The Alpha Train (Christina and Sebastian) novel Chapter 466

Chapter 58

She raises an eyebrow at me but doesn’t say anything.

“Shane, please come down,” Alpha Benjamin says.

It’s a risk. She and I are just getting back together, but I feel I’m uniquely qualified to help Tiana work through her issues. I know her better than nearly everyone here and since she hasn’t reconciled with Ryan yet, I know that she wouldn’t hear it from him, not yet.

I sit down, noticing her defensive stance. It’s not as defensive as mine was with Cole, but it’s close and I understand that. She doesn’t know what I’m about to say. Since it felt warm and caring when he did it with me, I lean forward, putting my elbows on my knees and making eye contact with her.

“You know, in the last couple of days, since Cole helped me yank my head out of my own ass, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” I begin, making Tiana smile and the others in the room laugh.

“And, of course, since you and I are such good friends, most of those thoughts have been about you, T. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been clear about one thing. You want to be number one on the leaderboard.”

She nods. “That’s probably not possible now, but yeah, that’s right.”

“Here’s what’s been in my head. When things went south between you and I, you were ready to leave, to walk away from the only dream I’ve ever heard you speak about. The only goal you’ve ever discussed, that I’ ve ever heard, is being number one on the leaderboard. And it got me

thinking,” I say.

“I’m listening,” she says frowning.

“Who are you doing it for, T? Who are you trying to get on the leaderboard for?”

From the corner of my eye, I see Alpha Ryan shift, and I swear I see him nod his head. I don’t look away from Tiana, but it makes me feel like I’m on the right track.

She frowns. “What do you mean? I’m doing it for me,” she says.

“Are you though?”

“Yeah. I want to be number one on the leaderboard,” she says, a bit sharply.

“Why?” I ask softly, not letting her frustration get to me. I understand now that this is about her finding her own insight not about being angry with me.

“Because I have a legacy to live up to,” she says.

I smile at her, watching her frown deepen.

“What am I missing?” she asks.

“Having a legacy to live up to is about your family, T. That’s not what you want, it’s the expectation that you put on yourself, that you’ve grown up with, that you’ve accepted like a second skin. But that doesn’t mean it’s what YOU want for yourself. Doesn’t living up to the legacy have more to do with making sure your family isn’t disappointed in you?” I ask, keeping my voice soft.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify