Leviathan
“You want me to come along as your mate?” Rainier asked with a smirk.
He was bunking with me at my rental house while the rest of our pack mates were staying at inns and motels that had been rented for the ceremony.
Many of my people were both excited and terrified of coming here.
Many had fled bad mate pairings or had been rejected and banished.
Anders had given them all a free pass to come to the ceremony, which meant they were free to move through town without worrying about retribution.
According to Rainier, it had taken several days to convince the twenty people we’d selected to come.
The rest had stayed behind to safeguard Hidden Grove from the Red Maw.
“Sure,” I said, glancing back at him. “I got your dress all picked out. I hope you like the thong I chose. Do you do oral on the first date?”
“Oh, fuck off.” Rainier laughed. “Seriously, though, am I going to this meeting with you?”
“I suppose,” I said, pulling my boots on. “The other alphas are all bringing their mates instead of their betas, but Anders didn’t make a rule about it or anything.”
“Speaking of,” Rainier said. “How is the douchebag?”
“Still a douchebag.”
“Any more incidents between the two of you?”
Rainier had visited once since Anders and I had almost gone at each other in the Hollis’s store, and I’d given him a quick rundown on everything.
“Thankfully, no,” I growled. “Not that I wouldn’t like a chance to rearrange his face.”
“Why the hell are you even still allowed in town, man?” Rainier asked while putting his feet up on the coffee table. “Surprised he didn’t chuck your ass out the moment that happened.”
“The Red Maw,” I said. “That’s why. He’s worried about them, and he doesn’t want another enemy to worry about. Plus…” I shook my head and sighed in disgust. “I think he wants me as an ally, as sort of a status symbol.”
Rainier threw his head back and barked a laugh. “That little prick wants the most legendary alpha of the last hundred years to be his war buddy. I get it.”
“I am not legendary,” I said, gritting my teeth as I cinched the laces on my boots.
“Sure thing, buddy. We going or not?”
“Yeah, let’s get this over with.”
We met the others at Anders’s house. The four other local packs had arrived the day before.
As we made our way toward the door, I was suddenly nervous.
It would be the first time I was seeing June since I’d kissed her in the forest. I needed to play it cool, but I wasn’t sure how I’d react to seeing her.
When we stepped inside, every eye in the house turned toward us. Alphas, mates, Anders, and at the back of the living room, June. All conversation stopped, and I felt a little like a bug under glass being inspected by curious children.
“Uh…bro, I don’t think this is the strip club,” Rainier said.
I grimaced at his joke, but it did the trick, because many in the room snorted or chuckled.
A large guy with the figure of a bodybuilder and dreadlocks stood and held out his hand. “Hakeem Jones. Alpha of the Ravenhill Pack. I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Cross.”
“Call me Levi,” I said as I shook his hand.
With the first introduction out of the way, Rainier and I went around the room, shaking hands and learning names. The whole time, Anders sat, managing to look both bored and anxious.
When I took a seat, Anders was practically bouncing with energy.
“All right,” Anders said, “as we were saying, the Red Maw pack is an all-male pack, full of bloodthirsty fuckers who want to take us all down.”
“Hold up,” Blaise Boucher said. “Do we have any true confirmation on this? I mean, all we’ve heard is that this pack lives in the woods and may or may not be scouting our territories, but some of us live pretty far away.
” He gestured to Hakeem. “You guys are an hour’s drive away.
” He pointed across the room. “Devon, you’re almost equally far, but in the opposite direction. ”
Devon, a bearded, tattooed man sitting with his petite brunette mate, nodded. “It’s true. All our pack lands border the forest, sure, but are they really a threat to all of us?”
“Trust us,” I said. “These people are unhinged. They want land, they want power, and they want mates. I don’t think any of your unclaimed or mated women will be safe with them around.”
A fourth man rose to his feet, older than the others, looking to be closer to fifty with wisps of gray in his beard. “They can fucking well try, but I’ve got news for them. Bend Lake doesn’t take kindly to threats.”
“Easy, Patrick,” Anders said, holding a hand up to calm the man. “I think we all know what we need to do here.”
June looked uncomfortable sitting at the kitchen island, conspicuously away from Anders, and when he said these words, I couldn’t help but notice her wince.
Anders stood and leaned against the mantel of the fireplace, tucking a thumb in his belt and doing his best to look like the righteous sheriff in a gunslinger western.
