CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

RILEY

I force a smile, trying to dispose every feeling of awkwardness I had felt when I marched into the room. Okay. The messenger had called it a meeting, but I had thought, maybe, it will be just an official kind of discussion between myself and my husband, while we share breakfast.

I was wrong.

The room is packed with about twenty hefty Men, the Beta and the Alpha himself. I see no sign of anyone in the same gender as me.

So, it is very normal to feel awkward while stepping into such a space.

But…

I am Luna.

So I throw my head higher while stiffening my shoulders as I walk majestically, without hurry, into the space.

As I walk, my eyes scan the room. The last time I came in here, I had been so excited about having breakfast with Jude, that ignored my surroundings and paid very little attention to the glaring details of the room.

There are about twenty five rows of benches occupying the far left of the room. Or should I say, hall? Just like in the space outside the Base, the Alpha has a standing platform here too, where my husband now stand, leaning on the wooden lectern in front of him.

The floor is made of shiny well-polished wood, and I see no windows. The walls are decorated with very many weapons; Arrows, different shapes of bows, axe, spears, and many more. But I take my eyes off it, as brings with it promises of violence, and focus on placing one foot in front of the other, as I continue my walk into the big space.

I see no close chair in sight. I would prefer a sitting place, quite closer to the exit. But I see none. The spot I see vacant is some decimeters beside the Alpha’s platform.

At his right.

Meaning I would have to walk in front of him to get to where I can sit. Drawing attention to myself is inevitable for now.

As I I pass by the front of the Alpha, I feel pins on the side of my body, neck and leg, all from the stares I get from the men sitter in the room. I even feel Jude’s eyes on me, as he stops talking.

Was he talking before? What was he talking about?

All I know is that everywhere remains oddly quiet till I reached my seat.

I adjust my black dress, that is my war armor, sit in the well-padded couch, and cross my leg.

Thank goodness for my instinct as, though I thought I will just be meeting with my husband, something within me pushed me to ask the messenger to give me a few minutes as I pull out this armor of mine and put it on.

With the look I am receiving, and the tension in this room, I took the right step of putting on this dress. As I can perceive war.

If I am ready for what is coming, is what I don’t know.

“It’s a males’ gathering, and you are not meant to be here.” Jude informs me, eyeing crossed arms and legs.

Oh what a pleasant welcome.

“B…but I wa…was….” I let my voice come out so low, making sure that only Jude can hear it, but my stutter is interrupted by his loud voice.

“You are not permitted to speak. This is a meeting for men, but you were summoned against my wish. Stephen insisted that since you had doubts about his assumptions on who the perpetrators are, you should be present to hear his findings. So you were summoned. But as a body, not as a mouth.”

I get the gist.

See? War.

My eyes scan the room for those brown eyes. I search about the crowd of Men seated a distance in front of us, nothing.

Then in passing, my eyes catch his as he stands right beside the entrance, as if manning the door. He stands there…

Smirking.

At me.

I take my focus back to Jude, who was still watching me, waiting to be sure he is understood.

I am no talkative. Personally, I know that I have talk more times than I have talked my whole life, just in this few months of being Luna. Before all these, most of the talking happened in my head, never from my mouth.

“O…” I stop short. Then finish the affirmation with a slight nod.

“Good.” Jude takes his attention from me, and transfers it on Beta Stephen. “Now that she’s here, can we have the report from your findings?”

“Sure, Alpha.” Beta Stephen replies, then takes his time in detaching himself from the wall he had been leaning on, and then strolling closer. “Greetings, my Luna.”

My Luna?

I’m not yours. I want to scream to his face.

But what comes out is a polite smile and a nod.

He is so lucky I was told not to talk.

As if.

“Thank you everyone, for gracing this meeting with your presence. If you notice, not everyone is here today, but you were invited. That is to show you that you are an important person in this esteemed pack of ours.” His hands are on his coat, again.

I guess, that is just what he does, probably unknowingly. Like my stutter.

I listen I realize that this is unnecessary information. Everyone is supposed to be seen as important to the pack, because they actually are. But his stating it this way….

Something doesn’t just sit right in my heart whenever he talks.

Could be the way he talks, saying a lot, without going straight to the point, could be. It can’t be that I just don’t like him. He hasn’t done anything to me. Even if he has, I’m not one to hold grudges. Like many have wronged me, but I still don’t dislike them.

Then, it is definitely the way he talks. Nobody likes such suspense.

“So once more, I say, you are highly welcome. I and the Alpha appreciate you for honoring our invitation.” He pauses to give a slight bow.

Okay?

His bow is returned by the men.

He clears his throat loud enough for all to hear. Then he resumes his speech.

“We had doubts, doubts championed by our Luna here, if the perpetrators of the recent theft we suffered are really wolves from Stanley Pack or from the Green Pack.”

