though he expected him to intervene, to beg Gwyar to stop, to admit he was lying and he’d take his son’s place.
“As Alpha of Lupine Hollow, I am required to accept your challenge,” Alarick deadpanned. Gwyar’s smile began to fall as he watched him. “In return, I challenge you for control of Starlight Woods. As Lupine Hollow currently holds the highest number of diplomatic ties due to the academy, by law of the conclave for the safety of the pups of all werewolf packs, and to prevent outright war and possible exposure, I also request that a public viewing of the duel be held with witnesses of packs present after a time period in which allies of Lupine Hollow have the choice to withdraw from the territory if they so wish.” Snarls and howls of rage from Starlight Woods echoed up the driveway and off of the mansion as Alarick stared Gwyar down.
Gwyar whirled toward me, his face a mask of utter rage. “You! Did you do this?” I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the manic laughter, considering I had no idea what the hell was going on.
I raised a hand meekly to interrupt Eirian’s snarling as she stepped toward Gwyar, backing him away from me. “Uh, someone want to explain things to the former human? I don’t even speak legalese, and I think that was politicalese.”
Ian groaned. “Kitten, you know that isn’t a word.”
“After that, it totally is,” I insisted, handing Luna another petit four from the platter when she giggled.
Gwyar scoffed. “Pathetic excuse for a beta, she doesn’t even understand how anything works.” His eyes were narrowed slits, and color flushed high on his cheeks as he hissed the words.
I scowled at him. “Okay, let’s see you lose your ability to shift, be dropped in the middle of California, and be told you’re married with three kids you have to support and that you have a job as a high powered executive in a firm. See how you’re doing two months in with no prior knowledge of how to live in that world. Considering I’m only seventeen, and I’ve been part of your execution plans on numerous occasions, I’d say I’m doing damn well for myself.” I fluttered my lashes at him before flipping him off.
“Silence, Gwyar, or I will remove you,” Alpha Due told him with a growl. “The young beta is correct.”
“Normally during an alpha challenge, control of the pack isn’t given to the challenger if they win,” Eirian explained. “They have to actually challenge for the pack itself, or the next person in the pack hierarchy takes control.”
“Yeah, I knew that part, it’s like regular wolves and why they called for control of the pack. I just didn’t get the part about allies and the conclave and stuff.”
“Normally, a challenged won’t challenge back,” Eirian continued, as though she hadn’t heard me. “The fact that Alarick is means that the challenge automatically needs a sanctioned mediation and witnesses to ensure the fairness of the fight. The second part was that Lupine Hollow Academy is a safe zone, as you are aware.”
“Yeah, that’s why there are wards and things.”
“Exactly. Whoever is in control of Lupine Hollow controls the academy. Raff has worked hard to maintain alliances and ensure that packs are comfortable having their children under his care. There are old laws in place regarding the care of pups in our world, as well as the exposure of our species.” Well, that I knew. “Alarick is calling on them in order to put off the duel until parents of the pups who reside at the school can be notified and make the decision if they want to remove the pups immediately for their safety, or if they want to wait and witness the duel and make decisions on whether to remove the pups after the winner of the duel has been decided, citing the prevention of a possible war that would expose our species.”
“Oh!” Realization washed over me—Alarick had set it up not only to give us time to plan, but to make sure that pups from the other packs wouldn’t be trapped underneath Gwyar and unable to leave the academy. And from the rage Gwyar was projecting after Alarick’s announcement, that had been his plan all along.
“There would be no war! He is simply trying to avoid a duel he knows he will lose,” Gwyar argued.
Eirian lifted her chin. “As a mediator ordained by the conclave, I am sanctioning the requested challenges. As