Chapter 6 Interrogating Prime Ministers
Inside the king chamber, the air felt heavy. Three figures stood several paces away from his desk.
Petra stood in the center, shoulders squared, dark hair tied into a severe knot. The Gamma minister carried herself like someone accustomed to command rather than obedience.
To her right was Eddomyth, a tall Beta whose calm eyes rarely betrayed emotion. Diplo, another Gamma, stood on the left, hands clasped behind his back, posture rigid as iron.
They were the three of ministers of the Prime Council. The most disciplined minds in Estines.
Liam leaned back in his chair, one arm resting against the carved wood. His gaze moved slowly from one minister to the next, as though weighing them.
“Someone,” he said at last, voice quiet but sharp as steel, “gave permission for the northern warehouse to send food stock into the palace this morning.”
Silence settled between them. Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Which one of you was it?”
Petra and Diplo exchanged the briefest glance before Eddomyth stepped forward. The Beta inclined his head respectfully, though his posture remained steady.
“None of us, Alpha.” His voice was calm, measured. “The northern warehouse operates under the Queen Council’s logistical rotation. Supplies are dispatched according to schedule unless an emergency override is issued.” Eddomyth continued, choosing his words carefully.
“This morning’s delivery was likely approved through secondary authorization. The Prime Council doesn’t personally review every shipment entering the palace.”
Liam’s fingers tapped once against the armrest. He could hear it—the subtle shift in Eddomyth’s heartbeat; controlled, but not entirely steady when Diplo spoke next.
“If there has been an error in the shipment,” he said, voice firm, “we can have the supply records brought for inspection immediately.”
Petra’s gaze lingered on Liam, sharp and observant. Then she asked, evenly, “Is there something wrong with the food material, Alpha?”
The question hung in the room. Liam’s jaw tightened. For a moment, the temperature in the chamber seemed to drop. The word burned behind his teeth, but the truth couldn't leave his mouth.
Because according to the laws of the royal pack, an Enigma Alpha was forbidden to mate with an Omega. The bond was considered unstable, dangerous to the hierarchy the Moon Goddess herself had once established.
If the council discovered the truth, Skylar wouldn't be protected by fate—she would be judged by law, and the punishment was never mercy; Execution; exile as a rogue; or worse—sold to human territories like discarded property.
Liam forced the thought down, burying the surge of fury that rose with it. Patience had never been his strength, but today he couldn't afford recklessness.
Petra’s expression was composed, though her eyes were too alert. Diplo stood unmoving, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. Eddomyth remained the calmest of the three, yet Liam could feel it beneath the surface—something carefully hidden.
“The quality of the shipment was unacceptable,” Liam finally answered, flatly—as gathering three important personels of prime council this sudden was trivial. “It angered me.”
Eddomyth inclined his head, brows drawn slightly together in polite concern. “If the food materials failed to meet the palace standard, Alpha, we will have the northern warehouse investigated immediately.”
Diplo nodded once in agreement. “And I assure you again,” he added, voice steady, “none of us authorized that delivery personally.”
Petra remained quiet for a moment before speaking as well. “The council has no important interest in compromising the palace supply line.”
A pause stretched, then, as if the subject had naturally shifted, Eddomyth added with a mild tone, “Though matters concerning the royal household might become easier if the palace had a Luna.”
Diplo glanced toward him, understanding the direction of the conversation immediately.
“The pack would welcome it,” he said. “An official mate would strengthen the royal line and stabilize the court.”
Petra folded her arms behind her back. “It has been discussed within the council more than once.”
The words hung carefully in the air. Just suggestions placed where Liam could hear them. From the outside, his silence looked like indifference. But inside his mind, the storm had already begun.
Their heartbeats echoed in his ears. Three separate rhythms—he had learned over years of command. Each breath, each shift of weight, each microscopic hesitation.
To others, they were invisible details. To Liam, they were deafening. His power was awake, it had always been both weapon and curse. No one knew the true extent of his mind ability. Because if they had known, they would also know its cost.
Every heartbeat became a drum against his skull. Every breath sounded like wind rushing through a narrow tunnel. Every small gesture hinted at deception.
Before Skylar came into his life, it had been unbearable.
There had been days when he could barely stand the noise of a crowded room. Nights when the palace corridors sounded like a battlefield inside his skull. But Skylar’s scent calmed the chaos.
Liam pushed his chair back and rose. The movement was sudden enough that all three ministers stiffened slightly.
“Who is it?” he asked. The question cut through the room like a blade. Petra blinked once.
“Excuse me, my Alpha?”
Liam’s gaze moved between them. “I asked a simple question.” His voice dropped lower. “Who authorized the delivery?”
Diplo shifted his weight, hands still clasped behind his back.
“As we explained, Alpha,” he said evenly, “the northern warehouse often processes deliveries through secondary authorization channels. There are several logistical officers who can approve shipments during routine cycles.”
Petra added, “It would be premature to assume council involvement without reviewing the documentation—”
“Say it,” he said quietly. None of them moved. Liam’s gaze hardened, “Or you will not like the way I make you say it.”
The threat wasn't loud, but it settled over the room like a shadow. Liam’s eyes stopped on Petra; a Gamma, and a woman. Older than Liam by several years, yet the difference in their standing was undeniable.
Petra felt it; the weight of his gaze, the silent presence of the great creature behind it. Liam didn't raise his voice. His authority pressed against the room like gravity. For a moment, her composure cracked. Then she finally spoke.
“If someone could grant permission beyond the council’s authority,” she said slowly, “there’s only one person who could do so is … Lady Benetta, Alpha Liam.”
Liam didn't move, but something dark flickered behind his eyes. The second authority after him.
A cold wave of understanding settled in his chest. If Benetta had authorized the shipment, then the poison was not an accident. It meant she already knew about Skylar's existence inside the palace walls.