Chapter 241

Alaric’s POV

Eamon invited me to the BloodyMoon Alpha headquarters building where almost all of the brothers, except Richard, and I sat around a large table in one of the meeting rooms.

The topic of conversation for the meeting was clear, even before I entered the room.

We needed to explore any and every possible connection between the head commissioner and Lilia. For him to give her so much leniency was unprecedented. Always, the commission before had taken into account all the disputes of its contenders and the scandals.

More contestants had been dropped for less than what Lilia was actually provably guilty of, not even counting the speculation.

The fact of the matter was, Lilia’s ‘accidental’ pushing of Cara placed Cara’s life in danger. Even if it had been a true accident that level of carelessness in a life or death situation would have otherwise not been allowed. Any other contender, in any other year of the competition, would have been asked to leave simply for that reckless.

That this commission head was fighting so hard to keep Lilia around was incredibly suspicious. Especially when the brothers told me that many of the other members in the commission seemed annoyed. They still went along with the head commissioner’s wishes, but that trouble in paradise might help us in the long run.

If we could find a member of the commission who would willingly talk to us, perhaps there we could find the truth.

“Could they be related?” Ryan asked. “Long lost relatives perhaps.”

“No such luck,” Eamon said. “We’ve reviewed both of their family trees. There’s no obvious connection there.”

“They could be secret lovers,” Landon suggested.

“Isn’t Lilia married to George?” Aidan asked.

“George stayed in prison,” I confirmed. “Along with Lilia’s mother. When the time came, Lilia pushed only for herself to be saved with exile, and cared nothing about her family.”

“As charming as always,” Landon said.

“The head commissioner would have nothing to gain from a relationship with Lilia,” Eamon said. “Perhaps she is blackmailing him? Have we uncovered anything in his past that could paint him badly?”

“Nothing obvious,” Aidan said, flipping through a few papers in front of him. “This guy is clean. Though, maybe too clean. He hasn’t even jaywalked. He could be hiding something.”

“Could be isn’t proof, though,” Colin said. “We can’t accuse someone on base feeling.”

“Let’s stick with what we know for now,” Eamon said. “The head commissioner didn’t have any kind of rocket jump to power. He rose slowly through the ranks of the commission before being elected their chair. This is a position he had worked for his whole life, and had now achieved it.”

“Last year,” Colin said, reading from his own paperwork, “There was an incident where one of the girls slipped through the ice during a winter trek. Many of the other contenders stopped to help the one who was in trouble, but a few just walked by. Those that walked by were immediately disqualified for their apathy, a sentence recommended by the head commissioner himself.”

“Proof he is usually a good man,” said Ryan. “Why would he make that action, but not rule against Lilia for nearly killing Cara?”

“Perhaps because Lilia appeared apologetic?” Colin suggested though the unhappy look on his face told us he didn’t believe it.

That didn’t seem right. There had to be another reason. A connection that we just couldn’t see, and that we couldn’t prove.

“Maybe this is something…?” Landon said and pulled up an article on his phone. “It’s from two years ago. One of the commission members wanted to call for a shake up of the commission itself, even suggesting they dissolve the commission head position entirely, stating it has too much power.”

“I don’t remember hearing that,” Eamon said.

“It didn’t last long, I guess,” Landon said. “The very next article says the commission member who pushed for the act had a sudden heart attack and was immediately bedridden.”

The brothers and I all paused in our research and looked at each other.

“Is he still alive?” I asked.

Landon continued reading, his face growing dim.

“No,” he said. “He died shortly after his hospitalization.”

Cara’s POV

At the pavilion, I waited with the other contenders while the day’s event was being prepared. Today, we were supposed to compete in a display of diplomacy. A few high ranking officials from other packs were supposed to come in, and we would greet them and treat them with the respect befitting that of a princess.

Our manners and decorum was to be tested here. I was certain that I would fair well here. As a Beta, I had already dealt with many dignitaries, particularly on a professional, not personal, level.

I expected many of the princesses here were used to being treated like the most important people in the room. Even the claw sisters seemed nervous about how they were supposed to formally greet someone.

“There aren’t as many rules in the bear clans,” Claudia explained. “We greet each other with hugs and maybe some playful fighting.”

“You probably don’t want to fight with the diplomats,” Georgie said quickly, the same thing I was about to say. I even had my mouth open already.

“I can give you a few tips,” I said. We only had maybe an hour or so before the event was about to begin, but in that time, I could at least offer some of the more basic principles. This was a competition, and the Claw sisters and Georgie were my competition. But they were also my friends.

I’d rather help them and see them do the best they can, then not help them and watch them fail, even if that personally would push me ahead.

“Come on,” I said and tugged on Charlotte’s arm. Standing beside the table, I tried to show her the proper greeting for a diplomat, a simply bow.

She frowned at me. “Bears don’t bow.”

“I hate to say this,” I told her, “But you’ll lose points if you don’t.”

Her frown deepened, showing her unhappiness.

“Hey,” said another wolf, drawing our attention. “The head commissioner is giving a meeting at the front. They want all the contestants there.”

“What? What could that be about?” Georgie said, hopping down from where she sat on top of the picnic table.

We were all curious, and as we were supposed to be there anyway, we walked together with the other contenders to where the head commissioner was standing, speaking to reporters and their microphones. The rest of us had to crowd around, straining to hear what he was saying.

“This isn’t a decision we’ve come to lightly,” he said. “But, due to the continued hostility of the leadership of the BloodyMoon pack against the Princess competition itself, this year’s competition is to be shortened. As such, the rest of the events are hereby canceled and will be replaced with one final event.”

This sounded like bullshit to me. I knew my brothers had approached the commission again, but it had been for good reason. Lilia had almost killed me, and the commission was acting like it hadn’t happened and didn’t matter!

“The final event will be a sparing contest,” the head commissioner said. “And it will be winner take all.”