98 Preparing For The Meeting


    ~Leo~


    I could not believe Sean was a bastard.


    Had we known he would betray us like this, we wouldn''t have opted they give him head Alpha of the


    West.


    It seemed right then because we needed the four regional alphas to agree to the kingship. Little did


    we know it would be a move we would regret.


    I had suspected him when there was a high inflow of disced people in the East and South. Every


    time the council reached out to him, he would have a logical exnation for it.


    He would say they were packs belonging to alphas hanged for treason.


    He would suggest that the pack members did not like the new alpha and decided to leave.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    It did not corroborate what the people said, but how would we know? I had a region to run, Devin


    had a region to run, and the council had their hands full. The Royal family also had their hands full


    trying to bnce Larry''s stunt''s financial and economic effects. We were too upied to dig deep,


    and he took advantage of it.


    What I did not understand was why he would think he deserved more. If anyone deserved more, it


    was Christian. He was with us through it all, even at the expense of his wife and son. Sylvester had


    forgiven their crimes for his sake, and Christian was content with it. Why would Sean think that


    way? He was a greedy bastard, and we made a terrible mistake by trusting him.


    I noticed my father talking on the phone, and I did not need to guess whom he was talking to. I


    knew Erik had finally reached out. It made me nervous. I doubted I wanted to see the man based on


    trust alone. I did not know what to expect, and the fact that Amelia was pregnant made it more


    difficult. It wasn''t like she was sick or something, and it wasn''t like she needed me. I just wanted to


    be with her. I guess it was the excitement of it all.


    "I hope we can trust the two of you," I finally spoke, looking at Grey and his wife.


    "Our history with your family has not been great, with Susan being the exception. I would not trust


    you until you give me a reason to. It isn''t personal, but I hate being yed. If you say you are on our


    side, then you better be. There is too much hanging in the bnce; another betrayal would be too


    much. It is not personal.


    I do not trust my parents either. I haven''t seen them in almost seven years, and a lot has changed


    within those years for anyone to remain the same.


    I dislike pretending, so I am stating it out of respect. I hope I am clear," I said, and everyone was


    silent.


    I knew no one expected me to be that blunt, but I had too much to deal with that I did not have time


    to investigate them or watch my back all the time.


    I needed them to assure me with their actions that I would not need to watch my back where they


    were concerned.


    "We have sworn our allegiance to the King. That should be good enough, but if you want us to


    prove it, I implore you to give us a chance. You should know that we have personal stakes, just like


    your parents. They have you and your mate to worry about, and we have our daughter and her


    mate to worry about. Susan is our only child and the only family we have left. We will be damned to


    want to ruin her life and happiness." Grey said, making much sense, and I nodded.


    "Good enough for me. But I will still be watching," I said, and Davidughed.


    "We will all be watching. We shouldn''t have to pay for a crime our great-grandfather and grandfather


    committed. Even our father had no hand in this, and I wille to my father''s defence on this,"


    David said, looking at Grey, who was slightly annoyed.


    "Whether you like it or not, Beta Sullivan, there was an uprising, and your family was smack in the


    middle. They did it twice. The real person you should me for depriving you of spending time with


    your daughter and forcing you into hiding is your brother Nics, not my father.


    My father did nothing wrong by trying to hunt down and eliminate the threat.


    If my father was evil, he should have wiped out your entire family. Thew calls for it if you have


    been used of treason, but he spared your brother, niece and daughter.


    That has to ount for something.


    He let her grow up there and date his son, his heir, and only asked them to leave when he felt his


    secret was exposed.


    He could have still killed your brother, daughter and niece for it, but he allowed Nics to move


    away with Susan, whom he believed had the knowledge of his secret and allowed your niece


    Glenda to continue living in the north.


    You can''te here and try to paint my father as an evil man because he wasn''t. He wasn''t


    anything like his father or his grandfather. He was just a careful man with sentiments," David said. I


    had never seen him angry before, but I guess what Grey said about Maurice got to him, and he was


    right.


    Thew did state that if found guilty of treason, the entire family should be wiped out. It was


    Sylvester that recently abolished thatw. Maurice did make an exception for the Sullivans. David


    was right.


