"We were able to place her beside her husband after a few months of politics. Still it is such a strange world that she became part of," my grandmother continues, recalling the moments in which my mother's ashes were returned to our family in an urn and she was laid to rest beside the grave of my father. "She was an extraordinary pianist, so much so she wanted to study music theory in university, though we wanted her to do something more versatile, like physics."
The more she talks about my mother, the more a pain goes off in my heart, a hole forming as I begin to realize just how much I wish I had met my own mother. "You have two cousins too. Your aunt was Lily's sister, she lives in Maryland with her husband. She needed to get away after...after everything that happened. Lily's death was the last straw. She packed her bags two weeks later and left for a university up there. Transferred during the summer and come fall, we never saw her unless it was her short stay Christmas." Grandmother's voice gets stuck in the back of her throat, breaking as I can tell she is becoming emotional as she recalls how much her family fell apart. "We never knew what became of you."
"My mom never told you she wanted Quinn and Terrance to care for me?" I ask, wondering why she would do that. To not tell the grandparents that their grandchild would be raised by someone else just seems so strange.
Shaking her head, grandmother pours another cup of coffee for herself as we sit at my kitchen table, looking out upon the snow which has fallen upon the earth. "We just assumed Lily wanted her daughter to no longer have ties to this pack. Oliver told me what happened and you were adopted by your adoptive parents. I lost it. I wanted to pursue legal battles for two years, but I eventually came to peace with the fact that this is what my daughter wished for. One of the last acts she did."
Taking a long sip of her coffee, my grandmother watches as a few pack warriors walk across my backyard. I can tell being here still makes her uneasy, as if reliving a dream or nightmare. I am not sure which one yet.
"But I will not praise my daughter for her decisions. Family belongs with family. For her to go off..." grandmother pauses for a second, trying to hold back her tears, "to go off in search of some vengeance she knew could never be achieved without losing herself in the process, I find that her greatest mistake. She left behind her own daughter, the one thing left in her life which was pure and good, and she threw it away because she missed her husband so much." Shaking her head, she sets down her mug, wiping away a stray tear. "She loved that man, Leala, a strange kind of love I could never really come to accept. But she damn well loved him and he loved her. I doubt many have that type of love in their life for a spouse."
Offering my grandmother a tissue, she accepts, wiping away her tears quickly as she looks up to me. "And here you are, my little grandchild, the last thing I have left of Lily." A smile spreads across her face as tears begin to run down her face and I feel a pinching at my heart. "I pray you do not make the same mistakes my daughter did."
I can tell there is a bitter taste which this pack and my father left in my grandmother's mouth, still uncleaned after all of these years as it has only grown more bitter. The way she looks around at the rooms here, they all pull back memories for her, reminding her of the daughter she lost and how she blames that on my father.
"But I best not bother you much longer. I know I have talked your ears off for the past few hours."
"No, it was nice. Nice to meet a family member. I did not think I had anyone left from my real family," I reply, rising to my feet as my grandmother did as well.
Following my grandmother, the two of us head for the front door just as it opens to reveal Cedric standing there. I can tell he needs me for pack business and that only makes me want to run away and lock myself away in a tower. Cedric offers me a lopsided smile, a dimple appearing on his cheek as he does so, passing me by as he informs me he will be in my office. Nodding, I inform him I will be there soon, focusing back on my grandmother as we head for her car.
As she gets behind the wheel and is about to be off, her window rolls down and I step forward to hear what she has to say. "Be careful of the men in this world, my dear, but most of all, be cautious of who you grow attached to."
With those words, my grandmother drives off, leaving me with her words hanging in the air as I look to the front door of her house. She was not a fan of my father, and two decades after his death, she still is not fond of him. It makes me wonder if she blames my mother's inevitable death upon him, warning me that attachments of the heart, both for romance and lust, are something to stray from in this world.
Heading back inside, I meet up with Cedric in my office, closing the door behind us as he takes a seat across from me. "This is really not anything which requires too much chatting, but there will be a Summit Meeting next Friday."
"Summit Meeting?" I question, confused as that term is not familiar to me.
Cedric nods, raising an eyebrow as he tries to figure out why I have never heard of this type of meeting. "It does not happen to often, only in times of, well, need. Every Alpha will meet at a location with no other pack members present to discuss pressing issues. No doubt this meeting was called because of all the rumors going around about who will be the next Alpha King - or try to claim that title - and the fact that you, Leala Maxwell, were just named the Alpha of Crimson Lock."
