39
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A V R I L
At least for the night, we escaped the tense atmosphere and intense stares. Resting in my mate’s arms felt like being transported back to the safety of our haven, a refuge that renewed my strength. Blissful, yet heartbreakingly brief.
After breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, Koen and I spent the morning lingering in the common areas, putting on a deliberate show of casual confidence. We had passed yesterday’s test, but we couldn’t afford to raise any more suspicions. And the constant act was starting to feel like sandpaper against my nerves.
As the hours dragged on, I noticed the stress catching up to Koen as well. More accustomed to this environment, he could seamlessly mirror the behavior expected of him. Whether leaning in apparent ease against the arm of a chair or engaging in polite conversation with old acquaintances offering their condolences, his posture was almost flawless.
It was convincing enough to fool most, but I noticed the subtle flicker of tension in his jaw and the stiffness in his shoulders. Like me, he was acutely aware of the invisible eyes watching us. Despite our caution, I could see the weight of what might happen if things went wrong beginning to wear on him.
Thankfully, we had each other. The burden we carried felt far less daunting when shared, leaning on one another and offering support when the suffocating pressure of others’ scrutiny became too much to bear. Koen had my back, and I had his. Clinging to our bond made everything more bearable, and before long, we found ourselves heading back to the conference room.
It was just my luck that, when the elevator reached our floor, its doors opened to reveal Orson, Alpha of Golden Valley Pack, standing inside, accompanied by his beta.
I froze for a moment, wondering if I should pretend to have forgotten something in my room, but I quickly scratched that idea. It was obvious he still had his reservations about me - running away from him would only feed his doubts. Instead, when Koen tugged on my hand, I followed him inside.
That was the longest elevator ride of my life, even though it only lasted half a minute. Except for exchanging polite greetings, silence reigned within the metal box. By the time it stopped and I heard the ding right before the doors opened, I could finally breathe again. But only for a split second.
As I followed Koen out of the elevator, I felt cold fingers wrap around my wrist. Startled, I almost forgot I shouldn’t use my full strength as I tried to struggle from the grasp. Orson held me firmly, forcing me to look at him.
When I did, there was suspicion in his eyes as they pierced through me, trying to read me past my expression.
“You look eerily familiar,” he remarked, and a cold shiver ran down my spine.
Caught off guard, all I could do was stare at him, like a deer in the headlights. What the hell did he mean? He’d never seen me before.
“ Maybe he’s seen our parents, ” Kea observed, her thought slicing through my mind like a whisper.
She couldn’t possibly be right. Orson was in his mid thirties. When Mom and Dad were killed at Emerald Lake, he shouldn’t even be an alpha yet. It must have been his father who answered their ally’s call to check on my parents’ corpses. Could he have brought his son along?
I barely had time to ponder when Koen's possessive growl shattered my focus. Blinking myself back to reality, I found Koen pulling me closer, yanking me out of Orson’s grasp.
“Don’t touch my mate,” he warned, his voice a constant rumble, the sound scraping his throat as he glared challengingly at the other alpha.
Orson raised his hands in a gesture of apology, his stone-cold expression unreadable. “No offense intended.” Slowly, his gaze drifted back to me. “I was just… curious.”
“Keep your curiosity to yourself, or you won’t get to keep your head,” my mate threatened, positioning himself protectively in front of me.
Shifting my attention to Koen for an instant, I realized through our bond that he wasn’t being his normal protective-self. Anger overshadowed his usual control, bubbling up from the inside and rising to the surface. He was like a rubber band about to snap. For the first time, it seemed his transformation was actually affecting him, fogging his mind and amplifying his anger.
Shit, I needed to help him calm down before he became too lost in rage to remember the secret we had to protect.
“Koen,” I called, rubbing his back, but he didn’t budge. Then, an idea crossed my mind, and I tried, “Mate.”
As if the word was some sort of command, I felt his muscles gradually relax under my palm. Finally, his eyes broke away from Orson to find mine.
