Even those who disliked Alexander personally respected him as Alpha. And respect, Gerald knew, was harder to break than affection.
Then there was politics. For all his arrogance, Alexander had inherited his father’s gift for building alliances. Over the years, he had secured ties not only within the pack but beyond its borders. Other packs, even human officials who turned a blind eye when necessary. He was entrenched, rooted in power.
And Marcus? Marcus was a ghost. A name no one had heard, a shadow claiming blood he could not yet prove. It would take more than talks and old resentments to make the people follow him. Even those who grumbled against Alexander would not simply trade him for a stranger.
Gerald saw the truth clearly...Marcus’s chances were slim. Very slim.
But he also saw
