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Chapter 163: _ Have You Gone Mad, Rhett?
Rhett turned his gaze to Darius, not even trying to hide the disdain in his voice. "If I didn’t have more important matters to attend to, I might’ve just had a reply to your hot-headed remarks...oh, dear Beta."
Rhett made sure his tone was laced with sarcasm at the word "Beta". Cause heavens knows Darius did not deserve that title. He was tired of tolerating his insults and insolence, but he decided to be patient. To play the fool.
If Beowulf and Darius wouldn’t perform their duties and stand up for the pack in desperate times like this, then so be it. That wouldn’t stop him from performing his duties as Gamma. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Darius’ cheeks flushed slightly in rage, as he took a step forward, looking for a fight. However, the Alpha’s words interrupted him.
"Rhett, enough of this." He shot a warning glare at Rhet as if it weren’t his sorry excuse for a Beta who’d been trying to make trouble. "If you have anything valuable to share, time is of the essence. We can’t let the vampires strike again while we’re still so vulnerable."
Rhett scoffed internally. He was impressed. Anyone who heard the Alpha just now would think that he truly cared about the wellbeing of the pack. His pack. But Rhett knew better.
Instead of bringing up his grudge against the Alpha for not showing up during and after the attack, Rhett decided to calm himself down.
"Of course." Rhett bowed slightly to Beowulf, completely ignoring Darius. "Please, follow me."
With that, the three men strutted towards Rhett’s office, getting salutes and greetings along the way. Rhett saw how excited some of the soldiers were about seeing the Beta and Alpha. He could sense that it made them feel almost at ease. Those poor men...
"Alpha, please have a seat." Rhett gestured for the Alpha to sit after the three men entered the office.
Rhett sat down immediately after the Alpha did, ignoring Darius’ existence once again, causing the Beta to scoff in annoyance.
"Hmph." The Beta grumbled, mumbling some curses under his breath as he sat down as well.
Man-child.
"So, Gamma Rhett, give us a status update. Any progress? What measures have you and your men put in place to make sure such an attack doesn’t occur again?" Beowulf made himself comfortable, crossing one leg over the other.
Moon help him, this was going to be a long and annoying meeting.
"Well..." Rhett cleared his throat before speaking. "... Everything is under control, Alpha. Our investigations are going smoothly, and we’re on the verge of reaching a breakthrough-"
A scoff from Darius caused Rhett to pause. He drew in a deep breath, wondering just what the Beta had to say now.
"That’s not enough, Rhett." Darius’ voice oozed with contempt and an edge of mockery. "Telling us that ’everything is under control’ wouldn’t cut it. What do you think we are, children? Give us something to work with!"
Rhett clenched his jaw. Oh, calling you children was an understatement Darius. Rhett thought the best word to describe the Beta was "pest". He was nothing more than a pest, and an annoying one at that.
But instead of saying all that, Rhett managed to smile calmly. "Would that even make a difference, Darius?" His voice became icy as he spoke to the Beta. "Need I remind you that while I and my men fought tirelessly against the vampires on the night of the attack, you conveniently took half of my men with you on your usual... visit’ to the Alpha? Staying protected away from all the bloodshed and losses we had to endure?" Rhett’s voice grew louder, as he remembered Alistair. "So, what then does that say of your usefulness in all this? Just what difference does it make if you’re involved in any of this?"
Rhett watched as Darius’s eyes darkened, his fists clenching.
He had enough.
If the Beta made a move to attack him, he wouldn’t hesitate to inflict enough damage on him before the Alpha could intervene.
Yes. Rhett was tired of tolerating the Beta, heck he was tired of tolerating the Alpha too, but he had to keep on a facade. At least, for tradition’s sake.
Darius stood up, glaring daggers at Rhett.
"How dare you?" Darius bellowed, eyeing Rhett like he were prey. "How dare you insult my worth?! Insult my position? You’re just a measly Gamma!"
Rhett looked up at Darius, his face stoic as ever. He wouldn’t stoop to the Beta’s level...at least, not yet.
"I’ll advise you to sit down and listen to what I have to say, Darius." Rhett’s eyes remained unwavering on the Beta, as his voice dropped, a guttural rumble emanating from his throat. "If you can’t act like an adult and behave yourself, you can use the door."
