Page 180 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

I allow them a moment of excited chatting and planning before continuing. “Emmet,” I say, searching for said man in the crowd. “I would like you to gather a few of your guys to find out all the names of people who were banished or made rogue. We will try to find them all and get them back. Everyone who misses a mate, a child, a friend, anyone - please go and talk to Beta Aryanna, Beta Dante, and Ella. Also, I know some of the surrounding packs were kind and brave enough to take in refugees. We already talked to them, making sure they know things have changed around here. They will return during the next few days. We will also welcome our remaining friends from Crescent Moon to Red Claw.”

It’s deadly silent for a moment, as most of them need to wrap their minds around what I just said. Some of the guys who remained quiet now nod their approval.

“For everyone who fell,” Annalise says softly. “We will make sure to honor every one of them and give them the final goodbye they deserve.”

“Lastly,” I look at the crowd in front of me. “I would like to make two announcements concerning the ranks of three pack members. Some of you might think it’s too early, but I have seen enough yesterday to be very certain.” I pause. “Jun Noshimuri!”

Jun is sitting next to Emmet. Now his eyes widen. Emmet nudges him softly, making him stand up. “You showed incredible courage by taking the risk of going undercover and spying on Marcus and his men. Despite your loss, you didn’t falter and were a crucial part of our success. And despite your young age, your fighting skills are extraordinary. Because you made sure to protect your Luna yesterday even before she officially took over that role, I would like to announce you the new Gamma of the pack and the protector of Luna Annalise.”

Jun’s eyes get even wider. There is disbelief in them for a moment before it’s replaced by pride. The crowd claps and cheers for him. He seems to be well-liked. I was concerned about his age at first, but when I looked up his name on Marcus' list, I noticed he is almost eighteen. Annalise smiles at him, making him beam at her.

Yeah, well… his crush on her is a bit annoying, but at least he is loyal.

“Furthermore, I want to assign Emmet as my advisor. He knows this pack well, he is well-acquainted with this pack’s history, and has shown his loyalty to me.”

Pride and joy flashes through Emmet’s eyes. He stands up and bows. “It will be an honor to work for you, Alpha Liam.”

“For Lycan Alphas and our Lunas, it’s usual to have more than one protector at our sides. As our Luna’s second protector and hereby being handed the official rank of Beta, I’m happy to assign Luna Annalise’s long-time friend and ally, Ella Hardgrove.”

During my speech, Annalise looked at me with curiosity, but now her eyes widen in joy. Ella shoots up to her feet, her eyes gleaming. “Are you willing to take over this task, Ella?” I ask her.

“Wouldn’t have accepted anyone else to do it,” she exclaims, standing next to Annalise and Jun.

Again, the crowd claps and cheers. The expectations are pretty high concerning Ella, she has been held in high regard for years, but I’m sure she will be able to live up to it.

“And lastly, before I let you finish your breakfast in peace, I have a crucial matter to discuss,” I look around. “It’s almost life-threatening,” I can’t help the teasing in my voice, a smirk curls around my lips. “Who was in charge of the kitchen before? Is there a single soul who knows where the plates are? Where did you previously order your ingredients from? What would we do without food?”

The tension around us suddenly dissolves completely, and Annalise bursts into laughter. Everyone starts chatting and giggling, agreeing that they want something to eat. Dante throws me a surprised but very pleased glance. I’m not one for jokes normally, but I figured… Why not give them something to laugh about?

“So?” I ask. “Anyone who might be able to help out?”

Some of the pack members burst into cheerful laughter again. “Marilou,” one man exclaims eagerly. “Our kitchen chef Renata is in the infirmary, but Marilou was her main assistant.”

“Marilou?” I repeat. “Where are you?”

A tiny shy red-haired she-wolf stands up. I remember her as the young redhead who spoke up yesterday during Marcus’ trial. Also, I remember her name from the list of pack members, as her name stood out to Aryanna. She claimed it sounded pretty. She is only fifteen, though, and she is a bit too skinny for my liking like most she-wolves here, and looks malnourished. Marcus clearly neglected the female wolves – especially those of lesser rank. There is a certain strength in her eyes, though. I’ll definitely send the minors and teens back to school, so Marilou will be freed from kitchen duties after this week when everything is running smoothly again.

Her face is red as an overripe tomato while the whole pack chants her name.

Annalise takes pity on her instantly, approaching her. “We will talk about everything later, Marilou,” she smiles at her warmly. “I know things were tough for everyone, and it’s alright if you still need a break. But if you are willing to help us out immediately it would be greatly appreciated!”

“She makes the best tacos,” a guy exclaims.

“And muffins,” a younger wolf hollers.

Marilou blushes again but also beams proudly. “Of course, Luna Annalise.”

“We will put together a team for you,” she promises Marilou. “As Alpha Liam said… if any of the former kitchen staff wants to change professions, we will, of course, consider it. On the other hand, we also appreciate men in the kitchen.”

This was good,Dante links me, sounding impressed.How you broke the ice right now.

I shrug a bit.

Annalise will be the heart and the soul of the pack, naturally. She makes me more approachable in general, but I need to work on myself too. As their Alpha, it will be hard for them to generally approach me considering their backstory. If a little joke helps them loosen up around me and slowly learn to trust me, I will do whatever it takes.

Chapter fifty-four

Chapter 54 Marcus’ victims