Chapter Forty-Three
Iran to the cafeteria to grab a breakfast sandwich and a coffee, then made my way to the table where the girls were already gathered. “Hey.” I took the last bite of my sandwich and slid into a seat, only to nearly choke to death when Hanna and Micca both yelled.
“Amy!” The food hit the back of my throat when I inhaled and I started to cough. The two of them came over, bouncing while I tried to swallow the food that was currently trying to kill me.
I finally swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah?” I coughed more and they at least looked apologetic.
“Sorry.” Hanna patted my back, but Micca just pushed her away.
“Look at your hair!” Micca pulled on my newly shortened strands.
“Does it look bad?” I grabbed a curl, tucking it behind my hair.
“No!” She fluffed up my hair some. “I think it looks amazing on you. Your curls seem to have more life, more bounce. It looks fantastic. Who did it?” Micca looked around. “I’ve needed a haircut for a long time.”
I pointed to Toya. “She did.”
“Oh my Goddess Toya, why didn’t you tell us you can cut hair?”
“I honestly can’t, but that one got her hair caught in something and had to hack it off. I did my best to save it, but the curls are doing most of the work.” Toya laughed. “You shoulda seen it last night. It was horrible.”
Micca pouted for a minute. “Damn, and here I was hoping to get a new look.” Toya laughed.
“Are you open yet?” The women in the front of the growing crowd bounced impatiently.
I gave her a soft smile. “Let me check on the tablets and make sure the program is fully functional and then we will be good to go.”
“Thank you.” She was so polite, but I could tell she was excited.
“No worries.”
But she shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I tried to apply at home. Because I didn’t make it here last night. But once you enter your name and try to submit it, the council redirects you.”
Hanna came over. “To where?”
“Another form to fill out, and then it checks something. I don’t even know what it was checking. What I do know is that after about ten minutes, it rejected my application.” She looked frustrated. “So this is the only way for me to even get a chance.” There were a few others nodding.
“I tried too.”
“Me too. I was denied in under one minute. What are they even checking.?”
“Obviously they are checking if you’re even remotely worthy of being the queen.” Nina’s nasally voice came from somewhere and I swear I wanted to roll my eyes.
I watched as the few women in front of me deflated. “Ladies. Every one of you deserves the chance to be considered. Whether or not the king selects you is really his choice, and we have to be ready for that. But there is nothing in this world that makes you less than someone else.”
Nina laughed as she weaved her way through the waiting crowd. “You are giving the unranked hope. And that isn’t fair.”
I glared at her. “I can say with certainty that any of these unranked wolves would make a better queen than you would, Nina.” I smiled at her as her face reddened.
“At least they know how to speak to others politely. And when to see themselves out of a conversation that wasn’t theirs to have?
” I turned to the women in front of me. “Don’t listen to her.
She is a very weak Alpha who feels the need to make everyone feel less than so that she can feel better about herself.
” A few of the girls snickered. “And as I was saying, I won’t discriminate against anyone applying.
Everyone deserves a shot.” I turned to the girls. “Hand me the tablets, please.”
The others all handed over their tablets, and I double checked the programming.
Everything looked good, and I handed them back one by one.
“The cords are all ready.” Wendy smiled as she poked her head out from under the table.
She waved her hand for the first tablet, and Hanna laughed as she handed it over.
One by one, Wendy plugged in the tablets. “We are all set here.”
I turned back to the crowd of women. “Then we are all set to start the second day of applications.”
“Wait a moment, if you would.” A male voice cut over the crowd and Nina’s smile had my stomach clench.
Why are you worried? Nix’s voice was amused. Even the King can’t command us to do anything without trying. No one here can do it. Which means you can protect everyone here from any command.
Megan, who was currently watching over the candle, chuffed out a laugh. But they don’t know that yet.
Nix slunk out of my forest with a menacing glint in her eyes. But they will find out today.
