6. I felt it

[Carys]

The All Alpha Court convened as everyone prepared for the meeting.

“The meeting is private and will be recorded,” announced Liam Harrison, the beta of the Alpha king. “All attendees must maintain confidentiality. The Percy Spring pack’s Alpha, Dominic Percy, has called for this meeting to address concerns regarding the Nightfall Autumn pack’s beta, Carys Elffire. According to the terms of the All Alpha Court, all alphas from the three werewolf packs are in attendance. Two alphas from the lycan packs are also here. We have the required quorum to commence the meeting in ten minutes.”

In this world, existed three werewolf packs and three lycan packs, each of which was led by an alpha. However, there was an independent body called the All Alpha Court (AAC), responsible for monitoring the alphas, betas, and gammas of all the packs.

The AAC headquarters was located in an apolitical area known as the Neutral zone. This zone was completely free from political influences. However, major political changes mostly originated in this zone.

It had been twenty years since lycans and werewolves sat together and didn’t tear each other apart. 

The meeting was presided over by the Alpha king, Elysar Grimstone. He was the king of all Alphas and leader of the committee that monitored the alphas and top ranks in all the packs. He looked after the security of the Neutral zone. He was also the representative of werewolves and lycans for the rest of the world.

Alpha king’s military influence was spread across the packs, and the continents of other species, so even without a military of his own, he held a lot of power. Ten years ago, the clash between the Autumn pack and the Winter pack was resolved because of his interference.

King Elysar was over two hundred years old and had been the Alpha king for a hundred and fifty years. He is a lycan and werewolf hybrid, but everyone highly respected him for generations. Despite his age, he looked youthful, as if he was in his forties.

King Elysar sat at the head of the long, rectangular conference table. Beta Liam stood beside him, whispering to him. On his left sat the three werewolf alphas with their betas. Dominic sat closer to the Alpha king with Jax and Edith, then sat Elijah with Carter. The seat next to Joshua was empty, reserved for me, Carys, the subject of the meeting. 

To the right were the two lycan alphas with their betas, but the two seats closest to King Elysar were empty and I knew who exactly those seats were reserved for. 

Taking a deep breath, I averted my attention from the empty seats. 

“Carys,” Joshua called out to me in a low tone. “Don’t worry. I will defend you with the best of my powers.”

I nodded once in acknowledgement, lowering my gaze. He skimmed his eyes from me to the empty seats on the lycans’ side and then at the Alpha king, who was watching us intently.

King Elysar smiled. I bowed. He smiled with a curt nod and exchanged words with Liam. Liam glanced at me, increasing my anticipation even more.

“I think Alpha Kian wouldn’t be attending today’s meeting, so we’ll begin—” 

The door of the meeting hall opened before Liam could finish his sentence.

“Alpha Kian Nyx Abner and beta Jackson Vilkas are entering,” the herald announced.

My breath hitched as my heartbeats sped up. Anxiety knotted in my stomach. I tried my best to remain composed, but my body was betraying me. My palms grew clammy as I clenched them into fists.

King Elysar got up and so did everyone around the table except Joshua. 

King Elysar cleared his throat as a warning, and I pursed my lips tightly.

Joshua rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh and got up.

Biting on my bottom lips, I tried hard to stop memories from flooding my mind, but my vision was already clouded with the cold numbness I felt throughout my body.

‘Carys, stand,’ Joshua mind-linked me.

A powerful, bewitching aroma wafted into the meeting hall. This scent. I lost all control over my mind as I breathed in the nostalgia. My heart skipped a beat and what followed was my heart pounding aggressively against my ribs. I shut my eyes, filling my lungs with the irresistible scent. My breaths fastened as the scent grew stronger and stronger with every step Kian took into the meeting hall.

The same feverish burn enveloped my body, and I felt myself entangled in the invisible strings that I thought had snapped ten years ago.

What is this?

I placed my hand over my chest.

This feeling. This rush. This undeniable restlessness and pull.

It can’t be.

Our bond broke ten years ago.

I clearly remember every second of his rejection.

And our mate bond? I felt it snap. I felt it fade.

I felt the pain.

I felt the sparks flicker away. I felt everything extreme I had ever felt for this man wither away the moment he rejected me.

So, how is this possible?

Why do I feel the bond more strongly than before? I wasn’t supposed to feel a thing for him. So why?

There is no way we are still connected. Especially… not as… 

Mates.

Am I dreaming? This undeniably is an illusion. It has to be, yet why does it feel so… real?

I got to my feet, breathing heavily.

For a second, everyone in the hall disappeared. The door slowly opened up, and he strutted into the meeting hall. A second ago, I was short of breaths and now I had lost them completely.

Tears flushed into my eyes as I contemplated him.

