Whilst I'd had every intention of telling Holly about Julian myself, life never goes to plan.
Shortly after Kyle left, we were interrupted by Violet. Her usually icy demeanour somewhat less frosty today. "Ah. Good. You're together. That saves me a job."
She ran her eyes over me carefully. "Charlie... It is good to see you back with us. It was a very silly thing you did that night, girl." She pursed her lips reproachfully. "Silly. But brave..."
Her eyes twinkled with something close to admiration, and she nodded at me briskly. Flicking her gaze back to Holly, she huffed. "Come, girls. The Alpha has called a meeting."
I paled. Shit.
I was running out of time.
We raced to keep up with the brisk paced Scout leader as she crossed the clearing. We were so close to the Pack House that I didn't have much of a window of opportunity.
"Er... Holly. I need to tell you something." I hissed, trying to keep my voice low as we scuttled around other Pack members.
She shot me an inquisitive look but was interrupted again by Violet. "Hurry now, girls. I don't have all day!"
We entered the hall and I tried again. "Holly, look... this is going to sound weird, but I'll explain later... The Alpha..."
Again, Violet glared. "Girls!" She pointed into one of the rows of seats, and Holly began to shuffle down the row.
As I went to follow, Violet held up her hand to stop me. "You know where you need to be, girl, so go."
She nodded at the podium, where Julian stood with Hazel and Jack.
James and the mentors were off to one side, eyes on me.
I paled, shaking my head. "No, that's ok. I'll sit down here with Holly."
Violet 'tsked' and gave me a light shove towards the podium.
I glanced back to see Holly's confused gaze following me as I crept to stand beside Jack.
Seemingly connecting the dots as her eyes landed on Jack, the confusion dissipated, and I cringed, trying to catch her eye to shake my head. Desperate to be the one to tell her.
Jack wrapped an arm easily around my waist and I about jumped out of my skin. He grinned at me sexily and I felt my face turn crimson.
How did I end up being sideshow Charlie?
My wolf shuddered at the thought.
I made eye contact with Kyle, who had just slipped into the seat beside Holly's. I tipped my head at him, trying to convey that I wanted Holly's attention.
Like a dumbass, he smiled pleasantly and waved.
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. He was supposed to be the smart one.
Jack's warm breath tickled my ear as he leant to whisper. "Hush, little miss. I'm here with you. It will be fine."
I glared at him. "Maybe for you. No one is going to be phased that you have found your way between another pair of legs."
His eyes glittered deviously. "And what lovely legs those are too."
"That's not funny." I huffed quietly. Stomach churning. "I wanted to be the one to tell Holly."
He chuckled, low in his throat. Fully aware that his hot breath against my neck was starting to make me squirm.
I awkwardly avoided the stares of my Pack mates, knowing they could see Jack's possessive hold on me.
My heart stuttered in my chest as the doors to the hall swooped closed and the room fell silent.
The lies of the past were about to be ripped bare. My life, my history and my future were suddenly open to public display.
Drawing himself to his full, impressive hight, Julian's gaze slowly scanned the faces before him. "My Pack. You have been my pride, my pleasure and my life for twelve years."
His voice boomed through the silent hall, the Alpha power in his words making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
"I have seen you grow. Seen you adapt, change, and make me proud. You are loyal and I am a lucky wolf to have been able to command your respect." Julian continued. His hands gripping the wood of the podium so tightly that it began to crack.
"But respect is earned and easily lost. And it is passed time that the secrets we have kept are let loose. Giving our Pack the trust it needs to be strong against our enemy."
A low hum of approval rippled through the crowd.
"The first, but lesser of the hidden truths, stands to my right." Julian's eye's landed on Jack and he gave us a nod.
Stepping forward, pulling me firmly into his side, Jack raised his head. "At fourteen, I was in no place to take on a mate, and yet that is when I met mine."
His eyes found mine and I blushed, hearing the crowd gasp.
"The age gap alone, would put off any wolf. My mate was still a pup. Neither of us wanting what the Moon-Goddess had decided for us." He raised his chin, defiance in his eyes. "My past will not be my future. My mind and heart are now at peace. As future Beta, I proudly introduce you to the only woman of my heart and mind, My Charlie."
I had never felt as loved, embarrassed, or gawked at.
I shyly stared at my toes as the clapping began. A few members let lose a little giddy howl, making me giggle.
But as Julian said. This was the lesser of the news.
As the room quietened once more, my heartbeat kicked up another notch.
