Aidan walked forward to meet them. Lauren's hand was still gripped in his, so she was dragged along. She could sense from the stiffness of his back, from the way he gripped her hand almost for dear life, that he was very nervous.
"It's a pleasure." He said, offering his other hand to the men. Alpha Lyall, the man in the middle, gripped Aidan's hand in a strong handshake.
"Why don't we continue this meeting somewhere more... private?" Alpha Lyall offered. Lauren did not miss how the alpha had completely ignored her.
"No." Aidan refused. Lauren watched as he tightened his jaw. She wondered just how much effort it took him to not bolt out of the pack's lair. She could see just how tense and anxious he was.
"No?" Alpha Lyall repeated. His eyes narrowed a notch and he waited, as though to give Aidan a chance to take back his words.
"I think we should have the meeting here, should we not?" Aidan continued. "I mean, everything you'll be discussing with me will have something to do with the next leadership of this pack, and all the wolves here have a right to hear it."
Alpha Lyall's face was blank for a moment, then he smiled brightly. "Alright then." He replied. Let's have it your way."
Lauren and Aidan watched as seats were brought out for the three delegates. They sat down on it comfortably, without offering the both of them any seats. Lauren looked around at the wolves in the pack: they were standing at a considerable distance, peeping through the trees. It was clear they didn't want to be part pf the meeting, and yet wanted to see how it would go down.
"I don't remember telling Robin to ask you to bring an escort, do I?" Lyall asked, eyebrows raised. His eyes never left Aidan's.
"I don't remember telling anyone that I'd like to be alpha either." Aidan clapped back.
"Well, it's the rules, boy." Alpha Lyall replied, his smile never wavering. "Nobody in the pack seems to be enthusiastic about taking over as alpha from your father, so it is only prudent to make his son the next one."
Lauren watched as Aidan's eyes narrowed. He seemed to be reading the expressions of the seated men. "It could be that." He said finally. "It could also be that you need someone whom you can control in this position. From all I've heard, my father was never willing to bend to your rules, so you want to see if you can bend me too."
Lyall cocked his head. "What an interesting take—"
"I am young, much younger than my father had been. I am inexperienced in the world of Lycans, and that's why you want me to be the alpha. You need someone weak and ignorant, and you think I would be the best fit."
The alpha seated to Lyall's left spoke up. "Young man, it is the least you can do for this pack, considering how many of its members have died on your account, and that of your...girlfriend." 
Lauren bristled at the man's tone. She could feel disapproval and hatred for her emanating from the three alphas—an almost tangible and physical hatred.
"Lauren didn't ask for this." Aidan growled. "She didn't ask for any of this. She didn't choose her father, did she? She didn't cause or start the battle. Every casualty suffered during that battle was incured by my father, who is dead now. His debts died with him. I will not be made to pay for his losses. I will not be alpha."
"Aidan..." Lauren heard Robin whisper with warning somewhere to her right, but she didn't turn. All her focus was on Alpha Lyall and the eerily still expression on his face.
"Hmm." The alpha murmured. "You're a very brave young man, Aidan, refusing our offer. I daresay you're much more stubborn than your father had been. Your father—whom you killed."
A collective gasp moved through the wolves standing around like a gust of wind, and Lauren watched as Aidan took a step back. "I—I didn't..."
"Suddenly lost for words, are we, Aidan Boris?" Lyall murmured, his voice full of disdain. "Do you want to deny the accusation, boy? We know what happened in the battle. We know you killed him because he Turned you when you were a child, and you've never wanted to be a werewolf. Isn't that why you conspired with Dr Makovsky to kidnap his daughter in exchange for a serum that would make you human again?"
Aidan whispered, his grip on Lauren's hand even tighter. "How did you—"
"Yes, Aidan." The alpha pressed on, his voice cutting like knife points. "You killed your father."
"I did not!" Aidan snarled and moved forward until he was almost nose-to-nose with the delegates. "Dr Makovsky put a bullet through him. I did not kill my father."
The whole forest had fallen silent, as though the animals that lurked in it were also listening. Aidan's body moved up and down as he took rapid breaths. "Instead of trying to make me chafe under your leadership, why don't you focus on the war that's coming?"
Alpha Lyall cocked one eyebrow. "What war?"
"Doctor Makovsky is coming." Aidan said, nodding his head for emphasis. "He is coming with his army of mutated wolves, as sure as tomorrow, and I think you should focus more on gathering an army to resist him than forcing me to be alpha. Trust me, you would have more luck with achieving that."
Alpha Lyall stood up abruptly, so abruptly that Aidan and Lauren fell back. "The Council of Alphas and all the packs under them shall not be dragged into your battles. You will fight them alone and we shall not support you. Too many wolves have died for this...foolish cause."
"I think that is left for every individual wolf to decide, Alpha Lyall." Aidan said in a deadly quiet voice. "If they love Lauren and their late alpha, if they wish to protect their lives and that of their loved ones, they would join the war and fight of their own accord. You don't own their minds, Alpha, and neither can you control their choices. They would fight only if they want to." He stopped and turned to go, then turned back again and added:
"Dr Makovsky's army is as ruthless as they are innumerable, and they won't stop at you or your packs just because you're the Council of Alphas. You cannot escape his army, Alpha Lyall. Remember that."
The whole pack was silent as Aidan finished speaking. Then he grabbed Lauren's hand again and gave a mock bow to the three men. "Until we meet again."
****
"That was brave." Lauren noted. "And stupid. No wolf who values their life and their freedom would leave the Council and join us. Alpha Lyall would have them killed before they can join us."
"There is something bigger than heartless Alphas and their enormous ego, Lauren. The Council needs to realise that." Aidan muttered as they trudged through the forest, towards Beth's house.
"I wish your speech had changed a few minds though." Lauren said. 
Aidan stopped abruptly and turned to Lauren. "Lauren, I've seen things in that laboratory. Unspeakable things the doctor did to humans." He said hoarsely, his eyes full of a vibrance that Lauren was scared of. "He has hundreds of them, not just the few we saw during the battle. And you know what scares me? For every one rabid wolf we kill, two of ours will go down. That's how strong his mutations are."
He took Lauren's hand in his and traced the lines with his fingers. "You and Mike, you're made of much stronger stuff than normal wolves. Mike was Turned from Dr Makovsky's serum, and he in turn Turned you. Dr Makovsky unknowingly made the both of you almost as strong as his rabid wolves, but what would happen to the other wolves in other packs when he attacks them? How many wolves can resist him the way you two have?"
Aidan stopped as he noticed the terrified look on her face, then gave a small smile."Let's go." He said, then turned and continued walking, leaving Lauren to follow him. She couldn't shake off the apprehensive feeling that settled on her as she'd heard Aidan's words.
For every one rabid wolf we kill, two of ours will go down.