A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,69
approach. A leggy, dark skinned woman, and a tall wiry blonde male walk towards us.
The male kneels, but the woman sneers at me, hissing. "I will not kneel before such filth. It is a smear on pack, on all those who have fallen, to have her here." Cheering comes from the vehicles on the road.
"Alpha," the kneeled male says calmly.
"Welcome, Stefan, Alpha of the Wind Winder Pack," Roman says, his power reaching out again. It cracks like a whip, and I hold my breath as the woman falters, taking a step backwards. The cheering quietens at the show of power, and Roman’s eyes start to glow.
"You will kneel," he orders to the woman, and she growls as she holds his stare, but falters when his magic pushes again, harder, and she kneels.
"Alpha," she bites out, and my anger rises at such disrespect for Roman, but I keep myself in check. The emotions of the Lycans around me are already running high, both Theron and Tobias look like the smallest thing will set them off and attack the foolish female.
"Welcome Aryna, Alpha of Ebony Pack. You are late, and your disobedience has been noted." The words are practically ripped from Roman’s throat, and I tense.
Aryna growls from her position on the ground, but Stefan rises. "I will take my pack to our quarters, and we shall join you for dinner in an hour." Roman nods to him, and he turns, walking back to his car. The pack’s engines start, and they head off, leaving just Ebony Pack before us, Aryna still kneeling on our porch.
"Do you wish to challenge me, Alpha of Ebony? Roman asks, a quiet calm settles over us all at the question, and the last of the noise from the pack dies to silence.
"No, Alpha," she bites back, her head still bowed.
"Then you will mind your words about my mate, otherwise I shall let her challenge you, and show you just how much she deserves her place at my side. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Alpha."
"Get out of my sight." She stands and turns away without another sound, her pack heading to their section of the compound, the far left from us.
"Well, that was entertaining," I say with a smile, and Tobias barks out a laugh.
"You could say that." A smile toys on Roman’s lips as Theron just rolls his eyes. "Let’s go get ready for dinner, the sun is setting, and I am starving."
"I'm going to head to the hall and make sure we're nearly ready," Tobias says, before leaping down the stairs and running off towards the hall.
"I'm going to go and check on Leandra and my father. I shall see you in there." Theron bows his head to Roman and leaves, the house eerily quiet around us.
"That could have gone much worse," I say as we head inside, and I move to the sitting room, and sit on one of the sofas in here.
"It could have gone better." Roman shakes his head, and I can see it. Feel it. The weight settling upon him. "I'm going to be challenged during the gathering, I can feel it. So can my wolf."
I sigh at his words, but really, I'm not surprised given everything that Tobias told me, and all that has happened so far.
"Maybe you will, but we will deal with it if it happens. There is no point in worrying about it now. Let’s enjoy tonight, enjoy being here, with your people. Even the assholes." He laughs softly but nods.
"You're right. Come, let’s get changed then we'll head over to the hall to help out before the others arrive."
He stands and holds out a hand to me, leading me up the stairs, but I can't help the dread that fills me at the prospect of what is to come. I shove it down deep, into a box that I lock, and throw away the key. I wasn't wrong when I said we shouldn't worry about it, but the thought of losing Roman, especially at the hands of his own people…
The very thought turns my blood cold.
I watch on the sidelines, hidden by Roman, because my being here could get me killed. But today is too important to him for me to miss. Today, he takes his place as Alpha of the Alpha’s. The mantle being handed to him by his father.
Except, while the position is his by birthright, his family having had the title since the beginning of the Lycans, back from when they were just one pack