Chapter 185
The twins all rush over to Derek and his guards, I try not to laugh at his unamused expression. I go upstairs to wash up and change out of my filthy clothes. As soon as I walk into our room, Knight slams the door shut and pins me against it. His are dark and dancing with rage.
“How did you even meet him?” he growls. I stay completely still, just staring back at him. “Phoebe.”
“How did you meet Amy?” I ask calmly. We stare at one another for a moment. He pulls away, pushing his hair out of his face.
“Amy worked for us backstage when we first went on tour. We messed around,” he turns to face me. “But it was never more than that.”
“Maybe not to you,” I shrug. “I dated him for three years. He wasn’t my first, but it was the first time I dated someone who wasn’t fucking burn. The only thing was that he was insanely possessive.
“My job often upset him because of my fans. I tried to leave a couple of times, but he would always find me. It wasn’t until I moved to Paris that he lost sight of me. I hadn’t seen or heard from him until today.”
“Just-” his nose twitches, and he barges out of the room.
I shut the door and clean up because I smell like gunpowder and blood. Midnight is also upset with me but for a different reason. She’s sulking over the no liver thing. Allison and Ren are waiting for me downstairs when I’m done. Mr. Knightly is also present, but no Knight in sight.
“Alpha Rizen,” our main physician, runs over to us once we enter the medical building.
“I’m fine. They’re more important right now. I don’t have a scratch,” I reassure her. “Where are the patrolmen?”
“The Rogue King deployed them, ma’am,” Allison answers.
“Okay, I breathe out a little easier. “Let’s start cleaning up. Send out the morning patrol to collect the remaining bodies so we can pack them up and send them back to Lockwood City.”
“Alpha Rizen, they attacked us on our land. It should be put to a vote at the meeting in a bit,” the physician says before turning away to start helping the injured.
I look over at Allison to see that she can’t meet my stare. That’s kind of messed up. They did attack us, but they thought I had their family members in our prison under false pretenses. If and when they catch him, his fate will be left to the people, but those we killed weren’t at fault. They were simply following orders.
I help with the cleanup. It’s almost sundown when we get done. I ask the omegas to prepare some food for the people who will be attending the meeting. It’s such a dire way to get to know the people I’m now responsible for.
They’re all so cheerful, and they go out of their way to get closer to me. Yet, even seeing the faces of the families that were affected by the attack. I can’t think any differently about the twenty–six wolves we killed as well. They also had families they provided for. They followed their alpha to save her family from those they believed were in the wrong.
Once people begin to settle down, Knight appears with some of the hunters. It doesn’t go unnoticed that we are both upset with one another. I have nothing to apologize for. I wasn’t the one trying to shove someone I had slept with in his face. In fact, I might hate the son of a bitch more than he does for what he put me through.
To my surprise, he comes over to me with his stupid apologetic look in his eyes. I continue to give orders until all that’s left is to take the stage and address everyone. He doesn’t follow me around and waits for me to finish up. I sit beside him on the stage steps to hear what he has to say.
“This is where you show them the kind of Alpha you want to be. Everyone will always have expectations. You’re the alpha; yours must shine above theirs. Your orders are law, whether they like them or not. You aren’t bound to them yet, and they know that. This is the moment you all decide how we’re going to proceed from now on.” he doesn’t look over at me.
“Since you so boldly took matters into your own hands regarding patrol, give me my report,” I say coldly.
He finally looks over at me and sighs.
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07:15 Mon, 7 Jul
Chapter 185
G
“We found a couple of their wolves that took off. They’ve called Alpha Tec so that they can find the one responsible. They only attacked the south gate, everything else is in order. Violetta and a couple of her betas have arrived. Two of your casualties were her wolves.”
“You’re dismissed,” I go to stand, but he grabs my wrist.
“That’s it?”
“I’m not the one who did anything wrong to you, Nathan. You brought a woman you slept with here to protect me, knowing that she has feelings for you. That would have put me, my kids, and my unborn daughter in danger.
“If I killed her, you’d have a problem. If you killed Joseph, I’d help you bury the body. You’re mad at me because of your own insecurities. I’d never knowingly put you in danger.” I rip my arm out of his hold. “Even if you apologized now, it would be very difficult to forgive you. You’ve had more than one opportunity to fix this, and you still chose her.”
I approach the stage feeling very disappointed, and not just with him. I tap the microphone to ensure it’s on. When the speakers blare, everyone turns to face me and begins to settle down. I wait for them all to be seated and standing along the sides. They’re live streaming this to the others.
“Good evening,” I greet everyone, and pull the mic out of the stand. “I hope you guys don’t mind. I’ve been on my feet for a while now, and I’m a little exhausted.” I sit on the edge of the stage and wave to those who are standing on the sides to sit. “You guys can sit here in the front. There’s space for everyone. I know you’re just as exhausted.”
They hesitate but only for a moment. The twins and Melody are the first to rush towards the center to take a seat on the grass. The three of them wave up
at me and I smile. It doesn’t take long for the others to follow.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve ever been attacked,” I begin. “This is, however, the first time I have been attacked while being responsible for so many lives. ! know you’ve all heard the stories about me being a rogue and accidentally discovering that I’m a Rizen.
“I want you all to also know that I didn’t know I was a werewolf until just recently. Everything I know is what I am learning from my mate, his family, and now you lovely people. As a newcomer, I may have a different perspective on the two kinds of wolves. Packs and Rogues.
“To me, there isn’t much of a difference. The laws are basically the same. The customs merge, and you all turn into a giant wolf. When we were attacked, it didn’t matter to me if you were a rogue or a pack wolf. You were here where I am, and my priority was to ensure you weren’t hurt.
“I gave some orders that helped you minimize the casualties we were dealt. We made it. They didn’t. Earlier, while we were cleaning up the mess that had been made, I was told that I needed to put up a proposal for what would happen to the deceased for a vote.
“My beta, Allison, and our head of medical were upset when I tried to order the hunters to gather up the bodies so that they may be prepared to be sent back to their families.” The crowd begins to speak up. “Before any of you have a say, let me finish. I’m not going to do that.”
“Alpha Rizen,” Allison is the first to step forward. “They attacked us. By law, their bodies belong to us now,”
Several other wolves stand up and begin to argue in agreement.
“I am aware of the tradition that follows attacks like this. However, I am choosing not to practice this barbaric law here. You all chose me to be your alpha even when I told you all more than once that I didn’t want to be.
“Those wolves followed orders from their alpha just as you did. Their families lost as much as you have upon their deaths. They were all d and have already paid for that mistake with their lives. So when Alpha Eloise Lockwood delivers Henry Lockwood to us, you may choose the punishment. Only then, but she will leave with her wolves who fell to our claws today.
“If you have a problem with how I am going to deal with this, you’re free to vote for me to step down and I will pack up my things and leave you all to deal with all this shit on your own. I don’t owe any of you a single thing. I’m here because I want to be. Not because I need it. The choice is up to you. It always will be. But as long as I am the one standing in as your alpha, you will have to follow the orders you are given.”
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