Taking Down the Alpha

38 New Determination

The celebration went on for hours, and eventually my friends and allies joined my mate and I at the table. They hadn't been included in the original seating because I hadn't announced their new positions yet, but it was still fitting that they had joined us.

Both Denise and Andrew seemed more content than I was used to, while Liana was more demure and withdrawn than recently, a lot like she was before she got her wolf. In spite of that, she offered me a shaky smile when I met her eyes as they approached.

"Congratulations!" Denise crooned, handing both Liana and me a drink.

I wrinkled my nose at the faintly acrid smell of wolfsbane emanating from the glass in my hand.

"Don't look like that. Drown the past in new memories. Alard'll make sure no one will take advantage of you. Or, if you're lucky, he will take advantage of you." She winked at my mate before downing her own drink. Andrew just wrapped his arms around her waist, and she craned her head back to kiss him quickly on the lips.

"So you must be happy, Alpha. I thought it was going to be you, but I've heard otherwise." She smiled. Again I marvelled how I couldn't remember ever seeing her so happy. This was what Denise was like without the beta scowling and undermining her.

I smiled, happy for her, as much as for myself. "I'm still wrapping my head around it. It's not at all what I was planning."

"No, but isn't it sometimes better when things go off plan?" She raised her eyebrows as if she were expecting me to agree with her.

I frowned, but I didn't really mean it. "No."

Liana laughed from my other side. "She thinks she should have been able to anticipate all of this in her plan from the beginning."

I scowled, but I didn't really mean it. "It all seems so obvious in retrospect. I missed so many factors!"

Like the good friends they were, they just laughed at my suffering. Even Andrew did, too. I'd show them.

"Laugh it up, Beta Denise and Beta Andrew."

Denise's jaw dropped open without forming a response, and Andrew looked like I had hit him with a truck. Liana giggled at their expressions.

"You too, future Gamma Liana."

"What?" Liana squeaked.

"You get some time to get used to the idea, Liana, since the current gammas aren't set to retire for two years. Might not hurt to shadow them in the meantime. Yes, I believe that will work nicely." I turned my gaze onto the others. "But as for you two, the position for beta just opened up, so you can both show up for work on Monday morning at eight o'clock sharp."

"Me?" Denise asked like she didn't believe she'd heard right. 

"Eight? You mean in the morning?" Andrew furrowed his brow and looked even less happy about his promotion than Denise.

"Yes, you. You were always meant to be beta female, Denise, so I'm sure you can handle it." I turned my attention to Andrew. "And yes, eight in the morning. Don't be late. Besides being my beta's mate, you're strong enough to handle it. You're smart enough, too. And you'll tell me if you think I'm wrong. I don't need beta yes men, I need betas who think for themselves. I plan to do this right."

He thought about it for another long moment and then shrugged. "Okay. If you're sure."

They'd be fine. "Yes. Just don't let your office get too messy."

He cringed a bit, but he couldn't argue. I'd already seen that the male was a whirlwind of disorder, and he knew it. I had enough problems to sweep out before the pack was running at peak efficiency thanks to my predecessor without Andrew adding to it.