Chapter 19

Ultimatum

noun

-a final statement of terms made by one party to another

-a statement, especially in diplomatic negotiations, that expresses or implies the threat of serious penalties if the terms are not accepted

The stinging in my eyes was nearly unbearable from the force that my body wanted to take on my fox form. I knew immediately that my eyes were a raging orange-amber color and my irises had no doubt spread over my scleras; inevitably making my eyes take on the exact form as my fox. And judging by the gasps erupting from the audience-the members of the pack-they had finally come to the realization that not only was I supposed to be their Alpha Female, but I also wasn't a Lupo, I was a Volpe. I suppose that they were all so caught up in the moment that those who didn't recognize me or smelled me simply assumed my species. But now that they knew the truth, they weren't exactly ecstatic about the proposition, not that I had expected them to be.

Blithe on the other hand was going ballistic as he seemed to vibrate with rage, "What are you TALKING ABOUT?!" His voice boomed across the entire hall and ricocheted against the walls, not to mention my ears. I could feel the sound bounce through my chest as though it were a drum. I would've said the sound was an earthquake if I hadn't known better, but at the same time, he also simultaneously managed to silence the entire hall. The expression that it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop was never more real than it was in that moment, especially considering there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people present.

Monroe crossed his arms across his wide chest, not once even blinking at the sound that erupted out of his son's throat, as he chuckled slightly; at what, I had no idea. He seemed to be amused by the situation, even if it was breaking his child's heart and that sickened me more than his hatred of my species. He was hurting Blithe and that was inexcusable. "She's not your mate, Blithe. Never has been, never will be. Creatures like her do not become the mates of Alphas. It's unheard of, it's sick, and it's delusional. She's like a siren, Blithe. She's infected your mind with false promises and feelings, there is no turning back. Don't be fool-"

Blithe's own eyes became a livid, molten, liquid gold as his irises spread out to the corners of his eyes, taking on their wolven form, as a roar of dominance that demanded absolute submission tore out through the building. I had to cover my ears and resist the urge to run with my tail literally between my legs. At the sudden eruption out of my mate's throat, the Lupos already in their wolf forms who were the supposed "Alpha guards" rushed up from their posts to stand in front of Monroe to protect him, seeing as though he was still technically their Alpha. They snarled slightly at Blithe to keep his distance, but their threats fell on deaf ears.

Some people in the audience stood up out of fear when this happened, but hardly any of them actually left, either too afraid or too caught up in the drama to leave. I cringed internally when I realized that most of the school was attending this pack meeting and were seeing my life spread out for all to see; it was as if we were performing a play on the stage and they were hanging on to our every word as they enjoyed our performance. The audience was freaking out as they whispered and talked amongst themselves, the scent of fear and confusion tainting the air as they tried their best to decipher the situation.

Over all of the turmoil that had been created due to my mate and his father, I could faintly hear Tiffany, Monroe's own daughter, screaming over the roar of the crowd, not caring who heard, "DAD, JUST LEAVE IT! SHE'S NOT ALESSANDRO OR LAWRENCE! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO MOM!" At this, I was mentally scratching and racking my head for what that could possibly mean. I've heard a lot of controversy over me and my species that involves something about Blithe's mother, yet, no one's told me exactly what that connection is. Even Monroe came up to me and said shit about my species and his wife. I could only assume that my species did something awful to her, but to make an assumption of an entire species based on a handful of individuals was textbook specism.

I was unbelievably appreciative that Tiffany had stood up for me, a Volpe she hardly knew. As Blithe roared more profanities at his father, Tiffany kept screeching at him, "BLITHE'S ACTUALLY HAPPY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE SHE DIED!! LET HIM BE HAPPY, DAD! DAD?! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!! WHO CARES WHAT HIS MATE IS! IF SHE WAS A FREAKING HAMBURGER, I'D BE THRILLED FOR HIM!! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY FOR YOUR KIDS?!!" I could tell there was some apparent built up daddy-daughter issues going on that she's holding against him that she was suddenly lashing out at him with, but I was grateful nonetheless for her support.

I continued to stand on stage very awkwardly as the intensity of my partial-shift died down, even if my initial anger did not. I could tell by the sound of the catwalk creaking, even above the overall chaos, that Kyle and Serena were climbing down the ladder to come stand by me. They parted the curtain, drawing even more gasps and confused voices to raise from the crowd, and moved to stand beside me as I stood behind Blithe. Monroe's eyes would momentarily meet mine and send a glare my way, but Blithe kept yelling and screaming even louder when his father would do so, as though to deflect his father's rage off of me and onto him.

