7.The Heir

Nina

I step out of the car and take a deep breath, the familiar scent of the Valens territory filling my lungs. It’s a mix of pine, earth, and something uniquely ours—home. The trees stretch high overhead, casting long shadows over the gravel road leading up to the main house. Everything looks the same, but it doesn’t feel the same. Not to me.

The moment I left Jaxon and came back here, I thought it’d be easy. That I’d walk in and everything would fall into place. But now that I’m standing here, it’s hitting me that things are a lot more complicated than I want them to be.

“Welcome home, Alpha,” Griffin says, stepping out of the car next to me, grinning like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He slaps me on the back, and I stumble a little, still not used to the weight of that word—Alpha.

“I’m not Alpha yet,” I mutter, trying to keep my nerves under control. “Dad’s still got that title.”

“Not for long,” Lucas adds, stepping out from behind us, his eyes scanning the woods like he’s w