Chapter 90
Finlay
e arrived at the Alpha meeting early. I wanted to get Amie settled inW before there were too many alphas hanging around. It was not the same location as for the Games. But it was still owned by the council. For all but one week of the year, the facility was a high end hotel in the middle of nowhere. The rich booked a stay here when they needed to get away.
Politicians in the middle of a scandal, a movie star who needed to heal from surgery, and spoiled heiresses who needed to lay low for a while. One week a year, it was the place where all the alphas gathered to talk, vote on things which affected the community and tried not to kill each other. Usually I only asked for a single-room. But this year, as the Alpha of one of the top five packs, they had given me a suite on the top floor. It was perfect now I had Amie with me. When we walked into the lobby, the head of the council stood by the check-in desk.
“Luna Amie, Alpha Finlay, welcome,” he greeted us. He discreetly sniffed the air and a genuine smile spread over his face. “Congratulations!
Happy news seems to follow you around. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this will be the third pup this year?” I chuckled and kissed Amie’s temple.
“It’s true. There is a pup boom in the pack at the moment,” Amie agreed with him.
“Oh, it’s always such a joy to see the next generation of leaders come forth. I’m impressed you let her come, Alpha Finlay. I’m happy to see the mistrust between the packs lessening,” the councilman said. Amie giggled.
“To be honest with you, head councilman, I would have left her at home if I had a say in the matter. But, as you know, now that I’m mated, I have nothing to say about important issues,” I told him, trying to look serious.
The older wolf chuckled happily as he watched Amie poke me in the side.
“Don’t tell him that! He will think I’m a horrible mate,” she hissed at me.
I just laughed and kissed her.
“To be young and newly mated again,” the head of the council wistfully said. “Nonetheless, I am happy for you and for your pack. This is your room, take the afternoon and settle in. We will hit the ground running tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you,” I told him. I took both mine and Amie’s bags in one hand and put my other arm around her as we made our way to the elevators.
“This feels like a vacation,” Amie said as we stood in the elevator. She hugged my waist and relaxed into me. I smiled.
“We can pretend for today,” I said. “Let’s order room service and just relax in the room.” The suite was spacious with a living room and a bedroom. The bathroom had an enormous tub and a shower which could hold half a pack inside and had more sprays and shower heads than I had ever seen. Amie inspected it carefully. “Should we have something like this at home?” I asked. Suddenly I felt like a failure because I had only given her a standard shower at home.
“Don’t be silly. It will be fun to play around with all of this while we are here, but at home I just need to be able to take a shower. This is over the top and seems to take a while to get it all to work. I’m happy as long as you and I can both fit in the shower at home at the same time. And I think we have proven we can,” she told me and kissed me. I felt silly for worrying. Amie wasn’t a person who cared about things like this. If I wanted to spoil her, there were more meaningful ways of doing it.
We woke up the next morning and ordered breakfast in our room. We got ready to join the first of many meetings. I made sure we timed it so we would be about five minutes early. I didn’t want Amie to be there longer than needed. The meeting was held in a big auditorium with a small stage at the front with podiums for speakers. Most of the alphas and their plus ones had already arrived. As usual, the room was filled with arguments, some merely friendly banter, others almost to the point of turning physical. It was always like this on the first day. I took a deep breath. Our seats were on the first row so I had to take Amie through all of this chaos. As we walked into
the room, the chaos slowly died out and everyone looked at Amie. It made my wolf go on high alert until I understood they had all scented she was pregnant. I didn’t think it would have had this effect on everyone. I looked for my brother and saw him stare at Amie’s stomach. She was wearing a white suit with gold details. It made her small bump almost invisible if you didn’t know what to look for. I guided Amie down the steps, along the way we talked to some of our allies and got well wishes from packs we didn’t have any connection to. The conversations around the room had picked up again, but they were less argumentative. When we arrived at the first row, Elder and James met us. James was sporting a new mate mark. Amie’s parents had told us a couple of days before leaving for the Alpha meeting that he and Carol had mated.
