The Mating(50)

Feeling her face growing red, Elise stared at the floor and seethed, forcing herself not to cause a scene. That woman was such a bitch! She knew what buttons to push. Elise tried to reassure herself that an arranged bonding was nothing to be ashamed of; it wasn’t like no one had wanted her and a political arrangement was the only way her father could get rid of her!

Carrie must have sensed her distress and grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Once she had herself under control, Elise peeked at the audience to see who else had heard the comment. A few people were looking at her speculatively while others were glaring at Marla. It gave her some small comfort to know that most of those within hearing range considered the remark inappropriate. She could only hope that they didn’t secretly agree with the comment despite its lack of good taste.

Kane, unfortunately, hadn’t caught the exchange as he was listening to an elderly man who had just stood up. “May I address you, Alpha?”

Nodding, a ghost of a smile passed over Kane’s lips at the old man’s formality. Helen leaned over and whispered in Elise’s ear. “That’s William. He was Alpha over thirty years ago and is now part of the Council of Elders. William is very wise and a great supporter of Kane.” Elise nodded and listened intently, pushing Marla’s comment aside. She would not let that woman get to her!

“Ryne was your brother, yet he challenged you for the leadership of this pack. Such a challenge, according to the ancient laws, could have only one conclusion. The death of one wolf and the victory of the other.”

Again, Kane nodded.

“Kane, you were the victor. Why was Ryne allowed to live and cause such havoc among us? If he were dead, we would all be happier and Thomas would not have been shot.” Unlike the previous speaker, this man didn’t falter under Kane’s gaze, instead standing with his head slightly tilted to the side in inquiry.

The room went deadly silent watching Kane and waiting for his reply. Elise clasped her hands tightly together. If this man was one of Kane’s supporters, she’d hate to think what those who weren’t as fond of him might be like. This Elder was basically saying that Kane had broken pack law, messed up as leader, and endangered them all! Nervously, Elise wondered how her mate would refute such a claim.

Kane stood impassively surveying the crowd before speaking. “The council of Elders agreed to allow the challenge to proceed so that the most capable leader could be determined. The minute I won the challenge, I became Alpha. By virtue of that fact, everyone who lives in this pack is subject to my rules and my decisions. It was my decision to allow Ryne to live, and it was not based on brotherly love—there was little, if any, of that left. The needs of the pack were foremost in my mind, even during that first moment of victory. Ryne had many friends within our pack and his death would have served no purpose except to cause grief, division, and discord at a time when we need to be unified.

“As for the laws, as Alpha, I know them better than most. Even before the challenge began, I had carefully studied the ancient rules as part of my Beta duties. While it does state that the victor will become Alpha, it does not say his opponent must die.” Kane opened up a very old leather-bound volume and began to read. “The challenge shall proceed with no interference until only one stands victorious as the Alpha. All who dwell in the pack shall bow before him and be subject to his decrees. His dictates shall be abided by, upon the fear of death.”

Slowly Kane closed the book. “The death, or life, of any pack member has always been in the hands of the Alpha. Our ancestors were not as civilized as we are, and often chose to kill their opponents. We, however, have evolved beyond that. To revert to killing out of fear, or to maintain power, would be to turn our backs on all the advances we’ve made and to become little more than creatures governed solely by ancient instincts.

“Ryne may or may not be responsible for Thomas’ injury. We are searching for him and when he is found, he will be questioned about this incident and the others. Once his innocence or guilt is determined, suitable consequences will follow.”

The Elder slowly nodded. “Wisely spoken, Alpha. You know our laws and rule with justice and fairness. We are fortunate to have one as enlightened and dedicated as you to lead us.” William turned and surveyed the room calmly before sitting down. Elise was sure you could have heard a pin drop.

Helen poked her in the ribs and whispered in her ear. “See? William was playing devil’s advocate; he knew what the law was. He just wanted to give Kane a chance to say his bit.”

Kane waited a moment before talking again, giving any further dissenters time to speak, but no one came forward. Returning the Book of the Law to the table, he picked up the agenda and addressed the next point. “Due to Thomas’ accident, I’m declaring much of the woods out of bounds. The primary pathways will remain open for your use and I’ve doubled our patrols in those areas, but we can’t cover every acre of the entire property every day. Patrols will still be dispatched throughout the territory, but we’re focusing most of our energy on those places closest to home in order to ensure your safety. Any questions?”