Alpha Rising

Chapter Thirty-Six

Alvira's P.O.V.

It was only a few short hours before our small troupe was standing outside the doors of a simple yet imposing building. The hall that held the Elder’s council room was on a small plot of protected neutral land near the southern edge of Black Opal’s borders. Grandpa Yancy had established that back in his youth, and so it had remained when he rose to the rank of Elder several decades ago. Meetings here were rare, but not uncommon. 

And given the circumstances, there was no questioning why the Alpha of Black Opal, his Beta, and his two eldest children had requested an audience on the same day they were to deliberate on the fate of one of those children. 

Alban and I were flanked on either side by Dad and Beta Stephan. We had left Black Opal in the hands of Gamma Samuel and Joseph. Nell didn’t much like the idea of not following along to show her support, but she had to stand by her mate as a Gamma female now. Her priorities were elsewhere. Even I didn’t like not having Nikolai by my side now. But he was directed to the visitors seating along with Richie and my mother. Since we weren’t ceremonially mated yet, that courtesy of joining in the main discourse was not fully extended to him.

But he really had come through for my family despite that. After Nikolai and Phillip had produced an old copy of the rites and bylaws of our kind, we’d spent the rest of the day comparing them to the book that my father had in his office. Needless to say, there were a hefty number of discrepancies. 

It was enough so that we thought that it could rightfully lead to a power shift in our favor. Dad was certain that he could use the lack of consistency in the records to keep the Elders from preventing my official training. Was this what he’d been working on this whole time? A way to get me properly acknowledged? 

“Vira,” I heard my father’s deep voice and felt his heavy hand fall comfortingly on my shoulder. The sensation soothed me and quieted some of the shaking that had started to creep out into my limbs. “Breathe baby girl,” he said low. I did just that and took a deep breath in, trying to keep my focus on the here and now. 

I could feel my wolf – Amelie, I had to get used to calling her Amelie – bristling with the same anxiety. She was worried about us, I knew. But she was also wanting her due respect and her true abilities. She was an Alpha wolf. 

I was an Alpha wolf. 

I squared my shoulders and shook out my hair. Now was the time to put my fighting instincts to use and ensure my own future as well as the pack’s. “I’m ready,” I said, reaching for my brother’s hand. “Are you?”

Alban squeezed my hand in reply. “Yeah,” he managed to squeak out, clearing his throat to hide how his voice cracked. “It’s scary as f**k, but I know we have to do it.”

Stephan cleared his throat behind us, giving a solemn nod in the direction of the door. “I think we’re up,” he said. 

Sure enough, the wooden door had started to open. The four of us all seemed to tense up at once because it was Grandpa Yancy that opened the door to usher us inside. I had never seen my grandfather in such a dismal light before, but everything that Mom and Dad told me seemed to taint the way I saw him. I bit back a snarl as best I could, tensing my jaw and keeping my back straight as an arrow. 

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence Alpha Zachary, Beta Stephan," Yancy said, his cracking voice strained with age. His movements were curt and stiff, the briefest hint of a bow only visible if you were paying attention. 

"Elder Yancy," Dad replied to him, showing the same level of care in his own bow. "Is the council assembled?" Dad's words were short too, despite him swearing up and down that he would take the high road in regards to the Elders today. But it was in his nature to be hot-headed under the best circumstances. He was, after all, where I got my temper from. 

Elder Yancy grunted, nodding in affirmation and motioning for us to enter the building. My gut tossed and turned as we moved beyond the threshold and felt the strong wave of the mind-link blocking seals that encased the building. Having that crutch taken away made sense, but it still left me feeling uneasy. 

The meeting hall did nothing to help ease that feeling either. It was a minimalistic hall, with a long wooden table set at one end of a moderately deep room. The plain beige walls that likely hadn't been repainted in decades blended in nearly seamlessly to the wooden floorboards. In front of this long table sat four lone chairs behind a smaller table, meant for our small band of hopefuls. On it, blessedly, was a pitcher of water. It was the only comfort in the whole room, which felt devoid of personality and beyond disconcerting. 

Of course I knew that the intent was to remain truly neutral, but did that really have to extend to the room itself? I glanced down and caught sight of my father's shaking hand. In it was the thickly stuffed file folder that held all of our hopes and dreams. 

"Alpha Zachary," came the much warmer voice of Elder Duke. He was one of the younger members on the council, only a few years my father's senior. 

"Duke," Dad whispered when the Elder came in for a tight embrace rather than a disjointed bow. I knew that Duke could be trusted, and that glimmer in his eyes let slip that he might just have a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Beta Stephan," He said with respect before turning to look at both myself and Alban in turn. "Be strong, kids. Don't let them see your fear."

His words were comforting, and both Alban and I looked at him with soft smiles and mouthed thanks. The four of us were guided into the room, and from the corner of my eye, I could see a camera pointed at the presentation table. I could only assume that was for those watching in the designated observation area. 

My father sat first with Stephan to his right. Then Alban beside him, until I was seated on the far right of the table. It was a deliberate status push, and I knew it. The old-fashioned of the Elders didn't care much for she-wolves infiltrating the deliberation hall. 