“Congratulations, James,” Amie said, sounding genuinely happy for him.
“Thank you,” he said and there was a small blush on his cheeks.
“I had hoped I wouldn’t have to come this year,” Elder told us.
“I was thinking of bringing Carol, but then thought better of it,” James said, glancing in my brother's direction. I got it. His mate had suffered at the hands of my brother, he didn’t want her to be around him. “I’m surprised Amie is here,” he added.
“I didn’t give him a choice. We all know what is coming and there was no chance I would let him go through it on his own,” Amie said. Her brother chuckled and James smiled.
“It’s not easy having a mate even more stubborn than me,” I said and kissed her hair. James didn’t react at all. We greeted the other top ranking packs and then took our seats. It was comforting to know all the packs on the front row were our allies. I could trust them to a point with making sure Amie was safe. The council walked into the room and took their place.
They had chairs on the stage, facing the rest of us. The head of the council stepped up to the podium.
“Welcome everyone to this year’s alpha meeting. You have all been sent the agenda for the week. There will be debates and breakout rooms to discuss more local issues. Today we have, as tradition dictates, left open for any issues you wish to present. Do we have anything we need to discuss or that you will bring in front of the council?” he asked.
“I have something to bring before the council,” Alpha Lars said as he stood up. He was the Alpha of the number one ranked pack. After our talks
earlier this year, I had got to know him and he was a good Alpha and I was happy to have an alliance with his pack.
“I have something to present to the rest of the alphas,” Alpha Jonas said and stood up.
“It has been quite a while since we have had two declarations at the same time,” the head of the council said. He sounded pleased. “Alpha Lars, you were first, please lay out the issue you wish to bring forward to us.”
“Thank you. I ask the council to withdraw the Ocean Shores pack’s right to be called a pack due to how they have treated their own members. It goes against the vow an Alpha gives their pack,” he said loudly, making sure everyone could hear him.
“What the fuck!” my brother exclaimed. Amie squeezed my hand. This wasn’t news to us. A number of packs who shared alliance with each other and who had taken in refugees from my brother’s pack had discussed a joint strategy to end this once and for all without blood being spilled.
“Very well, we will listen to you. Are you prepared to present it before us today?”
“Yes,” Alpha Lars said. The head of the council nodded.
“And you, Alpha Jonas? What would you like to present to the other alphas?”
“I would like us to vote to exclude Alpha Ryder from being an Alpha. The way he has treated his pack, he should not bear the title,” Alpha Jonas said.
It was a double blow, we were trying to secure a favourable outcome. If one of the ways failed, we were hoping the other would succeed. If they both failed, we would have to do it by force. With all the packs we had on our side, it wouldn’t be impossible to take my brother’s pack down. But even if we were more or less guaranteed a win, things could go wrong. Lives would be lost.
“Oh my, this is interesting. Well, looks like we will have a busy day. Let’s start with Alpha Lars’ request,” the head of the council said. It was hard to miss how excited he sounded.
As the stage was being prepared, the room was buzzing with whispered conversations. The packs who weren’t in on the plan were excitedly talking with anyone close to them. I had wanted to be the one laying out at least one of the accusations, but Amie and the others had convinced me it was better for others to do it. They argued Ryder would claim this was payback
for him trying to reunite the packs. By using other alphas, we removed that argument. I still felt it was my duty as his brother. ‘Let it go and focus. You have taken responsibility,’ Amie mindlinked me. ‘I would just like to be the one who cleans up my family’s mess,’ I told her for the hundredth time. ‘I know, and you are. This is just the best way,’ she reminded me. ‘I know, I know. Are you hungry?’ I asked. ‘Finn, we ate breakfast an hour ago.’ ‘That didn’t answer my question,’ I pointed out. ‘I’m a little peckish, but I will be fine until we get a break,’ she told me. I took out a banana from my pocket and handed it to her. She looked at it. ‘You don’t like bananas,’ she said. ‘Luckily I’m not going to eat it, you are.’ ‘You had a banana in your pocket for me?’ she asked. I had to chuckle because I’m five years old at heart and it sounded way too dirty in my mind. She rolled her eyes, clearly understanding why I was chuckling. ‘I have a couple more if you need and two apples,’ I told her and kissed her cheek. On stage, they were ready to start and my focus shifted. A long table had been set up, and the council sat on one side of it, facing us. The head of the council was in the middle, and he stood up.
