#Chapter 99 – Unexpected Guests

The next morning, Victor wakes early, going to his office to begin working through his plans for the future. Everything is different, now, without a Luna by his side to secure his position. He has heirs, yes, but the community values family. Indeed, he has built much of his political stance on family values.

Now that he has rejected his Luna, there is going to be blowback. He needs a plan.

Beta Stephen brings him a cup of coffee and he is just about to take a sip when the doorbell rings. Victor frowns at Stephen and c***s his head, a silent question.

Stephen just shrugs at him. “I don’t know, sir. You don’t have any appointments.”

“Perhaps it’s just Burton,” Victor says, straightening his suit coat. It’s a little early for a full suit, he knows, but he feels better when he’s ready for anything.

“I’ll check, sir,” Stephen says, heading out of the room.

Victor sips his coffee and turns to his computer, scanning his calendars and email inbox, one ear cast towards the front door for any hint of who has come to visit.

He goes still at the first hint of voices. Old voices, familiar ones.

s**t.

He stands straight and stares at the door of his office, his eyes narrowing as someone walks in the door frame.

“Mom?” Victor says, frowning. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m afraid it’s not just me, darling,” she says softly, lowering the small pink suitcase she carries to the ground.

Victor opens his mouth to enquire, but closes it quickly when his father rolls into sight, followed quickly by Rafe and…someone new.

woman – tall, blonde, leggy, wearing heels so high her ankles seem to tremble. She gives him an

says nothing, looking them all over,

serious and ready for a fight, “to take you in hand, boy. To take the pack in

in a snarl. “I

his father says, waving a hand to dismiss his protest. “What matters is that when you took the pack at such an early age, a clause was built into the contract suggesting that if you hit times of crisis – and rejecting a well-loved and well-respected Luna certainly falls under the category of a

looking at Victor with steady eyes. Behind him, Rafe smirks. “We’ve come

mind racing, trying to find a way out of

iron-clad, unfortunately,” his mother says, not unkindly. Victor shifts

slowly shakes her head. “No, darling. I’m just

created for a twenty-year-old pup, whose missteps could lead to disaster – not for someone who has capably led

should have had the by-laws revised, shouldn’t you, at some point during that time. As it stands, we

mother says softly, almost apologetically, “it

desk, at his hands spread there. God damnit. Another move he hadn’t seen coming. But he could get through this – find a way to quickly and undeniably prove his competence, and they would be forced to

asks,

it takes,” he hears his father

hears Beta Stephen’s voice. The Beta is standing in the doorway behind his

in an in-law suite on the first floor. Victor had had it built expressly for their visits several years back, everything made specifically to be accessible by

room furthest from his own room, in fact. He didn’t want to hear…well, anything. From the two of

looking over the scene at the pool out back. His father isn’t there – he’s taking a rest

my leadership, my ass, Victor thinks, taking a sip of his

like that, today. Though it’s not even New Years, the lucky warm snap has continued. He blinks, wondering at the fast change – not even a few days ago, they had had a white Christmas, and now it

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