Alpha Zander
Chapter 66

The last few weeks have been crazy. With Ashleigh’s recovery, our exams finally ending, and graduation just around the corner. It has just been a whirlwind of activities.

I was so f*****g proud of my girl when she announced that she got accepted into all the universities she applied to. Now she just has to choose her major and decide which one to go to.

Personally, I admit that I am running pretty low on energy just dealing with Ashley’s anxiety and dad showing me the ropes of running the pack. Don’t get me wrong, I love my girl, but sometimes, feeling her anxiety through our bond can hit me like a tidal wave and

I completely throw me off for the entire day. As Danni has learnt, whatever she is feeling, I feel it tenfold.

Today we finally had a meeting with the council. We tried to have one immediately, but they kept changing it and blocking us. It was their fifth time adjusting the schedule, and even then, they called everyone this morning and said today was open only for an hour if we wanted to take the spot or wait another month.

God damn f***g politics, I hate them, but even Dad says some rules must be held on both sides, or the relationship just won’t work. Ha. Some f*****g relationship, they barely keep to their side of the deal.

As Alphas, we have 100% autonomy in how we run our pack. But things get murky when dealing with humans and their laws. I considered becoming a lawyer so that I could be sure we are always on the right side of it. Thankfully, I don’t have to, as that is what the pack advisers are there for, among other things…

Everyone in the car is tense as we drive to the city, where the council building is.

Ashleigh is a nervous wreck. I can’t blame her after everything she’s been through and not having any answers. Her nightmares have been taking a toll on both of us. She still wakes up crying and shaking some nights, and I feel f*****g useless not to be able to help her in any way. I just want her to feel safe again. Some nights she holds me tightly until she drifts off to sleep, and I’m able to feel like l’ve helped her in some part.

She has a theory that the people who have been taking the pack members are the ones who stormed the school. We both feel responsible for what happened. It f*****g kills me to see her distress. I feel guilty all the time, but I try to mask that from her. I don’t want her to feel any worse than she already does.

Dad pulls up to a grand old building lined with sandstone and massive steps leading to huge double doors. This is where we hold all of the hearings and the majority of where the offices and council people are.

Ashleigh fidgets next to me. Her nerves are all over the place, and being back in neutral territory makes her more anxious than she likes to admit. She struggled the first few weeks going back to school but wanted to push through. I wouldn’t know she was nervous if it wasn’t for our bond. She puts on a brave front for everyone else.

Frustration, annoyance, and a hint of anger always bubble not too far from the surface these days. It’s hard to keep a tight lid on all these emotions when my mate and pack are attacked, and no one has any f*****g answers.

I hope this council meeting isn’t as useless as they usually are, because if I don’t get the answers I’m looking for, I might just snap, and no one wants that. I don’t know how dad went for so long without answers.

One hit on our pack on neutral ground, and ‘m a goner, and all my training went out the window. I’m always pissed off, and I’m not sure if it’s just because of my mate’s emotions.

We walk up the stairs of the grand building, only to stop a few feet away from Ashleigh’s old pack leaders.

Her mother, father, brother, Oliver and uncle, the Alpha, ,are all standing around and talking in strained whispers.

From this distance, we can only hear the muffled voices, but they stop talking, and her uncle and father tense as we all walk in.

She hasn’t seen her father since that day, and her mother regularly visits our old cottage, but they worry that if her father visits, things will escalate further with her uncle than it already has.

He gives her a small smile and tries to hide his emotions, but I can see his love for her and how much he misses her. Her mum just smiles at her warmly. Brent and Oliver are standing next to them, unsure of what to do. Oliver gives me a slight nod in recognition as we pass by, and Brent just shuffles around awkwardly. Her uncle just stands there with a deadpan look showing no emotion whatsoever.

I feel her uneasiness grow as we pass them. I pull her in close to me, wrapping my arm around her and planting a k!ss on her head and whisper, “I love you. You know that, right?”

