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“It feels good to make some progress, huh? Almost feels like victory is closer than it’s ever been.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” I felt good about the progress we’d made today, and I was glad that I’d managed to distract myself from my worries about Bryn and the Alpha ceremony. But something still felt off to me.
Dom sensed my tension. “What’s up, Night?”
“I don’t know. Just a feeling.” I tried to shake it off. It was possible that what I was feeling was leftover jitters for the Alpha ceremony on Bryn’s behalf. Or, it could have been the fact that I’d lived through too many disappointments and false starts as an Alpha and as a member of the Wargs pack to trust when things were going too smoothly.
“The sooner we get this Alpha ceremony over with, the better,” I said. “Then Bryn will be confirmed and we’ll be able to have our binding ceremony.”
“Agreed,” he replied. “And we’ll have the official backing from the Kings’ Alpha for these repairs.”
That was true, too. In truth, I knew my worries were probably for nothing, and I knew that as long as I was there, nothing would go wrong. But I wanted to see Bryn again. When I thought of her, my wolf got excited and anxious. He wanted to protect her from…well, everything. Being away from her on such an important day was more than enough stress for us, and the sooner I could set eyes on her, the better.
25
BRYN
Mom, Violet, and I had completed most of the preparations for the Alpha ceremony by the time noon rolled around, so I had some time to mentally prepare for my meeting with the council and Elders. The Kings’ council was made up of the highest-ranking families of the pack, which meant that all of them had a vested interest in staying on top of the food chain. I knew already that none of them would care very much about what a former human had to say about the pack that they had spent a significant portion of their lives forming. Still, the meeting was necessary because I would soon be their Alpha.
At the meeting, Night and I were going to broach the subject of having the Wargs take control of the reconstruction and land redevelopment projects going on around the compound. I knew it wouldn’t go over well, but it was something that the Kings needed. They were so unprepared for tackling such a huge project, and they would benefit from the Wargs’ knowledge and experience. It would also be a great opportunity for us to gauge the temperature of the room on the subject of the packs merging down the line.
Tavi offered to be there, too, knowing that she would soon be my beta, but our talk had clearly taken a lot out of her. I told her to spend the day resting so she could be prepared for the official announcement by tonight. She, however, protested that idea.
“I should be there, even if I say nothing,” she said. “I want to show everyone in the room that I’ve got your back.”
And so, we would present a united front—Tavi, Night, Violet, and myself. The usual meeting building had been destroyed in one of Troy’s tirades, so I decided to hold the meeting in the Alpha’s cabin because it was the only private location on the Kings’ compound that had plenty of room for everyone.
Tavi helped me set up the meeting room before everyone arrived. It was about the size of a large bedroom, with a long oval-shaped mahogany table standing on top of a red Persian rug. The square window opened to the forest, and we drew the curtains shut.
Night arrived shortly after we finished prepping. He seemed surprised to see his sister there.
“Tavi,” he said.
“Hi, Night.” She smiled a little.
He looked at her with a concerned frown. “We haven’t had the chance to talk,” he said. “Are you sure that you’re okay being here for this?”
It was a big question, but he couldn’t know how big. She wasn’t just attending this meeting for her health; she was also acting unofficially as my beta. I watched her to gauge her reaction, and was relieved to see that her nod seemed confident.
“I’m more than sure,” she said. “Listen, it’s almost time for the meeting to start, and I want to make sure those council people don’t have to wait.”
She left Night and I alone, and when he looked at me, I tried to smile. “It’s a lot for her to take on, I know, but she seems excited about it.”
He drew closer to me and pulled me against his chest. “I’ll have to trust that she knows what she’s doing.”
I leaned into him, drawing strength from his closeness. His presence immediately set the worst of my nerves at ease. I wanted him with me to show a united front to the attendants and to rely on his experience as an Alpha to back up the points I wanted to make. He stood beside me and immediately slipped his hand into mine. He smelled like sweat and sunshine, two scents that stirred desire in my core even though I was nervous about the meeting. He, no doubt sensing my feelings, glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and smirked.
I would have smacked his arm, but people started funneling in. Quietly, the Elders and council members of the Kings and the Wargs filed in and took their seats. Night and I stood at the front of the dining hall, and every gaze turned toward us. My pulse spiked and I squeezed his hand. He leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“Be strong, love,” he told me. “You don’t have to have all of the answers to their questions; you just need to be as confident as you can about what you do know.”
I nodded.
“Don’t forget, the council is here to help advise the Alpha in matters of the pack. Be respectful, but don’t let them steamroll you.”
Again, I nodded. I expected them to try and take advantage of the fact that I was just a temporary Alpha, but Night was right—I couldn’t let them do it. Up until this meeting, I had tried my hardest to stay under their radar because most of my bullies were within these elite families. I recognized each face. Even still, if I gave them an inch, they would know how to manipulate me, and I didn’t want to make this process any more miserable than it needed to be.
Their names were Colby, Ross, Dana, Edward, and Grant, and after the Alpha, beta, and the Elders, they had the most power and sway in the pack.
