Page 7 of Ascendant King
“But you trust him enough to ally yourself with him?” The alpha raised an eyebrow.
“I trust that he wants Leon and his plans destroyed as much as I do. What Leon has done to magic is unforgivable. Stealing it from wolves is despicable, tainting House Bartlett power with that stolen magic is grotesque.” Cade looked around the circle, his eyes finally landing on mine. “I don’t need totrustMiles to know we both feel the same about that.”
The woman made a thoughtful sound, returning to her place in the circle.
“Why have you come before us, youngling?” she asked.
“I come to find allies,” I said. “I come looking for help in my fight against Leon.”
“And these allies will support you as you claim the forgotten Emperor Wolf throne?” a voice behind me called out. Laughter tittered around the circle. “How generous to let us help you reclaim the most powerful position in North America.”
“I have said in the past I want the throne,” I said. I let my voice rise, refusing to let the silent forest muffle me. “And I do. But I won’t take it by force. My mother gained her position by making friends and allies, by seeking to make the world better for all wolves. I will do the same.”
“Allies and friends.” Someone laughed. “Starting with us.”
“I have to start somewhere,” I snapped. “And this council has watched drugs and mages destroy our people. You let Reaper run rampant through our packs and didnothing. I will not take the position by force, but what is there to take when this council is so toothless?”
The words turned uglier than I wanted. My frustration boiled over, ruining any chance I had at allies. I snorted out a breath.
“I came for the wolves my mother talked about. The ones who were strong enough to stand together. Now all I see is cowards. I sold Reaper. I still do. But what did any of you do tostopit?”
“We might not have done anything then,” a voice rose from behind me, and I turned. A massive alpha stood, his shoulders broad, his chin raised. He had a good six inches on me, and when he growled, I saw his fangs lengthening. “But I can do something to stop this pup from yapping in our faces.”
Chapter
Three
“I’m not going to fight you,” I said.
“I don’t remember giving you a choice,pup,” the alpha snarled, circling me.
Cade put up his hands, automatically defensive. We’d been fighting together too long, and he was too quick. I knew the spells he was going to unleash. We’d trained together how to use them in tandem, how I could fight when he tied opponents down, how I could distract while he got the spell in close.
Putting up a hand, I said, “No.”
Cade raised both eyebrows, his lips nearly white. “Are you sure?”
I sent him a look, and he moved back, allowing me to focus on the alpha in front of me. It was impossible for me to ignore him entirely—Cade was as bright in my awareness as the sun. But right now, I had a bigger problem, and that was the wolf circling me, his size and scent speaking to his position. Even among the wolves here, he was enormous, his teeth growing longer, his eyes focused on me as he bent low, starting to shift.
“I don’t want to fight you,” I said. “I don’t care how we’ve solved our problems in the past, wolves fighting wolves only means that we areweaker.”
“The pup would teach me how to be an alpha.” He scowled. “I lord over the Pineridge Pack, and you think you can tell me how to be an alpha?”
“Pineridge Springs is where werewolf hunters caught me.” I followed him with my eyes, keeping my stance firm, unmoving. “How good a grasp on your territory do you have when werewolf hunters are allowed to pick off wolves?” I listened as he circled behind me, the impossibly soft sounds of his feet letting me know when he stopped directly behind me.
“They don’t pick off my pack, do they? They don’t bother us because they know what would happen if they do!” He growled, the cracking sound of bones breaking, skin tearing. The scent of blood wafted through the clearing as he finished his shift.
“So you’re alpha of your own pack, king of your little kingdom, but what about the other wolves in your territory? Are they worthlessbecause they won’t bow down to you?” I kept my breathing even; the growl of an alpha at my back couldn’t make me scared. “You don’t even care about all wolves, which means that you’re weak. You’re scared of what would happen if it was your job to keep all wolves in your territory safe. Whether or not they have to listen to your every word like gospel.”
He leapt, and I dodged out of the way, sliding to the side and turning so that we were facing each other.
“You’re king of your little kingdom, but that means that all wolves in your territory are weaker for it,” I accused. “That’s why we need an Emperor Wolf.That’swhy I want to claim the crown.”
He snarled again, crouching low, his hind legs tense. He was an alpha, his head coming up halfway to my shoulder, his teethbared, and his long fur gray and white. Every part of him was powerful.
“We arestronger together. That’s what a pack is!” I looked down at him. “I spent my entire adult life running from who I was, running from being a wolf who deserved a pack. Do you know what it’s like to choose loneliness again and again, tochoosesolitude when everything in your soul wants a pack?”
He darted forward, and I spun to the side, pressing my hand on the back of his neck, grabbing the fur and skin tightly, the way a mother might lift a pup. He struggled, but not hard enough to break free.