Page 21 of Midnight Moon
My father growled. Beta Nathan put a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place.
“I don’t give a damn,” my father said. “I reject your proposal. Think of something else.”
Hunter chose that moment to reach over and grab my hand. I looked at him. His jaw clenched, but his eyes softened as he silently tried to reassure me.
“Is she promised?”
The voice sent a fresh wave of butterflies flying in my stomach.
My lashes lifted, and I met Asher’s stare.
Or, rather, Isawhis stare.
Asher’s gaze locked onto the hand holding mine. I pulled away, letting Hunter’s hand fall to the table.
Asher’s blue eyes shifted to mine. A whirlpool of hues swirled in his irises, teeming with unspoken thoughts and unnamable emotions. He wasn’t as apathetic as he tried to appear.
“What?” My father shouted. He was long past trying to hide his emotions.
Asher tore his attention away. The loss weighed on my chest.
“Is your daughter promised to be mated to another?”
Seconds passed.
I prayed my father wouldn’t do something foolish like lie and announce I was promised to Hunter or something. Untwisting a declaration made in front of other pack leaders would be next to impossible, and I wasn’t interested in trading one shackle for another.
My father’s hands trembled with anger. “No, she is not promised.”
I sighed in relief.
At the podium, Alpha Kurt cleared his throat. “Are there any other objections to the Wilds Pack’s proposed prize?”
Wait! What?
My throat tightened.
The packs couldn’t seriously be entertaining this proposition… could they?
My father appeared just as shocked. He looked to his friend, Alpha Diego, with a silent plea.
The Moors alpha frowned and said, “It is not our decision to make. The Summit Pack’s vote should be the only one that matters here.”
Finally, someone who had common sense.
“We thought you might say that,” Chase stated, once again drawing the room’s attention. “To help smooth over the…troubleour request has caused, the Wilds Pack is also willing to offer something to each competing pack.”
“Oh? And what is that?” Beta Nathan asked through clenched teeth.
“The Wilds Pack will grant each competing pack ten percent of our land’s oil revenue. We hope the financial recompense can smooth over any potential distress caused by our requested prize.”
Money?He offered themmoney?
Standing above me, my father snorted. Beta Nathan sucked in a breath, and Hunter growled. But the rest of the room perked up.
“You will offer each pack this ‘recompense’ if your pack wins the Alpha Games?” Alpha Kurt questioned Chase.
The Wilds Pack shifter shook his head. “No, we offer it if you all simplyapproveour proposed reward.”