“What we have here is an existential threat,” Anders said, nodding sadly to himself. “What that calls for, is an equally powerful response. Something that will strike fear into these Red Maw bastards.”
“Let’s hear what Cross has to say,” Blaise said, nodding in my direction. “He knows these guys the best.”
A shadow of irritation passed over Anders’s face. I relished it as I cleared my throat to speak.
“The Red Maw has been in that forest for the better part of my time there,” I said.
“Started out as a small group of shitheads who’d been kicked out of area packs and got together to stay safe and have some form of pack life.
Over the years, they’ve grown more aggressive as their numbers increased. ”
“How big are they now?” Patrick asked, leaning back in his seat.
Rainier and I shared a glance while Anders’s face betrayed his barely contained rage. He didn’t like that I was taking over his meeting.
“Bigger than we thought,” I said. “They’re a true threat. They killed a pack acquaintance, and they have their sights set on us as well as you all. It’s too much for our pack to handle alone,” I admitted. “That’s why we’re here.”
A heavy silence fell over the room, then the alphas started whispering with their mates. Anders stood taller, adjusting his shirt, and opened his mouth to speak. I couldn’t help myself. I spoke before he made a sound.
“All I want is the best for my pack and all the other packs,” I said, and from the corner of my eye, I could see a red flush creeping up Anders’s neck.
“What’s your plan?” Hakeem asked. Everyone was looking to me to answer the question, rather than Ander, who had called the meeting.
June glanced uncomfortably from the other alphas to Anders. I desperately wanted to take the reins of this meeting, but it was best not to push my luck. I could be the bigger man here.
“I think we should hear what the man who brought us all here has to say about that,” I said, gesturing toward Anders.
He quickly put a look of contrite worry on his face as the other alphas turned their attention to him. He again positioned himself like some politician about to give the speech of his life.
Rainier rolled his eyes.
Anders scanned the room. “We unite the packs. Not just an alliance, but a full and complete combining of all six packs. That’s the best course of action.”
A rumble of uneasy muttering traveled the room, but Anders went on as though he couldn’t hear them.
“Of course, as the most powerful alpha, it would obviously be best for me to be the supreme alpha of all the packs to ensure—”
“Now wait a fucking minute,” Blaise roared, leaping to his feet. “Who the fuck said you were going to be in charge?”
Devon, glared at Anders. “And who the fuck said you were the most powerful alpha?”
“Excuse me?” Anders said, eyes going wide as he took a step toward the other man.
I tensed, ready to intercede before things got physical, but before I could even jump off the couch, June stepped between Devon and Anders, separating the men before they got to close.
“Let’s all calm down,” she said, holding her hands out to both men. “I think what Anders really meant”—she gave her mate a look loaded with meaning—“was that he would simply lead the allied forces against any attack by the Red Maw, not that he wants to take over your packs.”
“He said it wasn’t an alliance. He said he wanted to combine all the packs!” Patrick roared, leveling a finger at Anders, who finally realized the deep shit he’d stepped in by letting his ego get too big.
“Combining them for military purposes,” June said. “Correct?” she added, glaring at Anders, and daring him to disagree.
If I was totally honest, I kind of wanted to watch things devolve and witness these four other men beating Anders to a pulp, but part of the reason I’d come back to Idlewild was to secure protection for my pack from the Red Maw.
If this turned into chaos and a shattered alliance, then we’d be right back where we started.
“Uh…” Anders glanced around, suddenly unsure of himself, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, just for military action.” He quickly regained his footing and grinned, waving a hand at Devon. “Couldn’t you see what I was talking about, my man?”
Devon and the others settled themselves, but everyone kept shooting irritated glances at Anders.
“See?” June’s tone was that of a pleased kindergarten teacher. “We can all work together here. I know this isn’t the usual way things work. Packs usually work alone, but this is different. This is a major threat. We have to put any traditions behind us and be a team.”
The other alphas nodded along as she spoke, and to my delight, Anders sort of faded to the background, looking sullen at the way June had taken over. She was wasted on him. She was capable of so much more than being that prick’s mate.
All I wanted was a few minutes alone with her, to talk to her in person rather than emotionless text exchanges. If I could, I’d tell her how good she was at this. June was a born leader, and unfortunately, tied to Anders. I couldn’t think of a worse way to have talents squandered.