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worn tabletop and the wolves quieted.  “Auro, let’s hear the minutes of the last meeting.”
    Auro was his beta, the wolf who had fought to become second-in-command.  He was just a few years older and mated to a she-wolf pregnant with their first child.  Her father had taken ill after getting injured during a full moon hunt, and they were leaving the Wilde Creek pack and heading to her home pack so she could care for him.  The September full moon would be his last as beta and then Acksel would have to hold rank fights to determine who would take over.  He wasn’t looking forward to it.  He liked the pack the way it was now.  He was a very status quo sort of guy.  If it’s not broken, don’t fucking touch it.
    Auro opened the notes program on his phone and read off the minutes from last week’s meeting, and then Acksel discussed the few issues that were still outstanding, ending with the prep for the rank fights.
    “Preliminary fights will begin at three p.m. on the twenty-third, two days after the full moon.  Only males and mated females can attend.  The location is to be determined at a later point, but will most likely be behind my home.  Questions?”
    Dean, a wolf a few years younger than him, said, “We want to talk about your sister.”  A chorus of agreement drifted from the group.
    His hackles rose immediately and he let his wolf loose enough to allow his eyes to change color and his fangs to elongate.  Rising from his seat, he snarled loudly and everyone went quiet.  “My sister is my responsibility and is off-limits.  Am I clear?”
    He glared at the members of his pack and growled for effect.  All eyes dropped to the floor.  If anyone had met his eyes, he would have taken it as a challenge to his authority and kicked their ass.  Being alpha meant he had to constantly prove that he was worthy of the position.
    After a few more moments of silence, he sat back and willed his beast to settle.  He knew that if anyone had the stones to come after him, they’d do it in public so they could be assured of becoming the next alpha.  If that male could beat him, which was doubtful.  Acksel hadn’t become alpha because he had a winning personality.
    Returning to the original topic, he informed the males that any who wished to challenge for beta had to fight in the preliminaries or they would be disqualified.  He opened the floor to issues, and when there were none, he dismissed the wolves.  Most stayed put, drinking their beers and talking, but some headed off.
    Leaning back, he looked around at the males and ticked off their attributes in his mind.  Too old .  Too young.   Raging jackass .  He reminded himself that although the intention was to choose a male for Eveny to go through the heat with only , he was well aware that things happened.  Condoms broke.  Or were not used at all.  Deep down, his wolf lamented what he was planning to do to Eveny, but judging from a few secretive looks from several males that he’d beaten out for the position for alpha, he knew that if Eveny didn’t take a mate this heat, she could be used against him to get him to step down.
    I’m protecting her , he argued with his wolf.  It’s for her own damn good .
    Bullshit.
    Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and shoved the guilt way down in his gut.  He’d make it up to her somehow.  And she’d eventually forgive him once she understood that he’d done it for her own good.
    An hour later, most of the males were calling it a night.  “Vince.”  Acksel called the male who was third-ranked in the pack.  As theto, he had a lot of responsibility, and he was well known in the pack for being a no-nonsense male.  At almost thirty-three, he was older than Eveny by eight years, but he was foreman at the construction company and owned his own home.  Vince had supported Acksel in his desire to become Alpha.  He was loyal and dedicated to the pack, voicing his concerns about making changes to