Chapter Eight
Finally, when Davis was about halfway to the back of the room, with his alphas and some of the other Pacific Region guests behind him, I found my voice.
“Davis Gray, you are stating your unwillingness to be among this country’s werewolves any longer.
I hear you. I accept your choice. You and those who would follow you will leave my property within the hour, or you will be removed.
Any Pacific Region wolves who wish to stay may do so under my protection and rule. ”
Davis stopped and turned, open-mouthed. Two of the alphas who had followed him slunk back to their seats, and some of the other guests returned to their chairs as well.
“You aren’t threatening to remove me from rank?” Davis’s voice had a taunting note. “Demanding that I follow you?”
“I am not Hezekiah Wheelwright.” I paused.
“Nor am I the man who took this rank a year ago. I have behaved as a dictator due to failings within myself. Those failings have been addressed and integrated. I am as human as I am wolf, and I have made mistakes. I extend my apologies to those who were harmed by decisions I made previously during my rule. That includes you, Davis, and those who now follow you.”
“Apologies mean nothing.” He raised his lip in disgust. “You were a better choice than the senile fool who called himself Anax prior. You are not the best choice.”
“Then do better.” I folded my arms. “Are you challenging me, Davis? You have that right.”
He hesitated, as I’d anticipated he would. Of course he wasn’t challenging me. There was no way in hell he could defeat me in a fair fight, and he knew it.
“I will issue no challenge,” he said. “I will not fight you. But we are no longer your wolves, Anax.”
They still were. He couldn’t break the bonds that joined me to the few dozen people who stood with him.
But I didn’t dispute him. “If you say so, Davis. I can no longer call you Arkhon, as an Arkhon is one who rules under an Anax, and you have just stated you are not under my rule. I don’t know what title you intend to place upon yourself, but Arkhon of the Pacific Region is no longer yours. ”
This time, bonds did break as my words and power stripped Davis of his rank and title.
His eyes widened and his mouth moved, but he didn’t speak.
Honestly, what the fuck had he expected?
If he wasn’t under my rule, he couldn’t be Arkhon.
That was just how the hierarchy worked. He could figure out some other title.
Anax of Pacific Something-or-other, if he wanted.
I didn’t care what he called himself. I wouldn’t fight him, wouldn’t demand that he remain, but I didn’t have to make it easy for him and the others to leave.
“Go if you’re going,” I said. “Davion, accompany them and alert Xavier to the situation. Make sure Davis Gray and anyone who has chosen to throw in their lot with him depart within the hour. Transportation will not be provided. If they aren’t part of this gathering, they don’t get the perks that come with being my guests.
They’re on their own, but they will leave. ”
“Yes, Anax,” Davion said from his spot at the side of the room. He hurried to the door, ready to usher the defectors out.
A few more of those who had started to follow Davis went back to their seats.
Including, to my pleasure, two more alphas.
Davis’s numbers were dwindling, but that was his problem.
My problem was how the hell to keep the country’s werewolves united and under control when Davis had just upended everything by basically breaking the states of California and Nevada away from the rest of the U.S.
, at least as far as werewolves were concerned.
“Leave now if you’re going!” My voice echoed through the room, laden with power that surprised even me. My temper was escalating, red-hot and ready to destroy, and only the glimpse of Kyle sitting near the front of the room kept me from losing it entirely. “Go!”
Davis opened and closed his mouth a couple more times, then apparently decided he was better off shutting the fuck up. He whirled and continued to the door, trailed by his followers, and Davion ushered them out.
When they were gone, I leaned forward, my hands on either side of the podium.
“In light of what has just occurred, and with my apologies to the alphas, we will suspend the rest of the introductions.” I touched my tongue to my upper lip and stared at the back wall, formulating something to say that would reassert my authority while still acknowledging everyone’s rights and autonomy. No small order, that.
“All arkhons, and those alphas who formerly belonged to the Pacific Region, please remain,” I said finally.
“All other alphas, I ask that you remain in the house so you will hear my summons when it’s time to resume the planned meeting.
Under the circumstances, I unfortunately must rescind the offer for any guests to visit nearby towns.
