49. One or three
David
Tony left the dining hall soon after dinner. I considered going after him to try and get some more information about Lucy, but I decided against it. He may have been lying about a few things, but it was unlikely that he was lying about Lucy’s state.
The thought angered me that I had to worry about it at all. Blue Moon was supposed to be the most powerful pack with the most powerful wolves, but they couldn’t even manage to keep Lucy safe in their own territory.
The twins didn’t deserve her.
The tables were cleared away, and I hung around to mingle with some alphas that I recognized from my pack. They each bowed their heads in deference, but as I shook hands with a lower-tiered alpha of the Black Moon Pack, I tried to smile. The man looked at me like he’d rather not ever see me again. I couldn’t blame him. I would have rather killed him ages ago, but he left the Blood Moon Pack to join the Black Moon Pack after my father was killed. He took a large number of people with him, enough to weaken the Blood Moon Pack a bit. I had been furious, but I had enough to deal with in my pack than one deserter.
“Something on your mind?” I asked.
He looked at me. “Nothing much… other than why you didn’t think to say anything when they were speaking earlier.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Interesting that a deserter would be so interested in something like that.”
His eyes narrowed. “You might be alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, but you’re still a child.”
I bared my teeth. “Let me remind you of what happened to the last old man to call me a child.”
His eyes narrowed. He tried to look tough, but he lost a bit of color in his face. My father’s old beta had expected to take over as soon as the old man had died. He’d challenged me in front of the entire pack mere hours after this man and the other deserters had left. I tore him to shreds and banished his family for the offense. I don’t know what happened to them, but either they joined the Black Moon Pack, or they were hiding in the human world.
“It would have been a good time to show that you stand with Peter,” he said.
“I don’t,” I said. “Peter’s agenda, whatever it really is, would hurt our standings in the human world. The wealth of the pack and its well-being is the most important thing. I would not risk that so we can play kings and queens among the supernatural community. It would be a waste of time and blood.”
I had no plans to send the members of my pack to their deaths. There were easier ways to get what I wanted. Starting with the murder of the twins and Peter.
He set his jaw. “And this alliance Alpha Tony spoke of?”
I snorted. “Wishful thinking. There can only be one pack or three.”
I would not allow it to be any other way, and as soon as I could figure out the secrets of the Moon Goddess’ necklace, I would make sure there was only one. He left my presence, likely just to complain to his friends, but I didn’t care.
Then, I caught sight of Tony returning. Our gazes caught for a moment, and a bit more fury filled me. He looked just as angry. The air heated, and I felt the shift starting to ripple through me.
People continued to mingle. Whispers about Tony’s proposal drifted through the crowd. I noticed several people went over to speak to him. Then, a very familiar, older alpha went to speak with him. I drifted just close enough to hear what they were saying.
“There are no hard feelings, Alpha Tony,” the older man said. “When she dies, as all halfbreeds tend to, my daughter will still be available to you. I’m not allowing her to date at the moment.”
“You had best hold your tongue,” Tony said stiffly. “Wishing ill on my mate.”
“Oh, don’t be so sensitive. You’re much too young to be so uptight. We all know that halfbreeds are more often than not lost in childbirth, especially when they have children with alphas… No one can understand the plans of the Goddess, but we all know the results of those plans.”
I stepped closer, fixing Tony with a stare. “If the Blue Moon pack is unable to keep one woman alive in this day in age, we have healers up to the task.”
Tony’s eyes narrowed. “As I was telling him, Lucy will be perfectly fine. Our doctor is more than adequate.”
“The dragon half-breed, right?” The man asked. “I am still surprised that you allowed such a creature into your Den. Witches are problem enough as it is… And dragons? Even worse.”
“I find that the decisions I make for the benefit of the pack tend to be more fruitful when I remove my own prejudices,” he said. “Her heritage doesn’t matter when you consider who trained her and how.”
I smirked. “The SCF has a lot of investment in keeping an eye on Blue Moon, given your history… Are you sure she’s not just a spy?”
Tony smiled at me. His eyes were cold and glinting. “Sounds as though you have concerns about your own pack. If you need aid dealing with the SCF, I have quite a bit of experience, but it will cost you.”
I sneered at him. “I do not need your help.”
“You don’t need to worry about Blue Moon? Shouldn’t you be more concerned about your investments in the human world? Not just Nature’s Boon but Blue Haven is rumored to be on the edge of collapse.”
I eyed him. “Blue Haven is not my concern.”
“I figured that since I had already taken Nature’s Boon, you would at least want the second-best option.”
I laughed. “Aren’t you full of yourself?”
Tony smiled. “It wouldn’t matter. As I hear that Blue Haven is already entering talks with Horizon.”
I glanced across the way at Peter. Horizon was a company owned by Peter. It was little more than a cover for some of Peter’s research into making more werewolves. We all knew that, but if he was allowed to get a hold of Blue Haven, it would disrupt a lot of business that Blood Moon did in the human world.
I glanced at Tony. Why would he tell me this? Why would he warn me?
“You see?” He asked. “What a bit of a truce can do? Imagine an alliance.” He grinned. “Maybe all those border skirmishes could finally end, don’t you think?”
I laughed. “If you think anyone would be willing to enter into a formal alliance between us, you’re wrong. There was a reason that we had the Moon Goddess amongst us. There is a reason she is gone.”
Tony’s eyes glinted with a secret that made me narrow my eyes at him. “That much is true.”
Peter stepped onto the podium and called our attention. “We’ll be getting started soon enough. If everyone could take their seats and voting numbers?”
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