What? Demand Byron to explain? Celeste was a little taken aback by the sudden change. Her mind struggled to comprehend what was going on here.
She had sensed a growing sense of distrust towards Byron from some members of the wolf pack, but she never anticipated the entire pack would be gathering together and demanding answers from him. Yes, Byron was acting weird these days. And sometimes he didn't look like himself. But no matter what, he was the Alpha of the pack.
And wasn't Byron still recovering from his injuries? Were his wounds healed now?
Celeste followed Ben's footsteps and entered the meeting room. The moment she stepped into the room, her senses were assaulted by a palpable tension. The room itself was suffused with a gloomy, oppressive energy that made Celeste feel as if she was suffocating. It was as if the very air was thick with unspoken accusations and unanswered questions. She couldn't help but wonder how this confrontation would end.
There were many wolves in the room. But it was clear that not all of the pack had shown up to take part in this heated discussion. Some had chosen to stay away, perhaps unsure of what to make of the situation. Those who were present, however, wore expressions of displeasure and suspicion that ranged from mild to outright hostility. Even the wolves who were seated at the back of the room appeared ill at ease, casting nervous glances at each other.
Byron was seated at the head of the table, his once imposing figure now diminished by the recent injuries he had sustained. Celeste couldn't help but wince at the sight of his still-healing wound, which was covered by a bandage that peeked out from beneath his shirt. His face, too, was a pale shadow of its former self, lined with fatigue and weariness. It was clear that he had aged a great deal in a very short period of time.
As she drew closer, Celeste couldn't help but notice the way his hands were shaking slightly as they gripped the edge of the table. It was as if he was holding on for dear life, barely able to remain upright. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, knowing that he must be in a great deal of physical and mental pain.
Celeste was surprised that Howard was in the room, too. But obviously, he was not here to confront Byron. Instead, he was standing behind Byron, seemingly offering him a wordless form of support. Celeste couldn't help but think of the rumors she had heard about Howard and Byron not getting along. She wondered if it was just a rumor.
Jeremy and Nancy were also here.
Jeremy, as the current Alpha in charge, was clearly here to mediate the argument. Nancy's presence wasn't surprising, but she was now sitting next to Jeremy as if she was his close partner, leaning her head towards him and whispering something. Jeremy was looking at her with a serious expression on his face. He didn't even seem to notice Celeste entering the room. What were the two talking about?
"We don't know if we can trust you anymore, Byron. You were not here every time the pack was in danger." A voice pulled Celeste's attention back to the room. She looked at the speaker, Alan's father, Bobby. The man's face was etched with doubt and suspicion. Alan wasn't in the room. Celeste wondered if the boy knew that his father was challenging their Alpha right now.
Byron's face paled visibly at the accusation. Celeste could see the weight of it in his eyes. She remembered the last time the pack had been attacked by the rogues, and how badly injured Byron had been. It was Jeremy who had taken charge and kept the pack safe, while Byron was incapacitated. And then this time, Byron had disappeared, leaving the pack to rescue him.
Byron's mouth opened, but no words came out. Celeste could see the guilt and shame written all over his face, and it was clear that he had no defense for his actions. The tension in the room mounted, Celeste frowned and was about to speak up.
"You're not being fair, Bobby. Byron had fought the rogues to protect the pack. And this time, if it weren't for Byron's reminder, we might even have been ambushed by the hunters!" Nancy's voice sounded in the air before Celeste could open her mouth.
“Where are the hunters then? Our patrol teams have been out for days and haven't seen a single hunter. It's making us wonder if there are any hunters here at all,” another wolf argued.
"Seriously? Bill and his family are still missing, and my parents were attacked by hunters. Byron himself was injured by the hunters and had to hide in that secret passage with Sarah. And here you are, questioning the existence of those bastards." Jeremy couldn't help but speak up.
"The secret passage? How come there is this secret passage in Sarah's place? Sarah said she had no idea about it before, and Byron knew exactly where it was. So forgive us for wondering what other secrets are there,” the wolf pointed out.
"Look," Bobby continued. "We're not doubting if there are hunters in this town. We don't want to weaken our wolf pack's unity. But it's clear that Byron has kept his secret. And whatever this secret is, it's been hidden for too long and too deep. We are a pack. Why can't we know about it? We can't keep living with this insecurity, anymore. There are children in our pack, and we can't just panic and run away every time something happens. Byron, we need you to give us an explanation, at least let us know what to expect.”
His words plunged the entire conference room into silence, and even Jeremy and Nancy couldn't help but look at Byron. Byron furrowed his brow as if considering whether or not to be open with them.
But then Byron's gaze fell on Jeremy, then it shifted to Celeste. Howard did the same.
Celeste was confused. What did this mean?