Chapter 29

ALPHA MARCELLUS STORM

For what felt like the millionth time in the past few minutes, Marcellus shook his head and groaned audibly, not even trying to hide how frustrated and done he was with the conversation that had just started.

Oh, how he wished he could hang up the phone and drift back off to dreamland where his dream awaited him, residing in a completely different reality where she wasn’t pregnant and everything was perfect; where they were perfect.

Too bad life just didn’t work that way.

“Alpha Marcellus.” Elder Malachi, the head of the council, tutted for what also felt like the millionth time in the past few minutes, his voice demanding attention. “Are you still there?”

Marcellus clenched his jaw tight and stilled his breathing, sinking further into his bed and burying his head into the pillow, beyond frustrated even though he had barely been able to say anything before the elder had demanded that he calm down before proceeding.

“I can hear you breathing.” Malachi deadpanned and Marcellus was sure that he was rolling his eyes.

His wolf growled at that.

These old bats think that they know everything but there’s a reason that they’re not in positions of power anymore.

And there’s also a reason why they became elders. He sighed and reached up to run a frustrated hand down the side of his face. They’re were so good at being in power that they’ve become elders.

Or they’re so power hungry that they just couldn’t give it up.

Well, there’s that too. Marcellus audibly chuckled before turning his attention back to the phone.

Marcellus didn’t put it past elder Malachi to complain about him to his father, elder Maverick as some of the elders had done a few times in the past. Whenever they believed Marcellus to be difficult or non-conforming, they tattled on him like he was a child. Not that his father could do anything other than try and convince him to be more pleasant on the phone with the distance between them.

“The line cut off there for a while.” Marcellus lied expertly, refusing to apologise even if he was being rude. “I couldn’t quite hear you but it’s all good now.”

“Sure.” Malachi hummed on the other end of the phone, not falling for the blatant lie for even a second. “But I believe you got my message from your Beta?”

“Yes, Dalton told me all about the pleasant conversation the both of you had last week.” His frown deepened as he thought of the way he had avoided calls from the council all week, choosing to deny the problem instead of acknowledging it in hopes that it would disappear even though from his ten years as Alpha, he knew denial was never the way to go.

It was only because the call had come in through private number, and mixed in with the fact that he had been asleep that Marcellus picked up the phone, expecting it to be either one of his wolves or employees.

“And it took you a whole week to get back to us?”

“Yes.” He replied dryly, not bothering to hold back the urge to roll his eyes. “I’ve been busy running a pack and a business to keep this pack afloat, but I’m sure you already know about all of that.”

Marcellus didn’t bother hold back his snicker on that last statement, a direct jab at the elder who had only been a Beta in his time during the pack. The former Alpha of his pack had been the head of the council for many, many years but after he had passed – under slightly suspicious events which Marcellus doubted was very thoroughly investigated – elder Malachi had jumped to take over and since he had been his Alpha’s right-hand man for his entire life. He had won with a unanimous vote.

The motherfucker has never been in a position of power his whole life so the power has gotten to his head. His wolf growled. Who the fuck does he think he is? Speaking to us like that?

Marcellus couldn’t help but agree.

“If you have an issue with me Alpha Marcellus, feel free to talk about it. As an adult, I prefer to solve my issues head on with conversation and clear communication instead of running away from them.” Malachi paused to laugh softly, almost as if he just hadn’t been indirectly insulting him again, taking a jab at the fact that Marcellus was still quite young. “Running away from problems seems kind of childish, if you ask me.”

“Well, thanks for the speech but let’s steer back on track, okay?”

“Yes, let us.” Malachi hummed and Marcellus was sure that he could hear the smirk in his voice; mocking him.

Next time we see him in person, I’m going to rip his throat out.Don’t even think about holding me back. His wolf warned with a deep growl. A few minutes alone with him is all I need. He won’t dare speak to us like this anymore.

You won’t see me complaining. Marcellus grunted before rolling onto his side and placing his phone down on the pillow, having put it on speakerphone so he wouldn’t have to keep it pressed to his ear the whole time.

“Our concern is that you’ve been running the pack without a mate for too long.” The elder began, but Marcellus was quick to cut him off with a snort and roll of his eyes, not that Malachi could see.

“Is that the council’s concern, or just your own personal concern?”

“Everyone’s concern.” Malachi replied, though Marcellus highly doubted it. “Do you have any more questions or can I continue?”

“No, please continue.” The Alpha wolf replied dryly, resisting the urge to reach over and end the call but ultimately, he knew that if he were to do that, Malachi would continue to class him as immature and incapable of running the pack, further proving his argument against Marcellus in front of the other council members.

“You turned twenty-eight last month, I believe. Is that correct?”

Marcellus merely hummed in confirmation.

“You’ve been running the pack on your own for ten years now and while you’ve been doing a decent job,” Malachi paused to chuckle quietly, almost as if he found the situation funny. “Eventually, you won’t be able to continue going on like this without a mate.”

“And who says that?”

“Like I said, the entire council has come to this decision.” The elder informed him in what sounded like a snarky tone. “We are all concerned that in a few years, or even less maybe, you won’t be able to continue without a mate, and we wouldn’t want to see the Lupum Griseo pack suffer like that when it could have very well have been avoided.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m unfit to be Alpha?” Marcellus growled lowly, daring the wolf to disrespect him one more time.

If he could, he would reach into the phone and strangle the old man until he was gasping for breath and begging for mercy, and then he would squeeze just a little harder.

“No, but I am insinuating that you will soon become unfit to be Alpha if you continue going on like this.”

“Like what?”

“Mateless.”

“It’s hardly my fault that I haven’t met my mate yet, and not for lack of trying either.” Marcellus scoffed, referring to the many packs that he had visited during the first couple years of him becoming Alpha in hopes of finding his mate and the next Luna of the Lupum Griseo pack.

“I didn’t say it was your fault.” The elder denied though Marcellus refused to fall for any of his tricks.

“Then why does it feel like I’m being punished?”

“You can choose to look at it that way, or you can choose to look at it in a more positive light.”

“And how could I possibly look at the situation in a positive light?”

“Well, you could view this conversation as us simply helping along the process of you finding a mate.” Malachi tried to reason but Marcellus wasn’t falling for it. Not even for a moment.

“It’s a good thing I don’t need your help then, isn’t it? I’ll find my mate when I find her. There’s no rush and I’ve been leading the pack by myself for the past ten years so I’m sure I can handle another couple until she gets here.” Marcellus scowled deeply, glaring daggers at his phone. “Now if that’s all, I’m rather busy today so could do without you wasting any more of my time.”

Before he could hang up, elder Malachi was quick to speak up, the words rushing out of his mouth.

“Alpha Marcellus, I’m afraid you can’t keep avoiding the conversation like this.”