Chapter 65

“Alpha John of The White Forest Pack,” I called.

“We, uh, I back your challenge,” he responded.

I nodded deeply to him, keeping my face passive. I caught Ezra’s eye briefly, and his gaze was so intent on me that I had to look away, afraid I would be overcome with emotion that would crack the composure I was desperately clinging to.

“Alpha Issac of The Blue Mountain Pack?”

Alpha Issac stepped forward. “We support your claim, me and my heir both do.” He bowed his head, and I returned the gesture.

Then I moved to the ones I wasn’t sure of. I was saving the one who started it all, the one who put the idea in Sam’s head for last, hoping I could count on him to sway the crowd.

“Alpha Owen of The Starry Ravine Pack?” I willed the nerves down, tucking them away with the anger I kept so carefully leashed.

Another Alpha stepped forward, looking only at Raymond. “I do not back this silly game.” Raymond smiled at him with a deep nod and turned to me with slimy triumph.

I ignored him and addressed Alpha Owen instead. “That is your prerogative. Thank you for voting,” I said calmly.

As I called out The Alpha’s names, I saw Raymond’s eyes turn to slits out of the corner of my eye. I wondered what he was thinking of me, and I basked in it.

This must be a shock to what he believed to be true at his very core. That he broke me, made me meek, and submissive, and trembling. I wondered if he would truly let himself believe what stood in front of him, but I knew better than to bet on common sense and logic when it came to him.

I moved on. “Alpha Timothy of The Silver Lake Pack.”

No one moved forward this time; there was just a gruff, “No.”

I thanked him politely. Now, there were three against two, still in my favor, but this next one could even it up.

I hoped that I got through to one of the other Alphas today. I hoped that they were either appalled by Raymond’s actions towards the werecats and how his rash actions could have endangered all their packs or swayed by my words for just giving me a chance.

I was only asking for a chance.

“Alpha Liam of Dark Wood,” I called out.

There was some shuffling. “I’m sorry, but we can’t risk it. We can’t risk the turmoil, and I don’t want to see you dead, either,” he added quieter. “You’ve been through enough.”

I met his eyes with my cold ones; he looked away but did not change his mind. “Save yourself,” was all he said before melting back into the crowd.

Three for three.

I finally called on the one who first suggested it. Sam called him a loose cannon, but I hoped it worked in my favor if he were only bored enough to want to see some bloodshed, even if he thought it would be mine.

“Alpha Jameson of The Red Eclipse Pack?”

I could barely hear my own voice over the rushing of my blood and my thundering heart. I was glad for the gloves I was wearing to cover my clammy, sweaty hands.

He stepped forward and gave me an oily smile. “No,” he said, and my stomach twisted on itself. I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. This wasn’t a game; this was my future.

How dare he?

He is not our concern - Aksala reminded me.

Three were in my favor.

Four weren’t.

Alpha Raymond turned to me with a wide smile and fake pity in his eyes. “Simone, there you have it. No one wants to back your unfounded challenge.”

“That is not all the packs in the territory,” I responded calmly, trying to buy time to figure out a solution.

But even with one more vote, I would still be at only fifty percent. My last hope was that The Elder would accept that even if technically the law said over fifty. It might be close enough to convince him.

“Shadow Stone isn’t here,” he explained as if he were talking to a child. “They never attend these events, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that.”

“Don’t speak for me or my pack,” Alpha Alexander rumbled, stepping into the circle of warriors with a few of his own trailing behind. He radiated a dark, cool power, and it comforted me.

Alpha Raymond looked like a fish out of water, and I fought against everything not to smirk at him.

“Alpha Alexander, thank you for attending,” I greeted him.

“Simone,” he replied politely. “It is so nice to see you in the flesh.”

“Are you ready to cast your vote, or do you require a further explanation?”

“I’m ready.” He walked up to the bottom of the steps, seeming not to see or entirely ignore the werecats.

“I stand with you and Blood Moon,” he stated, bowing his head. “Always.”

I swallowed and couldn’t fight the smile from blooming across my face anymore. “Thank you, Alpha Alexander,” I whispered, momentarily taken by the raw emotions his support elicited.

“Yes, yes, what a pretty display.” Alpha Raymond tutted. “But now that is only half and you need more than that so.” He waved his hand, dismissing me. “A great attempt from an orphan, but why don’t you scurry inside, and I’ll deal with you later.” The underlying threat was evident in his tone.

I glanced at The Elder, who gave me a sympathetic look; it seemed he knew the rules and wouldn’t bend on them.

Even Ezra seemed angry, sad, maybe, though his face didn’t change much.

I fought for anything to say, to plead with them to do anything to help me.

But I was just as helpless as the girl I was when I came here, without an end in sight.

The silence was deafening; everyone collectively held their breath. I felt as if I could fall to my knees. The anger in me swirled and tried to keep at bay the choking sobs that threatened to come out. Anger was better than complete desperation, and I would be damned if I showed them how much this affected me, especially Raymond.

“Can she not speak for Blood Moon?” Sam asked.

The Elder’s brows tugged together. “I will need to look into the legitimacy of what happened, what Simone claims, and what Alpha Raymond does. I’m afraid that will not be decided today.”

It did not give me hope, this was what I had planned for. Today. It all came down to today—it had to.

“There are no other Alpha’s?” The Elder asked; his voice sounded far away, but I tried to focus on it.

I would not succumb to emotions; I held them in for years. I could do it now.

I would do it now.

“This is all in the territory,” Alpha Raymond responded; he looked at me with smug satisfaction. It might not be today, but I would wipe that look off his face forever. I held onto that thought, and not that everything I planned for today crumbled under my feet. Embarrassment mixed with my anger and I was furious now at myself for the first time in a while.

“Well then.” Elder John said. He looked between me and Raymond with sympathy and clasped his hands together. “If that is it for now.”

Ezra mentioned The Elders might be able to do something about what Raymond did, but I didn’t trust them, didn’t want some legal process. I wanted to be the one stripping him of his title; this just convoluted things further.

Alpha Raymond opened his mouth to speak, but someone else spoke for him.

“I, Nolan Coinin, future Alpha of The Black River Pack, back Simone’s challenge.”