Greene poured himself more coffee. “Financially, yes. And maybe that is what we needed at the time. We are rich beyond even my wildest dreams. We are prosperous, mostly thanks to business ventures that are somewhat self-perpetuating. And I contented myself for a long time that it was enough. I ignored the numbers of unbonded omegas that were increasing in our pack. The number of male omegas. The lack of fated mates. But, that must be the focus now, and that is what you are good at, Seath.”
He stood with his coffee, pacing the large windows as Seath often did.
“I told myself that the prosperity of the pack was more important.”
Seath watched his Alpha carefully. Swirls of a faint breeze came to blow out the remaining stale scent.
“What are you saying, Greene?”
“I am being asked to lead, Seath. At The Council.”
“Why? How?”
Greene set his shoulders. “The Fae may have breezed in and out of here for the coven, but elsewhere unrest lies deep. No one knows what is afoot.” He shrugged. “It is a rift, that is exposing more rifts. And rifts are exposing cracks among all. All species. All kinds. The Council will need to step up.”
“You have done a fine job of balancing Council and Pack.”
Greene gave a little laugh, deep and full of his bear nature.
“I haven’t balanced at all. I didn’t need to. I have a perfectly capable Legate who is stepping in and being Alpha to this Pack. Even the threshold wants to put me in my place.”
“Greene . . .”
“I’m grateful for you, Seath. Never once while I have been with the Council have I wondered how things were going here. Never once have I feared a coup. The other Council members can hardly believe it.”
“This is your Pack, Alpha.”
Greene walked over to the table and sat down, his eyes intent and focused into Seath’s.
“And we know Pack Leadership changes only after a death. But, after this business with Tremon, I would like to turn the Pack over to you. No death. No coup. No ancient throwback to fights to the death for leadership.”
Seath stopped, absolutely frozen in place by Greene’s words.
“What?”
“I have been home six times in the past calendar year, Seath. Do you realize how often we both turn when someone says Alpha?”
Seath’s mind raced, trying to square the dates. Had it really only been six times? He could feel the frown pulling at his face. People did call him Alpha, but that was like a muscle, a response. They didn’t mean it. Not in that way.
“I know I could rely on you, Seath. And the Pack is thriving in the absence of its Alpha. What does that tell you?”
Seath blinked. “What do you think it means?”
“I think we can do something different here. No bloody fight for power, no waiting until the death of the Alpha. A change in leadership, peaceably handled. We can give the world something it hasn’t seen before, but I’ll be damned if I am going to wait around here to die when this is the right move now.”
A sharp breath pulled into Seath’s lungs. “I would never have fought you for leadership, Greene. That’s not the way of our pack. It’s not my way.”
Greene’s smile turned indulgent. “I know that. But other Packs, Seath. You should see what happens. The fighting. The battles for power. Our pack is unique. You are ready for this. I am still Pack. I can move to CFO, if you would like. But it needs you at its head and Lycan at its heart.”
Seath’s head lifted at the knock at the door, and Evan, Greene’s magical assistant came in with a tray of fresh coffee. Teller, the Elf bodyguard, opened the door for him.
Something passed on the air, but all of them had their scents locked down in some way.
Seath had learned from Lycan to look beyond his nose, and wouldn’t Caine be proud of that. He noted the look Greene had for Teller and Evan, the way his eyes pulled to them, and the way they both stood close to each other, regarding Greene in a silent checking-in.
Well, maybe it was more than the Council causing Greene to make these decisions. Seath watched as Greene caught himself watching Evan and Teller and saw as the Alpha shut down whatever he was feeling. The threshold practically sighed along with the two, who looked at each other in a knowing way when Greene withdrew his attention from them.
So, maybe not?
