The asshole guy shares a look with a different woman at the end of the table, then scoffs before turning to Julien with an exaggerated look of bewilderment. “You turned down a mutually beneficial alliance with the Michigan pack forthis?”
And, of course, he punctuates that question by gesturing at the totality of me. He couldn’t be any more condescending if he tried.
Though he definitely tries. He wrinkles his nose like he smells something unpleasant. “You’re from Alabama? Who are your parents? What is your lineage? What benefit do you bring to this pack?”
Straightening my shoulders, I let my growing anger leak into my voice. “Yes, I’m from Alabama, but my parents and my ‘lineage’ don’t matter.” I tilt my chin up, all the things Remy told me about omegas bolstering my confidence. “As far as what benefit I bring to Julien’s pack? I’m an omega. What does this pack have to offerme, besides my mate?”
The elder has no reaction except for a slight rolling of his eyes. He glances from side to side as if visually polling the other elders’ expressions, then says, “The boy clearly wasn’t thinking, too blinded by the mating instinct to realize how this would reflect on the rest of the pack.” He sends that pitying look at my mate again. “Julien, you—”
And that’s about the last straw.
“Alpha Matisse,” I say in a low voice with an edge of a growl. “I might not know all the protocols, but I know you’re not showing your Alpha proper respect by addressing him by his first name.”
“And who are you to tell me how—”
“The Alpha Mate,” I say, this time in a louder voice.
“That’s yet to be determined.” Asshole makes a dismissive wave in my direction. “But it doesn’t really matter anyway.” He shoots me a poisonous smile and his voice turns to something laced with false sweetness. “Alpha Matisse has already agreed to our compromise. In exchange for our support of his continued leadership of this pack, he has agreed to select a surrogate from—”
“A surrogate?” I turn toward Julien. “We’ve been official less than a day and you’re already letting them pressure you into this nonsense?”
“I havenotagreed to taking a surrogate,” says Julien in a tense voice.
“A surrogate is your only choice,” says the asshole elder dryly. “Unless you have the secret ability to get pregnant, this…‘relationship’ will not produce an alpha heir and we will not allow you to present himto the pack as your mate without an agreement from you to provide an heir.”
I bare my teeth at him. “Adoption is a thing, dude. And—”
The door bangs open behind me—nice to know it’s not just me that happens to—and Everett strides into the room, a stormy look on his face.
“What’s this I hear about setting up my nephew with a surrogate?” asks Everett.
Old Guy, who still hasn’t bothered to introduce himself, rolls his eyes again. “In order to continue this pack’s tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, Julien must have an alpha heir.”
Everett comes up to stand beside Julien. “If the boy doesn’t want to take on a surrogate, we shouldn’t make him,” he says, which is surprisingly reasonable of him granted what little I know about him. “The bloodline can be preserved through me instead.”
Ah, sothat’shis angle.
Everett continues, “Julien can keep his whore and—”
“You willnotcontinue to disrespect my mate,” snaps Julien. His narrowed eyes shift from Everett to the elders. “And neither will the rest of you.”
The one elder sneers at me. “If you truly think we’ll accept this wolf as Alpha Mate—”
“I don’t need your acceptance,” replies Julien, his voice growing harder. “I am your Alpha and I don’t have to justify myself to you.”
“If you insist on continuing down this path, you will not like the consequences.”
“Consequences?” Julien tilts his head to the side. “Are you referencing youremptythreat to appoint a new Alpha? You don’t have the power to do that.” He pauses. “Unlessyou’replanning to challenge me for the position?”
The elder has no response to that.
“I didn’t think so,” says Julien. His gaze moves to Everett. “What about you, Uncle? You seem pretty keen on the idea of being the Alpha.”
Everett stutters out a denial and takes a step backward.
“Then I’m done with this nonsense.” Julien grabs my hand and tugs me toward the exit. Only silence follows us out and I don’t release a full breath until the door has shut behind us and we’re halfway to the elevator.
We find Rachel waiting for us in the downstairs lobby area. She lifts her brows. “So, how did it go?”
