Page 151 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

I turn to look at my father. “Maybe it’s time to bring Ella in. Dante is with her. I can link him.”

“Ella?” Jace asks curiously.

“Ella is a member of Red Claw,” Elden explains. “She is an orphan and an outsider of the pack and very loyal to Annalise for saving her life when they were kids. She is also our only real insider.”

Jace and some of the other Alphas nod their approval. The dynamics in such meetings are always difficult. Some leaders like my father and Jace and some of their closest allies like to see the bigger picture. Some others tend to be short-tempered and only see as far as their eyes allow them to. Others are more skeptical in general, more guarded.

Not everyone is happy to have a member of Red Claw come to the meeting now. For various reasons… they fear betrayal, fear for their packs, or don’t want to be in the same room with a member of a pack they despise.

“Ella is a refugee of Silverlake,” I explain calmly, hoping I can at least take the fear away from those who are scared she will slam a knife into their backs and tell her Alpha about who attended the meeting.

We prepared Ella for this meeting beforehand. She knows not everyone will trust her. She didn’t mind, though, saying she is used to being an outsider anyway. Recently though, I can see a change in her. It seems that knowing how much other Red Claw members suffered throughout the years made her change her perception of the pack. Her hatred is not towards her whole pack anymore but against her Alpha and his men. And that’s a good development. She is not blinded by hate anymore.

Dante accompanies her, naturally. I’m not sure how well things are between them. Dante told me it’s not going smoothly. They both need time, it seems. But I can see how protective he is of her, how he looks at her like she is the most beautiful, loveable creature. It’s going to work out eventually.

Ella answers all the questions raining down on her, giving an overview of the pack grounds, telling them about her role in the pack, how she grew up, and what she knows about Alpha Marcus and his warriors and allies.

She is honest and answers everything. It seems to win over some of the Alphas too. She is not scared at all. She gave away a lot of information about Alpha Marcus without even batting an eye or shivering in fear. Pretty tough girl. I’m not going to lie; I wouldn’t mind having her in Silverlake.

By the time she finished, most of the Alphas in the room seemed to be convinced.

Not everyone, though…

“And why should we believe her!?” One of the men hisses. It’s one of the younger Alphas who looked scared the first time he saw me. Obviously, he has difficulties reading the room. “She might be a spy.”

Before I can say anything, Dante has risen to his full height, eyes dark in anger. For a Beta to stare down an Alpha means he is really strong. Dante is a Lycan and a very kind soul, but he could take down a lot of these Alphas without any problems. That’s why I can accept him at my side and listen to his opinion even when I’m not in any mood to do so. “Are you implying that my mate is in any way involved?”

To my surprise, my father didn't call him back. Right, he looked pretty pissed when I joined the meeting. Was this young Alpha the guy who pissed him off?

“Dante,” I say, but instead of looking at Dante, I stare down at the insolent Alpha. There is a deliberate edge to my voice. “I’m certain no one meant to imply that your mate Ella is involved in any scheme, especially when everyone knows I made sure she isn’t lying.”

The Alpha seems confused but raises his hands in defense and sits back down. Dante backs off too.

Annalise sighs. “Some people just never learn,” she comments dryly. Some of the Alphas burst into laughter.

Their reaction confuses me. What the heck did I miss before?

My father throws the Alpha a dark glance. “Certain people don’t understand how lucky they were that I decided not to intervene in my daughter-in-law’s battle. For now.”

I look up at him in wonder, my brows furrowed. Care to enlighten me? What battle?

Believe me, unlike the others, you won’t find it funny.

I frown.Who the heck is he even?

Shane,my father mutters, annoyed.He is only eighteen and just took over from his father.

Great, another immature Alpha who took over his pack too early and is too inexperienced and too full of himself. Exactly what the world needed.

Exactly! What a dimwit, to quote Finn.

His last words almost make me chuckle. When I turn my head to look at Dante, I see how Ella reaches out her hand, taking his. When he looks at her in surprise, she turns her head, flushing a bit.

Now that’s new.

My father leans back a bit. “What should we do now? Ideas?”

“I’m for an attack,” Jace says. “You know me, Elden, why beat around the bush? I’m all for pack sovereignty, but what is happening in Red Claw is a major crime. I’m not going to sit by and watch. As a Lycan, I made a different oath. I also pledged my loyalty to the Council and their laws.”