Lycan's unexpected mate

Richard's pledge

Triton

As we walk towards my office, I can't help but wonder why Atalanta has never confronted me with this before. I mean, I have always taught her to appear strong even if she feels down, but I didn't think she will apply it even to her own family! The four lessons in leadership have been passed down from my father's father and I have made Atalanta memorise them, too. These rules help in deciding the course of action in a conflict and allow you to keep your image in front of your subordinates so that they would follow your lead even when seriously wounded. When I received the title of Alpha King, I gained illimitable trust but, before that as Triton Summons, I had to fight for respect.

I repeat the rules of leadership in my mind. First: Always plan for the worst-case scenario. Second: Never let them see you sweat. Third: Your people come first. And fourth: Accept responsibility for your actions. Then I shake my head and rub my neck. This Alpha meeting is the only one that hasn't been passed through these rules, mainly the first one, and it has backfired on me. I realise it all too well now.

I notice that Atalanta has returned to her room for something, but I don't ask about it. I still have much to think about with David Flinagan, Zeus and Alpha Witek. I decide to contact Poseisus, my brother-in-law, about the Midnight Pack. He will need to play Alpha of Silent Heights for even more people than I have expected. But this can wait until after I brief Atalanta on what I have already discussed with the Alphas and what will follow tomorrow and the day after.

Atalanta stays silent all the way and I guess she is still thinking about what she has just said to me. I wouldn't have allowed her to play someone else if I had known it would cause her so much trouble. She doesn't deserve to be second-guessed. I should have prevented that. Somehow. Anyhow. And she is surely also trying to sum up things about the rogue attacks. What's more, somewhere near the common area, I notice someone following us at a respectful distance. He's one of the Alphas from the meeting, but he's too far for me to say who he is. However, he doesn't stop me as Alpha Witek did.

I unlock my office and hold the door open for Atalanta. She slips in and I follow after her, closing the door in the process. I use the opportunity to look behind us, but I don't see anyone. I purse my lips and walk behind my desk. Atalanta has already plopped down on the sofa and she is taking off her shoes right now. I take my notebook and a pen and follow her to the sofa where she is sitting cross-legged, looking at me attentively.

"So, before we get to it, how is your search for that Zeus werewolf going?" I ask matter-of-factly.

Atalanta's ears turn red which means I have hit a sore spot and she will surely try to change the topic. To my surprise, she admits: "Well, I have reached a dead end. All the clues lead to nothing because he uses a strong portion that can't be brewed by a usual sorcerer."

She then shrugs and looks into her lap. On the first view, it seems that she's ashamed. On the other one, I'm not so sure anymore because she keeps a straight posture indicating she's not sorry at all.

"I guess Tyche's sister is helping you a lot?" I say it somewhere between a statement and a question.

"Yeah, Artemissi is a great help. She told me about the potion and she's asking her contacts in the covens. But they don't know who Zeus could be working with, either." Tali plays with the hem of her blouse in thought. It's one of the times that I wish I could read her thoughts and tell her if they're plausible or not.

I hear her faint whisper: "I should have asked Carson or David in person."

Okay, now this is suspicious. How can these two know anything about such an important rogue? I have seen reports about a white werewolf appearing close before many attacks. And the rogue attacks have become more and more common in the past five years. Zeus may be the mastermind behind these attacks! And if the two men Tali has spoken to are somehow linked to him, they could be a valuable asset to our plan of defeating him.

Atalanta scratches the back of her head and looks straight at me. "Sorry, I was mumbling to myself. So, what is there to discuss about the Alpha meeting?"

I close my eyes and incline my head first to the left, then to the right. Very well. She won't tell me now so I should give her some more time to investigate. Her birthday is next month so she has time until then.

Suddenly, there is a timid knock on the door. I pretend not to hear it and tell Tali: "First, I need to know everything you have found out about the Midnight pack's Beta couple. If tomorrow people want to know more, I don't want to admit that it was your initiative all along. Then we can talk about the Alphas."

The knocking sounds again, this time a little more urgent. Atalanta registers it, gets up and walks to the door barefoot. "Of course, Dad. I wouldn't leave you in the dark when I don't like it myself," she says with a tiny rueful smile and then she opens the door.

I wait for the person to introduce themselves but there is only the sound of breathing for a moment. Then a male voice quickly says: "So-sorry to interrupt. I-I will return later."

