Chapter 160

Aria

I stood beside Darren at the entrance to Moonglow territory, watching as the procession of wolves approached. My stomach fluttered as I witnessed the enormous Alphas beside their elegant Lunas, the bristling Betas and all of their retinues trailing behind them.

One by one, they shifted into their human forms, windswept and breathless. Men and women approached, wearing various styles of clothing, everything from modern suits to traditional garb consisting of fine robes and leathers and dark trench coats.

I took a deep breath. Beside me, Darren moved a little closer, placing his hand on my lower back. I glanced at him. “Do I look okay?” I asked, knowing that I likely looked like hell after my hectic morning. I was still wearing my jeans and sweater, and my hair was hanging loose down my back.

He nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You look tired, but beautiful as always.”

I softened slightly, pushing away the remnants of my earlier frustration. Once again, I suddenly felt silly for getting so possessive over Raven, and I was almost glad that I’d gotten distracted before I could say anything to Darren about it.

Over the next few minutes, we greeted our guests one by one as they arrived. More packs had come than I had expected, although not all of the packs, of course. I was pleasantly surprised when Alpha Arthur from Shadowclan pack approached. He was a stern-looking man with graying hair, but there was a kind sparkle to his hard eyes.

“Everyone’s here,” Darren finally murmured to me once the whirlwind of greetings had ended. “Let’s move to the council chamber.”

With a nod, I followed him to the pack house, passing by the pack members and refugees. I could hear the other Alphas and Lunas murmuring as we made our way through the rows of temporary housing where the refugees lived, and some of the humans shrank back from the sight of the imposing leaders. We then made our way into the council chambers.

Once everyone was seated, Darren stood. He cleared his throat and addressed the room, his presence commanding attention with ease as always.

“Welcome, all of you,” he said, gesturing to all of the leaders seated around the long tables. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. We face unprecedented challenges, and unity has never been more important.”

“We’ve heard rumors,” one of the Alphas said immediately, without preamble. His voice was low and rough. “The humans are planning an invasion.”

“Potentially, yes,” Darren said. “That’s precisely why we’ve called you here. We’re hoping to unite the werewolves in case there is an invasion on Moonglow territory.”

“This is your mess, Alpha Darren,” another Alpha replied quickly, glancing at me with unconcealed disdain. “Why should we help you instead of doing what the other, smarter packs have done—going off the grid?”

I tensed, but Darren said with ease, “Frankly, I can’t give you a good reason. Perhaps there isn’t one, aside from the fact that we all share blood.”

“If the humans invade one pack,” one Luna chimed in, “then they might invade others. I believe we should unite.”

“Unite under whom?” the Alpha next to her laughed. “Our Alpha King abdicated already, expecting another one to have been elected by now. But thanks to the humans discovering our existence, the election has been put off, and now we have no official supreme leader.”

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone looking at each other in question.

Darren sighed. “That’s part of why I called this meeting. We’re operating without central leadership at a time when we need direction most.”

“Are you implying we should elect one now? The election process normally takes months,” someone pointed out. “We don’t have that kind of time.”

“We could just elect an Acting Alpha King for now,” the Luna from before pointed out, sitting up a little straighter. “Someone to guide us through this crisis until a proper election can be held. It’s been done before.”

Murmurs spread across the table at that. I watched the faces of the leaders, trying to gauge their reactions. Some looked thoughtful, others skeptical.

“How would this Acting Alpha be chosen?” someone asked. “And how quickly are we talking?”

“It would of course have to be a simplified election, if we were to do it,” Alfira suddenly suggested. “Each pack leader could cast one vote, representing their pack, and majority wins. We can hold it tomorrow night, giving everyone time to consider the candidates.”

“And who would these candidates be?” Alpha Arthur said, his voice deep and authoritative. I glanced at him, feeling oddly bashful under the elder Alpha’s gaze. He appeared to be about Wendy’s age, and his face betrayed a wisdom even beyond those years.

“Any Alpha present who wishes to put themselves forward,” Darren replied quickly.

“Like you?” Arthur bit out, clasping his hands in his lap.

My stomach clenched painfully at that comment. Did he know that I had said to Bella’s father about Darren becoming the next Alpha King, or was I just being paranoid?

“I would like to run,” Darren said simply with a shrug. “We should all run, in my opinion.”

Arthur’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, but to my surprise, he nodded and leaned back. “Well, I for one am all for a fair election. I agree that it would be wise to unite under one leader during a trying time like this.”

One by one, the others voiced their agreement. Some enthusiastic, some reluctant, but all recognizing the necessity. Finally, it seemed everyone could come to an agreement on the matter.

“Then it’s settled,” Darren concluded. “Tomorrow night, we’ll choose an Acting Alpha King. For now, let’s discuss our strategy regarding the humans and the safety of our territories.”

The meeting continued for hours, with Bella—who came despite her morning sickness, much to Liam’s chagrin and mine—providing insights on human thinking and William offering the panthers’ perspective.

Throughout the afternoon, naps were spread across the table, territories marked, potential weak points identified, and coffee doled out like candy. I felt like I was in a little over my head, but I offered insight wherever I could, and even helped deescalate a few potential arguments between leaders.

As the sun began to set, Darren finally called the first meeting to a close. “We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning to continue planning. For tonight, everyone is welcome to get some rest and enjoy the territory. My pack has prepared a dinner to welcome you all, and the children are going to put on a play tonight.”

The leaders rose, breaking into smaller conversations as they filed out of the chamber. I stayed behind with Darren, helping to gather the maps and notes.

As we finished clearing the table, I noticed Alpha Arthur lingering in the doorway. He’d been quiet since that one comment he’d made, mostly just observing the rest of the meeting.

Now, he was staring at me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. His eyes seemed to be searching for something in my face. I wondered, again, if he somehow knew what I’d said to Bella’s father, and he was judging me for it.

But then, my thoughts were interrupted by a hand on my arm. I turned to find Wendy looking me over with an appraising eye.

“Aria, you look a mess after this morning’s antics,” she murmured, already whisking me away. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”