Page 16 of Dark Sold Mate

Silas scanned the crowd. These were people he grew up with, people he trained with, people who had vowed their loyalty to him when he was made Alpha, his father's successor. Those who now stared at him with bewilderment, disillusionment, and in others, barely suppressed rage.

“I know you have questions,” Silas’ voice echoed across the hall. “ I am aware that what I did last night was not expected.”

“Unexpected?” One of the older pack members, named Thomas, took a step forward. “You have brought a human to our land, Alpha. You bonded with her. You violated pack law.”

“My father's law,” Silas said evenly. “And, as I told you last night, I am Alpha now. I make the laws.”

“But tradition—”

“Tradition isn't always right.” Silas glanced at the wolves present. “I understand your concerns. I realize this seems out of the blue. But I need you to trust me.”

“Trust you?” Another voice called out in the back. “When you will not even tell us why?”

Silas's jaw tightened. He could not tell them anything concerning the trafficking operation, the mission, or the fact that their pack was being framed. Not yet. Not until they had additional answers, additional evidence. If news spread that they were in the process of investigating, it might undermine all that.

“Elle is vital when it comes to the security of this pack,” Silas said cautiously. “ I can't tell you all the details yet, but I promise you that everything I have done has been in our best interest. For our safety.”

“How? How can bringing a human, whom we sent away, be for our own good?”

“You will know soon,” Silas said. “I'm just asking you to trust me. To believe that I haven’t forgotten my obligation to this pack.”

The pack members silently exchanged glances. They wanted to believe him. Most of them, anyway. But he was asking them to believe something that contradicts all they had been taught.

“The human stays,” Silas said in his Alpha voice. “She's my mate. She's under my protection. And anyone who harms her or makes her feel unwelcome will answer to me.”

Silence fell. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

“And we are not asking you to love her,” Rael added, stepping up alongside his brother. “We are asking you to honor the decision of your Alpha. To allow him the opportunity to show that he knows what he is doing.”

More silence. Then, gradually, wolves started nodding. Not all of them. Not even most of them. But enough.

“The meeting is adjourned.”

The pack marched out slowly, still murmuring, still throwing glances back at him. Silas stood and watched them go, bearing the burden of their disappointment on his shoulders.

He sighed loudly when they all left, and it was just Rael and Javi.

“That went better than I had imagined,” Rael stated.

“Did it?” Silas pulled at the roots of his hair. “They think I've lost my mind.”

“You have,” Javi said bluntly. “But at least they are not publicly challenging you.”

Silas turned to his brothers. “I let them down.”

“You made a choice,” Rael said.

“I abandoned the mission. Six months of work went down the drain because of my inability to control myself.” Silas balled his hands into fists. “We were so close, and I threw it all away.”

“You rescued your mate,” Rael pointed out.

“I could have done both. I should have done both.” Silas began pacing. “I should have waited till the end, collected all the intelligence we required, and followed up with her case afterward. But instead I—”

“You are not a machine. You saw your mate being sold. Your wolf took over. It happens.”

“It shouldn't have happened. Not to me. Not at the risk of the pack image.” Silas stopped pacing and stared at his brothers. “I'll make it up to them. We'll find another way. I'll clear our pack's name.”

“How?” Javi asked. “The auction's gone. Those buyers are scattered all over. Any advantage we had is gone.”