Wordcount: 1,077 words
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for Cursing (and vodka)
Summary: The End.
~*~*~*~
Happily Ever After
The drive back to the house was cramped but quiet and the fast food did wonders for Meg’s headache. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to vote for when it came time to decide Southside’s fate.
Nico might not have been involved in Donny’s murder, but the last thing she wanted to do was risk falling under his control. Bay Point seemed the only option– her father’s pack had been very clear about what they thought of accidental wolves.
There was a short burst of chaos when they first got back to the house. Corbin’s old pack members were either excited to see him or furious over the betrayal. Christopher had already reported in to the Council, so he made it very clear that the old alpha was not to be harmed.
As soon as she had a chance, Meg ducked into the kitchen to meet up with Theo and Susan. She turned the corner to find Yusuf and Quentin were waiting as well and paused, confused.
“I don’t bite,” snapped Quentin’s accent was thick and slurred which meant he’d been drinking again. Meg didn’t blame him, but she glared anyway and he looked away with a snort.
“We’re staying,” said Susan, cutting off Meg’s next question.
“What?” Meg looked over to Theo who nodded, “but you can’t, Nico–”
“We’re not staying under Nico.” Yusuf laughed, “Fuck him and his stupid land-grab, we’re staying here and we’re staying Southside.”
“The Council won’t let you,” objected Meg. “You can’t just tell them you’re staying.”
“How the hell do you think Southside was founded?” Susan rolled her eyes, “Besides, it’s too late, we put it to a vote while you were gone. No one’s running us out of our homes.”
“The Council’s not going to appoint an alpha if they don’t want you here and you can’t vote on one unless everyone’s present– and we weren’t there.” Meg glanced at Theo for confirmation, but the werewolf was busy studying the ceiling tiles.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. There was a long pause.
“You voted without me.” Meg said flatly. It was the one thing Southside had clung to over the years, the concept of democracy over the usual wolfpack dictatorship.
“Yup.”
“For a new alpha.”
“Bingo.”
“And why didn’t you wait?”
“It was unanimous, your vote wouldn’t have mattered.” Yusuf was looking much too pleased with the situation and Quentin was drunk, which meant Will hadn’t won or there would be more fighting and less alcohol.
“When were you going to tell me?” She finally asked, turned back to Susan. “I would have voted for you, you know.”
Theo snorted and Susan laughed and punched Yusuf’s arm. “Told you! You totally owe me dinner, ha!”
“Wait, what?”
“We voted for you, you idiot.” Quentin tipped his vodka bottle at her, “Long live the queen and all that crap. They didn’t tell you because you’re going to say no.” He glared at Susan and took another drink.
“So you voted to stay, voted to put me in charge– and you decided to keep it a secret?”
“Well yeah, you were busy catching the bad guy so we figured it wasn’t a good time.” Susan shrugged and snagged Quentin’s bottle to pour herself another drink. “And you aren’t going to say no.”
“Why the hell not?” snapped Meg. “You want me to fight the Council and Northside all by myself?”
“A) not by yourself, b) yes,” Susan counted off on her fingers. “and c) because I’ve been around a lot longer that you think I have and you are the only alpha who would have given a crap about Keeper.”
“Even if it was stupid to go charging out there alone,” amended Yusuf.
“She did that twice, actually,” Theo pointed out, helping herself to the vodka. “We obviously need to play more paintball.”
Meg just stared at them.
“Most people would have said ‘thank you’ by now,” muttered Quentin, rescuing what was left of his vodka with a scowl. “So say ‘thank you’ and let’s get on with it.” He offered her the bottle.
Meg took it, took a very long swig and handed it back. “Thank you.”
~*~*~*~
Meg watched as the Council representatives herded the old alpha into the backseat of the rental car. Corbin wasn’t even offering token resistance and for a moment she was sorry for him. He’d killed Donny and tried to kill Keeper, but he’d just wanted to come home– and it was hard to hate someone that desperate.
“If it makes you feel better, there’s a chance they’ll keep him alive.” Offered Christopher as he came up from behind her. “He’s got fresh intel on the Hunter’s, although it’s a family I hadn’t run into before. We’re not sure if they’re an offshoot or if one of the old world families is starting to emigrate.”
“Would they let him go?” she asked. “I mean eventually?”
“No.” Christopher waved to a colleague as the cars pulled away from the curb. “He’s too dangerous, so you’ll have one less thing to worry about.”
“So they’re going to let us stay?”
He looked up at the sky, searching for something in the early morning clouds, then shrugged. “They left it up to me.”
“Ah.”
There was a pause and Christopher finally looked over at her. “You’re a very weird kind of werewolf.”
“Thanks, I think.” Meg said. “I’ve got a very weird kind of pack.”
“Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Not a chance in hell, but I’m doing it anyway.” She watched the car finally turn a corner and vanish out of sight. “The curse said ‘be the wolves you are’, so I guess that’s all I can do– if it’s not enough I’m sure the Council will let us know.”
“Then I hereby declare you the alpha of the Southside pack and heir to all the chaos it brings. Good luck– and I hope you don’t need it.”
“Me either,” Meg shook his hand awkwardly. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
“Give me a call if things get rough, alright?”
“Sure.” Not a bad person to have on speed-dial.
“Soups on!” Theo leaned out the front door and yelled at them, “No, wait, I mean breakfast!”
“You can’t have soup for breakfast,” someone else objected and Theo ducked back inside to do battle.
“A very very weird pack.” Christopher shook his head ruefully and followed Meg home.
~*~*~*~
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