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For a moment, no one answers.
An older warrior finally raises his hand. “Mandatory pack events.”
Laughter explodes around us.
Rylan doesn’t hesitate. “Denied. Next.”
“You asked what we’d change.”
“And you received your answer.”
“You didn’t even consider it.”
“No.”
The laughter gets louder.
When it settles, another male wolf calls out, “Your father used to let some wolves get out of mandatory events.”
Rylan turns toward him. “Why?”
The male wolf hesitates. “Depends who you ask.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Money.”
An Elder shifts in his chair. “That’s an oversimplification.”
Rylan turns his attention to him. “Then explain it.”
“Some families made contributions to the pack.”
A seasoned warrior snorts. “They made contributions to certain Elders.”
Several voices rise at once.
“Quiet,” Rylan commands.
The gathering falls silent.
Rylan looks back at the seasoned warrior. “Finish.”
“Money. Gifts. Favors. Wolves with enough wealth or influence could get out of things the rest of us couldn’t. Better seating at events. Problems disappearing.”
One of the Elders shakes his head. “You need to be careful about making accusations without evidence.”
Joshua’s expression hardens. “Alpha asked him a question. Let him answer it.”
The Elder looks toward Joshua before turning away.
My wolf rumbles approvingly. Gamma.
I glance down at Damian. Watch Joshua too.
Why?
Rylan didn’t have to tell him to step in. He saw someone interfering with his Alpha getting an answer and handled it. A good leader knows his responsibilities.
