Chapter 27 Rebellion
“Example out of you two?” Alpha Ridley questioned. His eyes drifted back and forth between Raina and Kian. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to solve a particularly complex puzzle. “That’s a bit ominous. There is reason for both a personal attack as well as an unbiased attack.”
Raina nodded, knowing that Alpha Ridley was not what he seemed. He used his attractive looks to get what he wanted. The wolf was more mentally strong, not that he wasn’t gifted the body and obvious strength of a powerful Alpha. There was something about him that screamed that he was more akin to the mind of a fox before his natural instincts as a dominant Alpha wolf took center stage.
Alpha Jayce tilted his head. “What if it’s both?”
“Exactly,” Alpha Ridley agreed with a sly smirk. “It’s quite clear who could’ve possibly hired a witch runner.” He crossed his arms and sighed dramatically. “You seem to have a case of a scorned ex and her family on your case, Kian. It’s a pity that her family is so well connected with the World Council too.”
Alpha Jayce nodded. “The same World Council that would hate this new way of doing things.”
She had drawn her conclusions too, but she had yet voiced them. She hadn’t wanted to bring it up to Kian. She wondered if Kian had also come to the same conclusion, but she hadn’t wanted to question him. It was important to her that he came to this conclusion on his own. She didn’t want to influence his narrative, but when other Alphas were coming to the same conclusion, it was validating and less in her head.
Her eyes shifted to Kian, wondering he’d believe his precious Mia would be capable of such behavior. It probably wasn’t Mia, but she couldn’t help but feel threatened by her sweetness and innocence. Kian only spared Octavius’s life for Mia. If it had anyone dared to attack Mia, that wolf or individual would no longer be breathing. They would be dead, but because Mia had asked for mercy with all that heartbreak on display, he had allowed Octavius to continue existing. If it had been up to Raina, Octavius would’ve died that day, because threatening a Luna’s life was the worse offense to Alpha.
The fact that Octavius still lived had spoke volumes to her that Mia still had a strong hold on Kian. Mia meant more to him than she did and that was something that haunted her. It humiliated her and she had yet to truly think about what that all meant.
When Kian had stood up for her during the meeting, she had finally felt secure enough in her role by his side, but how he allowed mercy to her attacker at the sight of Mia’s despair forced her to see the truth.
It actually took her surprise that Kian had grown aggravated by Alpha Ridley’s attention and had staked public claim to her right in front of both Alphas. She was just his Luna by name alone. She knew her place. Sex with Kian was just sex. Even if it meant the world to her, she knew for him, it was his way to relieve his needs and create an heir. It didn’t mean anything to him. She hadn’t expected to react so territorial over her, but he was being challenged and he was an Alpha. She was, by all means, was ‘his’.
Trust didn’t equate to love. If it had been that simple and love was all that was needed, Mia would be Luna. An ache burned in her chest at the thought. Sometimes, she hated that she was his fated mate. She always felt like… she was in his way of his true happiness.
“I’m aware,” Kian told them. When his eyes slid to hers, she quickly glanced away, trying to shut away her thoughts and swirling emotions. “Which is why I need to know where you both stand,” he addressed the Alphas. “I need to know where you fall in the grand scheme of things.”
Alpha Jayce smirked. “I’m not ready to give up my fated mate.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t interested in this new way of doing things,” Alpha Ridley told him genuinely. His eyes glanced over at Jayce before his eyes slid back to Kian. “You very well know a virtual meeting or phone call would’ve been sufficient about the witch runner. There’s nothing that can be done until they pop up again.”
Kian nodded his head in understanding. “Very true. And if you find that the method is… acceptable?”
“I’ll be the first Alpha to test this method,” Alpha Ridley offered. A smirk crossed his face as his eyes shifted for a moment to Alpha Jayce. “And I suspect Jayce would also offer himself up as a candidate too.”
“We would be the perfect candidates,” Alpha Jayce agreed as if he was talking casually about the weather. “We are closer to your territory and it would be less suspicious that we came to visit.”
Raina watched Kian chuckled at their nonchalant way of trying to say that they would take this opportunity if they were offered it. She wondered how many other Alphas would actually line up for this procedure. Perhaps, Sterling was truly on to something.
“If the World Council should go to war with me?” Kian asked, his eyes looking back and forth between the Alphas.
Alpha Jayce shrugged. “You wouldn’t discover that you’d be alone. If this works, the word will be spread and the more Alphas and packs agree to this then you will have an army behind you.”
“It’s a win-win,” Alpha Ridley mused. His eyes sparkled in amusements. “Your rebellion would live on through us and you would have a glorious army of Alphas and packs to utilize at your disposal that owe you a massive favor.”
For a proud and humbling moment, Raina realized that her mate was more cunning and clever than she gave him credit for. He had successfully secured the backing of the most powerful allies to take on the World Council should it come to that. Most packs weren’t happy with the old traditions. Only the Elders and those that held old world views were content.
