Chapter 29
Thrian's POV
I was completely oblivious of the connection going on between my mate and my beta. If I had known, maybe I would have done something immediately to obstruct it, to stop them from reaching out to each other and counter all the damage before it became too late and ruined my relationship with her. However, at that moment, I was relaxing with a couple of elders, building my relationship with them instead and trying to understand them a little more.
We were discussing strategy, of course, because we just couldn't be seated with each other saying nothing if it wasn't important. We couldn't bond over nothing, not at all, because none of us was one to waste time. All of us had missions and ulterior motives. I had my own ultimate goal, and as long as it was aligned with theirs in one way or another, we could walk together and do so with smiles on our faces.
I knew that they still had reservations about my luna, about how authentic it was, but with the way she had been acting better and better towards me every day and looking more genuinely in a relationship with me, I knew that soon enough that doubt would be dispelled.
"So how is the Hedgewood Park coming up?" I asked one of the elders, smiling. "Yeah, so far I think I should have all the qualifications to take over it. Do I need to go on a military conquest or something like that in order to have it all under my grasp and be the only alpha ruling over the large expanse of land from the river to the Dead Sea?" I questioned.
He seemed to think about it. A couple of other elders had frowns on their faces. I didn't know what they actually wanted, and I knew that a couple of them were simply up for this part becoming the greatest and had only the best interest of the pack in mind. But I knew that more than that, some of them just simply wanted things to go well for their own self and their own personal gains. Either way, I knew that we were all together in this, working as one, and that was in truth what really mattered.
One of the elders spoke at the moment, sounding a little apprehensive. "A lot of people are definitely going to reject your rule," he said, and I nodded at him, frowning. Now that was some hard truth to believe, but it was a truth I would not be able to disregard. That was exactly the reason why I was having this particular talk with them. I needed to know exactly what the people were thinking, and I needed information from people who weren't afraid to tell me what I didn't want to hear, because hearing only what I wanted to hear was definitely not going to help me in carrying out my mission in the end.
Another alpha, another elder, nodded solemnly. "Indeed, not everybody would want you to rule, and there's going to be a lot of challenges," he said. "I don't know how we should do it, though. I think a military conquest would be a bit too harsh, and then they would resist your rule even more. I suggest you do it a little more subtle and slowly impose yourself on them, becoming the overall ruler once and for all. You have already been crowned supreme alpha after all, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to slowly ease into your position and rule everywhere."
I nodded at him. That was one way to do it. But at that moment, another elder spoke up instantly, his words completely contrasting the words of this man just now, and so I honestly couldn't make out what was going on or what to do in the end.
"A military conquest is the best possible course of action," he said simply, his words having a certain venom and sting to them that made me take a breath and look at him again.
"Are you right now?" he asked me, his words brutal and cold.
"Supreme alpha," I responded, frowning at him. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Because," he said, knowing that I already knew exactly what he meant. "You are the supreme alpha of the pack after all," he continued. "Therefore, you are the person with complete right over everywhere. If you go on a military conquest, it would be showing your dominance and explaining to everybody literally that you have control and that they shouldn't try anything against you, if not, it's going to lead to their downfall," he said, smiling at me. "Since you're the supreme alpha, in that way, you should take on your position with total force and have anybody who comes against you face the brutal consequences."
I found myself contemplating his words carefully. I couldn't help but feel that he had a very good point and that I should do it the way he said it. First, it was one way to establish dominance, and the moment that was done, I would be the ruler without question and in charge of the entire territory. If not, it was going to be shaky no matter what I did, and I needed to do it all as soon as possible.
The elders broke out into an argument, each person saying something different, and before long, the order in which they spoke was completely destroyed as well. Of course, there had been opposing views before, but at least one at a time, so now that they were suddenly against each other outright, I found myself finding it difficult to think.
"Enough!" I said finally, glaring at them all.
"I've heard you all," I said, and one of them asked me, raising an eyebrow, "What are you going to do?"
Another one, who had suggested something entirely different from what the first one had suggested, asked me, and I responded boldly, "I don't know what I'm going to do yet."
They looked a little annoyed at my response, but I spoke again, knowing exactly who I was and they couldn't force me into anything. "I'll think about it and come up with my response. What I'll do later, then I'll call in another meeting and pass the information over to you guys," I said as I stood up, snarling at them. "Meeting dismissed. Talk to you all later."
They all stood up and started filing out of the large hall room. I stayed for a while thinking about it all - so many suggestions on what to do, so much power in my hands to the extent that I actually had the option of doing and choosing a way to approach it. However, one thing was clear: no matter what I chose, I would be successful. I already had the power with me. All I had to do was to utilize it.