Darius seemed to hesitate when he heard the change in Rhett’s tone. Rhett could feel his fear, but the man still had a defiant look in his eyes as he growled back at Rhett.
"Enough!" The Alpha’s voice boomed, annoyance written on his face. He rubbed his nose as he turned to Rhett. "Just continue with whatever you have to say."
Rhett’s eyes wavered from the Alpha, and then to Darius who was still standing, glaring at him. However, after Beowulf gave Darius a pleading look, the latter finally sat down again, grumbling to himself.
Rhett scoffed silently to himself. These two.
"Pardon me, Alpha. Anyway, I and my advisors have an idea. It might seem harsh, but trust me, it would prove helpful for our pack’s survival in the long run." Rhett’s words sounded vague, as he watched the reaction of the two men.
Beowulf and Darius gave each other curious glances, before finally turning back to Rhett.
"Well, don’t just keep us at the edge of our seats. Continue." The Alpha urged, perching up his ears as he leaned in closer.
Darius tried to pretend like he was indifferent, but Rhett could see curiosity eating him up.
Here goes.
"I propose that we enlist every first male of every family in the pack, from eighteen and above, into the pack’s military. We’ll train them for a week or two on the basics of battle and war, with help from the best soldiers of our army." Rhett paused for a few seconds, noting the shocked looks on both Beowulf and Darius’ faces. But he wasn’t done just yet.
"I’d also suggest we enlist the fey as well. They might not be capable of killing, but their magic if trained for combat will be very vital against the vampires and will give our soldiers an upper hand. This way, we can reach out to other packs, fey factions, and even the humans, so we can all take the battle to the vampires and end it...once and for all."
The Alpha seemed conflicted, pondering Rhett’s words.
However, trust Darius’ big mouth to ruin the mood.
"Have you gone mad, Rhett?"
Rhett paid no heed to Darius’ words. Instead, he placed his focus on the Alpha, watching as he was lost in thought.
The Alpha might be an incompetent leader when it came to matters of war and protecting his pack, but his scholarly wisdom made him a master tactician, able to give advice when necessary. It was just so sad that he let the Beta get in the way of his critical thinking skills.
After a long sigh from Beowulf, he finally blurted out his thoughts on the matter.
"It’s a bold plan, Rhett. Desperate and bold." Beowulf seemed to be cautious with his words, looking at Darius for... approval?
Moon goddess have mercy!
The Beta shrugged, prompting Beowulf to continue.
"You’re asking for a lot, Rhett. We’re talking about the future of our pack here. What happens if your plan fails? What if we take the fight to the vampires and lose?" Beowulf was tense, tapping his foot on the floor nervously.
Darius suddenly spoke, his words shocking even Rhett.
"The Gamma’s idea is desperate, perhaps a bit foolish. But we’re living in desperate times, Alpha. Enlisting more soldiers isn’t such a bad suggestion at this stage." Darius’ words felt forced, as if agreeing with Rhett was choking him silently.
Or at least, Rhett wished he’d choke.
Beowulf gave Darius a pondering glance, obviously conflicted. Rhett studied him intently as he was deep in thought.
Rhett had seen how the Alpha had looked shocked at his plan before he turned to Darius to get his opinion. Rhett was anticipating that the Alpha would reject his idea and was prepared to secretly carry out the idea himself.
But immediately Darius opened his fat mouth and agreed with him, Rhett saw the change in Beowulf’s countenance. He seemed even more in thought now, actually contemplating his idea like he had no other choice.
Rhett would never stop wondering...what exactly did Darius have on the Alpha? Why did Beowulf respect the moron so much? It couldn’t be just because he was his father-in-law.
After what seemed like an eternity, Beowulf finally raised his head, his eyes determined. He had made up his mind.
"Alright then, Gamma Rhett. You can go ahead with your idea. But there’s just one catch..." The last part of the Alpha’s words caused Rhett to frown. "Darius would join you in overseeing everything."
No. Hell. No.
Rhett opened up his mouth, about to speak, but the Alpha raised a hand, signaling him to remain silent.
"My decision is final Rhett. Darius is my Beta, after all. He should be involved in these things, now more than ever." Beowulf tried to sound reasonable but only managed to sound like a pussy who had no mind of his own to Rhett.
Rhett turned his gaze to Darius, seeing the smug smile on his face.
With gritted teeth, Rhett finally nodded his head. "Very well, Alpha."
