Luna of Mine (23 page)

He spared a quick glance
and saw Ion and Nicu move past him, each engaging other wolves he
didn’t immediately recognize in that moment. He knew they could
hold their own, and so he continued to keep all of his attention on
his opponent. He did not know how long they fought. He felt blood
spilling from various lacerations on his face and felt the
exhaustion in his muscles, but still he continued to meet Emilian
punch for punch. Not until there was a loud whistle did Vasile
finally relent and step back just as Emilian did as
well.

The smirk that was still
on the Beta’s face told Vasile that he had somehow been out
maneuvered. Vasile looked up at the faces around him and saw the
shock and fear and worry in his pack mates' faces. Then he noticed
that there were at least seven unmated females, some still
underage, surrounded by Emilian’s men. “I did not want to have to
do this, but then I knew you would not walk away quietly no matter
what your pack wanted. Leave willingly and I will let these females
live,” he said and motioned to where the women stood. “Continue to
fight and you will watch them die…slowly.”

Vasile growled as he met
the Beta’s eyes. Emilian could not hold the gaze for more than a
few seconds before he looked away. Vasile then turned to the crowd.
“This is what you want?” He motioned to Emilian and then his men.
“This is the kind of leader you want, a tyrant? One who cares only
for his own skin?”

“We want an honest one,” a
female called out.

Vasile shook his head and
looked back at Emilian. “You are lucky I do not kill you for the
disrespect you have shown my parents, especially my mother. I will
step down because I will not have their deaths on my hands, but
know that this is not over. You will not hold this pack; you are
not capable.” Vasile growled.

“
Maybe,”
Emilian said as he spit blood from his mouth. “But then I was
capable enough to take it from you. Was I not? There is a lot to
say for resourcefulness, Vasile. That is a lesson you have yet to
learn.”

“
Does
your Alpha know what you have done?” he asked the Beta, not having
to even raise his voice because of the stifling silence. “Does he
know that you took information that was not yours to take and then
used it for your own selfish gain? Does he know you betrayed
him?”

“
The
strong survive, Vasile Lupei. I am simply doing what it takes to
survive and to ensure that this pack survives. Your father’s
treachery has left this pack in shambles. I did what was
necessary.”

Vasile nodded slowly.
“Perhaps, you are correct, but only a fool thinks that how he
obtains his victory does not matter.”

“
YOUR
PARENTS LIED ABOUT THEIR BOND!” Emilian suddenly snarled,
interrupting the Alpha and causing those around him to jump. “What
does it matter how I become the new Alpha? What matters is that the
treachery that has been brought to light in your bloodline be
brought to an end. You see the lies do not always end with the ones
who started them, sometimes they follow
all
those in the bloodline.” Emilian
paused and turned to look at the crowd. “Is it true Vasile Lupei
that you have found your true mate? You found her in a village on
the furthest outskirts of your territory and yet failed to tell
anyone in your pack?” There were gasps in all direction from the
members of his pack as they stared up at him in shock.

A low growl started in
Vasile’s chest. “I have no mate.” It killed Vasile to deny Alina
but if it kept her safe, then he would deny her to his dying
breath. “If I had a mate I would have shouted it at the top my
lungs, I would have recognized it for the blessing that it was, and
she would be standing beside me now. Who gave you such
information?”

“You went and visited all
of the villages in your territory.”

Vasile nodded, waiting for
him to go on.

“
In the
last village, Solca, the one Petre Sala oversees, did you not claim
his daughter as your true mate? Did you not threaten a male who had
supposedly kissed her, telling him you would cut off his hands if
he ever touched another female?”

Vasile’s rage was growing
as he began to put the puzzle pieces into place. Serghei had been
in on the plot before him. He had told Emilian what he knew, and
sadly enough it was a brilliant plan on the young male’s part.
Alina bore no marks nor had Vasile’s changed. There was no way the
pack would believe she belonged to him. “No,” he answered finally.
“The information you received has been…distorted.”

“So you
now deny that she is your true mate,” a new voice called out from
the back of the crowd which was parting to let the male
through.

Vasile recognized the
young male to be none other than Serghei. He barely held himself in
check to keep from ripping the male’s head from his
body.

“
Until I
leave this castle for the final time, or I am slain where I stand,
I am your Alpha.” He met the male's gaze and Serghei dropped his
eyes immediately. “You will speak to me with respect or I will show
you why I am Alpha and you are not.”

“
Forgive
me, Alpha,” the male bit out as he bared his neck. “I would like to
know why you are now denying that you claimed Alina Sala as your
mate when you so adamantly claimed that she belonged to you while
you were in our village?”

Vasile felt something
twist inside of him at the sound of her name. He missed her, missed
her like he would miss his own heart if it was ripped from his
chest. To have her spoken about as though she was just some female,
not important to him nor under his protection any longer, was
causing his wolf to pace restlessly.

“
It is
obvious from the anger in your voice that you have feelings for
this female,” Vasile began, his voice was even despite the turmoil
brewing inside of him. “Is she your true mate?” For some reason
asking Serghei if Alina Sala was his made Vasile want to rip the
young male's head off. But the show had to be convincing. Vasile
had to show everyone here that he truly did not believe Alina was
his. Emilian knew that Vasile would be stronger with his true mate.
If Emilian thought for one second that Alina truly
was
his mate, he
would hunt her down and kill her just to keep Vasile from bonding
with her, denying Vasile her strength. The need pulsing inside of
him to rip Serghei limb from limb was surprising to him in its
fury. Maybe the madness from being without his true mate was
already catching up with him. Even though he was only a century
old, maybe all the loss he had suffered had caused the darkness in
him to move more quickly than in other males.

