“And you think you would be a better King than him?” I asked. He threw me a look that made my wolf shift nervously. “Hey, I’m not saying Alistair is an amazing alpha or anything. I’m just asking. ‘Cause after this pathetic plan of yours to overthrow him I’m starting to doubt your sanity.”

“Your father is old, still stuck in the old ways and he’s grown soft. Too used to everyone fearing him,” he said. “I admit he has experience in war, but if we are to have a King it needs to be someone new. A child of this world, not the old one. We old alphas are not keen on change but if we stay the same we will not survive in the modern world.”

“That’s… actually quite insightful…” I had to admit. “But your stupid plan is still not achieving anything other than your death,” I said. He grunted in response. I gave him an amused smile. “Look, somehow I do not think Father wants to be a King. In the end, he threw away the crown on his own. I’m sure that if you actually tell him this, he will support you. So stop with this mass recruiting. It was a stupid panicked idea anyway.”

“Alright, alright I get it.” He scowled at me. “But what do we do then?”

“Don’t ask me about war.” I shrugged. “As Father likes to remind me I am a Child of Peace and have no business talking of war. What I think you should do is first of all stop recruiting loners and try to give the ones you have already recruited a good home. Try talking other packs into taking them maybe? Anyway, take responsibility for them. Then talk to Father. When we looked for the mercenaries we actually heard about Riah. A certain vampire said that Baltazar and Riah are planning to merge the city of Glennallen with Silver Springs. I guess they want to take control of the north since it’s the only place vampires don’t really occupy and they will need a big city with many people for that. I’m sure Father reported all this to the North Packs. So go talk to him. Hell if you alphas ever properly talked we wouldn’t even need a King.”

“Well thank you for your amazing and genius plan to resolve a war by talking,” he grunted, obviously not satisfied with his. “What will you be doing than Mr. Incredible?”

“Seriously when did you become a child?” I couldn’t help but laugh when he glared at me. “I still have to find the one who paid the mercenaries. My guess is that it was Baltazar though Father seems to think differently.” At least I didn’t have to worry about Silver heart’s attack anymore.

“I also don’t think it was Baltazar,” Elliot said, a weird almost sympathetic look on his face.

“Why does everyone seem to think that when everything is obviously pointing towards him?” I said with a frown. I was really sick of people practically defending the bastard.

Elliot grimaced. “Obvious might not always be what you think it is,” he said and sighed when I just kept frowning at him. “Well good luck with your hunt,” he said and got up. “Now I would very much like you to leave.”

“Yeah, can’t even be mad about that,” I said with a grin.

“Take care, Reid,” he patted my shoulder with a smile.

“I will, thanks for the food.” With that, I left. I guess that went okay. It could’ve been much worse. I honestly didn’t think Alistair actually wanted to be a King again. And after what Elliot pulled with the loners I doubted he would make that amazing of a King. Why did we even need a King? If the alphas of the North Packs could meet and decide Riah was a threat and that they needed a King, then they could just become a council or something right? But what did a banished loner know?

Well… Ex-loner I guess, I thought as I saw Yuri and Scott waiting up by the window. Of course, I immediately told them all that happened.

“So you’re telling me you gave a damn lecture to an alpha currently with the biggest pack at least in Canada and the USA?” Yuri said in obvious disapproval.

“Well he was acting like a child,” I said in my defense. He shook his head, obviously done with me.

“I guess it did achieve what we wanted,” Scott said and shrugged when Yuri glared at him.

“Don’t encourage him,” Yuri growled.

“You do realize you are talking to the one person who almost constantly argues with the most powerful alpha in the world?” Scott pointed out.

“That’s different. With Alistair, he’s not arguing with the King of the Wolves but with his father,” Yuri argued.

“That’s not the point! The point is that the Silver Heart pack is not a problem now and we can focus on the vampires,” I said. We still had no real lead.

“Yeah… At least until we have to deal with this Riah girl.” Yuri sighed and ran a hand through his hair. We? I didn’t comment on it but I sure as hell did not want to be involved with Riah in any way.

“Hey, you’re back!” Matt suddenly appeared on the staircase. He looked tired though he was smiling at me.

“Yeah, didn’t know you were still awake,” I said and walked up to him to take a lazy kiss. Oh, he was probably asleep before he came down. He was still all soft and pliant. It made my wolf growl appreciatively as devilish ideas played through my mind. I shook the thoughts away. Matt looked way too tired for any of them. “Let’s all get some rest. We can figure out what we’ll do tomorrow,” I said.

Yuri snorted. “Right, rest,” he grumbled. I smiled and winked at him before I slung Matt over my shoulder. He gave a startled yelp but laughed as I carried him up into the bedroom.

“Idiot.” He hit my shoulder with a laugh as I put him down and closed the door.

“You look tired,” I said and stroked his cheek. He leaned into the touch sighing happily. “You’re studying a lot lately.”

“Yeah… I have some tests coming. Also, it distracts me from worrying. You’re running all over the place…” he said quietly looking down at the ground.

I grimaced. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to worry you… There’s just a lot going on,” I said.

“Yeah, I get it. Just… Always come back to me okay?” he said and pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand. I gently turned his face and kissed him properly. Pulling him close with my hand on the small of his back. I really needed to get him away from all of this. Him, Yuri, Scott, all of them. Once this was over we would go and find ourselves a home. Father and the North Alphas could deal with Riah on their own.