And just like that, you have an Alpha.
Sergi stands in the middle of the room. He seems suddenly very unsure what he should do. It doesn't matter. The pack knows. You watch as they line up.
Addie is first. "Alpha," she says as she stands. "Be strong."
"I will," Sergi mutters.
Next is Elma. "Alpha. Protect the children."
"I will," he says.
Grace is third in line. "Alpha. Don't let us go hungry."
Sergi nods. "Yes."
It's a tradition you didn't have in your old pack, but you get the idea. You join the line.
Most of the requests are simple. Terry asks for a new bike and waits for the low ripple of laughter to fade before instead asking Sergi to make sure the pack stays safe.
Marco asks for all strays to be considered.
Ed wants Sergi to not hurt anyone unless they deserve it.
Vicky wants him to howl with her the night after next.
And then it's your turn.
Sergi — the Alpha — gives you a strange look and nods once.
"If I do, bite my head off, 'kay?"
You don't have time to respond.
Izzie rushes forward. "Alpha! I want a new dress."
"I'm not Santa," the Alpha says.
Izzie makes a face. "You saying you can't do it?"
He sighs. "Yeah. Okay. A dress. I'll see what I can do."
"Yes!"
After everyone has 'placed their order' as Marco calls it, Nikolas brings out a sheepskin you've never seen before. The woollen side is shaggy and grey. The skin side is tanned and stained yellow with age. On it is written a string of names.
The Alpha hesitates. "I... I can't."
"It's okay. It doesn't have to be pretty."
Reluctantly, the Alpha picks up one of the pens abandoned after the vote and steps forward to write his name. He's writing with is left hand, his weak hand, and it takes a while, but when he's finished you can read his name.
Sergi Stolyarchuk.
His name is directly below another. Aleksander Stolyarchuk.
Above that name is another, and another, and another.
All the Alphas of the pack. You take a moment to count them. Twelve. There have been twelve Alphas in total. The first was Svitlana, who wrote in a spiky, unpractised hand and didn't include a surname.
Next
"Alpha," Addie says. "We need to know what we're doing about Blackwell." Her voice has a strange cadence to it, like she's reciting a line from a script instead of genuinely asking a question.
You know why. It's because everyone already knows the answer.
"We kill him," the Alpha says.
"Okay. Great. And how are going to do that?" Addie pushes. "We have no idea where he's hiding."
"We don't need to know," the Alpha says softly. "We know what he wants."
"The kids," Addie says softly.
The Alpha nods. "Minjo was right. He wants the kids... and if he thinks he can get his filthy fucking hands on them again, he'll crawl out of whatever hole he's in. I know he will."
"You want to use the cubs as bait," Elma accuses.
"Yeah, I do. It's the only leverage we have."
"No," Elma shakes her head. "No. We can't put them in danger."
"They're part of this pack. This war is theirs as much as it's ours."
"They're children."
"And they'll be in danger until Blackwell is killed."
Addie puts a hand on Elma's shoulder. "No one is suggesting we let Blackwell hurt the kids, Elma. They don't have to be vulnerable, as long as Blackwell thinks they are."
"Okay," Ed chirps in. "That's great. But, hey, how exactly are we going to do this? Because if we put Izzie in a cardboard box with 'free werewolf' written on it then I think Blackwell's going to be a bit suspicious."
"I have an idea," the Alpha says.
Next