Page 3 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

Lucien

"How many casualties do we have?" I ask Liam as we step out of Aurora's house."No deaths have been recorded, but we have a few wounded soldiers and destroyed facilities."My fingers curl into a fist, and I have the sudden urge to hit something. Fucking Silver Pack. They've been acting funny for a while, wanting to gain control over the headquarters and access to pack politics, maintaining the balance between human and wolf shifters.The territory has been under the control of Blackwood for decades. Every once in a while, Silver Pack decides to make a fuss out of nothing, but this was the first time they were making physical contact and causing real damage. This spelled war in every shifter tongue.War before I am named Alpha. Could life get any more entertaining?

"And my father, is he aware of this?""Yes, he has called for a meeting to discuss the best way to tackle the situation," Liam answers, unlocking his car and slipping into the driver's seat.

I get into the passenger side, letting out a long string of curses. Getting grilled for not anticipating an attack or warding it off is the last thing I need from my father, and with him getting a hang of the situation before me, that is exactly what I was headed for.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, man," Liam says as he pulls out of Aurora's driveway. "You couldn't have seen this coming or countered it. Personally, I was in a bar when I got the call."I let out a snort. "I'm happy to hear of your liberties and freedom to do as you please."Liam has always had an easy life. Despite his father being my father's second in command and being raised to fit into the role of my second in command, he was never pressured by the burden.He was allowed to live life on his terms and do as he wished, provided he did not bring disgrace to his family.

I, on the other hand, was to live my life according to the will of the pack. I am expected to think about how my decisions will impact the pack and to think of the future of the pack before making the slightest decision.As my father would always say, "Contrary to popular belief, being alpha is not just about power. As the alpha, you exist in service to the pack, and you are a representation of your community. Every part of you must reflect that. You are for the pack before you are for yourself."

The words repeat in my head like a broken record day and night, reminding me that I cannot afford to make mistakes or indulge in some of the pleasures my mates do. A simple mistake from me can endanger the lives of my community, and right now, I am about to get an earful of how I should be everywhere at every time. Sometimes, I find myself wishing I had a different life.

"That's beside the point, Luc. This was out of your control, and despite your training and activities in the pack, your father is still alpha, and he will always get intel before anyone else. This one isn't on you."

Liam's words are supposed to relieve me of the pressing guilt on my shoulders, but I only end up falling deeper. When we arrive at the pack house, I am halfway out of the car before Liam parks, racing up the stairs to get a word in and maybe explain the reason behind my incompetence—as he likes to call my slip-ups—before the meeting commences.

I walk into an ongoing meeting with Liam's father and some other important pack members. My father's eyes twitch with disappointment, but he says nothing as I take a seat. Liam enters shortly.

"It's nice of you to finally join us. I believe you've been briefed on the situation at hand? My father says, his eyes moving between Liam and me.

"Yes, Alpha," We both answer. I was instructed at a very young age to learn to maintain professionalism and to never refer to him as Father in public settings.

"What do you suggest as the next line of action, then?"

The question is directed at me, and all eyes rest on me, heavy with expectations. I cleared my throat, ready to give an alpha-worthy answer. "I think we should seek help from the king before resorting to physical combat. I prefer to exhaust every diplomatic approach before putting the lives of the pack members in danger of a full-blown war."

"And if your plea for a diplomatic approach is met with resistance and Kaden keeps encroaching on our boundaries, will you put the lives of the pack members in danger of a full-blown war?" My father fires the next question, a look of challenge glowing in his eyes.My first question was satisfactory, and everyone agreed with it, but he wouldn't be Alpha William if he did not grill me to the point of death in front of everyone. More so, the question was a tricky one, and his choice of words made it even more difficult to answer.

After some thought, I came up with an answer. "Sometimes war is necessary to maintain peace, and choosing not to go head-first into war is not a sign of weakness but a sign of regard for the lives that have been entrusted to you. Blackwood is not weak by any standard, and if Alpha Kaden refuses to act right, we'll have to show him why we've been the leading pack for centuries. But I'd try a diplomatic approach first."

My reply is met with nods and grunts of approval, and a visit to the palace is scheduled for the next day.The meeting is dismissed, leaving me and my father in his office."Where were you at the time of the attack?" he asks, lighting a cigar. At fifty-eight, you'd expect the old man to quit most bad habits and embrace a healthy way of living, but he was as stubborn as a donkey, and I had already given up convincing him to do away with smoking.

"Training with Liam." I was expecting this, but I found myself searching for words.

"Hmm." he places his lighter on the table, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "What did I tell you about being a step ahead at all times?" His words are followed by coughing fits lasting longer than usual. My eyes fill with concern, but I quickly tuck the look away. With my father, sympathy is often perceived as an insult.

I wait for his fits to subside before responding.

"I'm sorry about that. It won't happen again." More than incompetence, my father has a burning hatred for excuses, and I have learned never to give one, no matter how justified they may be. To him, they cannot change the outcome of the situation and are useless.

"Say that to the victims of an attack that would've been avoided if you did your job. One more sign of recklessness, and I'll have no other choice but to send you back to the training camp. You're dismissed."

His words hit me like a punch in the gut, but I show no sign of hurt. God forbid I show that I possess emotions. "Thank you, Father," I say instead and head for the door.

"Luc," he calls on my way out. "You'll be accompanying me to the palace in place of my beta. Do not embarrass me.""Yes, Father," I reply, stepping out of the room and drawing in a lungful of air."How did it go?" Liam's voice comes from out of nowhere, almost startling me.

"He wants me to accompany him to the palace."

"Just the both of you?"

"Yup." I add an extra pop to the 'p', pushing myself off the wall and heading to the dining room with Liam falling into step with me.

"Tough business. What are you going to do?"

"Drown myself in every article I can find about pack conflicts and negotiation strategies before dawn." I pluck an apple from the table, biting into the fleshy red fruit.

The visit to the palace will be my first official one-on-one outing with my father, and my nerves are currently firing at an alarming rate. His threat to send me back to training echoed in the back of my head, but I didn't let it show.Tomorrow, I'll show him how good an alpha I can be.

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