After Mindy (now Beta Mindy) stepped to the side, George and Owen stood in front of the altar. Dawn and Zina were by their sides.
Elders were staring at the scene in front of them while exchanging questions through the pack link if anyone knew what was coming next. They were stunned that the young Alpha of the Red Moon pack and a female of unknown origins were their Gammas. Mindy becoming a Beta was not surprising because everyone knew that Mindy and Talia were close and that Mindy was a capable she-wolf with an Alpha bloodline, but why was a Commander of the Red Moon pack highlighted now? And who was the guy next to him?
They heard that the Red Moon pack fell and the Dark Howlers reaped benefits, but no one told them any details, damn it!
"Are you sure you want to go through this?" Damon asked George.
George confirmed. "There is nothing to prevent one Alpha to serve another. It's not an exaggeration to say that I owe you and Luna Talia my life, and I know that my wolf agrees. Thanks to you, we survived; I found my mate, avenged my parents, and saved members that are loyal to the Shawn bloodline. They need a pack, and I am not ready to give them one, not on my own. I am asking you to take care of my people and me. In return, you will have our loyalty as we accept the Dark Howlers pack as our own."
They talked about it. George could survive for a long time without a pack link because his wolf was strong, but the Omegas and warriors following him were another story. It was a matter of days before wolves of weak-minded ones would start turning feral, and George didn't want to risk it. At the same time, George didn't see anything wrong with him being a member of Damon's pack. He didn't remember his parents, and he had no desire to lead a pack. As George saw it, it was too much paperwork and politics, and he was more of a hands-on guy.
"Alright," Damon said. "Alpha George Shawn of the Frostcrest pack, I invite you to join the Dark Howlers pack as the first Commander the Dark Howlers pack ever had. Your position will come with land and autonomy. You and people willing to follow you will be required to obey the rules of the Dark Howlers pack without exceptions. In terms of the pack hierarchy, you will be second to Luna Talia and me, equal to our Betas and Gammas, and above Generals. You can count on my assistance, and I expect the same from you in return. Are you willing?"
George confirmed. "I am willing."
Damon turned to Owen. "I hear you will be Commander George's second in command. That will make you a General."
Owen lifted his chin proudly. A General! Finally! "Yes, Alpha!"
Damon raised his hand, indicating to Owen to wait. "Your title of a General is in name only until you prove yourself in the arena against my high-ranking warriors. You will need to undergo training as a warrior of the Dark Howlers pack, and demonstrate to me and Commander George that you have the capacity to lead warriors to victory without recklessly endangering their lives. Are you willing?"
"I am willing!" Owen exclaimed, and he smiled when Zina excitedly squeezed his hand.
Gideon started the pack-joining ceremony for George and Owen, and George felt like he could finally breathe. Dawn was by his side, holding his hand, and there was no need to conceal his background and Alpha aura.
George and Dawn will stay in the packhouse until the buildings for them and the people from the Frostcrest pack are completed. Caden estimated that it would take a month before the first dwellings were move-in ready. When all gets done, Dawn and George will have their villa, and about a hundred other Omegas and warriors will get their homes which will be a mix of individual homes and apartments. It will be a small werewolf-inhabited city with several stores, a town square, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a market, and a paved road connecting it to Darkbourne.
A small part of George wanted to lead a pack. He was an Alpha, after all. But he thought about the situation rationally, and he decided against it.
No one ever taught him a thing about being an Alpha or leading people. A good Alpha was taking care of people and their needs, finances, security, safety, and so many other things that George didn't want to think about. He would make decisions based on his instincts, and that would make him a horrible Alpha.
Like this, people from the Frostcrest pack can still be a separate community that was part of something greater, and George was fine with that.
George will be the highest-ranking warrior in the Dark Howlers pack, with several units of warriors and the responsibility of guarding a long stretch of the border. In a way, it was similar to the arrangement he had in the Red Moon pack, but now they didn't need to hide. People loyal to George will live in a small settlement, and they will be free to walk outside without fear of being bullied.
An additional bonus was that Dawn could be with him and stay close to her friends and family.
It was a win-win, no matter how George looked at it.
Zack volunteered to help George with town management, making Zack something like a town mayor. Zack will need to balance his current duties with the new ones, but the teen was up for the challenge.
Seeing that James was one year younger than Zack, and was Gamma with a mate already, Zack felt the need to step up.
The ceremony culminated when the blood of new members was brought to the altar by Amelia, Arya, and Daria.
Gideon chanted in an ancient language no one could understand as Amelia, Arya, and Daria helped pour the blood into the flames slowly.
With the last few words, the flames rose, and Talia's heart tightened as wave after wave of emotions washed over her. Uncertainty, doubt, fear, insecurity, the sense of being lost and abandoned. It was all there, and she could feel them like they were hers. And they were hers only a few months back.
Talia stepped forward as her eyes flickered in the silvery light. She raised her arms, and her hair fluttered behind her while turning silver.
A pulse of warm energy exploded from Talia to spread around every new member, providing a gentle embrace that whispered of safety and better days ahead.
'Welcome to the Dark Howlers pack,' Talia addressed them through the newly established pack link. 'Damon and I will do our best to take care of you. Our Betas, Gammas, warriors, and every other member is your family now. There is no need to be afraid. We won't harm you. This is your home.'
Sobs were heard from several directions, and a few Omegas that were closest to the platform fell to their knees. More than Talia's words, it was the sincerity that flew through the pack link and the soothing sensation of her aura that was like a long-forgotten mother's embrace.
There was still a lot of negativity, but there were hope and relief as well.