"So they want to discuss a potential war and meet me," I summarize, watching Cedric agree with my statement with a simple nod. "How worried should I be?"
"Well, if it is an ambush to kill you, then very worried."
"Is that a joke?"
"No," he replies, leaning back in his chair relaxed as I begin to stress out. "Though the chance of that happening is low. No one wants to kill the Alpha of Crimson Lock, that means a sure war will be on the way."
"Those elves who ambushed Crimson Lock a month ago, has any progress been made?" I change the subject for a brief second only for Cedric to shake his head. "Where will the Summit Meeting be held?"
Cedric hesitates at first to reply, catching himself before he replies, only to continue after a few seconds of thought. "The old palace."
"The one my mother burned down?"
"The one and only."
"Just great," I mutter, throwing up my hands as I look to my future Gamma. "I mean, what the fuck?! Why not have the daughter of Lily have her first Summit Meeting where her mother died. Like they could not have called a better meeting." I try and calm myself down. "Who called the meeting?" I ask, getting to my feet as I look outside to the white blanket upon the earth.
"Alpha River."
How would River react to the very Alpha he called a Summit Meeting over is the one he basically proposed to just the other week? Should I be worried he would not this news well when he finally sees who Leala Maxwell is? I am surprised Alpha Edward has not spilled and told everyone that Evelyn Matlock is the new Alpha of Crimson Lock, though he would face some scrutiny from those who despised my parents and found out he was housing the child of the Maxwell's for so many years. Perhaps he has more at play here than I thought he did. Luna Olivia is famous for just how much she loves to run her mouth, whether it be true or not.
"How do you prepare for a Summit Meeting exactly?"
<><>
The rest of the week goes by as if a montage in a movie. From helping my parents move into their new house on Crimson Lock territory to going back and forth between pack meetings, I find myself spread thin. As the weekend has passed and only a few days lie ahead of me before I travel to the ruins of the palace for the Summit Meeting, I spend my free time between the secondary living room which overlooks the backyard and the comfy bed of my room.
Taking in a deep breath, I readjust my potion, my muscles stretching as I complete my nightly yoga routine, my pajamas comfy against my body as the dim lighting of the room allows me to relax. Today I had only one short meeting with Elder Oliver, speaking briefly about a few pack issues, only for a quick solution to be made.
As my nightly routine comes to a close, I wiggle my toes into the shaggy rug and turn off the lights, heading quickly to the bathroom to take out my contacts. Just as I am about to hop into bed with a cozy pair of pajamas, a sharp knocking at my door startles me.
"Who is it?" I ask, taking out my retainer to get rid of the lisp it creates. Walking towards the door, I put my glasses on, throwing a robe over my body as I wonder what could be so wrong that I am bothered late at night.
Pulling open the door, I greet a familiar face. "Sorry to bother," Cedric apologizes, taking in my nightly appearance as I notice just how frantic he seems. "We seem to have a small situation-"
Yelling erupts outside.
"A medium problem outside which requires your assistance."
"Follow me in while I get ready to look presentable and fill me in," I state, allowing Cedric into my bedroom as I head for my contacts case and begin to put them back in, my eyes stinging as Cedric wanders where to begin.
Closing the door, I take off my pajamas and throw on a clean pair of black joggers and a sweatshirt, still waiting for my future Gamma to begin. "A fellow Alpha has come to this pack requesting.. well, demanding an audience with you."
"Do they not know how late it is?!" I remark, opening the door once more as I grab my shoes and Cedric and I head out of my room and down the stairs.
"She seems to not care."
"Who would have such poor manners?" I ask myself, wandering just what kind of Alpha would demand an audience with me at this hour, just as I was ready to wrap myself in a blanket and go to bed after a long week to prepare for a long week ahead.
A redhead stands outside, yelling at my pack warriors as she tells them to back off or her warriors will attack them. Her fiery red hair cascades down her back, her eyes spotting me almost instantly as she rushes over to me. Just as I am to take a step back, she grabs me, Cedric growling as he is to attack, only for her to inspect me, as if some zoo exhibit.
Everyone is tense, warriors from both packs on edge as they watch one Alpha examine another. She's older than me, perhaps in her fifties, yet she seems youthful for her age. I have heard of an Alpha with red hair, though her name escapes me.
"Alpha Penelope, please take a step back and we can continue this rude intrusion inside," Cedric reacts to her, not daring to lay a hand on her so her warriors do not attack anyone.