The room was a rush of whispers and murmurs as we all settled in until the graying Elder Bartholomew cleared his throat and began to lead with the customary ceremony of a meeting start. Thank the Goddess they weren't letting Yancy lead.

"Who so calls for the meeting of the council?" He asked, motioning for my father to stand.

Dad's chair scraped on the hardwood floor as he pushed back, eliciting a wince from the older of the men sitting before us. "I, Zachary Xavier Lundine, Alpha of Black Opal, call upon my Elders for guidance and judgment." 

It wasn't often that we had to use our full names. In our line, the Alpha to be was always given a name starting with the next letter in the alphabet after their father's, and their middle name was their paternal grandfather's first name. I always resented my middle name. 

One of the Elders nodded and wrote as the others spoke. I assumed that he was acting as their court stenographer or something like that. Bartholomew nodded and motioned once with his left hand. "And who so joins in this call? State your names and rank. One at a time, please." One by one we stood and spoke clearly, the scribe marking down each name in kind on his paper. 

"Stephan Brian Cook, Beta of Black Opal."

"Alban Yancy Lundine, Son of Alpha Zachary." I could hear my brother's voice shake, and subtly nudged his leg with my own to remind him that I was there beside him. 

"Alvira Yvette Lundine," I paused, looking to my father for his approval. When he nodded, I swallowed hard and stood taller, projecting my voice louder. "Daughter of Alpha Zachary. Heir to Black Opal."

Almost immediately the room descended into chaos. Most of the elders were on their feet, leaning around to whisper and chatter with one another. 

Yancy spoke up, growling at my father subtly. "Zachary. You would do well to control your child. I don't believe she knows the gravity of her words."

"Quiet," said the one in charge, low at first. The volume kept rising and rising until Elder Bartholomew heaved and banged his fist on the table and let out a deep roar that nearly shook the room in full. "Quiet!" he bellowed.

"Enough with the yelling, Yancy," The oldest wolf on the council said. I had been introduced to him many years ago as Elder Altheus, and from what I could tell he was sitting haggard and trembling at the center of the line. "She did not wage war, she simply did as she was instructed." Altheus was not frail, but he was withered. At one-hundred and twenty-three years old, he was the oldest wolf in the alliance. 

"Altheus," Yancy hissed. "Perhaps you had not heard what she-"

"I hear perfectly well." He said quickly, turning his head "We are here to listen and deliberate. Not berate our young."

"Elder Altheus," I said with a polite bow. "Thank you."

He regarded me with a curious air, and I wasn't quite sure of what was going on behind those grey eyes of his. 

Bartholomew cleared his throat again and looked at my father. "As crass as he was, I do believe that Elder Yancy had a point to be made, Alpha."

"Respectfully," he said when given the chance. "I disagree." It seemed for a moment that there was going to be more murmuring and distraction until a cold wave washed over the room, seemingly emanating from Elder Altheus. After the mood settled once again, Dad continued. "I was advised by Elder Yancy last night, after my twins' birthday celebration might I add, that I should consider the banishment of my oldest son Alban."

Bartholomew turned and looked at my Grandfather, scowling. "Elder, is this true?"

"Yes. I did bring up the troubling topic." Though made himself sound remorseful at this admission, Yancy's face was as hard set in grim disgust. "The young Alpha has taken a male mate, which would make a biological heir unobtainable."

There seemed to be a split in the room. One of the other younger Alphas looked around the room almost nervously, and his shoulders scrunched in as though the thought caused him great pains. 

But Bartholomew listened to his brethren before speaking again, aiming to be a fair mediator. "Alban, would you consider a female mate instead?" I couldn't fault him for asking, but the very thought sickened me.

Thankfully, it also sickened my brother. He stood and made his polite bow before speaking. "All due respect," he started. "Absolutely not. The Goddess blessed me with my Richie. I live and breathe for him, and my life would be hollow and meaningless without him."

"But your lineage, child," Yancy pressed, much to the visible chagrin of the other Elders. It was clear to see that he was starting to try even their patience. 

Bartholomew shot him another glare and tried to keep his tone calm as he proposed a litany of alternatives to his fellow Elders. Each one was refused, and I could see Alban growing more and more frustrated. "Perhaps a surrogate-"

"No!" Alban roared. "I offered you my respect the first time, but that is a slap in the face of my mate's bond." It was a rarity seeing Alban so vocal and so fiercely devoted to standing his ground, but I was proud of him. "I will not be studded out to a randomly chosen she-wolf for the sake of your damned traditions!"

"Alpha Zachary, I warn you only one more time." Yancy leaned forward menacingly. "Control. Your. Children." He stared for a moment before straightening up and sitting right before continuing. "Besides. Only the first-born son can be blessed by the Goddess during the rites," he continued, unaware of the grave he was digging for himself. 

"I beg your pardon, Elders," Dad said, opening the file up that sat before us. "But would you be so kind as to read the wording verbatim from your books for that law?"

I swear you could have heard a pin drop with how quickly they all went silent.