James didn't get to speak much to anyone else, as he had to make sure he showed everyone attention.They ate in the Banquet Hall, the place they used to entertain guests. It was large enough to hold the entire pack, and everyone was present, other than Kenneth and the guards on patrol.James had told her he wanted to speak to Kenneth more about everything that had been going on in the pack since he'd left. Ordinarily, he would have asked Bass, his Beta, but James felt after their first interaction, and based on a few things that Kenneth had dropped hints about, it would be better to speak to Kenneth first, rather than Bass.James told her he was grateful that she'd postponed Kenneth into the meal with the guards, so Bass wouldn't be around.Halfway through the dinner though, James had called one of the wolves that helped prepare the meal, and very loudly thanked him for the work they'd done. Quietly, James had asked him to provide a list of the food stores of the pack.Elizabeth h

James had a plan. A very solid and very crazy plan.But Elizabeth was his mate. If there was ever a time or place where his plan could work, it was here, with her. His plan meant never going back to his pack, of course, but that was a simple fix to the problem.James had left Bass in charge of the Pack, under Kenneth's watch. James had felt sure that Bass wouldn't do anything like he had done before. Bass himself had seen the repercussions of his actions, and would do everything to prevent that same situation from happening again.After Bass' short control of the pack, James had spent two weeks undoing the damage that had been caused by his misguided actions.The pack had to go on food rations and restrictions, in order to refill their winter stores. It hadn't been easy, as hunger ricocheted through the pack, and the wolves had weakened. They had also been miserable and had almost unanimously agreed that the situation was entirely Bass' fault.James had also sent away provisions

"But why?" Elizabeth cried. "Why is he so invested in your choice of Luna?"James considered for a moment, before speaking."The Luna has more influence in a pack than any Alpha would care to admit," James began. "The Alpha is obeyed, always, but very often he is also feared. But the Luna is obeyed, always, and she is loved. And when obedience comes from love, rather than fear, the obedience is ingrained and the loyalty unshakeable.""And if Bass had the ear of the Luna," Elizabeth reasoned."He would have the sway over the pack," James shook his head. "It's just so unlike him, though. Bass is violent, he fights head on, and he fights recklessly. It isn't like him to be so underhanded and deviant.""Poor Katrina," Elizabeth began. "She was going to be used like a puppet. I'm glad she managed to escape.""Yeah," James nodded. "It wouldn't have been easy for her to be in that situation. Bass would have manipulated her to gain control over the pack.""Do you think his goal was to b

Bass immediately realized his mistake. But it was far too late to make any attempts at correcting it now.Not only had Bass robbed them of a mated Luna, but he'd also then put every barrier to her possibly being found, and in the same attempt, stopped their pack from having a Healer.All of these actions were not only betrayal against James, but the entire pack as a whole."What did you do, Bass?" James asked, spreading his arms wide before him, giving Bass a chance to explain."You were never supposed to be Alpha," Bass hissed. "It was never supposed to be you. I was going to be Alpha!" Bass screamed, and every wolf took a few steps back.This wasn't an outright challenge for Alpha just yet, but it was getting there pretty fast.Elizabeth stayed firm in her place just behind James; she would move when it was an open declaration and not before.Kenneth stood firm next to her."So tell me," James spoke softly, encouraging. "Tell me what was supposed to happen."And Elizabeth un

"Hello, Katrina," Elizabeth greeted, walking into the wolf's tent unannounced. She hadn't knocked or showed deference.Elizabeth was done playing games.It wasn't the Luna's tent, it wasn't even the tent of an honored guest. It was just a spare room they'd set up quickly for her to stay in.The ground looked muddy and wet."Luna," Katrina made the slight bow that was offered to the Luna's, and Elizabeth remembered her doing one for Katrina, something that felt almost a lifetime ago now.It also felt like a betrayal, to herself, to James, to their mate bond."You are a Luna too," Elizabeth began. "If I'm not mistaken, Luna Vanessa is your mother, and she was wise, she passed her gift to you, am I correct?"The Luna's gift passing to daughters was a strange way of inheritance. A Luna was only truly a Luna when she was mated to an Alpha, the same way an Alpha was only truly an Alpha when he had the loyalty of a pack that agreed to follow him.But some Lunas could pass their gift t