    We all stared at Grey, waiting for him to say something, but he was speechless.


    "Even now, your family is still smacked in the middle of treason because of the massacre in


    Pridewood. Talk of being overprivileged," Dominic said, a bit annoyed, and I knew I had to calm the


    situation.


    It was only a matter of time before the Volkovs start pushing back.


    A lot of shit had been said about them, and they were made to look like monsters, but looking at the


    entire scenario, the Stepanovs were more monsters than the Volkov.


    It was still a Stepanov versus Volkov war.


    "We need to calm down," My father said, noticing the tension in the air.


    "You can''t ask us to be calm; you do not know what it means for your family to be dragged in the


    mud repeatedly. Our only crime is that we are Volkovs. My father''s crime to his people was trying to


    protect himself and his family by sniffing out traitors.


    Traitors that we still had to deal with in our time.


    Had my father sessfully taken all of them out, including the Sullivans, Larry wouldn''t have been a


    problem, and the people of Pridewood would still be alive," Dominic said,ing to his father''s


    defence.


    I knew things got pretty awkward because Dominic did not like his father. He was there for most of


    the bullshit his mother went through.


    "Do not say that, Dominic. I am a Volkov too. There was no time the Stepanovs made me feel at


    home for it. Leo has a target on him because he is a Volkov, too. We all share in the taint. Ours is


    worse because our ancestor was a love child. Talk about being illegitimate, but that is the truth.


    Please Calm down so we can solve this. I am sure Grey was just speaking emotionally. Please be


    at peace," my father said. Grey apologised to Sylvester, Dominic, Vino and David for speaking


    poorly of their father. Sylvester was silent through it all, and I wondered what was happening in his


    mind.


    I ordered the maids to give the Sullivans a room and opted to excuse myself so I could get ready for


    my meeting with Erik tomorrow.


    While I headed towards the stairs, Devin and y approached me, and I wondered what their deal


    was.


    "Hey, you have a minute," Devin asked, and I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he wanted to ask.


    It was weird for him to speak like that.


    "No," I said, and the three of usughed.


    "Seriously, what is it?" I asked.


    "I want toe with you to meet Erik. I am ufortable with just you and Theodore going alone,"


    He said.


    "Me too," y added immediately before I spoke. I looked at Devin, and I looked at y. They


    seemed serious about it. Who was I to say no?


    "As long as you allow me to speak and handle the situation," I said, and they both agreed.


    "Okay, but no more additions," I said, and they nodded and smiled. I wondered if they had


    discussed it or happened to just approach me at the same time.


    "Leo," I heard Sylvester call me after Devin and y left, and I knew he wanted to discuss the


    meeting with me too.


    I went up the stairs and followed him to his room. Tamia was there, and Sylvester closed the door. I


    was a bit nervous about what they wanted to discuss with me.


    "So, Devin wants to join you to see Erik?" He asked, and I knew he must have listened to our


    conversation. I nodded and sighed.


    "Very well. I need you to be careful out there. You heard Grey. You are on his hit list. Besides my


    brothers and cousins, you are my strongest support and my cousin too; closer to me by blood than


    Marcel and Theodore, and Erik knows this. I do not want you to fall, Leo," he said sternly, and I


    nodded.


    He showed his emotions poorly, always speaking with a nk expression, and I wondered how


    Tamia dealt with it. She was like that too, so I figured they were perfect for each other.


    "I know you will never do anything that would put my family and me in danger, and I know you will


    always look out for my good. I have discussed this with Theodore. I am giving you the right to


    represent me at that meeting and make decisions and agreements on my behalf." He said I was in


    shock.


    "I do not want a back and forth between us. It will take time, something we do not have. Talk to him


    and make agreements on my behalf, so we would know what we have and where we are heading,"


    he said, and I understood his reasons.


    Sylvester wanted the meeting to happen once with results. It was a high risk on his part, but it also


    meant he trusted me.


    "I won''t let you down," I said, and he nodded.


    "I know you won''t," He replied, and I excused myself from the room.


    Who would have thought Sylvester would have so much trust in me? Only yesterday, he came after


    my region for treason and unknowingly rescued Tamia from the hell she lived in when I was still


    confused. I am d it all turned out well, and our family and circle increased.