Page 89 of Challenged Mate
Having no desire to discuss Axel, I changed the subject, “Any idea what I can expect during the luncheon? Kayla wasn’t very descriptive.”
“Oh, you know.” Jenny shrugged. “A couple toasts. Well wishes from pack members for your mating. Stuff like that.”
Yeah…
There was no way I could sit through that.
I needed to find Axel and clear this up. And I needed to do it now.
“Do you know where Axel is?”
Debbie answered, “The last I saw him, he was speaking with the elders outside.”
The elders were like my father’s council in the Summit Pack. The experienced group of males and females offered their alpha advice on important matters. They, also, acted as a mediating group between the alpha and the rest of the pack.
The Wilds alpha, like my father, had final say in pack matters, but a good leader kept trustworthy people around them to help them lead. A good leader never assumed they knew everything or could do everything.
Or so my father taught me.
When I asked where the elders and Axel were speaking, Debbie motioned towards the opening near the back of the tents. Through it, I saw silver carts topped with domed plates. This luncheon was planned to be quite the affair.
“Thank you.” I excused myself with a quick smile, eager to get this over with.
As I moved towards the exit, shifters along the way murmured greetings and congratulations. I returned their kind sentiments with nods and weak smiles. It was the most interaction I’d received since I’d arrived in Alaska, and I was minutes away from throwing their well-wishes on the ground.
I stepped outside. It didn’t take long to find Axel. He was surrounded by four older shifters with tense postures. Their conversation was, clearly, not a pleasant one.
I considered waiting until Axel was finished speaking with them, but then I remembered what awaited me under the tent, and I crossed the distance between us instead.
As I approached, my eyes were drawn to a massive blond male with a familiar face. I’d bet money he was Chase’s father.
No one looked up as I crossed over their silencing barrier. Their conversation commanded all of their attention.
“He mustn’t follow through with his plan,” the sole female in the group said. Her long, gray braid swung from side to side as she shook her head. “Our pack cannot afford conflict amongst ourselves. He needs to be reigned in.”
“I’m aware, Nancy,” Axel replied evenly. “But it is within his rights to challenge for the position of alpha. If we prevent him from eliciting the challenge before the mating ceremony, he can call into question the validity of the mating. And that would defeat the entire purpose of everything we’ve worked for.”
My feet tripped on the even ground. Only years of training to maintain balance during combat kept me from falling to my knees, but my clumsiness finally drew the groups attention.
I straightened and met five pairs of eyes. Their emotion ranged from uneasy, to tense, to worried. I was sure mine revealed my own anxiety.
Were the elders talking about Asher?
Was he planning to challenge his brother to be alpha?
Was that how he would ensure we could mate?
My stomach simultaneously fluttered and churned at the idea.
“Blair,” Axel greeted. “Can I help you with something?”
“Um, yes.” I cleared my throat. “I… I wanted to talk to you before the luncheon started.”
Axel’s kind expression filled understanding. “Of course.”
He turned back to the elders. His focus landed on the male I believed to be Chase’s father. “Try to talk sense into him. If he follows through with the challenge, it won’t end well for him. He knows this.”
The blond male’s eyes flickered with irritation, but he said, “I will do my best.”