If the World Council was forced to make changes, because all the packs joined together, there was also a possibility that the World Council could also be changed to reflect the changing tides.
Sebastian’s voice sliced through her thoughts: You’re being called to the perimeter.
She frowned at that. Why would she be called to the perimeter? Why would it rival the importance of this meeting? Her eyes slid over to Kian, but he didn’t look over at her. Instead, he continued to discuss details with both Alphas. Her eyes slid over to Sebastian, who was looking right at her.
The rogue says they will only talk to you, he told her and her eyes widened in surprise, realizing what it meant. They say they bring the feather of a crow and the petals of a white rose.
Mack and Jacqueline.
They had sent a messenger.
When Raina made an excuse to leave, Kian had immediately mindlinked her: Take Meridian and don’t do anything yet until I can get away.
Kian would’ve joined her, but he knew he was needed here. Sterling had arrived soon after to discuss the process of IVF and surrogacy. Modern concepts that weren’t unheard of, but it was unheard of to use it this type of way. He watched Alpha Jayce and Alpha Ridley listen intently to her. Even though they tried not to show it, he saw the hope and excitement growing in their eyes.
If it hadn’t been for Raina’s change in mind, he would’ve been barreling down that path. He was happy he wasn’t. He was using this time to bond with Raina. Now that she had opened up to him and they were regularly having sex, a weight had been lifted off his chest. He feared that she would’ve wait until her heat took her over and it would end up hurting her, because her body wasn’t ready for what needed to be done.
Now that they were actively having sex, it had become natural and instinctive. It had become harder and harder to keep from marking her, claiming her as his rightful Luna and acknowledging their mate bond.
“If you’re not careful, everyone will know the truth,” Jayce chuckled, drawing his attention.
Sterling had already delivered her presentation and both Alphas were pleased. They told her that they would be in touch after they spoke with their Elder Council and their inner pack members. They needed everyone to be on the same page before they moved along with it.
Kian had watched Sterling leave and he wondered what Raina was doing right now. Sebastian had told him that Mack and Jacqueline had finally made contact and the rogue they had sent would only speak with Raina. He wasn’t surprised they had reached out before they did. Raina wanted to speak to the rogues well after the Alphas left, but it must be important if Mack and Jacqueline sent their own messenger instead.
It meant that it already got back to them that a witch runner had been way too close for comfort. Jacqueline would be able to provide more help in tracking down answers. Mack needed to be ready to come out of the shadows, because he knew if they attacked his sister, Mack would refuse to keep silent.
Kian raised an eyebrow. “What truth?”
“You’re not slick, Kian,” Ridley told him with a smirk. “You found your fated mate.”
He looked back and forth between the Alphas and he sighed, knowing there would be no point in denying the truth. He figured he outed himself anyway when he took Ridley’s bait and reacted accordingly.
“Underneath your nose this entire time,” Ridley teased and Kian rolled his eyes. “And you’ve fucked up already then.”
Kian frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You let Octavius leave Crimson Moon alive and well,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Rumor has it, you only let him live, because Mia begged you to. Is that true?”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but he couldn’t. He was too close to killing him and he had every intention of following through, because nobody touched Raina then Mia, with her tears and heartbreak, he… He squeezed his eyes shut when it hit him like a punch to a gut.
Fuck.
He fucked up.
“Would you have let anybody get away with attacking Mia if they made a move to hurt her?” Ridley dug the knife deeper into his chest as the reality of the situation suffocated him.
He had showed mercy… and that was basically telling everyone that he didn’t view her as a Luna. He had in fact showed that Mia was his Luna by complying to her wishes. It was farthest from the truth. He had stopped, because he looked straight into Mia’s eyes and realized she was not meant to be a Luna or rather his Luna.
She was too soft, too weak.
He needed a warrior.
Somebody to stand up without fear of getting sliced to pieces. It had taken him years to get to that point to realize one important realization. Something that he didn’t want to entertain, but it was something that Sebastian and himself talked extensively about for those years after their break up.
She was everything he didn’t want in a Luna and a mate. Sure, he wanted compassion and kindness, but his Alpha blood craved a warrior. When he found out Raina was his fated mate that night, it had all clicked into place.
She was in fact everything he ever wanted and needed.
She was his counterpoint.
He shook his head, finally responding to Ridley’s question: “No. They’d be dead on the spot.”
“Stop playing games, old friend,” Jayce told him softly. “You need to assert who your Luna truly is and who you stand by, because it’s going to get bad for her if you don’t. They won’t take her seriously and she won’t believe you when you tell her the truth.”
Ridley chuckled. “I mean you could just fuck her in front of everyone and claim her then like you were going to with me. I’m pretty sure nobody would question you then.”
“Ridley,” he growled out a warning.
He shrugged. “Just trying to be helpful.”