Forsaken by the Moon Goddess novel Chapter 71

Felix

I sit in my chair at the desk in my office, staring at Kaelin standing in front of me. The guy is such a fucking asshole.

He’s arrogant and insufferable. He’d be a horrible Alpha, not that I think he could ever do what it takes to win a pack. He’s weak and lazy. Because I can, I’m making him grovel. I can tell it’s irritating him, like he thinks taht he’s above it all, but I’m the one with the pack and the power, not him.

I lean back in my chair, twirling a pen in my fingers like l do when I’m thinking things through.

Let me get this straight. You want me to give you a group of warriors so you can go claim your pack from your father, Is that correct?”

“Yes. Once I have my pack, we can sign an alliance agreement, and our packs will be stronger together,” he says as if an alliance agreement with him holds any appeal to me. It doesn’t.

I raise an eyebrow and look at my Beta, Milo, making sure l Look arrogant and that my tone is dripping with condescension. “Didn’t Milo tell me that you asked your mommy to ask him for my warriors?”

He looks at Milo. Milo, following my lead, smiles an arrogant, smug smile.”Well, I know that they’re close, so | thought …” Kaelin begins, but Milo cuts him off by snorting.

“Your mother sucks my dick, and I fuck her pussy when I need a release. I wouldn’t call us close,” he says.

I watch as he presses his lips together until they turn white. “Im here now, asking to use your warriors to reclaim my pack.”

“Yes, you are,” I say, assessing him.

I hadn’t thought too much of Alpha Waylon’s pack before now. It’s well known that he’s in an alliance with Roman Hartwell. I’d be a fool to go after him. Roman’s protection’ is the only thing that has kept Waylon in his position this long. No one is stupid enough to put themselves on Hartwell’s shit list. He was powerful before he mated with Samara. But now that he’s mated to a white wolf, he’s practically untouchable.

I sit forward, putting the pen on the desk. “What do I get out of it?”

He frowns. “An alliance agreement, like I said.”

Ridiculous. I’d never enter an alliance agreement with this asshole. He’d be lucky to last a month as an Alpha. If by some chance he did, he’d bankrupt his pack in less than a year.

“You want me to risk my warriors so you can reclaim the pack from your father, and all 1 get is an alliance agreement? I’m taking all the risk and getting none of the reward. Why would I do that? Only a fool would do that, and I’m not a fool. Your father must be what, sixty by now? Why not just challenge him for the position of Alpha and be done with it? Are you worried you can’t defeat him?” I ask, intentionally taunting him, but my question is valid. Kaelin isn’t exactly in great shape.

“Or you could ask your mommy to do it. She’s good with – her hands and she’s got a lot of stamina for an old broad,” Milo adds and it takes everything in me not to smirk.

“I’m sure I could defeat him,” he growls. “But I don’t trust that he would fight fair. He knows I could defeat him easily, so I would expect that he would cheat somehow. If ! attack, then there’s no challenge, only a fight that I will win.”

He seems to think that his father is like him. From what I know of Alpha Waylon, he’s a much more honorable man than his son is. It seems that the biggest mistake he made was taking Lydia as a mate instead of his fated mate.

Honestly, now that I’ve met my mate, I don’t know how anyone could resist the mate bond. Although, apparently, he didn’t since he had a son with Judith outside of the mate bond.

“I’ll have to think about it,” I tell him.

“How long?” he says, making me wonder what the rush is.

“When I decide, I’ll let you know,” I say.He nods and walks out. I wait until he’s gone before grabbing the pen and sitting back again.

“What are you thinking?” Milo asks me.

“Two things. What’s his hurry? Why the rush?”

“I can send someone, or I can go and see if there’s something going on over in Alpha Waylon’s pack,” Milo says.

I nod. “You go. You’ll notice if something is out of the ordinary more than a warrior would.”

“What was the second thing?” he asks.

I look at my Beta. He’s a good Beta, loyal and strong. He’d be a better Alpha than Kaelin and I’d be willing to sign an alliance agreement with him.

“Would you want that pack?” I ask him.

“Me? But I’m a Beta.”

Thankfully, this time, the whispers aren’t just about her, and the pack members aren’t being cruel.

As we walk out, Luna Judith walks up on the stage with Alpha Waylon. Alpha Roman, Luna Samara, Alpha Austin, and Luna Elizabeth join us. They aren’t quite as dressed up as we are, but they aren’t casual like the pack is either.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for gathering on such short notice. I have a very important announcement to make,” Alpha Waylon begins. The pack quiets and most of them turn to look at us, before turning back to look at their Alpha.

“As many of you know, Judith and I had a son outside of the mate bond. There are many things that I’m not proud of in my life but rejecting Judith is my biggest regret Judith should have been my mate and Derrick should have been raised to become the Alpha of this pack.”

He stops and his shoulders slump, like the weight of the world suddenly became too much for him to bear. Luna Judith steps closer to him, and he wraps his arm around her, obviously taking strength from their mate bond.

“I’m sure everyone knows the story of my son’s death at the hands of his fated mate, Althea Brenner. Derrick’s death wasn’t Althea’s and Sawyer’s only betrayal, it was one of many, but it was the one that cut deepest for me.”

He presses a kiss to the side of Judith’s head, and I reach out to take Sloane’s hand. I don’t know if she needs thesupport, but hearing about her mother’s betrayal here, in front of her future pack, must be difficult. When she intwines her fingers with mine, squeezing my hand gently, I know Lmade the right choice.

“It took me nine years to learn the truth of what happened to Derrick. Nine years of me wondering where my son was and why he never returned home. The stery of Alpha Roman and Luna Samara’s revenge for the deaths of the Brenner family are well known. What you don’t know and what I have kept secret for nine years is that my son, Derrick, created a child before he was murdered.”

The entire pack gasps and the soft whispers become a louder hum.

“Before she killed him, Althea and Derrick were together and out of that time together, a child was conceived, my grandchild.”

Almost as one, everyone turns to look at us, their eyes zeroing in on Sloane. Her hand grips mine more tightly and I take a step closer to her, feeling protective, but also wanting her to feel safe.

“Sloane Hartwell may be the niece of Roman and Samara Hartwell, but she is also my granddaughter. Sloane,” he says, extending his hand.

She releases mine and as the pack parts to let her through, she squares her shoulders, lifts her chin, and glides with effortless grace to the stage.”When Sloane finally agreed to the DNA test and it was proven that she is Derrick’s daughter, not Sawyers, I told her ! wanted to make her my heir.”

The pack begins murmuring loudly again. Waylon holds up his hand to quiet them.

“You all know that my son Kaelin is a thief and a liar. He could never have led this pack properly. However, Steane has proven herself time and again. She’s been spending time here over the last few months, getting to know you, strengthening our pack by training you in ways that no longer can. Sloane is my true heir and my choice to take my place as Alpha. Today is finally the day when I will hand over the reins of this pack to my successor, to my heir, to my granddaughter Sloane.”