All of you are asked to stay on the property; however, the woods will be available to those of you who wish to hike or to shift and run.
Property boundaries are clearly marked with red flags and fencing.
Do not go beyond those boundaries, especially in wolf form. ”
I closed my eyes for the briefest of beats, because I couldn’t show emotion, especially now, but I needed a breath. When I opened my eyes again, I focused on Kyle. I wish I could have you stay. I need you. But I can’t have you in a closed meeting no matter how much I want to.
I get it. I won’t go far. He flashed a smile. Talk to me when you need to. I’m here for you.
I love you.
I love you too. He tilted his head, and I thought I knew what he was going to say. But he surprised me. I want to tell you not to leave me, but there’s no point. You can’t control what happens next.
I won’t if I can help it. Sadness pushed aside my anger.
The first time he’d asked me not to leave him, we were preparing for the hunt during the first regional gathering I’d brought him to.
The gathering at which Boston North was declared an autonomous pack, with me as its Alpha, and I had declared Kyle as my mate.
The hunt night on which I was shot with a silver bullet in the same attack that ended Chal Torres’s life.
My leg ached as I remembered that night, even though nearly two years had passed.
I know you won’t, Kyle said. But I don’t know if you’ll be able to help it.
I love you, I said again, because I didn’t know if I’d be able to help it either, and the one thing I would not do was make promises I couldn’t keep.
He didn’t answer.
“Other than arkhons and the alphas formerly of the Pacific Region, you are dismissed,” I said.
The assembled wolves left a lot faster than they’d arrived. Some of them almost ran to the exit, like they were afraid to stay near me for too long.
I didn’t altogether blame them. They were used to Hezekiah’s way of ruling with anger and commands and harsh punishments, and in the year I’d held the rank, I hadn’t done nearly enough to demonstrate that that wasn’t how I wanted to run things.
The stench of fear permeated the room. No one knew now what was going to happen, and a lot of them didn’t really want to find out.
That included me, but of course I had to act otherwise.
Once everyone who was supposed to leave had left, I motioned for the remaining alphas to join the arkhons and me on the platform.
There weren’t enough chairs set up, but Seth, who had stayed in the room, and Mandeep quickly brought folding chairs from the side of the platform.
Thirteen alphas, of the twenty-five or so who had called the Pacific Region their home, remained. Two of them sat stone-faced, staring down at the floor. One approached me, stopping several feet away.
“Conrad Valente, is it?” I’d seen the man at previous national gatherings, but due to the sheer number of alphas in the country, I hadn’t really had conversations with him.
Except for the one a couple of weeks after I became Anax, when a member of his pack had come to the home I’d inherited along with the rank to try to kill me.
A pack member who, according to Conrad, had died prior to that day.
I was uncertain how that had played out.
I’d left it to Conrad to determine how his pack member’s death had been faked and who else had been involved.
I hadn’t requested a report from him about the matter, so hadn’t received one, and I’d neglected to follow up with him.
One of many things I’d neglected in the past year, and I saw no point in bringing it up now. Particularly under the circumstances.
“Yes, Anax.” Conrad bowed his head.
“Is there something you need?” I asked, not bothering to hide my impatience. We had serious business to deal with, and I didn’t have time to wait for him to decide to speak. He wouldn’t have walked up to me if he didn’t have a reason, and I needed to know what that reason was.
“Anax, I have knowledge of Davis Gray’s intentions.” Conrad gulped and looked at his fellow alphas. Two of them nodded.
“Go on, then.” I folded my hands on top of the podium. “Speak freely. If you have information, we need to hear it.”
Conrad took a deep breath. “Anax, this is awkward for me. I apologize if I stumble over my words. I do not wish to go against my Arkhon, but since he has gone against you, I see no choice. Davis Gray is not the only Arkhon who considers you unfit for your rank. He gathered us alphas a week or so ago to state that he plans to form a coalition of packs and regions that would see you ousted.” Standing straighter, he looked at the tables of arkhons.
“He did not tell us who else, of the arkhons, was allied with him, but I believe at least two of those seated here are part of his plan.”