“We will hear Alpha Lars first. He will have until lunch to present his case and present the evidence, if any. For fairness sake we will adjourn the case until tomorrow morning to let Alpha Ryder prepare his defence and bring it before us. Then we will decide how much time we need to make the decision,” the head of the council said. I would have hoped it would be over before the end of the day. The longer it dragged out, the more time Ryder posed a threat to Amie. ‘It will be fine,’ she mindlinked me as she was eating her banana. ‘It’s two days. We will manage two days.’ I nodded as I watched Alpha Lars standing up and walking to the podium which had been placed to the side on the stage.
“Thank you, council,” Alpha Lars said as he stood in front of us. “The request I lay before you today is not something I take lightly. It has taken me months to decide this is the right thing to do. In the end I, as an Alpha, can't turn a blind eye to what is happening in our society. No pack residing on this continent can have missed what is going on. For those who come from other parts of the world I can only say we have a pack who is treating
its members with so little respect and dignity most of them have felt it necessary to flee. It has been my pack’s absolute privilege to host five of those families. It’s because of those families I stand here today. They are good wolves, honest, hardworking and loyal. What their pack, their Alpha, has put them through, I have no words to describe.” Alpha Lars made a pause to let the words sink in. “Our tradition is for each pack to govern themselves. But in cases like these, we need to step away from traditions and do what is right for the members of the pack. I’m not going to stand here and tell the council what has been happening within the Ocean Shore pack. I’m not qualified to do so, but I have five of its members standing by via video link who can give first hand testimony,” he said. There was a murmur among the Alphas. There was silence for a while as the council mindlinked amongst themselves.
“We will agree to this,” the head of the council agreed. There was another pause as video conference equipment was being set up. When done, Alpha Lars connected to the call and a man in his mid thirties was seen on the screen.
“Welcome, Steve. Thank you for agreeing to tell your story to the Alphas and the council today,” Alpha Lars said. “Could you start with introducing yourself?”
“Yes, Alpha Lars. My name is Steve Miller. I am a member of the Ocean Shore pack, as my family has been as far back as we can remember. I was a warrior in the pack up until five months ago,” Steve told everyone. I knew him, he was a good warrior and I had hoped he would have come with me when we left the pack. His loyalty had been too firmly rooted.
“Thank you. Can you tell us why you are no longer a warrior in your pack?” Alpha Lars asked.
“Me and my mate made the decision to leave the pack,” Steve told us.
“And why was that, if you had a good role in the pack, why leave?” the head of the council asked.
“The situation in the pack was getting too dangerous for me and my family. Me and my mate have a pup, a five-year-old girl. She is the most precious thing to us and she is also the last pup born in the Ocean Shore pack,” he told us. I was stunned by the information. We had never thought about asking, but if it was true the last pup to be born in my brother’s pack was five years ago, it explained why Ryder was getting desperate. If no new members could be recruited from other packs and no new pups were being
born, his pack was slowly dying. “My mate and I have been spared from the worst of what is happening in the pack. But the thought of our daughter needing to go through with forced matings is not something I can accept.”
“Can you please describe what new rules have been enforced in the Ocean Shore pack which made you decide to leave?” Alpha Lars asked.
