Chapter 25 Pack Business
Josh
The Iron Pack dungeons are in use once more.
“Let me out of here!” Elias pounds his fist against the bars, eyes blazing with rage. “I am the Alpha!”
“Not anymore,” Bane reminds. “Thanks to your bad behavior. Can’t you be quiet while Josh checks the bars?”
The old, rusted iron bars in this forgotten dungeon are no match for the former Alpha’s might—but if I keep reinforcing them, my magic will hold them intact long enough to ensure the prisoner can’t escape.
It turns out defensive magic isn’t just about keeping people out. Sometimes it keeps people in, safely detained where they can’t harm anyone.
“Held below the feet of my own pack, the indignity,” Elias complains as he paces before the bars. “And my own son is helping with this farce.”
“You brought this on yourself.” Bane looks almost bored, leaning against the wall outside his father’s cell. I think he enjoys getting under his father’s skin.
I’ve been working with a coven as I learn, sort of like an internship. Confident in my growing skills, I asked to take over detaining Elias here. Partly to see this through and partly to show the covens that not all wolves agree with how Elias thinks.
The former Alpha paces back and forth like a caged animal, unleashing his rage now that he has an audience. “Tossed aside by my own pack,” he growls as he stirs up the dirt in his cell.
“After violating Concordia’s rules and trying to start a war,” Bane corrects.
“Kept here like a prisoner in these decrepit cells!”
“You are a prisoner.”
“And you’re ungrateful. Have you forgotten everything I’ve done for you? I made you strong. I gave you the chance to follow in my footsteps!”
“You conspired to keep me from my true mate,” Bane tosses out almost cheerfully. “Don’t forget that one. You did that too.”
Elias’s lips pull back in a menacing snarl, and he grabs the bars nearest to his son and rattles them with all his might. “How dare you!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m the worst. Are you done yet?”
Bane coming with me does have its uses. Elias focuses his anger on his son instead of me, letting me concentrate on the wards. Bane might be having too much fun needling his father. My guess is that he never got very far in mouthing off back when his dad was the Alpha.
He’s making up for that now.
The corroded bars in the corner really should be replaced and not just magically reinforced, but the Iron Pack aren’t planning to house any other prisoners here.
Concordia does have modern cells for housing prisoners, but this felt more appropriate, like his just desserts.
Elias will be detained in these old cells until the council of high priestesses that lead Concordia sort out all the details of his punishment, which includes banishment and any other penalties they deem appropriate after conspiring to destroy the Clover Pack.
After kneeling down and checking some of the damaged spots, I hide a smile as I tell my boyfriend, “Don’t provoke him.”
“He’s going to scream at us no matter what. What else can he do? The great Elias Blackwood used to wield all the power and now he’s stuck here, awaiting punishment.”
Bane’s definitely laying it on a little thick. I’ve never seen his father’s face so red. Yet I can’t say it’s undeserved.
“If I didn’t know any better,” Elias muses, “I’d say you enjoy seeing your father like this.”
Bane grins. “Kind of. Yeah.”
I slap his arm. “Bane.”
“What, you don’t?” Bane steps up to the bars, peering in at his father.
“I know this isn’t because of what you did to us.
You’re here because you were going to hurt innocent people in your quest to get rid of an entire pack.
Still, seeing you like this, it feels like justice for a lot of your sins, not just the ones that finally did you in. ”
When I’m finished and heft my spell bag over my shoulder, Bane holds his hand out and offers to take it for me instead.
“The man is a grown werewolf,” Elias says. “He should be able to carry his own bag.”
I smile at Bane and hand him my bag. “I think it’s sweet.”
“And he’s not a man. He’s my mate. Wait a minute,” Bane says before Elias can pounce.
“I’m a man and your intended mate,” I correct loudly over whatever rude comment the former Alpha is making.
“Yeah. That’s why I like doing nice things for you. Because you’re my man mate.”
I think he calls me a ‘man mate’ solely to annoy his father, but the kiss we share is because we want to.
When we pull apart and start heading for the exit, Elias hunches over and makes retching noises. “This is cruel and unusual punishment.”
