Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 67

A few hours later, things were finally clearer–Jake had definitely been undermining Duncan's authority for a few months. While Duncan had known he had an issue, he hadn't been able to pinpoint the source until tonight. And unfortunately, he'd trusted a portion of his pack to the wrong man. Everyone was supposed to hang back and wait for Duncan's orders once he brought his group around back of the Monroe property, but obviously that hadn't happened.

"I don't want to run my pack like my dad," Duncan said quietly, looking down at his folded hands–he'd sat down next to Lexi on the hearth about an hour ago. "I thought I could win over his old guard but..." He shook his head, "I guess not."

"It's time for the ultimatum, Hayes," Malcolm said gruffly, surprising more than a few people with his use of Duncan's first name. He'd pulled a dining room chair in the living room, turning it around when he sat so that he could cross his arms over the back of the chair. "They either conform or they leave. If your pack stays unsettled, you'll lose people anyway. No one wants to feel uncomfortable in their own home."

"Unless you want to fight all of them," Ryker said, glaring over at Duncan. He was sitting in an armchair as far from Duncan as he could get while still being in the living room. Jo, on the other hand, had chosen a more neutral position, the loveseat between the couch and the hearth.

Every now and then, he would look over and meet her eyes and know she wanted him to come over there. But distance was all he wanted from Duncan right now. Instead, he tried to convince her with a few lifts of his eyebrows to come sit with him, but either they were having trouble communicating or she was ignoring him.

Judging by the way she rolled her eyes, it was the second option.

The rest of them seemed willing to hold out an olive branch. Or at least his dad and Jo and Brett did. Aaliyah seemed more reluctant, like him. Ryker definitely wasn't willing to do the first name thing yet. Duncan had been making life extremely difficult for the past few months.

His dad might've been willing to shove all that away just because Lexi thought Duncan was her mate, but Ryker... Someone had to answer for terrorizing Jo and Aaliyah and the kids and generally bothering his family.

And that someone was sitting beside his sister, occasionally giving her moon eyes when he wasn't frowning at the rest of them.

"I don't want to fight them," Duncan said, scowling right back at him. "I just said I don't want to be like my dad."

"You've done a hell of a job proving that."

"I was trying to keep my pack together." Duncan tensed, his shoulders rigid.

"And all it got you was Jake trying to take over the Alpha position," Ryker said with a dark smirk, "And he didn't even respect you enough to challenge you outright for it."

Duncan bristled, his fangs popping out. "Shut up, Monroe."

"Hayes." Malcolm's voice was soft but heavy with warning. But Duncan wasn't the only one in trouble. Ryker, don't start a fight in this house.

"I'm only telling you the truth," Ryker said, deciding to not listen to his dad. "You have to face it, Duncan. Maybe it's because you've been an underhanded snake the past few months, going after Aaliyah and the kids and Jo and letting your pack run wild."

"Not exactly the best example of leadership," Brett put in, though he seemed to be teasing more than scolding.

"Like you guys have never made mistakes," Lexi huffed, "He just became the Alpha."

"And he hasn't exactly done a great job," Aaliyah said. If her mood was visible, it would've been a dark cloud stretching from her to Duncan. Maybe with some lightning bolts. She clearly didn't like him any more than Ryker did. "Why have you been targeting us?"