Page 131 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I’m planning on meeting with the Kings Elders and their council to determine next steps. I imagine there will be another challenge ceremony, but I’m not sure if there will be extra rules or limitations on the wolves who can participate. If I can, I will absolutely toss my hat into the ring.”
“Why aren’tyouthe one who defeated Troy?” This question contained some level of bitterness, of doubt. “Why aren’tyouthe Alpha of the Kings now?”
Though I was prepared for such a question, it still stung a bit. “Redwolf kidnapped Bryn after she and I had mated but before I could claim her. The challenge he proposed was one that would assure his own victory. In my weakened state, it took longer for me to kill him, and during the fight, I had to give my team enough time to locate Bryn and Octavia.”
Another speaker shouted, “You promised us more land, a better life, and so far you haven’t delivered in the decade you’ve been our Alpha!”
That question was met with another wolf who snapped, “Shut your mouth! You should have stepped up to the plate if you think you could do better. Where were you when Night took over the pack on his own as ateenager?”
The responder silenced the person who’d spoken up, but not the next person, who shouted, “We don’t have half of the wealth that the Kings enjoy, and we don’t have a river, either! When are you going to deliver on what you swore you’d give us?”
There were more voices in support of me, but there were also murmured agreements and nods from the few who agreed with that critique. This stung even more than the question about why I wasn’t yet Alpha of the Kings. I hadn’t realized how deep my pack’s dissatisfaction went. It made me wonder if they’d always felt this way and I just hadn’t been aware, or if hearing that the plans had changed again made them justifiably angry.
I’d left too many of my pack wanting, and now I was paying the price. They had waited for me to make my move, but theopportunity had passed by twice with no results. I was walking in a gray area, and I wished I had a definitive timeline for them, but until I learned what the Kings’ Elders had in mind for the ceremony, I wouldn’t.
I waited, listening to the complaints that I could hear, and then raised my hands, bringing them all to silence. “It’s still my goal to bring us a better life,” I assured them. “We are closer than we ever have been to taking over the Kings and combining the packs. We just need to see this through. Then the Kootenai will be ours, and that hoarded wealth will be shared.
“I know that it isn’t easy to wait,” I told them. “I know that our conflicts with the Kings stretch further back than any of us have been alive, and I know that we’ve been waiting that long for our fair share of the land. That same dissatisfaction encouraged me to take control of this pack, and I promised to dedicate my life to seeing our betterment as a pack. That is still what I aim to accomplish.
“For now, until the Kings’ Elders come up with a solution to the temporary Alpha issue, I don’t have a concrete answer or timeline for the exact moment that I will have control of the Kings. But I can promise you that the time is soon. And I want you all to know that I am fighting for us all. You allaremy priority.”
There was a pause, and then a short round of applause. I still sensed some dissatisfaction, but that was unavoidable. But at least I’d reestablished my priorities to them, and I’d reminded them of the victory that was right on the horizon. I would rather them be informed and dissatisfied than uninformed and blissfully ignorant. I wouldn’t lie to my pack or sugarcoat the truth for them. That wasn’t the way I wanted to run things.
“I’d like to end this on a high note, and give my final announcement,” I said. “Bryn is officially my mate, and our binding ceremony will take place on Kings pack lands in four days’ time. If you’re able to make it, the entire pack is invited.”
“Why on the Kings’ land and not our own?” someone asked.
“The most important reason is that Bryn won’t be able to leave Kings pack lands while she adjusts to being the temporary Alpha.” There was so much she needed to learn in order to properly run such a large pack, especially when it could take weeks or even a few months before there was a decision about who would take her place. “The subsidiary but also important reasons are,” I added with a smile, “that her mother lives in the Kings’ territory, and Bryn wants to have the ceremony in the garden that the two of them made together.”
Talking about Bryn seemed to calm the pack a bit further, which worked well for me. At least I was ending this contentious meeting with some good news.
“You are all dismissed to enjoy the rest of your day,” I said. “If you have concerns that you didn’t feel comfortable addressing in front of everyone, know that I am open to your questions and your comments. I have always wanted an open line of communication between me and my pack, so if you’re angry, let me know. If you’re hurting, express that hurt to me. I am available when you need me.”
The crowd began to disperse, and I reached out to my closest wolves to stay behind. I needed to speak with them about next steps. Dom and I hopped off the roof and walked with the inner circle to the conference room in the mess hall. Everyone took their seats, but after that meeting, I was still a bit wired withenergy. I elected to stand against the wall instead. Dom followed my lead, standing nearby.
“What do you all know about the Kings’ elite fighters and hunters?” I asked. “And what have I missed since being out of the loop?”
“You weren’t just out of the loop, sir,” Frankie said, a small smirk on her face. “You were off getting cozy with your mate.”
The reminder of Bryn and our blissful time together made me smile. Being separated from her like this, while necessary, was close to torturous. But I knew I’d see her again soon for her Alpha ceremony, and then our binding would take place.
“Oh, what a smile,” Kai said. “I guess there’s no mystery about what went on between you two while you were away.”
“I hope you won’t hold it against us, but we started keeping a running bet of how many days would pass before you came back, Alpha,” Vince added.
“I wish I could’ve been in on that,” Dom said. The ghost of his usual snicker lifted his lips, which relaxed me a bit.
“Who won?” I asked, chuckling.
“Redford.”
“That’s right.” The winning wolf grinned and leaned back in his chair. “These wolves owe me dinner the next time we head to Colville.”
“It’s not fair that he won,” Frankie said. “The rest of us figured you’d be too lovestruck to let your mate out of your sight for at least a week.”
“If I could trust any of you to run the pack in my stead, you would’ve been right,” I said.
“Damn.” She banged her hand on the table.
