Page 71 of Dark Sold Mate

Silas smiled, and there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. “You'll see.”

An hour later, Elle was standing with Silas in the pack's meeting hall, her stomach fluttering with nerves. The whole pack was there. Wolf shifters occupied every seat, staring at the Alpha and his mate.

Silas grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. Then he came forward. “Thank you all for coming,” his voice easily rose above everyone. “I have summoned this meeting to inform you about some amendments to our pack laws.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“As you all know, my father made most of the rules that we now follow, and though some of those rules have been for our good, most are out of date, cruel, and based on prejudice that no longer serve our best interests.”

The murmurs grew louder. Silas waited until they had subsided.

“I'm revoking the law that prohibits relations with foreigners. I am declaring it effective immediately. Should one of the pack members develop a bond with anyone not part of our community, be it a shifter or a human, or any other kind, that bond will be accepted and honored. As long as the relationship is consensual and the outsider is ready to become a part of the pack life, he or she will be welcomed.”

There was a moment of silence in the hall. Then wolves started speaking simultaneously, some of them excited, some worried, some clearly angry.

“That's not all,” Silas cut through the noise. “I have another rule I am enforcing. Those who harm or bully them will be punished severely. Humans will no longer be considered inferior. This pack will respect them and treat them as equals.”

The hall erupted with questions, objections, and support. Silas tightened his grip around Elle and gave her a quick side glance.

He was really doing this. He was breaking centuries of laws because of her.

“I know there are sudden changes, and I know some of you disagree. However, I am not seeking your approval. This is how it will be under my leadership. We will no longer operate under prejudice. I am not like my Father, so I suggest you accept this.”

He glanced at each wolf. “I remain determined to defend this pack and make us prosper. But I will not do it on the same basis of hatred and cruelty that my father adopted. We're better than that. We can be better than that.”

Slowly, wolves began nodding. Not all of them. But enough.

“Now,” his tone grew lighter.

Silas said, his tone lightening. “Since we're all here, and since I've given you all something serious to reflect upon, let's turn this meeting into a celebration. We haven't had one in a while. We need to remember what it is like to be a community.”

The tension in the room broke. Wolves began chattering with excitement, and within several minutes, members of the pack were arranging tables with food, the others were preparing music, and kids were running around screaming with joy.

Silas drew Elle closer and kissed her temple. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Elle asked.

“For inspiring me to be better and showing me that change can happen.” Silas smiled down at her. “You've made me a better Alpha. A better man.”

Elle smiled. “I guess I have.”

“Come on,” he took her to the middle of the hall. “Dance with me.”

“I don't dance.”

“Neither do I. We'll figure it out together.”

And they did. They danced clumsily, laughing at each other. The hall was filled with so much joy and happiness. Elle found herself enjoying this interaction with everyone.

Sara interrupted them and pulled Elle into a hug, crying about how proud she was of Silas. Rael lifted a glass in their direction, and Javi looked…glad.

The pack members approached her throughout the evening, some to congratulate her, some asking about the human world, and some thanking her for inspiring the Alpha to make those changes.

Not everyone was happy, though. Some remained on the other side of the hall, glaring. Older traditional wolves did not look pleased. But most of the pack seemed fine with it, and that was all that mattered.

After a while, Elle and Silas found themselves at the back of the hall, watching their pack interact, laugh, and enjoy themselves.

“They're happy,” Elle observed.