“And what do you think is going to happen when you start making all these changes?” Dad asks. “Wolves going to be coming from all over to challenge you and get they hands on that multi-billion dollar throne you so proud of now. Unless you manage to get the best beta on earth, you going to lose our pack before you even have a chance to do anything with it.”
I frown as if I’m seriously considering his words.
“That’s true, I’ll lose the pack as soon as anyone beats me in a challenge fight,” I say in a sorrowful tone.
“That’s what I been trying to say. That’s why we gotta—”
I cut off Dad’s smug reply with, “But if anyone’s good enough to beat me at Viking Shifters, then I think I actually deserve to lose my throne.”
Dad falters, his angry scowl loosening as he asks, “What’s that stupid game got to do with it?”
I pull up the documents Alisha sent me on my tablet. “Here’s the exact wording of our state Alpha Law: ‘When Challenge is given to the State Alpha, the alpha is allowed to pick the weapon by which the match will be fought. The match must be fought to the death. The winner of said match will then be considered State Alpha going forward.’”
Dad frowns, looking even more confused. But Clyde, who’s sitting to my left, immediately puts it together. “You’re going to use a game controller as your weapon. And technically every game of Viking Shifters is a fight to the death.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Exactly,” I answer, beaming at him.
He smiles back at me, only to break off with a frown. “What happens when the North American Territories change the laws, so every pack king doesn’t try to use a videogame to get around having to fight?”
I shrug. “That will be unfortunate for any other she-wolf who wants to rule like I will. But according to Janelle, I’ll be grandmothered in, so I’ll be alright.”
My father slams his hand down on the table, drawing everyone’s eyes back to him. “I can’t believe this! As much work as I put into this pack, and this is how you going to repay me?” he yells. “By making us a laughingstock?”
“I’d rather be laughed at than let the cruelty we’ve become known for continue one minute longer,” I answer with a glare.
“How about your brother?” Dad asks. “FJ and I made a deal. Plus, I pretty much already told everybody it would be him taking over until your man got back.”
“First of all, you shouldn’t have made promises you can’t keep since you no longer have the authority to do so. As queen of the pack, I’m the only one allowed to speak for my husband. That’s a very old law even you can’t get around,” I tell him. “Second of all, you are no longer in charge of what Clyde does. Neither of us are.”
I turn to Clyde. The brother who inadvertently saved me from my father’s plans by fucking my ex-fiancé at our engagement party. And you know what? I feel nothing but love for him as I say, “You’re really good at Viking Shifters, so if you want to stay on as my beta, you can do that. But if you want to be with Kyle, you can do that, too. Whatever you want, I’ll support you. I just wish I’d told you that sooner. And I wish you’d trusted that I’d accept you no matter what. Because I’m your sister and I’m always going to have your back.”
Clyde’s face softens but Dad gets all up in our warm fuzzies. “How about if he wants to take his rightful place as the Alpha of Michigan—the position he’d be holding right damn now if them Viking wolves of yours hadn’t come along?” he demands. “How about that, huh?”
I look at my brother. “Is that what you want, Clyde? What you really want? Because if it is, I’ll support you, even in that, as long as you back my initiatives.”
My father screws his face up. “What? No, he ain’t backin’ none of that damn mess!”
“I don’t want it,” Clyde says and he comes to his feet, too. “I don’t want to be king. I never have. Especially not here in Detroit.”
“What!?” our dad all but screeches. Then he resets, going back to his Dark Wolf Prez voice. “Listen here, boy…”
But Clyde doesn’t seem to hear him. For the first time ever, he seems to be having his own thoughts and his whole face lights up with happiness as he speaks his own mind. “I want to be with Kyle. I don’t know how or where, but I love him, and I want to be with him.”
I give him a gentle smile. Loving him more than I ever have in my life because it now feels like I truly know him.