“She is not of age yet and
so the mating signs have not appeared,” Serghei dodged.

“Does she love you?” Vasile
did not know what prompted him to ask that question, but he felt
sick at even the remote possibility of his Mina loving that
mongrel.

Sergehi stood straighter,
raising his head but not looking Vasile in the eyes. “She
will.”

“
What
difference does that make?” Emilian snarled. Vasile’s attention was
drawn away from the young male back to the larger threat. “Are you
claiming someone, Vasile, just as your father did, that does not
belong to you?” There was a rumble of agreement across the crowd
and nods to go with it, but still no one met his gaze.

“
My
father is dead and his deeds died with him!” Vasile suddenly yelled
out. He stepped back so that he could see his pack, could look at
each of them and gauge their reactions. “I am not my father. I will
make mistakes but they will not be the same ones he made. I am
telling you that this female is free and clear of me. I am not
taking any female as my own that does not bear my marks. I would
never disrespect a woman in such a way, or her future true
mate.”

“
Can you
prove she is your mate?” Louis, one of the males he had stayed with
when visiting the villages, asked ignoring all that Vasile had just
said.

“
Why
should I have to prove it if I am not claiming her?” he
countered.

“
Would
you be willing to let a select group of pack members chosen by the
pack see your mate’s markings once you find her?” Anton, another
male asked.

“You would really ask such
a thing of your Alpha?” Ion growled at the man.

Vasile held a hand up to
stop his third from saying more. “I would never allow another to
see my mate’s markings, just as no male here would allow such a
thing.”

Louise stepped forward. He
held no threat in his countenance, but neither did he bare his
throat in submission. “We trusted your father and mother. We loved
them as our Alpha pair, and for a very long time they performed
their role as required. But this is too much Vasile. Even you must
see how hard this is for our pack to accept. To lie about something
so very vital to our species, how do we get past that? How do we
trust you?”

Vasile shook his head. “I
do not know.” His answer was as honest as he knew how to be. He
truly did not know how to move forward. For most of his life he had
felt sure of things, and now everything including himself seemed
broken beyond repair.

“Then maybe it is time to
let someone else lead.” Louis’s words were not said out of anger or
hate. Vasile could tell the man truly wanted what was best for the
pack. Vasile could respect that but he did not agree with
it.

“
All in
favor of me stepping aside?” He waited to see how many hands would
raise. Slowly one by one the air was filled not everyone but as
good as.

“And who will lead you?”
Alin asked the pack not wanting to let them assume Emilian should
take over but wanting to see if the Beta would actually claim it as
his own place.

Emilian stepped forward,
his shoulders pulled back, and his head held high, though he still
would not look Vasile in the eyes. “I believe this would be
considered the same as a challenge. I brought to light the
treachery. You are stepping down because of it, therefore, I will
take your place as Alpha.”

“This is what you want?”
Vasile asked looking to Louis who seemed to have taken the place as
spokesperson for the pack.

Louise motioned for Vasile
to step aside and then leaned his head in close for him to hear.
“Most of the pack does not even know yet, Vasile. They are going to
need reassurance that things are going to change. Maybe the best
way to accomplish this is have you step aside for a time. Not for
good,” he quickly followed. “I do not think Emilian is the answer,
but I think the pack needs time to heal, and you are simply a
reminder of what caused the wound.”

Vasile motioned for Ion,
Alin, and Nicu to back down and they did so reluctantly.

“
I will
give you an hour to get what you need out and leave.” He stepped
close to Vasile, leaning in and speaking very low. “Then I will
give you a day’s head start before I start pursuing you.” Emilian’s
eyes narrowed. “I might have said I would let the females live, but
I never said I would spare your life. I cannot let you live,
Vasile.”

Vasile actually chuckled.
“You treachery knows no bounds, Emilian. Of course you cannot let
me live. You will never be able to hold onto this pack while I
still draw breath, and until I am dead you will constantly be
looking over your shoulder wondering when I will be coming for you.
You will be sleeping with one eye open, and peace will forever
allude you because you know deep in your soul that your life is
already forfeited. It was lost the minute you threatened the lives
of the precious females.”

Vasile looked one more
time at his pack―the pack his father had loved despite his failings
and the pack that Vasile still loved despite their decision now.
“Things will get worse before they get better. I am stepping back
now to protect you, but I will not stay gone. I am still and will
always be your Alpha until the breath is ripped from my body one
final time.”

He motioned for his top
three to follow him and headed back into the castle for the last
time in how long he did not know. He had always believed that there
was a time for everything. A time for war, a time for peace, a time
to stand up and speak out, and a time to step back and wait. He
would step back but he would not wait idly by. There was still work
to do and still things he could take care of until the time was
right for him to strike and take back what was his.

Romanian Proverb #13

Nu încap douã sãbii
într-o teacã.

When two ride on one horse,
one must sit behind
.

“
I
think Serghei has lost his mind,”
Alina told her parents as she sat in their small living room
holding a cup of tea her mother had made. “He was going on about
showing me that Vasile was a liar, and he tried to take me with
him—by force.”

“
Serghei
has let his feelings for you remove his good sense. He is too young
to be a male who has struggled over the years wrestling with the
darkness and is getting desperate for a mate, but that is exactly
how he is acting.” Her father’s brow furrowed as he considered the
young male’s action.