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It also gives me an excuse to continue to get a feel for this place. If Walker is all for keeping me secluded in Elizabeth’s cabin, stubborn Gem is all about walking around, seeing what life is like for the different ranks in the Western Pack, daring him to stop her.
Give me one reason, Alpha. Give me one single reason that I can take with me when I leave. I’ll tell Ryker and he can bring it up at the next Alpha gathering in July. That might be more than a half a year from now, but if the Alphas can finally get some insider knowledge on how the cruel Alpha abuses his packmates, maybe the Wicked Wolf’s three-decade reign over the Wolf District will end at last.
Claws crossed.
Oblivious to my machinations, Theo gives me a friendly smile. “I can eat. I’ll join you.”
Since I can’t think of a reason to tell him no, I figure it’s okay if he tags along with me. “Sure.”
We make it halfway to the district square before a bearded delta with dark skin and copper-like eyes flags us down. I have no idea who this guy is, but Theo greets him warmly, so I figure maybe he’s one of the good ones here.
“Where are you going, Theo?”
Theo gestures to me. “I was bringing the Alpha’s daughter to the dinner spread.”
The delta wolf—Theo called him Joshua—raises his eyebrows at that before quickly shaking it off. “Not now. The Alpha has called a pack meet.”
“What? When did that happen?”
“About an hour ago. Where in the Luna’s name have you been?”
I can answer that. From the red that tinges Theo’s whole cheek, I’m betting he was doing a perimeter check around mine and Elizabeth’s cabin for longer than he wanted to admit to.
“Busy,” is all he says. “Where’s the meet?”
“It’s at the pit,” Joshua answers, an excited edge to his baritone voice. “Now come on. You two aren’t gonna want to miss this!”
I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m kind of stuck on the word ‘pit’.
What the hell is the pit?
* * *
So it turnsout that the pit is just what it sounds like. In a part of pack territory that I haven’t had the chance to explore yet, there’s a stretch of land that’s about as big as a football field. There’s no grass, just dirt, and it’s dug out so that it’s about a foot below ground level.
We follow Joshua to the pit, though he leaves us to find a good spot along the edge—at least, that’s what he told Theo. It looks like nearly all of the adults in the pack are already here. A majority of them have built a wall around the pit, so I can’t really see what’s in there until I tiptoe closer and a few shifters trip over themselves to let me through.
I’m not really too impressed with the pit. No. My attention is drawn to something that’s built beyond the earth. With four steps leading up it, there’s a platform that rises more than two feet off the ground. It’s pretty clear it’s designed to let whoever’s on the platform have an even better view of the dirt without having to be a part of the crowd.
Makes sense when I get a better look at the platform.
In the middle of it, there’s a…. well, there’s no way around it. It’s a throne. A freaking throne. In the middle of the platform, there’s an iron-wrought throne that the Wicked Wolf lords in like he’s some kind of king.
There’s an empty seat next to him. Catty-corned to the throne, about a foot behind the second chair, there’s a third one. Elizabeth is sitting in it, her hair tucked over one shoulder, body turned just enough to make it clear that she’d rather be anywhere other than where she is.
“Ruby,” booms Walker when he spies me staring at them. “There you are, my daughter.”
“Gemma,” I automatically correct. I desperately want to add, “And I’m not your daughter,” but if there’s anything I’ve learned since I’ve been here, it’s when to pick my battles.
He ignores my retort which just proves I was right; I instinctively know that he never would’ve tolerated the second comment, especially with his pack as witness to it. Waving regally at the empty seat, he says, “Sit down.”
As if I have a choice.
Theo’s face might be ruined right now, but the marks don’t do much to hide the look of disappointment that flashes across it. “Alpha’s calling for you.”
Yeah. I heard him.
“I guess dinner’s gonna have to wait.”
