Dear readers, in my werewolf tale, the existence of werewolves is known by human. In fact my heroine, Juliana Macon; who we met in 'You Can't Deny Your Wolf, grew up in the human world.
Julie never saw herself as a werewolf, and planned to live her life as a human, but Luna had other plans for her.
After a series of events, she discovered her birthright as the heir to the Alpha-ship of her late father's pack.
Once she recovered from the shock of learning how much of a 'Were' she was, she decided she would use the platform an Alpha has. She would enlighten, inspire, and instruct female 'Were' to resist the mating pull, and live, love, and mate on their terms.
But once again Luna stepped in and asked more of her. She chose her to lead the entire southeastern strain of the 'Were' nation into more enlightened times.
Here's the rub; In order to fulfill her destiny, it is on her to fight her way to the top of the Southeastern 'Were' Council.
In this episode Julie goes camping with other Werewolf Alphas on the Council. That catch is, they run, hunt, and sleep in a den in the woods while they're in their wolf."
~~~
The Council was comprised of the Alphas from the eighteen largest, and or wealthiest packs in the Southeast. Its missions had been to maintain peace between the packs, and to ensure that traditional standards and values were practiced within them. It also had the power to exile an Alpha and to dish out capital punishment.
Perhaps the Council's most important job was to help the poorer packs survive. There were more small packs of supernatural creatures than there were large ones scattered around the states. Some of the dues collected by the Council from the wealthy packs were used to help small, poor packs survive.
~
Here's the problem; for decades the Council had been under the control of Alpha Gene Wolfe of the Texas Aggie pack. He came from Texas oil money, that he used to buy the support of the Alphas in what was known as his posse. He also used threats and intimidation against the remaining packs to get enough votes to elect one of his henchmen as Chair.
He would have taken the position himself, but for one issue, the chairman of the council had to work, and Alpha Wolfe's perception of himself was incompatible with that.
He was cursed with a disorder called crazy; this caused him to see himself as a deity, therefore he believed he was descended from Edymion, Luna's lover in Ancient Greece.
As such he preferred to spend his time writing science fiction, listening to classical music, watching gangster movies, drinking expensive wine, and sparring with his Omegas.
If that's not too weird for you, keep reading.
He believed his essence existed in four other Alphas, and he'd used is wealth to buy their loyalty. As a result the late Alpha Huck Finn of the Mississippi Rebel pack, Alpha Thom Sawyers of the Mississippi River pack, Alpha Ron Scopes of the Tennessee Volunteer pack, and Alpha Darius Rucker of the South Carolina Gamecock pack, had formed a cabal that controlled the Council.
However Alpha Finn was dead and Alpha Wolfe now had a problem.
According to the word on the Shaman street, Julie was Luna's chosen one, and all the Alphas in the southeastern part of the country had heard the news from the shaman in their packs.
According to the tale the Shaman told, Luna sent an angel to take out Alpha Finn because he was bad to the bone, bat crap crazy, evil incarnate, and kookoo for coco puffs. Those were his good qualities; therefore Luna didn't want Julie to have to deal with him.
Not surprisingly, Alpha Wolfe saw Julie as a threat to his power, and so she along with her pack had to be shown its place.
His plan was to have some of the mercenary wolves on his payroll attack the Gum Swamp Creek pack, and he'd expose the beautiful young female Alpha for the fraud she was, himself.
Afterwards he would reassert his control over the Southeastern 'Were' Council. Then he would choose a new mate for his daughter, Alpha Becky Thatcher.
~
For those of you who've read 'one-week-in-Lunas realm', you know that Becky Thatcher is the widow of Alpha Huck Finn, and she's also Alpha Wolfe's daughter.
Alpha Finn had been Alpha Wolfe's top lieutenant. He ran the drug, weapons, and female sex-trade business for Alpha Wolfe. In exchange for his loyalty Alpha Wolfe allowed Becky to be kidnapped and force mated to Alpha Finn before she knew who he was. Afterwards Alpha Finn used his authority to command that she must not tell anyone what happened to her.
I know it shocking, but yes, Alpha Wolfe named his daughter Becky Thatcher.
~~~
On the Thursday before the Alpha's retreat.
Angel and Darby were sitting with Julie in her office while watching their pack mates on a monitor as they walked throughout the security zone. They were testing the sensors and detectors to ensure each of them worked.
As the number one and number two betas, Angel and Darby would be responsible for leading the pack while Julie was away for the weekend. Angel was thinking out loud when she said, "Boss I don't get it. If Luna has chosen you to lead the Southeastern 'Were' Nation, why does our pack have to fight for our destiny? Why doesn't she just make it so?"
Darby echoed Angel's concern when she asked a serious question in a lighthearted way. That was unusual coming from her. She said, "Alpha I was wondering the same thing too. Why would Luna ask us to fight Alpha Wolfe's warriors, when something bad could happen to us? We're a pack of lovers, not fighters." And then she actually smiled just a little bit.
Her attempt at smiling afterwards was halfhearted at best, but Julie had an air of confidence about her as she tried to reassure them. "You're right about that Darby, and that's exactly why I have no intention of fighting them. I'm sure our men can hold their own against them, and so can you and Angel, but I want to show the 'Were' nation how a smart, tough woman will lead them."
We have enough safety measures in place to keep us out of harm's way, and if we're a little bit lucky we'll capture anyone who tries to invade our homes.
~
Julie had-had a moment of genius when she became Alpha of the Gum Swamp Creek pack. She had a large safe room built underneath the Alpha's mansion, with three escape tunnels extending beyond the outer security fence. She also had motion detectors, heat sensors, and surveillance cameras placed strategically to provide a secure perimeter around the housing compound.
There was also an App on each pack member's phone and computer that could be used to view the cameras, and operate the automatic openers on the safe room doors, tunnel doors, and gates in the security fences.
Each pack member was in possession of a Glock 23 as well. They were to use them only if they were attacked by an overwhelming force, or their attackers were also armed.
Even with all these measures in place, the truth of the matter was, she was as worried as Angel and Darby were. The one thing that gave her hope was her faith in Luna, who had sent a message to her in a dream, asking her to rid the 'Were' nation of Alpha Gene Wolfe with as little bloodshed as possible. Surely she wouldn't ask so much of her, and then leave her to survive on her own.
Therefore Julie was placing her trust in Luna, and she intended to subdue his ruffians without fighting them or busting a cap in their asses. However that same consideration did not apply to Alpha Wolfe.
~~~
Friday afternoon at the lodge located on the Aggie pack's one hundred thousand acre ranch.
Anytime the Alphas got together it was playtime for the males. Normally Alpha Wolfe's retreats included beautiful female Omegas provided for the Alpha's pleasure.
All of the Werewolf Alphas on the Southeastern 'Were' Council were there, but it was clear this gathering was different.
That evening at the traditional dinner that was held before everyone shifted into their wolf, Alphas John Palmer of the Palmer pack, Tiny Babar of the Crimson Tide pack, Maxwell Smart of the UGA pack, and Dub Steppe of the Ocmulgee River pack, were all seated side by side.