Chapter Twenty-Seven

Vincenzo’s POV  

The council chamber reeked of disappointment, my nose wrinkled at the stench of that and the old geezers that were releasing it like fountains.

Flickering torches cast long shadows against the aged stone walls, their dim glow barely cutting through the darkness that had settled over the room.  

Elena stood at the head of the council table, , her fingers drumming softly against the polished surface, her silver eyes burning with barely restrained fury.

 She was a part of the council and yet she was not, even the council head deferred to her in some matters.

How she had gotten here and what her purpose was no one actually knew. The others watched her in silence, their faces grim but no one dared to speak up first.  

 I could sense the storm brewing inside her.

I knew she was pissed.  

Hell, we all were, even though no one wanted to acknowledge the truth.  

Arielle was gone because we had lost Arielle.  

And the consequences of that loss could be catastrophic.  

Elena inhaled deeply, her nails raking against the polished surface of the black-marble table. 

“This… should have never happened.”  

I agreed while heartedly and if the weakling in front of me had done any better than roll over and show their stomachs we might not have lost her. 

A murmur of agreement rippled through the council, though none of them had the courage to voice their anger as openly as she did.  

“We underestimated him,” one of the elders muttered. 

" The Alpha King was not supposed to interfere.”  

“Vincenzo made a bet with him over her that was a careless mistake ” another added, his voice tight with frustration. 

" I had it under control before you all fucked it up " I hissed and he scoffed 

" You had the Alpha of the South here guns blazing is what you did " he replied and I huffed, of course this old men would pin the blame on me. 

" Silence" the heed council hissed 

" That's ok, we all thought our control over Arielle was absolute. So that was our mistake. "

Elena’s glare snapped to them.

 “ You thought our control over her was absolute. I knew better.”  

Elena’s voice cut through the quiet. 

“I did not join the council out of loyalty or duty.”she said her tone sharp and laced with the kind of steel that made men listen. 

“I joined because of a prophecy.”  

A few of the elders shifted in their seats. They all knew of the prophecy, but Elena had always been careful with how much she revealed.  

Now, though?  

She wasn’t holding back.  

“The prophecy speaks of a dominant wolf’s arrival,” she continued. 

" A force that will change everything. That’s why I created the rule—no woman can leave Hell’s Pit. I put it in place to keep the prophecy contained. To ensure that the power meant for us could never be stolen.”  

Her gaze darkened. 

" But I never expected that my own people would be stupid enough to let her go" 

She exhaled slowly, her gaze shifting toward the dim torchlight.

 “ But I will admit that I didn’t plan for it to be the Alpha King’s mate.” A hushed tension fell over the room because that was actually true. 

None of us had.  

Lorenzo was a complication none of us had accounted for.  

Lorenzo. 

Alpha King of the South.  

A man feared and respected across the werewolf underworld, whose name alone was enough to make most wolves hesitate before making an enemy of him. It sickened me that everytime I made a plan I had to consider the fact that he would be stronger than me. 

I had been smug as hell when, Arielle had been in my turf, that meant I had leverage but just like always I had not accounted for the fact that I had wimps on the council that would let him steal the most valuable piece in our game.  

I clenched my jaw, suppressing the irritation that threatened to rise.  

This was a failure—yes—but not an irreversible one.  

Arielle was gone.  

But she wasn’t lost.  

Not yet.  

I stepped forward, drawing the council’s attention. 

I could feel Elena’s gaze settle on me, searching for something, I wasn't sure what it was. I never liked her looking at me for too long anyway. But there was nothing. 

“We made a mistake,” I admitted smoothly, my voice even. 

"But mistakes can be corrected.”  

Elena tilted her head. 

“And how do you propose we do that?”  

I met her gaze, unflinching. 

“We wait.”  

A scoff echoed from the other end of the table. One of the older councilmen, Matteo, narrowed his eyes at me. 

“Wait? We don’t have time to wait, Vincenzo. Every second she spends with the Alpha King, she becomes his.”  

A smirk tugged at my lips. 

" Maybe, but Lorenzo thinks he’s won,” I continued, my voice smooth and controlled. 

“He thinks because Arielle is under his roof, she is safe" 

“And how does that help us” another council member sneered. 

“Lorenzo is no fool. He will protect her with everything he has.” I chuckled. 

“Exactly. That’s what makes this fun.”  

The council exchanged wary glances the old fudges couldn't think beyond their nose, they expected that Lorenzo would remain on top for ever but they had underestimated me. 

Elena exhaled sharply. 

“Vincenzo, enough games. If you have a real plan, lay it out.” I wasn't going to lay anything out to a bunch of old men I couldn't trust, I would tell them what they wanted to hear. I turned toward her, my gaze burning into hers.  

“Lorenzo is strong, yes. But his weakness is his possessiveness. He will want to protect Arielle at all costs, which means he will keep her close."

" But at some point even the alpha king will become complacent it will all just be a matter of waiting" 

“When the time is right, we will take her back.”