Griffin's Discontent

Zander's POV

Everyone's eyes were on Griffin for a moment, then they all came back to me.

The only problem was, I was still looking at Griffin, knowing full well that he had something to say.

"Alpha Zander..."

I raised my hand, making elder Braun cease talking. I could see from the corner of my eye, everyone looking at me.

I could also feel Ryder's breath down my spine, as he was watching my every move from the back. Something about his breathing told me that he wasn't happy with the way things were going.

And to make matters worse, I knew for a fact that with the direction the conversation was taking, Ryder was in for more surprises.

Griffin didn't bother to hide it, he kept looking at me and then at Ryder over my shoulder. For a minute, I could swear that he was trying to tell me something. The only problem was, it seemed like it wasn't something that was to be said out loud.

"Do you have something that you feel like sharing?" I asked him, knowing that he wasn't going to keep it to himself forever.

Griffin was a warrior, and not a leader. That's something that he knew from the very start, and that's why he was my Beta, because I knew that he would protect me and the pack, whatever the cost.

So, as I watched him after questioning him, I could see his wheels turning. He already had something in mind. But for some reason, he was having a hard time sharing it out loud.

And that's wasn't like him. He wasn't the type of person who gets jelly feet when they want to address something. Especially since it's about something that concerns the pack.

He was always the first to speak up. So, his silence was something new to me. And I could tell that some of the elders thought the same.

"If you have something to say, this is the best time," one of the elders informed him, sounding a bit impatient with Griffin.

For a man who wasn't blind to people's tones and sometimes with a short temper, Griffin managed to assume the elders tone and still kept his eyes on me.

The tension inside the room was getting denser to the point where we started to feel suffocated by it.

"Say whatever you want to say, no one will judge you or speak ill," I assured him.

And such a statement coming from me, carried so much weight and relevance that I noticed one of the elders looking at me in shock.

I had just given Griffin an open forum for him to say whatever he wanted and he wouldn't be held accountable for it.

Given the situation we were in, I doubted that whatever Griffin had to say was going to be worse than trying to deal with an exiled Alpha, that had taken the pack's future Luna as his hostage.

When Griffin heard my statement, he looked at me, waiting for my confirmation. And with a nod, I assured him that I meant what I had said.

However, his gaze kept on shifting again and again from me to Ryder over my shoulder. And for a moment, I started to wonder whether the two were not on the same page.

"Do you have a problem with Alpha Zander?" Elder Braun finally asked.

I could tell from where he was seated, he could only assume that Griffin was staring at me alone. And with the way the tension had built up, I couldn't blame Braun for thinking that.

Griffin's face contorted, as his brows furrowed. He scoffed out loud and it was evident that he had taken offense to Braun's question.

And for the first time in a while, he took his gaze from me and looked at Braun. He then proceeded to clear that allegation,

"I have no problem with Alpha Zander."

And as he spoke, I sensed that he was telling the truth. In his voice, I didn't detect an ounce of uncertainty which meant that he wasn't lying a single bit.

If Griffin didn't have a problem with me, who did he have a problem with?

The question danced around my conscious for a while as I thought about it. From his words, it was clear that he didn't have a problem with me, but he had a problem with someone else.

And the more I thought about it, the more I didn't want to believe my own assumptions. I had this feeling deep down in my stomach that Griffin actually had a problem with Ryder, the next alpha of the Pack.

And judging from the way he was looking at me as I was coming to this conclusion, I had every reason to believe that I was right.

He had on this look that said, 'You know who I have a problem with. Will you address it, or should I?'

And as much as I wanted to be wrong, I knew that I had to confirm it.

But I couldn't just confront Ryder or Griffin in that moment. I was certain that it would only clash the two against each other even before they stand side by side.

The last thing that we needed, was pack members going after each other, while the threat lurks in the shadows. Perhaps waiting for the right opportunity to strike again.

And on top of that, with Ryder just a ceremony away from being crowded Alpha, Griffin was to be his Beta as well.

I knew that Griffin would make sure that Ryder learns the ropes of being an Alpha in a very short time. And as that was to happen, Griffin was supposed to keep the pack afloat until Ryder settles in fully to his role.

But now, all of that was sounding like a scenario that was getting harder to become true as every second went by.

With Griffin having an unknown problem with Ryder, it didn't sit right with me having Ryder know that the man that was supposed to have his back once crowded, had an issue with him.

This was going to start a whole chain of events, with Ryder not being able to trust his second in command. And in the event that it happens, it would open up trust issues in the pack, that would be so severe leading to the downfall of the pack.

So, I needed Griffin to open up and say what problem he had with my son, and at the same time, have Ryder not lose his trust in Griffin.

So, I had a decision to make that was going to change the course of the meeting. And I had to do it fast.

"Ryder, can you please wait outside," I requested, making sure that it didn't sound much like a request but more like a command.

Looking over my shoulder, I managed to see Ryder just as he was about to throw a fit and question the reason why he was being asked to stay outside.

"I have something that I need to discuss with the elders, and it's a secret only I and they know about. It won't take long," I added,. hoping that it would be enough to calm him down.

But as expected, Ryder wasn't ready to allow anyone to just shut him down like that. I knew that he was persistent, and not going to just walk out of the room without questioning my demand.

Pushing his seat back, he asked while still seated, "I'm practically the Alpha of this pack, yet you're treating me like a child in an adult's conversation. What makes Griffin special that he too gets to sit down and listen to your top secret?"

Griffin had already made it clear to me that he didn't like Ryder. And when Ryder brought up his name, I could have sworn that he was about to snap.

When our eyes met, I glared at him, tempting him to try what he had in mind. And being a smart man, Griffin kept his cool.

He knew that if he said or did anything in that moment, he would have to answer to me.

"Ryder, I won't ask you again. Leave the room, I need to talk to the elders alone," I reiterated, this time sounding irritated and fed up.

I made sure to turn around and face him as I said it. To make sure that he can tell that I was by no chance open to his criticism.

Sensing the severity of the situation and the tone of my voice, Ryder quietly got up and walked out of the room. He didn't bother looking over his shoulder or even say anything else.

Once he was out of the door and the meeting was now between me, Griffin and the elders, I knew that there were words that were to be said that couldn't be done with Ryder around.

"Why did you send him out?" Braun asked.

Without hesitation, I turned to look at Griffin and answered, "So that Griffin can tell me why he has a problem with Ryder being Alpha."