Chapter 13: Deadly Pack Politics
1071 Words
Ryker’s POV
Twins, yes, twins.
Ever since we sensed the heartbeats, my wolf hasn't rested. He has been pacing inside me restlessly like a madman high on caffeine and dangerous instinct. Two heartbeats indicate the presence of two lives, both of them having ties with a beautiful woman but could barely go five minutes without attacking me verbally. Nothing I have done to frustrate her since her arrival has ever worked; instead, I am the one being frustrated.
The minute I discovered they were two, I had assured her I would protect them.
And for once, despite my Alpha status, I actually meant to genuinely keep to my word this time.
But I didn’t have the time to ponder my new promise. That was because, exactly twenty minutes later, I was seen rushing my dressing, throwing on a fresh shirt and finding my way straight to the Pack Council, the great Lion den.
They had been looking for ways to disqualify me since I outsmarted them and married before I was 40 years old, as my father gave as criteria to become the Alpha. And right now, I have been summoned to give them a “status update since the demise of my father.”
If I'm to translate everything? They wanted every possible way to take me out, always poking their nose and prying into my affairs. It didn't end there; they ensured to question every damn move I intend taking, implying that I can't work responsibly without their help.
When I walked into the chamber for the council meeting, it was way too quiet. That could only mean one thing: they were busy plotting against me and had to keep quiet immediately after I arrived.
And as expected, there they were, all complete.
My older brother, who never ceased to amaze me as our father chose me instead of him to run the affairs of the pack and the snake in green grass, my ex-wife, Selene. They both sat with an air of arrogance, well calculated in all their fake loyalty.
Not even the expensive robes they were putting on could hide the evil in their hearts.
I wondered why Selene still parades herself around, always first to act in matters that connect me like a goddess on a throne, especially the one she no longer owned.
She stared furiously at me like she could devour a three-course meal—or rather, a dessert—if allowed to sample me in her mind. But too bad for her, I wasn’t displayed on the menu.
“Ryker,” she purred in fury. “You’re a few minutes late.”
I gave her a heated smile, the one enough to boil water. She even called me Ryker without any Alpha title. “You still have the mouth to talk?” I said.
Vick chuckled childishly. “Ah, here comes time for family banter. That would be a nice way to start the meeting.”
I did myself the favor of ignoring both of them and took my seat at the head of the council table, the seat only Alphas could sit on.
The others didn't say anything but waited. Patiently watching and observing for a weakness.
Too bad for them; I didn’t budget having one for a long time and didn't bring any today.
“Could you do us the honor of updating the status of the heir?” A councilman with the name, Boras asked.
“Growing in wisdom and very strong,” I replied.
“And what do you have to say about the carrier?”
I stared in a way that could kill if care wasn't taken. “She's alive, well protected, and most importantly, off limits.”
Selene’s eyes grew pale in anger. “You mean your forced bride turned wife overnight?”
Ah, this is great. So, she kept herself busy monitoring things.
“How very traditional of you to do such,” she continued. “Getting forcefully legally bonded to a surrogate just because she's with your child. Could this be counted as love or another of your obsession, carefully disguised as honor?”
“I'm not surprised that you wouldn’t recognize the difference between honor and obsession, even if it kissed you on the forehead,” I shot back furiously.
In order to get attention, Vick cleared his throat, never ceasing to grab every opportunity to present himself as the fake peacemaker he is. “What Selene intended to say is… the pack is worried sick that you chose to use a surrogate for your heir. That's too risky, anything can go wrong.”
“She’s not just from anywhere; she's a surrogate with a good background,” I defended flatly. “She’s Castellano, if you must know.”
Silence followed my speech.
Selene flared up again, ever ready to strike and not the one to give up. “That bloodline, from all I had gathered, is extinct.”
“Is it really now?” I asked, leaning toward her direction. “Or some selfish people suddenly stopped searching for survivors to take the family wealth?”
The silence that followed was exactly what I needed to confirm they were also digging. Their faces showed how disappointed they were that I played them in their own game.
“Either way, we will manage it,” Vick said like a smooth talker, “you’ve always taken a bold move, and this one is one of them. All the council ever needed from you is just your reassurance. That you’re not been manipulated, but the one in control.”
I stood immediately.
“Let me clearly announce this to you all,” I said. “Lucy is forever mine. The heir or heirs that she's carrying are all mine. And it would be no news that anyone who lay as much as a finger on them… dies with no mercy.”
Selene’s lip curled furiously in a snarl. “Still displaying your dramatic attitude, I see.”
“And you never cease to be the venom in heels.”
Her eyes winded in horror. “You’ll live to regret ever welcoming the idea of tying yourself to her.”
“Well, even if I do, it would never be compared to how much I regretted foolishly tying myself to you.”
With that, I left the chamber and let them keep plotting; I will always win.
- Writer
