Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
W hile Io’s Pack Hall boasted pillars of marble and moonstone, shades of gold and burgundy, Deimos seemed to lend itself to workings of obsidian, silver, and sapphire. From the onyx columns baring flags of the alpha’s seal to the sable lamp posts overworked by silver twinings and encasing writhing flames within clear glass orbs, everything followed the same motif. Dark, a little forbidding, and beautiful.
Though Isla would receive her lumerosi when the moon reached its peak, the ceremony began in the late afternoon. The festivities would go into the evening and then night, a plethora of mingling and drinking, many speeches, then a meal before the releasing of the successful warrior class to the temple where the Elders would bestow what they’d earned.
And it all began in the Warrior Galley.
Every Pack Hall had one, meant to honor the wolves who’d gone through the perilous Hunt and survived, as well as those who hadn’t. Here, the galley lay within what Isla had come to learn as the North Hall, the original hall that had stood on these grounds since Deimos was founded a millennium ago. Sunlight barely edged through the windows, trickling beyond the latticework of stone slabs and columns, etched with countless names, a long legacy of strength, ferocity, and triumph. The history chiseled into these walls would take Isla a lifetime to learn .
“There’s the new recruit.”
Upon hearing the sudden voice from behind her, Isla, who’d been chatting with some other guests that Kai—who she still hadn’t seen—likely wouldn’t have been interested in for his “objectives”, jumped out of her skin, nearly coating her navy cocktail dress in wine. She twisted to meet a familiar rugged face, forcing a grin and the sweetest tone she could. “General Eli.”
The general’s eyes danced with amusement. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you. I forgot how skittish recruits can be right after the Hunt.”
Isla hadn’t realized she’d been so on edge. She remembered well the last time she’d been with Eli at an event like this. She had an odd, almost comical feeling that if Kai was in fact here in the gallery, he’d surely emerge from the woodwork now.
Eli greeted the other guests in their presence before bringing his attention back to Isla. “I’m also sorry I never formally congratulated you after your victory.” He swirled the drink in his hand. “I’d already departed for the base by the time you’d emerged, but I heard you were a marvel. Slaying two beasts and second-ranked.”
The other partygoers let out impressed and stunned sounds. “Wait, you’re the girl from Io. The Imperial Beta’s daughter,” one man quipped.
Isla held onto her smile like her life depended on it. She hadn’t wanted to reveal exactly who she was, and with her navy dress and the white robes that all the honored tonight wore, she’d been doing well for it. “I am.” She noted the souring look on the face of the woman beside him at the revelation. Distracting herself from the mix of glum and anger it filled her with, Isla demurred to Eli, “I’m not quite too sure about a marvel .”
“I am,” the general countered. “You’ve been on my radar since the high general sent me to scope the rising talent. He told me you could be promising, and you haven’t disappointed.”
“The high general spoke of me?” Isla feigned innocence. She’d already known she’d become a topic of discussion thanks to Kai.
Eli nodded, his eyes slipping to the man and woman with a clear hint to leave him and Isla be. If Isla hadn’t been so shocked by the gesture, she would’ve asked them to stay, but they heeded his silent request, moving along .
Now alone, Eli flashed her a wider grin. “Have you seen your display?” Once Isla shook her head, Eli smoothly slipped a hand behind her back, ready to guide her in the proper direction. So much like the feast, but here, there were no possessive tugs of intangible tethers from her mate…yet. Kai would eventually make his appearance. “Let’s go relish in your glory.”
Her glory .
The words had sounded decent enough in principle, incredible even, but after Isla had skillfully slipped from Eli's hold to walk simply by his side to the back of the Galley, all she felt was sick.
There was too much for her to focus on beyond the large fabric banner flowing on a phantom wind, where her name was embroidered just below Kai’s. Below the display, a glass case contained tokens for each successful hunter, their silks, and their trophies. Isla’s eyes fell upon the six sets of claws and teeth, two slain by her and four by Kai, that lay on velvet sapphire pillows. When she’d exited the Wilds, she’d been on the brink of death, unconscious, but Kai had ensured that the trophies she’d earned made it out, too, so she could have this moment she’d dreamed of. A small kindness he never owed her.
Nowhere in sight was Lukas.
“Is this supposed to display the entire class of trainees that descended?” she choked out, trying to sound impassive.
“I’m not too sure.” Eli paused, his eyes raking over the names with intent. “Have you seen the Alpha of Deimos yet?”
