The Pack Pub had been around for as long as Rinc's pack had been around. When the Heavy Moon Pack had been established almost a century before, the bar was just the founding Alpha's one-room cabin where the members could gather and drink ale.
Over the years the small cabin was added onto and remodeled many times as the pack grew larger. The bar wasn't fancy. It didn't have cute margaritas with pretty umbrellas or a stage for loud bands. The place wasn't meant to be a popular nightlife spot for humans to hang at. It was open to the public, but the pack wasn't trying to become rich off its profits or to be overcrowded by non-wolves.
Upon entering the bar, Rinc was met by his Beta at the front door.
"The girl?" Beta Daron asked.
"Fine." Rinc sighed as he motioned for the bartender to get him a beer. "Alpha Alder?"
"He's not happy he had to wait for you, but he's in the back room with a few of his men." Daron nodded his head towards a few of their ow men that were stationed strategically around the bar. "I've made sure we're prepared in case things go bad."
Rinc patted his Beta's shoulder in gratitude and then headed to face Alpha Alder, grabbing his beer from the bartender as he passed and downing it before he even reached the hallway that led to the backroom. Beta Daron was a loyal friend and a strong pack member, he had full confidence that his Beta would do anything to protect him and the pack if needed.
"Alpha Alder." Rinc greeted the male as he entered the room.
"Alpha Rinc." The male stood to his feet and looked him over. "It's great to see that the Blackstone bloodline is still running things in these parts after all these decades. Of course, you automatically gain your title by blood, it's not earned by combat, but tradition is still honorable."
The males from Alpha Alder's pack chuckled under their breath. The Terrain Pack did things differently than his Heavy Moon Pack. Terrain members nominated themselves as Alphas and fought for the title, each nominee battled to the death, until only one was left to claim the position. The event was like a bloody gladiator battle and often resulted in a dozen or more such casualties.
Rinc knew that Alpha Alder's statement was a condescending way of saying that Rinc was weaker than him, and not as strong of an Alpha because he didn't earn it the same way.
"My position hasn't come without challenges or bloodshed. I've had to battle, just as my ancestor Alpha's did before me, to keep the title." Rinc told him. "Don't make the mistake of thinking my bloodline's weak for inheriting the Alpha position generation after generation. Many males have fallen at the hands of us Blackstone Alpha's for that same mistake."
A few low growls came from the three Terrain Pack members in the room, but Rinc didn't budge as he glared into Alpha Alder's eyes. They kept eye contact, until a few seconds later when Alpha Alder began laughing to lighten to mood. The male was older, around fifty, but was in great shape with large shoulders and a muscular build like a wrestler. His black hadn't begun to gray, but his dark beard had a few streaks of silver running through it.
"You do have your father's confidence." Alpha Alder said. "Everyone, get out." The Alpha told his men. One by one, the Terrain males left the room.
"Why are you here?" Rinc asked him. "What do you want?"
Not all packs were rivals or on bad terms, some packs were like family to each other, and some Alpha's had great relationships. The Terrain Pack was not one of these friendlier packs. They were always looking for a fight and often at war with other packs for no reason except egos and arrogance.
"No small talk?" Alpha Alder grinned. "Fine, I'll get to it. We have a problem. The Western territory packs have been scheming to try to take over our side of the countries land. They want our territory, no matter how many wolves they have to kill to get it."
"That's absurd," Rinc said in disbelief. "There's agreements and laws in place. If they came for us, it'd change everything."
"They don't care."
"So, a few Western packs rebel and come for us, it'd be an easy defeat."
"It's not just a few packs." The Alpha told him.
"How many then?"
"All of them."
A growl came from Rinc as he heard the words. How could this be? That would mean dozens of packs.
"And you know this how?" He questioned Alpha Alder.
"I have spies." The male shrugged. "They plan on striking during the Moon Festival. They think that none of us will be expecting it, that they can catch us off guard and weak. Which would've been the case if I didn't have my own plan."
"What are you suggesting?" Rinc asked.
"All the Eastern packs unite secretly." He explained. "We will prepare for war together because we will lose it if we are divided."
"And I'm supposed to trust you?" Rinc didn't trust any of the Terrain, they were ruthless.
"I expected you to have doubts." Alpha Alder said. "That's why I am giving my oldest daughter to you for marriage, to unite the peace between our packs. I love my daughter. She's my world, so this decision is not one I made lightly."
"I can't marry your daughter." Rinc's words brought confusion to the male's face.
"You are refusing my offer?"
"I've found my bonded mate." Rinc knew that even a rough pack like the Terrain respected and cherished the bond and Alpha Alder wouldn't dare try to rob him of that. Alpha Alder sighed loudly but nodded in agreement.
"Then we will have the next male in line, your Beta. Does the male have a mate?" He asked.
"Beta Daron?" Rinc shrugged. "I respect my Beta's wishes and I can't force him into marriage, but I'll speak to him and see what he chooses."
"Speak to him fast. We only have two months to ready our packs for the biggest battle they've ever seen. If our packs can unite with this marriage, it would show the other Eastern packs that we can fight this fight. And it would assure that neither of us betrays the other."
Alpha Alder stood to his feet and left the room, leaving Rinc alone to absorb all the information he's just had unloaded on him. Only a few minutes had gone by when his Beta entered.
"What was that all about?" Daron asked him.
"Let's grab a few beers for this." Rinc grabbed his Beta's shoulder and led him out of the room and up to the bar. They ordered a pitcher and sat at a table far away from everyone else.
"Just tell me already." Daron waited anxiously.
"Well, the bad news is that the Western packs are coming to attack us all. The good news is you're getting married." Rinc slapped his Beta on the back playfully, but Daron looked anything but amused.
"What?" Beta Daron's face was pale as he tried to figure out what he'd just been told.
"Alder says that all of the Western packs are plotting to attack the East. They're coming for us at the Moon Festival. They want our territory and they're willing to break pack laws and shed blood to get it." Explained Rinc. "Alder has spies that gave him this info. The Western packs don't know that we know and they are expecting it to be an easy ambush."
"But Alpha Alder has a plan?"
"He wants all of the Eastern packs to unite and be ready for them."
"And you trust him?"
"That's where you come in." Rinc motioned for his beta to drink his beer. They both downed their mugs before Rinc continued. "He wants to prove his trust and to tie us together by a marriage to his daughter."
"You've got to be kidding me." Beta Daron poured another beer and downed half of it.
"At first he wanted me to marry her, but I'm already bonded." Rinc had only told his father and the Beta about the bond. "He proposed that my Beta take my place in the arrangement."
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him it was up to you, and I mean that," Rinc said. "It's not for me to say who you should marry. I'll support your decision either way."
The Beta chugged the rest of his beer and slammed it down onto the table. Everyone in the bar looked their way, fear, and anticipation in their eyes, afraid that the Beta was angry about something. Beta Daron stood up and howled loudly.
"I'm getting married!" The Beta yelled out.
Clueless to the situation, but glad there wouldn't be a fight, the members in the bar all raised their glasses and toasted to the Beta in celebration. None realized the battle ahead, and none knew what was yet to come.