Alpha Instincts

Chapter 43

I strode purposefully towards Monroe's office, where all of the council meetings took place. My emotions were back in check and I ignored the curious gazes that stuck to me as I walked through the halls.

But as I entered dad's office, I was surprised by the huge number of people in the meeting. Not only were there Council members, but there was also regular pack members. They were all facing the desk at the back of the room, where Wilhelm sat perched, however upon hearing the door open they spun around to face me. The sheer intensity of their gazes would've made the old me run away, but the new and improved me welcomed their attention. In fact, I loved it.

Quinn followed me into the room, staying by my side and increasing my confidence. I walked straight to Wilhelm, briefly peeking at the people around me and seizing up which of the pack members would support me. From the look of it, there were a lot of Wilhelm's friends, but there were also those who had loved me my whole life, and I knew that I could trust them to follow my proposal.

I faced Wilhelm and for one second I almost let my emotions slip. I wanted to yell at him to sit up, to get off Monroe's chair who was way more deserving of being Alpha than he ever could be. I slammed my hands down on the front of the desk, watching him sit up straighter.

"Sabine," he said, sounding surprised. "You've woken up."

"Damn straight I've woken up, and now that I'm alive and well I demand to know what's going on."

Any show of emotion on his face shut down, and he stood up from the chair. "We were just discussing the new Alpha arrangements."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And how's that coming along?"

"The Council have proposed that I become Alpha, ever since your..." he paused to search for a word, "...delinquent behavior."

I couldn't stop the harsh laugh to escape my lips. "Well, I'm sorry to throw a spanner in the works then, but I'm already the Alpha. There's nothing you can do about it."

Wilhelm made a choking sound, thinking that I was joking, but once he realized that I was being serious he remained silent. Murmurs rose in the crowd around us.

"Do you have any proof of this declaration? Any witnesses?" Wilhelm asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

My lips formed a thin line.

"I see," he said condescendingly. Then, seeming to gain coolness, he stood up taller to let his voice reverberate throughout the entire room. "Now, whatever gave you the foolishness to falsely declare yourself as the Alpha after you clearly abandoned the pack on the weekend of your Alpha ceremony?"  

My fists clenched. "I did what I had to do to save the prisoners."

"You went against the rules," he snared.

"I chose the morally right thing to do," I replied, trying not to shout. "And if it weren't for me you never would've found the Albany facility."

Wilhelm pursed his lips as he glared at me. He was losing his patience. "That may be true, but in order to be an Alpha loyalty is imperative," he sneered, taking a step towards me and showing the Council he had no problem being in my space.

I raised my head. "I have always been loyal to the pack. What I did was to protect them. Rogues had been hunting on our territory for too long, the safety of the pack had always been in danger. I put my life on the line to protect them."

Wilhelm's eye twitched. "Yes, the rogues were on our territory, but nothing they ever did harmed us. Unless, of course, you can prove otherwise?"

"I can," I said without missing a beat. Already expecting Wilhelm to have asked me this, Quentin stepped forwards as planned, the experiment files in his hand.