Ivar and Ella immediately stand the moment they see Eric and I return to the living area where they are all waiting. I don't need to tell them what we are up to. They see I'm shirtless and automatically know something is about to go down.
"General..." Ivar calls questioningly. He doesn't need to open his mouth before I know his unsaid questions will be... 'who are they and where is it going down?'
My men are trained to always be ready and in situations like this, who and where don't really matter to them. They will follow me to hell and battle the devil himself if that's what I command.
"The pack's second gate. The Gamma guards are refusing our men entrance into the pack. According to their words, they don't have an Alpha. Their Alpha is dead and couldn't have invited anyone to the pack.
Ivar grin devilishly
"If they wish to die then let's grant their death wish!"
"They will never learn unless you show them who the Alpha is, General! They need to learn, let's show them right now!" Ella says forcefully through gritted teeth
"General?" Timothy says expectantly the moment we step out of the door. He must have been listening in on our conversation and didn't want to be left out of the action.
"Come," I say without stopping. Even if he hadn't asked to come along, I wouldn't have left him by himself in the mansion. If the Gamma chief and his men could defy me openly even after all the rumors flying around about me being ruthless then I'm sure they would already have a plan in place they think would work against me.
"What about us?..." Carol calls after us
Oh yes, them. I'd almost forgotten their presence. What am I going to do with them right now? I think to myself. I turn back to them and my eyes meet with Victoria's square on. She immediately averts her eyes as her cheeks turn red. 'What's wrong with her? Was Eric right about her after all?
'Oh no, Thor! Why did you have to take off your shirt? Now she won't be able to get that magnificent body of yours out of her head. Eric teases and chuckles through our mind link but I ignore him
"You heard where we're going. Since we're not going there to socialize, then I think you both should go home for now. My Beta will give you a call as soon as we return, unless of course if you don't mind staying here by yourselves?" I say looking from mother to daughter.
"Okay, we'll stay here and wait for your return then" Carol replies and I nod. We turn to leave when the daughter's voice stops us...
"No, wait!"
I turned and looked at her but she only blushed some more.
"Alpha, I– Ummm– I don't think– I mean, I..."
'She couldn't even get her words right, man! You took her breath away! She's...'
'Shut up, Eric!... God! I don't have time for this!'
"If you have anything to say Victoria then be fast about it. As you can see, we're in a hurry! My men are waiting for me."
"Yes! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to delay you– Uhm..." She turns to her mother...
"Mom, we can't stay here by ourselves, it might be dangerous. You should head home. I'll go with them."
"No!..." Carol vehemently replies. "You heard what they say they're going there to do... You also know the sort of person Cyrus is. If he sees you with them he will think you somehow betrayed him. I just lost your father! I'm not about to lose you too! We will go..."
The daughter is also talking as her mother talks
"Mom... Yes, I know who Cyrus is, he's my direct superior after all... Mom, stop!... Stop please..." She firmly says till Carol stops talking.
"Please! You're not going to lose me..." She pleads in a gentler voice before turning back to me..."
"I would like to ask you a question please and do you promise to answer me truthfully?"
"I did not kill your father if that's what you want to ask me. If there is no other thing, then you both should head back to your place..."
"I already said I'm coming with you and..."
"You know what we're going there to do, don't you!?" I impatiently interrupt her midsentence.
"You grew up with these shifters and some of them are probably your friends. I assure you, they will be lucky to get off with their lives for defying and challenging my authority this way. Now are you sure you want to be part of that!? That is why I'm offering you the chance to leave right now before you're labeled a traitor by your colleagues''
"C'mon baby, he's right. We should go home. He'll call us when..."
"No mom!... I want to carry out my duty the same as you! He said he didn't kill my dad and I believe him. And since he won the duel for the Alpha position fair and square then they are the traitors and not me. For these reasons, I'm going to pledge my allegiance..."
"No Victoria you can't do that! You're probably right to trust the Alpha but you can't pledge your allegiance to him yet! You..."
"I know what I'm doing mom, I'm an adult! I'm nineteen!" She says, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
"I know you're an adult but you're not thinking straight. You're doing this because you have a crush on him..."
"Mom!.." Victoria shouts, blushing furiously in embarrassment. "C'mon! What is the matter with you!?..."
"No Victoria, what is the matter with you!?..." Carol shouts back.
Both of their eyes are blazing with fury as they glare at each other.
"You want to pledge your allegiance to the Alpha because you have a crush on him, are you crazy!? Have you forgotten you're an unmated she-wolf and can only pledge your allegiance to the Alpha of your mate's pack?...
Think for goodness sake! You will not be a member of the Silver-Moon pack for the rest of your life, Victoria! You will meet your mate and you'll need to pledge your allegiance to the Alpha of his pack! If you pledge to Alpha Thor now then you might be rejected by your mate!..."
"What if my mate agrees to move to my pack and not the other way round? What then?..."
"Don't be stupid, that hardly happens!..."
"Don't call me stupid, Mom, I'm not a child!..."
Carol scoff
"You're not a child huh? Okay, what if your mate turns out to also be Alpha? What will you make of your life then if you're rejected because you already pledged your life to another Alpha? Isn't that stupidity!? You want to be single for the rest of your life! Perhaps you want to be Alpha Thor's concubine!?" Carol finally finish saying in anger
At this point, I'm embarrassed on behalf of Victoria.
'Congratulations Carol for embarrassing your daughter in front of everyone...'
I look at Victoria, who is uncurling and curling her hands into fists. People's faces become red when they're angry but hers is white as a sheet like all her blood has been drained from her. Her eyes which were light gray before are now glistening like icicles caught in the sun.
While glaring at her mother in defiance, she goes on one knee in front of me...
"I, Victoria Ariel Hampton, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to you, Alpha Thor Quinn of the Silver-Moon pack according to law..." She turns her gaze away from her furious mother to me then
"My wolf and body I pledge to you, so help me, goddess!"
I'm loss for words
Carol's face turns white.
Ella looks furious.
'Oh, boy! She pledged her body to you! She wants to be your concubine!' Eric exclaims with surprise
'Are you going to accept her?' Ivar asks with a chuckle