Royal Wolf Box Set by Haley Weir
Chapter Twelve
When the rival pack entered the castle, the tensions were already high. Rubius met them at the castle entrance and led them into the throne room where Aeron, Cassandra, Theo, and Holly all sat waiting at a long table big enough to seat everyone. There was no need for Aeron and Cassandra to sit atop their raised thrones now because these were fellow shifters. And although Aeron was still the alpha that held leadership over all the packs, things were done on a more equal level of merit within the shifter world. Here, they would all sit together as relative equals to discuss the matter, with Aeron having the final say as alpha.
Even if he was challenged, there was nothing that the pure-blooded pack alpha could do inside this room. Pack rules were always to be followed, and if a challenge was initiated, then it would be held at a later time in the forest. Holly had already told Marquette to stay away from the throne room until the other pack had left. Theo had been thinking about Marquette every minute since he had pushed her away from him, and it was difficult for him to concentrate on anything else aside from her. But right now, in the presence of the other pack, he needed to try to think clearly and act with restraint and better judgment.
“I believe you know why we are here,” the rival alpha said as he addressed Aeron. “Your son, Theo, has broken one of our most sacred laws. He has had relations with a human and is therefore no longer eligible to be an heir to the throne of Grenvich, or to follow as an alpha for your pack.”
“First and foremost,” Aeron said as he addressed the concern brought to light. “I deny the allegations that you are accusing my son of, and he will deny them to you as well. But then there is also the matter of shifter law to be discussed. The disdain for human and shifter relationships is not a shifter law, as you have so incorrectly stated. The decision as to whether or not to allow such relations is a pack decision, and nothing more. As alpha of your pack, it is your prerogative to deny such relationships if you see fit. But I will not have you determine what the other packs can and cannot allow.”
“Perhaps the reason that you are trying to alter the existence of that law, is because you also are guilty of improper actions,” the alpha said.
Aeron’s ridge raised as he became more defensive and on-edge with the man.
“And what action would you now like to accuse me of?” Aeron asked.
“You have had knowledge of this hidden relationship, and you have covered it up, not only from your kingdom, but also from your packs. You can say that you do not hold your pack to the same level of pure-blood standards that I hold mine to. But you cannot sit here and say that hiding such a thing from all of the packs is the action of a trustworthy leader.”
“My father has done nothing wrong,” Theo interjected as his temper started to rise. Holly kicked him under the table to get him to stay quiet and let their father handle it. “And I have done nothing wrong either.”
“Is that so?” the alpha said.
He turned and gave one of his pack members a nod. The other man stood up to walk out the doorway, and within minutes, he reappeared with Marquette in hand.
“Damn it,” Holly said under her breath so that only Theo could hear her. “I told that girl to stay out of sight.”
The alpha got up from his seat and reached for Marquette, pulling her into the room and parading her in front of Theo.
“So this girl here, this human,” he said with a sneer, “she is of no significance to you?”
“She is Marquette, one of the servants who has been with our family for a very long time. What concern is she to you?” Aeron said.
“She is of no concern at all to me, personally,” he said. “But I wonder if maybe she is of some significant value to your son.”
“Let our servant get back to her castle duties,” Cassandra said. “You may not come into our home and lay hands on our servants without reason.”
“Oh, but I have reason, Cassandra,” the alpha said. “I intend to kill her.”
Immediately, Theo bristled, and just as instantly, Rubius saw that the alpha was baiting Theo for a trap that he was about to walk right into.
“I think that I am going to kill her right here, right on this table, so that we can all watch. And then perhaps I will let my pack pull her body apart just for sport,” the alpha said.
Marquette looked at Theo with sheer terror in her eyes, and despite Aeron’s best efforts to keep Theo from reacting, Theo jumped up from the table and rushed to Marquette’s side.
“Lay a hand on her and I will make sure that it is the last thing you ever do,” Theo growled at the alpha as he bared his teeth and bore his shining yellow eyes into the eyes of his enemy.
He reached his hand out to grip the alpha’s arm to make him release his hold on Marquette. The other pack began to growl and readied to protect their alpha and take Theo down. But the alpha calmed his pack and let go of Marquette. He had no desire to fight; he had merely been trying to prove a point, which he had succeeded in doing.
“You see?” the alpha said to Aeron. “You cannot deny it, and neither can your son. Theo has vowed to protect this human, and he rushes to her side to save her from fellow shifters. There is only one reason that can be—he loves her.”
Then he turned to Theo, who was now cradling a shaking Marquette in his arms.
“Do you deny it now?” the alpha asked him.
“No,” Theo said assertively. “I deny nothing. I love her, and she is under my protection.”
Theo’s proclamation created a volatile situation between the packs, and the alpha grinned with satisfaction.
“I assert that Theo’s claim on the throne is illegitimate. I also assert that your status, Aeron, is in need of challenge,” the alpha said in front of everyone there.
“Fine,” Aeron said. “Then there will be a challenge. But until then, our rule is to be respected. Make no move against the girl as she is under my family’s protection, as my son has said. You may leave, and I will send word to you of when the challenge will be. However, be warned. If you fail to win the challenge, not only will you be removed as alpha, but all of your pack members who have spoken out against my family will be banished from these woods.”
“I’m well aware of the rules,” the alpha said. “Perhaps more so than you are, King Aeron.”
Rubius stood up to escort the pack out. He watched as each one of them left the castle grounds and until they were well out of sight.
Once the pack had left, everyone sat down again at the table together, this time with Marquette seated beside Theo.
“Well, there’s no turning back from this now,” Cassandra said.
“I’m sorry,” Theo said to her. He felt like the little boy that rashly put his family in danger all over again.
“Never be sorry for following your heart,” his mother said.
She smiled at Marquette, who smiled back even though she was still a bit bewildered by the whole thing.
“What do we do now?” Holly asked.
“I need some time to think,” Aeron said as he stood up and excused himself from the room.
“I’m sure that I’ll need to deal with his outrage in a few moments,” Theo said under his breath.
“Be easy on your father,” Cassandra said. “Give him time and he will come around. It’s not an easy position that you’ve put him in.”
Marquette found her voice as she addressed the family of shifters for the first time with openness about who they really were.
“I’m sorry that I’m the reason your family is going through all of this,” she said.
“Don’t be,” Cassandra said to her. “It’s your family now too. We protect our family.”