Page 120 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

Loud cheers follow my question, and I gesture with my hands for them to settle down. Every pack member is in attendance today.

“Have I treated you better than my father and his predecessors? Given you more rights, stopped the stealing from your pockets, educated your children for free?”

Sounds of loud agreement.

“Then why is it, when I want something for myself, this pack thinks it has the right to interfere in my private life?”

I see Gregory Baxter flinch. His daughter is standing beside him, and her lips press into a thin line.

“We abandoned most of the old ways when I took over this pack,” I declare furiously. “If the members think they have the right to choose a mate for me, then should I return the favor? Should I force mates on you? I already said this when I took over: there will be no political marriages. Whichever woman I choose will have to cut ties with her family. That means her family will not get the status they’re seeking through me.”

I see the outrage on quite a few faces. Sander Tillon, an older male and the head of his family, says furiously, “You cannot ask our daughters to break ties with us! That is unheard of! Traditions are meant to be followed!”

“Traditions no longer have a place in this pack,” I snarl. “It is these so-called traditions that ruined the pack in the first place.”

“You can’t—”

“I am the Alpha, Sander,” I say harshly. “I certainly can. And another thing. Let me dispel the rumors here and now. Yes, I am involved with a woman. The next time someone goes over and introduces themselves as my fiancée, throws coffee on her, and upsets her, I will remove your family from existence.”

Gregory turns pale. “You wouldn’t. Not over a huma—”

“My mate,” I correct him coldly. “That woman has been marked by my wolf. She is mine now.”

I ignore the shocked murmurs, my voice loud and cruel. “Don’t forget that if you dare harm my mate, you will not only make an enemy of me but of our two allied packs. They have offered protection over this woman.”

“We will not tolerate a human as our Alpha Female!” Doreen suddenly bursts out, her voice high-pitched. “We will not accept a weak—”

“Who said she was human?” I raise my brow.

“I saw her—” She shuts up almost instantly.

“So, I was right.” I approach Doreen, my voice soft. “You’re the one who attacked my mate. Did you really think there would be no consequences?”

Gregory immediately steps in front of his daughter, protectively. “Doreen did nothing wrong. The girl provoked her.”

“Charlotte couldn’t provoke a fly,” I sneer. “And I have witnesses.”

“You would believe those filthy humans over me?” Doreen demands hysterically.

“How about an Alpha Female?” A voice comes from behind me as Aisha walks forward. “I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me, Doreen, back at the cafe. Or did you think I would also disapprove of Robert’s choice and defend you?”

“She’s not one of us!” Doreen doesn’t seem to have an ounce of remorse. “We should have a say in the woman who becomes our Alpha Female. Everybody thinks so! I was raised to be the Alpha Female! I have the training! I have connections! My family has supported you—”

“Any female who goes up to someone she assumes to be a human and throws scalding liquid on her face to cause harm and implicate the pack does not deserve to lead this pack,” I say coldly. “And what connections do you have that you think I need? Everything I’ve done for this pack has been through my own strength. And as for this support you talk about, your family benefited from my ascension to the Alpha position, Doreen.” I can see the red creep into her face as I add, “I never promised you or your family anything. I never promised to choose any female from this pack. If you lived under this delusion, that’s on you.”

I swivel my head back and forth to address the rest of the crowd.

“Let me make this clear to all of you. If you don’t want my mate, and yes, she is my mate—both the Moore Pack and the Wolfguard Pack confirmed this yesterday—If you don’t want my mate to become Alpha Female, that’s fine. I would not want to put that burden on her anyway. However, I will not take any woman from this pack to be Alpha Female by marriage, either. And whoever tries to intervene in my private business again, I have already told you what to expect.”

Gregory is bristling with anger, as are a few other pack elders. I just single-handedly crushed their years of planning.

“We don’t want an Alpha who is so selfish—” Gregory begins, and I shrug.

“You want me to step down?”

His eyes widen, and I see the flash of interest in his eyes.

Fool, I sneer internally.

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