ROWAN.
“What?!” He exclaims. “Her?!”
“What is wrong? Have you met her before?” Viktor asks with a dangerous smirk.
He really has been spoiling for a fight with him and I wonder if this meeting can go on without a hitch or without a little blood being spilled.
In the meantime, I stare right at Dominic as he too stares at me, daring him to answer.
Oh, he must be so confused.
I am pretty certain he was convinced I was dead and he had gotten away with what he had done.
It will be lovely, destroying everything that he holds dear.
“Alpha Dominic? Are you okay?” One of the men asks.
“What? I mean … Yes, I am fine. I am okay.”
“So, have you met her before?” Viktor repeats
“No. No, I have not.”
“Ah, I see. Have you met any of the members of her coalition?”
“No.”
“Have any of your people come in contact with them?”
“I… I can’t say.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“If there is no other issue,” Maxwell says. “Shall we begin this meeting? Alpha Dominic, please have your seat.”
It was an order and I know for a fact he detests being told what to do, but him refusing will just show how immature and divisive he can be.
So, I watch him take his seat, a strained smile spread across his face.
“Thank you. Now, down to business. We all know what we are here, so we make our case and vote. I ask that we all keep this short and to the point. As earlier said by Alpha Dominic, we are all very busy people and would like to go back to our packs on time.”
There is a murmur of assent and he continues.
“It is known that Alpha Dominic has been gathering support to wage war on the Winter Wolf Coalition, Alpha Viktor on the other hand is against that. I will call on the two men to state their claims and we will all decide on the next course of action. Do we agree?”
And another chorus of affirmation echoes around the room.
“Alpha Dominic, you started this call for war, please tell us your reason.”
“Hmm, of course,” he says with a smug smile, glad to have been called on first. “Well, I will ask that we first get rid of that ridiculous title. Winter Wolf Coalition, hah! What a ridiculous name. Who is this winter wolf-”
“Alpha Dominic, please refrain from unnecessary words or insults,” an aged alpha speaks up. “Just tell us your reason for trying to start a war.”
“It is not a war!” He snaps at him. “It is clean up. We all know what they are. Rogues. Dirty, disgusting rogues. It is a mercy enough that we have allowed them to live this long, but now they have overstepped and we have to do what we should have done all those years ago. Exterminate them!”
Exeter- I am going to kill him.
“And what exactly have they done?” another alpha asks.
“They killed our fellow alphas!” Another one responds, most likely an ally of Dominic, no doubt.
“And do you have proof of this?” The alpha asks.
“Do we need one?” Dominic asks.
“Yes, we do,” Fin replies. “We are talking about lives here, people. Not bugs. Have some decency. Or if you don’t have that, you can at least, pretend.”
“What is your proof that the coalition killed those Alphas?” Another wolf asks.
“Well, they went missing when they went to ambush-”
Oh, you fucked up.
“Wait,” Viktor says as he leans forward. “You knew they were planning an ambush? You knew they were planning to attack, unprovoked? And you said nothing?”
“Well… didn’t you?”
“No. I was told that they were just going to discuss with them, I had no idea of an ambush.”
“Who cares anyway? They are just a bunch of-”
“We are,” Sven replies. “Those of us who have actual honor.”
“They killed them! Our fellow alphas?”
“Well… if they were planning an ambush, unprovoked, it seems the coalition just defended themselves. It isn’t murder, it is self defense.”
“But-”
“While I agree with you, alpha Black,” Viktor says. There is just one thing, where we are wrong. The coalition had nothing to do with the death of those Alphas.”
“What?!” Dominick snarls. “What kind of lie is that?!”
“It is the truth. And if you had bothered to actually, really investigate, you know, and not just brush off normal facts, you would know this. A fight broke out among us, and as you all know, most of them died. I would have died too, if Rowan had come across me. She and the coalition took me in and nursed me back to health.
“Tell me, is that the action of cruel and senseless people? I normally wouldn’t be concerned about what shenanigans he gets up to, but I just couldn’t keep silent about this. The Coalition didn’t do anything. And Alpha Dominic is just bloodthirsty.”
“I am not!” He roars.
“Yes, you are. We all know that. But it seems you are tired of killing your own pack members, so you have decided to look outside. Tell us, if you succeed in killing the rogues, who would be your next target? Me? My pack? Or maybe it will be those who you deem to be weak or the ones who might have disrespected you. I mean, you certainly have a type.”
“You- How dare you?!”
“You are gathering people for war and you have no legitimate reason for it. If anyone is to call for revenge, it will be those packs that actually lost their alphas. Let them stand and then we will ask them why those Alphas were there in the first place. Not you. You have no right, no legitimacy, no reason whatsoever except for your vicious desire to cause as much pain and blood as possible. You will lead anyone who follows you to a ditch, and it is up to us, the ones with honor and sanity to stop you.”
“You-!”
“Enough!” Maxwell snaps. “Control yourselves. We have heard from you two, now let’s hear from the leader of the Coalition herself. Rowan, the floor is yours.”