I had never felt more proud and grateful to have Blithe for a mate than right then. He was actually standing up for me, and not just to anyone, but to his own father and technically his Alpha. He cared about me so much that he stood up for what he thought I deserved and demanded that I have it. Kyle, my brother, and my father had all done this on a regular basis for me, but for a new male to come into my life and protect me like this-and so soon, at that-meant more to me than sweet-nothing ever could.

Monroe suddenly grew tired of this, and uncrossed his arms in a blur of power, throwing them down to his sides where his nails grew out into noticeably dulled claws. He stepped into Blithe's face, a clear sign of dominance, and spoke directly into his ear while growling lowly, "You do realize that I've not officially finished the ceremony?! I could stop this entire thing, right here, right now, and you'll NEVER become the Alpha!" Monroe's lips curled up into a disgusting snarl right as his mouth moved back from his son's ear, the Lupo Alpha guards continuing to stand at attention next to their Alpha.

I was still standing a few feet behind Blithe from when he had pushed me behind him, but I marched myself right up behind him and wrapped my hands around his thick biceps very gently as to not startle him with all the adrenaline pumping through his system about right now, "Blithe? What's he talking about?" I looked up at Blithe with a hardened look that was only slightly softened for his sake.

Blithe sighed and Monroe leaned back fully from his son's ear with a very smug, knowing grin plastered on his face. I cringed at the thought of what he knew that I did not. Blithe turned his head in my direction and quickly ran a hand through his hair before looking down at me with the same glowing yellow eyes that sent shivers down my spine, "He means that...it's not finished until we exchange blood. Ancient Lupos used to believe that when the previous Alpha exchanges blood with the new Alpha, the new one receives all of the knowledge of how to run a pack and increased strength that the previous Alpha possessed," Blithe sighed again and shot his dad a death glare as he explained this to me, "And while that's not true, we still do this ritual to honor our ancestors. It's basically when someone gets married, they have a ceremony and needs an officiant, but it's not official without documents and vice versa." Blithe reluctantly turned his head back over to his father, expecting a retort.

Unluckily for him, he knew his father all too well. "Which is also the exact reason why we must respect our ancestors," this sent Tiffany off into a whole new screaming match to her father on stage, along with others who were booing and even more who were cheering for Monroe, "and not allow our next Alpha Female to be a Volpe. I could have at least tolerated a human, but a Volpe?" He sneered the word, which not only made me growl, but also Kyle and Serena growl from behind me. They knew exactly all of the shit I had been through with specists like this in the past, but this was an entirely new challenge we were all willing to take on.

Blithe's eyes became even brighter with anger as another growl seemingly threatened to rip his chest right in half. He moved his arm from its previous, tensed position and wrapped it around my shoulders, "I will never do that, Father." I had only ever heard Blithe address his father as "Dad", so I knew the word would purposeful. "She is my mate, and by law, the rightful Alpha's mate is also an Alpha. You can't deny us our rights by law." I was proud of Blithe for standing up to his father like that, but I was also worried that it might potentially come back to bite me in the ass for tearing him and his father apart. I pushed the thought out of my mind as I had more pressing matters on my mind at the moment than to worry about the potential for something in the future.

As Blithe mirrored his father's smug look for stating the mere facts, Monroe seemed unfazed by this which only fanned my anxieties further, "Yes, but you forgot the most important detail of that law." For only the second time since we all walked out onto stage, the building went eerily quiet with the anticipation of what was to come, "You're not the Alpha yet, Blithe. I am, and I can deny you of being my heir for any reason I please." Blithe pulled the corner of his lips up in a silent snarl as he recognized the truth laced between his father's words, as unwilling as he was to accept it.

Monroe continued his rant, "But I would still rather you be my successor, Blithe. And for that reason, I will give you a choice." Monroe's eyes were not shifty, as I would have expected them to be coming from someone as sketchy as him, but that's what made Monroe a dangerous opponent: His confidence. He knew exactly what his next move was going to be and had it calculated in his mind long before any of us could counteract it. He always had another trick up his sleeve to get what he wants and he was manipulative in that way. If he was this way with his own son, I couldn't have imagined the way he was to his colleagues when he wanted something done.

Cutthroat is the word that came to mind.

