Christmas With the Wolves 2

It was dark. The chilly night was filled with the distant echoes of muffled branches as they danced due to the cool breeze. The gentle glow of the moon illuminated the surface, hanging solely among the clouds. Other than the gently swerving of the dried-up branches of the winter trees, and the low undertone of sauntering caused by the little critters of the night, the entire atmosphere was silent. The quietness made even the littlest change in atmosphere audible by those who sat under the milky moon, enjoying the night's cool embrace. Seated on special mats in an organized circle, five mature-looking men glanced at one another, waiting for the first to mention what plagued their thoughts. The elephant in the room was glaring to everyone, but the men cowardly waited for who to point it out. For this special meeting, they had left their Betas in the pack, making it an Alpha-exclusive gathering. After all, the issue at hand was beyond sensitive. One of them finally cleared his throat. “Ahem…” The men turned and all their eyes darted to the one who made the sound. Appearing uncomfortable, yet relieved that he spoke, they awaited his words. “Lord Asher, is it not time to make your choice? I am convinced that I am not the only one who shares this belief,” the man began, breaking the long-held silence amongst the council of grown men. The men who looked at the one who spoke tilted their heads in the opposite direction. They all faced the one who was being addressed. Glancing at the platform above theirs, a seat was placed majestically on the smoothie rock, firm and strong. Having several ornaments wrapped around it, wolf skin, as well as countless tooth and body parts of several creatures, the throne was gloriously placed in front of all the men who sat on their mats. The one who sat on the throne, addressed by the audacious man as Lord Asher, sighed as he placed his hands lightly on his chin. He looked weary, distracted from the meeting, even though he was the center of attraction. “Benson, speak plainly. What are you implying?” he said in his deep and dominating voice. His tone, coupled with the glare in his eyes as he narrowed them, caused the rest of the Alphas to tremble slightly. Even the Alpha, Benson, was not immune to the effects of his overwhelming presence. “W-What I mean is… You promised us that by our next Convergence, you would have your mate ready. However, here we are… Yet there is no mate. Lord Asher… We, the Alpha council of Oregon woods, are concerned about your wellbeing,” Alpha Benson stammered. “Oh? And who says I am answerable to you all concerning this matter? Finding one's mate is a personal journey for a werewolf. Who are you to question my private affairs?” Asher, the lord over the Alphas, asked in a condescending tone. A strained look of dissatisfaction appeared on Benson's face, clearly displeased by Asher's tone to him. However, he could not forget his place. He had no choice but to play along… For now. “I do not mean to sound intrusive. However, it has come to my notice that you have indeed found a mate and that she is currently in your pack. The Alphas are curious as to why you have refused to make this known to us… Especially after you gave your word,” Benson replied, making a much more assertive claim. Asher clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. How did they find out about his mate? She had only spent a short while in the Pack, so there was no way for the information to get leaked out. Could it be the Alpha's daughter who came to visit his pack? But there was no way she could have said anything. She never left the village, to begin with. “Lord Asher, need I remind you that as the Wolf King, your world carries the most weight within these woods. You stated that your Mate would have been found before now, and you are to be held accountable for that,” Alpha Benson continued. Asher tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne impatiently. He knew what he'd said, and his role to play as the leader of all werewolf kind in the woods. His words were law. He'd kept his end of the bargain. He found his mate, he took her in, they bonded. Until she left him. “I do not know where you got your assertion from, Benson, but without reasonable proof, those are nothing but confused statements,” Asher responded with a menacing tone, wishing the old man would just keep quiet and let the matter die. Alpha Benson was just getting started. Upon realizing how the issue bothered Asher, he decided to hit harder. “But, Lord Asher, the one whom you need… It is my very own daughter,” he declared. As he said this, the entire council gasped in shock, surprised by what Benson had said. They all looked at one another with disbelieving glances. Murmurs and whispers circulated among them as they speculated in hushed tones. “Enough!” Asher suddenly said, slightly banging his hand on the armrest of his throne. The Alphas immediately fell silent upon hearing Asher's dominating voice. “What are you trying to insinuate, Benson?” Asher asked. The old man smiled and shook his head slightly. “Nothing, Lord Asher. I was just wondering when you were going to tell us here about your successful Bonding with my daughter, and the night you spent together—” “That wasn’t what happened!” Asher responded quickly, banging his hand on his throne in annoyance. He was sick of explaining this to everyone. Whether it was Dax, Rita, ‘Her'… And now this… They all looked at him with the same eyes of surprise. It agitated him to no end. “Nothing happened!” He kept saying this to them, but no one believed it. And now Benson blurted this in front of the highest authority in the woods. What was going on? “So, you’re not denying the fact that you did spend the night together with my daughter?” Benson asked. Asher wasn’t in the right mood to properly respond to the sly remarks of Benson. He was too flustered and caught up with his true mate, and the heartbreak he felt within himself. His loneliness distracted him from his usual logical self, letting him slip up in such an important meeting. Asher raised his defense. “W-We did spend the night together, but I do not remember what happened, and I’m certain nothing transpired between us.” This caused another wave of murmurs to rise amongst the Alphas seated at the zenith. “Lord Asher, it seems you do not realize the implications of your actions. Either that or you’re deliberately avoiding it,” Benson stated. Asher's face depicted discomfort. He didn’t like where this was headed. “According to custom, spending the night with a female adult is akin to bonding between mates, in the process of lovemaking. In the eyes of our laws, despite your contrary words, you have mated with Camilla, my daughter… And therefore must take her in as your new mate,” Benson recited, looking at Asher boldly. Asher clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He now realized that this was a setup against him. From the start, this was their plan. But from when? How long was it in motion? He had no idea. “You speak nonsense. I just told you I didn’t do anything to her!” Asher responded harshly. This made a lot of Alphas frown at his treatment of Benson. They all stared at him with suspicious gazes, as one who refused to take responsibility for his actions. As an incompetent leader. Asher remembered those looks. They were similar to the time after he just became the Wolf King, defeating the previous one in a contest of strength and wits. The council was hesitant to accept him. They all witnessed his power, but they still looked at him as one who was still just a child. ”He has no mate,” they whispered amongst themselves. “How will he lead the tribe when he doesn’t have a family of his own” “I heard he even banished his father from his pack. Is this the kind of King we’ll be having?” “The only thing he has going for him is strength.” They underestimated his other abilities and gave him gazes of distrust. However, after spending time with them, they all had no choice but to admit to his superior cognitive abilities and maturity in addition to his strength. In addition to power, he had everything else it took to be their leader. He convinced them with his efforts alone. But now, Asher could tell he was once again losing the trust of the Council. They had grown impatient from waiting endlessly for Asher's Mate. Having no mate or family was absurd for a Pack leader, to say nothing of the Grand Alpha of the tribe. Plus, he had given them his word, and now it seemed he broke his promise. Finally, with Benson's claim, the confidence he built with them was beginning to crumble. 'This is bad,' Asher thought to himself. His kingdom was breaking apart, and his heart was as well. Since that day, he had not remained the same. The disappearance of his Mate and his longing for her continued to plague Asher even in his dreams. He was too immersed in it to perform his duties properly, leaving Dax to handle most of his responsibilities. Everything was falling apart, and he felt like he was unraveling. All because of one person. “Roxanne, where are you now?” he muttered to himself. “I-I need you… Roxanne…”