As Ethan drove, he kept throwing worried glances at Sophia. She had not passed out since they left Blackstorm, but her injuries worried him. She had been tied to a silver cross–they wouldn’t heal as quickly as they should.“Are you okay?” he asked as she passed a hand over her face to get rid of tears. She had been reluctant to leave Eleanor, despite the accusations against her. This was the best thing for her right now, but she was still upset about having to leave her friend behind.She grabbed a bunch of tissues from the box on the dashboard and blew her nose. After that, she sucked in a deep breath and straightened in her seat, staring blankly out of the windshield.Ethan wished he knew how to comfort her. He hated seeing her so hurt and so upset.Before, his head had been wrapped up in his feelings for Eleanor. But when Henry’s affection for her became apparent, he quietly let go of that fantasy. His Alpha had been searching for Eleanor for years, and Ethan knew nothing could sta
Back in Eleanor’s room, Miller asked if they could sit down because he had something important to tell her.“There was a time in the past I didn’t think I would make it to become Beta of this pack,” he began as soon as they were sitting down on a pair of armchairs in the room. “No matter how hard I worked, it seemed that Alpha Thomas did not have me in my mind for his second in command.”Eleanor nodded. “I remember.”The three of them grew up together, and Miller had always wanted to become Beta. But there were a several options for the position, and at some point, it seemed as if Thomas did not think he had the potential to become a good Beta.“I almost gave up,” he admitted. “I started doubting my abilities, and thinking maybe the best I could be was head warrior. If it wasn’t for you encouraging me and training alongside me, I think I would have given up. It’s thanks to you that I became the Beta I am today. I’ve never forgotten how much you helped me back then.”“You were always t
“Do you think I’d let you go to another man so easily?” Thomas asked, licking the top of her ear with the tip of his tongue. “Do you think there’s another man who can love you the way I do?”Eleanor wrenched her head to the side, pulling away from his lips. At first, she had thought he was joking just to rile her up. But now, she could tell he wasn’t. She could tell from his scent that he wanted her, and his possessiveness was spiralling out of control.He had not pushed when she rejected his advances earlier on in his bedroom. What was causing him to behave like this? Had he seen something on her phone? Had Henry sent her a message?“You are the only one thinking about that,” she told him. “I’m exhausted, and I don’t have time for your games. My best friend was framed as a traitor today and almost got banished to the north. A prisoner also escaped from right under our noses. I also have a law to prepare before the Alpha Summit. Does it look like I have time to think about these thing
Henry took the phone from Ethan and pressed it to his ear. “Eleanor?”“Hey, it’s me.”Relief coursed through him at the sound of her voice. “Are you okay? Where are you? I couldn’t get you on your phone.”“I’m fine,” she told him. “Sorry for making you worried. I meant to call earlier but Thomas stole my phone.”“Has he hurt you? I called you earlier and he picked up. He said that…” He swallowed as a bitter taste filled his mouth. “Did he force you to do anything?”“No,” she replied. “He hasn’t done anything. Don’t worry, I can handle him. Nothing will happen to me.”Henry pinched his forehead with his fingers and exhaled harshly. “I can come and take you back,” he told her. “Just say the word.”“Henry, I’m really fine,” he told her softly. “If I really need your help, I’ll let you know. But right now, I need to stay here to ensure my plan goes well. I’ve made him believe I intend to stay, so I’m going to be alright until the summit. We just need to make sure my plan works out in the
“Why do you want to disrupt the natural order of things? Packs have thrived for hundreds of years because of the structure we’ve maintained. If you make everyone think they are equal, would anyone obey laws anymore?”Eleanor pressed her fingertips to her temple as she listened to the Alpha on the other side of the phone. She had known this one would be hard to convince–he was proving to be outright impossible.“Omegas are part of the community too,” she told him, “so they also deserve the same rights as everyone else, don’t you think?”“Can they protect the pack like the rest of us can? No. So the least they can do is provide labour when needed. If the law is changed, they’ll start thinking they can lead packs or something. Why waste pack money educating them when they are just a liability? Do they need education to do the things they do now? And, why would we use money to provide medical support for members who cannot even protect the pack in case of an attack? Shouldn’t we focus on
It had been days since Eleanor had last seen Henry, and she badly wanted to seek him out with her eyes. But she knew if she looked at him, she would not be able to hold back her emotions.The last thing she needed right now was to alert Thomas of the connection between her and Henry. So she fought the urge, focusing on chatting with the other Alphas and Lunas.However, she could not fight the feeling that Henry was watching her. She could feel his gaze on her, almost as if it was a physical touch.As the minutes passed, she could feel him getting closer, as if he was intentionally gravitating towards her. She risked a glance. He was only a few yards away, and their eyes met instantly.Her heart sped behind her ribs while her body warmed up. She looked away and gave Thomas a weak smile. “Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.”“Sure,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.She did not dare look at Henry again as she made her exit. She knew how much he must hate any contact between
When the meeting resumed, the Chief Councilman announced it was time for the council to listen to personal petitions.When he invited Eleanor as the first person to make a petition, Thomas’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t told him anything about a petition. Was it related to the new legislation? No, it couldn’t be.Personal petitions did not involve pack affairs. They were used to solve cases that needed the council’s intervention, or cases that only the council could determine.When Eleanor made it to the petitioner’s stand, the Chief Councilman asked, “Luna Eleanor of Blackstorm, what petition would you like to make today?”Eleanor looked all over the hall, met Thomas’s gaze briefly, and then focused on the Chief Councilman. “I would like to request the council to grant me a divorce from my husband, Alpha Thomas of Blackstorm.”A shocked silence gripped the hall for a moment. And then it was raptured by fierce whispers. Thomas’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he shot out of his seat. “Wh
The room grew tense as the two Alphas glared at each other, animosity swirling around them. Thomas tore his eyes from Henry and looked at Eleanor, his eyes full of confusion and questions.“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, gritting his teeth.“Henry is my fated mate,” Eleanor told him.Thomas blinked and scoffed. “Wow.” He released her hand, and she stepped over to Henry. As the crowd watched on, he let out a bitter laugh. “Wow, so this is what all of this is about.”“What are you talking about?” Eleanor questioned.“You,” he said, pointing a finger at Henry. “This was all your idea, wasn’t it? You used my wife just so you could expand your pack’s territory and weaken my power.”At his accusation, the room burst in discussion.“That’s not true,” Eleanor countered. “I planned to divorce you long before I met Henry. This is all your fault, don’t bother trying to shift the blame. I just happened to be lucky to meet my mate after everything you’ve done to me. There’s nothing you