MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA-Chapter 255: A Humiliating Demand
Meanwhile, in Marcusโ quarters, the air was heavy and thick with silence and tension.
Beta Qasas, Yaz, Marcus, Zeta Detroit, and some Dark Snow warrior sat in Marcusโ living room. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐.๐๐ ๐ฆ
Beta Qasasโs lips pressed into a hard line. "Their Luna is with a child?"
Marcus gave a firm nod, brushing the sweat from his brow. "Yes. The entire pack knows. The elder council is furious. They say she betrayed them and theyโre already tearing her apart behind closed doors. Some want her stripped of her title and locked up. Some are leaning toward exile. The others are... hesitant, but that wonโt last."
A low growl rumbled from one of the warriors. "Cowards. They speak of betrayal when theyโve done far worse."
"What do we do, Beta Qasas? She may not be fit to be our Luna, but sheโs carrying our Alphaโs heir." Another warrior said, frowning.
"Who said sheโs not fit to be our Luna?" Commander Yaz grunted in his seat. His voice wasnโt loud, but the weight behind those words pressed on everyone like a mountain. "From the moment the Alpha chased after her, she automatically became our Luna."
When he spoke, no one else dared speak. Just like Qasas, he was one of the betas of the Dark Snow Pack. So, his words obviously carried weight.
Another warrior frowned, "What about Tamara?"
"The Alphaโs life is not up for you to meddle in!" Beta Qasas groaned. "Heโll be back. When he does, heโll take care of his private matters. Your concern right now is to protect his heir."
"What if the child is not his?" Tamara suddenly limped in, bruised and battered, hand wrapped in a makeshift cast.
"Thatโs not a debatable fact," Marcus replied. "Luna Reana knows no other man except Snow."
"And you know this because you live under her bed?" she snapped.
"Thatโs enough, Tamara, the child belongs to the Alpha." Beta Qasas didnโt give her a chance to argue.
Turning to Marcus, he ordered, "set a meeting, I want to see her."
...
Reana stood in her chambers, watching the evening sky.
Everyone around her was trying to hide the chaos in the pack from her, but she already knew what was going on.
To be fair, she was disappointed and upset. After everything she did for the pack, this was how they would repay her.
It was sad that the first ever "mistake" she made bred such a result.
Reana tried not to think about it. She tried to make excuses for them, tried to understand their fears, but the bitterness and subtle hatred for the people of her pack had already begun to take root.
Her Ryder met his end because of them, yet they treat her and his child this way.
It was unforgivable.
"Hahaha," a laugh sounded behind her ears.
She flinched, spinning around with claws elongating. She slashed at the intruder but only clawed at air.
"The delicious smell of your thoughts... hmm..." Demon god Vaurenox purred. His voice slithering through the room like smoke through cracks.
"Show yourself!" Reana barked.
More than the monster who took her Ryder from her, she loathed this so-called demon god the most. It had to be him who spread a tale that wasnโt his to spread.
"Careful with the accusation, Dear Luna," his voice came with a chuckle as black mist seeped from the corners of the chamber.
The shadows thickened.
They crawled across the walls like living ink before gathering near her wooden chair.
Slowly... the mist took shape.
A tall figure unfolded from it, limbs stretching languidly as if he had just woken from a pleasant nap. The darkness hardened into flesh and clothes.
When the transformation finished, Vaurenox was sitting comfortably in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, elbow resting on the armrest like a king lounging in his throne.
His molten eyes glittered with amusement.
"Much better," he sighed, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.
Reanaโs claws remained extended.
"This is my chamber, get out."
Vaurenox tilted his head, studying her the way one might examine a particularly fascinating insect.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "your anger has such a... delightful flavor tonight. Bitter. Sharp. With a blend of heartbreak and longing." He inhaled deeply through his nose. "An exquisite cocktail of emotions."
Reanaโs voice turned icy.
"You told them, didnโt you?"
There was no way anyone would have overheard them. She didnโt feel a simple life except theirs in the hallway.
He smiled.
He didnโt deny it. Didnโt even pretend.
"Yes," he said simply. "I merely... whispered a truth to a few curious ears. A passing remark here, an innocent observation there." His shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "How the weaklings chose to react afterward is hardly my responsibility."
"You ruined everything," she growled. This wasnโt how she wanted them to find out.
"Oh no, dear Luna," Vaurenox gasped, "You wound me with such a malicious accusation." He shook his head, "I refuse to take responsibility for what Iโm innocent of."
Then he continued. "Your kind never liked you, Luna. They were simply waiting for an excuse."
He chuckled.
"Mortals are wonderfully predictable."
Reana stepped closer, fury burning in her eyes.
"Do you think that by doing this, Iโd accept your offer? Dream on."
Vaurenox looked at her like the answer was obvious.
"Three days at most." He uncrossed his legs and once again turned into mist. "See you soon, Luna..."
Just as he left, and without giving her a moment to catch her breath, the door burst open, and a furious Kira stormed in.
"Luna, the council is here with half of the pack. They are outside your residence."
For a moment, the room fell silent. Reanaโs claws slowly retracted.
"So," she murmured quietly, "they couldnโt even wait till tomorrow."
Kira clenched her fists. "They came to demand answers. The elders say if the rumors are true, theyโll decide your fate tonight."
Reana turned away from the window.
"How do they intend to find out if itโs true? What if I decide not to respond?"
Kira hesitated, then added in a lower voice, "They brought the healer Dira."
Reanaโs eyes narrowed, "What for?"
Even though she already suspected what she was here for, she wanted to be sure.
Kiraโs jaw tightened. "They intend to test you... in front of everyone."
โThey dare!โ Rea growled in her mind, threatening to unleash violence if they dared see it through.
The wolf had been silent since the beginning, leaving matters to Reana, but this, no way, it was too much!
And this was exactly why Kira was livid.
It was the height of disrespect!
For a second, the only sound in the room was the quiet buzzing in their ears.
Then Reana laughed.
A laugh so loud and deep that youโd think she was entertained. But the bitterness and fury in her chest told the opposite.
"Alright, letโs give the pack what they want."
"Luna, you canโtโ"
