MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA-Chapter 232: Subduing The Alphas

For one suspended moment, no one dared to move – not Beta Theon, not Malric, not Markkus...Not even the pompous, power-hungry Alphas.

They all stared at Reana. Some with disbelief, others with hope... and a few with pure, ravenous longing, like werewolves starved for ages but finally scented a prey.

But Markkus, he stood still behind Reana’s seat, arms crossed, his jaw tight. His expression didn’t match the rest of the room.

As a Dark Snow Pack member, he knew better. He’d seen what the humans tried. Every path, every tunnel, every theory... yet, they had all failed.

Not just failed. Failed badly.

Manuscripts left behind by their ancestors claimed there was only one route to the kingdoms but couldn’t recall where it was. Teams were sent to travel all routes around the Southern Regions, including the wastelands.

Those sent either went missing, few returned broken and most didn’t return at all.

The humans had thrown everything – the Pack’s resources, money, and time – into finding the route back, but no matter what they tried, no one could leave.

So when Reana brought up Eldrida, when she hinted that maybe the humans could help them return, Markkus felt a knot in his chest.

She shouldn’t have said that, he thought.

She shouldn’t have given them hope. He thought.

He looked around. The Alphas were hooked now. He could see it in their eyes and it wasn’t new to him. That spark. That need.

It was dangerous.

Hope always was.

But then again... this was Luna Reana.

She didn’t play it safe. She never did.

She didn’t say what was polite or expected.

She said what moved people. What shook them awake and push them to action.

And like always... It worked.

Markkus let out a quiet sigh and shook his head. These fools. They fell for it.

"She’s going to tear this council apart," he muttered, just loud enough for himself.

Then, after a pause, added with a dry smile, "And somehow make them grateful for it."

Meanwhile, unlike Markkus, everyone else was thinking...

The Kingdom of Eldrida; Their lost homeland. Their inheritance. Their myth.

It was said to be a land of crystal rivers, sky-reaching trees, and wolves so ancient and powerful, they could bend the winds with a growl. A place untouched by hunger, war, or the bitter cold of this cursed land. A kingdom where their ancestors once ruled alongside the goddess herself.

But because of a betrayal, they had been banished. Exiled. Cursed to wander this barren, monster-ridden wasteland that devoured crops, slaughtered cubs, and turned once-great bloodlines into scavengers.

And now...

Now, Reana had said home.

Alpha Hargon was the first to speak, his voice low, grating. "You dare utter Eldrida as if it’s a place we can reach? Our ancestors tried. Their bones still litter the Black Pass. Do you mock us, Luna?"

Reana didn’t flinch. "They’re my ancestors too."

Her words were soft, but they struck with the weight of generations. She looked at the stone floors as if she could see the blood of the past staining them still.

This time, Reana wasn’t scheming. She truly, genuinely felt sorry for their ancestors who lost their lives to find a way back. And like everyone else, she craved Eldrida.

"I mourn the ones who died chasing freedom. Who starved trying to reclaim what was stolen. Who froze with their children on their backs because they believed in something better. I mourn them—but I refuse to waste their sacrifice by sitting here, clutching my ego and letting fear dictate my future."

Alpha Rhys leaned forward, skeptical. "What do you know of Eldrida that we don’t?"

Reana’s lips curled faintly, but it wasn’t amusement. It was something colder. "Perhaps, you’d like to hear that from the humans themselves. But until then, we give them what they seek."

Alpha Dennis scoffed. "You think humans will give us that? Knowledge is power and power is a weapon."

Reana rolled her eyes, and spat venom at him. "Of course, you should be scared. When your Crimson Caravan barged into their homes and slaughtered them like sheeps and plundered, raped their women, killed their men and children, destroyed their crops, and burned their houses to the ground. You, Alpha Dennis, should be shaking in your boots!"

Other Alpha’s eyes rounded and they turned sharply towards Alpha Dennis, who seemed stunned.

"Is she saying the truth, Alpha Dennis?" Alpha Ronan asked with a frown. There was a pact made among wolves to leave the humans alone. Their fathers told them so.

"That– that’s not true. My pack’s merchants are known for their transparency and—"

"If it makes you feel better to lie, go ahead," Reana cut him off coldly. "The Dark Snow Pack members are ruthless and unforgiving. They would definitely not let your people’s transgressions go. Perhaps, when they visit your pack in numbers, you can explain the misunderstanding to them. See if your pretty speeches stop them from ripping through your walls the way your merchants ripped through the human village."

The silence that followed was sharp enough to draw blood.

Alpha Dennis’s mouth opened, then closed. There was nothing to say. Meanwhile, Malric had gone pale for whatever reason.

Reana’s eyes swept over the room, steady and unapologetic. "The humans have shown more restraint than we deserve. If they wanted revenge, they’d have taken it by now. But they’re offering cooperation instead. Don’t waste it."

Alpha Ronan slowly leaned forward. "And if we do?"

Reana didn’t blink. "Then may the goddess have mercy on us all. Because the Dark Snow Pack won’t."

Some Alphas glared at Dennis. They’d address his merchant’s aggressions later. But for now, the matter at hand was of utmost importance.

Alpha Alexander sat back, folding his hands beneath his chin. "You believe Dark Snow Pack is protecting the humans because of that?"

"I believe," Reana said, meeting his gaze, "that they found something. Or someone. That they’re guarding more than they let on. And that if we don’t stop tearing each other apart over scraps and pride, they’ll be the ones to walk through the gates of Eldrida first... without us."