Chapter 8 - Shouting Match

Ciara's POV 

A few seconds tick by, and then it hits me like a tidal wave. “NO!” I yell standing to my feet; making a sweeping look around the room at all the men who are staring at my outburst. I move towards the Alpha’s desk. “You promised me!” I slam my palms down onto the wood surface as my body begins to shake. My dark gray smokey eyes begin to shift to black as Ember works her way to the surface. She is angry just as much as I am because she was hoping to find her mate. 

Alpha Radar slowly stands up from his chair and towers over me, matching my position with clenched fists on the desk. Using his alpha aura to keep me in his control, he forces me to look into his eyes as he speaks. His wolf, Delta, flashing in his eyes. “Ciara, you will have to understand; you can’t go to the festivities now. No one can know about you and your abilities. Very few know already, and we want to keep it that way. If the Royals find out that you were created by the Dark Alpha, they will think you are a danger to everyone, and they will want you dead to keep the packs safe. They may even conclude that our pack is harboring a deadly weapon. They may want war!”   

“I call bullshit! How will they know?” Our eyes locked on each other never wavering. I am officially in a shouting match with the Alpha. Every fiber of my being is burning with scorching anger. How could they do this to me!

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the gold cuff with black and purple shards of stones laying peacefully on the desk just to the right of the Alpha’s clenched hand. A shiver went up my spine. Why is that sitting out?

Ignoring my outburst, Alpha Radar slowly placed his hand on the cuff without drawing attention to it, then continued, “During the events, you, Ciara Joy Callaway, will not go near the gardens, event grounds or the packhouse when the parties are taking place. We already must change up the patrols cause the royals will be here, and they want their warriors stationed around the borders as well so your patrol schedule will change as well. I can’t take any chances of them finding out about you. You are very important to our pack! You know what will happen if you break this command.”

This command isn’t just an alpha command that no pack member can go against, but a magic command set by the gold cuff. I have been tethered to the cuff since the Dark Alpha was in power. I couldn’t ignore it even if I wanted to. Like a bucket of cold ice water being poured over my head, I feel the magic command seep into my skin like a burn to my breaking heart. The gold cuff has the power to control my actions and if I disobey it, I suffer immense pain. I can feel my dream of finding the mate bond slipping away from my grasp.

I glare at the Alpha, “How will the royals know? No one will be paying attention to me anyway! I am a member of this pack just like anyone else! I am not some work-horse you can use day in and day out.” I did my best to keep my voice steady, but it began to shake slightly.  My emotions were running on tomorrow’s borrowed energy.

“Ciara, you better take your tone down now.” Alpha Radar snarls at me. His hand was still touching the cuff. 

Like a dial being turned, my tone is brought down a few volumes, but I continue my plea. “You still haven’t answered my question; how will the Blue Eclipse pack know that I am a multi-shifter? I understand that they are the royal family, but that shouldn’t matter. Plus, you promised me months ago that I could attend the festivities.” I finally had to look away from the Alpha cause his Alpha stare had become too intense for me. Tears threatened to escape my eyes, but I held them at bay.

“Ciara…” The Alpha growls a warning at me. His chest is heavily rising and falling now. I can see he is on the verge of losing his shit.

But I have decided to push my luck one more time. Throwing caution to the wind, I give my final jab. I stare right into the Alpha's eyes and say, “So, what you are saying is the Alpha’s word is bullshit???”

The roar from Alpha Radar could have been heard throughout the packhouse. “I am the Alpha of this pack, and you will obey my orders! DO. I. MAKE. MY. SELF. CLEAR!!!” The boom of the Alpha’s alpha command vibrates through the room causing some of the decorative items on the surrounding bookshelves to shake in their spots. Everyone in the room bared their necks in submission. I slump back onto the couch, completely defeated. My shoulders felt heavy with despair.

I know I have stepped over a line, and I don’t care. Why should I be kept hidden!? Normally the Alpha would have thrown me in the dungeon for screaming like a wild banshee, but I guess I am the exception because he needs me.

What pisses me off most is he knows how excited I was about joining the festivities. He promised me that I could attend since it would be pack members only. Now he’s acting like a jackass on a power trip and used that evil magic cuff on me just for a stupid alliance with royalty? I am so hurt, that tears swell in my eyes. I wipe them away with the back of my hand and let out a small sniffle. Emotions wreck my heart like a hot poker stabbing me.

“Calm down, Ciara. You are acting like a crybaby, it’s just another party.” Noah pipes in from behind. At that moment, I wish my ability was laser beams shooting out of my eyes so I could destroy that stupid face of the future Beta with the glare I just gave him.

“Hazel said she wanted me there and she even bought me a dress.” This is my final attempt. I slump back onto the couch with my shoulders hunched, feeling defeated.

My father sits next to me on the couch and touches my hand to get my attention. “Ciara dear… Please…” His voice is calming and soothes my emotions enough so I can hear him. “We already spoke with Hazel, and she said she is fine if you miss the parties and festivals.”

“That’s right, Luna Rosaline plans on putting all the events on the Alpha Network website online. You can watch from your computer.” Noah shares as if this was the perfect conciliation prize.

“It’s not the same,” I grumbled as my heart sank to the bottom of my body. Hazel didn’t even fight for me to be there? She made it sound like such a big deal that I was going. Guess sisterhood only goes so deep when it comes to being the chosen mate to the stupid future Alpha King. I am only guessing he is stupid; he’s probably really smart since he wins every battle he is in. I know I am being petty right now, but I honestly don’t care.