Metzger spoke again, since he didn’t really care about things like being jovial and familiar with someone that he was trying to connect to for strategic matters. His pack had always benefited from being loosely connected to the Ironborn pack, and that was what brought him there that day. Keeping their loyalties fresh was what mattered. “We need no further consideration, Nickel. We’d be honored to join your fight. Our power is yours. You knew this before you even asked us to come.”
“We did.” Nick agreed with a nod, and stood up from his throne to stand with the other two men, reaching into their minds through Zara’s power, thanking her silently for her assistance. “But we’re glad of your friendship nonetheless.” He looked over at the Earthborn Alpha Osvald and his mate sitting nearby just off the metal audience platform, then back at Metzger and Sedovin, feeling the differences between the two men and no cordiality whatsoever. “Our intentions are to work together against the Council. If the two of you have difficulties between yourselves, now is the time to solve them.”
“No, no problem.” Sedovin broke in with the same casual tone. “Least, I don’t have one if he doesn’t have one. So what if we’ve had some territory problems in the last few decades? After we carve up the Council, we can start talking about real estate. Til then, I’ll play nice if he will.” The way Sedovin was glaring at Metzger while smiling at the same time spoke volumes about his feelings towards the other Stoneborn, but he put out a bejeweled hand by way of truce anyway.
Metzger looked down at Sedovin’s hand as if it were laced with poison, but then finally submitted to placing his hand out and coming to some kind of truce. As their hands connected, Nick could hear Metzger’s disgust with the other Stoneborn Alpha, and he could hear that while Metzger was outwardly agreeing to a truce, he was inwardly looking forward to destroying every single wolf of Sedovin’s pack. Especially the ones that had jumped from his own pack to Sedovin’s, simply because they wished for a more luxurious and carefree lifestyle. That was not, according to Metzger, the way of a true Stoneborn.
It wasn’t believable in the slightest that they would be able to cooperate, from what Nick could hear through Zara’s power. In fact, Metzger had always been an ambitious wolf, and while he had taken all of the Stoneborn pups from Nick’s family in particular and given them homes and kept them safe…it had been for purposes like the one before them. It had been simply strategy. Waiting. Metzger had been waiting for Nick’s father’s plan to fall through because he lacked any faith whatsoever in Ironborn power, and now he was taking his chance.
Nick watched the handshake and Sedovin’s easy smile, but didn’t step away, though the look on his own face darkened. “I’m not concerned with real estate.” He said firmly, and though he was the smallest of the three of them, the platform they were standing on shook with his words as he spoke. “If we are going to remake this world, we are going to remake it as equals.”
Both the Alphas before them looked at Nick and they nodded, as well as the Earthborn Alpha nearby. Metzger dropped the handshake as quickly as he could and then responded in slight confusion to Nick’s somewhat violent reaction. “That is why we are here, isn’t it? To fight as equals?”
Zara’s power was amplified as the discussions continued, and Nick heard or to die as equals that followed quickly after Metzger’s statement. The Earthborn were sincere in their pledge, as was Sedovin’s pack. The more Metzger spoke, the more Nick realized that he wasn’t sincere about anything that would be helpful to Nick and their cause.
“That is why we are here.” Nick emphasized the ‘we’ as he spoke, glaring up at Metzger without looking away. “But as much as we have always respected your people over the years, Alpha Metzger, that is not why you came. I wish it was.”
At Nick’s words, Sedovin’s face darkened a little, and he took a step backward away from Metzger to stand next to his mate, as several of Nick’s guards moved up closer to him, feeling the building animosity in that single statement.
Metzger was only confused for a moment longer before anger filled him completely. “Are you suggesting that I am a liar, young pup?”
“I’m suggesting nothing. I’m pointing out that you came here because it was convenient for you to fight with us for the time being. But you have never been one for cooperation, Alpha Metzger.” Nick’s voice was still respectful, in contrast to the older wolf’s tone and stance in front of him. “If you were accepted among us, you would turn on us as soon as the Council’s own forces are destroyed. As you did on Sedovin’s own uncle when he angered you.” He was getting his information from Zara, but he could see the truth confirmed on Metzger’s face and Sedovin’s as he spoke. “As you have on everyone who you ever felt was a threat. I respect your strength, Alpha Metzger, but strength alone is not what we require. We require leaders who will do away with the tyranny of the Council. Not transmute it in a different form.”
Metzger didn’t know how Nickel knew about what he did to Sedovin’s uncle, but it only took a glance away from Nick’s face to see the violet eyes standing behind the throne. It took the
