The Young Luna novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

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The calm before the storm. That was the saying and it was apt. Actually, it was more than apt it was damn near perfect. Because Ex-Alpha Seth Zev was the calm, and I was the fucking storm. The kind of storm that rips your house off the ground and sends cows all the way to the north pole.

"Take a breath" Seth whispered to me, as my hands practically shook with fury. I turned a glare on him, one full of fury and pure acidity, but I was too angry to get any words out. We sat outside the conference room – the Alpha's inside were discussing the situation. They'd been furious at first, more than I expected, before deciding they needed to discuss it privately.

"I know you're upset with me, May, but I didn't have a choice. I've not always been the most lenient of rulers and I have been head of the Alpha Council for the past twelve years. A lot of those Alpha's don't like me, because of punishments I've given them in the past. If I hadn't resigned as Alpha, I would have been killed. I have no doubt about it. That was why they're so angry that I stepped down as Alpha, because they know they can't execute me now because it would be seen as vicious since being stripped of my position is severe a punishment enough".

"You should have told me" I hissed softly.

"I know" Seth nodded, "but I also knew that you'd try and talk me out of it. And that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I didn't need you to convince me not to do it. I hated not talking to you about it, May, but you have to understand that I had to make this decision on my own".

I was quiet for a long while as I looked up at him. "You're an amazing Alpha...what the hell are you going to do now?" I asked, voice breaking slightly with emotion. Seth offered me a small smile as he put his arm around me, and pecked the top of my head.

"I'm going to be your mate".

"You're already my mate dipshit" I grumbled. Seth's lips tilted into a smirk for a few seconds, as his arm pulled me closer to him. Still angry at him – for numerous things – I was temporarily calmed by his scent and feeling. My head tucked into side of his suit and for a moment I closed my eyes and wished I could rewind back a few days.

A few minutes of silence passed before the door to the conference room opened again. Seth and I both stood up, our hands instantly finding each other's as Alpha Quinn Danvers stepped out. He glanced behind him before closing the door.

"You sure you wanna do this, ya'll?" he asked, in that ridiculously thick accent of his.

"I don't have a choice, Quinn, you know that" Seth sighed. "I don't want to give up being an Alpha, but I have to do it in order to have a life with my mate".

Again that sadness, from losing his own mate, shone through Quinn's eyes. "I understand, Seth. And, honestly, I think it shows real character. Mates are the most important thing". His deep brown eyes glistened in raw pain. He offered us a soft smile, before opening the door and letting us back into the conference room.

Seth and I sat back down at our seats, but Quinn remained standing. It seemed he was stepping up as the head of the Council, since Seth couldn't do that without being an Alpha. I was actually alright with that – out of all the other Alpha's he seemed the most genuine.

"We, the Council, have decided that Alpha Seth Zev has shown accountability for his actions and that the punishment he set upon himself will be sufficient for the Council" Quinn announced. Seth breathed out slowly, sounding both relieved and upset. No doubt he was beginning to really realise what he was giving up.

It was all very fast after that. We packed up our bags and were heading back to the Equinox Pack within a few hours. I managed a quick goodbye to Chris and my family, but it was fleeting. Dale and the others stayed behind, but as we were no longer the Luna and the Alpha of the Equinox Pack anymore, we had no reason or right to be there.

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Seth was silent as we were driving, not even the radio could cut through his thunderous mood. "Does Dale even want to be Alpha?" I asked softly.

"Doesn't matter what he wants. He is the next in line, it's his duty. Either way he would have become Alpha, whether I stepped down or if I was executed. I have no heir, so it would pass straight to the next male bloodline".

"But he doesn't want it" I concluded.

He sighed heavily, "no Dale doesn't want it. He's never been good with responsibility, and in all honesty, I would have rather given the position to Josh. But, there was another Alpha bloodline so it passes to him before it passes to the Beta".

"Do you think Dale will be a good Alpha?"

He shrugged, acting as if he didn't care – but it was very obvious that he did. "We'll see".

"Isn't Sofia due to give birth next month? Dale becoming an Alpha and a father in the space of two months, that's a lot to take on" I muttered, thinking of the Sofia who seemed sweet the one time I had met her at Seth's parents' house. I wasn't sure what she'd be like as a Luna. Again, in reply, Seth just shrugged. I quickly realised that I was no longer going to get much of a conversation from him.

Seth's bad mood didn't lift over the coming days either. The week following of his title being stripped, he didn't leave the house much. He moped around, occasionally lifting weights angrily in the house gym. A few people came over to speak to us; higher Pack members, his parents and even Javier and Shawna came to check on me. But, Seth was in no mood for accepting guests, so I had to play bad guy and send them all away.