Bane turns at the exit and gives his father a wave. “Bye Dad. We’ll be back next week to check the wards again.”
“Don’t they have other witches?” Elias complains, his voice becoming distant as we get further away. “I’d rather you just seal the dungeons off and let me die down here.”
“Don’t tempt us,” the man walking behind me mutters.
After Elias’s banishment, whether Bane and I ever see him again will be entirely up to us. I’d say good riddance, but he’s still Bane’s father. Whatever he decides, I’ll support.
As for me, seeing Elias powerless and locked in a cell—and being the one to ensure he stays there—has done wonders for my view of the once powerful and intimidating Alpha. Elias doesn’t scare me anymore. His time is past and ours is just beginning.
~
Bane
Once we emerge from the dungeons and Elias is out of earshot, Josh places a hand on my arm. “Are you really okay with all this?”
Hell of a question. So many things are changing. The Iron Pack is changing. But I know my answer.
“Yeah,” I reply, my voice steadier than I expected.
“I mean, do I wish things had turned out differently? Sure. But Dad made his choices, choices that weren’t good for anyone—not your pack, not Concordia, or even our pack because peace is better than war and tearing apart our home.
The choices Dad made were only good for him and his ego, and now he has to live with the consequences of his actions. ”
Instead of being angry at my dad, Josh’s face only shows concern for me. “True, but he’s still your father. I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
“I know.” That unwavering support and compassion is one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. Maybe I won’t always be so calm when it comes to my father, but Josh will be there to support me during the bad days.
For now, everything worked out for the best.
“My dad’s choices royally screwed us over, not once but twice. Getting some space from him is the best thing. We’re going to be safer and happier without him around.”
In fact, the whole pack is coming alive in a way it never did under Elias’s control.
As Josh and I step onto the gravel path leading through the Iron Pack territory, the surroundings already look so different than the cold, utilitarian atmosphere I grew up in.
A transformation is taking place.
Our young pups, who receive basic combat lessons, are now getting a different kind of education as they kneel beside their parents, planting seedlings and patting the soil in newly built flowerbeds.
The beds and new streetlights in front of the stores and buildings in the main square make the atmosphere more hospitable.
Several wolves who frequently patrol the grounds on guard duty are now dismantling lookout posts and defensive walls piece by piece, their timber stacked neatly for repurposing.
“Sure looks different around here,” Josh comments.
“Now that everyone knows the real threat to our peace and security was inside our defenses, things are changing.”
“A softer, gentler Iron Pack?” he ventures with a wry smile.
“Sort of,” I chuckle. “We’re finding a way to keep our values while also recognizing that we’re part of Concordia, not against it, but with it. Our strength should be used to fight for each other and our home, not just against something.”
“Wow. That’s awesome.” Josh waves to some of the kids digging in the dirt of a nearby flowerbed, making funny faces at them when they wave back.
Before he gets too distracted in the wonder of all these changes, we need to talk. I need to share the decision that’s been keeping me up at night.
I start leading him down the street, taking a moment to prepare myself for what comes next. All the changes happening made me stop and consider where Josh and I fit in. When thinking about what I want now and the kind of pack I’d like to lead, I reached a decision, one I never expected.
“Yeah, I think some change will be good for the pack.” I take a deep breath. “But I don’t think this is the place for us.”
Josh skids to a stop, his eyes wide in disbelief. “What? Bane, we won. We’re supposed to be the Alphas.”
“Yeah, I remember. Maybe it sounds crazy, but what if Adelaide took over instead?”
His jaw practically drops. “No, it doesn’t sound crazy. It sounds insane.”
Okay, maybe she didn’t make the best impression on Josh when she was out for our blood during the fight. But she nearly beat me, and it seems like a good fit.
I tell Josh, “I’ve been talking it over with her.
She knows she doesn’t have the right to make any demands.
Accepting my terms is the only way she becomes Alpha, and if her or her successors show even a hint of unwarranted aggression to any group in Concordia, she’ll be stripped of her status in the pack faster than the time it takes to shift.
She wants to lead Iron, and this is the only way it happens. ”
“And you think that will work?”
