Caden rubbed his temples, staring at the stubborn Alpha seated before him. He had known Damon would resist, but this time, the Alpha seemed more determined than ever.
The truth was, Caden had been fielding countless emails from the Elders, all trying to matchmaking Damon with his next bride. Elder Parker was unusually persistent, demanding that Damon meet Marcy—the primary candidate—in person.
A single Elder didn't pose much of a threat, but Damon had already offended quite a few of them. If not for the Council's public image of benevolent leadership, Caden was confident the Elders would blacklist Damon, smear his reputation, and pull strings to unite other packs in a war against the Dark Howlers.
Both Damon and Caden hated dealing with the Elders—a bunch of arrogant ex-Alphas eager to prove they still held power. The whole Council was a bloated mass of testosterone and over-inflated egos, ready to implode at the slightest provocation. The scary part was that they had the connections to sway people.
The Dark Howlers were the largest pack with capable warriors, but if several packs joined forces, they would be at a disadvantage.
"It's been over three months since you met with the last candidate. They're getting impatient," Caden continued, pressing his argument. "Rumor has it, if Elder Parker succeeds and Marcy becomes your Luna, he'll gain enough support to become the next head of the Council. Will you allow him to use you as a stepping stone? Why not show them you're no one's pawn?"
"That's what I'm doing by ignoring him," Damon responded flatly.
"They're taking your silence as a sign of fear. You need to step into the light and take charge."
"Are you trying to manipulate me?" Damon asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous low.
"No." Caden lied without blinking. "As your Beta, I'm reminding you of the facts. Why don't you handle this girl and shut them up? Or would you rather avoid the slight inconvenience of bedding a woman and risk causing trouble for the pack?"
Damon cocked an eyebrow and pursed his lips. "You're suggesting I put that stuck-up woman in her place?"
*Stuck-up?* Caden wasn't sure about Marcy's character, but if she was willing to accept an arranged marriage to a man she'd never met, she probably wasn't the best example of a she-wolf fit to be Luna. A Luna needed to fight for what she believed was right, not allow others to use her. How could Marcy take care of the pack if she couldn't take care of herself? No matter her background, a real Luna would approach Damon personally, not use connections to win him over.
In this case, it was obvious that Marcy's father and Elder Parker were pulling the strings.
If the marriage went through, Marcy's father—Alpha Edward—would gain benefits even if Damon ignored him. It would be undeniable that they were connected via marriage, improving Alpha Edward's standing. Additionally, Alpha Edward had likely made a deal with Elder Parker, who recommended Marcy as the perfect Luna for the Dark Howlers.
It was a whole web of leeches waiting for Damon to take the bait, and Damon was perfectly aware of it.
Damon had done this many times before. He would visit the prospective bride, explore her thoroughly, and then announce that a cheap slut couldn't be his Luna. Other than insulting the woman, her ambitious father, and their pack, it was also a setback for the Elder who was matchmaking Damon in that specific case. No matter how much Damon offended them, they couldn't publicly admonish him because, officially, he had come to meet his future bride and found her lacking.
Caden saw Damon considering it and decided to give him a push in the right direction.
"She's not just any woman. Did you see the photo? Tall, blonde, a looker, and she has quite the assets…" Caden cupped his hands in front of his chest, gesturing that Marcy was well-endowed.
Damon pressed his lips into a line and typed on his keyboard. His eyes skimmed over the content, and he frowned.
*What do you think?* Damon asked his wolf mentally.
*She looks like trouble,* his wolf responded.
Damon groaned in frustration. *If I go, it's trouble. If I ignore this summons, it's trouble. Which trouble should I pick?*
*Stop acting like it's the first time. Why are you asking me when you know the answer?*
*Because you are my voice of reason,* Damon responded.
*Good that you know. But in this case, you figured it out without me. I'm aware that you don't like dancing with snakes, but as a good Alpha, you should avoid direct confrontation when possible and use a softer approach. This bride-business aside, you might find out something useful while staying in their packhouse. They won't dare act against you if you announce your location. Now let me sleep and don't bother me unless it's an emergency…*
Damon felt his wolf slipping away as it retreated to the back of his mind.
Damon was unique. Other werewolves could sense their wolf and exchange emotions. They could feel when their wolf was restless, angry, or happy, while Damon could actually hold a conversation. No one knew about this, other than Damon and his wolf.
Damon's wolf was one of the key contributors to Damon becoming and staying the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack when he was only seventeen years old. His wolf wasn't very chatty, but he gave the right advice whenever Damon needed it, and Damon was aware that his wolf held the wisdom of many lifetimes.
Damon had sensed his wolf, just like any other werewolf, when he was in his early teens. But on the night when his parents perished, his wolf spoke to him for the first time.
*Sorry, kid…* his wolf had said, and Damon jolted out of his bed in the middle of the night.
"What the…?" Damon mumbled, looking around in search of the source of that sound.
*I'm in your head. Your father asked me to take care of you.*
Damon was totally confused. "What? How? Who are you?"
*I'm something that your kind calls the wisdom of the Alpha, and I can manifest myself through your wolf. I served your grandfather, your father, and now I serve you.*
"Why did you stop serving my father?"
*I'm sorry, kid… he and your mother are gone…*
This was a huge emotional shock for Damon that forced him to step into adulthood abruptly. Since then, Damon relied on his wolf to keep him in check. Not every Alpha could talk to his wolf, and his wolf didn't have answers if he was the only one, but he advised Damon to keep this a secret.
Back to the present…
"It says here that she is untouched," Damon said, gesturing toward the screen of his computer. "You know I prefer them experienced. As fine-looking as she is, it's not worth a full day of traveling. I can have a dozen such women within a half-hour drive or without moving from this chair."
Caden forced a smile, trying to conceal his irritation.
In Damon's words: virgins needed to be courted with flowers, chocolates, and sweet words, and after he was done with them, they became clingy. Damon didn't have the time to waste on such nonsense. Intimacy for him didn't go beyond the pleasures of the flesh. That was as far as any woman reached with him.
"What's the worst that can happen?" Caden continued persuading Damon. "You get to taste a new piece of meat, and when your fun is over, you announce that she is not good enough to be your Luna. Marcy may be untouched on paper, but my sources say that's not completely true. I will watch your back, while Maya will collect dirt on the girl so you can create a believable story. We know the drill. We get in and out, back in three-to-four days max, and we get to shut down the Elders for another couple of months."
Damon's jaw twitched as he grit his teeth.
"Fine. We leave in…" Damon paused and glanced at the calendar. "Five days."
Caden released the breath he was holding. "I will get everything in order."
Caden left the study feeling victorious. Maya loved traveling, and when they accompanied Damon on his visit to the bride, Maya and Caden roleplayed as spies on a secret mission that ended up with a steamy session between the sheets. Just thinking about it made him excited.