"No need, Alpha," I inform him and get up from the sofa. I have a good look of him now and recognise him as the new Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. "Please, Alpha White, come in."

He hesitantly walks in to my desk. He must have noticed that Tali isn't wearing her shoes and he probably thinks that we are enjoying the downtime before dinner. I smile at him and motion for him to sit. He waits until I sit down myself before carefully taking the right seat. Tali strides to us and claims the other chair.

Alpha White squirms in the chair a little before addressing me: "Your Majesty, thank you for accepting me without having a scheduled meeting." Then he looks at Tali and adds: "Alpha Summons, I'm happy to be able to thank you in person for what you and your men did for our pack and my nephew. Emily told me everything when I was released from the hospital."

Atalanta's cheeks turn pink. "The outcome could have been much different if we weren't passing close to your territory on the way from our own mission, Richard."

Alpha White shakes his head. "But you did and every day I thank Moon Goddess that she brought you to us." He then swears: "I and my family are forever indebted to you. If ever there is something you need from us, we'll fulfil your wish immediately."

I can't help but snicker. "Not even a queen yet, and you're making allies outside our pack. Should I feel threatened, dear?" I ask Atalanta and her eyes widen comically. She probably didn't expect me to make fun like this. I look at Alpha White who's frowning deeply. I'm glad that even though he still doesn't know for sure that Tali is my offspring, he's respectful and doesn't ask about everything.

"Alpha White," I start with my stare fixed on him, "in this office, you are free to ask any question without being afraid of the consequences." He smiles gratefully and nods, but he doesn't ask about Tali. Yet.

I continue: "And this reminds me that you haven't had your official inauguration ceremony, yet. Why haven't you called me earlier?"

Alpha White looks embarrassed. He rubs his hands together and adds silently: "Alpha Summons has made the ceremony for my Mate so our Pack has the official Luna and they didn't become rogues. And I had quite a few things to solve so . . ."

I interrupt him calmly: "And don't you find it strange that Atalanta could grant your Mate the Luna title?"

Alpha White blinks rapidly, purses his lips and then he looks first at me and then at Tali. Next, he looks at his lap and keeps thinking. "That shouldn't have been possible. Only the Royal family can grant ranks officially," he says in the end.

I lift an eyebrow and wait for him to make the connection. I usually don't have to deal with anything like this because new Alphas are told who Tali is by their parents. This time is different, so I'm trying to approach Alpha White differently, too. However, he seems completely clueless.

Atalanta shakes her head and tells me with a kind smile: "You shouldn't examine him like this, Dad. He cannot know."

"Da-Dad?" Alpha White stutters weakly and he looks like fainting with his face getting pale white. "You . . . you are . . . o-our Princess? The . . . the first-born princess?"

I feel sorry that he is so terrified. Even though Atalanta gave me a thorough report about the mission and the rogue attack in the Blue Moon pack, I didn't think that it had been a mission where she could have lost her life. But maybe Alpha White has a different opinion. Atalanta nods and explains: "Yes, I am. But I thought you heard me there in the meeting when I introduced as . . ."

"Luna something," Alpha White finishes for her. "You weren't introducing your family name then? I thought . . . Well, it's not important now, is it?" He grows more and more embarrassed and also fearful.

I realise that this is all new to him and he has no idea that there can be some serious secrets about the Royal Pack. I sigh and say using my Alpha voice: "Alpha White, whatever you learn here stays here. You are not allowed to speak about it with anyone but other Alphas and Lunas who also know about us."

He trembles ever so slightly as he answers: "I swear."

Then I cough and break the Alpha voice command. Tali nods at me faintly and turns to Alpha White. "Richard, I know that you are confused and scared that you have endangered me and the future of our kingdom." She speaks gently in a soothing voice. "But everything is fine and I have chosen this life. How else would I be able to help my kingdom if I had no idea how the packs live and what hardships they go through?"

He ponders about it while Tali and I exchange uncertain looks. I hope Alpha White will digest these pieces of information soon without any more trouble. Suddenly, Alpha White gets up and starts pacing around with his hand rubbing his chin. He inhales as if to say something, then he closes his mouth and shakes his head.

