Page 63 of Secrets and S'mores
Orion chuckles, placing a hand on my upper back. With a jerk of my shoulders, I shrug him off and move away.
“If this stray is a problem, I’m happy to eliminate him,” he says quietly.
“If you touch him, I’ll kill you,” I say, rage in every syllable.
Orion shoves me forward, his hand brushing the back of my arm to let me know he’ll grab me if necessary. “I’d love to see you try. Maybe I’ll get my way tomorrow when we deal with him.”
I allow myself to be herded back to the Alpha’s house, and lock myself in my room with my heart pounding in my ears. With Onyx tied up outside, I can’t possibly sleep.
Low voices in the hall tell me that Orion has posted a guard to keep me contained.
He’s undermining me, but it’s clear now that I’ve never been given any true authority. I’ll have to seize it. But a fight against Orion won’t end well. Strategy is my only strength against a brute like him.
It takes all my willpower to not scream and cry into my pillow. I feel so helpless, like every decision I’ve made has blown upin my face.
Eventually light filters in my window. I dress in all-black workout gear and pull my hair back into a bun. After some thought, I apply eyeliner and a red lip in the same style as my mother. It’s time to take my birthright in full, and if all goes well, the man I love will walk out of here safe.
Sienna sits in the formal living room, holding court with her top ranked wolves. I ignore them and address my mother directly.
“I want the wolf from last night freed. He was my host during my visit and he was concerned for my safety. We are endangering our alliance by detaining him.” With my shoulders back and my head high, I feel confident and my words come out strong.
She frowns, tapping a manicured nail against the glossy wooden table beside her chair. “Dear, he destroyed our alliance by breaking into the Alpha’s home. He could have been assassinating you. He may have meant to for all we know.”
“Absolutely not. I will vouch for him. It was the middle of the night when I left, and he was simply following me. The pack was asleep and he came straight to see me. You should be rewarding him for taking my safety so seriously.”
“I’m afraid your word doesn’t weigh enough in this situation,” she says, her gaze flicking to the other wolves in her circle. “We are debating what to do with him. You are welcome to join the discussion, but you will not be overriding my counsel.”
My nails dig into my palms hard enough to break the skin. In the past, I would have thought my mother was simply tormenting me. But now I see she’s controlled by those around her. She’s lost all her power in this pack, and she’s clawing to keep her position.
With a huff, I sit in the nearest seat, leaving space between the other wolves and myself.
“As I was saying,” Sienna continues, “I don’t feel it’s necessary to question him. There’s no sign of any other trespassers, and if he was a scout, he wouldn’t have come right in.”
“I say we execute him. He threatened our Heir and he arrived with enough weapons to take out half our pack,” Orion says, leaning back with his hands behind his head as if this was friendly small talk and not a deliberation over the life of another. His gaze goes to me and he smirks.
“You only want him dead because I want him alive and free,” I growl, unable to help myself.
“So you prefer we just let him go?” the Gamma, Aster, a woman just older than my mother, questions.
“I’ve explained already, and the fact you can’t accept my word is ridiculous and offensive,” I say, my anger building.
“If we can somehow verify his intentions, hence the idea of questioning him, I am okay with sending him back to his pack,” the Delta says. He’s the oldest of the bunch, with gray threaded through his black ponytail.
Sienna crosses her arms and sighs. “Well, we have two strong opinions. I see the merit in what my daughter says, but also the wisdom in Orion’s choice.”
“I believe imprisonment until we can negotiate with his pack would be best,” Aster says, rubbing the back of her head where her hair is buzzed short.
“No,” I say, exuding every bit of dominance I possess. “You are going to release him into my custody, and he will stay with me. I am completely confident he means me no harm. He’s been protecting me for the last week. He’s showing loyalty by coming here, and we’re treating him like a criminal. This ends now.”
“He is a criminal, and now is not the time to be forgiving toward those that threaten our pack,” Orion says, drawing out his words. His presence presses down on me, causing my anxiety to rise. “But if you feel so strongly about it, you’re welcome to challenge me.”
“I don’t have to do that. You’re the only one demanding blood here.”
“I outrank them. Dearest Ember, you’ve been weakened by your time in that pack. This is for your own good.” His smirk is ugly.
“I am Heir and hold power over you,” I say, my hands clenching into fists.
“Prove it.”
