Chapter 46: Working Together
Dmitri
The pack hall was full of shifters, all eating as if their food would be taken away from them. At the side table, partially hidden from view, the Alpha's circle stays close, sitting with the seven new warriors and the King.
The atmosphere was warm and comfortable as Nia and Suzy had instantly connected with the twins and were chattering away like old friends. Travis seemed enthralled as he spoke to Kai and Min, the oldest members of the team. They were treating him to slightly embellished stories of their past adventures and he was on the edge of his seat, hanging on every word. Jackson, the pack's Beta, sat with Seth, the Gamma, trying to guess what type of shifter each member of the team was, much to the other's amusement as so far most of their guesses had been far from correct. When they voiced that tiny Suzy had to be something small but deadly, thinking of a badger, a few members had to stop eating to control their laughter at the thought.
When he had returned with his food, Dmitri sat next to Abe, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. He was concerned about how disconnected the young man seemed from the goings on at the table. The concern was proven justified with the reaction he had to the touch.
He jumped, having been so fully focused on his mate, who had chosen a seat at the opposite end of the table, that he had not seen the King approach. He leaned closer and mind-linked the young man, not wanting to be overheard, “So I have been talking to the Alpha, and we think that it might be better if Czar leads tomorrow's mission.”
These words pulled Abe's full attention from his mate and brought it to the King. “What do you mean? Are you removing me from command because you think that I am distracted? I can promise you, Sir, nothing will get in the way of me completing my duty to the kingdom.” The words were rushed with a touch of panic that the King could feel clearly through their link.
The King laughed at the reaction, remembering how overwhelmed he had been when he first met his mate. “No, you are in command so long as you want to be. I just think your time might be better spent working with the new members of the Lunas Guard. As a developing unit, they could benefit from your wisdom and skill. Remember this is the protection of my granddaughter, and your princess we are talking about.” He allowed a small smirk to slip out as he explained his idea.
The King's words acted as a balm to the worried cat, but it only took a moment for him to realize what the King, and apparently the Alpha, were up to. “You want me to work with the new female warriors, making sure they are good enough to protect her?”
The smile stayed in place as the King looked over at him. “I want you to work with the Guard Commanders, Makayla, and Makenzie, and ensure the unit is ready. I hope you do not mind taking them under your wing. While skilled, I think they will benefit from exposure to other shifters and leadership styles. And maybe you could find the time to get to know Makenzie a little more closely.”
With a grin of his own, Abe nodded his thanks. “Of course, Sir, I would be honored.” Together they finished the superb breakfast, both trying to suppress the groan as they stood. When they were on missions, they normally lived on rations or take-out; having a limitless supply of hearty food was a luxury.
Luna took Nia and Suzy to the kitchens to get meals prepared for the members of the team that were patrolling. Other members of the team helped the Omegas collect dishes before gathering together to get a description of the rest of the day.
The next event was the race, consisting of eight miles of rough terrain. They planned how they would each take a section, watching the competitors and keeping an eye out for any potential threats at the same time.
Makayla spoke up quickly, “If I were hoping to ambush the contestants, there are two places that I would wait. By the cliffs, the sheer drop would force the fleeing victims to run toward their attackers. The southern marshes would provide plenty of places to hide as long as they were careful where they stepped.”
Kai and Min quickly spoke up. They were most at home in marshy swamplands and would be able to blend in perfectly with the terrain. They were asked to go to the south with Travis, who looked over the moon at the idea. The rest of the group nodded, more than happy to let the boys play in the water, where they were at their most deadly.
It was decided that Makayla would accompany Abe and Nia, who were the best at climbing unsteady terrain. With Luis and Jose already doing their aerial circuit, they were as ready as they were going to be able to get.
For the final event, they would all be at the arena watching the fighting. Suddenly, Jackson's head lifted as he realized something. “We can’t let anyone get near Alpha; they will know something is up as soon as they smell him. Right now, no one suspects because of his proximity to the King, but in a fight, there would be no way to hide it.”
Suzy looked confused at this, “Why would the Alpha be fighting his people? Shouldn’t he be protecting them?” The rest of the King's team looked equally confused.
“It is a tradition that the strongest takes on the lead guard, then the Alpha. It shows the pack that in battle, we are all the same rank.” The Gamma’s answer made the team smile. Having never spent much time around wolves, they did not know what to expect, but so far, they were impressed.
Before anyone else could speak, the King popped up with a solution. “Pretend you are going to face them; instead, I will have members of my team volunteer in your place. This way, it will look like a royal command that even the Alpha can not refuse.”
Around the table, faces started to grin. It was clear that the King's men liked the idea of facing off against the strongest wolves and proving how strong an enemy can be. They were deadly in a fight and were always ready and willing to face a new challenge.
“Only if they promise not to seriously hurt them. The point is to defeat them to teach them humility, not cause damage.” Without intending to, Marcus put a clear tone of command into his voice at these words. Even the other shifters felt compelled to lower their heads and agree.
Seth bounced in his chair, explaining the last part of the day. “Finally, we will have the Luna ceremony. There, we will announce Marcia as our Luna and accept her into the pack.” His excitement was clear for all to see. Marcus cleared his throat, “We will also be announcing her real name and identity, as well as what happened to me. We will leave out the part of the Lycan King attempting to kill me, though.” The last words caused a slight chuckle in the group until the King spoke.
“More than just a Luna ceremony, I intend to confer the title of Crown Princess and heir apparent to Isabelle, and to our new Prince, Marcus.” The entire group froze. They knew that this would significantly increase the danger to the princess, but also it would increase her protection. King Dmitri had been loved and respected for over a hundred years, and most shifters would be thrilled that an heir had been found.
Marcus stood, shocked at the King's words. He had never really connected the fact that his mate was technically the Crowned Princess, and that as soon as she had marked him, he had technically become a Lycan Prince. His mind spun at the implications.
Being unable to argue, the group headed to the starting line of the race, their plans in place.
The King motioned for them to slow their pace, separating from the Alpha's circle. Once they were out of earshot, he looked at them and said, “I know that many of you are curious about the Lycan Alpha and Luna. After the trials, we will go into detail about what has happened and how a lycan is running a pack that thinks he is a wolf, but the important thing to know is that we must protect this pack with our lives. I have a bad feeling about today.”
These words made the entire team take a deep breath, and Dmitri had a feeling it was always best to trust it. His instincts had saved all of their lives over the years.