Green Pack?

“That is the Lycan pack. We had questions on which of them could have such audacity, such nerves, the temerity to tamper into our territory and steal away what has been kept in our store by our fathers and past Alphas. Or could it be a collaboration of both packs? That is totally out of it as we all know Lycans never collaborate with our kind.”

I didn’t know that.

Why?

“Very many questions must have flashed through your head these past days. I can even feel how tense you are, how tense everyone is from the silence that hangs in the air. I know also that you are eager to hear my report on how my visit to the neighboring pack went. Suit tight as that is what I am here for.” He turns away from the crowd, twisting the upper half of his body to face me. “To clear all your doubts.”

Okay, I don’t know if that tone is on you use for a friend or an enemy, but a strange glint in his eyes and a tight smirk accompanies these words.

As I never act the way I feel, though I feel weird, I give him an encouraging nod. At least that could tell him to carry on and leave out these unnecessary preamble.

“Get on with it Stephen. I feel like I’m going grey listening to you.” Jude sounds impatient as he leans lower into the lectern.

I think we have a mind reading kind of linking, because how did he just know what I was thinking. My spine hurt from being tense.

“I’m getting there, Alpha. But there’s a thing I have to clarify. Does anyone here remember a disagreement between our pack and the Lycans?” he throws out the rhetorical question. Then actually stays silent, waiting for an answer.

I see these strong men go instantly tense at the mention of the Lycans.

“Yes. There have been many disagreement in the past century over the creek, over the pack names, and many more.” A man seated at the front, replies while looking at the others sitting beside him, seeking silent confirmation. They all nod in affirmation at his words.

“Those were all peaceful disagreements, as their Alpha at that time was quiet reasonable. That was two centuries ago. Word has it that there have been many change of Alphas, but none has been as brutal as the recent one.” Another man sitting right beside the one that spoke earlier, chips in.

Hmm.

This does nothing to calm their tense shoulders. There is obvious fear in the eyes of these men.

How brutal could this said Alpha be to make these big strong Men fret?

“Well, that has nothing to do with us, as the Lycans are not the perpetrators. Wolves from Stanley Pack did it.” Beta Stephen informs.

Goodness.

This feels like a good news as right before my eyes, their shoulders go lax and even some of them have unconscious smiles on their faces.

“Stephen, I am losing my patience. Do you find it fun toying with our minds? Go straight to the point!” Jude bangs his fist on the lectern. He is red in the face and the force of his anger is felt right here where I sit.

This sound echoes through the hall, silencing every voice and every breath.

Brutal.

Can that Alpha be more brutal than this?

I watch Beta Stephen take deep heavy breaths. “Apologies, Alpha.” He says without turning to look at Jude. Then continues.

“I had gone to Stanley pack with the narration of the incidence. It was a narration not and accusation, so that, in case they weren’t the culprits, we’ll have them join us in confronting the Lycans. But with Alpha Stanley’s continuous nod, I started to smell something fishy. When I was done narrating all that had happened, he gave me a knowing smile. Then before he opened his mouth to tell me that they were behind that incidence, I knew.”

He pauses, then twists his body to look at me, again.

“I just knew they were behind it.”

I refuse to read the undertone in his words. I lock eyes with him, and repeat my encouraging nod.

“So it was Stanley Pack.” Jude says in a low voice, speaking to no one as he fixes his gaze at something in his palm.

“Yes.” Beta Stephen turns back to face the crowd. I was surprised at the very warm welcome they gave me once I introduced myself as the Beta of this pack. I was even offered wine as I spoke with the Alpha. That shows that they wanted no war.”

“So what do they want?” A bald man asks from the back seat.

“Talk. When I asked why they had done something of such gravity, the Alpha said that he has a personal grudge with Alpha Jude here.”

Hmm?

All eyes leave Beta Stephen and move to Jude. Stares filled with questions.

“A grudge? With me? I won’t even know this Alpha if he passes right in front of me.” Jude is now standing upright, with his both palms spread out.

“Even though he has a grudge with the Alpha, why tamper with general property? That Silver store does not belong to the Alpha. It belongs to no one.” This very bold comment comes from the bald man the back.

Who is he? And why hasn’t he used his bold words before now?

I don’t know who that is, but I like him.

But, he is ignored as Beta Stephen continues with his report.

“Well, despite many persuasions, he refused to talk. All he kept in saying is that he has a personal grudge with the Alpha and would not speak, until Alpha Jude comes over to his Base, then they can sort things out.”

And like that, it is decided.

My husband. My Alpha. The love of my life, would endanger his life by going to that place.

Though, even when he is around, we hardly see face to face, but the thought that I would not see him for two straight days, makes my heart heavy.

Was if he doesn’t come back?