Chapter 57 The Pack Votes
NATHAN'S POV
The Council's decision put Lisa's fate in her pack's hands and it was both fair and terrifying. We returned to Moonstone Pack territory in silence.
The vote would be held within twenty-four hours.
Pack members had to choose. Keep Lisa as their silver wolf Alpha with all the non-traditional aspects that entailed or choose new leadership for a traditional structure. Daniel or Ryan would likely step in if Lisa lost and the thought made my stomach turn.
The pack was divided from the moment we announced the vote.
The older members gathered in small groups and worried about the uncertainty of following the silver wolf. They remembered traditional ways and wanted stability they understood, they were obviously not tired of suffering, I could see that.
The Younger members were excited about Lisa's revolutionary leadership. They saw her as a symbol of change and progress and everything pack society could become if it evolved beyond ancient restrictions. These were my people.
Former Silver Creek refugees who joined after their pack dissolved were grateful to Lisa but unsure about her unconventional approach. She had saved them and given them a home, but they had already lost one pack to instability. They were afraid of choosing wrong again.
I campaigned for Lisa passionately and did not care who thought I was too invested. I cornered pack members in hallways and training grounds and anywhere I could find them.
"She has saved this pack multiple times and you know that," I said over and over. "She welcomed refugees when other Alphas would have turned them away. She led with compassion and strength through a crisis that would have broken weaker leaders. Yes, she is different. That is what makes her great."
Some listened. Others walked away unconvinced, it took all I had in me not to punch them in their faces.
Ryan surprised me by also campaigning for Lisa. I found him in the common room speaking to a group of warriors who had served under both of us.
"My personal relationship with Lisa is complicated, yes I agree," Ryan said and he tried to hide any iota of emotion he felt.
"But her ability to lead is not complicated. Vote for her because she is the best Alpha you will ever have, regardless of her mate bond status."
The warriors nodded slowly. Ryan's endorsement went a long way because everyone knew what it cost him to give it.
Daniel was more direct in his approach. He stood in the pack house entrance and stopped people as they passed.
"Vote against my sister and you will answer to me," Daniel said flatly. "She has earned this position ten times over. If you cannot see that, you are blind."
I liked it, it was amusing to watch but that was the energy you needed sometimes to make people think straight.
It was not subtle but it was effective. People respected Daniel's loyalty even when they disagreed with his methods.
Emma reached the pack members who were uncertain and she did it with gentle persistence that wore down resistance. She shared stories of Lisa's kindness and the times Lisa had put pack needs above her own comfort. She reminded people of the children Lisa had protected and the families she had kept together during attacks.
"She cares about every single one of you," Emma said. "Not as a political strategy but because that is who she is. How many Alphas can you say that about?"
Even Adrian spoke at the pack gathering although he was not a member of the Moonstone Pack. But his presence as a visiting Alpha made Lisa look good in their eyes.
"I lead Western Pack and I have watched Lisa find her way through one crisis after another with grace," Adrian said. "She has faced betrayal and loss and political manipulation that would have destroyed lesser leaders. You are fortunate to have her. Please do not waste that gift because you are afraid of something different."
Lisa herself did not campaign. She spent the day before the vote walking the pack borders and visiting places that mattered to her. I found her at her mother's grave in the woods and she was sitting with her back against the headstone.
"You should be talking to pack members," I said.
"If they do not know who I am by now, nothing I say will change their minds," Lisa replied. "I have given everything I have to this pack. If that is not enough, then maybe they deserve a traditional Alpha who will give them what they think they want."
"You do not mean that."
"I do not know what I mean anymore," Lisa said. "I am tired, Nathan. I am tired of fighting to prove I belong somewhere. Maybe it would be easier to just let go."
"You are not a quitter."
"No," Lisa agreed. "But I am learning that sometimes losing is not the same as quitting."
The vote was held by ancient tradition in the main gathering space. Each pack member placed a stone in one of two bowls. White for Lisa and black for traditional leadership change. The stones were counted publicly so there could be no question of fairness.
I watched pack members file through one by one. Some chose quickly and others hesitated with a stone in hand before making a decision.
Elder Catherine voted white without thinking twice. The young warriors whom Lisa had trained voted white with fierce loyalty. But seasoned fighters who valued tradition voted black and their faces were apologetic and it was a foolish decision they were making.
The counting took an hour. Council representatives oversaw the process and called out each stone as it was removed from the bowls and placed in separate piles. White. Black. White. White. Black.
Lisa stood perfectly still watching the piles grow. Ryan was beside her and Nathan was on her other side. Daniel stood behind her with arms crossed and jaw tight. Emma held her hand.
The final count was announced and the room went silent.
Fifty-eight percent for Lisa. Forty-two percent for traditional change.
She had kept her Alpha position but nearly half the pack voted against her.