Chapter 13: The Meeting

Zander's POV

Pushing open the doors to the meeting chambers, I could see all the council of elders seated at the table.

The table, was a huge and curved table that housed all the seats for the elders, and mine at the very center of it. To my sides, were two extra seats. One for Griffin and the other for Ryder.

The room, which was filled with chatter when I walked in, went dead silent when all eyes turned to me. The tension, was palpable.

I could see the fear in the eyes of the elderly men who stood as my advisors when it came to matters of the pack. It was unusual.

Never had I walked into the room and seen fear registered on the faces of everyone. I was used to seeing concern and worry. But not today.

They were all scared, and had every reason to be scared.

My eyes went to Griffin, who sat restlessly in his chair, his eyes darting around the room. He looked agitated. Almost as if someone had lit a fire underneath his seat.

Turning my gaze to Ryder, he wasn't any better.

He looked even more terrified than the elders. And not only that, he was so tensed up that I could see his shoulders stiffening with every breath that he took.

'That boy needs to start acting like the next alpha of the pack. He looks like a cat that's been rained on. And that's not what the Pack will want to see when they look at their Alpha,' my wolf growled, not impressed with Ryder's demeanor.

And he wasn't wrong. If the pack saw their next alpha like that, all respect and faith will be lost in him.

Our eyes met, and perhaps he could tell that my glaring at him was not because I was happy with him. He immediately straightened up, trying his best to looked composed.

No matter how much he tried, he was not going to fool anyone with that act. However, it was better seeing him trying to act the part, instead of him looking like the weakest link of the pack.

"Alpha Zander, you finally made it," elder Braun commented, as all the others bowed their heads in respect.

It wasn't a time for greetings or sharing any sentimental moments. The agenda that had called for the meeting was unlike anything we had experienced before.

So, putting my best game face on, I walked to my seat and sat down.

"Relax and act like an Alpha!" I whispered to Ryder, knowing that if the council sees him as a weak leader, there was a possibility that they weren't going to accept him as alpha when I step down.

This meeting was going to be one of the many evaluations that he was going to undergo. And given how dangerous and critical the situation was, I wasn't going to allow Ryder to lead the meeting.

I was in no way going to hand over the pack to him, with a threat such as Kieran looming. That was the original idea, handing over the leadership to him.

It would be viewed as a change of power from an old alpha, to a younger and more capable alpha. I knew that if Kieran heard about that, he would probably reconsider paying a visit to the Silverfang Pack.

It was common knowledge, a new alpha meant that he would be hungry to make an impact and a name for themselves. They wouldn't think twice about risking it all if threatened. A new alpha had the pressure on their shoulders to gain the pack's confidence by any means necessary.

I expected that Kieran would look at all of that and just walk past us. But no, that rogue monster just had to crash the party when Ryder was about to be crowned.

He wasn't even going to give him a chance to make a name for himself. And to make matters worse, he had the audacity to take Ryder's chosen Luna. Not just once, but twice.

So, because of that and knowing how ruthless a destructive Kieran is, I was not going to let Ryder handle it. For sure, it would solidify his status if he handles it. But we were talking about Kieran Blackwood.

He wasn't just any threat. He was THE THREAT!

I had no doubt that Kieran would obliterate anything that Ryder throws at him. That's why I was the one that needed to deal with him. It was more like my last act as the Alpha of the pack.

So, when I saw that Ryder was about to address the elders, I had no other choice but to grab him by the leg, under the table, and squeeze him. His mouth went shut as soon as it had opened.

He didn't bother looking at me, but I could tell that he was shocked and had questions. That was neither the place nor the time to talk about it.

"Any update from the search party?" I asked, directing my question towards Griffin, who was now a bit settled.

"Nothing. We haven't had contact with them since they left," he responded.

I watched every council member as Griffin was talking, and it was clear that everyone might have the same idea of what was happening in the woods.

"Alpha Zander, I can tell that you're thinking the same thing as we are. We all fear that Kieran Blackwood might have already laid waste to the men that were sent out," elder Braun commented.

No one gasped or looked surprised. It was everyone's thoughts by now.

If they were right, that meant that we had lost more than twenty men in a week. Of all the rumors that had been in circulation about Kieran being on the prowl, none was going to top this one.

I could already see it being the topic on the entire land. The Silverfang Pack being used as an example of,

'In less than a week, Kieran had already killed more than two dozen warriors of the Silverfang Pack. Don't underestimate him!'

The thought alone had my blood boiling. I was not going to allow Kieran to use the pack that I had fought so hard to build it's reputation, to be used as an example by any other packs.

It would be the biggest disgrace to me and the pack. And not to mention, it would be the only thing that I would be remembered by as the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack.

The Alpha that led his pack into the jaws of the Exiled Alpha, none other than Alpha Zander.

Hell no! I wasn't going to allow that in any way.

Slamming my fist on the table, I knew that I had to retaliate. However, the council wasn't yet done with their assessment of the situation.

"Alpha Zander, we also have a few concerns about you handing over your title," another council member commented.

Looking at all their faces, I could tell that this was not just the thought of one man, but of all of them. They had sat down and thought through about it.

With Ryder right next to me, I could tell that he was caught unaware by the concern raised.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded, doing exactly what I didn't want him to do.

I needed him to be quiet, let the council see that even when faced with doubt, he was able to keep his reigns in check.

However, he was offended by the council's concerns, of which it was fully understandable. It was literally his birth right to become the next Alpha of the pack.

And just when it is all just about to happen, his dreams finally coming true, Kieran spoils everything. And not only that, but the council itself expresses concern about his rise in rank.

"What's the concern?" I demanded, wanting to know the actual reason behind the council's thoughts.

For a second, everyone was silent, looking at each other every now and then. It was as if they were weary about who was going to say it.

Looking at Braun, I asked him, "Elder Braun, what seems to be the problem with Ryder becoming Alpha?"

It wasn't much of a question, as it was much of a demand. I wasn't in the mood of beating around the bush about such a matter.

Composing himself, elder Braun swallowed hard and then responded,

"We all agreed to have your son take over as alpha because we thought that Kieran would not try to attack us. As it happened, we all realized how wrong we were when Kieran attacked just about when Ryder was about to be crowned. I'm sure I speak for the council and the pack when I ask, with Kieran still looming in the shadows with Ryder's chosen Luna, is he still being crowned Alpha of the Silverfang Pack?"

The answer to the question was easy, the only problem was, who answered elder Braun.

"Yes,"

"No,"

Ryder answered first, just as I answered immediately after him. We both turned to look at each other in shock. Both of us wondering what just happened.