One of his fingers continued to tap on the table as he waited for the council members to fill in the room. They each stepped in, a look of surprise passing their features when their eyes met his before quickly covering it up, bowing to him, and settling on their seats.
It was unusual for him to be seated before any of them. Callan only came in after they’d all been settled, but tonight, he hadn’t bothered with protocols.
This was something that couldn’t wait.
Just before this meeting, Luther had pulled him aside to report on Silviu. “He met with someone in the garden last night. She was veiled so her identity couldn’t be confirmed, but we are keeping an eye out for him, and whoever it had been, we would find her out.”
But Callan knew whose favorite space to be was outdoors and especially the garden. He’d said nothing about his thoughts and had simply thanked Luther.
Silviu was up to something egregious, and Callan had no time to dawdle in indulging the feelings of everyone else. It had been obvious the man had some other sinister reasons behind his insistence on Sophia’s mating with Alexander and would go to lengths to ensure that transpires, he wasn't going to give room for that to happen, now more than ever.
“It’s unfortunate what has happened to the Beta,” one of the oldest members of the pack, Forrest, said, his eyes resting on the empty seat to the left of Callan.
“I heard the terrible news. May the goddess be with him," another member said.
“I believe the Alpha has not called us here to discuss Radley,” Vaughn chimed in, his voice holding a bitter note that was noticeable to everyone in the room. Callan saw a few of the council members share curious glances, but no one said anything.
Vaughn Thurlow, the Alpha of the former Shadow Pack. During its existence, the Shadow Pack had held its ground and had successful growth, but Callan’s father had desired it, and so they'd formed the pact, albeit bitterly from Vaughn as he’d had no say against Callan’s father, but still, he held on to the superiority about him. It was in the air, hovering around him, in the sneer on his face at the other council members, the jealousy he felt for Callan had only been subdued by the fact that one day his daughter would ascend as Luna.
Now, not anymore.
Callan knew Vaughn was very much conscious of the reason he had called this meeting. The scowl on his face said much more than he had.
His eyes met Vaughn’s, and they remained fixed on him as he spoke. “For long since the pact between the Shadow Pack and the Black Tide has existed, I have done my best in trying to maintain it. I am aware, Vaughn, that your daughter Amelia is to be my Luna to uphold our agreement, but, unfortunately, I am forced to break our agreement.” he leaned forward, his elbow resting on the table this time.
“I am prepared to draw up a different agreement plan that does not involve me mating with Amelia.”
His declaration evoked gasps from every person in the room except for Vaughn. The man’s eyes darkened with emotion, his face reddening.
He shot up from his seat. “I shall not accept this!” he exploded.
“Do not be mistaken, Vaughn. I do not seek your approval, this has been decided,” Callan said in a lazy voice.
Now he wondered what he had been so worried for. He had always put his desires second to his duty, and putting himself first now, for the first time in his life, sent a feeling of exhilaration flooding through him.
The high was incredible, it felt like he was soaring, lost in obliviousness. Vaughn’s anger didn't move him in the least bit, and neither did the council members’ shock.
Isla glanced at him. “Are you sure about this, Callan?”
He said nothing to her.
“I have remained respectful so far. My pack was forcefully taken against my wishes, and I remained understanding still but this? This I shall not take! I watched you parade that girl all over, and despite my daughter’s concerns, I calmed her and reminded her of the pact because I believed in you, Callan. I believed in your sense of duty, so how dare you slap my trust back at me?” His voice roared as he expressed his rage.
“Be careful, Vaughn. You are speaking to the Alpha,” Forrest advised a hint of warning in his tone.
Callan waved a hand at him. “It’s acceptable, Forrest. I understand Vaughn’s contention regarding this matter.”
“Contention?” he spluttered. “I am the wronged party here, and I do not deserve this. My daughter does not deserve to be discarded like this, she has given you all her life, Callan. Amelia has lived to become Luna, that is the future she has only ever known, and to rip that dream is utterly barbaric!”
“Lived to become Luna,” Callan mused, nodding. “You are not wrong about that, Vaughn. It is the only future Amelia has only known, which was why she’d been willing to reach lengths to bring it to pass, unspeakable sinister lengths.”
Impossibly so, but Vaughn's anger surged. “Are you accusing my daughter of a crime, Callan?” His wolf flashed in his eyes, a threat at an attack.
“That’s enough, Vaughn. I do not appreciate your disrespect, and I am sure no one else in this room does,” Isla scolded.
“Oh shut up, woman! I do not give a care in the world what a woman has to say, you are only here out of courtesy and not because anyone cares what you have to chip in.”
Now, this was enough to provoke a storm of fury in Callan, causing his blood to boil. “You shall not disrespect your Luna like that, Vaughn. I acknowledge your anger, and you're well in your right to be but what I will not sit here and allow you to do is talk to Isla disrespectfully.”
Humorless laughter escaped Vaughn, it echoed through the walls, dissipating into the air. “I owe no respect to any member of the Black Tide Pack, Callan.”
He charged forward, his eyes shimmering grey. “I, Vaughn Thurlow of the Shadow Pack, challenge you to a fight till death, Alpha.”
A fight till death meant if Vaughn won, he would become Alpha. It was an ambition that humored Callan to no end, the corners of his lips tilted into a demeaning smile that incited Vaughn, and abruptly, he shifted into his wolf.
“This bastard!” Luther growled before jumping down from his seat, switching to his wolf form as he landed on the floor.
Vaughn’s wolf was visibly larger than Luther’s, considering he was a former Alpha, but it had been inactive for so long compared to Luther’s. Callan knew it wouldn't end well for Vaughn.
Luther’s was formidable and strong, a wolf who had been born for action.
Otto, a member of the council shot up from his seat, his wide eyes moving from both wolves before turning to Callan, wild panic in his expression. “You have to stop them, Alpha.”
Callan’s smirk was still in place. “Why? He challenged his Alpha. He might as well get through to my commander first.”
Vaughn’s wolf growled at him, baring its teeth, but Callan only watched it with a calmness that obviously unnerved the wolf because instantaneously, it jumped in the air charging towards Callan’s direction.
Luther’s wolf jumped in just before Vaughn reached Callan, slamming into him.
Vaughn staggered, catching himself just in time and reeling backward, its paws grazing the rough surface as he attempted to hold its own. Luther attacked him, crashing at him with lethal intent.
His teeth gnawed at Vaughn, biting at his neck and back. Vaughn was sluggish, too slow, fueled with anger more than anything else, and he was getting tired by the second.
The room was filled with only noises from both wolves while everyone else remained quiet in the room, breaths held, watching them.