ALEXANDER
The meeting had been going on for almost an hour already. “The situation is under control,” I continued, keeping my voice steady. “All my resources are focused on discovering how the border was breached, who was responsible, and locating the guards who are still unaccounted for.”
I didn’t miss the subtle exchange of glances between them. They wanted reassurance, but at the same time they seemed almost eager to find fault. They thrived on cracks in my leadership...it gave them leverage.
Then Elder Marcus, one of the ones who had always had a habit of drawing out arguments just to irritate me, leaned forward with his thin fingers folded across the table. His voice was slow, each word dripping with condescension.
“Alpha,” he said, “is it true that the police have already extrac