Isla suddenly became very aware of the wine in her hand. She gulped down some of the sweet liquid, feeling a slight tingle in her throat. “I haven’t.”
There was the slightest uptick of the general’s lips that fell promptly. His voice quieted for only the two of them to hear. “Four bak. Insanely impressive—but maybe a bit much, don’t you think?”
Isla pursed her lips, always finding herself so keen on the tones used when Kai was spoken of. The urge to defend him—his actions, who he was—rose quickly.
“He did it to—” she cut herself off, remembering that no one knew about what really happened behind the Wall.
“Prove a point?” Eli thankfully suggested in the pause. “You two lock in some friendly competition? ”
“Something like that,” she offered falsely.
The general nodded, looking back up at the names. “Well, I’m going to need that fire.” He turned, a smirk forming at the sight of Isla’s raised browslike he’d wanted to build anticipation.
Isla had a feeling she knew what was coming and, again, feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”
Eli cleared his throat. “Warriors are being deployed along the midland borders of Deimos, Rhea, and Charon to aid in rogue eradication efforts. I’ll be heading the squadron in Deimos, and as a general, I get to pick my own unit.” He paused, letting Isla fill in some gaps. “I’ve asked the high general if he’d allow you to join me in the field. Given you’re a new recruit—and it’s almost unheard of—he had to reach higher up and was able to get clearance from the Imperial Alpha based on your recent showing.”
Even if she’d known it was coming, Isla still found her heart thrumming. An opportunity like this was unheard of. “You want me to join you in the field?”
“Some things may need to be on an observational basis,” he acknowledged, a smile now threatening to stretch as wide as his face. “But it’s a great opportunity that not many or any new recruit will ever be granted, and it will look great on your ledger.”
He wasn’t wrong at all. But why couldn’t it have been anywhere else?
“Am I interrupting?”
Isla whipped around to where the voice had crooned from and found herself confronted by a woman making her way over. When she stopped before them, Isla took her in.
She stood just a bit taller than Isla herself, and her silken black hair must’ve been long, given how large her tightly wound top knot was as it sat on her head like a crown—a crown it felt like she deserved. Her brown skin was practically glowing in the sunbeams spilling from the skylights above, and it drew Isla’s attention to the black ink that seemed to stretch from her collarbone beneath the neckline of her ebony dress, over her shoulder, and to her back.
“Ameera,” Eli greeted, but not much could be done to mask the bitterness in his tone.
The name struck Isla hard.
The woman, Ameera, had her eyes honed on Isla, sizing her up like prey before she turned smoothly to face the general. “Eli.” She grinned, but even in its softness, it held something biting.
Eli’s matched it. “I should’ve expected to see you here.”
“It is my pack, after all,” Ameera cooed. “And I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to check out the new blood.”
Given her intensity and the way she held herself, this had to be the Ameera Kai had told her about. His friend who knew their secret. The warrior general. Ezekiel’s daughter .
As if she could hear Isla’s running analysis,Ameera cast another long look her way. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Isla was convinced the female general could cut down entire battlefields with her stare alone, but she wouldn’t cower beneath it. Kai had said the two of them were similar—could Isla pull off being this intimidating?
She could only dream.
The two of them would need to put on a show in front of Eli.
Pushing her shoulders back, Isla stuck out a hand. “Isla. I’m the new blood.”
Ameera looked at the appendage for a few moments before grabbing Isla’s forearm in the greeting.
“She was second to your alpha.” Eli bragged from beside her, gesturing upwards to the banner.
One of Ameera’s perfectly sculpted brows rose. “Was she now?” But she never looked up to observe the display as the two women pulled away from each other. “Congratulations. That’s quite a feat. Fitting, I guess, the two of you leading the pack.”
Isla coughed violently on her following sip of wine. It was harsh enough that she caught Eli’s hand rising beside her as if ready to pat her on the back. She held back a glower at the slight smirk forming on the female general’s lips, and she wasn’t keen on the challenging look that glimmered in her eyes.
“You know,” Ameera continued, and Isla braced herself, “if not for the alpha, the Imperial Pack member is who one would expect to finish on top, so things truly fell the way they were meant to be .”
So, this girl thought she was funny.
While Isla continued to battle to maintain her poise, Eli’s eyes darted between them. “Yes…” He trailed off. “I suppose it did all go as one could’ve predicted. ”
Blissfully, before any more awkward tension could arise amongst them, Eli was called away.
Now alone with Ameera, Isla allowed her eyes to narrow. “You think you’re hilarious, don’t you?”
