Daniel's POV:
I chug down a glass of vodka as my head throbs with a vengeance. The reason for said throb happens to be the buzzing bees in the council grating on my last nerve. All around the long table, every elder is yelling at the top of their lungs, as if their volume would make me rethink my actions. I was already doing that to myself for them. Lina was the only thing on my mind—except my thoughts weren't treading in pleasant territory where I was fantasising about her lush lips and lovely hands. Nope—not even close. All I could hear in my head was what she said to me: "Your promises mean nothing to me."Shit.I put my head in my hands and slumped forward—before I remembered where I was and who was around. Clearly my outburst was uncharacteristic, because the chaos died down instantly and was replaced by tense shock and the gaping mouths of the councilmen around me.I cleared my throat and said, "I apologise." Glancing at the head councilman, I motion with my hand. "Continue."The man hesitates for a beat before continuing his useless rant, except I zone out again and catch occasional snippets of, "broke protocol," and "brought a human," and the most infuriating of all: "acting crazy over an irrelevant human girl."That last bit has me slamming my fist on the table. Cue the same shocked silence again—but this time, I don't care. I rise to my full height—which I have over these senile fuckers—and declare, "No one mentions her. No one insults her or even talks about her." I pause slightly, trying and failing to get my anger in check. "I understand we're in deep shit. I don't need you telling me where I went wrong—I know. But no one blames her."
No one responds. Their fear is like a pathetic stain corroding the room. David watches me from the far end of the table—I can tell he's itching to ask me about the girl. I ignore him and stalk out of the room, desperate to go back to the cabin and make things right with Lina.
What stops me in my tracks is the demon in my head, berating me over and over again: exactly how am I supposed to make anything right? I can't change what I am, and neither do I want to. I can't go against my pack and tell her the reason we left had to do with her family. There was nothing I could do to fix this situation. We were from two different worlds. Worlds that, if they collided, would be a catastrophe.
While I stand facing the window with my infuriating thoughts, I sense an annoying presence standing next to me. Great.I push away from the wall but am pulled back by a hand clasped over my shoulder.Bad, bad move.I turn to glare at my brother, who puts his hands up in surrender.
"What the hell do you want?" My words come out in a growl."Woah, easy man. What's got your panties in a twist?" David searches my face with shrewd eyes. "What's this human in the cabin they keep going on about? I thought you hated them."
I don't answer and pull myself from his grip to dismiss any further talk. Except the councilmen have nothing on my brother when it comes to annoying people, because he declares,"Well, I'll just have to see for myself who's in that cabin. Maybe if she's cute I'll take her for—"
His words die down due to the pressure of my arm on his vocal cords as I slam him into the wall."Don't you dare go near that cabin."
He's stunned for a beat, but then his eyes widen in realisation and he nods. I let him go and he eases back onto his two feet, rubbing his neck. I ignore the onslaught of guilt that washes over me and focus on the view through the window again: the cabin.
The door behind us opens and the messenger summons me back to my curse—sorry, the councilman's meeting—and I can't wait to get it all over with so I can go see my girl.
I mean, Lina.Not my girl.This day just keeps getting worse by the minute.