Alliance
{1}
"Get down from my damn table!" My mum yelled, her grey eyes flaring in anger. "You're going to get marks on it, Aiden!"
Our Gamma, Aiden, was standing on the conference table, watching his son trying to catch the spider by his designated seat. My father sat back quietly, arms crossed, watching his friend in amusement.
"There was a damn spider, how was I supposed to react?" He shot back, screeching when he saw the insect again. "Have you killed it yet, Kyle?"
I watched the whole ordeal from afar, completely immune to Aiden's quirkiness.
My best friend held the spider in his hand, before calmly making his way to the window and placing it outside. "You're safe, dad." He announced dramatically as his father climbed down.
His father awkwardly cleared his throat, smoothing out his suit. "And that's how you remain professional, ladies and gentlemen."
Everyone ignored him.
Poor guy.
I patiently sat at the head of the table, waiting for everyone to come in and settle. We were about to hold a very important meeting, one that I have been dreading to have. Looking around the conference table, I took note of who was present.
My parents, former leaders of this pack, were sat beside me; quietly talking amongst themselves. Aiden's wife, Maria the Gamma Female, was calming him down from his fear of spiders. Their eldest son, Kyle, was on his phone...
...watching people cut soap?
He caught my confused expression and said, "Don't judge me, it was on the explore page."
I held my hands up in surrender and said, "Hey, I didn't say anything."
"You didn't need to, your expression said it all."
I was about to respond to that, but stopped when I felt the Beta family's presence.
"Sorry, we're late!" A cheerful voice called out. The Beta, Julian, and Beta Female, Leona appeared with their eldest daughter, Ivy. She was also my best friend, we grew up together as she was only a year older than me.
A wide smile appeared on my face once I saw her, I missed her so much. "Next time you go on holiday, I'm coming with you!" I exclaimed, as she made her way towards me.
We quickly hugged as everyone got into their seats. I mentally sighed, already dreading the upcoming discussions. Ivy left my side to go sit by her parents, on the other end of the table.
I cleared my throat. "Good morning everyone, I hope you're all doing well. So as you all know, this meeting has been scheduled to talk about the rising threats this pack is currently facing. It seems like members of each pack, including ours, have secretly been recruited to overthrow us. Us being the leaders. Unfortunately, we have not gathered enough intel to know who is organising all of this."
I looked around the table, taking in everyone's troubled expressions. "I know we initially overlooked this threat as unproblematic, but as you all know, recently the security of this pack was breeched."
Last week, when our border warrior forces were changing shifts, we were briefly infiltrated by rogues. This was a complete shock to us, since our borders were the toughest to cross in the country.
The shift hours for our border warriors is confidential information, but it was hard to believe the time they infiltrated was a coincidence. Of course, the rogues were captured but what was bothering me was their lack of action.
All they did was talk to one pack member before they were captured.
It was a couple days ago when I heard concerning news about some people questioning their leadership. Confused and hurt by what I had heard, I reached out to them in order to listen to their concerns. I had only been their Alpha for two and a half years, so I still had a lot to learn.
I found out that the rogues had instructed one of my pack member to spread bad propaganda about me. That one pack member was interrogated, and she quickly admitted to being the insider who was spreading the lies about me. When I asked why, she simply replied with, "So that the Hunter's Empire can fall."
I must admit, that targeting the actual pack, rather than the leaders themselves, was a clever way to go about it.
"Of course, I will be taking action." I carried on, my fist curling up. "My pack's safety will not be compromised."
Julian held up a finger to speak. I nodded at him, giving him permission to speak. "Beta?"
"The letters that they rogues brought in, have they been retrieved?" He asked. "Were the letters delivered by the rogues, and given to the insider? I apologise for the obvious questions, your father didn't fill me in very well."
The Beta family were on their annual leave, and had to fly back earlier than expected.
"I told you that I'd explain the situation better when you arrived." My father shot back, narrowing his eyes at his best friend.
"And did you, Theo?"
