Page 164 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince
Soon, others arrive at the meeting room interrupting my moment with Celine. I’m living off these little moments with her like she is my oxygen. It’s always a little easier to breathe when she is around.
Cedric Anderson finally joins us, greeting everyone politely and giving his daughter a warm, affectionate smile. He doesn’t say much to me, which I admittedly feel relieved about.
As the meeting starts, Celine and her ranked members describe the suspected situation at the Blood Snow pack. I’d heard from Liam that they were ruthless, but when Elias starts sharing his personal experiences with us, it proves that they aren’t just brutal, they’re cruel.
It’s just as Liam thought, the Alpha and his ranked members are abusing their powers. “Another power-hungry alpha and his team of brainless followers…” I mutter in disgust.
Celine and Cedric both nod, looking equally pissed at what they’ve just heard.
“So, did I get this right? You had to battle for your position,” I summarize. “The winner would get a better life. The loser…”
“The loser was killed by the Alpha,” Elias explains. “I was just an orphan, and normally orphans don’t get the chance to challenge anyone for a position. Orphans become pack slaves,” Elias answers. His voice is even, and his face controlled, but something in his eyes is raw and angry.
His anger feels familiar to me, as it comes from a place of helplessness and desperation.
Garret reaches out his hand, intertwining his fingers with Elias’.
“And the omegas?” Celine asks.
Elias sighs. “Omegas are treated a little better than the slaves, but they still don’t have many rights. They are only allowed to do cleaning work, and have slightly better accommodations. They do count as pack members, whereas the slaves have no rights at all. If a warrior kills one of them, it wouldn’t matter.”
I stare at him. “That’s just sick.”
“It is,” he mutters. “Besides, the Alpha has his own methods of verifying the ranks of his members.”
“What kind of methods?” Celine blinks. “Surely, there is just one test.”
“He tests normal pack members as you would expect. They get their jobs and tasks assigned depending on their rank. Women are only allowed basic education, and they can’t step foot into the pack house,” Elias explains.
“Wait… what?” Cedric stares at him. “Are you telling me the pack house is only for the males?”
He nods. “The only females allowed in the pack house are the slaves and omegas, as they are supposed to cook and clean.”
“And what about the test?” Celine urges. “You said the Blood Snow alpha has a special way of doing the test for their orphans?”
“The orphans are forced to shift in front of the entire pack when they turn sixteen and connect with their wolf spirits. It’s then that he decides their fate. Only if they look really strong, like I did, do they have a chance for a better life. The others are treated like garbage. Needless to say, most orphans become slaves.” He pauses. “I don’t know more than that, though. I can’t tell you what happens after this ceremony.”
“Do you know any details about the ranked members?” Celine asks.
He shakes his head. “While I managed to fight for a warrior rank, it still wasn’t much. I was just a normal warrior. I wasn’t even living close to the pack house, and I was never involved with any pack business except patrols and such. I have no idea what they do with the slaves or what’s really going on once you look beyond the surface.” He pauses. “I just know they don’t reach old age,” he says quietly. “They normally die from the bad living conditions.”
“Blood Snow is known to be a problematic pack,” I mutter. “I talked to both Liam and Eric about it. Eric said the Council received some complaints about Blood Snow recently and wants to investigate it themselves.”
“The question is: Do we want the Council to intervene?” Celine asks, leaning back a bit. “Or do we want to be the ones who do this? What are your opinions on the matter?”
I like how she asks for her team’s opinion. Not only does it show them that their opinion matters, it also makes her a smart leader.
Garret tilts his head. “I personally would feel more comfortable checking on the situation first, to avoid unnecessary casualties. The Council might send an army, but it would be a safer option if they allow us to send a team to Blood Snow to investigate first.”
“I agree,” Harmony says. “If it were only us in Blood Moon investigating, I would have suggested letting the Council and let them handle it. But as it seems now, we are not on our own…”
“You’re right; you won’t be on your own,” I interrupt her. “I will help you for sure, Liam too, and I can talk to Eric about it,” I point out. “I don’t think it’s an either-or decision. If we tell him we want to research and investigate what’s happening, we can do so with the Council’s approval and help.”
Celine nods at me, and I’m relieved she accepts my offer for what it is, instead of thinking that I am trying to undermine anyone.
“If the lycans are with us, it changes our approach. We can research Blood Snow personally, that way,” Celine muses. “Why don’t we form a joint team?” she offers. “Let’s bring this matter to Eric, Liam, and Elden and see if their packs would be willing to join us. We could put together a team containing representatives of all three packs. With your help Marius, we might convince them.”
“I don’t think you will need to do much convincing,” I say. “My father and Liam have high morals. Personally, I really like the idea of the joint team. I will definitely talk to them about it.”
