40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

" I don't understand why the Circle is coming. We haven't dealt with them since the last king was murder—"

Alpha Chase cut himself off and glanced at him.

"Sorry. Since King Jackson ascended to the throne," he continued.

That wasn't a mistake. Chase was his biggest ally, but he never failed to mention the circumstances surrounding his father's death every time they met. Most people outside his pack didn't know what Alpha King Richard had been like in the end because they had kept him hidden.

"They're not here to see you, so don't worry about it," he answered with a tight smile.

Chase had never openly challenged him. Like most Alphas, his ego was the size of a small country, but he was strong enough and intelligent enough to back it up. He would be a dangerous enemy for Dylan if he didn't deal with him the right way.

"But we're neighbours and allies. I have to worry about the things you and your pack do," Chase said, adding—as if it was an afterthought—"Your Majesty."

His fists balled up again under the table. Chase had also become the Alpha of his pack at a young age. The Alpha of the Dark Moon pack was twenty-six, two years older, but not once had Chase spoken to him with such impertinence as he was showing now. His whole attitude since they had sat down was like a challenge to his position, and Cain was convinced they were on the right track. This man had suddenly grown bigger balls because he knew what was happening with the witch. He had to.

"We have bigger issues to discuss right now," he growled before he looked at the two other Alphas seated around the table. "The rogues are becoming a problem. We had several sightings in the woods before the last meeting I had to cancel, but they breached my territory the last couple of days. Have any of you had any problems?"

"No, Your Majesty," Alpha Braxton answered. "Besides an odd one or two a couple of months ago, we haven't seen any."

Alpha Brax was the oldest among them. His pack was small, and they preferred to live quietly. He'd never shown any ambition to take over anyone else's territory and expand, nor had he ever extended a friendly hand to those who tried to befriend his pack.

"Neither have we," Alpha Kendrick said.

And that Alpha had always been ambitious. If Chase somehow wasn't involved, he would put his money on Kendrick being in bed with the witches.

"We had some the other day," Chase said. "But you already knew that since you tracked them to my territory."

Though Dylan was standing behind him like all the Betas were standing behind their Alphas, he could feel his gaze boring into the back of his head. He hadn't told Dylan that.

"And you didn't think to lead with this information?" he growled.

"I'm telling you now, Your Majesty," Chase said. "They just ran through my land; I didn't think anything of it."

"You didn't think there was something wrong with rogues just running through your territory without raiding you?" he asked through his teeth.

And that made all the Alphas pause.

"What's going on, Your Majesty?" Brax asked. "Should we be worried?"

"I'm trying to figure it out. Have your scouts keep a lookout and report any rogues to me," he told them. "Don't try to capture them; killing them before they open their mouths is better."

"Is this why the Circle is coming? There's something wrong with the rogues?" Chase asked.

The door opened before he could answer, and one of his warriors entered.

‘The Circle has arrived early,' he said through the mind link.

The function room had been specifically built for private meetings. It was soundproofed and spelled so the people inside couldn't mind-link anyone. It came in handy for interrogations but was a nuisance most of the time.

"The Circle," he warned the other Alphas.

This time he felt their unease, even Chase's. Nobody liked dealing with those fuckers.

"I'll call you if there are further developments. You can go and help yourselves to the food downstairs or go home, whatever you choose."

He allowed them to leave before the Circle saw them, though it was likely they already knew the Alphas were here. Brax was the first to stand up—he was never one to get involved in things that were none of his business.

"Leaving so soon?"

The moment he heard that voice, a chill filled the room, and the scent of death almost choked him. He watched the Alphas lower their heads and Brax back away from the door. There was more than unease in the air now—the Alphas' fear was mixed in with it.

‘That is how they should treat you,' Cain growled. ‘That is how they should cower at your feet. Instead, you let them poke fun at you and forget who you are.'

He pushed the wolf back and turned to look at the new arrivals. They were Alphas like the others, but they had strengthened themselves with magic over the decades. Dark magic. They'd sold their souls several times over ‘for the good of wolfkind' just to be the most powerful among their kind. Alpha Hugo, Alpha Lincoln and Alpha Finn. Older than dirt but hadn't aged past thirty, like the rest of the Circle members.

But still, they were nothing like him.

"We aren't interrupting anything important, are we?" Hugo asked as he casually strolled into the room with his hands in his pockets.

As always, he was dressed in an expensive suit with his long, blond hair tied back.

"Of course not. We're finished; they were just leaving," he answered.

He might not have trusted any of the other Alphas, but he was still their king, and it was his duty to shield them from these psychopaths.

"What a shame. I was hoping they could help us shed some light on what's happening in your pack, King Jackson," Finn grinned.

He was the youngest member to join the Circle and possibly had less blood on his soft hands. But he had blood, nonetheless. His easy-going nature didn't fool anyone. The Alpha grinned as he pulled up a chair and joined them. The other Alphas still had their heads down, and that didn't sit right with him. The Circle had not earned this respect.

"I said they're leaving. They have things to do," he answered.

"Better things than finding out why you have a human in your pack?" Lincoln asked.

That had his Alphas lifting their heads to look at him. If they hadn't already been plotting against him, he was sure they would do so now. One more complication added to all the shit he had to clean up before his baby was born.

He looked Alpha Lincoln in the eye without fear, and the man looked away, unable to withstand his will. This was the reason they wanted him to have children. No matter what they did or how much magic they had access to, he was still stronger than them. He was the true king, the Alpha of all Alphas. No magic could fake that.

They had failed to bend him, so he was sure they would try to turn his child. But his blood would always recognise their nature and go against them, as it had done every generation.

"I said they were just leaving," he repeated.

"Of course," Lincoln said with a tight smile. "Maybe we will catch up with them soon."

The dismissed Alphas didn't waste time getting to their feet. Chase looked back at him before he left the room. He was sure the Alpha would have withstood any discomfort at being in the same room as the Circle just to hear what they had to say.

And someone else would be eager to hear what would be said. He had no idea what they knew about Layla, if anything. He didn't want Dylan to find out what she was.

"Dylan, I'll find you after this meeting," he said.

"Alpha—"

"Dylan."

When his Beta and the other warriors left, he turned his attention back to the Circle. The people responsible for making all the laws he had to follow.

"We've heard something very concerning, Your Majesty," Hugo said as he came to sit at the table, too. "You've let a human onto your land, against all our laws."

"She hasn't seen anything," he growled.

Finn leaned his elbows on the table, the smile gone from his face as he said, "Nevertheless, we do have to kill her."