“Bloody hell.” Elder Shen plopped down in a chair. The lines around his eyes were deep and dark, and Zhuang knew this entire situation weighed heavily on his father.
“Do you think the other elders will agree to the transfer?” Hearing Elder Shen snort was a new experience for Zhuang. “Father?”
“Osamu killed Yang. They’d agree to just about anything to destroy that man. I just have to word it in a way that they can accept without compromising their morals or shifter law.”
“We know he killed Elder Yang—”
“It was recorded, so that’s not an issue.”
Zhuang’s eyebrows shot up. “You have him killing Elder Yang on video?”
Elder Shen nodded. “Osamu was pitching his bid for Xias to join his clan, remember? All such meetings are recorded as a matter of record.”
Zhuang didn’t understand why this was such an issue. “So, if you have him on tape killing an elder, brand him as a rogue shifter. Take his clan away from him. Remove his power and ability to be a threat to anyone else.”
“It’s not that easy, Zhuang. There has to be a formal hearing. The entire council has to meet and agree to designate someone as rogue, especially an alpha with his own clan.”
Zhuang walked over to the door and pulled it open. He waved his hand toward the other elders. “So, call a meeting. Make him a rogue shifter and then put a price on his damn head.” He’d be more than happy to track the alpha down and rip his throat out.
“And his clan, Zhuang? What are we supposed to do about his clan? We cannot leave them without someone to lead them. It would be utter chaos.”
“And having a psychopath as a leader is better? He’s taking teenagers from their parents and forcing them to join his harem. I would think chaos would look better to them. Hell, Armageddon would probably look better to them.”
Elder Shen jumped to his feet and stormed across the room. His face grew red as he shouted, “Then you man up, Zhuang. If you’re so fired up to end this man’s reign of terror, then you man up and become the alpha you were always meant to be.”
Fuck a duck!
He’d been set up by his father, and they both knew it. There just wasn’t anything he could do about it. His father was right. Without someone to lead them, the members of Osamu’s clan would fall into chaos and the clan would shatter.
“Fine, but I get to veto anyone I believe might be a danger to my mate, my cubs, or my clan. I refuse to put them in danger.”
Elder Shen grinned. “Done.”
“I still want my clan at my grandfather’s place.”
“Of course.”
Zhuang narrowed his eyes. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Elder Shen chuckled as he pushed past Zhuang and walked back into his office. The other elders started talking immediately, each one trying to be heard over the others. Zhuang rolled his eyes and headed for the door. He had better things to do than listen to a bunch of old men argue.
He strongly suspected that life as he knew it had just changed.
Chapter Thirteen
“Your mother and I can’t wait to meet them, Xias.”
Xias was excited to introduce his parents to his cubs as well. He was even more excited to see his parents. He’d missed them a lot over the last five years. “They’re really starting to get active now.”
He couldn’t tell what the cubs were doing, but two of them were feeling very playful and one was sleeping. The ability to feel their emotions and get impressions of what they were doing was something he’d never expected when he gave birth to them. It was an amazing gift.
He couldn’t wait until this whole mess was over with and they could all settle down on the property Zhuang had told him about. He really hoped his parents could join them. He would like to have his entire family all in one place.
“This man, your new alpha, he is good to you?”
Xias smiled at the concern he could hear in his father’s voice. He’d missed that. “He’s very good to me, Dad. He loves me and the cubs.”
“That’s good to hear, Xias. I… When Osamu took you, I tried to…”
