Chapter 163

I turned to face the second woman. “And you?”

She paled as she dropped to her knees. “I listened to her because she is my luna.” She pressed herself to the floor, and I wanted to step on her.

I dropped low. “What pack are you from?”

“The Dark Forest pack.” The girls behind me all took a breath. But I threw my head back and laughed.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I tucked my aura away and waited for the two to get up.

“What?” The luna sat back on her heels.

“You are the smallest, and poorest pack, and you feel you have the right to judge anyone?” I held out my hand.

“What did you just say?” The luna released her weak aura, but I used my own to block hers from reaching anyone else.

“I said your pack is weak, poor, and disgusting because it breeds women like you who think that just because they are ranked in your own pack, you hold rank among the others. Now give me those fucking tablets so I can get these students where they need to be. And believe me, I will be speaking not only to Vince about this, but to the council as well.”

“They won’t do anything.” She scoffed.

“They might not… but King Rowan doesn’t look kindly on this kind of thing.” My threat hung in the air, and I watched the color drain from her face. My threat hit the mark, and the two women handed over the tablets, and then I gestured to the other four. “Open them.” They complied, and I handed them out. Then I turned to the crowd. I sent out my aura and called out. “Silence.” The room quieted down. “To ensure the fastest check-in possible, we will each call out a name in alphabetical order, starting with the names that start with A. Make way for the people coming up. I want everyone to run up as fast as they can to check in and then move on. Is that understood?”

There was a chorus of yeses, and then I lined the girls up. I gave them an order to call out and then we got started. We called name after name and checked them in as fast as we could. Thankfully, the app for attendance we were using made the name disappear once the person was checked in. The longest part of everything was waiting for everyone to run up.

I checked the time, and we weren’t going to make it. So I mind-linked Vince.

Alpha Vince.

Yes Amy?

Did you select the ladies working the check–in desk?

Yes, I did. Why?

Did you give them instructions to exclude as many unranked wolves to get them expelled?

There was a long pause, and then his answer was too cheerful. Of course not. Why would I do that?

Good. Then I expect you to extend the check-in time.

Wait. I can’t do that. Vince sputtered.

Why not?

Because I made the announcement, whoever doesn’t make it will be expelled.

So you are telling me you are going to expel a gamma, beta, and two alphas? My voice was incredulous.

What do you mean? They were given explicit instructions to allow every ranked wolf in before the unranked?

So you told them to exclude unranked wolves. I could feel my anger rising.

I pulled out my phone and I called Rowan again.

“Amy, I am really busy here.”

“I understand and I apologize for calling you again, but if you do nothing, you will need to appoint a new dean, and I will have to be imprisoned for murder.”

He coughed and then refocused on me. “Tell me what he did.”

“There is an assembly today for an announcement.”

“I know. I’m here inside waiting for everyone to be seated.”

“Well, I am outside checking in wolves as fast as I can because Vince made an announcement saying that any wolf not checked in by…” I looked at my phone. “Now, will get expelled. And the Luna and her wolf that were checking us in were purposefully ignoring the unranked wolves, hoping to get them all expelled.”

“What did you just say?” His voice dropped three octaves, and goosebumps hit my skin.

“There are at least a hundred and fifty left out here with me. I also have another alpha, a beta, a gamma, and two unranked wolves with me helping check everyone in. But when I mind-linked Vince to tell him about it, he said he couldn’t change the order of expulsion. He also said he had told the luna of the Dark Forest pack to allow in ranked wolves first and then allow in unranked members.” I looked at the rest of the people in front of me. “He did this on purpose, and if I handle it, there will be bloodshed.”