“All mated couples are to report to the top tier how often they have sex and they have to track the woman’s reproductive cycle. All birth control are forbidden. All non-mated females above the age of fifteen need to track their reproductive cycle and report it to the top tier. When she is at the height of being fertile, she have to accept to sleep with a male chosen by the top tier. This man can be any male in the pack below the age of sixty. Only exception is if he has a mate who is pregnant or has been given birth in a six-month period. Otherwise, all males have to comply and take part in the breeding program. All forms of homosexuality are forbidden.” The room was silent after Steve stopped talking. I felt the anger course through me even if I had heard it before from families staying in our pack and from the meeting we had with our allies. Their rules were cruel and didn’t consider the sanctity of the mate bond. It went against the moon goddess herself. Just the thought of being forced to be with someone who wasn’t Amie had my wolf stirring. After Steve had given his testimony, we got to hear from two women and a man. One of the women told us how she had been forced into sleeping with a man as she hadn’t found her mate yet, but she was nineteen, so she should do her part for the pack. The other woman testified about the questioning she had to endure because she and her mate hadn’t become pregnant despite being mated for three years. The threats they had made to forcefully separate her from her mate and place them with other people to see if that would help. The man testified about being forced to sleep with a woman despite having a mate. How guilty it had made him feel, how it had impacted the relationship with his mate and how he still had a hard time forgiving himself. When it was all over, I had my arm around Amie as if I could shield her from the ugliness of it all. Amie had tears running down her face. She wasn’t alone. Most of the lunas present were crying and even some alphas had tears in their eyes.
“Do you have any further evidence?” the head of the council asked Alpha Lars.
“No. I rest my case,” he told them. Council nodded as one.
“We will break for lunch. After lunch, Alpha Jonas will present his case in front of the alphas,” the head of the council said.
I made sure we picked a table for lunch as far away from my brother as we could get in the restaurant. We were joined by James and Elder. For once I appreciated the company of the other Alpha as I was sure he would help me protect Amie. She was sitting next to me, poking at her salmon.
“You should try to eat it and not just pick at it,” I told her. She looked up at me with sad eyes which tore at my heart.
“I don’t really have an appetite at the moment,” she said. I understood why, but it didn’t make me less worried.
“Would you like to lie down for a bit?” I asked. She shook her head.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll feel better in a while.” Both James and Elder looked worried. I decided there was only one thing to do. I lifted her onto my lap and let her curl up and rest her head on my shoulder. I could feel her relax and when I was sure she felt better, I handed her the plate she had abandoned. To my relief, she ate most of it. Elder smiled and nodded approvingly. Just to be on the safe side, I buttered two bread rolls, put them into a napkin and then into my pockets. Amie saw what I was doing and giggled.
“I think we need to get you a purse,” she said. James and Elder laughed.
“My pockets will do just fine,” I told her. We finished eating and then headed back to the meeting room and took our places. ‘I’m very proud of you for not killing your brother, or even trying to,’ Amie mindlinked me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. It was a surprise to me as well. Both me and my wolf focused on Amie and our pup. It was more important they were safe than me getting to kill my brother. Even though it was a close second. The head of the council asked Alpha Jonas to take the stage and he walked up and stood facing us.
“Fellow Alphas, we have spent the morning listening to testimonies from former members of the Ocean Shore pack. I wish I could say they were the only ones with those kinds of stories. But I can tell you the wolves seeking shelter in my pack tell the same stories, bear the same wounds. That is why I stand here before you today. Our packs are different, what works for mine will not work for a pack on the other side of the world. This has always been our way. We let each pack govern themselves as long as they don’t put others in danger or expose us to humans. One thing we all have in common is the promises we, as Alphas and Lunas, make our packs. We vow to
protect the pack, to make sure the pack thrives and in return the pack gives us the power to lead them and their submission,” Alpha Jonas started. There were agreeing murmurs in the crowd. ‘He is good at this,’ Amie mindlinked me. I agreed with her. He knew how to draw in his audience.
“Alpha Ryder has broken the promises an Alpha gives their pack. In his pack only a select few are safe and respected. The rest of his pack lives in fear. He even goes against the moon goddess herself, as he has no regard for the sacred mate bond. We, as alphas, can’t sit idly by. I, for one, refuse to be grouped with him. I therefore ask that we vote, as alphas, if we are willing to let Alpha Ryder keep his title or not,” Alpha Jonas ended his speech.
