45 - As the word caves in - 02

Sitting at the breakfast table, I laughed out loud as Jaden and his best friend, Damon, joked with each other for almost two hours.

The atmosphere seemed much more relaxed for us now, but I could see the nervous eyes of the pack members, anxious about what was about to happen.

Everyone paid their respects to Jaden, some even daring to voice their displeasure with the upcoming fight. The fear of falling into the hands of another cruel leader drove the pack to despise Joshua even more.

"A man who can't recognize the good you've done for us, my son, doesn't deserve the power of our pack," said an elderly woman. "I hope you win, or we'll fall into a new limbo like the old one."

She had the courage to approach us. She was old and had been born into this pack. She had lived through two Alphas before Jaden, father and son, both with a terrible track record with their packs.

She had begun to thrive after the arrival of my mate, and that was why they feared a man like Joshua so much.

"I'd be wi