“Amazingly, I’m not known for my wit.” Ameera had, thankfully, kept her voice quiet. A smile slid across her lips as she began venturing away from the display towards a further deserted corner of the Galley.
Though it would’ve been a perfect opportunity for Isla to get away—she was meant to be on a mission for Kai right now, after all—she found herself following. A friend of Kai’s aside, Ameera had been promoted to general at a young age. Isla could stand to learn a lot from her.
Side by side, the two of them settled, not turned towards each other entirely, but in a way that their gazes could still trail over the party. Canvas. A knowing look passed between them, and Ameera asked, “So, he also has you on watch?”
“That he does.” Isla sipped her wine. “What does he have you looking for?” Kai wouldn’t give her quite a straight answer, but maybe Ameera could offer something.
“He wants me to keep an eye on you. How people act around you.” Isla jerked back, and Ameera drank from her own glass. “I thought he was an overprotective bastard before, but with you, it’s a whole new level.”
Isla ground her teeth. Sure, there was protective, but was it also possible that Kai didn’t trust her?
As the bitter thought began to settle, just before Isla’s mind could get spinning, Ameera said, “I was looking forward to meeting you.”
Something about her tone made Isla wary. “I’m afraid to ask why.”
“It’s not every day that you meet someone who rejects but doesn’t reject their alpha fated mate and the kingdom they’re meant to rule.” Ameera shrugged. “I feel like anyone else would die for that kind of power.”
Isla felt each of the words press down on her chest. The more the reality of their situation was laid out before her by others and the more they framed how ridiculous their plan may have been, Isla almost felt objectively inclined to agree.
“I don’t want power,” Isla eventually figured to answer.
A doubtful look flashed across Ameera’s face briefly before she returned to appearing inconspicuous. “We’re wolves. It’s in our nature to desire power. You’re just too afraid to lose whatever rule you’ve gotten over yourself.” The assessment was so accuratethatit stunned Isla too much to counter. Ameera didn’t let up. “Funny the things we can’t face when we go toe-to-toe with monsters.” Another sip from her wine and scope of the crowd. Just as her face lit up, Isla felt it.
Felt him.
The room fell wholly quiet. Everyone went still. Kai had done nothing to mask that “alpha aura” of his. Nothing to hide the strength and power he had above them all. She didn’t know if it was that general aura, the bond, or just the genuine attraction to something beautiful, but he looked—ethereal.
And alone.
The smile that had spread across her lips upon seeing him fell into a frown. There was a pang in her chest. Of sadness. Of guilt.
A luna would be at his side, she imagined, in typical circumstances. Maybe an heir would’ve followed, too. But he stood alone.
Everyone bowed their heads.
Distracted, Isla’s remained up for the slightest second. The tiny bit needed for him to find her. When they locked eyes, she dared to give him a soft smile, barely moving her mouth. He didn’t return it. He didn’t break his form. The stone expression of a leader. But she did feel something. Not an alpha’s reach, but something like a caress through the bond. Just for her.
Feeling Ameera’s sidelong stare, Isla finally followed everyone else's suit and dipped her head.
“Fate’s funny,” Ameera whispered once the few seconds had passed, and they all rose. Kai had moved on to greet the ceremony’s guests individually. Isla resisted the urge to trail him the entire way. “You and Kai are so similar, but he has no choice when it comes to accepting power, so he let you have yours. I think it makes him feel like he has some control over everything, but I wonder if it’s worth sacrificing a chance at happiness.”
A chance at happiness ?
The pang in Isla’s chest deepened. Forget blades or claws, Ameera could cut through Isla with words alone. Could she slice into anyone’s deepest emotions and thoughts like this?
Isla cleared her throat, finishing her wine and pushing herself off their small wall perch. Though she’d been eager to talk about Ameera’s warrior journey, she suddenly didn’t want to talk to anyone at all. “I should keep moving around. Keep an eye on things.” The moment the excuse slid off her tongue, she knew Ameera could see right through it. But before walking away completely, Isla offered the general the softest answer, “I don’t think I could make him happy. If anything, me being here…I think it would only make things harder.”
Ameera hummed, and her voice was surprisingly solemn, “A shame you don’t think you’d be worth it.”
Isla ended up taking Eli up on his offer, and when she returned to Io a few days after her ceremony, there had been a party in her honor.