I cough to draw his attention back to us. "Alpha White, truth to be told, there is more to our story," I warn him calmly. His shocked face tells me enough, so I continue immediately. "There is no Silent Heights Pack. There is only the Royal Pack and those werewolves you know as officials from Silent Heights are actually our relatives. Current Luna and Alpha of Silent Heights are my sister and brother-in-law. The Beta couple is my Beta's uncle and aunt."

White's jaw drops lower and lower, his eyes bulging in astonishment. He is almost hyperventilating. Atalanta checks him visually, her medical training kicking in. I rub my ear in thought because I hope I'm not going too fast.

"Alpha White, even though we all belong to the Royal Pack, we still have to show others that we do rely on help from the outside. Moon Goddess has granted us the gift of longevity, enhanced senses and more power." I keep my eyes on Alpha White and he chooses this moment to set his eyes on me in return. His pupils are dilated and he seems to be unable to keep it together. I close my eyes and wet my lips.

"You have to be wary when someone from my pack introduces themselves. We have encountered cases when a werewolf tried to pretend that they belonged with my pack. But you can easily recognise my people."

"Ho-how?" comes his faint distraught voice. I'm surprised he's still standing. I wouldn't wonder if his legs gave way any time soon.

I turn to Atalanta with: "Show him, please."

She nods and closes her eyes to let Diana look through them. Alpha White blinks incomprehensibly at me and Tali, then he inhales sharply when he notices the change in Tali's eyes. They blaze in golden colour, so unique that there is no way you can confuse them for a normal colour.

Atalanta lets Diana watch and says: "Whenever you want to verify the identity of our pack, just ask to show their eyes. They will know what you mean and they will show you the eyes of their wolf. If they don't, you know they're lying."

Then she closes her eyes and, when she reopens them, it's her again with her deep blue eyes. The change isn't so big for people with brown eyes, but it does change her whole appearance.

Alpha White moves to his chair shakily and collapses on it. The chair creaks in protest but holds his weight steadily. He rubs his forehead as his eyes cloud over. I know that his wolf has taken control and pulled him into their mind space to talk to him. Meanwhile, Tali touches my arm and ask worriedly: "Do you think he'll be alright?"

I put on my best smile. "I'm pretty sure." Then I let my expression go and ask the question that has been bothering me: "Who asked you to perform the inauguration ceremony for his Luna? She shouldn't have known anything about who you really are."

Atalanta frowns. "She did," she admits readily. "I thought she believed that being from Silent Heights Pack gave me some privileges." She gazes at Alpha White, and then she shrugs. "It's impossible for someone to leak the secret with your Alpha voice command . . . is it?"

I smack my lips in thought. One possibility occurs to me just then and I facepalm. "No, but maybe she overheard her brother-in-law telling her nephew before he became their Alpha. If she did, she's not bound by the voice command, but she knows about you for sure. And the rest, we'll see when I see her on my own."

Atalanta seems astonished as if such a thought hasn't come across her mind. But she isn't the only person who sneaks around without letting herself be known to others. White's Luna can be a similar case.

Alpha White chooses this moment to return from his mind space. He still looks like a deer caught in the headlights but his breathing and blood pressure are almost back to normal. His eyes aren't completely clear so I believe that his wolf is keeping him calm. It's hard to describe what I see in his eyes because I only notice it thanks to living for so long and meeting so many people in different states of mind.

Alpha White says: "Sorry about spacing out. Derrek pulled me to our space to talk. Apparently, from the very first meeting, he felt that Alpha Summons, your daughter Your Majesty, was special." He shakes his head ruefully. "And that damned wolf couldn't say a word."

"Exactly," Atalanta points out in a calm voice. "Every wolf can feel that we are different, but the Moon Goddess has forbidden them to speak about it until their human counterpart finds out, too." She shrugs and looks at me. "It's a safety measure," she adds silently as if she were disclosing a little bit too much.

Alpha White gulps thickly and asks: "So my brother and his family knew?"

Both Tali and I nod. I even tell him: "All ranked adult werewolves have the possibility to know about us because their knowledge can be bound by my voice command and they can't spread it like rumours." I take a calm breath and continue: "This reminds me . . . When you appoint your new Beta and Gama families, if you want to, they will be informed and bound just like you."

Alpha White bobs his head with a sigh. "It won't be easy, what with our new members and lack of males . . ."

Tali opens her mouth questioningly at the information about new pack members. I'm intrigued to hear how they received new members so soon after the attack. It seems quite unexpected . . .