30. Grace

-Ready for it… T. Swift-

Two weeks later.

We moved the meeting with the alphas back another week after I gave birth. I was hostile and not in any condition to meet with a bunch of hotheaded ego driven males.

“Everyone is in the pack house, Grace,” Conrad offers as he pokes his head into the dressing room.

“Did Barrett pass out the drinks and snacks?” Arching a brow, I look at Conrad.

“They were puzzled by the impromptu snack time.” He laughs a little.

“Guys get hangry and it’s impossible to reason with you when you get like that.” I mention as I pick up Deacon in his matching little blue suit. My blue babydoll dress has a ribbon holding the material over my breasts together. It’s one of my favorites. It makes feeding Deacon so much easier.

Conrad places his hand on my lower back as we leave the dressing room to head to the meeting hall. I can already hear the alphas bitching back and forth at each other. “Enough!” I yell the moment I step foot in the room and glare at all of them.

Two of the elders, Jakob, and Christos, are present for the meeting to help with crowd control. “Put the egos aside, we have bigger fish to fry.” I assume my seat between Griffin and Nicolai and accept the notes from Conrad and look them over.

“Ambrose, can you bring me up to speed?” I slightly lower my head to him and he stands up.

“The Spinelli and Cruz packs have been targeted heavily by the Rogues.” As Ambrose speaks, Griffin shows me on the map exactly where the two packs are located. One is to the north of us and the other is just on the other side of Wolverton.

“Your suggestion Ambrose?” I tilt my head so he knows I want his honest opinion.

“Merging the smaller packs into the bigger ones.” He nods, lowering his head to me before sitting.

I look at the map again and the Spinelli pack is in the corner of mine and Ambrose’s packs. “Julius.”

“Yes, Luna.” He stands and lowers his head slightly to me.

“For the safety of your people. Would you consider merging with Ambrose’s pack? You would still assist with the governing of your pack. But you would be under the protection of Ambrose’s pack.” I choose to ask instead of just make it happen. Dealing with Wolverton, I’m concerned he would cause an uprising if I absorbed another pack.

“Yes Luna, I believe that Ambrose and I can work something out. Thank you for giving me a choice.” He lowers his head, then moves to sit next to Ambrose to hash things out.

“Ricardo?” I look at the alpha of the smallest pack registered.

He stands slowly and lowers his head. “Yes, Luna?”

“Your pack is between the Volkov and Wolverton Packs. It would be wise for the safety of your people to merge with Wolverton for the protection of your people.” I smile looking at him. To be honest, I don’t want them merging with Wolverton.

He hesitantly looks over at Dustin, then back over at me. “We do not have a good history Luna.” He turns to look at the elders present, then back to me. “If it is acceptable, I would prefer to merge with the Volkov pack instead.”

“This is unacceptable. They should merge with me!” Dustin slams his hands down on the table and stands up, making Ricardo back up.

“I believe this is exactly why they don’t want to merge with you, Dustin.” I tilt my head, looking at him. A deep growl escapes Ethan’s lips as I watch the fur race up his arms. Reaching across Griffin, I touch Ethan and he instantly settles.

“You can’t allow this to happen.” He looks at the elders.

“The Moon Wolf rules over all. She is offering shelter and sanctuary to the smaller packs. This is not a drive for power. She offered your pack and the Cruz pack declined.” Jakob says before he walks around the table. “I’ve seen power hungry Luna’s before.” He points to his milky eye. “Grace is not power hungry. She is a mother first and a Luna second. With three pups of her own, she sees the smaller packs as her pups. She wishes to protect them.” Jakob lowers his head to me, understanding my motivation perfectly.

“Ricardo, if you wish to join Nicolai’s pack, then so be it. But be it of your own free will.” I say as I adjust Deacon on my chest. His tiny hand patting my neck as he sleeps.

“I do.” Ricardo says, and he looks at Nicolai before walking over to him. He drops to one knee before him and bears his throat. “Alpha Volkov, I submit myself and my pack to your protection and mercy. I can’t protect my people alone.” He closes his eyes and I feel the transfer of power. Ricardo gave up being alpha to protect his pack.

“I accept you and your pack as my own.” Nicolai reaches out and touches Ricardo’s neck, cementing the transfer of power.

Ricardo stands and bows. “I’m going to go tell my pack about the transfer. Let me know when you are ready to meet with everyone.” He bows again, then leaves. I stare after him for a few moments, amazed that he swallowed his pride and gave up his position.

“On to other matters. The Rogues seem to attacking the outer edges of all the packs. With the division of the neutral lands, the attacks in the center of the packs have lessened.” I read off the report that Conrad had prepared for me.

“What about the uneven pack sizes?” Dustin brings up.

I laugh and pass my son off to his father and stand up. This prompts Nic and Ethan to flank me. “For someone quick to point fingers at me about being power hungry.” I grin, letting my canines descend. “You are quick to grab at a bigger slice of the pie, so to speak.” Narrowing my eyes, I stare at him for several heartbeats.