Ashleigh blinks up at me and smiles, “I know. I love you, too,”

The receptionist tells dad we will be in room 88. We walk down the corridor until we come to the room that we were assigned to. I begin to wonder why Liverpool hadn’t entered, but I get my answer when the Westfield Alpha, Alpha Benjamin and the chief council Jones walk out, still in deep discussion about something.

My body stiffens, and I feel my anger surge to the surface. Westfield didn’t lose anyone that day. Neither Lachlan nor Samantha were injured. I don’t even remember seeing them on the battlefield at all. All of their pack were already on the other side of the school, away from the attack, when it happened. The others kept on brushing it off as a coincidence, but personally, I don’t f*****g believe in coincidences.

They both suddenly stop talking and look up at us with surprised faces. I don’t know why they are f*****g surprised. We had this meeting booked. Jace starts pacing in my mind, itching to get out. He’s been more and more on edge lately, just as much as I have been.

“Alpha Wyatt, is there something I can help you with?” Chief Council Jones says, looking between all of us.

Dad looks at him with a deadpan expression, I can tell he’s just as frustrated as I am, but after years of practice, he can hold a good poker face.

“We received a call saying the meeting had been moved to this morning,” dad responds, just as Oliver and his family walk up.

Chief Council Jones looks back at Alpha Benjamin with a concerned look before looking back at Dad. “I’m sorry, but you were misinformed,” he says, with a slight tremor, just as Bobby and Jax from Riverview show up with their Alpha and Beta. All are looking just as confused as the rest of us.

“Well, considering we are all here, I highly doubt that, ” Dad grinds out.

I see the people passing by watching us all curiously, probably wondering why each leader from the four largest packs in the country is talking to the Chief Council.

“Look, Chief Council Jones, with all due respect, this meeting has been pushed back for weeks now. We need to discuss the next steps and what to tell our packs of ,new protocols.” Ashleigh’s father steps forward and says.

Jones looks at his watch and sighs, giving Alpha Benjamin another weird look before deciding, “Fine, but make it quick. I have another meeting in an hour.”

‘Have your wits about you, be observant and don’t take everything at face value,’ Dad warns through the mind link as we all file into the boardroom.

I don’t like this, Jace mumbles asI take a seat between, Dad and Ashleigh. She puts a hand on my thigh,and I allow our bond to relax me, drinking in her Scent.

‘Are both of you always this paranoid?’ Kia chimes in, seeming to be completely at ease. They can’t do anything with so many Alphas in one room,” sighs.

‘Or that’s just their plan all along.’ Jace mumbles as he stays alert but retreats to the back of my mind, still aware of our surroundings.

‘And that’s why we all left two people with a rank back at the pack, so if anything does happen, they will still have a leader.’Kia responds.

I quickly block out Kia and Ash to have a private conversation with Jace, ‘Why are you being so weird lately? You’re also very possessive for some reason.’

He just mumbles, you will fnd out later,’ before curling up and sending me a glare.

The board room is large with a tan and black color scheme that gives off a luxurious feel. A huge table is in the middle, a projector board at the back wall and a computer off to the side. There are leather seats all around, offering comfortable seating for people to sit at.

“Right, let’s get to business then,” Jones sighs as he sits at the head of the table.

“Our people captured two rogues that tried to escape the school that day. The families who lost the children will be reimbursed and provided with funding for the funeral. For any children who are struggling with what happened, the school will provide the necessary assistance to help them through this tough time. The school will implement a new protocol to safeguard against something like this happening again. It will soon be reviewed and will be confirmed by the end of the year.

Are there any questions?” Jones rambles hurriedly look at the others. Lachlan and Samantha look so bored they look like they are about to fall asleep. Bobby and Jax seem to be mind-linking with each other and are in deep conversation. I can feel the anger and frustration coming from them. Even Oliver has a confused frown. I guess this wasn’t what he was expecting to be discussed at this meeting. And frankly. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting either. I was expecting more information in regard to what’s been happening with the disappearances lately, hoping that will have some sort of link between the attack.

“Can we interrogate the rogues?” I ask after a few moments of silence.

Everyone snaps their eyes at me, and Dad’s eyes dance in amusement. Like he knows something is going to start.

