*Ciana*
I left Maggie, still wondering why she was doing all of this. Greg and Sherry were close behind. They trailed after like worrying parents, making sure I was safe.
“Okay, guys, if you’re going to hang around, you might as well talk to ,” I turned to them. “Unlike your Alpha, I’m an extrovert and it helps to talk it through.”
Sherry chuckled and ca to my side. She and I beca good friends really quickly. I loved her energetic and upbeat vibe. Having her around was a lot of fun.
On the other hand, Greg was still a bit standoffish. I wondered if he was worried about how Theo would react if my “protection detail” got too involved with .
What better way to protect than to know everything that was going on?
“So, how is everything looking?” Sherry asked as they accompanied to my house.
“Things are... not great. Because of Maggie’s influence, two of the most influential elders, Frederic and Murray, are now inclined to support Luther. They weren’t when I left,” I explained.
“But you’re the Alpha’s daughter, can’t you convince them that Alpha is a good king? They’ll listen to you, won’t they?” Greg asked, his voice contemplative.
“That’s my hope but... it feels like a lot of the pack mbers still treat like I’m a little kid. I need to get Frederic and Murray’s support and then the rest of the pack will follow.”
Truthfully, the elders made feel like I was an immature little girl. It wasn’t a good feeling, especially after everything I’d been through since going to the palace. I felt like I’d earned my stripes. But I needed to convince the rest of the pack, otherwise, they wouldn’t really support .
But how could I convince them?
Frederic was my best bet. He had always doted on when I was younger. Murray was picky and strict. He’d be harder to sway.
I made sure Greg and Sherry went back into hiding while I handled pack business.
Instead of going ho, I went to Frederic’s house. The first thing I noticed were the guards he had stationed outside. I didn’t give it much thought because everyone was trying to be more careful these days.
“Ciana, co in, co in,” Frederic said, eting on the porch.
“Hey, Uncle Frederic, I know we didn’t get to catch up much the last ti I was here. I hope you have ti now,” I said, walking up his steps.
“Of course, I always have ti for you. I just made so tea.”
We sat at his kitchen table together.
“I’m glad you’re here, Ciana. I’ve had enough of Maggie and all her nonsense. I was hoping that you could send her away,” he said, jumping right in.
I was surprised by his quick declaration. He picked up his tea and sipped, tapping his foot on the floor. I picked up my tea but I didn’t drink yet.
“I can help with that.” I nodded slowly.
Frederic wasn’t usually that quick to make decisions. Besides, he’d been waiting for , coming out on the porch to greet . The guards were feeling more suspicious as well. Guards weren’t welcoming to their Alpha’s daughter.
Sighing, I set the tea down again and glanced out the window at the guards.
“Drink your tea, won’t you?” Frederic asked.
“I’m not thirsty. Why do you have all these guards here, Uncle Frederic?” I asked casually.
Frederic growled and jumped up. “To protect you, of course!”
I pressed, “To protect , or to monitor ?”
“This is for your own good, Ciana,” Frederic said, trying to appease now. “I don’t want you to get involved or to get hurt. Regardless of what happens, I need to return you to your father unhard and intact.”
“So are you putting under house arrest?” I stood up, pushing the tea down the table. “I’m an Alpha’s daughter, you can’t restrain my freedom like this! Also, what do you an by ‘regardless of what happens?’”
“Things are changing in this country, and it’s best for a little girl like you to not get involved. Stay out of the way, and be good,” Frederic said with a condescending sneer.
“I’m not a little girl, I’m an alpha’s daughter! Last ti I checked, I still have authority here. I’m here because I want what’s best for the pack, not because I’m seeking protection” I reminded him.
“Well, you can’t really get out of here, can you? Don’t worry, I’m not like that bastard Raymond. I won’t hurt you, I just need you to stay out of this. When the Alpha is back, he’ll be happy to see the change to the pack and our country! If he blas , I’ll gladly take it,” he declared, puffing up his chest.
Inwardly, I groaned, but I knew that Frederic was doing what he thought was best for the pack, not because he was selfish or wanted power.
I sighed and said, “Uncle Frederic, unfortunately, I can’t listen to you.”
I got up and left the house.
Frederic raced after . “Ciana, get back here...”
He trailed off when he caught up to and saw that all his guards were knocked out and scattered on the lawn.
I smirked and stepped off the porch. Greg and Sherry jumped off the roof and stood at my sides.
“I’m sorry, Elder Frederic, but they didn’t want to let us in. Greg and I had to teach them how to... put up a proper fight,” Sherry said, chuckling mischievously. “Don’t worry, they’ll recover in a few days, I promise.”
Frederic gaped and pointed at the guards, then at us. He sputtered, his cheeks turning from red then blue, like he couldn’t breathe.
