#Chapter 46 Alpha Council Chambers
Rachel POV
Alpha Council Chambers
"Grandmaster, please introduce the next petitioners."
The Grandmaster took his place at the podium to read out our details. I felt as if I were being electrocuted, my insides vibrating with enough nervous energy to make think I was plugged into a socket sowhere. Every word felt amplified by ten thousand, far louder than an old wolf standing behind a microphone.
"We have the case of Rachel Flores, no pack affiliation on record, being supported by her witnesses Bella Assante of New Moon Pack and Jack Jackson of Golden Gleam Pack. Rachel Flores wishes to petition for pack status for herself and her unborn child. In accordance with our laws, the blood father, Alpha Tyler Wright of Moonrise Pack, has been notified of this session and he has chosen to attend to speak his part. In support of Rachel Flores, Alpha Nathan Lewis of Full Moon Pack has chosen to attend to speak for his house as well."
All these people were here for ---and my baby.
I hadn’t allowed the technician to tell the gender during my last ultrasound. She had clearly found out while doing the scan, but sothing in wanted to wait before opening the door to my child’s potential future as either a player or a pawn in the ga of life.
A male Alpha heir would be expected to live up to his father’s deeds then exceed them. He would carry the weight of his na, his house, his bloodline.
A female Alpha heir would be expected to fall in line with her father’s plans for her. She would shoulder the burden of being a valuable asset for her parents, her house, her bloodline.
I wanted to just keep thinking of my baby as "the baby" for a little while longer.
Standing before the Alpha Council, I felt stupid for having chosen to wait. I could have used the gender reveal to push for further rights for my child. Knowing whether I offered a male or female heir would have given a bargaining chip to try to sway them to see I deserved the right to claim protection of the pack of my choice.
Jack lightly touched my wrist and I staggered forward a step.
I was ant to speak first. The Council was hearing my appeal so I would be given the first and last word during the proceeding.
"After finding out I was pregnant, I decided to choose a pack to pledge myself and my baby to because a child needs to have a supportive environnt to grow up in. I have never cared about belonging to a pack. My mother was estranged from her ho pack. I was raised believing Patrick Flores to be my father---and his pack was not welcoming to our family due to Patrick, umm, Mister Flores’s bad acts."
"Bad acts?" a Councilor asked, brow raised in question.
"Patrick Flores had---no, has a gambling problem. He also drinks and uses drugs and does other things I know aren’t legal. I don’t know any specifics. I would have turned him into the police if I knew sothing specific he’d done to soone else, I an."
"Implying he did sothing to you which you could have reported to the police?"
I looked at the Councilor who asked the question and I knew panic was clear on my face. I couldn’t help I had no record of anything specific Patrick had done to soone else and ? What would have happened if I had went to the police the night Patrick traded for his debts being cleared?
Those n had already taken Ethan! My brother most likely would have died if I had went to the authorities or anyone at all to ask for help other than with money to pay their ransom demand.
"Nothing he did to has any bearing on this petition."
My hands trembled at my sides and I balled them up into fists to try to stop showing my emotions. Jack had been great about preparing for this encounter. I was supposed to protest ’no bearing on this petition’ for anything I couldn’t prove or might hurt my appeal. I was supposed to direct questions to him if I didn’t know how to reply.
"Fine. What conflict prevents you from joining your forr mate’s pack? We need so clear provocation to rule his child should not be inducted into his bloodright pack."
All the Council looked at while I tried to recall the answer I’d rehearsed with Jack. In the end, my thoughts wouldn’t co together just right. I decided to go for sincerity over being sophisticated.
"Councilors, I want my child to be loved. My forr mate has told throughout our entire mating he wants no children. Children are only pawns in his pack when they co from an Alpha House. I do not want my child to be a bargaining chip or to ever feel as if he or she is not wholly loved regardless of their gender, Alpha status, or their ability to barter for relationships with other packs."
They were all nodding as I spoke. I could practically hear Tyler grinding his teeth together behind . He had only himself to bla for forcing us to this point. I had no other choice than to fight for my child; Tyler himself had given the best ammunition to use against him.
No one’s family was flawless, but his was openly toxic.
"House Wright has never been very affectionate. John Wright does not like or feel I am good enough for his son. He ordered Tyler to keep a secret even though I am his fated mate. My child should be no one’s dirty secret. According to my research, I belong, rightfully, to House Campbell which is an Alpha House in its own right of Moonglow Pack. I want to give my child my birthright."
Silence fell in the chamber as the Council began to communicate through mindspeak. I could tell they were consulting each other as their eyes all seed to go dead at once. For the first ti in my life, I wished I’d been born with psychic gifts so I’d know what they were saying.
"We have reviewed the docunts you submitted for proof of your parentage. This Council agrees you have a right to claim a place among Moonglow Pack unless they protest your application to join them. Furthermore, we have issued a summons to House Campbell’s Alpha to answer as to your parentage in regards to his line of succession."
My eyes couldn’t have gone wider without falling out of my head. What were they talking about with the line of succession? I had no desire at all to challenge Richard Campbell for the right to the Alpha Seat of House Campbell!
"I don’t feel it is necessary to challenge---"
"We decide what is necessary."
I shut my mouth. I could tell when I was pushing my luck.
A Council mber gestured to Tyler who stepped forward to speak for his part of the claim. I had a fair idea of what he would argue thanks to Jack. My biggest fear was the Council intended to dismiss my claims of coming from another Alpha House and they’d already proven those fears were unfounded.
I wasn’t afraid of what Tyler Wright would say about to the Council. I’d never committed any cri he could use to take my child from and Tyler was not the kind of Alpha to lie to get his desires t.
"No offense is intended toward Rachel Flores, but I would like to go on the record to state she has never made claims of parentage from an Alpha line until this pregnancy happened. I do not doubt she wants the best for the child. I do doubt her claims of being from House Campbell when no one has ever ntioned her existence from the house in question."
John Wright would have known if House Campbell claid , too. He was notorious for wheeling and dealing to get the best possible matches for his pack. I was certain Tyler would have been told to marry if I had co into his life with a clear claim of succession from House Campbell.
An Alpha House fated mate would have been a gift from the Goddess herself to John Wright.
I, Rachel Flores, daughter of an oga with bad tendencies had been an embarrassnt.
"Your protest is noted. Do you have proof she fabricated these records?"
I sucked in a breath at the accusation. I could understand why they’d ask, but Tyler couldn’t think I was making up my birth record, could he? I hadn’t written Richard Campbell’s na on my birth record in the place of ’father.’ The docunts were all legal! The only fakes in the bunch were death records for my mother!
"I have proof Rachel Flores can’t provide proof of her claims. Is that sufficient?"
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