I’m pretty sure those guys had seen the kids and pulled the attack. Why else would they have been in a holding position?
I shake my head to clear it. I know this is just one of the questions that will haunt me until the day I die. I’ll never know the intentions of those wolves—because we tore them apart in under five minutes.
One got away, and our guys went after him. Upon capture, he refused to speak until they dragged him back to the clearing and he saw the carnage.
Our captive—Bruce—went white as a sheet when he saw his buddies quite literally ripped to shreds. The girls were quickly herding the kids back to town, and Alisha was breaking down, crying in deep, ragged sobs.
She’s never taken a life before. Poor girl, but she was protecting the children!
Rex interrogated Bruce on the spot, and he immediately dropped the bomb—they were from a hidden pack, not far west of us. They had always been jealous of our territory and wealth, and as soon as the military presence left, the Clover pack decided it was time to strike.
He also informed us, the Clover pack alpha was amongst the dead.
In the days that followed, we sent the bodies home, and Rex and Brad had a brief meeting with the Clover pack, finding the place sunk in poverty and now directionless without an alpha.
Today’s meeting is to decide the fate of Clover. Eccles elders seem to want rulership over them, Rose Hollow is arguing for assisting them, and so far, no compromise has been reached.
“Everyone, please!” Rex shouts, raising his hands and making a “calm down” gesture. “I’ve heard all your arguments now, and there is only one solution.”
A brief expectant silence falls. Whatever Rex decides, he’s about to please some people and piss off others.
“The only thing we can do is appoint one of our own as alpha at Clover pack, and bring them into our treaty.”
The silence deepens for a second, then everyone starts talking at once.
“I don’t care!” Rex yells. “This encompasses the wishes of both sides—assisting them, and, in effect, conquering them. They will cease to be a danger to us if they are our brothers, and we can raise their standard of living so they have no need to attack others.”
A couple of the elders from both sides whisper furiously amongst each other. Rex folds his arms, glaring at them.
“Please, share your thoughts with all of us,” he says.
Hazel, an Eccles elder, looks up at him, challenge glinting in her eyes. “I can’t argue that this is an effective way to conquer the enemy pack,” she says. “But traditionally, the alpha we appoint will have to marry a local woman, to force compliance.”
“Excuse me?” Scarlett mutters.
“Scarlett,” Galant, one of the elders from Rose Hollow, says. “It’s not so different from what Eccles did with you.”
“And you’re asking why I have a problem with it?” she shoots back.
“Scarlett,” Gen says. “It’s a good idea.”
Scarlett shakes her head and steps back next to Rex. He puts a hand on her shoulder.
“I understand completely,” he says. “And perhaps, we can look into the idea. The important thing is to choose a new alpha, then go to Clover and set up our chain of command. Once the pack is back on its feet and our man has gotten to know the women there—”
“No,” Galant snaps, standing up. “That isn’t how it’s done. Our new man could get knifed in the back on his first day—but not if he has a local bride beside him.”
“Like a hostage?” Scarlett asks.
“Yes,” Galant answers firmly. “Exactly like a hostage.”
“Look,” Celeste, a Rose Hollow elder, says. “I understand how far we’ve come, and you know how progressive Rose Hollow is. It’s just that this is a tradition on our side, too. It’s more of a sign of good faith than a hostage situation, but you can’t appoint a new alpha without a luna.”
Hazel crosses her arms in satisfaction, glaring at Rex. I see him struggle with himself for a moment, then slowly, the fight drains out of him.
“I understand,” he says.
“Rex!” Scarlett cries.
