Celeste had no idea why Byron and Howard were suddenly looking at her. And she couldn't figure out the meaning behind their gaze. Jeremy followed their line of sight to her and seemed to be surprised at her presence in the room.
Byron's voice was low and somber as he spoke, and the silence in the meeting room seemed to amplify his words. "You're right, Bobby. I owe you all an explanation," he said. "Hunters have invaded our town. When I asked you to seek refuge here, I wasn't entirely certain about the situation. It was all so sudden and I had only just received the news. But I was attacked by the hunters and injured, so we must remain vigilant. The danger is still in our town."
Byron leaned forward, pulling back a bit of bandage to reveal the grotesque wound on his chest. The wound was slowly healing, but the newly grown flesh was tender and reddish through his chest. It was evident that he had been in grave danger. Some wolves gasped.
Byron had always been a beloved Alpha in the wolf pack, his demeanor that of a tough guy. However, him willingly exposing his chest wound made the Alpha seem vulnerable and human. The pack should have been touched and left him alone.
But Bobby, who had been skeptical of Byron's secrets, wasn't satisfied and decided to confront the Alpha directly. "You said you had received the news," Bobby said with a cold tone. "From whom?"
Byron stiffened at the question, but he quickly recovered. He shook his head and answered, "I cannot tell you."
Bobby seemed to have expected Byron to say that. He stood with arms crossed in front of him and let out a cold laugh. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke. "Why not? Sarah saw a stranger wolf run into your house, and then she received a message telling her to hide. So, who exactly tipped you off?"
What did he mean? Was Byron communicating with other wolf packs? But how would they know about their town's hunters?
Celeste had never met any other wolf packs besides rogues. Could it be that rogues were in contact with Byron? But she quickly dismissed this possibility because rogues seemed more interested in killing Byron instead of saving him and his pack.
But if Byron was meeting with a wolf from another pack, why couldn't he just tell them the truth?
The tension in the room was palpable, and the underlying meaning behind Bobby's words made all the werewolves present widen their eyes in shock. Everyone exchanged worried glances, and they began to murmur amongst themselves, trying to piece together what was going on.
"I can't tell you that," Byron for his part, stood his ground. He stared at Bobby, stating his words with the tone of an Alpha who didn't need to explain his actions to his Betas. But despite his confident tone, the weight of his command seemed to have weakened because of his injuries.
There were more murmurs in the room. They were beginning to doubt his leadership.
Bobby fell silent for a moment, his piercing gaze locked onto Byron. Then he let out another cold laugh that sent shivers down everyone's spines. "Alright, Alpha. Let's change the subject. Would you explain why those filthy rogues attacked us at the gathering?"
Byron's expression twisted with frustration and annoyance as he furrowed his brows. Obviously, he was not happy about being interrogated right in front of everyone. But he answered the question, anyway. "That's because Alpha Kent had some misunderstandings towards us," he responded, trying to keep his tone level despite the obvious tension in the air.
Curiosity piqued, and a wolf immediately spoke up, "What are those misunderstandings, then, Byron?"
Byron's eyes flitted to Celeste and Jeremy for a split second, then quickly darted away. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but before he could say anything, Howard's hand discreetly landed on his back. If Celeste wasn't standing here, she might not have noticed that.
Howard's movement seemed to have served as a silent reminder for Byron because the Alpha hesitated for a moment. Then he closed his mouth and shook his head. "I can't say, either."
Now the whispers in the room grew even louder, each wolf impatient with what was actually going on around them. Even Celeste herself couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion towards Byron. What was he trying to hide from them? And how many secrets did he have?
"Will those rogues come back to attack us again?" Another wolf piped up, her tone laced with anxiety and fear.
Byron shook his head once again, looking defeated. He seemed to have lost his Alpha's aura, reduced to a mere wolf who only understood how to shake his head.
Celeste felt a knot forming in her stomach as the murmurs in the wolf pack grew more heated. She could see the frustration and disappointment etched on the faces of the other werewolves. They had put their faith in Byron to lead them, to protect them from harm, but it seemed like he had failed them.
"You have let us down." A murmur sounded among the wolf pack. But this murmuring, when caught by the sharp hearing of the werewolves, sounded like a thunderclap.
Byron flinched at it. But he said nothing.
"Yes, you have let down our trust in you," another murmur echoed.
The murmurs grew louder. Celeste looked down, trying to weaken the voices that reached her ears. She had known Byron since childhood. Byron was a good leader, but his recent behavior had indeed raised suspicions. Celeste racked her brains trying to defend Byron, but she couldn't find any convincing reasons.
Then Byron's slightly dry voice came into her ears. "I'm sorry. I can't share this information with the pack yet. But I admit–"
"You're an incompetent leader, Byron." Before Byron could finish his sentence, another voice interrupted him. A voice that sounded slightly unfamiliar in Celeste's ears. She looked up and saw the speaker – Howard. His voice boomed through the clearing, cutting through the tension like a sharp knife.
Howard paused for a moment and continued, "Yes, you might have tried to protect the pack. But you were seriously injured in both attacks, proving that you're unable to handle them. And you wouldn't give the pack a Luna, which will only hold us back when the enemy attacks again."
Celeste stepped forward to defend Byron, but Howard's gaze fell on Jeremy, then he said, "So I think Jeremy should be the new Alpha of our pack."