Chapter 24
Kaeleen’s POV
"Not really. They are a small pack that haven’t achieved anything notable in about a decade." Alex replied to .
"Hmm." I said with a nod. "Maybe they need a change of leadership."
"You..." the man began.
"Yes?"
"Who do you think you
"Who do you think you are?" he spurted.
"Kaeleen Alpha of Erald Glade Pack." I replied coolly. "Respect is earned, not given. And speaking of elders, I and Leon are the sa age."
Before the argunt could escalate, Rebecca stepped forward, her presence commanding attention. As a senator, she was the most prominent face of the werewolf community in the human world.
"To be sincere, I am with Kaeleen on this." Rebecca said.
Leon cut her off, his tone dismissive. "With all due respect, Rebecca, this is a matter for Alphas. Your... political expertise is appreciated, but it’s not relevant here."
I bristled at his condescending tone. "Rebecca is a senator, Leon. She knows more about this than you do."
Annabelle, a female Alpha from Hawaii raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Should I leave too, Leon? Seeing as I’m female?"
Leon flushed, realizing he had stepped over the line. "That’s not what I ant," he stamred. "I simply ant that this is a matter of pack security, sothing that Alphas are uniquely qualified to address."
Alex spoke up, his voice low and dangerous. "Shut up, Leon. You’re embarrassing yourself."
The room fell silent, all eyes on Leon. He glared at Alex, his face contorted with rage. But he knew better than to challenge him directly. If he did, then he was going after the whole erald Glade Pack.
Rebecca, unfazed by the interruption, continued her argunt, laying out the reasons why the so-called alliance should be abolished.
"If we sign this alliance, there will be sothing that would be needed to identify werewolves. We will have to co out and that puts our whole community at risk." she argued.
"So we should continue being in hiding?" Leon asked.
"We are not in hiding. You are speaking with so of the world’s most influential people here." Marcus pointed out.
"And what exactly does that do?" Soone asked.
"It shows that we can still be who we are without putting a bloody target on our backs." Marcus said.
"I was all for this alliance before but now I’m rethinking it." Annabelle said.
"Of course you would." Leon scoffed.
"What did you say?" Her beta asked in anger.
"Let the misogynistic bastard be." Annabelle said calmly.
"You all know this alliance is for the good of the community." Leon argued.
"Our good or your good?" I asked him.
"Our good."
This eting wasn’t going anywhere. Instead, we were farther from concluding it. While so were in support of leon. So others shared my concern. We were already doing alright without the label so why change it now? Leon, however, remained steadfast in his support, pushing the Alliance with unwavering determination. It was clear that he had a personal stake in its success.
Finally, Jonathan, Marcus’s father and one of the most respected Alphas in the country, spoke up, his voice carrying a weight of authority.
"Perhaps we’re looking at this the wrong way," he said, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Maybe we should defer to soone with a more nuanced understanding of the political landscape."
He turned to Rebecca, his eyes filled with respect. " You’re a senator, a leader in both the human and werewolf worlds. What’s your honest opinion? Is this the right choice for our community?"
All eyes turned to Rebecca, the weight of their expectations heavy upon her. She hesitated for a mont, gathering her thoughts, before speaking with conviction.
"I’ve said this already and I’ll say it again. This alliance should be abolished and forgotten." She said calmly.
Leon’s face turned red in anger.
"What are you saying?" he sputtered.
"The sa thing I said a minute ago. Stop this alliance."
"And what about our community? Everything we’ve worked for?" Leon asked her.
"I’m protecting our community," Rebecca retorted, her eyes blazing with anger. "This Alliance is a mistake. It’s too risky, too dangerous. It will expose us to unnecessary scrutiny and put our people in harm’s way."
"You’re just saying that because you’re supporting your brother!" Leon accused, his voice dripping with venom. "You’re letting your personal feelings cloud your judgnt."
I stiffened, ready to defend Rebecca, but she held up a hand, silencing .
"Personal feelings clouding my judgent would be getting a punch in your face for disrespecting and my brother. Personal feelings clouding my judgent would be cursing you for waiting this long until this eting finally comnced at your own convenience but I didn’t do any of that. You are the one letting personal feelings cloud your judgent and failing to see how much of a threat this so-called alliance could be to us. But then again, what do I know? I’m only a woman who managed to beco a senator right?" She asked him.
Not once did she raise her voice. Damn, my sister just gave goosebumps. I could feel it on every part of my body. The room was quiet. I watched as Alex gave Rebecca a discreet thumbs up. I wanted to clap at her display but remained calm. Jonathan’s eyes shone with admiration and respect. He looked like a proud father. Annabelle gave her a smile and a nod. Leon glared. I could imagine him jumping over the table to wrap his arms around her. But he wouldn’t make it because her mate was with her.
"This has nothing to do with Kaeleen," she said, breaking the silence. "This is about what’s best for our community. And I believe that abandoning this Alliance is the only responsible course of action."
Leon glared at Rebecca, his face contorted with rage.
"So? Are we stopping this foolishness?" Marcus asked loudly.
"We will take a vote." Leon said with a glare on his face.
Perhaps he thought he would win but at the end of the day, he lost. The alliance was cancelled and the werewolf community would live to see another day.
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