in.”
Brandon ran a hand over his face roughly. “Even if I don’t challenge, I know someone will,” he said tiredly.
“Can I ask a question?” Ben asked from the couch where he and Justin had settled. “Who approached you to challenge?”
“I can’t…I can’t tell you. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”
“But it’s fair to let him pressure you to challenge an appointed Alpha?” Nikki questioned.
“Let’s start this way,” Dylan offered from across the room. Everyone looked over at him and he smiled. “Let’s look at the issues. Issue one is I support the shifters going public.”
Brandon shrugged. “I see both sides of the argument. But I guess I have been lax in supporting it, so that is what’s brought up the most. And I don’t honestly think that is what this is about. I think they’re using it as an excuse. They are more worried about losing the ear of the Alpha. Especially when you decide on your own inner circle. That will leave a lot of us out in the cold.”
“Okay.” Dylan leant forward. “Cameron had agreed to go public, and when I accepted the Alpha position I kept the agreement. I have also discussed my inner circle with Cameron and he has agreed. You can’t tell me that Cameron would have been challenged.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Brandon conceded.
“So what else is the problem? Me being a stranger? Cameron spoke to several of you, from what I understand, about bringing in an outsider.”
“He did,” Justin spoke up. “To all of his inner circle plus several of the younger wolves who were dominant.”
“Did he contact the elders of the community?” Dylan asked next.
“Not until he’d decided on you,” Brandon answered.
“Now, I’m not trying to get out of you who approached you, but I would bet it was one of the elders. Maybe an elder who is worried if you don’t challenge me his own son will,” Dylan guessed.
Nikki gasped. RJ raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. “You can’t protect him forever, Brandon. I know he was your best friend, but he’s not the same kid you grew up with.”
“I know.” Brandon sat back. “I know.”
The room fell silent. “Have you tried talking to him?” Nikki finally asked.
“Yeah, couple of weeks ago. He says Dylan will take us in the wrong direction. But the thing is…he never said anything against going public.” He looked over at Dylan. “I wasn’t born to lead, I know that, but I don’t want to see my Pack split in half either.”
“I don’t want to see that, either. It’s not only me, but my family and my friends. I want this Pack to be strong and flourish,” Dylan told him with conviction. RJ was proud of his brother.
“Then let’s figure out what to do,” RJ suggested and received nods of agreement.
Chapter Eight
The plan was simple. So simple it might just actually work.
Get everyone involved who would support them, and spread the word that the Pack needed to stick together and support Cameron’s decision.
Cameron and Dylan went to the diner for breakfast before making the rounds around town together, while Ben and Nikki wrote articles for the paper to publish the next morning, RJ would speak to the new Pack members asking them to mingle with the older members, and Justin talked with the kids at the school and in his shifter classes.
Hoping the support of the Pack and bringing everyone together before the ceremony would calm the waters, they all worked hard to do their best.
Once Nikki had turned in her special edition article, about her hope for the future under Dylan and her support of the Cross family, she walked out of the office and headed downtown.
She waved at Sabrina and Max, who were posting flyers of the pre-ceremony barbeque on shop windows. Ben had come up with the idea of getting the Pack together before instead of just after the ceremony, and Nikki thought that was brilliant. The youngest Cross brother was smart as a whip…and, if she wasn’t mistaken, taken with
Brandon ran a hand over his face roughly. “Even if I don’t challenge, I know someone will,” he said tiredly.
“Can I ask a question?” Ben asked from the couch where he and Justin had settled. “Who approached you to challenge?”
“I can’t…I can’t tell you. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”
“But it’s fair to let him pressure you to challenge an appointed Alpha?” Nikki questioned.
“Let’s start this way,” Dylan offered from across the room. Everyone looked over at him and he smiled. “Let’s look at the issues. Issue one is I support the shifters going public.”
Brandon shrugged. “I see both sides of the argument. But I guess I have been lax in supporting it, so that is what’s brought up the most. And I don’t honestly think that is what this is about. I think they’re using it as an excuse. They are more worried about losing the ear of the Alpha. Especially when you decide on your own inner circle. That will leave a lot of us out in the cold.”
“Okay.” Dylan leant forward. “Cameron had agreed to go public, and when I accepted the Alpha position I kept the agreement. I have also discussed my inner circle with Cameron and he has agreed. You can’t tell me that Cameron would have been challenged.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Brandon conceded.
“So what else is the problem? Me being a stranger? Cameron spoke to several of you, from what I understand, about bringing in an outsider.”
“He did,” Justin spoke up. “To all of his inner circle plus several of the younger wolves who were dominant.”
“Did he contact the elders of the community?” Dylan asked next.
“Not until he’d decided on you,” Brandon answered.
“Now, I’m not trying to get out of you who approached you, but I would bet it was one of the elders. Maybe an elder who is worried if you don’t challenge me his own son will,” Dylan guessed.
Nikki gasped. RJ raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. “You can’t protect him forever, Brandon. I know he was your best friend, but he’s not the same kid you grew up with.”
“I know.” Brandon sat back. “I know.”
The room fell silent. “Have you tried talking to him?” Nikki finally asked.
“Yeah, couple of weeks ago. He says Dylan will take us in the wrong direction. But the thing is…he never said anything against going public.” He looked over at Dylan. “I wasn’t born to lead, I know that, but I don’t want to see my Pack split in half either.”
“I don’t want to see that, either. It’s not only me, but my family and my friends. I want this Pack to be strong and flourish,” Dylan told him with conviction. RJ was proud of his brother.
“Then let’s figure out what to do,” RJ suggested and received nods of agreement.
Chapter Eight
The plan was simple. So simple it might just actually work.
Get everyone involved who would support them, and spread the word that the Pack needed to stick together and support Cameron’s decision.
Cameron and Dylan went to the diner for breakfast before making the rounds around town together, while Ben and Nikki wrote articles for the paper to publish the next morning, RJ would speak to the new Pack members asking them to mingle with the older members, and Justin talked with the kids at the school and in his shifter classes.
Hoping the support of the Pack and bringing everyone together before the ceremony would calm the waters, they all worked hard to do their best.
Once Nikki had turned in her special edition article, about her hope for the future under Dylan and her support of the Cross family, she walked out of the office and headed downtown.
She waved at Sabrina and Max, who were posting flyers of the pre-ceremony barbeque on shop windows. Ben had come up with the idea of getting the Pack together before instead of just after the ceremony, and Nikki thought that was brilliant. The youngest Cross brother was smart as a whip…and, if she wasn’t mistaken, taken with
Similar Books
