Six

Nova's POV

"She remains with me," Mason spat in a rather impressive powerful voice.

"This is serious business, son," An older Alpha, Alpha Caden commented. He didn't recognize me either, despite being a close friend of my father's.

Other Alphas nodded in recognition. I counted and realized two Alphas were missing from the meeting.

One of which was Hayden Storm.

Where on earth was he?

"You all came here with your subordinates," Mason argued. "I am free to choose whoever I want as my subordinate."

"He's making a mockery of our tradition," Marcel yelled and I snickered. He glared at me. "She's mocking me!"

"That is enough, Alpha Marcel," The priestess spoke up then, a smile on her face. "If Alpha Mason trusts his woman, then so should we all."

The proud chump let out a huff, before raising his nose in the air. "Whatever. Can we start this meeting already? I haven't had breakfast yet and I am starving."

"Of course," The priestess said sweetly. "How about we start with the sudden arrival of the Snow Cap pack?"

Once again, her eyes settled on me as she spoke. "Would you like to tell us what happened, Alpha? Seven years ago, it was rumored that everyone in the Snow Cap pack was dead. And yet here you are."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She knew. She had to know. She had just addressed me as Alpha.

"We withdrew to the mountains," Mason replied and I saw her lips curve in a tiny smile. "When we saw our Alpha dead, we knew we had to find a way to survive."

There were many more questions after that. How had we survived without trading with any pack? What did we feed on? What mountain could have possibly shielded us from the rest of the world?

Mason answered every question just like we had practiced. He would give vague answers but nothing too descriptive.

I had hoped the questions would end there but they only grew instead.

"Last I checked," Alpha Caden said. "The Alpha of Snowcap had a daughter. Not a son."

Mason swallowed and I bit my lip trying to calm him down through the mindlink. It would be too obvious if I tried to touch him. It would also be suspicious if I answered instead of him.

"Uncle," I told Mason. "say the Alpha was your uncle."

"They'll know I'm lying!" He panicked, his voice way too loud in my head.

"No, they won't," I told him, licking my bottom lip. I could feel my essence slowly seep through the air, filling everywhere like fog. The pupils of every werewolf in the room constricted, their shoulders eased as they relaxed against their seats.

I stepped a bit farther away from Mason so I wouldn't dull his senses as well.

The first time my powers had revealed itself, I was fifteen. I had been battling with my father's bodyguard and he claimed to feel weaker every time I exerted myself.

It was later confirmed that I had powers. A weakening effect on werewolves that allowed me to dull their senses, so they wouldn't be active or quick to pick up on things they normally would have.

After the incident seven years ago, to protect myself when our pack was attacked, my powers had manifested and I had spent years learning to control it at will.

"The Alpha is my uncle," Mason replied, and the men under the influence of my essence hummed and nodded.

Only one pair of eyes remained alert. And they stared right at me. The priestess. She smiled at me and winked at me before she resumed presiding over the meeting.

The doors flew open and a very familiar scent hit my nose. Anger, lust, and hatred all rush through my veins at once at the sight of a huge man swaggering his way to his seat.

"Alpha Hayden, nice of you to join us so late," The priestess said curtly.

I hadn't realized I was shaking in anger until Mason reached out to hold my hand. The movement caught Hayden's eyes as he took a seat opposite us. He froze for a second, staring at me oddly before shaping his face into a scowl.

"I didn't realize we could bring harlots to a council meeting," He said coldly, those warm eyes staring directly at me.

"She is here as my subordinate," Mason defended.

"I don't give a shit why she is here, pup," He said so damned arrogantly. I shouldn't be turned on by how charismatic he was. He was a brute. A cold, cruel monster. "I want her out of here, Elena"

Ah Elena, so that was the priestess' name. Why on earth was Hayden calling her name so casually?

"She is not leaving!" Mason hissed, lunging to his feet. "She stays with me you pig-"

"Calm down, alpha Mason," Elena smiled and then looked at me. "I am afraid you will have to wait outside for your Alpha."

"I said No-"

"It's okay Mason," I mindlinked him, smiling at everyone. "Hayden and the priestess are connected. Observe their interaction and report to me. "

I tossed my hair over my shoulder, speaking out in a seductive voice. "I hadn't realized the Commander of Death would be so averse to my presence. I apologize. I shall await you in my bed chamber, Alpha Mason."

The scowl on Hayden's face deepened as I sashayed my hips out of the council room. I stormed out of the castle then, making my way through the market. I stopped by a persimmon store and picked four random persimmons, pretending to examine them.

"Alpha," A voice reached my head through the mind-link. I glanced up to see one of my spies examining a persimmon as well.

"Find out everything about Priestess Elena," I ordered. "Have someone watch her. And check whatever connection she has to Hayden Storm."

"Yes, Alpha,"

When I made my way back to the castle, Hayden stood outside my chambers, his hulking frame leaning against my wall.

And he looked mighty pissed.