Chapter Six: The elders meeting

Alpha Ethan's pov 

"You know it's not safe for the boys alone. Harold is right, they need someone to manage their home." My Luna said to me as she noticed me brooding.

I had been hesitant to go to bed as I sat on the couch in my room while I thought of what to do about the whole situation.

"Tamera, I'm not saying he's wrong either but you know already how hard it has been for us keeping the boys hidden. We even gave them different last names to keep them safe and made certain they all stay out of the spotlight at once. But that measure alone is something barely enough to keep them safe." I said to her,

She got off the bed and approached me tentatively as she started massaging my shoulders.

"I know you're doing all you can to keep them safe but you can only do so much for our boys. Besides, they are really strong lads now and should be able to mount some degree of defense for themselves." She responded.

Sometimes, I used to wonder if I had been the one that worried too much or perhaps, it was the fact that eventually, I would have to name one of them my heir that scared me even more. I was beginning now to see why I should have picked one and killed the others but these children had so much right to their lives.

The werewolves once had a rule that whenever the royal family produced more than one boy as a set, they were to pick one and kill the others.

In the case of my Luna and I, we had been gifted with four lovely boys. At least they used to be lovely babies before morphing into annoyingly mischievous youths.

I could not break my Luna's heart by hurting our children and neither could I stand my children being killed. Hence, I abolished that tradition in order to keep them alive.

But there were some who still sought for their lives, which was why as soon as possible, I found them a safe haven and hid them away with the story that they had all been sent out of the state to better themselves and would return on their thirtieth birthday with their respective mates.

My hopes had been that by now, they would all have matured and found mates. I kept telling the boys that whoever first finds a mate shall replace me on the throne but it seemed that all I asked for fell on deaf ears.

No one knew what they looked like from the pack and no one would hopefully.

"If only they would have put their heads in the game and found mates already." I whispered.

"I know, husband. But you do remember these things work with fate and the willingness of the moon goddess. We do not expect that they would simply cough out mates now, do we?" She asked me.

"Well, I think I coughed you up. Didn't I?" I teased her to make her worry less.

"Not the way I quite remember it. From what I can recall, you were a lonely boy wolf and I found you. Rather, in the context of what we're discussing, we found each other." She said to me and embraced me from behind.

I reached over and patted her hands that held me as I was deep in thoughts.

"Tamera, do you ever think I did the wrong thing and was selfish for letting the boys live?" I asked her.

"No. You did what every father would do. You protected your children and besides, you removed a law that has been there for long yet barbaric. Apart from the royal families, do you know how many children have lost their lives simply because they were born double heirs? Anyone who doesn't appreciate that can come face me in combat." She said and pecked me on the cheek.

I watched as she went back to her bed as she let down her robes leaving just her night gown from where I could see her perky nipples.

"Gosh, am I blessed with the most beautiful woman or what?" I said.

"Well, you just pray that none of our sons finds a woman better looking than I am." She responded.

"They wouldn't dare or I'll send them away." I said with a gruff tone.

She climbed the bed and then stared at me as she let down one of the arms of her night gown.

"So what, old man, would you stay there brooding or come into the arms of this lonely Luna?" She asked me.

I hesitated for a moment but got up quickly. I took off my shirt as I climbed into bed with her, the woman of my youth.

The next morning, Harold had come to see me with the good news of his foundling. He had indeed gotten a young man that was willing to take up the job of the former house manager.

I went through the file he had shown me and indeed, the young man seemed really interesting to me. The boys had not many male friends and the few that hung around were not true friends.

I thought perhaps, it would be even cooler that another young man would be added to their midst. That was when I realized I was just working with Jacob's personality.

With Damon, Garrett and Peter, it would be one mischief to another. Nevertheless, I thought that maybe a little prep talk to set them all straight might not hurt at all.

Hence, I gave the go ahead to Harold with the assurance that I would eventually come have a surprise meeting with them.

Harold left and I had to go about the other bits of my duties. The Pack's elders wanted to have some sort of meeting with me and I already was beginning to think about the topic.

I arrived at the meeting room after they had all settled down with a frown on my face just as a reminder that I was not to be trifled with.

"You all wanted to meet?" I asked them.

My Beta, Arnold, stood up as he came to take his stand between where they would be and I. I had to be kept safe as even if they seemed old and frail, there was no telling what havoc they could cause.

"My Alpha, if I may proceed with what the elders and I wanted to discuss, it is about the royal house." Nikola, the head of them all, was already speaking.

This one had been against me abolishing the rule and only succumbed after I got leverage over him. I could tell that he still hated me and was secretly plotting our downfall.

"The royal house? What about?" I asked him.

He cleared his throat.

"Well, my Alpha, you see, it is supposedly going to be thirty years since your sons were born and we were wondering if they all have found their mates and of course, when do we expect them." He said to me,

"You were to wait until they turned thirty, right?" I demanded.

"Yes but it would not be wrong to know and at least be prepared to receive them upon their return." He said to me,

I was vexed at this point.

"Bounty hunters flying around. Certain group of humans who somehow has knowledge of our existence and the only thing bothering you is when my sons would return? Is that how pathetic this court has become?" I demanded.

"No, my Alpha. Do not get us wrong but we were only concerned about them as we do not know anything about them." He said to me,

"Then prepare your questions to ask them when they return. As far as I am concerned, we have more important matters to attend to. Arnold, the slide." I said, turning to my Beta.

I managed to keep my cool about everything through the meeting and after which, I knew it was time to go see this person who Harold had brought.

I had my ways and only my driver knew where we were headed. Luna was really busy at this time hence, I went alone.

I arrived late as they were already seated and had resumed the meeting when I happened to come inside.

I demanded to know if they were actually going to have the meeting without me as I looked over at my sons.

"Father, you're here. But Harold never said you were coming." Jacob said to me.

"Because Harold had orders from me not to." I responded with a smile.

"And why am I not surprised." A bored Damon said just as he picked a knife and threw it in the direction of the young man I had noticed.

Quickly, he stood from where he sat beside Harold and bowed to me.

"Good day, master...sir...boss..." He was shaking.

"I'm Ethan. You can address me as that and Damon, that's no way to treat your guest." I said to my son.