The Alpha's Eden

The sins of our fathers

Jace PoV

Hayden, Eden and I made our way into the crowd that each and everyone of the Silverhaven pack was gathered in front of the stage.

We'd barely made it back in time but I'd managed to get the chance to talk to my pack, my family and I was grateful that they'd been so understanding of my tardiness.

My speech was nothing in comparison to the incredible one that Eden gave, goddess, I was just as blown away by it as the members of the pack were.

They'd roared, whistled and cheered her name after she'd spoken to them.

Eden's words were so heartfelt that I'd spotted some of the pack wiping away tears, they were that moved by the eloquent, caring and honest, completely raw way she'd talked to them.

This was the first time Eden had officially spoken to the entire pack as Luna and she'd done it alone, without me by her side.

I didn't give a shit how things worked in other packs but as far as I was concerned Eden, my Luna was equal to me as alpha. I hoped she would want to take part in ceremonies, rituals and anything that involved the pack needing the attention of its leaders. When plans of any sort from training of warriors, building work right up to battle planning were made, I wanted Eden's advice and input.

Her opinions would be just as valued and important as my own and I wanted every member of the pack to know and respect that.

A lot of alphas saw their lunas as arm candy or expected them to stay at home and have babies.
Of course they loved them deeply but they saw themselves in a position above Luna on the hierarchy.

But I never, ever wanted Eden to feel or be seen like that. I'd break the jaws of any person that dared to even utter that out loud. In fact if they even thought that about her I'd hurt them, badly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there on time today" I apologised feeling like I'd let Eden down Eden though the threat my wolf and I had sensed was a real danger.

"Oh stop it. There is nothing to apologise for. Well apart from your office window perhaps. The front door didn't cross your mind?" Eden teased me glancing back at the packhouse which currently featured an opening where my office window has been.

A couple of the men were already busy fixing it but Eden was right, it was a rash move on my part but my wolf took me by complete surprise and took over.

"What actually happened anyway? We got stuck into the fight and didn't get a chance to ask" Blake looked back over his shoulder at the damage before he narrowed his eyes at me.

"It was quite weird to be honest. Right out of nowhere my wolf was just fighting for complete control. I didn't get a chance to even question it and by the time he allowed me back in we'd shifted and I knew that there was a threat. But I even knew it was rogues!" I tried to explain but it wasn't easy when I didn't fully get it myself.

"How the hell did you know it was rogues? Just a wild guess or what?" Blake asked curiosity.

"I don't know how I knew. But I was positive it was rogues. There was not a tiny doubt in my mind what we were headed towards. It's so messed up" not even an alpha wolf was that tuned in to their environment and could sense and identify threats from the distance I had today.

It slightly unnerved me because I hated not knowing the reason for something I was going through.

"Nothing surprises me anymore. The important thing is you guys eliminated the danger to the pack. Amara is going to do the spell that will trigger the protection of the journey in a few minutes. She wants me to go with her so she could keep an eye on me" Eden rolled her eyes at the witch's protective nature but I was grateful that someone as powerful as Amara had our backs.

Amara was much better as an ally than an enemy and I wouldn't want to cross her.

Every person we passed by looked at Eden with such love in their expressions. They had loved her from the moment she arrived here but today she had well and truly made her mark as their Luna.

The Silverhaven pack were damn lucky that our Luna was such a warrior!

I hadn't asked her to go on stage and say a few words to the pack to boost their spirits in the way I knew only Eden could. Of course I would have loved her to do it but this time it didn't feel right to ask her. Eden was so stressed out and exhausted due to being heavily pregnant as well as all the other shit that was on her plate right now.

What my Luna, my perfect mate, had done, hell that was such a ballsy move that left me feeling like I was about to burst with pride, this just reminded me just how fucking lucky me, Blake and the pack were to have her.

"You were amazing up on that stage my Luna" I told her, then planted a soft kiss on her forehead, I tried to avoid getting any remnants of dead rogue on her.

"I was crapping myself but I didn't want to disappoint you Jace. I knew you'd want the pack to understand exactly why we had made this decision and how much we cared about each and every one of them " she gazed up at me and looked deep in my eyes and I knew she was trying to search to ensure I was telling the truth.

I hoped she saw the overwhelming pride that shone from my eyes directed at her.

Always her. Forever her.

"You did a great job, baby and nobody would have guessed you were nervous. You were a true Luna up there! It was beyond sexy!" Blake chuckled and kissed the top of Eden's head as we began to walk around the crowd, shaking hands and saying brief but heartfelt goodbyes to everyone.

A part of me couldn't help but feel like a really shitty alpha having to send my own pack away to be protected by another alpha.

Not everyone knew the full situation so would they hear rumours and assume that I was weak?

That unable to fulfil my duties and honour the vow I took when I became the leader of the Silverhaven pack?

A tiny sliver of my subconscious echoed those thoughts as I struggled to truly accept the fact that this was the only option we had that meant the pack would come out of this utter bullshit with the Three Fathers unscathed.

Even if I died at least my pack would be alive and safe. That was the sentiment I had to hold onto like a lifeline and not let go off. I couldn't even let it slip slightly or I'd get too much in my own head and that would only weaken me.

I couldn't afford any weakness. Seeing my father after thinking he was dead all these years was going to be extremely difficult. The fact that he had betrayed us all and at least participated in my mother's death was a bitter pill to swallow, my brother felt the same way too.

My dad had chosen power and a crazed sense of grandeur over his own flesh and blood, his kind, sweet and loving mate and his own pack. He had turned his back on people that looked up to him and respected him like he was the perfect alpha.

Growing up all I ever wanted was to be even half the alpha he was.

Or at least the alpha I thought he was.

No matter how hard I mulled things over, there was no clear indication in my memories of when things changed. Perhaps he was so good at lying to everyone he knew that the transition was so smooth it was undetectable.

The teenage boy in me still mourned his fathers death and those feelings were constantly at war with the adult me, a man, a son, an alpha who was coming to terms with the fact that his father was a lying, heartless and evil tyrant.

All I knew is that I would never be like him. His blood might run through my veins but that did not mean I had to be a carbon copy of him. I'd be as far different from him as possible.

Especially as a father. My children would never have to deal with what he has put Hayden, Nat and I through.

Eden and Blake as well as their siblings could strongly attest to that too.

The sins of our fathers bound us as one but they would not define us.