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25
Wolf Creek was ready to greet the royal family when we arrived. The entire pack turned out, everyone gathered in front of the barn as requested.
I could see them waiting as we approached, careful to keep myself hidden from view behind the guards and accompanying council. I didn’t tell them why I wanted to return here, and I was certain they were expecting some kind of happy reunion.
Alec was already seething with rage, the emotion far more intense than it should be. My wolf clawed at my chest, wanting to get out to comfort her mate. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just sensing Alec’s emotions, I was feeling his inner wolf. And he was pissed.
My wolf was distracted by her mate. Her feelings toward Wolf Creek secondary to his discomfort. It was interesting that Alec’s hate toward Wolf Creek was two-fold. I could feel his personal vendetta against my old pack mixed with a need to protect and defend his mate. In a strange way, it was kind of sweet.
“Let me take lead on this,” I said to him as we neared the pack.
“I’ll try,” he said.
After everything we’d been through, my old pack deserved to feel exactly the kind of pain they’d dished out. But the more I thought about what punishment they deserved, the less I thought death would be enough.
Tyler was gone, despite our attempts to give him another chance. He’d made his choice. In his death, he’d been spared the humiliation of a mate rejecting him and he would never see the pack he was sure he’d rule handed to someone else.
Ace’s punishment would be different. Death was too easy and ran the risk of making him a martyr. I wasn’t naive enough to think that generations of males who were used to unquestioned power would simply bow to a female monarch. We had a lot of work ahead of us to right the wrongs. For every story like mine, there were a dozen more. Sheila and Clara had both been stripped of their right to a position granted by the Moon Goddess herself. How many others had suffered at the wrath of weak men who wanted to maintain power?
Ace would be an example. Weakened, stripped of his power. I needed him to survive as a warning and a sign of what was to come rather than a reason for shifters to rise up against me.
He wasn’t being punished for being sexist, he was being punished for abusing all the members of his pack. I wanted to make sure that was clear.
My guards stopped, leaving a gap between our group and the leaders of my former pack. Ace and his favorites were gathered at the front, behind them were a few hundred shifters who called Wolf Creek home.
Ace lowered his head into a bow. “Welcome, your majesty. Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”
I touched the arms of the guards in front of me, indicating that I wanted them to step aside. They parted, allowing me and Alec to pass.
I stood in front of Ace, my head held high. He lifted his head and caught sight of me. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. All the color drained from his face. “You.”
“That is no way to address your queen,” Alec said.
“That’s impossible. You should be dead,” he said. “Tyler went after you.”
“Someone is threatening the queen’s life?” James asked.
I looked over at my guard. “He’s already been dealt with.”
“He can’t hurt me anymore,” I added as I looked back at Ace.
The alpha dropped to his knees. “You killed him?”
“He chose death instead of breaking the bond,” I said. “I believe you also wished death on me.”
Ace shook his head. “No. I would never. How is this even possible?”
“I challenged the king. And I won.” The words tasted like victory.
“Your highness, I am loyal to the crown,” he said.
“No, you’re loyal to yourself.” I let the words hang in the air. Nobody said a word. The gathered shifters had moved a little closer and I knew everyone was waiting to see what I said.
“You failed your son, you failed your family, you failed your pack. As a father, as an alpha, your job was to protect. Instead, you terrorized.”
“No, I raised a strong family and a strong pack. I did not fail,” he spat.
“Strength is not demonstrated through fear. You are a disgrace.” My tone was calm but my words biting. I never thought I’d get to stand up to Ace, let alone point out all the hurt he’d caused. I know I wasn’t alone, even if I felt like it growing up. Everyone under Ace’s control, which was all of Wolf Creek, was hurting. We were trapped, unable to live our lives as we wished.
