Not just the Beta (Oriana and Slade) novel Chapter 94

Slade

All his plans were going smoothly, no one inside Highland Hills was any the wiser, it had been six weeks, and he was now standing in a hotel suite with Palmer and Yuri, all dressed in their pack suits. Black suit jackets with a mating two-tone green filigree vest and tie, with a fanned out handkerchief in the jacket pocket, with matching round cufflinks over a crisp white dress shirt, that had the sleeves pulled below the cuff of the jacket to complete the look.

That two-toned green was to represent the hills that Highland Hills Pack sat between, one was forested and dark green and the other was grassland and light green and the one behind the pack was a bit more rocky than anything. He actually liked the pack suit, which was bright and bold and stood out from all other suits. He rarely wore green due to keeping that for pack events.

He and the boys had gone into Pheonix early this morning, following the two elite warriors out of the pack that he’d sent off to pick Dariah up. She was coming home tonight for Clay getting his wolf. He’d left Hayden back inside the pack uncaring as to what anyone thought about it when they realised he was gone.

Today was the day he’d been planning for, Vance was already there at the hotel with all their suits.

The four of them had gone and gotten their hair cut and a clean shave, and then he’d taken them out for a nice lunch, where he’d looked at his unit. His new Beta, to be precise.

A happy smiling man of 21 with steel blue eyes and black hair, he was sitting there smiling now, his pearly whites showing, as he chatted and laughed with Palmer and Yuri. His unit which he’d chosen for himself, a unit loyal to him and not the current leadership of the pack. Lunch over, they’d headed off to get dressed for the moment that had taken far too long to get here.

All of them knew heading into the pack today, was going to be starting a war against the current Alpha and his Unit, though hopefully not a physical one, just a mental one. But this was a full show from them, to their own kin, that they were the future of this pack, and that they were going to stand beside him, as he held his father Roman, Beta Anders, all their fathers responsible and accountable for their mistakes two years ago.

There would be no arguing with him either, or the entire pack would know exactly what their Alpha and his unit, all their mates had done, in order to remove Oriana from her position as his Beta. All the lies and deception, the attempt at coercing him, what they believed Oriana was to the pack, but that they had still been so thoughtless and uncaring towards her.

He was going to win this battle today and, hopefully, he wouldn’t have to use that Ace up his sleeve. But he would, if he had to, tell his father about it to keep that man in check, for however long he was gone from the pack, on his hunt for Ori.

He looked at the three of them standing before him now and nodded to them, “Vance, are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, though I think this suit might get destroyed.”

“So be it, we can have another made. It’s all about how we present ourselves today, is all. The fight to come.” He shrugged “is up to them if they want it to get physical. The pack law still states that I, as the heir, can choose my unit, each member of it. Choosing those I trust will be loyal in standing next to me.” Slade stated simply.

“I checked that law this morning,” Palmer stated. “It hasn’t been changed. So, Slade is allowed to do this.”

It was a long quiet drive back to the pack, each of them with their own thoughts on the matter he supposed. Vance, as his new Beta was driving Slade’s car and he was in the passenger seat. He had him pull up at where the pack road meets the human road and took a breath in and closed his eyes, as he connected himself to all those in the pack, bar the alpha and his unit, none of their Mates and not Hayden.

‘Afternoon Highland Hills pack members, I, your future Alpha, Slade Southerland have an announcement to make. I’d like you all to keep it to yourselves for the next 15 minutes, is all.

‘I have chosen a new Beta to stand by my side, and fully intend to blindside Hayden, just like it was done to Oriana and I. Please bear with me, a fight out the front of the packhouse could ensue between the current and former Beta or Alpha Unit to Alpha Unit. I do have the right, as per the pack laws, to choose my own Unit. I am simply doing that.

‘Thank you for your patience on the matter, of me being able to right the wrongs that happened that day. This is just the beginning of that.’ And then he closed out the mind-link.

“Sorry Vance, you’re not initiated and don’t get to hear what I have to say.”

“It’s alright. I know what you said you rehearsed it enough at the hotel.” He smiled at him.

“Needed to get it right.” he nodded.

“You have got all their attention now,” Yuri stated. “I could feel that.”

“One down, one to go.” Slade stated he knew that his father and his unit, anyone not involved in that pack-wide mind-link, would have registered there was one, if they saw multiple pack members suddenly standing or sitting to attention all glazed over.

He connected himself to his father, ‘Father I have someone important for you all to meet.” He stated with a full smile in his voice.

‘Son?’

“I can, actually.” Slade smiled right at him, moving his eyes off Hayden to look at his father “The pack laws…”

“We had a deal.” His father cut him off.

“A deal?” he questioned, and walked up the stairs, his unit followed directly behind him, and he could see people gathering off to the side of the packhouse, recognised a few of them as his social group even.

He moved his eyes to Anders, and he looked more than annoyed by this; the demotion of his son and heir. “Mm, one I believe you lied to me to get. Then broke it as well, so that deal is not valid and hasn’t been since the moment you broke it.”

“I’m not going to announce this Slade.” His father snapped.

“You don’t have to.” Slade’s mouth quirked up in one corner, today was indeed a good day, and he was actually feeling happy. He moved his eyes to Hayden once more. “I’ve already announced it, by a pack wide mind-link before I crossed the pack border, they all already know.”

He saw Hayden gasp and his eyes go very wide “You can’t do that!”

“Really, I can’t do that…is that how you feel? It’s not right how I did this to you? Is that what you think…are you unhappy, Hayden…that it wasn’t done in private, or you had no knowledge of it coming…poor you. Is this not what you had done to Oriana? Oh!” his eyes moved to his own father. “To me as well, and you, Hayden, thought it was very amusing, no one even admonished you bar me for that.”

“Dad, he can’t do this can he?” Hayden asked now.

“Oh, yes Hayden, piss and moan to your father like the whiney spoiled baby you are. And you wonder why I hate you?”

He heard many gasps coming from the Alpha and his unit, his mother and Bronnie, though his social group all snickered over there by the corner of the packhouse. He looked right at the boy.” And I do hate you, how could I not after all the things you did to Oriana.” He stated for all to hear, “I have never accepted you as my Beta, you were never going to be my Beta, and you will never be in line for it inside this pack.”

He moved his eyes to Anders now. “The Vale bloodline is officially over. Once you, Anders, retire, no more will it be a part of the leadership of this pack. I’ve elected a better bloodline, the Patterson bloodline.”