“I nearly lost you. It’s going to take me some time to get over that. I’ve a need to have you all to myself for a bit.”

“But what about the pack?” I scooted away from him. “Do you think it’s okay to take time away when everything is so fragile here?”

“You were right. I don’t want to rule a pack from fear. If I stay on as Alpha, then that means leaving the Seven. They have to want me to stay. I’m not going to fight them anymore.” He grabbed my hand. “I’m old enough to know that you have to keep in mind what’s important. I forgot that in the rush to fulfill my job as Alpha and Council member. But things change. And to be honest, I’ve been doing the same thing for a long time. It took me a while to realize how tired of it all I was. This—” He waved a hand between us. “Is what life is about. Love. Family. I thought I had that in the pack.”

I felt horrible for him. He’d been betrayed not just by one pack member, but by everyone who’d allied with Saoirse and Vivian. They’d all come against him. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but your pack…” I sighed. “You sure you’re okay leaving? Even if it costs you the pack?”

“Meredith. I’m not about being Alpha to a pack that hates me. It’s not the life I want. I’d like a family and some fun, which I’ve been sorely lacking. I didn’t realize how much until our chats while you were watching that God-awful American television.”

“Hey now. You live with me, you live with my DVR.” I was quiet for a second. “What would you do with all your time if you weren’t the Alpha?”

“I’d still be with the Seven. So that’d take up a good bit of time. But we could do whatever you want. I’ve had a bit of time to accumulate investments. We could travel. I know you fancied going to school for psychology. Right?”

I was a little speechless for a second. When I thought I was going to be cursed forever, I’d thought about going to college and getting a job like a human. I wasn’t fitting into the pack anymore, and it seemed like a good idea to explore my options. But I hadn’t told Donovan about my plans. “How did you know that?”

“A little fairy told me.”

I laughed. “Cosette will love that you called her a fairy.”

“I’m positively shaking in my boots.” He winked. “If you still want to pursue your studies, that’s grand, but I’m pretty open to suggestions. We’ve plenty of time to figure all that out.”