Her words gave me goosebumps. It was obvious she was looking for a fight. The moon on her forehead glinted.
I’m tired of holding back Amy, and Nina keeps poking at me. Nix looked a little rabid as she came closer to the barrier in my mind. She was standing with her hackles already raised, and drool foaming at the sides of her mouth.
I took a deep breath and turned to the voice that was working its way through the crowd to stand next to Nina. I nearly rolled my eyes when I realized it was the council member. And not just any council member. It was Nina’s uncle Thinius and Nadine.
“And what exactly are we waiting for?” I smiled as I tilted my head.
“Do you know who this is?” Nadine snarled, but that only made my smile bigger.
“I am assuming you are trying to intimidate me by bringing Uncle Thinius, the council member, to my table.” I watched as Nina and Nadine smiled.
“But I think you overestimated yourselves, and him.” I looked down at my nails.
Then back to the trio now hovering by my table.
“Now, if we can get on with this farce, I have women to help. What exactly are we waiting for?”
Thinius puffed up his chest and tried to stare me down, but I just met his glare with bored eyes. “As a member of the council, we have rules that must be followed. And this doesn’t abide by the protocols we set up.”
I laughed. “Yes, I know.” The girls all sat down in front of their tablets and waited. I stepped up and walked around the side of the table. Then I turned back to the crowd and waved to the table. “You can start while I deal with this.”
“Are you sure?” The first woman asked, and I smiled and gave her a brief nod.
“Of course. No one is going to block you from filling out the application while I’m here.
” I picked up my tablet and handed it to her.
Nina and Nadine both cried out, but I patted her shoulder.
“I promise, your application will get seen if you fill this out.” I watched as she considered it and then nodded.
She tapped away at the screen, and as soon as others saw her filling out the form, they grabbed for a tablet.
“You can’t do this!” Nina screeched, and I turned back to her small group with a lazy smile.
“Why?”
“Because I said so.” She stomped her foot.
“And who are you?” I countered, leaving her sputtering.
I turned to look at her sister. “Do you have some power over me I don’t know of?
” I tilted my head as I turned back to their uncle.
“Or are you going to try to lord your position over me?” I watched them all sputter. “Well, what is it?” I waited patiently.
“You can’t go against the council.” Thinius stepped closer.
“Why not?” I heard the gasp that went through the crowd, but I smirked. “Why can’t I go against the council?”
His face grew red. “We are the highest authority!”
“No. The king is the highest authority.” My words had him freezing for a moment. “It’s like you forget that simple fact. The council is there to support the king, as a Beta and Gamma does an Alpha. But your decisions don’t overrule his.”
“We do not.” He retreated a little, but then rallied. “We support him where we must. And this is something we are overseeing.” The smug smile on his face was annoying. He was really sure he did something there.
“Who says?” I crossed my arms.
“What?”
“Who said you get to oversee every application?”
“It was decided.” He shot back.
I nodded along and twirled my hand. “By who?” Nina and Nadine were glaring at me but I pushed up from the table.
“I distinctly remember the king saying that you will oversee the applications that go through your process and he will oversee the ones that go through his email.” I stepped closer. “Right?”
“Well, yes.” He stammered.
“Well then. Problem solved.” I turned my back to the trio and checked in with everyone. “How are we doing?”
“Good. We are moving quicker than yesterday.”
“Fantastic.” I smiled when I heard Nina screech again.
“Not problem solved!” Her voice grated on my nerves and I felt my hands shift into my claws, but I kept them hidden.
I turned back to face them. “Yes Nina. It is. Because if you recall our conversation yesterday, these applications are going straight to the king’s email.
” I turned my face to Thinius. “With his consent. So by the king’s decision, you have zero jurisdiction over my application table, nor the applications I am taking. ”
“These applications go straight to the king?” One girl whispered, and I turned to give her a small nod and a wink.
“They do indeed.”
