Chapter Ten

JASON

"It is quite the pleasure that you would invite me personally to Monarch." I teased Luna Valentine and she was not pleased. It was clear as day in her face as she approached me in a spectacular yellow gown that gave insight into her personality. Fragile.

"Thank you for honoring our invitation Alpha Jason." She said with a false smile planted on. I had to admit she was trying her best to keep on with the charade but it was a vain attempt. She was not pleased with this arrangement. My Intel had gotten me information about what the arrangement was about. Valentine was only doing this for her people.

With the false pleasantries passed across, I was led into a ballroom of marble polished for the very occasion. I briefly examined the duo of betas that accompanied me and Luna Valentine. They befitted the alliance I would be coercing the pack of monarch into. A separate door inside the ballroom was opened. In the middle stood a magnificent table fitted for a feast was erected. Many of the seats were already taken by officials who had a say in the matter and of course, the neighboring packs who knew I might be coming for them next. Satake was already seated, bubbling and being overly chatty with the enemies. Luna Valentine and I took our seats and the food was served. What better to serve scheming wolves than mutton.

"So," I began breaking the tensing silence. "What do you think of my alliance? Is the pack of butterflies ready to become my stinging wasp?"

Luna Valentine had great difficulty swallowing the piece of meat she had in her throat. I wondered if it was difficult. To be in the same room with your parent's murderer, though if I was being honest, It was all Devin. Strange as it might be, my psychotic brother had chosen to remain in the car than face Luna Valentine.

"It was...a very tempting offer Alpha Jason but my court request to know what it will benefit the monarch if we give absolute threshold of this territory to you."

It was not words of her mouth. Those beta elders refused to let it go so easily. I scanned the room to find a few and they were indeed there, sending eye lasers at Valentine for what I would assume, her incompetence. I was not quite used to this part of bargaining but it was a necessary evil. I gurgled down the goblet of wine in front of me before I spoke.

"I hope no one poisoned that wine. I might have gotten a witch to hex me with something wicked. We would hate for another bloodshed to happen, right?"

This seemed to shake the guests and it further assured me that no one would do anything rash.

"That aside, I think it is very clear what the Monarch gets here but if you did not, I will spell it out for you. The Monarch will be getting the protection of the crow and of course, you all will get to see the light of day."

"Blasphemy!" A beta elder screamed. "You would not dare..."

I faced the old man, completely engrossed at how sparkling the red wine in my goblet was. "Why wouldn't I old man?" I demanded. "I have done it before, have I not?"

It seemed what the man needed was to remember what happened to the late Alpha and Luna of the Monarch. The sparkling wine in my hands brightened the dull memory. They had fought as best as they could but it was not enough. Their blood had painted this same kind of polished marble floor. Devin had squashed the Alpha's head like it was nothing but a pumpkin. He left his Luna to suffer and eventually take her own life.

"Can we not come to a compromise?" Valentine queried, her quavering voice making it sound like it was a desperate request rather than a business preposition. She was really trying hard to fill the hole her parents had left open but she was inexperienced and honestly pathetic, it was a sore sight to watch. Not one spine. No pride to fight for. She was perfectly submissive. It was a pity she was not my mate.

"No Luna Valentine. I am afraid you have nothing to offer but you do have everything to lose."

I expected her to half cry but imagine my surprise when a wry smile formed its way to her full rouge lips. Perhaps I had underestimated this fragile butterfly.

"What if I do?" She said, chomping a bite of her mutton off her fork and trying her best to force that smirk away.

It was not a bluff. Valentine was a readable book. She had an ace up her sleeve and this was the perfect time for her to use her trump card.

"What is it? I will decide if it is worth coming to a compromise over."

"Alpha Sofiane." She simply replied.

Sofiane, that beast's name echoed in my head a thousand times even after Valentine had uttered it. I wanted that fucker dead more than anything. I wondered if she was playing on my one weakness to get me to make a promise but damn it, it was working well. I was almost about to say something stupid when my phone chimed. It was an incoming call from Devin. It had to be important so against my table manners, I had to pick up.

"I read her mind... Alpha Sofiane... He's going to your home to kill your mate. Sofiane wants revenge."

I cut the call abruptly. The room seemed to spin and the weight of the world seemed to drop on my shoulders. I was one step from collapsing on the floor and my ever scheming brain seemed to have gone on overload so much that I could not focus on a single thought. It was painful. It was scary and I did not understand it. Was I worried about my abrupt mate's safety?

"Jason, Are you good?" Satake had to ask. His voice was my reassuring presence. It was the muse that dragged me out of the panic attack but it was not the only thing. I stood up, forcing the chair backward.

"Thank you for the Sofiane information, Valentine. We will talk about the compromise later." I said as I stormed outside.

I thought it was absurd when the moon goddess thought it wise to trap just me with an Achilles heel when my brother was the bigger monster but I was wrong. Devin and Valentine were mates.