Eleven pairs of eyes stared at himwhen he walked into the gathering room. There was silence for amoment, and then Cael said, “I brought the males in from patrol fora quick conversation.”
“What’s on your mind?”Wrath asked.
They seated themselves on variouschairs, pieces they’d stolen from human settlements over the years.Wrath sat on a chair that creaked under his weight.
Trick cleared his throat. “We want toknow what Trinity’s staying with us means for ourpeople.”
Wrath frowned. “What do youmean?”
“Are we... still going tobe going after the purebreds and expanding ourterritory?”
Wrath settled back in the chair andrubbed his chin. “No. Part of what drove me to conquer and destroywas my wolf’s unhappiness. I had Trinity in my dreams but not myarms. It was hell. And every year it got worse. Our territory isgood the way it is. We have fertile hunting grounds, we’re easilydefensible, and we now have Mytan to help keep our land safe. Oncethe purebreds realize we’re not coming after them, we’ll be able tolive peaceably—everyone in their own territory.”
“You don’t think they’llcome after us?” Cael asked.
“We’re the ones who alwayswent on the offense,” Wrath pointed out.
“That’s true,” Jet said.“We were the ones who provoked.”
“What about retaliation?”Trick asked. “We did take Veltris’s mate, and she was harmed in theprocess.”
Wrath hated that the human female washurt during the abduction and her escape attempts, but he’d admiredher spirit. He considered reaching out to Veltris to apologize andbroker a peace treaty between their people, but he wasn’t sure nowwas the time.
“We know that Veltris wasplanning to discuss a group pack effort with other alphas who we’veharmed in the past. We’ll continue our patrols, and we’ll keep ourears to the ground. Even though the humans won’t know what’s goingon with the packs, they will be aware of strangers passing throughtheir settlements. That would alert us to anygatherings.”
“I don’t think the alphaswill get together, even to come against us,” Cael said.
“Why not?” Creekasked.
“Because even if it wouldbe in their best interest to take us out, the alphas of the packswithin a few hundred miles of our area are too stubborn to yield toVeltris. From what Isolde and Trinity said, Veltris wants the packsto create one army, which means one leader. You can bet thatbecause it’s Veltris’s idea, he’d want to be the main leader, and Ican’t think of any of the alphas who’d be willing to bend the kneeto him. It would weaken their status as alpha to their ownpeople.”
Creek looked at Wrath. “Wouldyou?”
“Would I what?”
“If there was a commonenemy, would you acquiesce to another alpha?”
Before Trinity, he would have saidhell no. But now that he had her safety to consider, hisperspective had changed. “Honestly, it depends on what the threatis. If it was an active threat against our pack and Trinity, thenI’d do anything in my power to make sure we were all safe, even ifit meant letting another alpha lead us for a time. But thedifference here is that we’re not going to be attacking the packsanymore, we’re not going to mount missions to drive them away fromtheir territory to take it or abduct anyone to further our owncause. When things are quiet from us for a while, the alphas willsee that things have changed and won’t see us as a threat any morethan they do the other purebred packs.”
When Wrath had first come across apurebred pack after he’d shifted for the first time and beenlooking for a home, they’d driven him out. He remembered the alphatelling him that pack territory was precious and would be protectedat any cost. He was told that he might not understand this becausehe was a hybrid, but unless he was a pack member, he’d never beallowed in any other pack’s territory. And because he wasn’t apurebred, he’d never be accepted. If he tried to infiltrate theirranks, he’d be killed, plain and simple.
He’d taken that lesson—which had comewith a severe beating that left him in pain for a few days as hehealed—and decided to find his own territory. He’d gone back to thetunnel and the caverns, waiting and watching to see if anyone cameto claim it, but no one had. Partly, he’d suspected, because itwasn’t far from Mytan’s territory, and while it was good huntinggrounds, it was also near a human settlement and vampire territory.Purebreds steered clear of both groups as much as possible, dealingwith them only as needed for supplies.
“So what now?” Rookasked.
Wrath blew out a breath. “I’m notsure, actually. For the last twelve years or so, all I’ve wanted todo was conquer, drive out the other alphas and secure our bordersuntil we were the largest, most feared pack on the continent. Imade a name for myself—for us—through bloodshed. I thought nothingof destroying anything I came across.” He looked at the males who’dbeen his family all these years. “I want for all of you to findyour true mates and to know happiness the way I now do. I’m notsure how we’ll accomplish that, but I believe it will happen, thatwe won’t lose our people to blood lust anymore.”
He wasn’t sure why he believed thatnow, but he did. Trinity felt like a catalyst for the hybrids, andhe knew her presence was going to bring a change to their peoplethat would have far-reaching effects.
“We’d all love to find ourtrue mates,” Cael said. “But I question whether we could actuallyhave twelve soulmates in our cavern? That would make twenty-fourpeople living in very tight quarters, and considering that you’rethe only one with a private room...” His voice dropped off, andWrath nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, Wrath could see what theirfuture would be. Instead of being intent on the destruction ofothers, they’d be builders and makers.
“We need homes,” he said.“Real ones. I’m certain I’m not alone in wishing we didn’t liveunderground. It has its benefits, but privacy is not among them.Let’s meet after breakfast and make some plans.”
“We could live in realhouses?” Creek asked, his eyes wide.
Wrath nodded and rose to his feet.
