40. Liam
Chapter 40
Liam
T he council chamber is quite impressive, with ornate decorations adorning the walls and a long, polished table at its center. As we enter, I feel a surge of apprehension, knowing that this meeting could determine Selene’s fate.
I lead Selene to the front of the room, where the elders are already seated. Their expressions are guarded. Raskogr, the bear shifter representative, sits at the head of the table, his massive form imposing and regal. Ariana, the nymph representative, is seated next to him, her delicate features betraying none of her thoughts. Elara, the elf representative, sits opposite them with sharp, unreadable eyes.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Good morning, Council,” I begin. My voice is steady despite the nervous flutter in my stomach. “I’d like to introduce you to Selene.”
There’s a murmur of interest from the council members, but their distrustful gazes are clear. Alyssa looks apprehensive as her eyes dart between Selene and the other council members.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I continue, addressing the elders directly. “But Selene has been living among the vampires and has information that could help us. Her perspective would be invaluable in figuring out what they’re up to.”
Raskogr snorts. “And why should we trust a vampire?”
I meet him head-on. “Because she’s not like them. Like us, she has no desire to hurt humans. I promise you.”
But Ariana shakes her head. “We’ve been at war with the vampires for centuries,” she says coldly. “There’s too much history there. They cannot be trusted so easily.”
Elara nods. “We can’t risk it,” she says firmly. “We need to handle this on our own.”
I knew that convincing the elders wouldn’t be easy, but I’m not about to give up. “Please,” I plead, turning to Alyssa. “You must understand that Selene is different. She can help us. She has only been on our side. I have been tracking her for months and I can tell you all for a fact that she feeds on nothing but blood bags. She has never, not once fed on a human. And as for the wolves that died, it was in self-defense. They attacked first.”
Alyssa hesitates. “I… I don’t know,” she says finally.
At least she is listening to me now.
“Please, Alyssa. Please. She is not a threat to us. To any of us.”
“Maybe we should give her a chance.”
I give Alyssa a thankful nod and press on.
“She’s brave, she’s strong, and she’s here, isn’t she? She’s risking a lot just being here. She’s willing to help us at her own peril. We can’t turn our backs on her now.”
But the elders remain unmoved. I exchange a frustrated glance with Selene through the silence that has descended upon the room.
As tension mounts in the council chamber, a stranger strides in. His mere presence commands attention.
With everyone looking his way, Elara asks, “Who the hell are you?”
“Watch your tone,” he says, baring his teeth at her. “You are speaking to the oldest and wisest vampire alive in this dreary little town.”
There is an audible gasp from Alyssa as she reaches for her gun.
The blonde man who has walked up behind Alyssa lets out a low whistle. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
I turn to look at Selene, who looks absolutely terrified.
I am internally cursing myself for bringing her to this damned meeting. Her worst fear is word being spread that she is against her kind. And I put her in this predicament.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” my mother asks.
“I am surprised you do not recognize the heir to your husband’s arch nemesis.”
My father stands. “Aiden Black’s son.”
“Ding, ding, ding! Congratulations! You got that right on the very first try! My name’s Levi. I would say it’s nice to finally meet you, but I would be lying.”
“What are you doing here?” Raskogr asks.
“Well, I heard there was a council meeting. I figured my invitation got lost in the mail.”
“You are not welcome here,” Selene shouts, making everyone turn in her direction.
Bad move, babe.
“Well, would you look at this, Blake? Our little sister is here for my very first meeting. Selene, you can take notes as the meeting progresses.”
The room falls into stunned silence at the news of Selene’s relationship to Levi.
Selene’s expression morphs into one of sheer terror, and her eyes widen with disbelief and fear. “No,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “No, you can’t…”
But Levi’s gaze is cold and unyielding. “It’s true,” he asserts, his tone devoid of emotion. “Selene is my sister, though she has clearly forgotten her place among our kind.”
A wave of murmurs ripples through the council members as they process this bit of news. I can feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, as Levi’s accusation hangs between us.
“And what brings you here, Levi?” Raskogr asks gruffly.
Levi’s gaze narrows, his eyes locking on Selene. “I’m here to expose my sister for what she truly is.” His voice cuts through the silence like a blade. “A traitor to our kind.”
Selene recoils, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “No, that’s not true,” she protests, her voice cracking with emotion. “I would never betray our kind, I—”
But Levi cuts her off, his voice dripping with contempt. “Don’t bother trying to deny it, Selene. I know what you’ve been up to, consorting with werewolves, sleeping around like some common whore.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, and before I can stop myself, I’m on my feet, my fists clenched at my sides. “That’s enough. You have no right to speak to her like that.”
Levi’s gaze turns to me, his eyes ablaze with fury. “And who are you to interfere?” he snarls, taking a step towards me.
“Her protector,” I retort, stepping in front of Selene and shielding her from Levi’s wrath. “And I won’t stand by while you slander her name.”
Levi laughs, a cruel, mocking sound that sends a chill down my spine. “Protector?” he scoffs. “You know nothing, wolf boy . You’re nothing but a passing fancy, a toy for her amusement.”
I feel my blood boil at his words, and before I know it, I’ve launched myself at Levi, tackling him to the ground. We grapple with each other, trading blows as the council members watch in shock.
Selene cries out, trying to pull us apart, but we’re locked in a vicious struggle, neither willing to back down.
Selene is mine, and I promised to protect her.
I can feel Levi’s vampire strength, his blows landing with brutal force, and the room descends into chaos as I fight with every ounce of strength I possess.
Quickly, my father intervenes, breaking up the fight between Levi and me. His voice is stern as he commands us to stop. His presence is imposing enough to make us comply.
And then my mother steps forward, her expression firm. “Mr. Black, you should leave now.” All eyes are on Levi. The hostility from the Council is palpable.
Levi’s gaze flickers with anger, but he obeys my mother’s command, “Fine. But we’ll be seeing you again soon.” He leaves, and Blake follows closely behind him, casting a wary glance in my direction.
Adrenaline is still coursing through my veins as I stand there with my fists clenched at my sides. My father approaches me gravely. “Are you alright, son?”
I nod, breaths still ragged. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply, though the truth is I’m anything but.
I glance down at my hands, noting the scrapes and bruises that mar my skin. They’re already beginning to heal.
As I look up, I catch sight of Selene running out of the council room, her footsteps echoing in the silence. “Selene!” I call out, but she doesn’t turn back.
I can’t just let her go. Without a second thought, I run after her.
Outside, the air is cool against my skin, and the sounds of the council chamber fade into the distance. I scan the area, searching for any sign of Selene or her brothers.
I curse under my breath. “Where the hell did they go?”
Almost immediately, I catch sight of movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn and begin to walk toward Selene, standing a few yards away. “Selene.”
She turns to face me. “Liam,” she says softly.
I reach out to her, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my arms and never let her go. “Are you okay?”
She hesitates for a moment, “I don’t know,” she admits, her voice trembling slightly. “But I have to talk to them. I am sorry!”