Blithe blurted out, obviously stunned by his father's words as all emotion drained out of his features. He had drawn a blank, and that in itself made my stomach sink. "What kind of ultimatum are you giving me, exactly?!" His voice carried throughout the silent room and came back with multiple forceful echoes, repeating the question that was on everyone's mind within hearing range.

Monroe averted his gaze from looking directly into the eyes of his son, down to me and smirked as he spoke, "It's really a quite simple 'ultimatum', if you insist on calling it that. All I'm asking is that you choose between your pack-your family-or your mate who you've known for, oh, I don't know, less than a week?" He stopped staring at me after I gave him a flash of my eyes along with an obscene hand gesture and he paced between the two military Lupo guards nonchalantly, like he was giving a heartfelt speech, "Now, as your father's dying wish, I ask of you to choose the pack over that. For...comfort before I go to the grave." Monroe laid his hand on Blithe's shoulder with a smirk, knowing it would be hard not to say yes to that.

Blithe's eyes looked down and away from the prying ones of his father as the wheels in his brain began turning in all different directions, not being able to clean away all of the cobwebs to make a clear decision for his future; for the rest of his natural life.

But Tiffany stood back up and screamed out to Blithe, "DON'T DO IT! HE'S JUST TRYING TO MANIPULATE YOU!" Monroe turned his head to glare at his daughter and most likely flash his eyes in warning for disrespecting him and questioning his authority, but Tiffany either didn't notice or chose not to address it.

Blithe seemed completely unaffected by her reaction as he was lost in the labyrinth of his mind. He looked down at me from the corner of his eye, as his eyes began to change back to their regular deep chocolate color and their same diameter. The moment this happened, he unwrapped his arm from around my shoulders, and my stomach dropped in spite of myself.

This can't be happening...

He bent down so his mouth was coming right to my ear and he pushed my hair behind my ear before whispering in it, so lowly, I could barely even catch what he said, "I promise..." Butterflies erupted inside my stomach, despite the potentially heart-breaking situation that was happening at the moment and my lack of knowledge as to what that could even mean.

Blithe leaned back up to his full height and stood staunchly beside me without physical contact of any sort. While looking his father dead in the eyes, he said sharply, "I can't believe you, of all people, who know what it's like to be without your mate-your love-are gonna make me choose. But, I suppose that since you're forcing me to..." A sly grin made its way onto Monroe's lips, as if he knew what was coming, "I choose the pack."

Within the span of less than a second, I felt myself crumble inside. I felt as though my insides were made of glass and were thrown against the wall and shattered into a million, missing pieces that could never be glued back together. My chest felt like someone had reached inside and took my heart in their grasp and made a hard fist around it. The headache that I had complained so much about earlier in the day came back to the forefront of my mind like a freight train just ran my skull over. I did not feel tears pricking at my eyes like you would expect to come from any other damsel in distress, but I was no damsel.

I was my own knight in shining armor, as I had been my entire life.

It was after that lingering first second full of pain when I snapped. I shoved Blithe, and he would have fallen off the stage if one of the Lupo guards hadn't caught him by the pantleg with the amount of strength I used, and he, along with everyone else, obviously wasn't expecting someone as small as me to possess that kind of strength. And I was about to go up to Monroe and do the same thing, only much harder, but both of the Lupo guards charged me and stood in front of their Alpha, their jaws snapping in warning.

I only growled fiercely down to them as my eyes turned fully amber once more and I could feel my nails elongate. Looking back up at Monroe, I growled louder at him and showed my growing canine teeth as a threat, which I intended to keep.

He didn't flinch, instead he kept smirking at me, knowing he had won.

Serena tried to grab my arm to pull me back so I didn't do something she thought I would later regret, but I easily avoided her grasp and shook her off me as I yanked open the curtains of the stage to retreat behind them. A ripping sound bounced off the walls as a portion of them billowed down to the stage. I took one last look at the person I thought I had genuinely cared for me and who I was grateful to have just minutes before and I turned around, disappearing into the darkness of the backstage. I crouched down, no longer being able to hold it in, and shifted into my fox form as my anger consumed me.

My body was wrapped all up in my clothes that once occupied my human body, and I wiggled my fox form out of them, looking out at the stage where Blithe was calling my name frantically, everything around me appearing that much larger from this angle. His eyebrows were furrowed in worry, as if he somehow still cared about me after what he just did. I shook my head to clear my mind before I sprinted right out of the room.

The audience had their show.