Silence followed when he stopped speaking and then a buzzing as Alphas, Lunas and Betas all began to talk to each other. A moment later the head of the council stood up and the room fell silent without him asking.
“Thank you, Alpha Jonas. Alpha Ryder, you will have a chance to defend yourself tomorrow. For now, let’s break for today. There are still a couple of hours until dinner, but I think we all could use some rest and time to think about what we have heard today. We will reconvene at nine o’clock in the morning,” he told everyone. I was grateful for the early ending of the day.
“Would it be okay if we sit with you during dinner?” Alpha James asked as we got up from our seats.
“Of course,” Amie answered and looked at me.
“Yes, we would be grateful to have allies close by,” I agreed. “How about we invite Alpha Jonas and Luna Beatrice to join as well?” I added.
“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Amie said and both Elder and James nodded. We agreed to meet in the restaurant five minutes before the dinner would start and we included our friends from the Winter Peak pack. I took Amie to our room and emptied my pockets of fruit and bread rolls. She giggled and took a banana to eat. She got comfortable on the couch in the
living room and I joined her.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
“Yeah. It was the testimonies in the morning that hit home,” she told me.
I nodded, I didn’t think anyone had been unaffected by those.
“I was thinking we should take a nap when you have had your snack,” I said.
“Don’t worry too much about me, Finn. I’m doing well and I can take care of myself. There are other things you need to focus on,” Amie let me
know.
“I know,” I said. “But taking care of you means I don’t have to think about what a giant asshole my brother is. That keeps me from trying to kill him,” I explained. It was the truth, taking care of Amie was the only thing keeping me sane. I had to admit, if only to myself, it was a good thing she had come along. Instead of taking a nap, we snuggled on the couch and called home to let them know how things were going. The dinner started off good. I was expecting me and my wolf to be on edge because of James, but after his mating he had changed. He no longer focused on Amie or reacted when she and I interacted. It genuinely seemed he had moved on. Dinner was almost over. Amie was talking to Luna Beatrice and Alpha Jonas about the upcoming visit the alpha pair would do to our pack to meet their new grandpup. I was in a conversation with Elder and James about some rogue activity they had seen around their pack. My brother and his Beta walked up to our table. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him.
“Finlay, may I have a word?” he asked. He still refused to use my title.
“Is there something we need to talk about?” I asked in return.
“I would say so. This little show you have had your friends put on. I can see why you have a need to act up, but enough is enough,” my brother said.
Alpha Jonas scoffed.
“I’m flattered you think I have such power over two of the top ranking packs, but this is not my doing. If anything, brother, this is your doing,” I pointed out. Both Ryder and his Beta took a step closer to me. James and Elder both stood up and blocked their path.
“Please keep away from my sister when you are this upset, alpha Ryder,”
Elder said. For Ryder to get to me from where he stood, he had to pass by Amie. I stood up and walked around Elder and James.
“There is nothing for us to discuss, Ryder. The issues have been brought before the council and the Alphas. There is nothing I can do about it. You just need to prepare your defence and hope people see your point of view. I wouldn’t bet any money on it, though.” He glared at me.
“This will break our mother's heart,” he told me.
“Alpha Ryder!” Amie exclaimed. I looked back and saw she had got out of her seat and looked pissed. I could also see Elder walking to her side, making sure she didn’t do something crazy like walk up to my brother.
“If she is heartbroken because her son gets what he deserves, but not because of what is happening in your pack, then so be it. Like I said, this is
on you. You decided to go down this path. These are the consequences of that choice,” I told him. “Please stay away from me and Amie. You know how us Alphas are when it comes to our pregnant mates,” I said. I turned my back to him and his Beta and walked back to Amie. I kissed her and gestured to her to sit down. She stared angrily at my brother but then did as I asked. As one, everyone around our table ignored the two unwanted persons and we all sat down and resumed our conversation.
“You can’t just ignore me!” Ryder demanded. When no one even looked at him, he stormed off with his Beta in tow. I didn’t delude myself to think it was the last I would hear from him, but at least he was gone for now.
