Open Floor Discussions

"D, wake up or you won't get to eat before the meeting," a voice calls. I feel a pressure in my shoulder and realize someone is poking me. I groan, waving my hand in an attempt to bat the culprit away. "Dawn, so help me goddess I will sit on you if you don't get up right now," the voice threatens. I grumble incoherently and roll onto my belly, turning my back to her. My eyes rip open when I hear a battle cry and suddenly I gain an additional one hundred and ninety five pounds on my back. I grunt, the air rushing out of my lungs, as she laughs. "Woman, I have triple D boobs and asthma accompanied by an underdeveloped lung and a sad case of being overweight. Don't you think I have enough issues breathing without you added to it," I gasped. She laughs again before I suddenly feel her weight lift off me. "Oh good you're awake!" I groan, putting a pillow over my head. "No I'm not, my body is just on autopilot. Now what do you want," I grumble. She laughs and tugs the pillow from my grasp. "Come on. It's ten thirty and if you aren't up soon, you won't get to eat." I bolt upright at the mention of the time.

Picking up my phone, my eyes widen when I notice  she's right. Dammit I slept through my alarms! I throw the blankets off me, accidentally punching Bear in the face and waking him up as I bolt from the bed and start digging in my bag. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, I'm going to be late," I mumble as I tear clothes out of my bag desperately, trying to find the right ones. I pull the slacks and tank top from my bag, jumping around as I try to get the damn pants on. When I'm finally dressed, I spritz some leave in conditioner into my monster hair and run my fingers through it, stopping when I'm satisfied the curls will behave for the time being.

"Let's go," I shout as I bolt out the door. Julianna's laughter follows me as I slide down the banister like a child, almost falling on my ass at the bottom. I slide into the kitchen, knocking Aiza off balance on accident when I do. She snarls but shoves past me as I lean against the counter, my lungs begging for a break as I try to get some air. "Good goddess woman, where's the fire," alpha Michael's mate, Venus teases. I glower at her and roll my eyes. Venus is the embodiment of beauty, her looks and name fitting one another with her perfect and frizz free chestnut colored hair and her perfectly tanned skin. Her heart shaped face makes her brown eyes look a little big and her complexion brings out the different shades of brown in her left one and the various shades of gray and blue in her right eye. Her statuesque hourglass figure is one most women would kill for. Hell I would kill for it. She's a healthy one sixty to my two twenty seven, but meh. My self esteem issues are my own.

She laughs at my glare and hugs me tightly. "Hey, D. I heard you met Aiza last night." A low growl behind me tells me the woman in question does not like Venus either. I nod and roll my eyes. "Total peach, isn't she?" Venus chuckles, knowing I'm just trying to get under the other female's skin now as I grab a cherry Yoplait from the fridge. "Are we all ready to begin," Rolando calls from the doorway. I wince and set my yogurt back in the fridge mournfully, dragging myself to the meeting room. The man is anal about no food in there. Amongst other places. He and Siobhan take their seats at the head of the table, me sitting on Siobhan's left and Jules on my left, Bear and James taking up her left, and the rest of the Alphas filling the rest of the table with their mates. Ismael sits on Rolando's right with a smug smirk, looking like that irritating sibling that cries to get you in trouble with mommy. I roll my eyes and lean back in my seat. Eventually I will find a reason to kill this man. "How have you been, Alpha Dawn," Alpha Orion's mate, Galaxy, questions with a bright smile. Galaxy is a sweet young woman with a gentle demeanor. She balances out Orion's ferocity well in my opinion. I smile kindly and open my mouth to reply before a low scoff interrupts me. I turn my glare to Aiza and sigh dramatically. "Is there a problem, Alpha Female Aiza," Galaxy asks with a frown. "A woman has no place leading anything except a knitting circle and a book club," Aiza growls. I raise an eyebrow at her incredulously, gripping my armrests. "Oh no," Julianna groans, burying her face in her hands on my right. "If that's how you feel, then there's the door. But the big wolves have important matters to discuss, dollface." My tone comes out cold but condescending. Wynter paces in my mind, waiting to be let out. Aiza snarls and stands up, slamming her hands down on the table. "How dare you talk down to me!" I snort, biting back my laughter as I stand up to my full five foot five height. "I can't very well talk up to you now can I? Not when you're so much shorter than I am, anyway." Beside me, Jules groans again.

"Rolando, control your pup before I put her in her place myself," Ismael demands. I tense up, turning my eyes from her to him as Wynter bristles at the disrespect. "How about this pup reminds you of your place, Ismael. You seem to have forgotten it." He snarls and his eyes blaze a molten copper color. "Enough," Rolando booms from the head of the table. Ismael tears his glare away from me, turning it to Rolando. "Women have no place in this meeting, Rolando!" I growl lowly again, Aiza snapping at me in response and moving closer to her mate. "Then perhaps you would like to ask all of these alphas to remove their mates from the meeting and send your own delicate mate out," I say with a mocking bow, extending my arms. "Dawn is just as much an alpha as you or I, Ismael. Now sit down so we can get back to business," Rolando replies, his tone steely and cold. Siobhan strokes his arm, glowering at Ismael and glaring at me reproachfully. I huff but reclaim my seat as Julianna looks up, putting her hand on my shoulder lightly. "Now, Dawn, you mentioned having matter that needed to be discussed when we met on Tuesday," Rolando says after regaining his composure. I sit up straight and hand Jules the files I've copied for everyone. "You may have noticed a few of our usual alphas have been missing. More so each time we meet. The head of my Elites has given me information which I've included in each of your folders. It seems these alphas, as well as groups of their pack in some cases, have gone missing. Only to come back home and go Feral. My pack alone has had at least three Ferals come on to the territory to date. Somehow they are getting past our defenses." The other alphas look through the folders, murmurs rippling through the room.

