Chapter 208

Alaric’s POV

As I walked into Eamon’s office, he didn’t even look up from the paperwork on his desk at first.

“I am a busy man, Alaric,” he said. “I want you to know that I had to push back a meeting with a very prominent member of the pack to fit in your emergency meeting. I hope you have a good reason for this.”

“Honestly, I wish I was wasting your time,” I told him. “That would make things a lot simpler. You could yell at me, and I would leave in disgrace and everything would end eventually with an apology and a handshake.”

Eamon finally set aside his pen and looked up. “Then why are you here?”

“One of my elder council has shared with me some alarming news,” I said, and briefly filled him in on what was happening, with my exiling the elders, to their return now, to the suspicion that they were likely helping to fund a princess competitor.

“All of the contenders are already here,” Eamon said. “Do you believe they wish to push forward someone new?”

“I do,” I said, my stomach twisting. The entire ordeal made me both furious and sick. “And I think they might be someone who has intentions to harm Cara.”

Eamon sat up straighter in his chair. “Who?”

I opened my mouth to reply, yet just as I did, Eamon’s assistant knocked on the door. “I’m sorry, Alpha,” she said, partially opening it. “But a press conference just started that concerns the Princess Competition. You said you wanted to be informed of all activity…”

“Yes.” Eamon stood from his chair. “Very good, thank you.”

“Who is giving the press conference?” I asked.

“Oh, uh…” She checked her notes. “Melinda Bedford, Sir.”

Eamon and I locked eyes. Then we both looked to the television. At once, Eamon surged for it. He flicked in on and found the news station.

It showed a breaking report, with live footage from out front of the hotel downtown.

Melinda Bedford stood in front of a podium covered in microphones.

The ticker at the bottom of the screen read, Exiled Socialite Speaks With Princess Competition Commission.

“Thank you everyone, for joining me today. I’m pleased to see that some people respect me and don’t try to hide me away, as a former Alpha of mine had done.” Looking at the camera, she said, “The truth cannot be hidden under the rug, Alaric.”

I cursed. The exiled elders weren’t the only ones trying to stir the pot here.

“Is this who you suspect?” Eamon asked. “Is she the candidate who is going to join the competition?”

She could try, I supposed, but the Bedfords, while a powerful family, had no connections in any way that would make Melinda qualified to be a princess.

She was a liar and a master manipulator, but the facts of her lineage could not be flubbed in this way. She would only ever be a noble, not a princess.

“Alaric has ruled the DuskWood pack with too tight a fist for too long. We are a community, not one to be dictated by tyrants,” Melinda continues from the screen. “To help rally the support of my many followers – the number of which increases all the time, I have called upon one of my dear friends, a person who has also been wronged, to stand up and join the competition.”

“Who is she talking about?” Eamon said, turning to me. “Enough games. Give me a name.”

I opened my mouth to tell him.

Cara’s POV

Sitting at my desk, I was surprised when my phone started to ring. As I was supposed to be out today, it seemed strange for anyone to try to reach me. Still, I lifted the phone and brought it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Cara Auburn,” the voice on the other end of the phone said. It took me a moment to place it, but then I recognized the director of the opening ceremony for the princess competition. “I hope you aren’t busy.”

“What’s going on?”

“The commission has decided to allow admittance to a brand new contender.” She sighed so heavily that it crackled the speakers. “I swear they love to make my work more difficult. I thought of simply pacing her in your spot, but I’ve also heard that you are staying for the competition.”

“Uh… yes, that’s right.”

“Gods,” she cursed. “I’m not angry about that. I’m glad for you, truly. It’s just that it makes so much more work for me.”

“I understand,” I said, trying not to be offended. The director seemed to have trouble thinking much outside of her own little world, but I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, despite how she came off when she talked.

It was her kindness, when she pulled me into her office last time to tell me the news of the commission that helped me believe this. If she had wanted to humiliate me, she could have done so by telling me in front of everyone and not warning me at all.

“We are having an emergency rehearsal to work on fitting her in. Everyone already knows except you. I, uh, might have taken you off the phone chain already. Not because I wanted you to be excluded you understand, but for efficiency’s sake.”

“When is the rehearsal?” I asked, to keep her on track.

“In thirty minutes. Sorry, I only just remembered you haven’t been called,” she said. “But don’t feel too bad. Everyone else only learned an hour ago. Can you get here?”

I didn’t see how I had much choice.

“I’ll be there,” I said and hung up the phone.

A new competitor? I wondered who that could have been. The growing unease within me reminded me of seeing Melinda walking in to speak with the commission.

Gods, what if it was her?

But how could that be? The event was called the Princess Competition. How could someone who had no claim to any princess title be allowed to enter?

Still, I couldn’t put anything past Melinda Bedford. She was cunning and rich, and recently exiled, I was sure she had a thirst for revenge.

I couldn’t let my guard down. Likely that revenge would be headed in my direction.

As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, between my health and the competition. Now I needed to worry about Melinda as well.

Well, there was nothing to be done about it presently. I wasn’t going to let myself be intimidated and scared away from what needed to happen.

Determined, I gathered my things and stepped out into the hallway. Eamon and Alaric seemed to still be in their meeting, so I didn’t bother saying goodbye. I could catch up with both of them later, and I didn’t have a minute to spare to get to the venue in thirty minutes.

Well, twenty-five now…

I rushed out of the Alpha headquarters and took a cab across town to the venue, watching my watch all the way.

I was cutting it close.

The taxi pulled up in front of the venue with only two minutes to spare.

Rushing, I paid the driver and flew through the doors. I ran all the way to the stage.

“Cara, you made it,” the director said, smiling. “Meet our newest addition.”

She gestured to a woman with her back from me. As soon as I saw the silhouette, I froze.

She seemed familiar, but no… There was no way it could be who I thought it was.

But then the new person turned and my heart sunk down to the pit of my stomach.

The new competitor was Lilia.