I nod. “A war is way too ambitious for my sister and her mate.” She may like fighting, but there are a million other ways to prove your skills besides war.
“Plus, I suggested using the Proving Grounds to start some kind of fighting tournament for anyone in the city to watch and enter.” The old arena should get some use beyond ancient combat rituals.
“Even in human form, I could practically see her tail wagging at the idea of sanctioned violence and earning some cash for ticket prices.”
Josh thinks it over and nods. “That takes care of the Iron Pack. Where does it leave us?”
The Iron Pack lands stretch out before me, a rugged sprawl of territory that feels more like a fortress than a home. Even though I grew up here, Elias’s rules and demands made it hard to feel at peace.
“Part of what makes Concordia work is that all the covens keep each other in check,” I say. “No one gets too much power. What if there were another wolf pack in town? We can all keep each other honest. If one pack gets ideas, the other two are there to bring them back in line.”
It doesn’t take long for him to put it together. “Three packs, are you saying…?”
“Yeah. I think we should start our own.” I take his hands in mine and meet his gaze with all the sincerity I can muster.
“I love you so much for being willing to lead this pack with me, but I’ve realized something.
This was my old dream, from before I found you again. Now I want something that’s ours.”
Josh frowns. “I don’t want you to give up anything because of me. And with the changes to the pack...”
“Some of their attitudes are changing. There’s still going to be a focus on physical strength and duty.
The wall lining the front of the territory is staying up and wolves are still going to do routine patrols of the grounds.
I’m not sure this place fits either of us,” I say, knowing the wall looming in the distance will be visible if I turn around. “This isn’t who I want to be anymore.”
I don’t just want to make my dreams come true anymore. I want ours to come true.
I tell Josh about my ideal pack.
“I don’t want to run the kind of pack my dad did.
And there’s no reason to be like Clover either.
There’s already a very tight knit pack and a disciplined pack.
Maybe we can create something different?
You inspired me when you told me about your experiences moving here.
How hard it was to find where you belonged.
Our new pack should be open to anyone, even those who won’t stay in Concordia forever.
A place where anyone can fit in, be welcome, and find themselves. ”
I never imagined earning the right to lead the pack I grew up in and then walking away. But the decision feels right.
“We could even accept people who aren’t wolves,” I continue. “I bet there’s a lot more people who feel like you did out there. People who love Concordia but aren’t wolves or witches and don’t know where they fit in, and I want our pack to be a place for them.”
“Oh,” Josh says. “I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s a beautiful idea.” A soft smile overtakes his face.
I pull him close, capturing his lips in a kiss that’s both tender and grateful. My wolf preens with satisfaction at pleasing our mate. When we finally pull apart, Josh’s eyes are bright.
“You inspired me too,” he says.
“What? How? I just told you my idea two seconds ago.”
“I’d lead with you, so I need to put my own mark on it, right?”
“Yeah, if you want.”
“Being open to anyone who needs a place to belong is a wonderful idea. I’d want to build on that.
To not just accept multiple kinds of supernatural people into our pack, but to make sure we’re also accepting of their choices.
There’s no one way to be a wolf or a person.
Our job as Alphas should be to support and nurture our pack and to respect their decisions. ”
“Oh.” Now it’s my turn to process that.
I know exactly what he’s thinking, and the sentiment nearly bowls me over.
My goal is to create a pack where everyone belongs and no one feels left out, like Josh did when he arrived here.
Dad decided only the harshest wolf traits mattered, so Josh wants a pack where the Alphas let members decide what they value and then we can support and nurture those qualities instead of deciding for them. Like what I deserved from my Alpha.
My mate is so smart and perfect. With both of us in charge, our pack will be in good hands.
As Josh’s fingers intertwine with mine and we continue our walk through the territory that was once my entire world, I don’t feel sad about leaving the Iron Pack behind.
It feels like the end of one chapter and the start of another.
This place is my past. I’ve never been ashamed of it, and I’ll be always proud of where I came from.
But it’s not my future.
Our future lies beyond these walls, and Josh and I are going to build it together.