ROWAN
“… Rowan, the floor is yours.”
At Maxwell’s words, I finally break my gaze off Dominic.
“I really don’t know what more to say,” I begin. “Alpha Viktor here has spoken well on our behalf. There is just one thing I would like to add. You said it was a mercy that you have allowed us to live this long, frankly, that is a disturbing thought. It has been a while since I have been in a pack, so please enlighten me, is this the mentality of all alphas? That those they consider less or weaker than them should be killed off?”
“Of course, not!” Sven remarks. “It is our duty to ensure that we teach and protect those too weak to protect themselves.”
“They are rogues!” Dominic snaps. “They are dangerous creatures who have banded together to-”
“The only reason we have banded together is to protect ourselves from packs who will seek to take advantage of us or kill us. Packs like yours!” I snarl at him. “Tell me, these past years that we have been in existence, have we contacted any of you, attacked you, stolen from you?”
“You killed those Alphas -”
“I think alpha Viktor has corrected that assumption,” Maxwell cuts in.
“And we are all just to believe that?!”
“Of course not,” Fin answers in a bored tone. “Which is why there are representatives of some of those packs here to tell us the real reason why their alphas took such numbers from their pack to go… how did they put it again, Viktor?”
“See the Coalition’s intentions,” Viktor answers
“Exactly. And if you had arrived here earlier, when we were mingling and talking, you would have heard and understood that those very representatives have themselves confirmed Viktor’s claim. So, what actual thing has the Coalition done to you that would warrant you to go and start a war?”
“You- you have all decided, haven’t you? You are all against me!”
“Nobody is against you, Alpha Dominic,” an alpha says. “We are here to make a decision. You made a claim and a play for war, all we are asking is to justify why we should join you. Surely, you can do just that, right?”
“I have said my piece -”
“You have made unfounded allegations, ones that you can’t prove,” Viktor says. “You are so insistent in showing everyone just how much of a big bad wolf you are and you have dragged innocents into it. Innocents that want nothing to do with you. Which is why we are having this meeting. I suppose we should thank you,” he murmurs.
“What? Why?” Sven asks.
“Because, thanks to him, all packs can see for themselves just who the Coalition is and what they want. Thanks to him, they are no longer a mystery and now we can even move forward. That phantom threat that hung over all of us, is gone. So, thank you, Alpha Dominic. In your bud for war and bloodshed, you have brought enlightenment and peace. Shall we have the vote now?”
There are a few Snickers after the question, most of them directed at Dominic before Maxwell clears his throat.
“Yes, we shall,” he says. “Just beneath each of our chairs, there is a little pouch for everyone. Can we all reach for it now.”
Everyone does as they are told and I pull out a deep brown pouch closed tight by a twisted leather drawstring.
“Good,” he continues. “Inside it are two marvel stones. White and red. If you look over at the statue, you will see a box with an opening, just by its side.”
As one, we all look towards it and nod
“The white marble represents no war, no bloodshed, peace. The red marble, well, war, blood, chaos. We are all to pick one marble from the pouch and place it in the box. We have heard both or should I say, the three sides. Please, make your choice. I will go first.”
He gets up, carrying his pouch as he walks towards the box, and in the silence that fills the room, we hear the marble drop into the box.
Then as one, we begin making our choices.
Viktor gives me a small smile as he goes after the fifteenth alpha and I return it, my gaze fixed on him as he goes.
Which is why I am able to catch Dominic glaring murderously at me.
I am torn between laughing at his behavior or scoffing in derision.
What a child.
Oh, he is not getting his way, let him show it by glowering like a spoiled toddler
In front of all the other Alphas.
Yeah, way to garner respect from them.
Viktor takes his seat beside me and I get up to make my choice, completely ignoring Dominic as I pass by him.
Soon, all the alphas made their choice except him
“Alpha Dominic,” Maxwell calls out with a tired tone. “We are waiting.”
He scoffs before pushing himself off the chair, dragging it along the ground so it makes a loud offensive screeching sound.
He walks towards the box and in full view pulls out the red marble, showing it to everyone in defiance before he plops it into the box
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the supposed leader of a pack.
No tact. No wisdom. No decorum and no regard for anyone but himself.
It will be very easy to turn people against him.
Completely, that is.
Unfortunately for me, I don’t plan on doing that.
No, I am going to take the high road and kill him myself.
Viktor scoffs at Dominic as he returns to his chair, muttering invectives under his breath before looking away.
“Control yourself,” I whisper, barely audible that even I can barely hear my voice.
“I am controlled,” he mutters back. “He is the one that doesn’t understand that word.”
“Let him be. His childish antics work well for us.”
“Okay then!” Maxwell calls out, putting a stop to the chatter. “It is time to count the votes.”