Max tilted his head. “Whatever you need, Anax.”
“Tobias.” I sighed. I was never going to get people to consistently use my name. “We’ll talk about it before you leave on Saturday, yeah?”
“Yes,” Russ said. He nudged Max. “We aren’t being executed. Stop glaring.”
“I’m not.”
The corners of Jason’s eyes crinkled. “All right, let’s get on with lunch. I need to check in with the Connecticut Pack Alpha about a couple of things. Anax, we’ll resume in…?”
“About half an hour.” I had no idea what time it was or how much time had passed, but that sounded right. “I’ll summon everyone when it’s time.”
“Got it.” He nodded to Max and Russ, and they followed him away.
“Guess we aren’t so unique anymore,” Kyle said.
“They aren’t mates.” But he wasn’t wrong. When he and I accepted each other as mates and our pack, and then others, realized, we were supposedly the only male mated pair in existence. Then Quinn and Malachi met and recognized each other as true mates. One male mated pair meant there was one; two meant there might be more who either hadn’t met yet or hadn’t accepted each other out of fear.
And werewolves didn’t have to be mates to be together. Some never found their true mates, but that didn’t mean theydidn’t have partners. Werewolves could date or fuck whomever they chose. Our only prohibitions were that if someone dated a human, they couldn’t tell their partner that they were a werewolf without permission from the leader in direct authority over them, and no one could intentionally come between a true mated pair. Unless the mated pair agreed to it, of course.
Kyle and I finished eating, and I started mentally prepping to resume the meeting. At least the afternoon session would be only arkhons and alphas, but there would still be a crowd in the auditorium, and I would still have to answer questions about the whole mutiny bullshit from that morning. I didn’t believe for a second that the men—and they were all men; we had no female arkhons or alphas, which I would have liked to change but couldn’t really do much about at the moment—would just let that slide. They would want to talk about Davis Gray’s defection and what I intended to do about it.
The problem was that I didn’t have any intentions right now. My preference would have been to just pretend Davis and those who had gone with him didn’t exist. Of course that wasn’t realistic. I would have to act if I wanted to hold onto my rank. Which I did, even though sometimes I wished I could give it up. Leaving the rank would mean either leaving the country or dying, and I wasn’t inclined to do either.
Since I couldn’t avoid the meeting forever, I took a few breaths, hugged Kyle, and went to the top of the basement stairs. Not wanting to strain my voice before the meeting recommenced, I used the bond to call all arkhons and alphas to the basement and to summon Seth and Xavier to go with me.
This time, I was the first one in the auditorium. I went straight to the podium, where someone, thank gods, had left a full pitcher of ice water and a glass. Each of the tables held two pitchers and stacks of plastic cups, and bins of bottled water sat at the end of each of the rows where the alphas would sit. I didn’t know which of my household staff was responsible, but I greatly appreciated it.
When everyone was in their seats, I stood up straight and cleared my throat, which instantly quieted the few whispersamong the arkhons and alphas. “Typically at this point in the proceedings, I hear reports from each of you on the state of your region or territory,” I said. “I still wish to hear those reports, particularly from those of you new to your ranks. However, first, I suspect you have questions and concerns to address about what occurred earlier today. For the first half hour, we may, if you wish, discuss Davis Gray’s departure and what it means for the Pacific Region and the country. Or we can just move on to the reports.”
As I’d anticipated, several dozen voices responded, nearly all of them with either Davis’s name or “Pacific Region.” I waited several seconds, then raised both hands.
Silence fell again, and I nodded. “We have a few things to sort out. While Davis Gray’s choice to leave this gathering is unsurprising, given his vocal opposition to having me as Anax, it does leave a gap. Those of you who remain from the Pacific Region have been temporarily placed under the leadership of the Arkhon of the Northwest Region or the Arkhon of the Four Corners Region. Truthfully, should Davis and his followers choose to remain separate, this temporary state of affairs may become permanent. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but it is possible.”
“Anax, if I may?”
I tensed reflexively before my brain fully registered the voice as that of an ally. I turned to my left and said, “Paul Drake, Arkhon of the Northwest Region, you may speak freely.”
“Anax, I am happy to have the former packs of the Pacific Region as part of my region,” Paul said. “However, I believe it will be beneficial to them for the previous state of affairs to resume if and when possible.”
Beside him, Hollis Rourke raised his hand, and I nodded. Hollis stood. “I concur with the Arkhon of the Northwest Region. Should the former Pacific Region packs remain part of the Four Corners Region, so be it. I am happy to have them. However, our country was broken into regions for a reason, based upon geography and pack sizes and numbers among other factors. It would seem, to me at least, that it would be best to restore thatstructure as soon as we are able.”
“Thank you, arkhons.” I let out a long breath. Even knowing that Paul was on my side and that Hollis would likely follow Paul’s lead, I couldn’t be completely at ease when anyone in this room spoke. Any of them might turn against me. Any of them might challenge me.
Those were thoughts that not so long ago, I would have ascribed to the Anax, the power, rather than myself. But now…well, paranoia made sense when people actually were out to get you.
“We won’t be able to solve the issue of the Pacific Region and its existence during this gathering,” I said. “Not completely. There are too many variables to consider, including whether Davis Gray intended this to be a permanent break between him and the rest of the country. Perhaps he acted out of anger or malice without thinking it through. Perhaps he simply wanted to make a statement.”
“Perhaps he’s aware that you’re a pale substitute for the Anax,” a voice somewhere among the alphas said.
Several gasps punctuated the statement, and the arkhons stared at me. Angry red heat rose in me, and I clenched my fists beside the podium. How dare someone question me? How dare he speak without being recognized? Disrespect had no place in this room.
But neither did rage. I couldn’t afford to lose my temper when I stood in front of those who could, in theory, remove me from my rank. I took a few breaths while most of those in the room seemed to hold theirs.
“Whoever spoke, please stand and be recognized,” I said finally, and I was pleased at how calm my tone was despite the roiling anger. “You will be heard, but if you’re making such a statement, I believe I have the right to know who you are.”
For a beat, no one moved. Then, finally, a broad-shouldered man with short dark hair stood in the middle of the second row of alphas. “I spoke, Anax.”
He didn’t apologize for speaking out ofturn, not that I’d anticipated he would. I simply looked at him until he lowered his gaze. “Wally Elias, Alpha of Modoc Pack, you may speak freely. You believe I am no replacement for Hezekiah Wheelwright. Something with which I agree, given the harm he visited upon the werewolves of this country and Canada. I have committed many errors, but I have not gone his route. Tell me what you mean when you call me a pale substitute for him.”
