Chapter 223- Alpha Of The Blackthorn

Chapter 223: 223- Alpha Of The Blackthorn

Third-person POV:

Dante sat beside the bed, rubbing his aching forehead while Vanessa lay exhausted against the pillows. Her pains had finally eased, giving him a few precious minutes of peace.

Unfortunately, his mind kept returning to those ridiculous phone calls. Who the hell was that idiot, and why was he so determined to make Dante an omega’s assistant? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Beside him, Vanessa tried to turn onto her side. "AAAAHHH! DANTE! IT HURTS AGAIN!"

Dante flinched and pressed both hands against his temples.

For a moment, he seriously wanted to strangle her. He loved his unborn child, but if Vanessa screamed like that one more time, he was going to need a healer himself. His head was already pounding, and between his wife’s shrieking and those blasted phone calls, he was beginning to lose his mind.

***

Elder John leaned back in his seat. "Since Dante is the Alpha’s son and has already acted in that capacity, I need to give him the opportunity to accept responsibility for the pack before considering your claim."

Arabella nodded in understanding. She knew this was coming. In fact, she’d been counting on it.

It was precisely why she’d made arrangements with Chloe beforehand. While Arabella was sitting comfortably in the council office, Chloe was making sure Dante had far more important things on his mind than becoming Alpha.

"I understand, sir," she replied politely.

"Good. This shouldn’t take long." Elder John picked up his phone and dialed Blackthorn’s number. After a few rings, he put the call on speaker.

"Hello?"

Arabella immediately recognized Chloe’s voice.

"Good afternoon. This is Elder John from the council. May I speak with Dante, Alpha Chris’s son?"

"Yes, sir. Just a moment, please."

There was some rustling on the other end, followed by footsteps. Then, as Chloe apparently entered another room, a woman’s scream came through the speaker.

"DANTE! IT HURTS! DO SOMETHING!"

Elder John frowned and pulled the telephone slightly away from himself. "What on earth is happening over there?"

Arabella kept her expression carefully neutral.

She knew exactly what was happening. Vanessa’s false labor pains had started, and judging by the screaming, Chloe’s little arrangement was working perfectly.

"Sir, you have a call," Chloe’s voice came through the speaker.

"Another one?" a man shouted in the background. "For fuck’s sake, give me that!"

There was a brief scuffle before Dante’s voice came through the phone. "NOW WHO IS IT?"

Elder John blinked at the unexpected greeting. "Umm... Hello, Dante. This is Elder John from the council."

"Yeah? What do you want?"

"I need to speak with you regarding Blackthorn’s leadership. As your father has been absent for ten days, I must confirm whether you’re willing to assume the position of—"

"POSITION? AGAIN? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"

Arabella lowered her eyes to the file to hide her amusement. Elder John straightened in his chair. "Excuse me?"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU PEOPLE? I’M NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR STUPID POSITION!"

Elder John looked genuinely taken aback. "Dante, I believe there’s been some..." he cleared his throat, "... misunderstanding. I said this is Elder John, and I’m calling from the council."

"I DON’T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU’RE ELDER JOHN OR THE MOON GODDESS HERSELF!"

Arabella pressed her lips together. Oh, this was getting even better.

"My wife is about to give birth, you brainless bastard! She’s upstairs screaming her lungs out, and you idiots keep calling me about some fucking position!"

Elder John’s mouth fell open. "Mind your language, young man! You’re speaking to the head of the council!"

"THEN ACT LIKE YOU’VE GOT A BRAIN IN THAT OLD HEAD OF YOURS!"

"Dante!"

"WHAT? You think because you’ve got some fancy title, you can keep harassing me? Let my wife deliver this baby first! Then I’ll come down to your office and wring your bloody neck myself!"

Elder John slowly sat back. "Did you just threaten me, young man? Do you know your call is being recorded?"

"YES! AND IF YOU CALL ME ONE MORE TIME, I’LL DO MORE THAN THREATEN YOU!" Another scream came from the background.

"DANTE! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"COMING, BABY!" Dante shouted before turning his attention back to the phone. "Listen here, you miserable old fool. Take your position, roll it up, and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine! I SPIT ON YOUR FUCKING POSITION! I DON’T WANT IT!"

Elder John looked as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"Dante, for the last time, I’m asking whether you wish to take responsibility as the..." Dante didn’t let him finish.

"AND I’M TELLING YOU TO GO TO HELL! GIVE IT TO AN OMEGA! GIVE IT TO A DAMN DONKEY FOR ALL I CARE! JUST STOP CALLING ME!"

"YOU INSOLENT—"

Elder John took a deep breath, trying his best to remain patient. "Very well, Dante. If you have no intention of taking the position, do you have any objection to Arabella Westwood assuming the responsibilities instead?"

"OF COURSE NOT, YOU PIG! GIVE IT TO HER! WHO ELSE DESERVES IT? SHE’S MORE SUITED FOR THAT POSITION ANYWAY! NOW LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

With that, the line went dead. For several seconds, Elder John remained motionless, holding the receiver.

Then he slowly lowered it and looked at the telephone as though Dante might jump out of it at any moment. Arabella sat opposite him, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She wanted to laugh.

But she couldn’t. Not here. Not when Elder John looked ready to march into Blackthorn himself and teach Dante a lesson.

"Unbelievable!" he muttered under his breath. "Absolutely unbelievable! I’ve dealt with arrogant Alphas, who showed more respect than that boy!"

Arabella tilted her head sympathetically. "I know, sir."

Elder John turned toward her and started shaking his head. "That young man just threatened to wring my neck!"

"I’m sorry." Arabella looked concerned. "Perhaps he’s under a lot of stress because of his wife."

Elder John snorted. "I’ve been serving this council longer than he’s been alive! And he has the audacity to call me... names..."

Arabella lowered her head. Because if she looked at his face for another second, she was going to burst out laughing.

Elder John took a moment to compose himself, then reached for the file she’d brought.

"Well," he said, still visibly annoyed, "at least we have his answer."

"Yes, sir," Arabella replied softly. And this time, the little smile on her lips was almost impossible to hide.

Arabella finally let out a sigh of relief as Elder John pressed the official council stamp onto the certificate. There it was, written in black and white, with the council’s seal beneath it.

Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack: Arabella Westwood.

Blackthorn was finally hers to rule, and she couldn’t wait to see the looks on Chris’s and Rick’s faces when they found out.