James didn't give a positive comment without following it with a sly one. It was obvious the elder council was missing from the start.
James out of all people here should know the reason for that. After all, his sister was the last person known to Jeremy to be in contact with them.
So it wasn't unnatural for Jeremy to look in cold eyes towards him. But James seemed to not care about that, as he calmly returned to his seat.
"I don't know why they aren't here," Jeremy said while moving his eyes around. None of those present here tonight seemed to know anything about that reason.
None except for Christy seemed to know what was going on here.
"The elders aren't coming," Christy stood up with a wide smile over her face. She had that kind of victorious smile, like she just conquered the heart of Jeremy.
"Didn't they know we can't have a meeting like this without them?" Arnold, one of the leaders of big families, said in an arrogant tone.
"They were informed personally by me," Jeremy gave him a cold gaze before adding, "but they decided to drop coming to this meeting it seems."
"How come?"
"Shouldn't they be here?"
"How can we elect a new alpha without their presence and approval?"
Many whispers appeared and Jeremy let them fester. He wanted to see what Christy and the elders were up to. His eyes were fixated upon her, and yet all she gave him back was her smile of confidence.
"Who said they won't attend the meeting?" Christy said before standing and pointed to herself in elegant manner, "I, Christy, acts as the former speaker of the elders here in this meeting."
"..."
"..."
"..."
It wasn't only Jeremy, but everyone else showed a shocking expression over their faces. All except for James looked surprised and even the butler had the same look as others.
"They sent me here with one condition," Christy raised her index finger in the air so everyone could see it clearly. She didn't speak before turning to Jeremy and added, "and our beloved new alpha knows that condition very well, right my love?"
"Did she say my love?"
"Strange!"
"Did the two solve their history or what?"
Whispers erupted amidst everyone else, but Three remained calm and collected; Christy, Jeremy, and of course James.
"What do you say, my love?" Christy said in such a playful tone while faking her failed attempt to supress her laughter. She raised her palm and put it close to her opened mouth while laughing.
Shortly after she said, "Will you tell them the good news or should I have the honor?"
"..."
Jeremy's body trembled faintly under the gazes of everyone. In fact he wanted to go and dig his claws deeply inside her neck and get rid of her.
But he couldn't. He wouldn't do that and lose the needed support of the elders.
He couldn't be an alpha without question if not for everyone's support. The elder council was something he hated the most, but he also needed right this moment.
Jeremy stole a short glance over his minion, Chris, feeling that this smart for nothing wolf failed him here. He didn't get even a glimpse of that deal between Christy and the elders, despite asking him to dig deeply in the relationship between the two.
"Excuse me," at this moment, the butler stood up as he raised a phone in his hand. "I need to get this call right now."
"No one is allowed to leave before deciding over the next alpha," James was the one to speak before adding in an amusing tone, "and the next beta, and of course the luna."
His words carried the clear announcement of the condition of the elder council. Everyone had doubts before, but now they realized Christy and her brother, James, played it brilliantly this time.
Without prior agreement, everyone turned to look at Jeremy in pity. He sought the chair of the alpha desperately but in the end... He was forced to such a corner by his foes.
No one here didn't know about the old history between Jeremy and Christy. So they all felt some empathy towards the first, but not too much.
After all Jeremy was infamous for his brutality and cruelty that he had less supporters inside the big names.
If not for his twisted tactics and underhanded actions, he wouldn't have such a broad base of supporters in the entire pack.
Plus he was the strongest wolf in the entire pack by the acknowledgment of all. But that didn't mean everyone didn't hate him more just for that.
Most of those attending here fought so bitterly before to change the old law. They were greedy, as living inside the cities and tasting the modern lives of humans changed their hearts.
Why bow their heads to someone just because he was stronger? Why not select a puppet in the seat of the alpha, one they wouldn't fear when sleeping at their beds in the night.
Just seeing Jeremy twisting the rules and enforcing their hands by playing their game to make the old rules return made them terrified.
However it seemed the elder council had outsmarted Jeremy here. By the presence of Christy on his side, she would act perfectly as their eyes.
Plus she would try to tame him using her... Special talents.
"So... What say you, my dear mighty love?" Christy ignored the gazes and the deafening and awkward silence in the office and asked in her sweet tone.
"I... Agree," Jeremy had no way out of here but to accept his fate.
"Cool," Christy clapped her hands in joy, "now we can do whatever it takes to bring the pack to the top again. Go, sit on the seat you deserve most, my love."
She pointed towards the seat of the alpha while everyone started to clap. Jeremy looked at them as if he was looking at clowns of a lousy circus.
The old days where the alpha was chosen in a big epic fight, after cutting the throat of his adversary, were really missed in his mind and heart at this moment.
Compared to this fake clapping and cheering from those clowns, he would prefer the roaring yells of every single wolf in the pack celebrating his victory over his foe.
But he knew he had no equal in this pack, not in his generation, not in his time. Even James was considered a threat thanks to his current position and the undying loyalty of many enforcers that Jeremy failed to bribe.
"Thank you," Jeremy said in a tone void of any emotions and sincerity, "as you all know, I'm only temporarily acting as an alpha till my dear sister recovers."
"She is weak," Christy said in a mean tone and rude attitude, "how dare we acknowledge such a weak wolf as our alpha?"
Jeremy knew she wasn't saying that just to secure her position as a luna. She wanted to humiliate him and his family in front of the entire pack.
The first moment as an alpha was faced by such a test from his luna. And he courageously welcomed that challenge with open arms.
"How can anyone doubt my sister?" Jeremy had to take his sister's side this time, "she faced an entire legion of elite vampires. They were led by none but James, that old sly cold hearted vampire that caused us trouble all this time."
Despite his warning to her in the form of his strong stance, Christy never planned to back off.
"And yet she ended up in a deep coma, not knowing if she could survive it or not."
"She killed everyone there," Jeremy said in a strong tone before showing off his domineer, "she even killed James alongside his famous deadly squad. I dare any of you to be in her place and do the same!"
His words managed to crush what Christy tried to do here. But the latter never intended to give up. Not this easily!
"Humph, if I were her I wouldn't let myself end up in the same position," she said in an arrogant tone that got the agreement of all.
"If you were in her shoes, you'd have run and left the battle from the early moments," but Jeremy decided to be as rude as her. His words made her face reddened as she was insulted by his words.
"Anyway, we are going to repay their kindness double... Or what do you say my dear beta?" he turned towards James and rolled the ball into his sleeves.
"I can't agree more," James instantly said as if he was ready for such a question, "I've already gathered up my enforcers and I'm asking now, all of the great families of the Ravner pack, to lend me your elites. Let's shake the homes of those bastards and remind them of our might once again."
Jeremy wasn't surprised by James' call. After all he wanted this to happen so he would proceed with his plans.
He planned to take rid of all the elders and heads of the big families in one full sweep while most of the strong forces of the pack were away.