“You’ll be sorry for crossing !” Frederic shouted, pointing a sharp finger at us.
“Ciana,” Sherry ignored Fredric’s flaring nostrils and comnted, “Why does this old guy not get that he has nothing on us?”
Greg remained silent, but I could tell he was getting ready to fight.
I didn’t know who Frederic thought was going to capture us. All his guards were knocked out.
Heavy footsteps behind us drew our attention, and my heart sank. It sounded like a lot of guards approaching, and fast. Frederic’s reinforcents?
Sherry narrowed her eyes and turned around. She crouched down, standing back to back with , ready to defend . Greg moved in front of .
“Frederic, stop this now!” Murray’s voice called from behind us.
I whipped around and saw Elder Murray and his guards as they approached. They circled around us, all the way to the porch.
Instantly, Greg and Sherry took up defensive positions. I shook my head, telling them to stand down for the mont. Murray didn’t seem like he was there to stop us.
I was honestly surprised by his presence. I’d anticipated him being the harder elder to sway. He always seed more set in his ways. Maybe that ant he was so set in his ways he didn’t want to switch who he supported or see all these changes in the pack.
Inwardly, I was grateful to have one ally.
“This isn’t your business, Murray, get out of here!” Frederic shouted, throwing his arm out to the side.
“You don’t have a choice here,” Murray said, motioning to his guards. “You have to let Ciana go.”
Frederic sneered and walked into his house. He slamd the door behind him.
I winced. He’d always been such a loyal supporter and friend to my father. It was painful to see how much he opposed the crown.
Murray motioned for his guards to withdraw from Frederic’s house and I followed him as we headed in another direction.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Ciana. You shouldn’t be here. Too much is going on,” he chastised.
I shook my head.
Another Elder that wanted to treat like I was a defenseless child. Had they all forgotten that my father had taught self-defense and how to think like a leader? I wasn’t so random little girl!
“I hate to say it, but Frederic believes that the royal family is not worthy of Alvar Pack’s allegiance,” Murray explained as we headed toward his house.
“Is that what you think?” I asked, cutting to the chase before he had a chance to spin any story.
“No. However, I, like the other elders, have so concerns. I do not follow Luther but we do wonder about Theo. He is the son of Sebastian, and he has a brutal reputation,” Murray pointed out.
I rubbed the side of my head. I knew this was going to happen. Everyone thought of Theo and all they could see was that he’d done horrible things for his father.
“Well, to be entirely fair to Theo, he never would have done those things if Sebastian wasn’t controlling him. Sebastian turned him into a killer, used him as a weapon, and threatened those closest to him when Theo tried to stop,” I clarified.
“Even if those were true, we still don’t know what kind of king he’s going to be. The apple might not fall far from the tree.” Murray stroked his chin as he thought.
“He’s not like that. He hated the way Sebastian treated him and he would never do that to anyone else,” I assured.
“Ciana, a lot of pack mbers saw him kill dozens of warriors the last ti he was here.”
“Yes, but that was to protect the pack. It was to stop Raymond, rember?” I asked.
“Yes, it was for a good reason, but there are those that are still scared of him. He could turn on anyone at any ti.”
“But he won’t.”
I couldn’t tell Murray that I knew Theo would never raise a hand against my pack. Not just because he wasn’t like his father but because he and I were together. We didn’t want to go public with our relationship yet.
“I promise, Murray, Theo isn’t like his father. He is the one that ended his father’s tyranny, with his own hands,” I explained.
Murray stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at .
“Really? He is the one who...”
“He is. I was there. It was a rough fight but Theo wasn’t going to let his father hurt anyone else ever again. He’s out there right now trying to stop these rebellions and show that he’s a different kind of king.”
“Well, that does sound like he’s really trying. Look, Ciana, leave Frederic to . I can deal with him and I will tell the other elders what you told ,” he suggested.
“I’m not here to sit around and watch things unfold. I want to help. It is what my father would do,” I replied, crossing my arms.
“I can handle Frederic. You need to keep yourself safe, for your father,” Murray repeated.
Quickly, I thought over what my options were. I could put up a big argunt and end up with Murray opposing and Theo, too. Or, I could go along with what he wanted. He didn’t say I couldn’t help, just that I couldn’t be directly involved.
“Alright, if you want to stay out of it, I can. But would you at least tell what your plan is to persuade Frederic?” I asked.
Murray pursed his lips and gave a suspicious look. It was like he was questioning my willingness to agree. I gave him a mont to process all of it.
“Thank you, Ciana,” he nodded first, and then answered my question, “Regarding my plan... I’m going to need so ti to think about it. I’ll fill you in on all the details once I have them. However, it really isn’t sothing you should be worrying about.”
“I know you don’t want involved in actions directly, but maybe I can help you co up with a plan... one that doesn’t put in danger,” I smiled sweetly.
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