30

Milo's eyes narrowed when he heard the knock at the door. He looked as if he were ready to bite the poor person's head off.

I sighed, pressing a hand to Milo's shoulder before he could spring up from his spot. "I'll handle it," I murmured, untangling myself from him and standing.

He huffed but didn't argue, though his glare remained fixed on the door like he was daring whoever was on the other side to rethink their life choices.

I pulled it open, already half-expecting who I'd find. Elder Samuel stood stiffly in the doorway, his face twisted in its usual disapproving scowl. "Alpha," he greeted, though the word was clipped.

"Elder Samuel." I stepped aside just enough to let him in. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He made his way inside with measured steps, his sharp gaze flicking briefly to Milo before turning back to me. "We need to talk. In private."

Milo's ears twitched in irritation, and I felt his stare on me, but I didn't want to start something in front of him. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before nodding toward my office. "This way."

Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it, arms crossed. "Go on, then."

Samuel clasped his hands behind his back, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Your brother is gone."

I tensed, though I kept my expression neutral. "I'm aware."

"You let him walk away."

I narrowed my eyes. "He made his choice."

"And you let him."

"I banished him," I corrected, already having an idea of where this conversation was headed. "And you know just as well as I do that it was completely deserved and was a long time coming."

He sighed and shook his head as if he couldn't understand my words. "Brothers fight," he told me. "But they come back together...they don't let...small misunderstandings come between them."

"'Misunderstanding?'" I repeated incredulously, laughing dryly. "That's what we're calling what he did? A misunderstanding? He tried to harm my mate on multiple occasions. He wanted my position—don't you dare come here and try to downplay his actions to me."

Elder Samuel looked offended as if he hadn't expected me to snap back, and maybe I would have tried to appease him before but his words were wrong and he knew it. He could try to manipulate just about any other situation, but when it came to what Solomon did I wouldn't allow him to contort the truth.

"He is your brother," Elder Samuel stressed. "Perhaps he was a bit ambitious, but ambition is not a crime."

I barked out a laugh, sharp and humorless. "Ambition? He didn't just dream of power—he schemed, manipulated, and tried to take what wasn't his. And when that didn't work, he turned on my mate."

Samuel's gaze was unwavering, but I could see the flicker of something in his expression—doubt, maybe, or at least the realization that I wasn't going to be so easily swayed.

"I understand your anger," he said, tone carefully measured, like he was speaking to a child. "But the pack cannot afford to lose another strong leader. Solomon could have been a great asset—"

"He was a liability," I interrupted, voice cold. "And if you think I'm about to regret cutting out a threat, you're dead wrong."

Samuel exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. "This is precisely why the elders must remain in place. To advise, to ensure balance—"

I scoffed. "Balance? You mean to keep me in check?"

"To keep the pack in check," he corrected, though we both knew the truth. "Alpha or not, you should listen to the wisdom of those who came before you. That's how it's always been."

He raised his chin as if thinking he'd gotten the upper hand on me. He knew I tried to respect the elder system just as my father and everyone else who came before him had, but honestly? I was done. More packs had been abandoning it and maybe it was time I listened to Indiana's words, maybe it was time for us to start evolving with the times too.

Perhaps it had worked a long time ago, but the system was no longer the same as it had been. If anything, they were slowly becoming corrupt and deteriorating packs from the inside out. I wouldn't let my pack be the next in a line of dominoes to fall.

I took a slow step toward him, letting my presence fill the room. "You know what I've realized, Samuel?"

His shoulders squared, but he didn't step back. "Enlighten me."

"The elder system doesn't serve this pack anymore. It serves itself."

Samuel's face darkened. "That's a dangerous way of thinking."

"No." I shook my head. "What's dangerous is letting a group of aging wolves dictate the future of a pack they no longer understand."

His jaw clenched, his voice dropping lower. "Do not be reckless, Slater. Dismantling the elders would be a mistake."

"I don't think so," I said, tilting my head. "I think the real mistake was letting you all hold power for this long."

His nostrils flared, but I could see the unease creeping into his expression. He knew. He knew there was no stopping this. There was nothing he could do that would change my mind at this point.

I walked past him and opened the door. "You can go now, Samuel."

