Alpha Rising

Chapter Thirty-Five

Philip’s P.O.V.

I know that it was hard for Trevor to be away from Sheena like this. It was making him irritable, and prone to impatience. And that’s probably why Nikolai had asked me to run these books down to them in Black Opal. 

If we could ever find the damned things, that is. 

Trevor growled and nearly ripped down one of the paintings that hung in Nikolai’s office when he couldn’t find the right book. The sound alone made me jump, but I also had to dart and stop the whole shelf next to him from toppling over. “I don’t know about you,” I said to the Beta. “But I kind of want to keep on living, Trev.” He shot me a glare, but I didn’t care. 

“It’s not like we’ll even find anything in here,” He groaned, turning from the one shelf he was hunched at. “I haven’t seen any books on the Elders in here since Andrei was in charge!” He paused, a light going off in his eyes when he turned back to face me. 

We seemed to be on the same page because while he was still trying to form the words, I was already a half step ahead of him. “You think it’s in Luna Irena’s old office?”

“It f*****g better be,” Trevor said, rolling up his sleeves and turning to march back out the still-open door to Nikolai’s office. “I need to be with my pup and my mate,” he muttered. 

I understood, but this was even bigger than us. Our future Luna was at risk here, and maybe even the pack alliance if this shook things up too hard. The two of us did our best to put the office back together, but I knew that Nikolai would still have words for us. 

Trevor was taller than I was by a few inches, primarily in the leg, so I had to hustle a bit to keep up with his manic striding down the pack hallways. Corner after corner we turned until we came to Irena's wing of the first floor, all the while trying our best to move as quickly and efficiently as possible. With the time limit on the table, we knew that we had to be thorough and fast. 

It felt wrong being in the former Luna’s private office. She’d moved to the first floor wing after her legs started to fail, so this wasn’t the official office that she used while acting as Luna. But it still felt very much like a violation of privacy. 

“Stop hesitating,” Trevor said as he moved swiftly into the room. I didn’t even realize that I was stalling in the doorway until he pointed it out to me.

“Right,” I said, shaking my head. “Sorry.” I took a deep breath and decided to tackle the wall opposite of Trevor’s current focus, just to spread out. “He said it was red, right?”

I heard Trevor grunt in acknowledgment. “Irena said she remembered it being a thick, red, leather book.” 

So we were looking for a book that could potentially brain someone and show no damage. Got it. I was moving stacks of papers, turning shelves around, the whole nine yards. And I could have sworn that we were in there for hours. That tension and frustration was so potent in the room that I truly feared what would happen if we didn’t-

“Found it!” Trevor shouted, bolting upright from his kneeling position holding a book that looked older than any other in the study. The faded gold lettering on the front said something in pretty script, but I didn’t bother to read it. I was already itching to run. “Here,” he said, let’s move. I’ll shove it in a duffel for you with your clothes.”

I gave the Beta a firm nod and a mock salute and started stripping down to my boxers. We were both practically sprinting through the hall down to the main exit, and once the warm summer breeze hit my face I started to shift. 

Trevor tossed me the closed duffel bag, and I caught the handles between my teeth mid-run, not even bothering to look back at him as I started sprinting full-stop towards our southern border. 

‘You got this, Bud,’ Trevor said through mind-link. ‘Sentinels already know you’re coming. Be safe.’

‘You too,’ I replied, my paws pounding hard on the packed dirt of the forest floor as I raced down the mountainside. I could feel my muscles straining and tensing with every push. 

My speed was unmatched among the three of us, but this would still be one hell of a run. Warm air filled my lungs as I breathed in deeply, and I let the thought of protecting our pack and our Luna spur me on, faster and faster to the howls and welcome cries of our roaming guards and trackers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Nikolai’s P.O.V.

Alvira was in the other room with her mother and brother, preparing for her first time in front of the council of Elders in such a capacity. I could tell that my Mate was distressed, it hurt my very soul to sense such a negative aura radiating from her. But I was determined to be her rock through this. But thankfully, Alban would be in there with her and would be able to speak up for her. He may not be a chosen true Alpha, but he was still an Alpha by blood. And his assertiveness and charm could be a great boon in their trial.

Zachary and I were in the middle of composing a proposed plan of ascension for Black Opal. The hope was that we could unify Black Opal and Star Garnet into one large pack. It was his idea to consider a relocation and a rebuilding of a larger, more centralized pack house for that plan. And it was his idea further still to have David still rise to his rank of Beta under Alvira. 

A pack of that size would essentially need two enforcing sides anyway. Trevor and Philip would help me maintain the northern territory, and David would help Alvira until Nell’s mate Joseph could finish his Gamma training and rise to serve alongside them. It would be a tough transition, but it could work.

Anxiously, I checked the clock on my phone and couldn’t help but huff in frustration. Trevor had messaged me once Philip left our land, and I knew that it would take him some time to get here, but he was cutting it awfully close. I tried to mind link him, but he was still just too far out of range.

“Did you catch that?” Alpha Zackary said, much to my embarrassment. 

“No,” I had to admit, looking back over at him as he brushed his hand over the map of the territory. “I’m sorry, I was trying to contact my Gamma.”

Zachary shook his head, seemingly understanding of the whole scenario. “No, keep doing that,” he said as he leaned forward and plucked the pencil from behind his ear. “I was saying that if the Elders don’t approve of this, we have a few options.”

“Such as?”

Zachary sighed and marked a spot on the map where we’d thought a good new location could be, “I could call the council to an official vote, as is my right. But I have a feeling that would go over about as well as a lead balloon.” His shoulders moved with the deep heave of a slow breath. “Or…”

“Or?” I quirked up an eyebrow cautiously, already having an idea of where his mind had gone. 

“A challenge.” My heart dropped, though I could see in his steady gaze that he meant it. “It is a last resort, of course. But I’ve reached the age where I can legally challenge one of the Elders to take their place as a vote on the council.”

The dryness in my mouth made me swallow hard, and I gave the Alpha a solemn nod. I knew what that would cost him, should he lose. And I knew that I would have to have my own plans in place given that possible outcome. “Are you telling Luna Katherine?” I asked after a moment of deep thought. The subtle shake of Zachary’s head did not surprise me. This had to appear as improvised as possible to work, and we both knew it. 

“If the Elders find out that we suspect something,” he said, though he didn’t need to finish. I knew the repercussions. 

Suddenly, my ears lit up like a fire was lit beside my head. I was hearing Philip in our mind link finally. Zachary’s eyes glossed over for a second before he told me that he’d ordered his own sentinels to stand down, and my breathing eased. 

‘Took you long enough,’ I chided my Gamma.

‘You try sprinting that distance!’

‘I know, I know. Did you find it?’

‘b***h come take a look, I’m not going up those stairs. My legs are dead!’

I pushed back from the table and motioned for Zachary to come with me. “He says they found the book of old bylaws,” I said. The two of us made our way out of the ALpha’s office and out towards the house’s entrance where I saw the wolf form of my Gamma laying sprawled on the front steps, panting like nobody’s business. 

“I think we might finally have an upper hand now.”