~Sebastien~ We returned to our bedroom, and I led Summer to the shower to wash away the stress and dirt of the day and cool down. I would lie if I said I didn't have fun with my mate. Spending time with her in wolf form was amazing, and I felt a bit dumb that I had not thought to take her hunting in the woods while in Mountain. Traditionally, I should take her hunting and even hunt and bring the game home for her. It's not like we practised things like that anymore, and maybe that was why I didn't think along that line. But I felt it would be romantic to venture into the woods together and pay our homage to nature. I planned to do it often in Mountain when we returned. We hadn't lingered in the shower when the maids brought our dinner. It would have been really nice to have some of that roast beef because Mirabel's cooking was awesome, but since we didn't even actively search for it, I doubt we would get any. Summer was particularly playful in the shower, laughing and giggling at e
~Sebastien~ I answered Gary's call and walked away from the table. "Hello, Gary," I said to the phone, hoping my Delta would get straight to the point. "Good Morning, Alpha. We are sorry to disturb you, but we had to try to contact both of you." He started, and I was impatient. "It will be wise if the two of you return home today, Sir. There has been an emergency meeting called by the alphas of the East," he said, and I wanted to punch something. We just got to the North, for fuck sake. "What is the matter?" I asked. "Alpha Ramous of Kexington attacked Hayland yesterday, and Alpha Brandon is requesting help. He wants the Alpha Council to get involved. There is also the issue with the embargo," Gary informed me, and a heavy sigh escaped my lips. I questioned the necessity of leaving the North for a situation that seemingly had no direct impact on Mountain. "That's a decision for my father to make," I responded, and Gary let out a resigned sigh. "There's trouble brewing at the w
~Noah~ For the first time in my life, I found it difficult to walk away. Pulling Winter aside, it took a lot for me to explain the situation to her. A major part of me just wanted to take her with me to the East, but I knew that if she came along, getting back to the North would take a while. I also wanted her to connect with my cousins. When I told her what had happened, she was ready to leave and head back home, but when I said no, she refused to stay. Just like me, she didn't want us separated. I wouldn't say it was a lack of trust; I just believed our relationship was at that stage. I remembered Liam and Josephine and how they stuck to each other like glue; even though she did not know they were fated, Liam couldn't get her out of his sight. Harper and Adrian were a crazy adventure. We broke rules for their sake. I don't even want to get started with Charlotte and Caspian. Jewels and Jacob were something else and still are. I knew Winter, and I needed that closeness. And not
~Noah~ We finally arrived at the hall for the meeting. Judging by the turn-up, it seemed we were the ones causing the delay. "Is Lord Albert not coming?" Alpha Dickson of Woodleaf Pack asked, and I reigned in my anger at his tone. He was the oldest Alpha among us; he also usually presided over the meetings. He was older than our father. I suspected he was in his sixties. I wondered if he would ever hand over the position to his daughter, who was our parent's age mate. I guess we would never know. There are people who would like to die in the place of power, and Dickky, here, seemed like one of those. "We are here, so there is no need," Sebastien told him sternly, and Alpha Dickson sat back on his chair. Looking around, I noticed all who were present, and I was surprised to see Moses with us. "What are you doing here?" I asked him, and he stood up immediately as a sign of respect. "Lord Andrew Stepanov asked me to fill in for him. Kevin is in Lucland, and the Lord and his wife are
~Noah~ The council chamber was filled with stunned silence, the weight of Brandon's unexpected request hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. "You are willing to give up your status as Alpha?" Alpha Dickson asked, genuine surprise colouring his tone. Brandon nodded in response. "How can I be Alpha when I have nothing to give my people? If another alpha can care for them, so be it. This problem has ruined my life; everything has been taken from me. I have lost everything trying to keep things together. I never wanted the Alpha position anyway, but I had no choice but to take it," Brandon explained, his words carrying the heavy burden of resignation. Alpha Dickson sighed, recognising the depth of Brandon's despair. "If we absorb your pack, then what will you do about the threats you claim are imminent to your people and your land? How will you defend your land? You will be alone, by the way. Do you have a death wish, Brandon?" Dickson inquired, genuine concern evident in his voic
~Noah~ The hall was silent for a bit. I could see Brandon trying to compose himself. It was obvious he wasn't done speaking, and he had much more to say. So we all waited. "I never had a choice, Alpha Noah. Please be in my shoes and see if you would have acted differently. What do you do when you have to choose between your happiness and the welfare of your people? What do you do when you have to choose between joy and the survival of your people? My people can't trade, we can't do business, we can't mingle. How do we earn money to pay off our debts? How do we earn money to be independent? Would it be better if I had gone ahead with the wedding and married her? Then what will happen to my people? What would happen to Hayland?" he asked, and I had a response for him, but I held my tongue and waited for him to complete his lament. The truth was, the issue was that he accused me of taking what belonged to him; the rest of his nonsense was inconsequential, but I would be patient with him
~Noah~ I refused to respond, my anger simmering beneath the surface as Brandon's baseless accusations echoed through the chamber. The presumption of guilt in my silence hung heavy, but I remained composed, choosing not to dignify his claims with a response. It was clear that this confrontation had ventured into personal vendettas, straying far from the initial purpose of the council meeting. "Everyone knows what you and your brothers are doing. Waiting your old man out. After all, you said it at the engagement party in Brentwood," Brandon continued, his gaze turning toward Moses for confirmation. Moses, appearing uncomfortable, avoided eye contact and remained silent, neither confirming nor refuting Brandon's claim. Brandon shamelessly pressed on. "You bragged that you know you are going to get the positions anyway, whether your old man desires it or not. No one dares challenge you for anything. I mean, goddess forbid anyone tries it. So you can just take what you want, bully whoeve
~Noah~ I wasn't bluffing when I extended help to Brandon. Despite Ethan's clear displeasure, Sebastien comprehended the gravity of the situation. We piled into the jeep, with Tevin taking the driver's seat, ready to transport us to the alpha's office. My brothers might not have been thrilled about the unexpected turn of events, but I had a plan to wrap things up quickly and return to Lucland by tonight. I can already imagine the surprise on Winter's face when she sees me. As we embarked on our journey, tension filled the air. Ethan couldn't contain his frustration, and Sebastien, sensing the need to diffuse the situation, addressed him. "You need to chill, E. The guy already has it bad," Sebastien advised, attempting to bring a sense of reason into the tense atmosphere. Ethan, however, wouldn't have any of it. "It's like you guys did not understand the magnitude of what that fucker tried to do in there. He wanted to turn this entire thing into a mate-stealing crime," Ethan exclaim