"And I suppose this is your way of begging for help," Ismael pipes up. My jaw flutters, but I plaster a deadly smile onto my lips. "No, Ismael. While there are some alphas we would not mourn the loss of, I felt it only fair to warn everybody of the risks of their pack members venturing out alone. Do with the information what you will, I was simply the messenger." He sneers at my tone, his wolf not liking being talked down to by another alpha, much less a female.

"How are alphas going Feral? Our genetics are meant to be stronger and more evolved," another alpha, Mikael, pipes in. I look at him and smile genuinely this time. Mikael is one of the few alphas I've met whose mind works differently. He is classified as autistic, but where as most people assume that means he is developmentally behind, it really means his mind works differently than others. He sees logic and does best with things like strategy and facts. Interpretation is one of his weaker points, but his mate Heather handles that side of things. Together they make a formidable team that even I would hate to go against in a war. His dark brown eyes are usually hidden behind a mop of shaggy blond hair that is just dark enough to make his pale skin look a bit paler. He towers over me at six foot four and loves to tease me about it.

"We haven't determined that yet as we haven't been able to secure an alpha's corpse. Their packs are slaughtered before they can be put down so they are out there. Loose and wild and hungry for blood," I say, meeting his eyes. He looks over the file and I see his face scrunch in concentration. "These alphas are not born alphas. These packs were taken over by chosen alphas," he says almost absentmindedly. I furrow my eyebrows and pick up my own folder, looking over each pack. My eyes widen in realization. "You're right. Forgive the surprise in my tone, it just wasn't a trend we had noticed. My general's main concern was the close proximity they were in in relation to our own pack," I say. My blood runs cold at a new thought. "Leo, you're not of alpha blood. Neither is Eric. You both inherited the pack from your mates' fathers. Have you had any problems with Ferals as of late?" Eric's face pales, but Leo snarls, more in anger at the implication of weakness. "We have but we have handled them accordingly," he growls. His mate, Nova, rests a hand on his shoulder. Her wide brown eyes look over the folder still as her touch soothes his anger. "Regardless, she's right. You're not alpha born. We need to consider increasing our security, my darling," Nova says firmly. She was trained to be an alpha, but when the time came and she met her mate, she handed the pack to Leo instead.

"Our pack has taken in the Rogues that roam the land around our pack and offered them safety as well as places in the pack. They've seen Ferals and know how to go undetected by them," I offer. Leo relaxes and nods thoughtfully.

"Alpha Dawn, would you be open to an alliance? You've done well for your pack after the unfortunate attack that claimed the lives of so many. Should I go missing or be otherwise incapacitated, I would prefer you take over my pack in my stead," Leo says grudgingly. I blink, surprise coloring my face. Leo has always been a firm and strong leader, never wavering in his belief that he can lead his pack best. Never questioning his own strength. He's also always been one to question my own rank, and he just exploded because of the reminder he isn't alpha born. He tends to side more with Ismael and has always seemed to have a particular dislike for me. "I see your hesitance, Alpha. I understand I have not always been the most welcoming, voicing my opinions almost as loudly as our Ismael has. But there is no denying your strength nor your integrity. You could have elected to withhold this information and left us all in the dark. Instead, you've made copies for each of us with all the information I assume you have. I would much appreciate you leading should it come to that." I clear my throat and nod, regaining my composure. "You'll forgive me if I am a tad skeptical after your outburst a few moments ago."

"You would hand your pack over to this-this female? This woman who couldn't defend her own pack at nineteen," Alpha Ismael demands, disgust lacing his words. I roll my eyes and bite back a growl. "He's right. She was nineteen. Surely she should have been able to at least protect the children of her pack. We have all kept quiet and accepted her as an Alpha because Rolando demands it. But what has she truly done to earn that title," Alpha Michael adds. Venus pales beside him, slapping his chest. "This is true. And she herself has admitted that she has had three Ferals stumble onto her territory. Until now, we've all assumed it to be impenetrable. How strong can it truly be if they can get in so easily," Alpha Linden adds. Beside him, Hazel balks but stays quiet. "Enough! Leo is right. She could have kept this information to herself. If Ferals take our lands, she could easily come in and annihilate them and claim our land. Instead she warns us. Alpha Dawn has done well in my opinion as an Alpha since her family's passing. A female Alpha is a breath of fresh air among you lot of stuffy men. She reminds everyone that women can be just as strong as men," Holly snaps. The room falls quiet as she glares at each of the Alphas. A blush creeps up my neck at the attention she's drawn to me, but I keep my face passive. "Thank you, Holly. That's enough," Rolando says with a smile. Holly huffs but resumes her seat beside her mate. I mouth a thank you to her and she smiles, nodding in return.

"If we all communicate and check in with one another we can make sure nobody else goes missing and we can take down these Ferals," I say. Ismael scoffs and rolls his eyes, but says nothing. "Alpha Dawn is right. We need to stay as in touch as we can. Especially if we have Ferals roaming our land," Rolando says firmly. "I will not report to some insolent woman," Ismael spits venemously. I snarl at the challenge in his tone. "Then you can watch your pack fall and rot by your own hand." He snarls and lunges across the table, knocking everything off of it. I brace for the impact, tumbling backwards and kicking him off of me. He slams into a wall, cracking the sheetrock. I hear Rolando groan, but beside him Siobhan chuckles softly. "Dawn, over here," Julianna calls. I notice she's opened the door and pick Ismael up, throwing him through it. He slams into another wall with a grunt as I follow him out. "If you break another damn door, Dawn, you're paying to replace it this time," Rolando calls behind me. I kick Ismael in the stomach before he can get up, sneering.  "You've gotten weak, Ismael. I expected more of a challenge from you," I taunt. And that's what pushes him over the edge.