Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 78

**When Broken Stars Drift Across Empty Midnight Skies by Troy Mason Venn**
**Chapter 78: Rightful Alpha**

**Noah’s p.o.v.**

“Why don’t we take you to the Alpha Quarters? That’s where you’ll be staying,” Aunt Mable suggested, her voice warm and inviting as we ascended the staircase. “Josh can fill you in on why his side of the family never claimed the Alpha title along the way.”

As we followed her upward, I glanced back to see Bryson carefully guiding Mara and Dad up the adjacent staircase. When we reached the landing, Alayah turned to peer over the banister, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. “This is absolutely amazing! I love how far I can see from up here!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Uncle Josh patiently waited for Alayah to join him before he began walking again, but I noticed a shadow cross his features, a hint of sadness creeping into his expression. “You see, my father was never destined to be an Alpha. He lacked the ambition for it, but fate had other plans when tragedy struck. His brother was a born Alpha, a natural leader like our father before him. I don’t remember much about him, but I know he was a damn good Alpha. When my uncle found his mate and they had two pups, my dad felt a wave of relief wash over him; it meant he wouldn’t have to take on the mantle.”

I could sense the weight of Uncle Josh’s words, the sorrow woven into the fabric of his memories. “In truth, I think Dad was even more relieved that neither of those pups was a female,” he continued, his voice steady but tinged with nostalgia. “For many years, our Pack enjoyed a prosperous life, but lurking in the shadows were other Packs who resented the bloodline that flowed through ours. Some Alphas tried to persuade my uncle to take their daughters as mates for their heirs, but he wouldn’t entertain the idea, and for very good reasons.”

I found myself lost in thought, recalling the stories I had heard about the dangers of chosen mates. “Over the centuries, entire Packs have vanished because Alphas chose mates without waiting for their Lycan or Wolf to forge a true connection with a female,” he added, his tone grave.

The memory of the day Dad approached me, his face a mask of concern, flooded back. “He told me our future Alpha had found his mate, but something felt off. I was too young to grasp it at the time, yet looking back, it’s clear how troubled he was. He instructed me to go with my nanny and heed her guidance. I remember being in the kitchen when chaos erupted, and I was whisked away to one of the Pack-house’s saferooms. It took years for Dad to reveal the truth about that day, and even now, the anger simmers within me when I think of it.”

Uncle Josh’s voice lowered, heavy with the weight of sorrow as he recounted the events. “A neighboring Pack came to celebrate the joyful occasion, but one of the Alphas struggled to accept that our future Alpha had rejected a chosen mate. Just as they were saying their goodbyes, that Alpha stabbed our future Luna with a silver knife. Alone, it wouldn’t have been fatal, but the blade was laced with Addejora, and if it hadn’t been for my uncle, she would have succumbed quickly. My uncle rushed to help his son and daughter-in-law, but in a tragic twist, the Alpha’s son stabbed him as well.”

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