too powerful or money-hungry."
"Kinda smart, actually," she said.
Which was why I liked this kid. She could conceptualize things like that very easily. "But you asked me about betas, and that's not an easy talk. It involves a lot more than just running the pack. Gabby, your betas will be your life partners, just like mine are. These four guys will grow old beside me. If I ever retire, they'll have the option of moving into their own homes and starting their own families the same way Patrick Green did, but it's also not a requirement."
"You mean that you could all live together forever?" she asked.
I nodded. "And our mate with us. There's nothing saying we have to separate when I pass on the pack. And yes, I do plan to retire from this position instead of die. My father's situation was a little different. The betas he grew up with didn't all live to retire. Patrick replaced one. The other followed my mother when my parents divorced."
"Why?" she asked. "I mean, if he was Henry's beta, why did he follow her?"
I glanced at Elena and she nodded, all but giving me permission. "So, you know Ashley's my oldest sister, right?"
"Yeah?"
"We have two more siblings. Twins, born between us. Ethan and Alison. The thing is, while they're my siblings, we're all pretty sure one of Dad's betas is their biological father. Their birth certificates have Dad's name on them, and none of us care, but James didn't move to be closer to my mom. He moved to be closer to his kids."
"Oh." She nodded. "That's actually kinda cool."
"That's how most wolves work," I told her. "You, Gabby, are not most wolves. First, you're a convert, and there has never been a converted pack leader in history. Secondly, you just asked me about adding a tiger to your betas. Now, normally, I'd say that's a very good idea. Here's where the catch comes in - you are not like other alphas. You are supposed to see your betas as siblings or partners, not boyfriends."
"But - " she tried.
I just lifted a hand. "I'm not saying you're wrong. Don't think that I am. I'm saying it's different, and that means there are going to be a few complications. Things we'll have to figure out. For starters, it's pretty common for mixed beta groups to be romantic with each other."
"I used to date Ashley's other beta, back when I was with her," Lane said.
"So," I asked, leaning over my knees, "what happens when Olivia ends up with Roman?"
Gabby paused, her eyes immediately jumping over to her mother. "It's not like that," she said.
Elena just patted her knee. "And now you see how hard it was for me to talk to you about my boyfriends, huh? It's ok, Gabby. We both know that we're wolves now. We know you're going to be an alpha. I also know that this is something you really can talk to us about."
"But Olivia says she doesn't think of Roman like that," Gabby told us.
"She might in ten years," I countered. "What will you do, Gabby? Your place, as the alpha, is to share everything you have with them. Your home, your authority, and your happiness. If you caught Roman and Olivia in bed together, which one are you kicking out?"
"Neither!" she hissed.
Which was the right answer. "Ok, and how would you feel about it?"
She picked at her lower lip, clearly thinking hard. "I like that Roman likes me most. It makes me feel special, I guess? I love him, Ian. I really do. It's just that Olivia is like my sister, you know? And it's kinda weird to think about her like that, but it's not like they'd leave me. I just..." She pulled her knees up under her, proving she was not as comfortable about this as she was trying to pretend. "What if he liked her more?"
"Doesn't have to be a 'more,'" I assured her. "I mean, what if your mom liked Lane more than me? It's just different, and that's ok. We're wolves. That means we're happiest in a pack, not in couples like the rest of the world tells us."
"So it's ok if she dates him and I date him?"
I nodded. "It is if that's how you're running your beta group. This is the kind of thing that all of you are going to need to talk about, be open and honest about, and not try to hide. That's why it works with us. I