I turned back just in time to watch Thinius pale. “What?”
“What? Did Nina not tell you that these applications were routed straight to the king’s email?”
Thinius turned to look at Nina, and I watched her back up a step. “No, no, she didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. All applications need to go through the council.” He tried to rally and stepped closer. “The council has been already checking to see who is appropriate for the position.”
I nodded. “I figured you might say that.” I pulled out my phone and scrolled back to the press release from Rowan.
“And I quote ‘Any single and unmated female may apply. Regardless of age or rank. All applications will be considered.’ End quote.” I clicked my phone off and turned to look at Thinius.
“But according to some ladies here, they attempted to apply through the council and their application was denied before even being reviewed.” I felt my eyes shift as Nix grew impatient.
“Was that you? Or did another council member decide to go against the words of the king again?”
He sputtered at that, and I watched his fang slam down. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re just a fucking Alpha wolf from the legs of a whore. Your father is lucky to be fucking dead-”
I straightened my shoulders and dropped my shifted hands.
Fur rippled up from my clawed hands and my own fangs slammed down into my lip, slicing it as it went.
“I dare you to fucking finish that sentence.” My voice was layered.
I could hear all three of our voices in my threat.
Thinius smirked with Nadine, but Nina was smarter, taking a slow step back.
Thinius opened his mouth, but Toya walked up next to me with her phone out.
“What are you doing?” Nadine pointed to her, but she just chuckled.
“Who? Me?” she pointed to herself as she used the other hand to keep the phone straight. “Oh, I’ve just been recording this.”
“Why?” Nadine’s face scrunched up in confusion, but Nina paled.
Toya laughed again. “Because I want to have some proof that it was you three idiots that started all of this when the king comes here to investigate because Amy killed a council member and his two stupid nieces.”
Nina took another step back as I took a step forward. But Thinius thought he had the upper hand. “Killing a council member is a killable offence.”
I nodded. “Sure is. If there is no provocation.
But if someone challenges an Alpha, whether by word, physical attack, or provocation, any and all attacks are justified if the Alpha is stronger and not if full control of their wolf.
It's a little small subsection in the rule book that the council put together to protect little vindication Alphas who were taking out their anger on their packs.” I smiled, and I watched the truth hit them all in the chest. I turned to Toya, and she laughed, pointing at her mouth.
“You have a little blood there, Aim.” She moved the camera to catch my face. “It’s dripping down your chin and all over your teeth. You did a number on your lip when your fangs dropped.”
I nodded as I turned back to the three of them. “Now…where were you?” I paused and took another step. “You were telling me that my mother was a whore and my father was lucky to be fucking dead, is that right?”
Nadine, obviously the stupider sister, smirked. “You won’t do anything. The rule states the Alpha has to be stronger. You are what, eighteen?”
“What day is it?” I turned back to the table.
“It’s May ninth.” Wendy offered.
I nodded as I turned back. “I’m nineteen.
Today is my birthday.” I smiled bigger. I heard the girls behind me all gasp, but I was focused on the three in front of me.
Thinius recovered enough to smirk. He obviously assumed that a young female Alpha would not be stronger than him. But Nina grabbed his hand.
“She’s strong.” I heard her whisper.
“That I am.” I felt my smile grow predatory.
“Now, who wants to finish that train of thought?” I turned to Nina.
“Nina? Want to give it a shot? I mean, I almost killed you the last time you wanted to bring my father into our conversation. I wouldn’t mind finishing the job to really hammer the fact home for your sister and uncle.
” I felt more fur sprout down my body. Nix was pushing against the wall now,
Give them to me, Amy. Please. Her fangs glinted in the light of my mind and I knew she would snap their necks.
“No.” Nina raised her hands. “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
I walked closer. “I’m really tired of you thinking that your family and who you are connected to is going to save you from me. I really think I need to teach you a lesson.” My hand darted out and I crushed her hand that she had raised up to warn me off.