“Yes, mate?” he replied, his voice mixing with Col’s. I hadn’t realized he was this close to the surface.
Touching his face, I assured him, “I am fine. Please don’t be angry at Alpha Orson,” I begged like a pitiful omega, making sure to seize the opportunity to reinforce my cover.
As Koen melted into my touch, I sensed his breathing even. At last, he released a sigh, letting me know his wolf had retreated. Thank Goddess.
Once the situation was under control, I glanced back at Orson, no longer frightened. “I’m afraid I don’t recall you and I ever meeting, Alpha Orson,” I stated, feigning a hint of confusion to appear truly disoriented by his comment.
“Hm.” He eyed me for a moment longer, but this time, I didn’t waver - my mask was as innocent and naive as I could manage. In the end, he murmured, “My apologies. I must have mistaken you for someone else.” With a head gesture, he signaled to his second-in-command. “Let’s go, Mateo.”
With a nod, the beta followed his leader, both dodging Koen as he refused to move out of the way.
It seemed the second meeting was off to a good start for us.
The same old reek of authority and stale power plays infested the conference room. As the Elders sat at the head of the room, their expressions were carefully neutral. The agenda started with trade agreements and border disputes, but my pulse quickened when the topic shifted to the fallen packs.
“The first issue we will address tonight is the defeat of Alpha Brent of Blood Rose Pack,” the head of the council announced, flicking through the dense pile of papers in front of him. “Following yesterday’s discussion, the attack has been deemed legitimate. As the victor, Azure Smoke Pack is entitled to the resources of Blood Rose Pack. Although there were no survivors, Azure Smoke may still claim the treasure and lands of the eradicated Blood Rose Pack,” the old man continued, shifting in his seat.
As he set the papers aside to focus solely on me, I knew there was a bottom line - and he didn’t hesitate to deliver it. “However, such transitions may only occur after the official registration of the first party.”
I believed the condition was supposed to hit me like a slap, but I paid no mind to it. While resources were always welcome, we didn’t need them. The Council’s futile attempt at urging Azure Smoke to come out of the shadows hadn’t worked.
With a nod, I said, “Thank you, your Honor. I will let the alpha know.”
As the meeting continued, the spotlight soon shifted to Koen. “Onto the battle between Opal Moon and Whispering Hills - yet another fight with no survivors,” the head of the council observed, a hint of suspicion poisoning his tone. “Alpha Koen, as the victor, retains his pack’s fortune and lands, along with the assets of the defeated pack.”
I thought that was it, and they would move on to discuss the details of the transaction. But, once again, they hit us with yet another absurd clause.
“Nonetheless, it has come to our attention that Alpha Koen has moved into Azure Smoke Pack after taking Omega Avril as his chosen mate,” the Elder stated. I couldn’t understand why he felt the need to emphasize our situation until he continued, “Unfortunately, this signifies that Koen is essentially giving up his alpha title to join a different pack.”
Unlike me, my mate wasn’t the least satisfied. “What is that supposed to mean?” he gritted through his teeth, though I imagined he had already been able to connect the dots.
“Both Opal Moon’s and Whispering Hills’ resources are currently frozen,” another Elder explained, his tone impassive. “To access them, you would need to become the alpha of a still-standing pack, thus keeping your title.”
Koen clenched his jaw. “The only way of acquiring the alpha title without a pack is by marrying an alpha-blooded female and claiming hers,” he declared dryly, shocked the Council would even suggest this.
My heart sank at the idea.
Unfazed, the head of the council simply determined, “You have three months to resolve this matter. Otherwise, the council will appoint a new alpha to inherit the assets.”
After he dropped the bomb, the meeting continued with no further explanations or exceptions. Debates and decrees buzzed around the room, but my focus stayed fixed on Koen. The Elders may have thought they could strip him of his legacy, but I wouldn’t let that happen - at least, not without a fight.