Frostbitten Rejection

Chapter One

The heavy doors loomed overhead, dark, glossy wood etched with imposing carvings of wolves baring their teeth. With gilded silver door knobs and crystal sconces, the whole building reeked of opulence and needless luxury.

It was disgusting.

The Council was waiting behind those doors, likely dolled up in expensive suits and dresses, dripping with jewels and other human indicators of power.

Our Elders had insisted on me doing the same and I was in no position to protest.

So there I stood, forcing myself not to fidget with the hem of the tight, sapphire dress that clung to my skin just above my knees. The pointed heels pinched my toes and I longed to feel the freedom of fur even after a few minutes inside this prison.

But I didn't have the luxury of freedom, not in enemy territory.

I schooled my face as the doors began to creak open, the barely audible sound enough to make me forget any lingering discomfort from the foreign clothes.

I was careful not to wobble as I walked inside. The click of my heels echoed around the chamber, the noise dampened by the plush drapery of thick curtains that blocked out the afternoon sun.

How needlessly dramatic.

"Welcome, Miss Brion, it's our pleasure to welcome you here to our Council," a man announced to the room. There were so many faces, it took my ears a moment to pinpoint the one who spoke.

He sat at the front, off to this side in his pretentious throne.

The smile he gave was too suave, too charming, the confidence of a man who believed he was the most handsome in the room.

With the greys speckling his beard and hair, the twinkle in his eyes that were framed with faint lines, he might very well have been back in his prime.

"It's an honour, sir," I answered, the polite smile not reaching my eyes.

The way his right eye twitched at the coolness of my tone almost brought a smile to my face, only I was more practiced than that. I wouldn't give myself away for a brief moment of satisfaction.

They called me icy. I couldn't blame them. I was born to be frosty, raised to be cold.

Pale skin, glacier blue eyes, and snow blonde hair that was just as white as the fur of my wolf. In the harshness of an arctic winter, I was bred to thrive. These wannabe wolves in their cushy tower were a laughing stock.

"It's been a long time since we've had a representative from the Northern Circle. We're pleased that your pack was willing to enter into talks," a woman said this time, drawing my eyes to the other side of the room.

She sat on the second row of tiered seats, her head held high with the arrogance of leadership.

Each member of the Council led a pack in the States, their boundaries rigid and political. They ran their packs like humans, feeding into the wordy politics of those pretending to have power.

"The conflicts have long settled and we see no reason to remain in opposition when we can exist together." Their game of words felt unnatural but I'd studied for this my whole life.

By the subtle nods around the shrouded room, it seemed to be working.

"Well we're happy to consider a position on our Council for our brothers and sisters to the north," the first man said, his eyes guarded.

It was adorable to see how hard he tried to block out his emotions but in his effort, he made it clear that he was hiding something. The best poker face gave away nothing.

"While that is an honour, sir, the Northern Circle wouldn't wish to impose through taking a seat on your Council."

His jaw clenched but he smiled, head tipping forward in a polite nod.

"With all our respect, you are still young. Perhaps this is something you need to discuss with your Elders, Kiera-"

"Chief Designate Brione," I stated, my cool interruption leaving the man's nose twitching as his eyes began to glow a telling amber.

"Being my first time in front of your Council, I would hate to feel I'm overstepping my familiarity with my first name.

I think my official title is more appropriate for this occasion, don't you? "

There was a quiet shuffle around the room as the Alphas shifted in their seats.

Good. They were finally starting to understand that I was here to play the game, not to be used as a pawn in some poorly thought out scheme to flare tensions with my people once again.

The man cleared his throat and forced the polite smile back on his face.

"Chief Designate Brione," he ground out.

"I appreciate your care towards our customs but I would hope that we're not rushing into things without you having the appropriate time to discuss with your Elders.

We wouldn't want to make any rash decisions. "

A cool breeze prickled the back of my neck at the thinly veiled implications of his words.

They were trying to put me down as a kid, a child trying to get a seat and the adult table.

Each Alpha in the room was trying to dismiss me as some helpless little girl who needed to be told what to do.

The swing at my ego was well aimed and the icy chill seemed to seep from my bones.

They wouldn't get under my skin so easily.

I took a measured breath, feeling the comforting chill of the air burn my lungs before the temperature around me began to settle once more.

"I'm sure my Elders, in their wisdom, would have attended themselves if they did not feel fully confident in my ability to speak for the wishes of the Northern Circle.

" There was an ease to my coolness, a practiced nonchalance that seemed to rattle that obnoxious Alpha who couldn't control the flashing of his eyes.

"All this to say, of course, that it is an honour to meet with you all and I do hope that over my week here, we will be able to properly discuss our aligned interests," I added with a polite bow of my head.

My dismissal of them seemed to ruffle some feathers as the indignation showed on the faces of more than a few of the Alphas sitting in the audience.

Good. They needed to see that I wouldn't be so easily taken advantage of.

The Northern Circle may have been smaller in number but that didn't mean that our bite couldn't more than match our bark.

As I turned to leave, trying to push down the bubble of satisfaction that was threatening to fill my chest, the doors behind me opened. All eyes moved to the foreboding figure silhouetted in the doorway but he paid them no mind.

The man strode in with casual determination, an air that screamed confidence and dominance. I would have been impressed if his grand entrance hadn't ruined my well constructed exit.

A large gold watch glinted on his wrist, his black suit perfectly tailored to the broad lines of his shoulders, a pair of sunglasses still perched on his nose.

If it wasn't for the power that emanated from him, I wouldn't have been disappointed in yet another flashy southern Alpha ready to swing his dick around.

But he was more than a mundane swagger.

There was a roughness to his polished persona, a rugged edge like the short beard that shadowed his jaw line. There was a wildness to his hair, like the short quaff could barely be contained, like it was begging to have fingers running through the midnight strands.

He moved through the rows like he owned them, heading towards a vacant seat in the very centre of the room.

A strange feeling tugged at my chest. This wasn't the icy breeze that burned my lungs with a warming chill, that familiar cold that came when my guard started to slip. It flowed through my veins with a languid heat, pooling in my chest like liquid fire.

It wasn't the warm feeling of being snuggled in fur in a den of snow. No, this was a burning fire that wanted to consume everything it could touch and right now, the only thing it could devour was me.

"Apologies for my lateness, everyone." The mysterious man's voice flowed like melted chocolate, stoking the unearthly flames that licked at my stomach. "Hopefully I didn't hold you up."

How did this heat grip my heart and make breathing so difficult?

"All is well, Alpha Varyn," a woman spoke as though this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. "We had just finished our session for the day and Miss - Chief Designate Brione, was just leaving."

Mystery Man - Alpha Varyn - leaned back in his seat. He took off his sunglasses, folding them and placing them in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Each movement was so deliberate. I was captivated as this liquid heat flowed through my veins.

Then his eyes met mine.

His dark eyes flashed amber, narrowing like a predator stalking its prey, and the heat finally made sense.

Mate.