Chapter 166
0166
(James POV)
Today is the day. I am nervous, but I am also ready. We do not have all of the answers, but we have
controlled for as many of the unknowns as we can.
Joey and I have spent countless days and nights in bars in human territory, with me always coming back to the pack late at night smelling heavily of alcohol and yelling at Joey to leave me alone and stop “baby-
sitting me.”
I have made no secret that I am unhappy about this wedding, and so my parents and Nick think that I am drinking my misery away, just like I did after Stephanie “died.”
In truth, I am 100% sober; I drink soda water at the bars. I am just using the
hars as a cover to meet with
other alphas and members of our team. With Dr. Hyder’s assistance, I have even convinced Alpha Brett
to re-establish the alliance with our pack once we clean house at the top.
The plan for the event is fairly simple. We are holding it at an opera house in human territory. We have
allies of the Movement positioned around the event hall, ready to step in if anything becomes violent.
Most wolves unaffiliated with the Movement believe that the event will begin with Stephanie’s traditional
birthday memorial. Once all of the standard speeches have been given, it will be time for my “grand
speech.” During that speech, I will talk about how much I love Stephanie and how no one will ever
compare to her. I will also spend 10-20 minutes giving her obnoxious and unearned praise (Margie decided to write the speech for me). Once all of that is over, the red curtain on the stage will lift,
revealing a wedding arch. Sheila and her bridesmaids will descend a spiral staircase in the corner
opera
house and walk to the stage. Sheila and I will then proceed with the wedding and marking ceremonies, which will be of course officiated by my father.
It is all beautiful and bullsh&t pageantry, and none of it will actually come to pass.
of th
the
Instead, just before I take the stage to give my “grand speech,” I will demand my father step down from his post as alpha and turn the pack over to me immediately. I estimate that there is a only a one or two. percent chance that my father will agree to do so. If I am wrong and he does, great -it will save everyone some headache… but again, it is highly unlikely.
So assuming he tells me to go to hell, I will take the stage for my grand speech. Only, instead of talking about how much I love Stephanie, I will publicly accuse Stephanie, Sheila, Margie, and my parents of serious werewolf crimes. Audio of some of the (accidental) confessions will be played, and pre-recorded witness testimony (with the names and faces of the victims blacked out) will be shown on the movie projector behind me.
Representatives from the Movement and a few of our allies will be positioned to ensure that none of the
five try to escape or interfere with the playing of the evidence. We will also have wolves positioned near any likely supporters, including Nick and those known to be on Margie’s payroll.
At the end, I will demand that the werewolf council -which we have ensured will have front row seats- exercise their authority to remove all five from power, and arrest them until they can be officially tried for their crimes. With the backing of the allied alphas, I will also ask that I be allowed to take over the pack in
I
their absence.
Overall, the plan seems relatively simple. Unfortunately, as I mentioned at the beginning, there are still pieces missing. For example, we have been unable to figure out who Sheila’s baby daddy is, assuming she is even pregnant. Aiden is of course the most likely candidate, but who the f&&k knows who else that she-wolf has slept with. We also do not know who all is on Margie’s payroll, or when if at all- Stephanie
will appear.
Ultimately, we decided that we needed to move forward anyway. We will trust who we know to trust, and
we will pray to the Moon Goddess that it is enough.
As I finish buttoning my tuxedo shirt, I look in the mirror and take a deep breath. How I wish Lily was here
with me right now. I just hope after this all gets done, she will agree to come back here with me.
I pick up my phone to call her. I know she is going to be a nervous wreck today, just like I will be. It will
be nice to hear her voice, to give me a good reminder of why I am doing this,
(Margie POV)
Today is the day. I am very happy and excited. I, of course, wish that James was marrying Stephanie and not Sheila, but Sheila will be a good luna too. I cannot wait to meet little Stephan or Stephanie.
My only concern is whether Stephanie’s death has permanently damaged James. I have seen how much he has been drinking and staying out late the last couple of weeks. I hope that lifestyle of his ends once he and Sheila are married and marked. If not, we may need to consider Randall picking a different heir for the pack anyway.
James has one chance to get this right. His speech about Stephanie today had better be on point. I wrote it, so I will know if he messes up any of the lines.
A few of my clients are on the werewolf-council, so I pray that he does not embarrass me. I need to remind them of how strong our pack -and my influence- really is. I do not want anyone interfering with my business now or in the future.
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