An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 18

"You WHAT!?" Ryan's roar echoed through the room as all those present lowered their heads, now afraid to even look in his direction.

He stood at the head of the table, his father on one side and Luke on the other. He'd insisted Lenah join the meeting, being a witness to what lay just outside the estate, and she was lounging against the wall staring straight back at him.

She showed no signs of being intimidated even as he glared around the room. His mate, forever being brave.

Slamming his hands on the table, he felt the table groan under the pressure as he stood up.

He was furious beyond words and knew his father and Luke felt the same way. The temperature in the room was arctic.

"Why don't you run that by me again elder Michael? I must have misheard you." The man sat a few feet from Ryan looking around nervously as he looked for support from the other elders. He found none.

"We adjusted the patrols Alpha...because of your new guest. The men needed to know their families were safe with her here." The other elders nodded their heads frantically whilst the other wolves present continued to stare at their hands.

He couldn't believe this. They were actually trying to blame this on Lenah.

"Bull." Heads whipped in Lenah's direction as she shrugged away from the wall.

Before they'd entered the meeting he'd thrown her one of his hoodies so her skin wasn't on show. It fell down to her thighs and he noticed she'd folded the sleeves up a few times so her hands could be free. She still looked more beautiful than any other woman he knew.

"Excuse me? Do you have something to say girl?" The elder sneered at Lenah showing his disdain as she walked passed him towards the map on the wall. Many others held similar condescending gazes as they looked at her and Ryan found himself grinding his teeth together.

"What you said is utter bullshit and you know it." The sneer fell abruptly from the man's face as the tension in the room doubled.

"What are you babbling about girl? You don't understand how things work here." This was said by another elder who glared coldly at Lenah.

"Oh I understand plenty elder Lewis." The man flinched as Lenah used his full title, a cruel smile playing on her lips. She looked cold and dangerous and it was turning Ryan on like crazy.

"Perhaps you'd like to explain how a camp that appears to have been there closer to a week than a few days is my fault. Bearing in mind I've only been her for two full days." She smiled as the man's eyes dropped to the table in front of him.

Looking at Lenah his eyes softened as he subtly nodded his head at her. She was right to speak out.

She settled back against the wall, looking intently at the now very nervous wolves in front of her.

The changing of the patrols had absolutely nothing to do with her so why had the elders really messed with things?

"I'm waiting elder Michael or would you prefer to explain elder Lewis?" Glaring between the two men he refused to relent his stare.

The two elders gapped at each other and Ryan wondered which one would be brave enough to tell him the truth. He was growing tired of their dishonest and evasive behaviour.

"We switched the patrols to a short one. That part of the land is the furthest from the house. We worried that we'd be too far away if there was an attack and there wouldn't be enough wolves to protect the females." Ryan stared at the young man, who wasn't much older than a boy, speak the truth finally.