"I was going to." He muttered sheepishly, making Julian sit back triumphantly. "I simply forgot."
"The letters have been retrieved." My mother confirmed. "They contained instructions for the insider. There were also carefully concocted lies that can plant seeds of doubt in any pack member."
Aiden spoke up, bringing out his notebook. "So what is the solution for now?"
"Increase border security, and limit information accessibility to the strictist degree." I started to say, watching Aiden jot everything down. "Give me the list of the warriors who knew about the shift times. Address the lies and rumours before they spread like wildfire."
I took a deep breath in before saying, "I just want to apologise for all this."
Everyone frowned at me, not understanding my sudden apology. "Ever since I became Alpha, these threats have significantly increased. Obviously, these people want to take advantage of the leadership change. However, I can't help but feel guilty about all this."
The New Dawn Pack had been ruled by my parents for two decades, they were the first co-Alpha's in the history of the US. They built the powerful Empire it has become today. However, now that I've taken over, the pack was already facing risks.
Out of my friendship trio, I was the first to become a leader. Kyle was due to take his father's position, Gamma, in a couple of weeks. Ivy was due to become Beta in a couple days. I couldn't wait for the day when we rule the pack together.
"No doubt those people are hoping to make you feel like this." My father told me, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Like you said, they want to take advantage of the new Alpha. Don't let them win by making you feel guilty, you haven't done anything wrong. Stay strong, you have all of us backing you up."
Everyone nodded, agreeing with their former Alpha.
I nodded in understanding, pushing away the guilt. I sighed heavily, moving onto the next part of the plan.
A plan I was not too fond of.
"Unexpectedly, The BloodRose Clan has reached out to us." I announced with a sarcastic chuckle. "It seems that they have been experiencing the same issues and have the same concerns. We have come to the conclusion that it is the same 'organisation' that is the cause of both our problems."
Aiden shook his head in disbelief. "Who would be brave enough, or resourceful enough to target, objectively, the two most powerful packs in the world?"
Leona, the Beta Female, laughed out loud and shook her head. "The BloodRose clan has been ignoring our attempts to become allies for years. It's weird to hear that they were the first to reach out."
Not to mention the current Alpha thinks our pack is a joke.
I shrugged at this. "I guess they're desperate."
"Have you been communicating via email?"
"Yup."
"Remember when they visited us for Elisia's birthday?" Maria piped up. "They were a nice bunch."
They visited for my mother's birthday, which was a big deal. Every pack in the world respected her, so meeting her was considered an honour. The Silvestro family were very pleasant, except Lucio.
"Didn't their Alpha change around the same time as Maya's coronation?" Kyle piped up, glancing at me. "Alpha Luca Silvestro?"
Everyone looked at him surprise, he was actually paying attention to the conversation? He usually just blanks out until the meeting is over, and then claims that he's hungry from all that listening.
No one has the heart to tell him that listening and hungriness do not correlate.
"It's actually Lucio Silvestro who got the Alpha position." My father corrected him. "Luca is the eldest, but he wasn't handed the position."
"The eldest is given the Alpha role, only if they are deemed to deserve it." I said, telling them what I knew about that pack. "It operates a little differently to ours."
Ivy spoke up this time. "Lucio Silvestro is very well known. He is a hot topic among people nowadays, so many people admire him."
I rolled my eyes at this, knowing what she really meant. "And by 'admire', she really meant 'lust after'.
"And I don't blame them, he's a handsome young man." Maria commented with a giggle. Her mate, Aiden, looked astonished and betrayed by his wife's comment. She beamed at him, knowing fully well that she was going to get a big reaction.
"I don't remember the last time you complimented me." He pouted dramatically, crossing his arms. Aiden was an eccentric, or interesting as he'd like to call himself, man. He was a fully grown man with kids, but was probably the most childish in the family.
I glanced at Kyle who was struggling to bring his tongue to the tip of his nose.
Okay, I'll retract my last statement. Kyle was the most childish.
Like father, like son, I suppose.
