The Broken Crown

Secrets of the Day

In the midst of the celebration, I meet my gaze with Cedric, those green eyes gazing back at me, as if longing to make some sort of connection. Pack members rush over to him, congratulating him on becoming gamma, offering him much to say as he maintains eye contact with me before becoming lost in the crowd. Walking back to where I had placed a shall before all of this began, I wrap the wool around my torso and shoulders tightly, not caring about the material becoming bloodied as I look out to my pack celebrating their new leaders.

"They needed this distraction from the tensions which have only been rising," Oliver comments as he stands next to me, observing the pack members.

"I am afraid we will be next on Ryker's list to attack. Penelope has been flooded with small attacks and we have seen nothing."

"The most we can do is prepare for whatever is to come," Oliver reassures as I can sense just how stressed he is as well. "But there are also internal struggles here too."

"Because of William and Erik no doubt. They are not happy they have been removed from power just when they decided they needed to lock their talons into me and not let go. They need to be made an example of."

"At this moment?" Oliver questions. "People may become worried if you make an example of two of the most significant pack members from Crimson Lock at this hour of high tension."

I know Oliver is right, for if people see me deciding to excommunicate two of the oldest pack members who have led this pack through so much when our pack is approaching war, it could cause considerable amounts of unease. "Then when? When the war is over? These men talked of treason, Oliver, and who knows what they could do in the meantime if I do something they are not fond of. They still hold influence in this pack."

"What are you wishing to do with them?" Oliver asks, crossing his arms as he looks over to me.

"I could remove them from Crimson Lock, though they could then decide to do a trial by combat against me or go to Alpha Ryker and offer him help."

A brief moment of silence goes on between the two of us before Oliver places a hand on my shoulder in a way I would have expected my father to. "If I may say this, Leala, you are thinking like an Alpha. You are taking things into consideration as someone responsible and in leadership should. As much as I do not want to say this, your mother did not think through things as much as you have...it makes me happy."

My heart swells with his words of pride, making me feel proud of myself and what I have been doing. I have been questioning myself along the way this entire time, worried I have not been doing my job, that I have not been taking proper responsibility, but Oliver's words make me feel proud of what I have done now. "You are a true Maxwell."

Oliver walks off back into the crowd of pack members and as I watch him disappear, I spot a familiar set of faces watching me with the same amount of pride Oliver had just expressed to me.

"You know you will have to visit again," Terrance exclaims, placing an arm around my shoulder as he pulls me in for a welcoming hug. Quinn stands beside her husband, offering me a warm smile as she looks to the party behind her. "We settled unboxing everything and even have a guest room should you need to stay overnight."

"I appreciate it. Though you know I just visited the other day, right?"

My parents continue to chat with me, talking with me about what has been going on with me since they say me two days ago. I used to tell them almost everything happening within my life, yet since I became alpha, I have had to hold so much back from them. I cannot tell them about the men having plotted treason and that I now am considering what to do with them. I cannot inform them that I believe I spotted Sybil Black after chatting with River. I cannot tell them River is the son of Sybil and Zion and that those two still live on. There is so much I have to restrain myself to blurting out now and it has changed the dynamic of our family.