I pull myself from her hold, taking a step back as Cedric places me at an angle behind him. "How long has she been within Crimson Lock?" Alpha Penelope asks, looking around to the other pack members as she wants her answer fast. "How long has Nixon's child been here and not claimed her title? Do you not know what kind of troubles this will bring now?"
"Call Elder Oliver, Simon, and Tyler," I order Cedric, knowing I need my advisors here for this kind of meeting with this sporadic of an Alpha.
"I fought against your mother, you know," she speaks to me, those eyes burning into my own as she cocks her head to the side. "I watched as she ordered witches to lay waste to the battlefield, regardless of if they would hit my warriors or hers. The smell of burnt bodies, you ever smell that? No? It's terrible, making you want to vomit. Yet your mother watched and did nothing as she sn-"
"Enough!" I snap, having heard enough. "I do not want to hear anymore of what my mother did to you. I am the Alpha of this pack now."
Alpha Penelope snickers, shaking her head as she gently places her hand right where Cedric's arm is crossing my body to keep her from me, removing it as she removes the barrier between the two of us. "Please, you barely have a backbone yet, little Leala. We know who is really running the show here." Her words are demeaning, tearing me down as she points out just how weak I really am. "I have lived through two wars already and we stand once more between the wars, another on the way. Who will lead your pack through it all?"
Pulling back, Alpha Penelope distances herself from me as she looks to Cedric. "I hope you do not become attached to this one. Be a shame to see a woman with such great promise ahead of her fall so soon."
With that, she walks into the house, leaving me speechless as I stare at Cedric. "The Elders are on the way. They have dealt with her before." Nodding, the two of us look back into the house as Alpha Penelope makes herself at home on my living room couch, putting her feet on the coffee table as she calls for me to join her. "I wouldn't leave her waiting. From what I hear, she's easy to put on edge."
"You think."
I enter the house with much hesitation, walking quietly into the living room as the Alpha looks over to me, a smile spreading across her face as she greets me once more. "Come on in, Leala, and join me. Hopefully you will be a better host than that Steward who ran this pack for too long. Shame what happened to him, though I bet it was deserved. Many were not meant to be in power, especially for so long."
"What are you here for, Alpha Penelope? It is the middle of the night and we already have a Summit Meeting this weekend."
Crossing her legs, the Alpha shrugs her shoulders, examining her arms as her fingertips run along her pale skin. "I wanted to be the first to meet you and congratulate you." I walk carefully, almost on my toes, and take a seat across from the Alpha as she sets her chin on her hand and looks at me as she bats her eyes. "A splitting image of your father, I must say. I had the misfortune of meeting him a few times. Your mother was nicer, well, until she decided to go after the crown and break it."
"Please remind yourself that you are on my pack property and insulting my own parents," I warn, my posture straight as I find it hard to even fake relax.
A smile tugs at the Alpha's lips, the ends of her mouth curling up as she stares at me, looking from my head to my toes. "I fought beside Zion in that battle, someone I was never really a fan of, but I put our differences behind us because both he and I knew and believed in the bigger picture of everything." Alpha Penelope hops to her feet, walking over to me as she takes a seat next to me, only an inch between us. "I've always been told to 'beware the patient woman,' but your mother was not patient. I should have been scared of her too and what she was capable of."
Fingers wrap around the ends of my hair, weaving the strands between her fingertips as she looks outside to her men who stand beside mine, ready to attack one another at any sudden movement. "No one calls you honey when you are sitting on a throne. No one dares disrespect you when you are sitting on a throne. I am sure you have felt the mistreatment the men give you. I faced it for years before I decided to do something about. Sure, I have no crown or throne, but we Alphas demand respect too."
With the small stand of hair she holds between her fingers, Penelope begins to braid the ends of it as she gently pulls me closer to her, my head turning to hers as she looks into my eyes, her face stern and jaw clenched. "Be ready for the Alphas at the Summit to demand respect from you while giving you none, little Leala. You have to earn theirs three times as much as they have to ears yours and sadly, that is just how it works in our screwed up little world. I worked for the respect I built, making a name for myself as well as an image to match."
Two men step into the house, carrying bags with them as Penelope hops to her feet. "Finally, my bags are out of the car. Put them in one of the million guest rooms."
"I never offered you hospitality here," I speak up, watching as the Alpha informs her men to get a room with a connecting bathroom.
"No, you did not," Alpha Penelope replies, offering me a smile, "but you will thank me for staying once this Summit Meeting is over. I am a useful player to have in your chest when the time comes, especially when you decide to start a war just like your mother."
