Dimitri clenched his fists tight, his face turning gloomy. A wave of fury crashed through him. His wolf roared inside his head.
He had noticed Zane's distraction ever since Ruby had arrived at the pack. Except for lunchtime, he had not seen him all day. It was as if Zane couldn't stay away from Ruby for a second. Moreover, his lustful look was apparent to him.
Dimitri intended to hand over the alpha position to Zane when he turned 21. But it would not be possible if Zane kept ignoring his duties to spend time with Ruby. Connor would challenge the alpha position, and some pack members would support him.
Dimitri wouldn't want two brothers fighting for power. It would only make the pack weaker. Then the enemies would take advantage of it to destroy the Pack.
This notion added to his fury. He wanted to pull Ruby out of the room and send her back to the Blue Moon Pack. His wolf roared, impatient to take control.
Dimitri squeezed his eyes to keep his wolf under control. "Out…" he grumbled. He felt like he would explode in anger.
The guard dashed out and closed the door behind him.
Silence swept across the room.
No one dared to say a word, not even move a bit.
Dimitri cast a fleeting glance at them and said, "Sit down."
Lucas took a seat next to Connor.
"Connor has intel," Dimitri continued after a while. "Alpha Damian is assisting the rogue leader in planning an attack on us. Caleb suggests beefing up border patrols, but Connor believes we should go after the rogue gang first. What are your thoughts on this?"
Lucas did not respond right away. He took his time contemplating what he had learned. "We undeniably need to increase the patrol, but this is not sufficient to protect the pack," he said. "Attacking them is even riskier. We have no idea what is there or how many soldiers they have. Attacking them means shoving our soldiers into a deep, dark abyss."
"Are you saying we should back down out of fear of being killed?" Connor snapped, scowling.
"Let me finish, shall I?" Lucas raised his eyebrows.
Connor clenched his jaw. He felt humiliated. Each moment was difficult for him to keep his rage in check. Even Lucas didn't hesitate to counter him.
"So…" Lucas looked back at Dimitri. "We should ambush them."
Dimitri smiled, pleased with his suggestion. "That's fantastic. We can eliminate all rogues who attempt to cross the border. Even if some manage to cross the border, the guards will kill them. We can weaken the rogue gang in this way. Then we will attack and destroy the gang. Great, Lucas."
"Thank you." Lucas bowed.
Caleb smiled, his chest swelled with pride.
Even Connor was satisfied with it. In the meantime, an idea crossed his mind. He wanted to seize the opportunity to lead this attack. If the troops could successfully destroy the rogue gang under his command, he would undoubtedly gain popularity in the Pack. It would help him gain more followers to challenge for the alpha position.
"Undoubtedly, it is a great idea." He smiled and tapped him on the shoulder.
Lucas frowned, perplexed. He wondered why Connor was praising him.
"We should immediately plan on it," Connor continued, turning to Dimitri. "They can launch an attack on us at any time."
"Hmm…" Dimitri nodded to Lucas. "You should go find Zane and inform him…"
"Uncle…" Connor called him with frustration, successfully grabbing his attention. "Let me do it. Don't you believe in my capability? I can also lead the troops."
Dimitri stared at him speechlessly, mouth agape. He couldn't muster the courage to refuse him after noticing his seriousness. He nodded curtly. "Alright. You are in charge of it. Take Lucas with you."
"Thank you." Connor breathed out a sigh of relief in secret. He grabbed an opportunity to secure the Pack while Zane was busy romancing Ruby.
The meeting was over. Dimitri and Caleb resumed their conversation while Connor went to work with Lucas on the ambush plan.
A couple of hours later…
Lucas went to Zane's room and knocked on the door. "Zane… open the door," he snapped.
The other side of the door was deafeningly quiet.
Knock-Knock…
"Zane…" Lucas yelled, his face darkening.
"Why are you yelling?" Ruby opened the door with a grimace on her face.
When Lucas saw her in a revealing gown that barely covered her breasts, his mouth dropped open. Her cleavage was on display.
It made him feel uneasy. His ears began to burn. He regretted coming here and knocking on the door.
"I need to talk to Zane," he murmured, averting his gaze. "Where is he?"
"He is sleeping," Ruby replied, leaning against the door frame and toying with her gold chain.
"Sleeping? Now?" Lucas frowned at her with disbelief.
"Hmm…" She cocked her head. "He is tired. You know what I mean." She smiled provocatively.
Lucas felt a flicker of irritation, his fists clenched. "Wake him up," he snarled, gnashing his teeth. "I need to talk to him about something important."
"Watch your tone," she grumbled, standing straight. Her face contorted. "Don't forget who you are talking to."
"I'm not in the mood to argue with you." Even though his hands were itching to rip her throat, Lucas maintained his calmness. "Please call him. It is urgent."
"He is resting," Ruby said sternly. "If you have anything to say, say it tomorrow. Now get out of here." She slammed the door in his face.
Lucas reached out to push the door, but his hand paused a few inches away. His hand gradually curled into a fist, and his face scrunched up. He snorted angrily and stormed away.
Connor went to an old house of red sandstone next to the packhouse. A white picket fence bordered the property, with creepers wrapping around it. The white light of the porch illuminated the area brightly.
He pushed open the wooden gate and walked in. He raised his hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
Knock-Knock…
A moment later, a middle-aged woman in a golden gown opened the door. Her grey eyes crinkled as she grinned.
"Connor…" She spread her arms wide. "You remember me now. It has been a week since you last visited here."
Connor bent down a little to hug her, a smile slipping on his lips. "You know how busy I am."
"Humph…" She released him, sulking. "Don't give me a lame excuse."
"Hahaha…" Connor burst out laughing. "Don't worry, Helena. We will soon live together in the same house."
"Naughty boy." Helena grabbed his ear. "You call your mother by her first name."
"Ouch, Mum… It hurts." He winced.
Helena released his ear and motioned for him to enter. "Come in." She walked into the house.
Connor rubbed his ear and entered, smiling.
"What do you mean by we are soon going to live in the same house?" Helena asked, turning to him. "Are you planning to stay here?"
"Not at all." He sat on a worn-out sofa, resting his elbows on his thighs. His face turned gloomy as he added, "You are moving to the packhouse soon."
Helena's eyes narrowed as she tried to process his words. She sat down next to him and murmured, "I don't want to stay there, Connor. It reminds me of your father."
"And you won't remember him if you stay here." He scowled at her. "Is this what you mean?"
"No… I…"
"Mum…" Connor cut her short. "My father was a strong man. He possessed all those qualities to be the alpha. But Dimitri became the alpha because he was the first born." He clenched and unclenched his jaw. "If that is the case, I should be the next alpha. I am a year older than Zane. I will seize the alpha position and take over the packhouse."
"But you are not Dimitri's son," Helena said. Her voice cracked as she fought the urge to cry.
"I am pure alpha blood, unlike Zane, whose mother was a lowly omega."
"Connor…"
"This is injustice," he snapped, interrupting her once again. "I am not going to let this happen. The alpha position is my birth right, and I will take it." He clenched his fists.
"Listen, son…" Helena took his hands in hers, her gaze gentle. "No matter how much you dislike Zane, he is your brother. Don't hurt him."
"You are making me weak." Connor pulled his hand back, turning aside. "This is a battle for power. Someone has to die. He won't hesitate to kill me if I challenge him." He gave her a stern glare. "Can you watch your son die?"
"Don't say anything like that." Helena's heart dropped to her stomach.
"I can't promise not to hurt him," he murmured, averting his gaze. "However, I will remember what you said." He stood up and walked out.