Jones shakes his head, “I don’t think that is necessary. They aren’t saying anything to us. I doubt you will get anything.”

I fought back my snarl in frustration. They attacked my Luna, Beta, and Gamma. Out of everyone in the room, I think we deserve a shot at talking to the rogues. I can feel Jace push forward in frustration, and I know he is in my eyes when I see Oliver smirk over at me, raising an eyebrow.

“What of the recent attacks on our packs?” Oliver asks as everyone’s attention turns to him.

“What of them?” Jones asks. His bored expression matches Westfields.

“Well.. do you have any leads?” Oliver grinds out, crossing his arms across his chest, looking pissed.

“No, we haven’t had anything back from our investigation, and our scout reports still come back negative. Obviously, with no evidence to support any type of theory, we would ask you to please keep the chatter amongst your pack members to a minimum.”

Jones says, looking between us all.

“How do you expect us to stop them from talking about it when their families are disappearing, and they aren’t getting any answers? You won’t even give us anything to help them through a time like this,” Ashleigh speaks up, surprising me entirely.

I can feel her anger and frustration through our bond. I sling my arm across the back of her chair and draw tiny circles on her back to try and let the bond effect flow through.

“You would do well to listen and only speak when spoken to, pup,” Jones growls back at her, his eyes flashing with his wolf pushing forward.

As soon as those words leave his mouth, a snarl rips through mine. I know Jace is out at full force when l see Danni and some of the others flinch away and turn white.

“She is my Luna. Show her the same respect you would show me,” Jace snarls.

“Everybody out,” he hisses, his eyes blazing with fury as he eyes Jones. I can feel the full force of his aura pulsing around. He was f*****g pissed.

Jace, it’s ok,’ Ashleigh whispers through our link, rubbing my arm, trying to calm me down, but even then, the bond won’t help Jace’s fury now. He’s too far gone.

“They do not get away with this shit… and I am so f*****g tired of this,’ he growls back.

She sighs, and I watch as she, dad and the others start to file out of the room. Her mother looks back at me, concerned, giving me a small smile, but honestly, I just didn’t give a f**k. No one treats her like that and f*****g gets away with it. No one.

Oliver is still sitting back in his chair, smirking, with his arms folded across his chest and puts his feet up on the table, looking so f*****g relaxed.

“Are you leaving?” Jace asks, and l can tell he’s still furious but has toned it down with Oliver, considering the last few weeks we have both been through s**t and somewhat working together to sort this stuff out.

“Nah, l’ll just stay and make sure you don’t kill the fvcker, ” he chuckles, nodding toward Jones, who is still seated at the head of the table. Jones is white as a sheet, shaking violently, I can sense his wolf wanting to come forward, but with both Oliver and me here, he didn’t f*****g stand a chance.

I nod. It would be good to have him listening in. I don’t even try to fight Jace for control on this because, honestly, I felt the same f*****g way as he did. He lets the walls down, and I replace my way up as he allows me to ,share control with him.

Jace’s aura still whips around us, as Oliver looking pretty f*****g smug about the whole thing, not even bothered by my power.

“So.. as my mate asked, what is the most recent update,” Jace growls, eyes flashing directly at Jones.

~Ashleigh.

I’ve never seen Zander or Jace so mad. I can feel their fury hit me all the way from the boardroom. I wanted to stay, but I knew he needed to do this. Zander holds so much guilt for what happened. I just hope he doesn’t kill Jones to get the answers.

As everyone flies out, I look around for Ollie, but I can’t see him anywhere.

“Oliver stayed with Zander, just to make sure nothing happens to him or Jones,” mum whispers as they walk past.

I nod and smile inwardly. I know those two may hate each other, but I’m glad they are working together to try and move through this.

“I don’t think I have ever seen Zander so pissed off,” Danni mutters, talking with Beta Jake and Alpha Wyatt.

“I did tell him to keep his cool with Jones. I just hope he doesn’t kill him for disrespecting Ashleigh,” Alpha Wyatt sighs. “Jone’s is a disrespectful mutt who made it into the council through blackmail and by having friends in high places.”