"Okay." I said, getting everyone's attention. "Interestingly, Alpha Lucio Silvestro has suggested to work together to overcome our common issues. I wanted to ask for your opinions before responding to his request."
We all looked towards Leona, she was exceptional at drawing advantages and disadvantages from any situation. "Teaming up with the most powerful pack will be a clear warning message to those who chose to mess with us. This alliance will be beneficial to both parties, the pros outweigh the cons."
I sighed inwardly, finding myself wholeheartedly agreeing with her.
"I approve of this alliance." Julian said, nodding.
"So do I."
"Same."
"Go for it."
"Approved by me."
"Why do they call themselves 'a clan'?" Kyle asked suddenly, totally out of it. I blinked at him, finding myself wanting to know as well.
We all shrugged, we weren't very educated on packs outside the US. Packs from other countries weren't of any interest to us, nor were we any interest to them. Italian packs, like The BloodRose Clan, were a very private and mysterious lot.
"Thank you for your feedback." I told them, standing up. "I will approve The BloodRose Clan's request to collaborate. Any objections?"
Silence.
"Meeting is adjourned. You're dismissed." I called out, leaving the room.
The older adults stayed in the conference room, delving into deep conversations. Kyle and Ivy exited after me, walking by my side. I held my laptop close to me, reminding myself to write an email to Lucio Silvestro.
Kyle brought out an afro comb, and randomly started to pull on his luscious brown curls that he inherited by his mother. He was a tall guy and very well built, he had the ideal Gamma body. His striking hazel coloured eyes were unfocused, as though he was thinking of a memory.
"I remember Luca well, but not Lucio." He mumbled thoughtfully. "His family visited, like what? Ten years ago?"
"You weren't around when the fight happened, right?" Ivy asked, her blue eyes wide.
It was eight years ago
I cringed at the little memories I had of him. He stirred up our community when everyone saw him, already garnering a fanbase strictly based off his looks. Everyone deemed him to be more of a prince than anything, destined to be King.
I remember him to be demanding, mischievous and cunning. He sized me up with his intense gaze, claiming that I was nowhere near his level. I called him out for immaturity despite him being a year older than me, I was thirteen and he was fourteen.
In the heat of the moment, I challenged him to a sparring match.
I was confident because I had my secret...
But, unfortunately, it ended in a draw.
A tie.
We separated on bad terms, promising to beat each other next time. I smirked to myself, knowing fully well that I could beat Lucio now. I was well equipped with my secret weapon, one that my mother had taught me to use.
However, the rivalry and competitiveness I felt had fizzled down over the years. I had absolutely no interest in sparring with him anymore.
Ivy wiggled her eyebrows at me, mischief and excitement swirling her in eyes. "You guys will reunite!"
I let out a sarcastic laugh before pulling a straight face. "Not looking forward to it."
"Oh come on! You're not in the least bit excited? He's grown up to be very good looking, not that he wasn't when he was younger."
"Ivy, I'm not interested in him." I told her sternly. "In fact, I'm not interested in any guy but my future mate."
She rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue with that strong comeback. "I guess..."
"How about you?" I asked, smirking at her. "Aren't you in the slightest bit interested in him?"
She genuinely pondered on it before shaking her head. "Nah, he's too intense for me. I much prefer sweet guys."
I reached for her arm, and hugged it. "I'm glad you feel that way, you deserve better. I would feel bad for you if you were paired with an egotistical, cold guy like him."
"Guys, maybe he's changed...?" Kyle piped up, popping gum into his mouth. Without asking or looking, he passed the gum packet for us to take. We had walked to the large back garden, and plopped onto the beanbags.
"I know a person can change in eight years." I stated, popping one into my mouth. "But his celebrity-like status has me informed about him, regardless of whether I give a damn or not. It's safe to say that he is still an asshole."
"You call him an asshole, others call him mysterious." Ivy laughed, reaching for the gum packet. "He's blunt and authoritative, which actually attracts a lot admirers. He's also very handsome, owns million dollar companies and is filthy rich.