I open my mouth to quickly argue with the strange Alpha, only for her speak before I can form my words. "I have acted as a friend and voice of reason to past Alphas like yourself, Leala. Alphas who are young and have come into a power they do not yet realize the magnitude of yet. I was a helpful friend to Lady Sybil...Queen Sybil. She listed to me and did not make any foolish decisions like that of your mother."
"You aided Queen Sybil, the dead wife of the man my father despised. That means you would have also opposed my own mother. Why should I trust you?" I interrogate, wanting Penelope to state her case as I notice Elder Oliver walking to the front of the house.
"Do you believe there are two sides to every story? That your father may have had his own demons just like Zion?"
"I do not deny it. That history was filled with a mess I will never begin to understand," I acknowledge, Alpha Penelope nodding her head as we hear Oliver calling out my name, confused to see the strange Alpha standing beside me.
Trying to impose and separate the two of us, saying we should continue our meeting with a council present, Penelope takes no time to make a snide remark to Oliver and turn her attention back to me. "I was there the entire time, Leala, just another side character to them as I watched what impact their decisions had on the world. You are right that their story is far more complex than you can begin to comprehend in one night, but allow me to be a voice of reason for you, a trustful ally, and you will hear that complicated past which your parents were tangled up in."
"You make a nice offer," Oliver remarks, his voice stern as he looks over to me briefly. "But Leala does not need the Alpha who lost to Crimson Lock decades ago to serve as an ally. We should be cautious who our friends are."
"And we should, I do not disagree with you, Elder," Penelope agrees, looking back to me as she tries to ignore Oliver's presence. "There are reasons why I did not side with your mother, Leala, but I will offer you my trust and support because I see a piece of me in you that your mother or father never had."
My jaw becomes tense as I hold my head high, wondering what exactly my father, a great Alpha, could have lacked, as well as my mother. They seemed to be polar opposites yet they lacked something which draws Penelope's support towards me. "What is that?"
"You inspire."
<><>
The days begin to pass by fast, every day as if I am unable to catch a break between pack business and being told of what to expect from a Summit Meeting. Cedric has taken to it himself to help train me in case of an attack while at the meeting, teaching me the best ways to get out of specific holds, use common objects as practical weapons, and even clamp another wolf's neck between my wolf's canines if needed. The Elders are beside me almost constantly, telling me how to properly act during pack meetings, pack outings, and dealing with simple issues. Alpha Penelope spends much of her time away from me within her guest room in my house, in calls with her own pack as she always seems to be up late in the night. Yet when we find the time, she enjoys a cup of tea with me as she tells me stories of the past, of the great Alpha Kings who led their men to war to fight with honor unlike what the kingdom had become.
"Everyone does better when there is a sense of order," she comments, leaning back in her chair as we spent the night upstairs in an opening in the hallway on two chairs where we can gaze into the night sky. "When there was order, the kings had men patrolling the kingdom for rogues, advisors sent to packs to dispute petty arguments, and they were an icon which held together the kingdom - a way to unite everyone from every pack under one crest.
"Yet your mother and father were right to point out the flaw in the system. Kings were to help those who served under their rule, to have integrity, to inspire others, provide order, and leave a legacy," Penelope continues as she looks up to the night sky. "King Zion's grandfather was the last king to have one of those qualities."
"How would you have dealt with the lack of those qualities?"
"Not tear apart a kingdom for selfish reasons," Penelope comments, voice almost soft as she knows saying so will hurt me. "Your mother and father were right to point a finger at Zion and declare more from their king, but they made too dramatic of choices."
"And with a new king perhaps to be crowned in the next few years if there is to be a wa-"
"Alphas are vicious little creatures. They like to think they are all tough, but they are like a swarm of bees, especially when all together. If common ground cannot be found on who to crown, alliances will be made and we will all go to war again." I agree with her one hundred percent, for this is what I have been hearing for the past year, more so ever since Crimson Lock was attacked. "There's a second wind coming and we are all lying here idly. When it hits, those unprepared will be faced with the decisions of joining a new pack or becoming rogues in the human world."
Running a hand through my hair, I shake my head, wondering just what could be done to prepare my pack. "What can I really expect from this meeting the weekend?"
Taking in a deep breath, Penelope's eyes meet mine as she leans forward in her chair, folding her hands together. "Alpha River is one ambitious Alpha and a young one at that. Beware such a young heart which thirsts for a crown tainted centuries ago. My mother used to tell me that the crown of the kings hold a curse for that bloodline, that every king and queen shall either face an early death or live long enough to face a long and painful death."
