Chapter 21

ALPHA CALLE

If this meeting consisted only of the elders within this pack, I wouldn’t hesitate to cancel this just like what I did in the office. However, security was at stake not just for my original pack members but also for the pack that I absorbed in the previous couple of months.

We usually held emergency meetings when a rogue attack occurred, or a threat from the other territories was served. This specific meeting was different, though. And the subject that caused fear to everyone was none other than Daphne .

I sat behind my chair and thirty elders from our allied territories created a row in front of me. Most of them are over seventy years old and used to become Alphas.

The youngest of them was Kubu from the pack of late Alpha Gary—the one who challenged me for a duel whom I roasted in my own hands.

Kubu was sixty-four years old and wore a coat made of fur. His wrinkled and tanned face had a thick line of organic paint across his face and neck. “Alpha Calle…” he frowned as he slowly stood up. “We understood that the university was built so our pack’s pups could study in peace and out of fear of being judged or disturbed by the civilized people. But it is seriously alarming if, in this particular institution, our little ones would be in danger due to a new pup whose power is uncommon.”

The other elders nodded as Kubu took his seat. His face was plastered with pride and victory.

“The name of the new pup is Daphne Forster, isn’t it?” the elder named Jacinto asked. He didn’t bother to open his eyes wider or even rise on his chair. His oldness had his knees weak and he was only assisted by his helper. Alpha Calle, have you checked her background before allowing her to study with our students?”

“She attacked a pup from our pack who is still unconscious. The witnesses say it was the force field created by Forster who had Kyla Copper thrown away.”

“What shall we do about the attacker?”

“We have rules. We must decide by it.”

I shut my burning eyes for the moment as they exchange shitty opinions regarding Daphne .

“What is your decision, Alpha Calle?” Kubu asked in an impatient tone.

‘These old dogs must know who they are degrading!’ Dark was seething. ‘If I were to decide, I’ll crack all of their old necks in one attack!’

I fisted my hand on my lap only to make him calm. But if my self-control wasn’t in concern, I had already turned the table minutes ago.

“Alright, listen up!” I stood up and started walking around, the authoritative tone I had exerted had them stiffened. Others lowered their heads, avoiding my cold stare, including the old jerk Kubu. “Before you all come up with your opinions, have you all inquired where the real incident started?” I made a huge stride toward Kubu. “Have you?”

He looked up at me and shook his head forcefully. “No, Alpha. But the attack was clearly—”

“The student named Kyla Copper was reported of terrorizing Daphne Forster with verbal offense on her being ‘wolfless.’” I let my sight wander around. “Mocking someone’s wolf is a serious offense and punished by imprisonment in the dungeons.” I shot my eyes back at Kubu. “That’s number one on the list.”

The group of elders murmured in awe. Though I wasn’t sure if the reaction was toward Kyla or Daphne . Anyhow, I wanted to shove in their small minds the point of my words.

“Wolfless?” asked Jacinto again, tilting his head as though it was his first time to hear such a condition. “That Daphne Forster has no wolf? Is she even a wolf shifter?”

I slammed my hand when I walked back to my table only to silence their annoying groans. Staring back at Jacinto I said, “She is a white wolf. If you were at Luna Carmela’s birthday party in the Dark Vale pack, I am never explaining my ass now because that was the first time she transformed.”

“But how come she can’t shift now?” the oldest among the elders asked. His name is Inko. He sat on the farthest side of the office, his eyes always closed due to blindness. But I bet, his senses were way better than the others—he was the only one reacting when I fumed in secrecy, shaking his head as though stopping me from killing his colleagues.

I cleared my throat. “I’m afraid, I don’t know, either. Because when I found her on the east side of the perimeter, she couldn’t even defend herself from human attackers.”

Inko nodded as though he was content with my response. The others parted their mouths as if they had heard an epic story.

I stared back at Kubu. “Back to the two pups—it’s clear that Forster wasn’t the first one to attack. She only acted according to the bad stimulus—the bullying. You are the one who said that we avoid that kind of disturbing incident, that’s why we isolated our pups from human students in the city. So funny, you fail to know the difference.”

“We don’t allow bullying on our campus—that’s the number one rule,” one elder said, and everybody nodded.

Except for Kubu. I understand his contradictions to the flow of the meeting though. Kyla Copper was his great-granddaughter. They were both relatives of former Alpha Gary.

I sat back on my chair. “Rest assured that I will give fair judgment to both sides. We will not be needing a follow-up meeting regarding this matter. My men will visit your packs to update you about my decision.”

I dismissed the meeting after a couple of minutes, leaving my office in silence and me having a terrible migraine.

When I was sure that I was alone, I turned back to Daphne through a mind link. Since the start of the meeting, she has been there. I allowed her to listen in silence.

“ Daphne ?” I asked her, my eyes staring at the painting of North America on the wall. “You there?”

“No.”

I frowned. “You aren’t in the line, yet you are responding? That’s good. Since when did you learn to be sarcastic? I only know you as a stubborn pup.”

“Since I learned that you are my mate, yet you won’t recognize me,” she said in a weak but high-pitched voice. “I know why you let me sneak into your meeting. It’s because you want to prove that I will not be a good Luna. That’s why you are keeping this a secret.”

“What?” I gritted, massaging my temples. Daphne was the death of me! “Haven’t you heard what I have told them? Do you want me to drag them back to review every bit of our meeting? In case you forget, I am the Alpha of those fcking packs, Daphne . So, I need to treat everyone fairly because they all depend on me.”

There was a long silence on her side.

I sighed, loosening my necktie. “Okay, before I update my people, I want you to know that the consequence of your and Kyla’s act is community service. She’s still seventeen so I can’t allow her to be placed in the dungeons. I’ll elaborate more on it when she is awake. So, what do you say?”

“Okay, I’m sorry about the trouble I caused.”

“Sorry is not the word that I want to hear from you, Daphne ,” I muttered, my teeth clenched together. “I want you to promise to avoid any more trouble so they will accept you when I finally announce to them that you’re my Luna.”

‘And when are you going to mark her? Don’t waste any more time or else the other Alpha out there will mark her!’ Dark intervened and I groaned mentally.

Ignoring the impatient Dark, I turned my focus back to Daphne . I bet she was happy about what I said—that I would present her to the pack soon. But of course, she needed to be deserving of the position first to earn the equal respect I was getting from my pack.

“Don’t you have a Luna already?” she said. “Is Luna Suzette not enough?”

I chuckled. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t—”

“I, Daphne Forster, reject you, Alpha Calle Earhart, as my mate!”

“What the fck did you say?!” I roared with Dark as I smashed my table. “What right do you have to do that, you stubborn pup!”

She ended the mind-link, leaving me an exploding mess of a beast!

“One day, I’m gonna kill that pup!”

‘Or fck her?’ Dark whispered.

“Shut up!” I growled, storming out of the office.

*