CHAPTER 13

The assemblage room was a massive conference room that took up the entirety of the second story of the night club. All of the night club paraphernalia had been removed and long expensive tables and chairs had been set up in a large square. It was well lit, highlighting smooth blue paint that glowed electric at night with the black lights on. A set of large windows along the west wall let in the early afternoon light, but the air conditioning ensured the room temperature was tolerable.

I had never met the occupants, but I'd seen enough pictures and news stories about their businesses and events to identify them.

The Dark-moon pack, who controlled territory north of Boston from Concord to Andover and part of Lexington sat at the far end. The alpha, Charles and his Luna, Mei, were a middle aged couple who sat with stiff backs and lips pulled into thin lines. The man was in his fifties at least, but still fit his black hair was peppered gray and his clean shaven face had a few lines. The woman was a brunette with what looked like Asian heritage. She'd kept herself well as she aged, but there were frown lines surrounding her mouth now. They both watched the room with eyes narrowed. Their entourage stood behind them, refusing the chairs that lined the side of the table, including a man around my age that looked like a young carbon copy of the Alpha. I'd bet money it was his son and heir, Hunter.

To the right the Lightcrown Luna, Olivia, who ruled the area from Quincy to Hanover and everything east of that sat, older still, in her early sixties, slender to the point of skinny with sharp features and a hawk-like glare as we entered. Her people had taken cue from the Dark-Moon pack and stood stoically behind her as well.

The Sentinel Pack had yet to arrive, but that made sense given that they had the farthest to come, and the call to the assemblage had been sudden. Their territory settled between Worcester and Framingham, but their syndicate still intertwined with Boston itself. The rest of the city and its surrounding areas either belonged to the Organization, or was divided up by smaller packs with little power and not worth the invitation to this meeting, like the Southtown Terrors.

Anthony had his hand on my back again and he guided me to one of the chairs. The alphas in the room definitely zeroed in on the gesture and I found myself hesitating. I wasn't sure I liked the impression we were giving.

"For the pack," Martha reminded behind me, which was enough to make me take a seat. Anthony settled himself beside me.

My wolf growled a little at that.

*What is it?* I asked.

*He did not ask permission to stake a claim. He did not court us.*

I frowned. That was what was bothering me. I knew how this must look, especially when our people elected to stand behind our chairs as well.

*I think it's just for show,* I told her, *to protect the pack until it settles from Rob's death.*

*It had better be,* she growled. *We are not so easily won.*

The alphas at the table watched us with calculating gazes. I watched a muscle jump in Olivia's jaw. I didn't think that they were pleased with the display, or that Anthony sat as an alpha, when the matter of the new alpha of the organization had yet to be resolved.

I glanced back at Jacob, Martha and Angela.

Or had it? None of them were surprised, and none seemed opposed to our positioning. Were they declaring their backing of Anthony for the position? The four of them would easily outstrip any contender within the pack.

Looked like my wolf had been right about him. Beneath the table Anthony's hand found mine and he squeezed it gently, reassuring, and grateful.

The gesture soothed me. I was still angry, he'd done all of this without telling me, or asking my permission. But, I had stayed locked in my room for two days while he'd dealt with the aftermath of Rob's death. He was entitled to a few mistakes while trying to hold everything together. I glanced up at him noting the deep wells beneath his eyes as he gave the others a hard challenging stare. This was not a man who was taking whatever he wanted. This was a man who was doing whatever he must.

I squeezed his hand back, communicating my forgiveness, and acceptance of this small game for the good of the pack, before releasing him and folding my hands on the table in front of me.

Well. He said they could sense the strength of my wolf, might as well use it to advantage, I decided, adopting the same cold stare across the table.

None of those standing would meet my gaze, only the Alpha and Lunas tried. It became a bit of a contest, actually.
Let them win, my wolf warned when I'd locked eyes with Mei for too long. I think they might sense my strength, in the conventional way that wolves do, but they do not know my power. Let's keep it that way. We might need it in the future.

I considered her words, and then obeyed, knowing, deep down she was far too clever for a wolf. She'd gone from forming words to sentences to complex ideas...and now she was plotting.
It's best not to compare us with others, she told me.

"I would be the first to offer my condolences, Anthony," Luna Olivia spoke at last, slicing through the silence of the room. "We were worried the organization might be out of play with the loss of its alpha. It is good to see such strong young wolves leading the charge forward."

Her words were honey soaked enough I didn't need my wolf to tell me she'd hoped we'd all die a fiery death.

"Indeed," Charles bared his teeth in a facsimile of a smile, "it seems Rob has structured his pack well. We all hope for such immediate response if our pack were to find themselves leaderless."

I could feel the tension in Anthony's body without turning to him, but he didn't get a chance to respond because at that moment the Sentinel Pack entered the room and the attention fell upon them. The alpha of the Sentinel pack was young, in his mid thirties. His skin was the color of coffee laced with cream, he had piercing green eyes and perfect bone structure. He looked like something from an underwear add. From the way his suit moulded to his body I figured the rest of his physique was on par. I'd seen pictures, of course, he was the CEO of Hoventech inc., an apparently legitimate business among the various fronts used by his syndicate, and an incredibly profitable one. Rob had shared a theory that the pack was pulling out of the crime world.

He scanned the table, surprise raising his brows when he landed on Anthony and I, though I couldn't tell you the reason.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized in a smooth creamy voice, taking a chair and gesturing for his people to do the same. I watched as they obeyed, each finding a chair and sitting along side the alpha. The only side of the table that wasn't nearly empty. "There were pack issues to deal with."

"There always is, Aiden," Charles intoned. "Tell me, what had you calling an Assemblage to begin with? It had better be good, because I believe we all have important business to attend."

I blinked in surprise, beside me Anthony blinked as well. We'd assumed the Assemblage had been called to test our strength after Rob's passing. Given Aiden's mannerisms, I didn't think that was the case.

"You know I've never called an Assemblage before," Aiden leaned forward flashing white teeth, "and I wouldn't do so now if it weren't necessary. So I'll get right to the point. We have it on good authority that a common enemy has entered the territory and it puts each of our packs at risk should we not do something about it immediately."

I watched the other leaders taking in their genuine surprise. I know that the organization had kept the nature of Rob's death a secret. It was what Rob would have done. He'd always said to never divulge information for free when there was value in the knowledge. Of those at the run only a handful of us had seen the true sniper. All were loyal to Rob, and none would have shared the specifics. So either the Sentinels had been attacked similarly, or...

"The vampir have entered Boston."

*Vampir?* As in Vampires? That was nothing but a spooky children's story.

Mei echoed my thoughts, except out loud and with much more scoffing.

Aiden speared her with a glare.

"Believe me I wish it were that. You know I travelled extensively before settling in the pack," Aiden told her. "The existence of Vampir in eastern Europe is widely considered possible, and several of the packs, particularly along the Carpathian mountains have had encounters."

*"Claimed* to have had encounters," Charles countered. "There has never been an ounce of proof. Not even with a wolf's abilities."

Aiden tilted his head, showing his teeth once more.

"Until now."