Page 192 of Claimed

“I might only be fourteen but I think I should have a say, too,” a teenage boy calls out. “My dad got killed comin’ here the other day.”

“Sorry about your dad, buddy,” Brody says. “You know it’s nobody’s fault from Arcana Falls that your dad died, right? You know your past alpha attacked this pack repeatedly despite Greyson Blackwood reaching out to try to keep things amicable even after attacks were made.”

“’Course I do. Our alpha blamed you guys for what happened to my dad but he’s the one that sent off my seventeen-year-old sister to that same place Jenny went in order to line his pockets, buy guns, and such. My sister won’t stop cryin’. Everyone knows it was our alpha that fucked ever…sorry for my language, that screwed everything up.” The kid sniffles but gets a lock on his emotions and stands taller.

Brody clasps his hands together. “Okay, then does anyone have a problem with the fact that everyone who wants to vote shouldget a chance to do that?” He looks at Malachi sitting in the chair beside him. “You agree?”

He looks like he’s a few years younger than me. Tall. Lean. Blond hair. He looks thoughtful for a moment. “Yes. I agree. As long as fathers or mothers aren’t directing their kids? If someone wants to vote, they have to have an opinion of their own?”

“Anyone disagree?” Brody asks the room.

Nobody answers.

“I got a question,” the same teenaged boy calls out.

“Shoot,” Brody invites.

The kid looks like he’s trying to gain composure before he finally speaks. “We’d like to know where my dad is buried so we can pay our respects.”

Ty speaks up. “We were holding your deceased pack members in the basement here with plans to let you all bury them. But with the building repairs and the time that has passed, we had to act earlier today. We cremated them individually after getting their names from Malachi Carswell. Speak to me after we’re done if you want to claim their ashes.”

“Th-thanks,” the kid says, red-faced.

His mother squeezes his hand. His sister, sitting on the other side of the mother leans into her mother and her shoulders shake with the crying she’s doing.

Fuckin’ Meadows.

“Thank you, Tyson,” Malachi says, though he’s looking at the crowd. “We appreciate that very much.”

Malachi’s eyes now coast over to my direction and that’s where they stay – on my mate who is leaning into me, her arms around my waist as we stand against the wall inside the door.

I see it, plain as day – he’s carrying a torch for her. My lip curls and the temperature of my blood begins to rise. Stacy’s grip on me tightens and I look down at her questioning face. My eyes move back to Malachi and I feel her body go rigid for a beat, but she waves at him while also giving my waist a tighter squeeze, as if to send us both a message.

His expression goes tight before he jerks his chin up at her in greeting.

I hear the growl leave my mouth before I’m able to get a lock on it.

A lot of heads turn our way and I’m sure the majority of the room reads the situation because Malachi takes one look at me and immediately tilts his head slightly, enough to submit, casting his eyes off to the side.

Brody clears his throat and says my name, so I tear my eyes off Malachi and rein it in for the sake of the proceedings here.

“Good, Grey?” Brody checks.

“All good,” I reply while I pull her closer and caress her mate mark with my thumb, again watching Malachi, silently daring him to look over here again.

A long silence stretches on until Eloise breaks the silence by asking, “Um… so… when will we vote on who our new pack alpha is?”

Brody answers, “Me and Malachi have talked a little so far but not about that. Do you want to address this, Malachi? Thoughts?”

He clears his throat before answering, “I actually think we should deal with Wyatt first. Maybe we should…” He looks at Brody and seems lost for words.

The silence feels awkward. He’s shaken up, probably because of me, but he’s also looking like a fish out of water here, as far as I can tell.

He's already looking to Brody as his leader and they would’ve only met a couple hours ago.

“Maybe take a bit of time with things as is while we…” He shakes his head. “Honestly, who am I kidding? As much as the idea of campaigning for your votes is an opportunity I appreciate, I can already see this is a huge undertaking without us having usable land. We can’t go back there. I know I don’t want to. With what Brody is offering us, I think it’s probably in our best interests to go ahead with his plan. I don’t think I have the experience to lead us when we’re starting with nothing. No resources or money or connections like Brody has to make essential things happen. And we all know how sheltered our lives have been – I don’t know that any of us have the diplomacy experience to go to the SCC on our behalf to request aid. Everything Brody told me so far … I think him leading would be good for us. He’s also related to the council here, has access to their construction company for things we’ll need. He’s a trained and experienced construction project manager so can handle all that himself. The money needed to fund building a village for us… it’s… a lot. Though I’d be more than happy to help however I can, perhaps as one of your lieutenants, Brody?”

“I’m not building an army, bud,” Brody states. “A pack isn’t that. But yeah… if it’s me that leads I’ll need plenty of help. I’ll need the whole pack to kick in.”

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