4
"Sorry to bother you, Rora. Have you seen Luc?""Is there a problem?" Lucien appears beside me. I steal a quick glance at him to find him effortlessly put together, every evidence of our lovemaking neatly tucked behind his steel eyes, perfect hair, and pressed shirt. I am instantly self-conscious in my home dress and probably scattered hair."Yes, and your father has summoned us," Liam replies, and my gaze snaps to him. "Is everything alright?""Nothing for you to worry about." Liam smiles, but it barely touches his eyes. I look back at Lucien, who is already out the door and slipping on his shoes. Something different is amiss."Thanks for having me, Rora. I'll see if I can put in a word for you to the HR." Lucien says, his eyes not meeting mine and his voice dripping with sterile civility as he beckons on Liam to follow him.
I want to press further, but I know I won't get an answer. So I stand and watch as Liam's Mercedes pulls out of my driveway, my heart sinking to my stomach with every bit of distance put between us and a feeling I can't name eating away at my senses.
CHAPTER TWO
Lucien
"How many casualties do we have?" I ask Liam as we step out of Aurora's house."No deaths have been recorded, but we have a few wounded soldiers and destroyed facilities."My fingers curl into a fist, and I have the sudden urge to hit something. Fucking Silver Pack. They've been acting funny for a while, wanting to gain control over the headquarters and access to pack politics, maintaining the balance between human and wolf shifters.The territory has been under the control of Blackwood for decades. Every once in a while, Silver Pack decides to make a fuss out of nothing, but this was the first time they were making physical contact and causing real damage. This spelled war in every shifter tongue.War before I am named Alpha. Could life get any more entertaining?
"And my father, is he aware of this?""Yes, he has called for a meeting to discuss the best way to tackle the situation," Liam answers, unlocking his car and slipping into the driver's seat.
I get into the passenger side, letting out a long string of curses. Getting grilled for not anticipating an attack or warding it off is the last thing I need from my father, and with him getting a hang of the situation before me, that is exactly what I was headed for.
"Don't beat yourself up over it, man," Liam says as he pulls out of Aurora's driveway. "You couldn't have seen this coming or countered it. Personally, I was in a bar when I got the call."I let out a snort. "I'm happy to hear of your liberties and freedom to do as you please."Liam has always had an easy life. Despite his father being my father's second in command and being raised to fit into the role of my second in command, he was never pressured by the burden.He was allowed to live life on his terms and do as he wished, provided he did not bring disgrace to his family.
I, on the other hand, was to live my life according to the will of the pack. I am expected to think about how my decisions will impact the pack and to think of the future of the pack before making the slightest decision.As my father would always say, "Contrary to popular belief, being alpha is not just about power. As the alpha, you exist in service to the pack, and you are a representation of your community. Every part of you must reflect that. You are for the pack before you are for yourself."
The words repeat in my head like a broken record day and night, reminding me that I cannot afford to make mistakes or indulge in some of the pleasures my mates do. A simple mistake from me can endanger the lives of my community, and right now, I am about to get an earful of how I should be everywhere at every time. Sometimes, I find myself wishing I had a different life.
"That's beside the point, Luc. This was out of your control, and despite your training and activities in the pack, your father is still alpha, and he will always get intel before anyone else. This one isn't on you."
Liam's words are supposed to relieve me of the pressing guilt on my shoulders, but I only end up falling deeper. When we arrive at the pack house, I am halfway out of the car before Liam parks, racing up the stairs to get a word in and maybe explain the reason behind my incompetence—as he likes to call my slip-ups—before the meeting commences.
I walk into an ongoing meeting with Liam's father and some other important pack members. My father's eyes twitch with disappointment, but he says nothing as I take a seat. Liam enters shortly.
"It's nice of you to finally join us. I believe you've been briefed on the situation at hand? My father says, his eyes moving between Liam and me.
"Yes, Alpha," We both answer. I was instructed at a very young age to learn to maintain professionalism and to never refer to him as Father in public settings.
"What do you suggest as the next line of action, then?"
The question is directed at me, and all eyes rest on me, heavy with expectations. I cleared my throat, ready to give an alpha-worthy answer. "I think we should seek help from the king before resorting to physical combat. I prefer to exhaust every diplomatic approach before putting the lives of the pack members in danger of a full-blown war."
"And if your plea for a diplomatic approach is met with resistance and Kaden keeps encroaching on our boundaries, will you put the lives of the pack members in danger of a full-blown war?" My father fires the next question, a look of challenge glowing in his eyes.My first question was satisfactory, and everyone agreed with it, but he wouldn't be Alpha William if he did not grill me to the point of death in front of everyone. More so, the question was a tricky one, and his choice of words made it even more difficult to answer.