1029 Words
Cole exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowed. “This isn’t going to be easy. Some of the council already think we gave too much in the negotiations. If they think you let sentiment or desperation make this decision…” “It wasn’t desperation,” I said firmly. I can’t believe Cole of all people would believe I made such an important decision out of desperation. “It was strategy. If I refused, it would’ve collapsed the treaty on the spot. They offered an alternative, and I took it. I couldn’t afford to make enemies in that moment.” Irene ran a hand through her hair. “Are you really ok with this?” I looked at her. “That doesn’t matter.” She scoffed. “It will. Especially if the elders think she’s a consolation prize.” “She’s not,” I said quietly, more to myself than to them. Because even now, hours after the ceremony, my mind kept circling back to the strange calm in Faye’s eyes, the strength in her voice, the way she didn’t flinch when the mark burned into her skin. She hadn’t asked for this, but she didn’t run either, she brave. She wasn’t Sage. And maybe that was the point. Cole was still looking at me like I’d completely lost my mind. If there was anyone, apart from Irene, who could speak to me without holding back, it was him…and not just because he was my beta. We’d been through everything together since we were boys. He didn’t need permission to question my decision. “You have no idea what’s coming, Alpha Alexander,” he said, his tone sharp with disbelief. “The elders are going to flip. You made a decision they were supposed to be consulted on, and you didn’t even give them the courtesy of a heads-up. That alone is bad. But if this gets out to the pack…” I didn’t respond at first. I understood where he was coming from, I had already thought about it all through last night after the ceremony. I met his stare squarely. “I’ve mated with her, Beta Cole,” I said firmly. “The bond is sealed, and there’s no going back now.” Cole sighed under his breath and shook his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. I turned to Irene, half-hoping she might see it from my side, but her brows were drawn together, lips tight. I guess I’m on my own. “You know this isn’t going to sit well with the council,” she said. “They’ll see it as a broken promise…Sage was the one chosen, and even though Faye is her twin, that doesn’t change the fact that you were promised someone else. And then you went ahead with the mating without their blessing? Alexander, you know how they are. What were you thinking?” “I know all that, Irene,” I said. Irene exchanged another look with Cole. Neither of them seemed convinced. “And like Cole was trying to say, even if you can get the elders to swallow this, you’re not thinking about the pack. If word spreads—and it will—they’ll see Faye as nothing more than a replacement. That’s not something you can control just by barking orders.” That got under my skin. I sat up straighter and let the weight of my voice fill the room. “Replacement or not, she’s my mate, which makes her Luna. And anyone…elder, warrior, kitchen hand, anyone at all…who thinks otherwise will have to deal with me directly.” Irene didn’t flinch. Maybe she understood why I did it, or maybe she was just bracing for the fallout. “I’ll speak to the elders tonight,” I added. “They deserve to hear it from me, not through whispers or gossip. I’ll make it clear that this was my call…and that it stands. I stood up because I needed to stretch my legs and ease the stiffness from the trip, but mostly because I was exhausted and just wanted to lie down for a while. Before I left the room, I turned to Cole. “Let the elders know I’m back,” I said. “We’ll have a meeting later tonight.” He gave a short nod and stepped aside so I could pass. As I walked through the hall, a few pack members crossed my path and greeted me. I could see the curiosity in their eyes, the unspoken question hanging between every nod and bow: Did he return with the Luna? None of them dared ask, of course….smart of them. I wasn’t in the mood for questions, especially not ones I hadn’t answered for myself. Once I stepped into my chambers, I shut the door behind me and sighed. I peeled off my jacket, tossed it over the back of a chair, and sank into it with more weight than I meant to. My shoulders ached, but not half as much as my head. Truth be told, I hadn’t thought any of this through. When the elders of Silver Hollow pack first brought up the idea of Faye—a replacement, as if a promised mate could be swapped like a broken weapon—I’d rejected it without hesitation. I was clear, certain. I didn’t want a stand-in for what I’d lost. But then… she walked into the room. Faye. And without even pausing to think, I heard myself say I’d take her. Now, here I was…Alpha of one of the most powerful pack…trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get everyone else to go along with it. “Why in the world did I do that? And why do I not regret it as I should?” “Maybe because we like her.” The voice came from deep within. Aiden, my wolf. I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.” “You didn’t need to. I’m just saying…I mean nothing has ever changed your mind so fast.” I exhaled slowly and closed my eyes, pressing my fingers to my temples.