He bit his lip and his ears turned red with frustration. "Your father would have never allowed this."

I raised an eyebrow. "On the contrary, I think he would've been proud. My father's favorite thing in this world was his family, including his pack. If you think he would have told me to keep the person who tried to hurt my mate and harm this pack's future around, brother or not, then you didn't know my father as well as you thought you did."

Samuel's mouth tightened, but he had no rebuttal. We both knew the truth—my father wouldn't have stood for Solomon's betrayal, and he damn sure wouldn't have let a council of elders manipulate his decisions under the guise of tradition.

Silence stretched between us, thick with tension. Then, finally, Samuel exhaled sharply, his shoulders dropping just slightly as if conceding to something he couldn't fight. Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode out of the office.

I followed him out, watching as he made his way to the front door. He didn't look back, didn't give me one last warning or attempt to change my mind. He knew it was done.

Milo was still sitting where I'd left him, his attention focused on the door. He shot Samuel this shit-eating grin as the former elder left our home. Once Samuel was gone, he turned back to me and seemed to take in my expression, silently asking if I was okay.

And I was. Out of everything that'd recently happened, disbanding the elders was by far one of the best decisions I'd made. Tomorrow, I'd tell everyone else. I knew some would take it badly; mistaking my choice as an attempt to erase our history, but it was the opposite.

I was doing what our pack should have been doing from the start: honoring and respecting our past instead of being shackled to it.

...

"You did what?" Indiana said before I could even close my mouth.

Indiana, Simon, Milo, Stellan, Emilia, and I were sitting outside when I told them the news. To say they were surprised would be an understatement.

"I disbanded the elder system," I repeated myself.

She, along with Emilia and Stellan both stared at me as if I'd grown two heads. For a moment, none of them said anything. They looked at me, at each other, and then at me again.

"Are you really our Slater?" Indiana asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, it's not that crazy."

"It's surprising," Emilia jumped in. "I didn't think you'd ever do it."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, a lot of changes are coming soon."

Stellan crossed his arms, tilting his head as he studied me. "You know this isn't going to go over smoothly, right?"

"I know," I admitted. "But that doesn't mean it isn't the right choice."

Indiana sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're not wrong. I've wanted those old bastards gone for years, but I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"They were holding the pack back," I said simply. "And Samuel all but admitted they were more interested in their own power than the pack's future."

Emilia hummed, leaning back in her seat. "I can already hear the outrage now. You're dismantling tradition, the pack will fall apart without guidance, blah, blah, blah."

"They'll get over it," I said, and I meant it. "This isn't some impulse decision. The elders stopped being useful a long time ago, and the pack has been running itself despite them, not because of them. This just makes it official."

Stellan nodded slowly. "I don't disagree. I just hope you're ready for the backlash."

"I've dealt with worse."

Indiana smirked. "Yeah, you have. And I have to admit... I'm kind of impressed. Look at you, making bold choices and pissing off all the right people."

I chuckled. "You doubted me?"

"Always," she teased, nudging my arm. "But I'll back you up, you know that."

Emilia and Stellan nodded in agreement, and some of the tension in my chest eased. They understood. And if I had them on my side, I could handle the rest.

I glanced over at Milo who was running around, full of energy, and smiled. Noticing my look, Stellan lightly nudged me.

"He really changed you, huh?"

I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head. "I don't know about that."

Stellan gave me a knowing look. "Please. A year ago, you would've argued for hours about tradition and duty. Now you're out here dismantling the elders and smiling like a lovesick fool."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't deny it. Milo had changed things—changed me. Not in the way people might assume, though. He didn't make me weaker or softer. If anything, he made me stronger. He reminded me why I fought so hard for this pack in the first place.

"I still believe in duty," I said, watching as Milo playfully dodged Indiana's attempt to grab him. "But I believe in doing it the right way. Not just because it's how things have always been done."

Stellan nodded, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "And what's the right way?"

I met his gaze, standing taller. "The way that protects the pack and the people in it. Including him."

Stellan smiled and I thought back to why we'd started these rescue projects in the first place: to give those who didn't have the opportunity before a future that wasn't bleak and hopeless.

Now, it was our turn for a brighter future.

Comment your thoughts!