Dustin squirms in his chair. “We’ve been watching you, pup,” Christos says and tilts his head to look down his nose at Dustin.

“Why?” He turns quickly to face the elder.

“Complaints have been filed from within your pack. So many that while you”re here, the other elders are meeting with your pack members.” Christos looks over at Jakob and he nods.

“If we find what we think we will, you will be stripped of the title of Alpha. Until a new alpha is found, Grace and her alphas will oversee the running of the pack.” Jakob says with a sick satisfaction. I had a sinking feeling that was where he was going with it.

Dustin’s eyes dart back and forth within the pack house and I feel my wolf rise as I call my betas to me. My alphas bristle at my summons and Griffin passes our son back to me, just in case. Jakob’s phone rings and I brace for the announcement. “Dustin Wolverton, you have been found guilty of aiding the rogues.”

Soon as the words leave Jakob’s lips, Dustin tries to make a break for it. Unfortunately for him, my betas were ready for it. They get a hold of him and drive him to his knees before Jakob. “You will be tried and sentenced before the tribunal.”

Christos looks over his shoulder at me. “Benjamin and the others have already let the pack know you will visit them to help re-establish the hierarchy.”

I lower my head slightly to Christos. “It will be done. Thank you for all of your help.”

“We will be staging a full investigation into the pack, starting immediately. Anyone that is working with the rogues will be removed.” Jakob says as he turns, dragging Dustin out with him.

“Let’s end the meeting here. I’ll be in touch.” I raise my hand and watch the other alphas leave. Ambrose lingers, and I wave him over.

“I can’t believe he would do that.” Ambrose says, as he reaches out to touch Deacon.

“Honestly, I’m not shocked.” Ethan chimes in as the doors open and both toddlers come in with my grandmother.

“No?” I bend down and kiss both girls and let them see their brother.

“He was happy his pack was bigger than ours and Nic’s. The minute the packs merged, look what happened.” He tilts his head to the side. “The rogue attacks increased. I suspect he knows your ex better than he lets on.”

I stare at Ethan and it all makes sense. He was shocked to see me with the Murphy boys. “I think it goes further than that. I felt like he was shocked to see me with you. Maybe I’m reading into it too far.” I shake my head as I pass Deacon off to Barrett and watch Ambrose pick up Ashina. Nina is pulling on her father’s pants to the point she almost pulls them down.

“It’s possible they will get it out of him during interrogation,” Griffin says as he looks at the last of the alphas leave.

“I’m proud of the way you offered the smaller packs the choice of where to join. That was more meaningful than you will ever know.” Ambrose says, as he plays with Ashina.

“They already have the disadvantage of having lower numbers. From what Conrad has been teaching me, that means fewer seats at the grand council table when the yearly meetings are called.” Ambrose nods along, listening to what I’m saying.

“You’re a quick study. Being the Moon Wolf, you will be required to be at the meeting this year. Might I suggest taking Griffin, Ethan, and Nicolai with you? Conrad can hang back to help keep stability here.” Ambrose offers as he passes Conrad Ashina.

Shaking my head, I look at my children with my men. “No, that leaves my children without enough protection.” I look between my alpha mates, and Ethan gives me a subtle nod. “Ethan will watch over the children with Conrad and Barrett.”

I turn to look back at Ambrose, and he smiles. “Good choice. For now, I’m going to head back to my pack and go visit with Julius and introduce myself to his pack. He hasn’t submitted his power yet. He’s probably planning to do it in front of his pack.” Ambrose kisses Ashina’s cheek and ruffles Deacon’s hair before kissing Nina on the forehead. “I’ll be in touch.” He bows slightly, then walks out of the pack house.

“He’d make a good father.” I muse thinking about how wonderful he is with my children.

“He had a mate once.” Ethan’s tone sounds hollow. “Hunters hit her with a tranquilizer dart as her wolf.” He shakes his head, trying to push the memory aside. “She was loaded into a cage and they drove off with her. He ran for miles as his wolf following his mate’s scent until they got to the highway.” Ethan looks at me, his eyes look haunted. “He lost her scent when they merged into traffic.”

I reach up and touch my bite mark and look at him. “Can’t he sense her? I mean, like you do me?” My emotions are getting the better of me, and I rush into Ethan’s arms.

“No, they were on their mating run when she was taken. They didn’t get to seal the deal, so to speak.” He rests his cheek against the top of my head. “We searched for her for months. Every job I went on, I searched the area I was in on the off chance I ran into her. I went so far as to search the zoos.” Ethan’s grip on me tightened. I understand his fear of losing me now. His best friend’s mate slipped out from between his fingers.

“Can I petition the grand council for help?” I look over at Griffin and his eyes light up.

“Yes…” A smile slowly creeps across his lips as he glances over at Nicolai. “As the Moon Wolf, you overrule the council.”

“We’re gonna help Ambrose or heads are gonna roll.” I growl as I say those words. That sweet man has done so much for my family. He deserves his own fairytale happy ending. I’ll be damned if I don’t help make it happen.