The alpha I hated

Chapter 17:The pack

ELIAS'S POV

"I won't do it," I said. "I won't take Noah's place."

"Even if it means saving the pack?" Elder Marcus asked.

"The pack doesn't need saving from Noah," I said. "We need saving from the vampires who are trying to kill us all. And Noah is out there fighting them."

"He's out there risking his life for a creature who doesn't deserve it," Elder Robert said.

That's when I lost my temper.

"Daisy saved my life," I said loudly. "When those ancient vampires attacked us in the forest, she could have run away. She could have saved herself. But she stayed and fought. She bled for this pack. She almost died protecting werewolves who hate her."

The elders looked surprised by my outburst.

"And more than that," I continued, "she makes Noah happy. For the first time since his parents died, I've seen him truly smile. I've seen him laugh. I've seen him hope for a future that's more than just duty and responsibility."

I looked around the table at each of their faces.

"So if you want to replace Noah as Alpha, you'll have to go through me first," I said. "Because I won't let you destroy the best thing that's ever happened to him."

Elder Sarah sighed. "Elias, we're not trying to hurt Noah. We're trying to protect him. And protect the pack."

"By taking away the person he loves most?"

"By removing a threat to his life and our safety."

I shook my head. "You're wrong about Daisy. She's not a threat. She's an ally."

"She's a vampire," Elder Catherine said.

"She's Noah's mate," I said firmly. "And that makes her family."

The room went quiet. I could hear the younger wolves playing outside, could hear birds singing in the trees. Normal sounds of a normal day. But nothing felt normal anymore.

"The council will discuss this further," Elder James said finally. "But Elias, you need to contact Noah. You need to tell him to come home."

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we'll deal with that when it happens," Elder Sarah said.

The elders started to get up from the table, but I wasn't done talking.

"There's something else you should know," I said.

They all stopped and looked at me.

"The vampire attacks in town aren't random," I said. "They're connected to Daisy. There are ancient vampires who want to capture her and use her power for something terrible."

"What kind of power?" Elder Marcus asked.

"The kind that could destroy both the vampire and werewolf worlds," I said. "If they succeed, if they capture her and drain her power, everyone dies. Not just our pack. Everyone."

The elders sat back down, looking worried.

"Explain," Elder Sarah said.

So I told them everything I knew. About Daisy being a hybrid with special abilities. About the Authority Staff and the Crown of Dominion. About the ancient vampires who wanted to use her power to break the barriers between worlds.

When I finished, the room was silent for a long time.

"If what you're saying is true," Elder Robert said slowly, "then Noah isn't just trying to save his mate. He's trying to save everyone."

"That's right," I said.

"But it also means that the danger to our pack is even greater than we thought," Elder Catherine said. "If these ancient vampires are after Daisy, and she's connected to Noah, then they'll come for us too."

"They've already tried," I said. "That's why Noah left. To stop them before they could hurt anyone else."

Elder James rubbed his forehead like he was getting a headache.

"This changes things," he said.

"Does it?" I asked hopefully.

"We need to discuss this," Elder Sarah said. "All of it. The threat to the pack, Noah's absence, the vampire situation."

"And Daisy?" I asked.

Elder Sarah looked at me for a long moment.

"We'll discuss her too," she said finally.

The elders filed out of the meeting room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had bought some time, but I wasn't sure how much. And I still didn't know what was happening to Noah and Daisy.

I walked outside and found my phone. I had tried calling Noah several times over the past three days, but he hadn't answered. His phone was either dead or destroyed.

I tried calling him again. It rang once, twice, three times...

"Elias?"

I nearly dropped the phone in relief. "Noah! Thank god. Are you okay?"

"I'm..." There was a pause. "It's complicated. But I'm alive. We're both alive."

"Both of you? Daisy's okay too?"

"She's okay now," Noah said. "But Elias, something's happened. Something big."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain over the phone," Noah said. "It's too dangerous. But I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"I need you to keep the pack away from town," Noah said. "No matter what they hear, no matter what rumors they get, don't let anyone come here."

"Noah, the elders are asking questions. They know you're not on a business trip."

"I figured they would," Noah said. "What did you tell them?"

"The truth. About the ancient vampires. About what Daisy is. About the danger to everyone if they succeed."

Noah was quiet for a moment.

"How did they take it?" he asked.

"They're discussing it," I said. "But Noah, they're talking about replacing you as Alpha if you don't come back."

"With who?"

"With me."

Noah laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound.

"Of course they are," he said. "And what did you tell them?"

"I told them they'd have to go through me first."

"Elias," Noah said, and his voice was warm. "Thank you. For everything. For protecting the pack, for defending Daisy, for being the best Beta I could ask for."

"You don't have to thank me," I said. "Just come home safe."

"I will," Noah said. "But it might be a while. And when I do come home, things are going to be different."

"Different how?"

"I can't explain right now," Noah said. "But Elias, I need you to trust me. Whatever happens, whatever you hear about what's happened here, I need you to trust that I'm doing the right thing."

"I trust you," I said. "But Noah, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I have to go," Noah said. "But Elias, I need you to remember something."

"What?"

"Sometimes being Alpha means making choices that other people don't understand. Sometimes it means sacrificing yourself to protect the people you love."

"Noah, what are you talking about?"

"I love you, brother," Noah said. "You've been the best friend, the best Beta, the best family I could have asked for."

"Noah, don't talk like that. You're coming home."

"I hope so," Noah said. "But if I don't..."

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone in horror. That had sounded like goodbye. Like Noah was planning to do something dangerous, something that might get him killed.

I tried calling him back, but the phone went straight to voicemail.

"Noah," I said to myself. "What are you planning?"

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Elder Sarah walking up behind me until she spoke.

"Was that him?" she asked.

I turned around. "Yes. He's alive."

"Good," she said. "And the hybrid?"