Part 32

/Reed's POV/

"Take this." The sound of the letter hitting the desk almost broke me out of my thoughts. I stared as my father leaned back in his chair, lines marring his face. He looked older than his age, purple hues under his eyes and shoulders drooping.

My brother was quick to tug at the folded envelope, pulling out a single piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read it over, mouth parting in a low gasp.

"Dad...this is..."

"What is it?" I asked, peering over his shoulder when he handed me the paper. Gripping at the edges, I roamed my eyes around, mouth forming in a thin line.

A notice. The council members wanted my father to step back for the wrongful use of pack funds. My jaw clenched tight, knuckles turning white.

"This is absurd! How can they do this? You are the Pack Alpha!"

"Reed...son, calm down." My father patted at my knee, a sigh escaping his lips. "It's nothing new. They have been after me for a long time now, so I am used to it. Someone's feeding them inside information."

"A traitor?" Rowan whispered. "This is not good, dad. We should find the person and..."

"I know." Our dad cut him off, his hands folded together. A pensive look crossed his face, and I twisted my lips. Why would he not reveal the name of the traitor?

"Listen, this is not important right now, but you need to take this as an example. Do not trust anyone blindly, no matter how close you are to them. Always remember to trust your instincts."

We both stared at each other before looking at our father and nodded.

***

I woke up with a jolt, my gaze moving towards the mobile on the nightstand and reaching for it. A loud breath whooshed out of me as I stared at the bold numbers. My brother was still snoring, his head buried in the pillow.

We had to attend a meeting today, especially to inform them about our decision. My mother would be present as the Luna alongside a few crucial members of our pack.

"Rowan!" I nudged his side, tugging on my shirt and raking a hand down the messy hair. "Wake up, or we will be late for the meeting."

All I got was a grunt in response.

Fast forward to two hours later, with my brother and I sitting next to each other in the meeting room. Our mother was at the head of the table, her head tipped high and hands folded.

"Are you sure about the decision, Alphas? This cannot be undone in future without causing a scandal."

Rowan and I stared at each other, using mind links to communicate in a room full of wolves. Our mother raised the question, appearing rigid and cold as always. We gave prior notice to our members that there will be an announcement in the papers tomorrow.

"With little more time, we can find a suitable and sophisticated omega as your mate." My uncle cleared his throat, sharing a look with the Luna. They are in this together. I thought with a grimace. How did my mother convince him?

I could feel the palms of my hands moisten and the hairs on the back of my neck tingle with nervous energy. The others began to shift nervously in their chairs. They recognise the challenge for what it was.

I stood from my chair, ignoring the creaking sound it made, followed by my brother. Desperate to regain control of the situation, I cleared my throat and, with whatever faux-confidence I could master, pinned him with a look, "Are you seriously  questioning the choice of your future Pack Alpha?" I asked.

There is a pregnant pause, where I can see the frustration written all over my uncle's face. My mother was gripping the shawl around her upper body, lips pursed in a thin line. Why was she so against Erin? I thought with a twist of my lips.

From my peripheral view, I could see the vein on my uncle's temple, throbbing and ready to burst in anger. It matched the unbearable tension headache that's begun at my temple.

"No, Alpha," He shook his head, hands clasped in front. "That was not my intention. We are here only to guide Pack Alphas into making a proper decision. Forgive me if I crossed a line today."

"You did," Rowan said boldly. "This would have been considered as slander if Erin was our mate already."

"I understand."

"I will adjourn this meeting if there is nothing else of importance," I said, clearing my throat. "Our decision is final, and to celebrate the announcement; we will host a pack hunting the following day. Make sure the preparations are in order."

Despite the palpable tension, when nobody made a move to raise any other notion, the pack members seemed to take the hint and began to file out of the room. I plopped down and didn't bother looking up from the table—hesitant to break potentially whatever semblance of authority that I managed to muster.

"When are you bringing that omega for dinner?" My mother asked, standing up, a blank look on her face. My face almost brightened, but then she quickly added, "As a Luna, I need to be prepared to host your guest."

"Our mate." Rowan corrected.

"Mhm." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"We will inform you beforehand, mom."

"Alright."

With that, she turned on her feet and stalked out of the room, strides hasty and powerful.

A purposefully loud cough forced me to lift my eyes after the room had finally felt less full. Our uncle was standing just at the doorway, his arms crossed.

"Can I help you, uncle Philip?"

He had the nerve to lift his chin, eyes glinting with something akin to hatred, "You may find it wise to resort to the power of your position during meetings, but that may not always work."

I pursed my lips, nodding my head, "I thank you for the advice, uncle and will do my best to keep it in mind in the future."

"Careful, Reed. Or you might anger the pack members with that sort of attitude." It sounded more of a threat than I would like to admit.

"The pack members? Or just you, uncle Philip?" Rowan asked with a quirk of his brow.

Philip sneered, shaking his head. "Your father never had to resort to pulling rank to handle a few differences of opinion."

It's enough of an insult that I whipped my head to the side as if I had been slapped. Philip wielded his words like a finely sharpened weapon, threatening and menacing enough for us to feel the warning hidden beneath the man's words.

Our father trusted him enough to make him second in command. He was present in nearly every single core memory that we shared with our father. So many firsts that we shared with our father—teaching us to shift and control the wolf, allowing us to sit in the office while our father ran through heaps of paperwork and proposals, the long walks along the deserted roads.

The Alpha took on a wicked look in his eye like he knew where my thoughts travelled. Resentfully, I wondered what our father would think of his brother now? Would he understand the urgency in this whole arranged marriage scheme that Philip was opposed to? Or side with him? For starters, he would treat Erin much better.

"It's better if you leave, Uncle Philip. We have nothing else to talk about." I clenched my jaw, hardening my stare in hopes to convey the seriousness of my tone.

Alpha Philip flickered his attention between the two of us before taking a few steps back and turning around. We watched him leave with tensed shoulders and ragged breaths.

I let out a breath I had been holding as soon as he left, slumping in the chair. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Rowan glare at the entrance.

"What?" I nudged him with a foot, startling my brother enough to make him curse out loud.

"You are an ass!"

"Hey!" I sat upright. "I just wanted to know what's going on with you?"

My brother rubbed at his ankle before turning to me, tone wary. "Uncle Philip doesn't seem right to me. I don't know. He changed ever since dad passed away."

"Do you think he has a hand in dad's murder?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Rowan made a sound in the back of his throat, legs crossed together. "But I wouldn't put past him, Reed. He may be the traitor dad was talking about before we left."

I followed his line of vision, humming softly, a furrow forming in between my brows. "Could be. Jade still has not found anything relevant...I don't know who to suspect at this point."

"We should keep an eye out for him. The murderer is bound to slip and make a mistake."

"Yeah. Let's hope we catch them in time."

***