"We want an explanation for this! You don’t get to stay silent!"

"It must have been entertaining for you, laughing behind our backs, thinking we were fools."

The wolves were angry. And frankly, no one could fault them for it. They had just watched their once-assumed dead Alpha King walk straight into the room, very much alive.

That meant not only had Elijah kept the truth from them all this while, but he had also wrongfully ascended the throne. Perhaps the fact that he had made them serve him when he did not deserve it angered them the most.

However, a room full of hot-tempered wolves was far from ideal. Hence, Irene had Elijah seated as far away from the others as physically possible before anyone got ideas and did something irreversible.

Even then, getting through any sort of sensible conversation with the wolves was difficult. Not with the way they were all ranting over one another, voices rising, frustrations spilling out without restraint.

"This is a mess," Sub-Alpha Will growled, dragging a hand through his hair in visible agitation. "How was he even able to become Alpha King when Angus was still alive?!"

He genuinely could not wrap his head around it.

Another wolf answered before Elijah could.

"He must’ve exploited some kind of loophole," he spat. "He and that trickish-as-hell Council of Elders must’ve done something to make the Goddess condone it."

If a cheetah could visibly roll its eyes, that had to be Roman right now.

Angus nearly dying was the loophole, he muttered inwardly, since apparently no one in this room had the sense to think that far.

Roman still remained in his beast form, especially now that murderous energy was practically leaking off every Alpha in the room.

And it wasn’t hard to guess what they all wanted to do right now. Especially the sub-alphas. Goddess knew he hated Elijah’s ass too, but killing him now would only create more problems.

No matter his crimes, the wolves still needed a leader to keep them in line. Such was their way of life.

Another wolf gave a harsh laugh.

"I think you’re all avoiding the real question here," he said, his tone dark. "What exactly are we supposed to do now?"

"Not we," another sub-alpha corrected sharply, glaring hard at Elijah from across the room. "He."

His lip curled.

"What is he going to do about this?"

There was something in his eyes that said if Irene hadn’t forced some level of order into this room, he’d already be trying to get his answer in a far more effective way.

"Of course, he’s going to step down!" one wolf shouted.

That should have been the obvious answer.

But then Elijah scoffed, and the sound alone was enough to make heads turn.

And the arrogant little smirk that followed said everything.

Yeah. Fat chance.

That did not go over well.

Growls reverberated through the room almost instantly, not just from one wolf, but several. The sound swelled and layered until it seemed to press into the walls themselves, thick with challenge, hostility, and the dangerous edge of violence.

Click. Click.

The sudden sound made the room go even stiller.

Elijah’s security detail—who had apparently woken up from their forced nap—raised their weapons and cocked their guns, silver bullets loaded and ready to tear into anyone stupid enough to lunge.

Werewolves were fast. But not fast enough to outrun a bullet already fired.

Especially not silver. Even if it didn’t kill outright, it would leave them writhing and half-dead on the floor.

Just like Christian.

"Back off," Griffin growled at one of the guards, his voice low and lethal.

The guard hesitated.

Then another wolf, further to the side, took a threatening step forward.

"You too," Griffin warned, his tone even darker this time.

But the sub-alpha only growled in defiance, clearly too worked up and humiliated to stomach being ordered around by Irene’s pup, Griffin Hale.

Wrong move.

Griffin slowly bared his teeth and let out a growl so deep and thunderous, it seemed to shake the walls themselves.

His heavy dominance flooded the room, the force of it rolling over everyone present like a wave and pressing the instinct to submit straight into their bones.

Several wolves visibly stiffened, while the stronger Alphas—especially Elijah—only frowned, visibly bothered by the force of it.

The kids were stronger than them. That had always been obvious. But experiencing it firsthand?

It was embarrassing, to say the least.

The sub-alpha who had defied Griffin didn’t cower or retreat. At least not immediately. But when he looked down, he found his legs shaking so badly they might as well have turned to noodles beneath him.

He could still feel the weight of Griffin’s power pressing against his spine, forcing every animal instinct inside him to recognize what stood before him. That was the terrifying difference between an ordinary wolf and a beast touched by divinity.

Even now, he had to fight the primal urge to lower himself, bare his throat, and submit.

Irene, meanwhile, was practically glowing with pride. That was her son.

And the way the sub-alpha slowly backed away now, stiff and awkward like a child learning how to walk for the first time, only made it better.

Now the others would learn.

Seeing that their violent outburst would not be tolerated, they switched tactics.

"What are we going to do now? Angus has given us three days to make a decision!"

Sub-Alpha Will spoke next.

"Of course, Alpha Elijah has to step down. That’s the only way this ends without bloodshed."

Then he added with a sneer, "That’s the sacrifice he has to make for his people."

His eyes met Elijah’s and held. There was no fear in them, only cold, seething anger.

And challenge.

It was worth noting that this particular sub-alpha already had it out for Elijah after their last meeting, where the Alpha King had publicly intimidated and humiliated him.

So now that Elijah was in a precarious position, he intended to drag him down with everything he had.

"Sure," Elijah said.

And everyone stopped dead.

Huh?

Heads turned toward him at once, surprise flashing across several faces, followed closely by suspicion.

No way. Did Elijah just agree like that?

Sure enough, the Alpha King casually crossed one leg over the other in a manner that still somehow managed to scream superiority despite everything, then said,

"Come drag me off the throne."

The uproar that followed was one for the record.