"I have been to Eternal Shadows and seen their pack. It resembles that of a kingdom's capitol already, a palace, throne room...everything." My voice becomes a whisper at the end.
Those lavender eyes flash through my mind, followed by that captivating yet haunting pair of golden eyes. I have not spoken with River or seen him since I left him following his fast proposal, getting out of there quickly as I wonder what seeing him at the Summit Meeting will do.
"He comes from a powerful bloodline. He believes he is the most qualified Alpha for the crown."
"Who were his parents?" I ask, curious as I straighten my posture.
"They are both still alive. Traveling the world, running from the trouble they created for themselves. They reside within an elvish realm in Europe every few years for half the year."
The pattern of his parents makes no sense. Who would be running around the world like that? What powerful bloodline is left in this world to make such a difference?
"What are their names?"
"You'll have to ask him yourself," Penelope informs, rising to her feet as I know she is calling it a night. She knows she has told me enough information for the night. "Get some sleep, little Leala. We leave in two days for that meeting so get as much rest in as you can."
With that, Penelope disappears down the hallway and I stay a few more minutes to enjoy the silence of the night by myself. Looking to my watch, I soon enough decide to head to bed, picking up my phone as I head for the master bedroom. Walking down the hallway, I head past the opening of the railing which overlooks the foyer, spotting a familiar face below.
"Everything okay?" I ask, beginning to walk down the stairs as Cedric stands downstairs in a simple pair of joggers and thick athletic sweater. His hair is sweaty, letting me know he has been training this late at night. He is to take on the title of Gamma by the next full moon, I would expect nothing less of the man to be leading my warriors.
"Do you enjoy Crimson Lock? The people, the pack, the territory?" He asks, the two of us just feet apart as I raise an eyebrow.
"I do. My parents left me a great pack to maintain," I reply honestly, thinking of what I have seen for the past week.
"I was getting worried we were making you sick with duties."
"It is what I agreed to when I went through that ceremony," I comment, offering a soft smile as I try and forget the moments I had a blade pressed into my palm. "Thought it seems like a lot, it is my-"
I'm cut off by Cedric as he wraps his arm around my smaller frame, pulling me in close as my chest is pressed against his, my head tilted up as my eyes gaze into his.
His warm breath blows across my face, calming me yet exiting me at the same time as something in my stomach tells me I should not be in this position with my future Gamma. His fingers lightly squeeze my waist, his arm reaching further as our bodies mold closer together. My lips part slightly open, my heart skipping a beat as everything seems to run in such slow motion.
"I-I" Cedric tries to form words as he brings his lips closer to mine, eyes shimmering in the darkness as we are centimeters away from kissing, my own arms no longer frozen as one moves around to his back, my fingers grasping the fabric of his shirt as I want him to close the distance between the two of us.
Those golden eyes flash through my mind.
"Can I?" Cedric asks, worry in his voice as I know why, for I am his Alpha, someone he works for and does not want to create tension between. Elder Oliver would be outraged to even see us like this. Elder Oliver is not here.
"You can," I whisper, bringing my lips to his as I wrap my other arm around his neck, running my fingers through the ends of his hair as Cedric places his other hand on the other side of my waist, holding me steady as we begin moving towards the wall.
Those golden eyes flash through my mind once more, as if a warning signal.
I jump up slightly, wrapping my legs around Cedric's torso, ankles locking as I place both my hands on his neck, fingers running through his hair as Cedric holds me steady against the wall, his tongue slipping into my mouth as I pull him in closer towards me.
I feel warm fingers begin to grasp at the hem of my shirt, the words of my grandmother and Penelope going off in my head as I immediately break my lips away from his. "We shouldn't."
"I'm sorry," Cedric replies, his voice soft as he pulls away from me, setting me softly back to the ground as I readjust my shirt and run my hands over my hair.
"No, you're good." I bite my lips, looking up to the balcony to make sure no one saw us. "It's just that I don't want to begin our professional relationship like this."
"No, I understand, don't worry," Cedric states, looking to the front door. "I'll be off. Sorry...just once more."
The front door shuts softly behind him and I immediately lift up my shirt and place my head into the fabric, letting out a silent scream of frustration. I cannot allow myself to just become so vulnerable to my emotions now. Everything has changed since I became Alpha and I have to accept that. I cannot just go and sleep with my pack's future Gamma, at least not without working beside him and knowing we can work well together.
With my shirt down once more, I decide to head off to bed and just try to sleep this frustration off. As I head up the stairs, my grandmother's words repeat in my head one last time.
Be cautious of who you grow attached to.