"You had better have a good reason for being here," Aeron said coldly, glaring at Elowen.
A soft smile crept onto her face as she took a few steps toward him. "How scary." She brushed past him and stared down at Jane's lifeless body.
She squatted and pressed her index finger beneath her maid's nostrils. She clicked her tongue lightly when she felt the faint trace of Jane's breathing.
"I didn't know it would take a war just to have a discussion with you." She stood up and turned to face him. "Your little plaything must be doing her job poorly."
Aeron ignored her and walked to the chair in the chaotic room. He sat down, staring at her without emotion.
"What brings you here?"
Elowen rubbed her hands together gently. "I want to borrow her for two hours."
Aeron's brows drew tightly together. "I can't let her out of my sight."
"I know." She nodded indifferently. "That's why she'll be under my supervision. I'll make sure she doesn't spill whatever secrets you're hiding to anyone."
She stared at him in silence… reading his expression. Aeron didn't reply. He simply stared ahead, dazed and deep in thought.
"Don't you trust me, brother?" she whispered.
His gaze sharpened as he focused on her.
Elowen's brows lifted as she tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer. Clenching his fists tightly, Aeron rose from the chair and walked toward the door.
"I'll have someone fetch her for you," he said, gripping the handle and pulling the door open. "Now… leave."
She chuckled softly, gathered her dress, and walked out of the room. Aeron slammed the door behind her, but she didn't stop. She continued walking.
After taking a left turn, her steps slowly came to a halt, and she turned slightly, staring into space.
He marked her. The thought crossed her mind, and anger slowly crept into her heart. He dared to claim a human as his mate.
She gritted her teeth and stormed toward her room.
. . .
Back in Aeron's room~
He kicked Jane's arm aside as he walked into his study. At that moment, the main door was pushed open and the chief maid walked in. She was a short woman with long grey hair. At first glance, people mistook her for an old lady, but she was actually in her late twenties.
She stopped in front of Jane and dragged her out of the room. A few minutes later, three more maids rushed in with their heads bent forward and began cleaning the room.
"Was that Elowen?" Theron asked, pushing away from the window and walking toward him. "What did she say was the problem?"
Aeron grabbed the chair and sat down. His hand raked through his hair in frustration as he stared at the scroll beneath the lamp.
"Something trivial," he muttered, grabbing the scroll and slowly opening it.
His eyes scanned the contents, and he shut them tightly. 'Even after taking a break from this scroll to attend to Elowen, rereading it feels like torture.'
"What should we do? This is more urgent than whatever Elowen came here for," Aeron said, pushing the scroll toward Kael.
Kael grabbed it, reading through it before slamming it onto the table.
"I say we kill them," he said through clenched teeth. "I'll have my men raid their pack tonight and hang their heads at our gates as a warning to those who share their foolish ideas. It's stupidity to attack us while we're still in mourning."
"They're exploiting our weakness…" Theron chimed in.
"All the more reason we must get rid of them before their troops reach us. We can't allow the people's trust in us to break…" Kael added.
Especially at a crucial moment when there's no leader.
. . .
Pssh!
The huge gates were pulled open, fog from outside seeping into the pack. Kael's hand gripped the shaft of his spear, his cold gaze fixed on the flags visible miles away from his pack.
Behind him, multiple troops gathered, waiting for his command. Smoke blew from his nostrils as he turned sideways to face his men.
"We kill everyone on sight! Show no mercy, or your head will be served to their king! Push forward to their pack and bring me the head of their king!" he roared, raising his spear.
The troops roared, stomping their weapons against the ground. Kael turned around, his eyes sharpened with rage, and took the first step forward, running toward the enemies closing in on them.
One by one, they followed suit to defend the pack. Aeron watched the scene from the watchtower, his hands clasped behind his back.
The huge gates closed with a deep rumble, alerting the citizens inside the pack. Heads turned toward the gates, but when they saw nothing, they resumed their daily activities.
Aeron turned and walked toward the Meeting Room, where the elders were already waiting.
He had asked Theron to take Seren to Elowen. He didn't trust his sister and knew what she was capable of.
The guards pushed the door open for him and shut it once he entered.
Seated on either side of the large table were the twenty-four elders of the pack. Each from different households, and they were here for one purpose-
To assess the heirs and determine which one was fit to rule them.
A true Alpha.
Aeron walked behind them, feeling their eyes on him as he made his way to the single seat in the center of the room. An old guard stood behind it, his arms folded behind his back.
He was Jaerimi, his father's most trusted friend and companion throughout his reign.
Aeron sat down, his hands resting comfortably on the armrests. His gaze swept across both sides of the table, noticing the faint curiosity in their eyes.
He was going to use it to his advantage.
"Shall we begin?" he asked with a faint smile.