Vengeance Reborn

Chapter 16 ~ The Parents

Former Alpha Willis’s POV

I've dealt with rogues, territorial disputes, political negotiations, and more Alpha-sized egos than any sane man should endure.

None of them irritate me quite like my first born son.

My phone vibrates across the desk while I'm reviewing patrol expenditures with Finn. I glance at the screen and immediately stop reading.

Knight.

My brows pull together.

We've never received a call from the Knights at Silver Lunar Pack.

Despite them being three hours drive from us, we're not acquainted but I know all about the Knights.

Who doesn't?

I've wanted an alliance with them for years but could never seem to get appointment with them.

The Knights of the Silver Lunar Pack is the number 1 pack in the realm of Salem with over 2000 members.

The problem is...

They associate with other supernatural.

Bears, fairies, dragons, werewolves, elves, vampires and etc.

I can't stand it!

They are beneath us and should stay that way!

They're pack disgusts me.

But their money, power and prestige could bring Golden Elite to new heights.

I pick up immediately.

“Golden Elite Pack. Alpha Willis speaking."

“Alpha, this is Luna Sophia Knight.”

"Why, Hello Luna. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Michael"

One word.

Calm, polite, controlled.

Fuck.

I lean back in my chair. “Is Michael okay?”

There's a brief silence.

“No harm has come to him.”

I sigh.

“Yet.”

I close my eyes.

The f**k.

Luna Sophia continues. “There was an incident at Salem University this morning involving your son, one of my pack members, and another student.”

My hand tightens around the phone.

“How bad?”

“The student Michael assaulted was being taken for medical treatment when Sebastian and I arrived.”

I straighten.

“Assaulted?”

“Yes.”

There isn't an ounce of exaggeration in Sophia's voice. That's bothering me.

“Can you explain what happened?”

“According to witnesses, Ingrid deliberately collided with the student and accused him of disrespecting her. Michael intervened physically.”

I rub my forehead.

Of course a woman is involved.

I've known that woman for less than a day, and already I like her a lot.

“How physically?”

“He punched the young man to the ground, beat him to an inch of his life and placed his shoe over his hand. Witnesses reported Michael was preparing to stomp on it to finish the job.”

My chair creaks beneath my grip.

“What stopped him?”

A pause.

“An interruption.”

Something about Luna Sophia's tone tells me there's more to that answer, but she doesn't elaborate.

I don't push.

Not yet.

“Can the student not heal himself?”

“We don't know the full extent of his injuries yet. Ingrid has been informed that she will cover his medical expenses.”

“And Michael?”

“I assumed you would prefer to handle your son.”

“I see no reason to.”

My voice drops low enough that my wolf snickers inside my head.

I spent years teaching both my sons that strength and power is permission to abuse someone weaker. An Alpha is most powerful when the weak know their place.

Wolves are dangerous. We are Alphas and leaders of our Packs for a reason.

Michael understands that.

Finn heard the lessons but apparently decided they applied to everyone except him.

I didn't want Finn to take over my position when I retired.

I wasn't ready to retire yet anyway.

But due to council law regarding first-borns and age restriction, I had no choice.

Stupid ancient assholes.

Who are they to tell me how to govern my pack?

"Excuse me?"

"Luna, perhaps what transpired with the student was accurate and my son was doing what an Alpha is meant to do.”

"And that would be?"

"Set an example that the weak can't bully the strong."

“Alpha, I'm not calling to interfere with Golden Elite mindset of ideological. Michael is an adult. However, this occurred at Salem University, involved a member of Silver Lunar, and left another student injured. Sebastian and I witnessed the aftermath personally.”

“I understand.”

“There's something else.”

Of course there f*****g is.

“What?”

“Michael's response when Sebastian and I arrived concerned me.”

My jaw tightens. “Explain.”

“He appeared more offended by being questioned than concerned about the student he'd injured.”

I say nothing.

Because that sounds exactly like Michael.

Luna Sophia's voice softens slightly.

“I'm speaking to you parent to parent now, not Luna to former Alpha.”

That somehow makes this worse.

“Your son needs intervention before arrogance becomes something neither of us can excuse.”

I stare at the papers on my desk without seeing them.

Michael has always been perfect.

Competitive, restless and hungry for everything Finn had simply because Finn had been born first.

I told myself that maybe I could mold Finn to my desires.

I've been waiting and working to get around the council for years. There has to be a loophole somewhere.

But I've yet to find it.

“Thank you for calling me personally.”

“I thought you deserved a heads up before the university administration calls.”

“I appreciate that.”

There's another brief silence.

“Luna?"

"Yes?"

"May I speak with Alpha Sebastian?”

“For?”

I am quickly becoming irritated.

“I wish to discuss pack business with him, and I am hoping we can form an alliance. One strong Alpha to another.”

Despite myself, I almost smile.