"I guess I live under a rock." Kyle deadpanned, surprised as to how much we knew. "Does the guy live in Italy or New York? I get mixed up."
"Born in Italy, raised in New York." Ivy answered, stretching her limbs.
I nodded, that made sense. The BloodRose Clan had owned some US land for centuries, which took up all of New York and New Jersey. They were a formidable lot, with lots of influence and money.
"How does he juggle with being an Alpha and run companies at the same time?" Kyle questioned thoughtfully. "It sounds impossible, and pretty stressful."
I shrugged in response, opening my laptop and turning it on. "I'm emailing him our response to his request right now."
Ivy and Kyle nodded at that, before talking to each other as I typed up the email. After proof reading it, I sent our response immediately. I pushed the laptop away to listen to Ivy's stories of her vacation.
It was only a couple minutes later when I noticed a notification pop up on the screen. I grabbed the laptop, and opened up the new email. It was by Lucio.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I read the contents, making my friends question what I read.
"What, what, what is it?" Ivy explained, her eyes wide with curiosity. Kyle, the furthest away, leaned to have a look at the screen, but resulted in faceplanting the floor.
"Ow..."
He didn't even try to style it out, as he peeled his face from the floor to get a peak at the screen.
"In order to officialise our alliance, we need to meet in person to agree and sign a contract." I said, re-reading the email.
"Interesting..."
This was usually done virtually so this was a bit of a surprise to us. It didn't bother me at all, differences were to be expected when affiliating with a non-American pack. I just hope he doesn't aggravate me enough to swing a punch at him, I have low tolerance for disrespectful people.
"That's not all." I continued, frowning at the screen. "He included his number t-."
"He gave you his number?!" Ivy squealed, clapping in excitement. "Ayy!"
"Woah. Hold up, back up and reverse." I told her, putting up a hand. "Calm down, it's not what you think. He only gave me his number so we could communicate more efficiently, since we'll be working together often."
"Why are you so excited by the thought of them being together, anyway?" Kyle questioned, raising an eyebrow at Ivy. "You can't ship people who aren't destined for each other, that's weird."
"Relax, it's not that deep." She shrugged it off with a chuckle. "Besides, it's funny seeing Maya squirm in discomfort every time."
"You know what...I think I remember Lucio more now." He frowned thoughtfully. "Isn't he that Alpha that dislikes our pack? The one who called our pack 'cute' and 'needs some work'."
My mood darkened considerably, making them flinch from the sudden hostile aura.
"He despises and looks down on my pack for no good reason." I spat out, my annoyance clear in my voice. "He behaves too prestige for his own good, I hate people like that. I can't believe I'm working with him."
Kyle eyed me warily. "You know, I'll never get used to the aura you emit when you're angry. Anyway, for what it's worth, this alliance is extremely beneficial to us."
Ivy nodded in agreement before adding, "You're only working with him for the sake of the pack."
His pack has been around for centuries, whereas mine was established only two decades ago. It was a little over twenty years ago, when my mother's pack and my father's pack conjoined to make one. Compared to the BloodRose Clan, we were babies.
My parents worked hard and established a respectable name for themselves outside the country, in a matter of only a few years. My mother easily became the strongest female Alpha in the history of werewolves, to which I have officially recently surpassed her level. My father was a genius in regulating and maintaining the integrity of the pack.
The New Dawn Pack has become the second most powerful pack in the world in a matter of two decades.
How could anyone possibly undermine my parents' hard work and honesty?
I owe it all to my incredible parents, for who I have become today.
Anyone who disrespects them, and the empire they have built is automatically my enemy in my mind.
This alliance will remain temporary.
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The first chapter, whoooo!! ><
What do you think of the characters?
Some people were scared to find out whether Elisia and Theo Hunter, Maya's parents, were alive. Of course they are! I would never have the heart to kill them off, I freaking love them <3
Maya, Ivy and Kyle are the eldest in their families, and thus will be leaders.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please VOTE and COMMENT! <3
Love y'all!
Yasmine xx
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