His aura dominated the hall, exuding authority. He was taller than before, probably 6′7″. His well built body perfectly fit into the dark royal suit. His looks had only grown sharper and stronger with time, just like the allure of fine wine on one’s mind. Intoxicating. Addictive. Bitter.

The boy I once loved had turned into a rugged man who overwhelmed me worse than before.

My eyes were on him, but his light brown eyes had not once glanced towards me. He was thirty-one now and had turned into a completely different person.

A person I didn’t want to recognize. A person I didn’t want to see. A person I wished I never knew. But his flowy brownish black hair was tousled in the same partly coiffed style like he had when he was twenty-one. It just reminded me how close we were or could have been if things didn’t turn out the way they did.

My nails dug into the table as I forced myself to tear my gaze off Kian. 

Kian greeted the Alpha king and the other alphas sitting around the table, pretending as if I was invisible to him.

Am I the only one who still feels the mate bond?

My heart clenched at the thought.

The meeting was already challenging, and this will just worsen it.

I sat back in my chair with a straight spine. I need to fight this. I have to resist this. 

*****

Dominic provided evidence and recorded statements from rogue lycans he caught during the attack on the projector.

He had prepared a detailed presentation to prove me guilty of a crime I didn’t do.

I glanced towards Kian, whose eyes were fixed on the laptop in front of him.

Everyone sitting around the table had a laptop and a mic in front of them where they could access the main files related to the case.

The way he presented those notes with my fingerprints as evidence, doctor reports, photos and videos of lycans’ confessions. For a second, I was forced to believe that I had actually planned the attack.

“Beta Carys is the prime suspect. She not only tried to hurt the princess of the Spring pack, but she hired rogue lycans, the high profiled criminals. Therefore, I will request the All Alpha Court to take strict action and investigate thoroughly,” Dominic concluded.

“Those notorious jerks. They don’t stop causing trouble even after being expelled from our packs,” said Levi Russo, the lycan Alpha of the Tenebrus Dusk pack.

“These rogues are ruining the reputation of lycans in front of the world,” said Christian Dawn Akus, the lycan Alpha of the Akus Dawn pack.

“They are just some insignificant rebels. We have more important people to pay attention to,” King Elysar said, then looked at me. “Beta Carys, do you accept the accusations?”

I clench my fists and get up from my chair.

“No, Alpha king. I do not accept these accusations,” I said in a clear and fearless tone. “I am being framed.”

“I back my beta,” Joshua got up from his chair as well. Edith, who had had a subtle smile on her face until now, glared at me. “Video confessions from the rogue lycans cannot be considered as evidence. They could have forced them to say what they did.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Edith got up. Dominic tried to stop her, but she continued. “But the Spring pack has no reason to frame beta Carys, but beta Carys had a reason to attack me. Motive of the crime is more important than the crime itself.”

“What do you mean?” King Elysar asked.

“My brother didn’t mention it because he had no evidence backing the claim, but beta Carys has been in a romantic relationship with Alpha Joshua, my mate.” Carys said, and an awkward silence hung in the air.

My eyes instantly shot at Kian. His face had been completely unreadable and devoid of all emotions from the moment he had entered the hall. Even now, he stared at his laptop with an impassive face, as if he couldn’t hear a word that was being discussed about me.

Why the hell is his indifference bothering me so much?

Except Kian, everyone else’s eyes were on Joshua and me.

“So when she found out that Joshua was going to marry me, his mate, she did this out of jealousy. I completely understand her pain and why she hates me so much. So, I request the court to go easy on her. I didn’t want things to come this far,” Edith said, bringing fake tears into her eyes. “I have forgiven her long ago. I just hope we can rebuild our relationship since I will be her luna soon.”

Dominic let out a sigh, scratching the side of his head.

The rest of the alphas and betas whispered to one another.

“Is it true?” King Elysar asked. “If it is, then… we cannot allow beta Carys to continue as the beta of the Autumn pack. Alpha and beta are the two most important ranks of a pack. They work together for the betterment of the pack and a relationship between the two jeopardizes the pack’s development and its security. Being in such a relationship isn’t a crime, but it’s not something the court will overlook.”

Joshua looked at me and smiled calmly. “Did we give off that vibe to you, princess Edith?” He chuckled. “Carys and I have been best friends ever since we were kids. So, we are quite free around one another. And, yes, we are definitely close. Closer than normal friends, but a romantic relationship?” He laughed. “I am sorry, Alpha King, but I think Princess Edith is mistaken.”

I felt frozen at Joshua’s words.

“We often joke around and flirt platonically like most best friends do. Maybe that gave Edith the wrong idea, but I can assure the court that beta Carys and I have never been in a romantic relationship,” he said with a casual smile, as if he truly believed what he was saying. “Isn’t it, Carys?”