Luca smiled at her innocent look. Even in her anger, she did not think about possibilities.
"You remember your attackers right?" he asked in a voice full of love to spoil her. She frowned but nodded and he laughed.
"Then watch carefully." and then he shifted in the room full of people. Everyone took a step closer and kneeled on the ground.
The gesture did not only show their respect and loyalty to him. But it was because of the power he held. His dominance was so strong that it forced others to bow in front of him.
He stood there fully shifted, towering in his beastly form, every inch radiating dominance and beauty that made it hard to look away. Even the wind seemed to pause as the pack starred in silent reverence. Elara's heart stuttered, not from fear, but from the strange, unwanted awareness stirring in her chest.
She clenched her fists beneath the table. Do not look at him. He is not your mate, he is the wolf who killed your mate. She chanted it in her heart but her eyes had started to move. The invisible pull was hard to resist.
She knew he was staring at her waiting for her to take a step toward him. It took all of her to not move. The beast walked closer and rubbed his fur on her thighs. Her whole body tingled and her heart raced. With the way his eyes glimmered, she was sure that he had heard her racing heart. Her mouth felt dry. Should she run away?
But before she could move, he took a step back and shifted again.
When he shifted back, his movements were fluid, effortless, power humming just beneath his skin. He didn't bother clothing himself with shame or hesitation. He just reached for the robe handed to him by a pack member, draping it loosely over his shoulders.
She blushed and looked away. Since she had spent most of the time hiding, she had never seen any wolf shifting and changing back. Callen had only shifted once in front of her and that day… he had died.
He was the only one she had seen bare and now the second person was… her enemy! She clenched her hands and reminded herself before her heart could soften.
Then his eyes, those impossible gold-black eyes locked onto hers. "I am not asking for your loyalty," he said quietly, voice wrapping around her like velvet and steel. "Only the truth. Have you seen me among your attackers?"
Elara didn't answer at first. She looked down, then slowly met his gaze. "No," she said, voice low and cold. "I did not see you."
A quiet murmur rippled through the gathered crowd.
"But," she added sharply, "that doesn't mean you weren't behind it. It wouldn't be hard to hire someone. Or send orders from a safe distance."
Luca's expression didn't change. But his beta stepped forward again, bristling. "She insults our alpha! She dares accuse him—"
"She dared to speak to her mate" Luca cuts him off, raising a hand. "And I told her to do so." His gaze never left Elara. "But our whole pack can change for you to see. We do not have black wolves among us and do you think a proud man like me would hire wolves from other packs to do my bidding? Would I even do such a hassle?" he smirked when he felt her eyes widening.
Even if she didn't know much about him, she knew he did not know to such lengths to get what he wanted.
"You do not need to go that far. You only need to say that I was not among the crowd. That would settle it." Elara opened her mouth only to close it again.
She did not want to speak for her enemy. But the smirk on his face told her that he was not
"The council needs a statement. And the pack needs peace. You may hate me, Elara, but even you know war will destroy your people much more than my people."
She leaned forward slowly, fire flickering again at her fingertips. "Peace? There is no peace between us.you have started this war luca. And I would not bow down to you." her eyes burnt with fire he had felt in his body. She was a wolf, he could smell it but she was more than that. That power could only belong to a witch.
Luca stepped closer, voice softer now. "Then speak your truth before the council. You owe them nothing. Not even me. If they want war, I will serve them. If they want death, I will provide for them. I have nothing to be afraid of Elara. I only did this for you. But you do not care! So why would i?"
Her jaw clenched. He knew her weak point and he was using it again and again against her.
"I'll speak," she said finally, bitterness thick on her tongue. "But not for you, only for them." Her eyes darted toward the wolves watching in silence. "So that my pack will not bleed because of your power games."
The room exhaled. She was blatantly telling that this pack and the wolves here were not hers.
"Alpha! She is not fit for the luna." The beta spoke again in a calm voice as he saw rage dancing in everyone's eyes. "She did not take us as hers!"
Luca nodded once,"she would learn. She had an eternity to do so. Until she is ready, I will not announce to her your luna, only my mate" the words brought another line of whispers. Did he mean he would have two mates? One chosen and one fated and the chosen one could be the luna?
Whispers filled the room even though Elara looked stunned by his announcement.
Luca looked at his beta again. "Prepare a message for the council," he ordered his beta. "They will hear your reply by dusk."