It was a small gathering, including her family, Adrien, the Imperial Luna and Alpha, some of her instructors, fellow trainees of Io, and their mates. For it, they’d all gone out to a nice restaurant on the Golden Avenue , a strip of the finest shops and eateries in the Imperial City. In all of Io, really.
“I remember when she beat the shit out of Vlad from year five because he’d taken that Cobaker kid’s lunch. He went home with a broken nose.”
Isla snapped her eyes up from her half-eaten plate of chicken to Sebastian cackling across the table from her. He had one of his arms slung around the back of the chair of his “plus-one” for the night—a woman who worked at one of the city’s boutiques. She almost seemed too sweet for him.
Sebastian had been telling a story about her, and Isla smiled, fond of the memory. “All you assholes did was watch, and Cobaker needed help. Vlad was eating him alive. His left hook was horrendous.” Then again, they were eleven.
“And right hook and jab,” Adrien offered from beside her, and Isla felt herself glow inside just to hear his voice. They hadn’t technically talked about Kai—or Cora—at all since the ravine. And maybe avoidance wasn’t the best practice, but she was just happy to have her friend. “And his fighting stance was pretty shit, too.”
“He couldn’t shift either,” Sebastian added.
Isla sipped her water. “I rest my case.”
“Warrior Princess since the beginning,” her brother said.
“I’d say Warrior Queen now. I mean, look at you,” Sebastian’s date quipped, gesturing to the people gathered for her achievement. But the only reaction she elicited was a choke between Adrien and Isla and a mischievous grin from her date for the night.
Sebastian stroked his chin. “You know, that does have a better ring to it.”
Isla kicked him hard under the table, and Sebastian howled, but before any other blows could be dealt, there was the sound of the clinking of silverware against a glass. All heads were directed towards the head of the table, and Isla’s eyes widened in fear as none other than her father began rising to his feet.
Since he’d finally returned home earlier last week, Sebastian said he hadn’t been very forthcoming with his location. Isla knew better than to question him about anything. Not about Lukas. Not about being distrustful of Deimos. And not if he knew about the Imperial Alpha’s plan to allow Isla to believe herself a killer.
Isla had refused to look at the man—who was supposed to be someone she trusted as her leader, as her family’s greatest ally—the entire night. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep off her scowl if she could restrain herself from saying something. She wondered if Alpha Cassius knew she was aware of the truth. If he’d expected to tell Adrien that Lukas wasn’t dead and have his son carry on with the fabrication.
“I’ll keep this short,” her father said, his already gravelly voice just that much more rasped with emotion. He looked to Isla. “And I won’t embarrass you, my daughter, I promise.”
Isla sank lower in her seat as she became the center of attention. “Oh, Goddess…”
The reaction garnered a collective laugh from those at the long banquet table.
“When Cassius told me about approving you for duty,” her father began. “I’d asked him to confirm he denied it. And when he told me he didn’t, that he’d given you the okay, I was ready to wring his neck.”
Another chorus of chuckles, though a bit more uncertain with the pass at the Alpha only the Beta would get away with.
“I see more and more of your mother in you every day. She was a fighter and never what anyone expected her to be—she was better. And you have gone down the same path of showing me, showing everyone, that you’re meant for more, that you are more than we could ever imagine. A warrior today, a warrior general tomorrow, and who knows where you’ll go beyond that.”
As tears stung at the corner of her eyes and a tight feeling lingered in her chest, Isla felt Sebastian’s gaze fall upon her at their father’s last words. She’d kick him again if others weren’t watching her, too.
Her father cleared his throat. “I know she is just as proud of you as I am. As we all are. And it makes me feel better sending you off knowing that she’s watching over you.”
Isla hurriedly brushed away a tear. Seeing his daughter breaking seemed to be taking a toll on the Beta, who failed to mask a sniffle. Sensing the impending waterworks and probably sparing the table a show, Alpha Cassius stood and placed a hand on his longtime friend’s shoulder. He lifted his glass.
“To Warrior Isla of Io,” he proclaimed, glancing over everyone before focusing on Isla.
That look alone seemed to dry up her tears and dull the pride she’d felt hearing her new title, making something inside her harden.
She couldn’t help but catch the emphasis he’d left on the name of their pack. Almost like a reminder. A challenge to her precision during their meeting a month ago now.
She was a warrior—she was working to help others on the continent—but Io was her homewhere her greatest allegiance lay.
Swallowing hard, she steeled herself and, without breaking his gaze, lifted her glass to him and took her sip. Not in acceptance but acknowledgment.