Chapter 450

Olivia

My heart sank as the Alphas turned to face us, their expressions cold and severe.

“You would be wrong, Luna,” the stern Alpha, Dan, said flatly. “The goal was clear—you were meant to raise $100,000 in order for your pack to be considered for the Alpha association. You failed to meet that goal.”

Nathan stood beside me, frozen with shock. I shook my head in disbelief. “But we were so close,” I insisted. “We were just $500 short. Surely that tiny amount isn’t enough to discount all of our hard work?:

Dan scoffed, his cold gray eyes flashing with contempt. “Rules are rules,” he growled, then turned to Nathan, who was still frozen. “I expected more from you, youngling Alpha. Consider your application formally rejected.”

With that, the Alphas turned on their heels and made for the door without another word.

Beside me, Nathan was completely rigid, his shoulders trembling ever so slightly. I turned to look at him, my eyes wide with a combination of fear, shock, and anger. This could not be happening. We had worked so hard, overcome so much, just for it to end like this? Over a measly $500 short of our insurmountable goal?

“Nathan,” I murmured, “I’m so… I’m so sorry.”

I reached for Nathan’s hand as I spoke, desperate to comfort him. But he suddenly pulled away sharply, leaving me behind. My eyes widened even further as I watched him storming after the Alphas in a few quick strides.

“Wait!” Nathan called out, his voice echoing through the bustling hall.

The Alphas paused, turning back to look at Nathan with thinly veiled irritation on their faces. The rest of the room had gone silent, all eyes fixed on the confrontation unfolding in the middle of the room.

“Something to say, Nathan?” Dan hissed.

Nathan stopped in front of them, his hands on his hips. Nathan was tall and muscular, but in this moment, he somehow looked almost dwarfed in front of the hulking Alphas; like David and Goliath.

I shuddered as I looked at him, but relaxed when I felt Angela’s hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at her to see an encouraging look in her eyes.

“If you’re seriously going to deny my application over a measly $500, then you should be ashamed,” Nathan said, his jaw set firmly as his voice echoed through the silent room. “This association was created to help small packs succeed, to bring a sense of community and peace between all packs. And yet here you are, pushing me out over a tiny fraction of the fundraising goal that you needlessly set.”

The Alphas exchanged surprised glances, clearly not expecting Nathan to stand up to them. After a tense moment, Dan stepped towards Nathan, his eyes flashing red.

“Be careful, Nathan,” he said in a low voice. “You seem to forget who you’re speaking to.”

But Nathan stood firm, his confidence unwavering beneath Dan’s icy gaze. “Tell me why,” he said. “Why should such a small amount change everything? We hosted a successful charity art auction, raised money to help schools and small businesses. Why does $500 negate all of that success?”

Dan considered him for a long moment, seemingly caught off guard by Nathan’s logical argument. It was clear that he hadn’t expected Nathan to fight back, and it made me wonder—how many others had Dan trampled all over, strong-arming them into submission?

Around us, the rest of our guests stood with surprised looks on their faces. Our pack members looked on with pride, and those from outside of our territory seemed to be intrigued.

Finally, Dan spoke. “You make a fair point,” he said, his voice booming across the room. “So tell me, Nathan, why do you think you deserve a spot on the association?”

At this, a hint of a smile tugged at Nathan’s lips. Proudly, he reached for my hand and pulled me to his side. His arm snaked around my waist, holding me close against his broad, warm body. The other Alpha’s didn’t seem quite so hulking now that we were standing together.

“With my Luna by my side, we’ve taken on numerous challenges over this past year,” he began confidently. “We overcame the schemes of the Redclaws, fielded treason and betrayal and come out on top. Together, we even faced my traitorous father, Colin, and survived. If that doesn’t prove our strength and capability to handle association matters, I don’t know what does.”

Nathan paused then, looking over at me with a softness in his eyes that made my own eyes mist over with tears. “My Luna has a gift for resolving conflict through compassion,” he said, slowly returning his gaze to the Alphas. “And I’ve learned many things from her. Perhaps you should, too.”

I blushed at Nathan’s high praise, giving his hand a grateful squeeze. The Alphas glanced at each other, seemingly impressed by Nathan’s passionate argument.

“We also accomplished the impossible fundraising goal you gave us last-minute,” Nathan added. “You gave us mere days to achieve it, and yes, we may have fallen $500 short, but to raise such an amount in the time we were given… it deserves recognition.”

Around us, the others muttered words of encouragement and support. Dan held up a hand, restoring silence amongst the crowd. Then he turned, whispering in hushed tones with the other two Alphas. Nathan and I waited with bated breath, clinging to a fragile thread of hope.

After several agonizing minutes, Dan finally turned back around to face us again. “You present a convincing case, Nathan,” he admitted, although there was still a hardness in his tone that made my blood turn cold. “Raising that much money in such a short time is… impressive. As is surviving recent threats.”

I gasped softly. Was he actually reconsidering?

“Very well,” Dan conceded with a sigh. “I will grant you association membership… but only under probationary status at first.”

A collective sigh of relief escaped our pack, followed by exuberant cheers and applause. Nathan pulled me into a crushing hug, his pride and happiness showing in the strength of his arms. I laughed, dizzy with disbelief and joy.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Nathan said earnestly, shaking Dan’s hand. “You won’t regret it.”

“See to it that I don’t,” Dan warned, his gaze turning icy once again, especially as he looked over at me. I felt my shoulders tense under his scrutiny; something about the way he looked at me in particular made me feel almost sick.

But our pack had been given a fighting chance, and for that, I was thankful.

With that, he gave Nathan a curt nod and turned to leave with the other Alphas. But then he paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “Be prepared for your first association meeting in two weeks’ time, Nathan,” he said, his voice low. “I will send the details soon. Do not disappoint me, youngling Alpha.”

Nathan stiffened, but merely nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

Dan held his gaze a moment longer, as if still slightly uncertain about his spur-of-the-moment decision.

Then, he pushed through the excited crowd towards the exit, and he and the other Alphas disappeared into the night.