Silence.

Then, a breath.

“Have a good day, Alpha.”

CLICK

My smile disappears.

The call ended.

I slam my phone on the desk.

Hot, boiling rage is stewing within me.

I sit there for several seconds before snatching the phone back up.

Michael answers on the fourth ring.

“Dad—”

“Home.”

Silence.

“What?”

“Now.”

“I have class.”

I stare at the wall.

This motherfucker.

“You suddenly care about class?”

“Dad, I can explain—”

“Wonderful. You can explain when you're standing in front of me.”

“Luna Sophia already called you?”

I lean back.

“So you knew she was going to call and still waited for me to find out from her?”

“I was going to—”

“Michael.”

He goes quiet.

“You have thirty minutes.”

“Dad—”

“If I have to send warriors to Salem University to retrieve my adult son because he cannot follow a direct order, this conversation is going to become significantly more unpleasant.”

His breathing changes.

Good.

“Thirty minutes,” I repeat.

I hang up.

The office door opens.

My mate stands there with her arms folded, her expression unreadable.

“How much do you know?”

“Enough.”

I sigh.

Susan steps inside and closes the door.

Her eyes settle on my phone.

“What did he do this time?”

“Sit down.”

---

Luna Susan McGarland’s POV

I listen as Willis tells me what happened.

Finn is already sitting across the room, silent as usual whenever his father and I discuss Michael.

By the time Willis finishes, I don't know whether I want to laugh or scream.

“So let me understand this correctly. Some man disrespected Michael's girlfriend, Michael handled him, and Luna Sophia Knight called here to complain?”

Willis smiles.

Exactly.

Finn doesn't.

Of course he doesn't.

“Mother, Michael nearly killed someone.”

“And?”

Finn's expression goes blank.

I hate when he does that.

That look makes me feel as though I'm the child and he's the disappointed parent.

“You don't see a problem with that?”

“No.”

Silence.

"Sure... Michael should know better than to create a spectacle, especially outside Golden Elite territory."

Finn nods.

"But... "

Finn freezes.

"If there is a need to establish dominance, you do it intelligently, quickly and make sure it has the desired impact."

"You make sure witnesses everywhere are Alpha commanded... "

"To a certain point."

Finn rolls his eyes.

"And NEVER embarrass our family."

Willis leans back. “That's what I've been trying to teach you both.”

Exactly.

Michael has always understood us better than Finn.

Finn was born with everything an Alpha heir should possess: strength, intelligence, discipline, presence. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way he developed the ridiculous belief that leadership means protecting everyone equally.

It doesn't.

Leadership means protecting what's yours.

Your power, blood, pack, position.

Everything else comes afterward.

Yet because Finn was born first, the Council handed him the position Willis and I both believed Michael would eventually be better suited to hold.

Finn is a good Alpha.

I'll give him that.

The pack respects him.

Our warriors trust him.

Our finances have improved under him, and even the Council praises his leadership.

That's almost what makes it worse.

Every success convinces him that his way is right.

Michael, on the other hand, understands ambition.

He wants more.

There's nothing wrong with that.

I've always believed my youngest could become something extraordinary if given the right opportunity.

Maybe even greater than his brother.

I turn toward Willis.

“What exactly did Luna Sophia say?”

“That Michael needs intervention before his arrogance becomes something they can't excuse.”

I scoff.

“Arrogance?”

Pot calling the kettle black.

The Knights sit at the top of the Realm of Salem and pretend they're somehow morally superior because they welcome every creature that wanders onto their territory.

Disgusting.

But powerful.

Very powerful.

And rich.

An alliance between Golden Elite and Silver Lunar could change everything for us.

“So you asked for Alpha Sebastian?”

Willis's expression darkens.

“She hung up on me.”

I blink.

Then my anger rises.

“She did what?”

“Dismissed me.”

Oh, I don't like that.

Not one f*****g bit.

Nobody dismisses my mate.

Especially not some Luna who thinks her pack's reputation makes her untouchable.

Finn finally speaks.

“Maybe asking for an alliance while she was calling about Michael beating someone nearly to death wasn't the best timing.”

I turn slowly.

“Did anyone ask you?”

His expression doesn't change.

“No.”

“Then don't.”

Willis chuckles.

Finn's jaw tightens.

There it is.

That constant tension.

I love both my sons.

Of course I do.

But Finn has spent years pushing against the values Willis and I raised him with, while Michael embraced them.

Then Finn became Alpha anyway.

As if giving birth to Michael second somehow made him less capable of greatness.

My youngest simply needs the right opportunity and connections.

Maybe even the right woman.

I glance toward the clock.

Twenty-seven minutes.

“Michael better not be late.”

Willis smiles.

“He won't be.”

I smile back.

Because whatever happened today, we'll handle it.

We're McGarlands.

We always do.