The grand hall of the Elder's Council was dimly lit, the air thick with tension. The long, polished oak table stretched across the room, where the elders and high-ranking officials of the pack sat. Their faces were grim, but Ryland could feel the shift in the air.
At the head of the table sat Ryland. His hands clenched into fists against the armrests of his chair, his nails digging into the leather. His jaw was tight, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he looked around the room.
His chair scraped against the floor as he stood abruptly, his palms slamming down on the table.
"You can't do this." His voice was calm—too calm—but there was an edge beneath it, a barely concealed desperation. His gaze flicked from elder to elder, his chest rising and falling with frustration. "After everything I have done for this pack—you would betray me like this?"
No one answered.
Ryland's lips curled slightly, his hands pressing harder against the wood as he leaned forward. His tone shifted, smoothly.
"Elder Marcus, I remember the winter three years ago when your grandson fell ill. No healer could save him, but who was it that risked the lives of his warriors to fetch the obsidian? I sacrificed the lives of my warriors for your son."
Marcus flinched, his grip tightening on his cane.
Ryland's eyes moved swiftly to another elder.
"Elder Lorraine, you cried at my feet when rogues raided your land. Your son was captured, your daughter nearly taken as well. Who was it that brought your boy back alive?"
Lorraine looked away.
"Elder Hugo—" His voice dipped lower. "It was my rule that gave your family the power they hold now. It was my reign that ensured your businesses thrived. And yet, you would cast me aside for him?"
A few of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Ryland saw his opening. "I have led you through war. Through famine. I have been the Alpha that kept this pack together when the world threatened to tear it apart. And now, you would turn your backs on me? For a ghost? For a man who abandoned this pack, who ran like a coward into the night?"
His breath was heavy, his eyes burning.
Silence.
No one looked at him. His wolf seethed with rage. The nerve of these people before him. "You're making a mistake!" His voice cracked with rage. "You know what he is! A savage. A beast. A monster created by exile and bloodshed. And you would hand this pack to him?"
Still, no one spoke.
The tension thickened. The air grew suffocating.
And then— The grand hall doors exploded open. A gust of wind swept through the hall as Alexander stepped inside.
The room froze.
He was a vision of power. Broad-shouldered, dressed in black, his silver eyes flickered through the room calmly. He walked in with the kind of confidence that suffocated the room.
The gasps were audible. Some elders recoiled as if an unholy force had just entered their midst. Others sat paralyzed, their faces drained of color.
Ryland's heart slammed in his chest. Alexander's eyes locked onto him.
And then, he smirked.
"Having a meeting without me, dear brother?" Alexander's voice was deep and calm.
Ryland's anger snapped.
He shot to his feet. "You have no right to be here!" he snarled. "This is a meeting between a pack alpha and his subordinates. An outcast such as yourself has no place here!"
Alexander merely walked forward. His presence screamed dominance. His confidence was effortless, his power undeniable.
And then, with one hand—he shoved Ryland back into his chair. Ryland's body slammed against the seat, his breath knocked from his lungs. His shock was visible.
"Sit down." Alexander's voice was lethal.
The room held its breath.
And then, without being told, a guard moved forward. A chair was brought.
Not just any chair. A throne-like seat. One meant for a ruler. Meant for an Alpha. The same one their father used when he was alive.
Alexander took it.
He leaned back, one arm draped lazily over the armrest, his gaze flicking over the elders, assessing them like they were nothing but pawns on a chessboard.
"Since we're all here," he said smoothly, "let's address the elephant in the room, shall we?"
The elders stiffened.
Ryland's fury shook him. He saw red.
"Fine." His voice trembled. "Let's vote. Let's decide who is going to be Alpha of Vaeloria."
Alexander exhaled a short, mocking laugh. "Decide?" he mused.
And then, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his tone dipping into something terrifyingly soft.
"This pack belongs to me."
His silver eyes burned through them. "This land. This hall. All of you. You work for me." Alexander's lips curled, not in a smile, but something darker. Sinister.
"And this meeting," he continued lazily, tilting his head slightly, "is not about who becomes Alpha."
The elders stiffened.
Ryland's stomach dropped.
"It's about removing you. Ryland."
Ryland's breath hitched. His face drained of color, his hands gripping the table. "W-what?"
The elders' eyes widened. They had expected a vote between two Alphas. They hadn't expected this.
"No, no," Ryland shook his head, his voice unraveling. "You can't do this! You can't just—!"
"That's right! We might work for the alpha of Vaeloria, but we know the Traditions and rules of the pack. You can't just come and change it all."
Alexander barely blinked, he glanced at the beta who had just spoken up. Beta Dante. Sloane's father.
"How can I 'Just come' when I've always been here? Beta Dante? I could argue, I know the tradition and rules even more than you, Beta, so I suggest you sit down tight and say a warm goodbye to Ryland."
Alexander leaned back against the chair, his gaze settling on the others. "Let's begin."
And then—one by one, the elders began to raise their hands. Hesitant at first. Then another. And another.
And another.
Ryland's vision blurred. His chest tightened. His fingers dug into his palms.
"No…" The word barely escaped his lips.
Then—the last elder raised his hand. And with that, it was over. The only person who didn't vote for his removal was Beta Dante.
"No!" Ryland exploded.
His chair toppled over as he lunged for Alexander.
But before he could even reach Alexander, a guard intercepted him. Ryland thrashed.
"LET ME GO!" His screams rippled through the hall. "YOU WORK FOR ME! I PAY YOUR SALARY! I AM YOUR ALPHA!"
The guard didn't even blink.
Alexander stood, his presence pressed against Ryland's shaking frame.
And then…his voice dropped into ice.
"Not anymore."
Ryland's world shattered.