when he saw that Kyle had returned. The three wolves scrambled to their feet, clearly eager to get to him. Dennis hadn't had an opportunity to ask any questions. The only info he had were two names—Christopher and Kyle.

"Thank you," the woman said softly.

She followed the two men out of the bakery, and Dennis stood and watched. They reunited with the fourth member of their group, Kyle. He had a grim expression, and he shook his head at something the older man said before looking around.

His gaze caught Dennis's, and for a moment, they stared at each other. Dennis didn't know why, but he wanted to reach out and pull the man into his arms, reassure him that everything would be all right.

He snorted. As if. Everything didn't look like it would be all right.

The wolves walked down the sidewalk. Dennis stared at them until they were gone from sight, then he quickly returned behind the counter. He handed the box to Shirley, sure she'd do what needed to be done, and he slipped back into his office to call Liam. He needed answers, and he hoped his alpha mate would provide them. He didn't have to, but whatever was happening, it didn't feel right.

"Dennis," Liam said when he answered.

He sounded a bit more relaxed. Dennis hoped it was a good thing, but he doubted they'd be so lucky.

"The wolves left when the fourth member of their group returned," he told Liam. "I don't know where they went, but there aren't many places in town where they could stay. It should be fairly easy to find them."

"We'll look for them if we need to."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Liam hesitated. "I think you should come home. I was about to group-text the pride to ask everyone to return if they could. Gal's calling for a pride meeting."

Which meant this was serious, possibly more than Dennis had expected.

Fuck.He wouldn't allow anyone to ruin his newfound happiness. He had his life exactly the way he wanted it, and Kyle was trying to ruin it. Dennis didn't even care about why he was doing it. He just needed Kyle to stop.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I'll see you then," Liam said before hanging up.

Dennis took a few seconds to gather his thoughts, then grabbed his backpack. He warned both Gordon and Shirley that he had to return home and that he'd be back as soon as possible. They both waved him off as if they didn't need him. It was odd to realize that the bakery could go on without him, but it would. Shirley would take care of the customers while Gordon worked in the kitchen. There wasn't much more to do since it was almost lunchtime, anyway. Gordon would only have to prep the stuff for tomorrow morning and clean the kitchen.

Dennis didn't break any laws as he returned home, but he was tempted to speed. He felt more anxious the closer he got to pride territory, and it felt like he was about to explode by the time he parked in front of the house.

He wasn't the only one who'd returned. Many cars were parked by the house, and when he walked inside, he could hear voices coming from the living room. He slipped in, wincing at how packed the room was. With so many new members in their pride, the house felt crowded when everyone was there. Thankfully, many people had moved out, so it didn't happen often, but they should start thinking about an alternative spot to have their pride meetings.

Gal, Liam, and Forest were already there. They were talking, but Dennis knew that going up to them and asking what was going on would be useless. He was about to find out, anyway.

Gal cleared his throat, and the room quieted. Things would have been different if Alpha Carter had still been in charge. He hadn't ruled through authority like Gal. He'd ruled through fear, and he would have yelled at everyone to shut up. Hell, he wouldn't have had to yell. He would just have had to call for a pride meeting, and everyone would have kept their mouth shut so he wouldn't get pissed.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to return home this quickly," Gal said. "I wouldn't be calling for a pride meeting if this wasn't important."

"What happened?" Valentine asked. He was human and was bonded to Gal's personal assistant, Simon, who stood next to him, clutching his tablet to his chest.

"I'm sure some of you already know we got a visitor earlier. A man demanded to see me. He claimed he's Alpha Carter's son."

Dennis's eyes widened. It didn't take a genius to add two and two together.

Kyle was Alpha Carter's son?

"That's possible," Helga, one of the elders, said. "He never married, and he wasn't known for keeping it in his pants."

The crude words sounded wrong coming from Helga's lips, but she was right. Alpha Carter had been known to sleep around and not care about the consequences. Dennis wouldn't be surprised to find out he'd fathered a small army.

"I have no reason to believe that Kyle's lying," Gal said. "To be honest, I don't care if he is. What I care about is that he came here and demanded I hand over the pride to him. Now, I realize that some of you aren't happy about me taking over the pride. I'm a bear shifter, and I was sent here by the council. I thought everyone should have a say in whether or not you want Kyle to become your alpha."

"Fuck no," Dennis blurted out.

He glared around the room in case someone thought it would be the right moment to get rid of Gal. Thankfully, no one spoke up.

Dennis turned back to Gal. "No one wants that guy to become the alpha. We don't know him. He might be Alpha Carter's son, but that doesn't speak in his favor, considering the kind of leader Alpha Carter was. We're happy with you as our alpha, Gal. I'm not speaking for every pride member, but I'm sure most of the people here feel the way I do. We want you to stay."

Gal looked around the room. "If anyone has anything else to say about this, you know where my office is. I'm glad you don't expect me to stand down and allow Kyle to take over the pride. This is my home, and I don't want that to change."

Dennis didn't want anything to change. The pride had been his home since he was born, but he'd never been truly happy here. Now, he finally was, and he wouldn't allow anyone to ruin that.

He didn't care who Kyle was. If he thought he could take over the pride, he'd get a nasty surprise when he realized no one would allow that.