Chapter Twenty-Two

The room was silent, but the tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a matchete. 

Vincenzo’s smirk remained,his confidence seemed no worse for wears as if he was enjoying this but there was one thing I knew better than he did, he was playing a dangerous game, one he thought he had already won which was his greatest mistake. 

He thought I’d walk away.  

That I’d accept his terms because so far I had been doing exactly that well he had no idea who the fuck he was dealing with.  

My men stood ready, their weapons locked and loaded.  

So did his.  

One wrong move, one misstep, and this place would turn into a war zone .  

I took a step forward, closing the distance between us.  

“You have one chance, Vincenzo,” I said, voice low, deadly. 

“Give me Arielle or I will burn everything you own to the fucking ground.” I hissed at him Vincenzo’s smirk twitched, but he didn’t back down.  

His gaze flickered to my men, then back to me.  

“You don’t scare me, Lorenzo,” he said smoothly.  

I smiled, slowly and sharply, my teeth glinting in the darkness.

 "Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought.”  

I lifted my hand and my men cocked their guns in unison the clicks echoing through the room like the gunshot itself.

Vincenzo’s own men stiffened, their grips tightening on their weapons as they lifted it high, I smiled looking back at Vicenzo– one word from me, and this place would be painted in blood.  

Vincenzo’s expression hardened, his amusement fading.  

“You’d really start a war over her?” he asked.  

I didn’t blink. 

" Like I said earlier without hesitation.”  

His jaw clenched, and for the first time, I saw something uncertain flicker in his eyes. He wasn’t expecting this which was too bad, I had given up everything to get what I wanted to get my mate back and he had still refused if he thought he still had control.  

He was wrong. 

But I didn’t play by his rules.  

I made my own and I rewrote them as I pleased.  

Vincenzo exhaled, tilting his head slightly. 

"You really think the council will let you take her?”  

I smiled. 

“If they want to keep their home standing, they will.”  

Vincenzo’s eyes narrowed.  

And then—  

A loud crash echoed from the hallway.  

The doors slammed open, and several figures strode in, their presence filling the room with an uncomfortable energy. 

The Council and it's group of elders strode into the room, the council head glared at the commotion and tension in the room shifted.  

Vincenzo took a step back, his posture straightening as the council members watched the scene before them. The council head glanced over at us his eyes piercing as he looked between Vincenzo and me.  

“What is the meaning of this?” his voice was sharp, cutting through the mumbling 

Vincenzo didn’t say a word, I turned to him, smirking slightly.  

“Looks like you don’t get a say in this, after all.” I huffed gripping my collar tighter as I looked them dead in the eye. 

“I came to collect what’s mine,” I said simply.  

The older man’s gaze flicked to Vincenzo. 

"Is this true?”  

Vincenzo hesitated. 

" She isn’t his to take.”  

I took a step forward.  

“I don’t give a damn what she is,” I interrupted coldly. 

“She’s not yours to keep. We had a deal remember " I muttered

“I made a deal. I stepped down. I gave up my throne.” My eyes snapped to Vincenzo, who had the nerve to look smug. 

" And now I expect him to honor his side of the agreement.”  

Vincenzo shrugged lazily.

 “I would, but unfortunately, the council doesn’t see it that way.”  the council head glared up at him as the other council members exchanged glances.  

Another member, a woman with sharp features, spoke next.  

“Arielle is no ordinary omega.” Her tone was measured. 

“She is dangerous.” 

I met her gaze head-on.

 “She’s not your prisoner, either " I muttered. 

Another silence stretched.  

“She is a dominant omega,” the older man corrected. 

“A purebred. A rarity that cannot be ignored.”  

I felt my wolf snarl beneath my skin.  

“I don’t care what she is to you,” I said, voice dark.

 “To me, she is my mate .”

The room went still, Vicenzo glared up at me in surprise 

" And if I have to fight to get her back, then we will all die here" 

The woman pursed her lips, clearly annoyed by this,by law Vicenzo should have released her to me since she was my mate but he had made a bargain and then failed to keep said bargain 

“And what do you intend to do with her?”  

My grip tightened. 

“Protect her.” The council members exchanged another glance, weighing their options.  

Then the older man spoke again.  

“We cannot simply let her go.”  

I let out a humorless laugh.  

“Then let me make this easy for you,” I said, voice cold as ice.  

I stepped forward, standing over then my voice thin, so thin that I was worried it would crack 

“If you don’t want your precious council to be reduced to ashes, if you don’t want your men slaughtered, then you’ll let her go.”  

I met each of their gazes, letting them see the promise of destruction in my eyes.  

“Because I don’t lose.” My voice dropped. 

“And I don’t share.”