Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 22

Once the presents were opened and the cake served, Arthur cleared his throat. “As much as I hate to interrupt the festivities, we do have a monthly meeting to hold, so if everyone would take a seat, we can begin.”

The general rumble of conversation slowly dissipated as people settled into their seats. Helen, Carrie, and Ava sat to the side near the front, while Arthur and John took their places at a central table and podium. After smiling over at Ava, Arthur began.

“Before we start, I’d like to thank all of you once again for your good wishes and the warm welcome you’ve given Ava. I know we both appreciate it. Your support means a lot to us, especially in these difficult times.” A polite round of applause cut him off, and he waited for it to die down before continuing. “I have a number of important points to bring up tonight and then we’ll open the floor to discussion.

“First, as I’m sure you all know, Thomas was shot two nights ago while out on patrol. I’d like to assure you that he is recuperating at the infirmary and will be fine. At this time, we’re not sure who was responsible. It could have been human hunters from town trespassing on our property— it’s been known to happen before—but…” Arthur paused before dropping the bombshell. “Thomas thought he scented Ryne just before the gun was fired.”

Gasps filled the room and then conversations burst out all over. Ava’s eyes widened as she took in the bits and pieces of dialogue that flowed through the room.

“Shocking.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“It can’t be true. Not Ryne!”

“Arthur should have killed him when he had the chance. That’s how a challenge works.”

“That’s what you get for being too easy on upstarts.”

“There has to be a mistake!”

Some seemed to be angry that Ryne would do such a thing. Others denied it could even be true. A few voices were advocating killing the offender; Ava found that to be the most disturbing. Wisely, Arthur allowed a few moments for the assembly to express their feelings, before trying to proceed.

“I know it’s unthinkable that someone who was once a member of our pack could do such a thing, but we don’t have hard evidence against him so there’s still the possibility—”

A voice from the back interrupted. “Thomas wouldn’t make something like that up. If he scented Ryne, then Ryne was there!” The crowd murmured in agreement.

Arthur nodded. “True. No one is saying Ryne wasn’t there. Obviously at some point in time he was in the area, though ‘when’ we can’t say, nor do we know if he pulled the trigger or not.” Another voice called out. “You don’t want to admit Ryne is guilty because he’s your brother.”

A hush fell over the room and Arthur’s nostrils flared. Ava watched as he gripped the podium with his fingers and she was surprised the wood didn’t break under the pressure. With steely eyes,

Arthur responded to the accusation, his voice a low, deep rumble that sent shivers up her spine.

“Are you suggesting that I put personal feelings ahead of my duties to the pack?”

The speaker shook his head and seemed to sink into his chair, realizing that in the heat of the moment, he had spoken out of turn.

Arthur continued. “Rest assured, that since I’ve become Alpha, I have put the needs of each and every one of you above all else.”

“I can’t believe anyone would doubt Arthur’s loyalty.” Marla was sitting a few rows away and spoke in a sotto whisper. Ava could clearly hear what she was saying, though she didn’t think Arthur could. “After all, he agreed to be mated to Ava, just to ensure political stability. Now that has to say something about his dedication to our well-being.” Looking towards Ava, Marla leaned her way and smiled condescendingly. “Don’t take that personally, Ava.”

Feeling her face growing red, Ava stared at the floor and seethed, forcing herself not to cause a scene. That woman was such a bitch! She knew what buttons to push. Ava tried to reassure herself that an arranged bonding was nothing to be ashamed of; it wasn’t like no one had wanted her and a political arrangement was the only way her father could get rid of her!

Carrie must have sensed her distress and grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Once she had herself under control, Ava peeked at the audience to see who else had heard the comment. A few people were looking at her speculatively while others were glaring at Marla. It gave her some small comfort to know that most of those within hearing range considered the remark inappropriate. She could only hope that they didn’t secretly agree with the comment despite its lack of good taste.

Arthur, unfortunately, hadn’t caught the exchange as he was listening to an elderly man who had stood up. “May I address you, Alpha?”

Nodding, a ghost of a smile passed over Arthur’s lips at the old man’s formality.

Helen leaned over and whispered in Ava’s ear. “That’s William. He was Alpha over thirty years ago and is now part of the Council of Elders. William is very wise and a great supporter of Arthur.”

Ava nodded and listened intently, pushing Marla’s comment aside. She would not let that woman get to her!

“Ryne was your brother, yet he challenged you for the leadership of this pack. Such a challenge, according to the ancient laws, could have only one conclusion. The death of one wolf and the victory of the other.” Again, Arthur nodded.

“Arthur, you were the victor. Why was Ryne allowed to live and cause such havoc among us? If he were dead, we would all be happier, and Thomas would not have been shot.” Unlike the previous speaker, this man didn’t falter under Arthur’s gaze, instead standing with his head slightly tilted to the side in inquiry.

The room went deadly silent watching Arthur and waiting for his reply. Ava clasped her hands tightly together. If this man was one of Arthur’s supporters, she’d hate to think what those who weren’t as fond of him might be like. This Elder was basically saying that Arthur had broken pack law, messed up as leader, and endangered them all! Nervously, she wondered how her mate would refute such a claim.

Arthur stood impassively surveying the crowd before speaking. “The council of Elders agreed to allow the challenge to proceed so that the most capable leader could be determined. The minute I won the challenge, I became Alpha. By virtue of that fact, everyone who lives in this pack is subject to my rules and my decisions. It was my decision to allow Ryne to live, and it was not based on brotherly love; there was little, if any, of that left. The needs of the pack were foremost in my mind, even during that first moment of victory. Ryne had many friends within our pack and his death would have served no purpose except to cause grief, division, and discord at a time when we need to be unified.

“As for the law, as Alpha, I know them better than most. Even before the challenge began, I had carefully studied the ancient rules as part of my Beta duties. While it does state that the victor will become Alpha, it does not say his opponent must die.” Arthur opened up a very old leatherbound volume and began to read. “The challenge shall proceed with no interference until only one stands victorious as the Alpha. All who dwell in the pack shall bow before him and be subject to his decrees. His dictates shall be abided by, upon the fear of death.”

Slowly Arthur closed the book. “The death, or life, of any pack member has always been in the hands of the Alpha. Our ancestors were not as civilized as we are, and often chose to kill their opponents. We, however, have evolved beyond that. To revert to killing out of fear, or to maintain power, would be to turn our backs on all the advances we’ve made and to become little more than creatures governed solely by ancient instincts.

“Ryne may or may not be responsible for Thomas’ injury. We are searching for him and when he is found, he will be questioned about this incident and the others. Once his innocence or guilt is determined, suitable consequences will follow.”

The Elder slowly nodded. “Wisely spoken, Alpha. You not only know our laws, but rule with justice and fairness. We are fortunate to have one as enlightened and dedicated as you to lead us.” William turned and surveyed the room calmly before sitting down. Ava was sure you could have heard a pin drop.

Helen poked her in the ribs and whispered in her ear. “See? William was playing devil’s advocate; he knew what the law was. He wanted to give Arthur a chance to say his bit.”