Chapter 12

To say I was interested in what was going down right now would be ridiculous. An irony, to be precise. Why? Because I presently lack every form of enthusiasm one should have for something. Not even the tiniest bit.




The situation would be one of the numerous reasons I wish I did not take up the mantle of Alpha. Who would want to sit in one boring place listening to someone talk about how to go about handling pack affairs? Not me, though. But I guess I’m stuck with Alpha Tyrone’s lengthy talk at the moment.




‘Soma...’ Mark mind-links me even though he is standing right beside me like a loyal guard while I comfortably sit. ‘Are you even listening to what he is saying?’ he asks me via the link.




What he says makes me look at Alpha Tyrone, allowing me to observe that he is still talking.




‘I am, but nothing of it interests me,’ I choose to admit to not putting my mind on the ongoing. At the same time, I have to try as much as possible not to make a bored face. This job just wasn’t made for me.




‘At least try to listen in so you could get a thing or two from what he is saying. You don’t want to be caught off guard when he asks for your opinion on the issue.’




‘Okay, okay, I’ll try,’ I tell him before proceeding to change my entire demeanor. The first thing I do is to focus my gaze on the Alpha completely with my ears fully opened to hear what more he has to say. But I think I only managed to hear him say the last few words... alone.




“...so what do you think?”




He was done already but I have no idea what he wants to talk about. Holy hell. Maybe I should have indeed listened. It was at this time that I knew I needed Mark’s help or else I do not see myself scaling through this.




‘Mark, quick, help me with his last point.’ I reach out to Mark immediately.




‘Aren’t you meant to figure that out yourself?’




‘And in what bloody way am I going to do that now? I don’t even have the slightest clue what he did say,’




‘You see why you should have concentrated. It would have helped—’




‘Just say something, dammit!’




I have wasted a little time already without giving a response to the Alpha. So when Mark starts to say something immediately, I have started to compile the words that way.




For a start, I say, “Well, Alpha Tyrone—” but then get interrupted.




“Just call me Tyrone. We both hold the same rank among wolflings and you know that already.” 




“Oh,” I utter based on his correction. It wasn’t a bad one, though, so I’ll definitely stick to it. “Very well then. Tyrone, I’ll like to put out a condition or maybe two before the agreement that would lead to a healthy collaboration between our packs.”




“I’m listening then.”




It was at that point that I decide to sit upright, mainly to make myself look more official. Well, if I hadn’t felt that slight pain around my waist, I sure wouldn’t have done anything like that.




“So I was thinking about your idea. It feels kind of odd to me. Not that it is not something to be considered but the Blood Crescent pack might end up having a problem with it in the long run.”




He looks deeply interested in what I have to say when he says, “Okay?”




“In my opinion, the idea seems to be one-sided. Why? Because we are talking about a collaboration between a pack that has a lesser power backing, and that is mine, with another that sits among the heavyweights. Isn’t it like selling oneself out all because of a peace treaty? Hope you get what I mean?”




“I do, but I do not see the idea as one-sided. Even if the Dark Moon pack has a bigger power backing, it does not mean it will favor it alone. No, it only means it will be in the favor of both the Dark Moon pack and the Blood Crescent pack.”




“At the expense of receiving orders from you? Nah, I don’t think I want to be a partaker of that,”




The reaction I get from Tyrone is a deep frown. He clearly is displeased with what I just said but I guess he has no understanding yet about how I work. I have to be blunt about the things I say and nothing in the world is going to stop me.




“What orders are you referring to? Why would you think I would be ordering you or any member of your pack around?”




As I observe how annoyed he is already, I shift my gaze to the one partially standing beside him. I said partially because it looks like he is actually standing but a closer look will tell you that he is slightly sitting on a boarding.




That was Leonard, who like Mark, has not contributed yet to this meeting between us. Not that they couldn’t but it seems they decided to observe first before they would chip in a thing or two.




Leonard, probably on realizing that I was staring at him, winks at me. I scoff inwardly before shifting my gaze back to his brother who still has the annoyed expression plastered on his face.




“Tyrone, I for one know that you are too bossy. I have known this long enough, right before I took up the responsibilities of Alpha. Normally, to get this meeting with you in place, a panel or something would be set up. But I decided to come down here myself because I think you need to hear it from me. The truth is, I find it annoying that you always seem like you want to put out your power over every other pack. Mine, to be precise. I don’t know if you realize that you cannot have a say in every other territory especially when they are not under your jurisdiction. My father might have tolerated you doing all that during his tenure, however, I am here to tell you that I won’t be having any of that.”




Was I here for a fight? Maybe. But anything that would help me pass the memo to the alpha that’s been trying to act like he’s the overall lord for years now is welcomed.




Luckily for me, I don’t give a shit. That’s why I’m not affected seeing him frown from speaking my mind. I just have to because he sure needed to hear it.




“What’s your conclusion now? That I tone it down a bit?” Tyrone finally speaks, with his tone a little icey.




“Nah,” I shake my head. “Not a bit. Tone it down completely. And if you’re not going to do that, then I’m sorry there won’t be any deal going on here.”




“If that’s what you want, then it’s settled. I’ll ensure your pack does not get ordered around by mine.”




“Good. But that’s not all...”




Tyrone’s mood changes, this time into a speculating one. He definitely didn’t expect that I would want to add another thing to the whole point of wanting to have a deal with his pack.




“Is there even anything else involved here?” he asks, probably still trying to get a hang of what I have in mind. Hold on a little while, man, cause I’m going to spill soon.




“Oh, yes, there is,” I say without blinking an eye. “You will have to ensure that by any means, none of your men will trespass. The collaboration between both packs now is in form of a peace treaty as well as a way of helping each other out. But it does not warrant a free passage into each other’s territory without having evidence of membership. So it will be best if any of your men do not try to falter the treaty by trespassing because I will not be lenient with any of them,”




And from there I stand up to my feet because I’m done talking. It was time for me to head back to the room assigned to me for a quick nap. My arms are still weary from the spars I went through this morning.




“And what about your pack?” Tyrone says as I prepare to head out of the supposed chamber.




First, I adjust my leather jacket properly. It is the same one I had on this morning before taking it off to train. But the inner clothes were now different because you wouldn’t expect me to put on materials that were already soaked in sweat.




“Don’t worry about my pack. I’m sure there won’t be any trespassing from them. But if there is, you are free to do that which you feel is right to them and I promise not to hold it against you.”




A step left to get out of the chamber, I turn around to look at Tyrone who was staring at me rather furiously. With a smile on my face, I say, “I like you, Tyrone. Do you know why? Others won’t reveal their emotions whenever they are not happy with something but you chose to reveal it all. Those that keep it in are the reasons we have snakes all around us,”