Julian stood with his head bowed, stuck in silence until Hazel put a gentle hand on his back.
With a deep rumble, he raised his head. Silver eyes bright as he fought through his bitter embarrassment.
This is how a man is made.
"The next thing I speak of, will not be so happily received." His grave voice stilled even the most fidgety wolf. "I have to take ownership of my shame. Seventeen years too late."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Our laws and taboos have created an unhealthy environment of hidden sin. And I am not without sin."
His eyes flicked to me for the briefest moment. "I was already in love with another wolf, when I found my mate." He paused as a hushed whisper ran through the room. "I love my Luna, with all of my heart and soul. But my first love was hard to shake, and I let our Luna, myself, and all of you down."
The room was eerily silent.
I again tried to capture Holly's eye, but no one was looking anywhere but the transfixing torment on the Alpha's face.
"My past love was with a student. We both had mates, which made the transgression that much worse." He glanced down at Hazel, her demeanour proud and strong, despite her discomfort.
"The wolf in question, was taken from us. But not before she bore me a pup." He let the room reel on that bit of information, while he considered his next words. "My daughter has lived, unaware of my paternity, within our Pack for all these years. It has taken a tragedy to uncover the truth, and for that I am truly sorry."
A few growls could be heard, and I cast an eye through the angry movement of the crowd.
I hadn't expected this much animosity. My wolf paced in my head, her unease building.
Apparently, Julian had. He raised his chin, voice booming a little louder to be heard over the unrest. "It is for this reason, that I regretfully must step aside, as I am not worthy of leading you. I pass my position to your beloved Beta, James. For he is free of my dishonour."
The crowd erupted, half seemingly wishing him to stay, the other half angrily condemning him.
The growls and snarls began to get louder as the arguments began.
James, pale and visibly shaken, tried to calm them to no avail.
A fight broke out near the back, and Julian snarled. He looked on with torment clear in his eyes.
Jack jumped into the crowd to restrain a wolf on the edge of shifting, eyes flashing angrily at his neighbour.
Another man grabbed Jack from behind, causing him to fall into the boiling fury of the crowd.
I growled, watching my mate be pushed further away from me.
'You have to do something.' My wolf seethed, her tail whipping angrily in my mind.
Needing no further encouragement, I took in the scene before quickly joining James at the podium.
I glanced at him momentarily, before reaching inside me for the commanding voice I'd used in the clearing, to halt Drake's fight.
"STOP!" I yelled. But barely got a response.
I elbowed a pale looking Julian. "We need to end this. Help me."
Together, we stood side by side, eyes locked on the mess before us. Tilting out heads back we howled in unison. Our Alpha voices thickening the air and freezing every wolf in the room.
I bared my teeth, snarling as I traced every inch of the room for Jack. Finally spotting his dark head near the back.
He had one wolf in a headlock under his right arm and another by the hair, brought to his knees. Jack's eyes shone with pride as he looked upon me, spurring me on even more.
"Enough." I growled, feeling my Alpha blood boil and roll within me, capturing the attention of every wolf in the room with ease. "We are at war... And I don't mean with each other. If my mother hadn't shackled him, our Alpha would have claimed me twelve years ago upon her death."
I tasted the truth in the words as I spoke them. He had always looked out for me, as much as his secret had allowed.
I watched the news sink into my Pack mates. It was an important detail that Julian had left out.
Muttering spread through the crowd and people started to fall back into their seats. I moved away from the podium, catching the look of fierce pride in Julian's eye as I did.
James stepped up to the mark. His eyes tracking every wolf back to their seat. "I am not without misdeed, nor, I assume, are any of you." He barked, a frown twisting his dark brows.
Jack hopped up beside me, taking my hand and giving it a loving squeeze.
"You know what Charlie said is the truth. We are at war. And as such, we need our leader." He glanced at Julian, standing quietly behind him. "You saw now how chaos erupted, without the strong guiding force of our Alpha. He has weathered many a hard year with us. Keeping us safe and tranquil since his father passed down the title. We are lucky to have him and would be incredibly stupid to let his past mistakes end our Pack."
He cast his eye briefly at the Luna, a warm smile tugging at his lips. "If our gracious Luna can stand tall by his side, then so should we! A Pack looks after its own, even in the worst times. We need to see honour in the Alpha coming to us with this hard truth."
A howl of approval began in the back and picked up tempo, until the building shook with the song of my kin. I tossed a bright smile to our Alpha, before adding my voice to the mix.
Our Pack was united again.
A hard truth spoken honourably can be the best binding.