“Then why did you allow him to be by himself?” Jake asks, looking frustrated with everything, “You know we have been trying to get this meeting for weeks now.”

Alpha Wyatt shrugs. “Zander has undergone Alpha training, and he needs to learn how to handle the politics of council meetings. I’m just surprised that everyone else followed.”

“Ashleigh,” I hear my name being called, and I spin around to see dad walking towards me. I put on my best smile and move to give him a hug, but he shakes his head. “Not here, sweetie,” he mumbles softly as he moves closer.

“Alpha Wyatt,” dad greets him with a nod, “Would you mind if I talk to my daughter for a moment?”

Wyatt nods and moves the others off to the side as dad makes his way over to me.

“Hi, sweetie, I’ve missed you,” he whispers, bringing me into a deep hug as I embrace his familiar scent.

“Hi, daddy,” I whisper back, I try not to let my emotions get the better of me, but the last few weeks have been hard not being able to talk to him or go through our usual routine. I am thankful that mum takes the time to come and see me at the cottage. I hope that uncle will one day see the pain he is causing his family and realize that it’s just not worth it anymore.

“I want you to know that I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished these last few weeks.

Oliver said you got into all the universities you applied for and that you have been taking on a lot more leadership roles in Zander’s pack lately.” Dad says as he moves us further away from where uncle and mum are to give us some privacy.

I give a small nod, I wasn’t sure where Ollie got that info from, but I would assume Zander has been keeping him up to date with a lot of different things considering they meet every few weeks to make sure everything is running smoothly between both packs.

I am thankful that, finally, they are able to come to some sort of an agreement to protect all packs; they aren’t including Westfield in any information yet because Zander is just paranoid lately. But I am proud of the way Zander and Ollie have stepped up in their roles. I just hoped uncle didn’t punish Ollie later.

Moments later, the doors fly open, and I see my furious-looking mate marches out with Ollie hot on his heels, in fits of laughter, trying to contain himself.

Concern washes over me as I see the two men walking towards us.

“Robert,” Zander nods at dad as he slips next to me, wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, breathing in my scent to help him relax.

“Zander, did you get what you wanted from Jones?” dad asks, looking between the two.

Zander’s scowling face tells me everything. I can feel his anger as he tries to control himself.

“Jones didn’t say much, but the things he did say were interesting,” Ollie mumbled.

“Which was?” dad asks again, looking between them both.

“Gave us some names that might be able to help us get more information on the rogues, he also gave us a contact to help locate the witches. It’s been a few weeks and my trackers still haven’t come up with anything,” Ollie sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face.

I didn’t pay attention before, but as I look closer all three of them look exhausted. Running on next to no sleep and training every single day, I know Ollie isn’t looking after himself now his routine is all out of place and everything is going on with uncle.

“Ollie, when was the last time you had a good sleep?

“l ask my stubborn cousin.

He shares a look with Zander before answering me.

Few weeks, since you left I guess,” he shrugs and says nonchalantly.

“ollie, you can’t do that to yourself..” I start, I know things at home haven’t been great, but he needs to at least look after himself, he can’t run himself to the ground.

“Love, leave him be.” Zander sighs, giving me a small k!ss, “We should get going, we have s**t to do now that Jones is being a f*****g princess and won’t give us any more information,” ollie nods in confirmation, “I “ll message or call with updates, let me know if anything arises on your end.” Zander nods and grabs my hand leading me back towards the others who have now made their way out. I stop suddenly, realizing this may be the last time for a while I get to see my father.

I pull out of Zander’s grasp and quickly run back to dad, giving him one last hug goodbye.

“Love you, daddy,” I whisper, inhaling in the familiar scent one more time. I hope things can sort out soon with David, because I miss my family. I still see mum and Ollie all the time, but I miss dad, I miss being able to see them whenever I want to without all these stupid rules in place.

“Love you, too, sweetie. Be safe, and stick with Zander until this all settles down,” he says, before letting go and giving me a k!ss goodbye.