Chapter 17 17
Ash's pov
"We're barely on time.. come on" Just as we arrived, holding a torch each which cast our shadows to the wall from the flame, we saw the other Omegas just about to head in, wearing similar uniforms and masks.
Ashley noticed us approaching. I couldn't see her expression but I knew it was disapproving.
"You're late. We're just about heading in."
We both simultaneously set down our torches before taking the aprons Anthony handed out to us.
"Well, we're here aren't we?"
She folded her arms. "Ash?"
Everyone is frozen in shock, including me, as they all turn from Ashley to me.
"It's Gerald." Zion, in his usual uninterested tone mentions before turning away to the entrance.
"No. Gerald doesn't have neck tattoos, and I can clearly see it's yours Ash..." Ashley smirks as she looks from us to Layla. We don't even move, aprons in our hands yet to be worn as we both stand there feeling like we've been caught red handed in a crime..
"Look does it really matter who is who? We go in a couple of seconds- we can't afford to ruin this night or it's our head on the chopping block." Zion points out.
"He's like the Alpha's pet. If Alpha Godric has his reasons for not picking him, then we shouldn't allow him in..." Ashley turned to Layla. "Where's Gerald."
"Guys... The doors are opening. The meeting has commenced. Can we just wait till after the meeting before we start another round of argument?" Anthony passes us both a look, jutting his jaw to our aprons to which we both silently tie around our waist.
Ashley is clearly not happy as she looks at us both from head to toe with a condescending twist to her lips.
"Fine. I won't say anything "
Layla and I both silently release a sigh of relief.
"But on one condition... "
"Bitch..." Layla starts to say, already advancing towards her with her claws out but Anthony holds her back, Zion sighs, and I face Ashley.
"What is it?"
Her lips are twisted into a cruel smirk as she looks at Layla. "You help Angel with cooking duties for the rest of the week."
"Excuse me?" Layla sounds more disgusted than annoyed and it's clearly obvious why anyone who has a chance would want to reduce Layla to kitchen duties.
"Deal." I replied before Layla could flare up. She eventually does. Throwing her face towards me. I can tell her eyes are burning holes into me.
"What?"
Ashley turned with satisfaction, following Zion and Anthony who's already waking up.
"I can't work in the kitchens. Ashley and Angel are best friends, she only wants me there because she knows Angel and Rashad have something brewing between them and I'd have no choice but to witness their annoying PDA all day!"
I yank her close, pulling her through the doors which were just about shutting. As we walk in, we are greeted by utter darkness, but with our vision, we're able to tell a part which led down to a room down the hall blaring light from hung torches.
"Trust me okay?"
"Trust you? You should have let me handle that bitch!"
"What? You'd have caused a fight? Have the Alpha come here himself to investigate the matter. Discover me much more quickly than he should and then what? Have all of us killed? I said trust me and that's what you're going to do because you don't exactly have a choice here." With gritted teeth, I leave her standing there brimming in rage before joining the rest up ahead.
I hear her footsteps as she joins us seconds later before we all walk into the room. The meeting has already commenced, judging from the words being thrown left right and corner from all sides of the round table seated in the middle of the room with chairs armed with engraved crests sitting in a circle around it.
My glance does a quick scan of everyone in the room while I pretend to stock my tray like Layla and the rest at the serving tables before we head to the center table to serve the guests.
Alpha Godric sat at the head of the table, his eyes blood shot and his hair greying more than I've seen in the past few days. He's clearly been drinking more than usual since Lena's disappearance. Considering their relationship hadn't exactly been the perfect father daughter relationship, I was apprehensive from anticipation, wondering at the tension in the room.
The twin sat facing each other on opposite sides of the table, each next to Godric, portraying similar blood shot eyes. But while Riven looked calm, brows slightly furrowed with both arms crossed over the table, Kael was leaned back into his chair, outraged, his canines fully out as he talked, barely hiding it.
And then the Head Alphas, Alpha Genevieve on Riven's side while the others on Kael's. Alpha Geneive owned the largest dominant female pack of the century where men were forbidden from ever stepping a foot in. She ran a mighty empire that produces strong, powerful ambitious women on the condition that they didn't take mates and stayed away from men. It earned her the title as a warrior wolf, having fought in several cars bare handed with shifters and only got off with a slight scar that heals in seconds.
Alpha Reuben. The youngest Alpha in the Head Of Alphas. Just turned twenty last year but at 15 had fought his first wars, leading his late father's men through enemies territory on the front lines and single handedly taking down an army of shifters before he was almost killed.
Even the Elders have assumed he wouldn't make it. But days later he seemed to have returned from the dead. It didn't stop him though, his healing process, as he went right back into training again. At sixteen, his wolf was abnormally larger than any one else's but the Lycan being an exception. He had such natural primal hunting instincts that just looking at him you could feel the bloodlust emanating from him choking you. He hadn't gotten his mate yet, but aware at such an age of just twenty he had several enemies many stemming from the same pack he ruled as he has six older brothers, he had taken to creating himself a small harem of women who birthed children for him like flocks of sheep.
And lastly..
Alpha Elion. The wolf less Alpha. When he was chosen, many underestimated the elders choice. Some believed he was chosen due to his father's influence as a head of Alphas member in his days.
Elion had demanded a challenge. He asked each Alpha from their pack to pick their strongest member and have him fight them barehanded. People believed he was insane and he was a coward who would back down.
Alpha Elion came from a pack where men shaved their whole head of their hair if they lost any battle or war. If the man went into war and died, his mate's hair would be shaved instead. Up till today, the Alpha remained the only ruler with the longest hair besides his late father.
His hair was knotted in braids to shorten the length but even braided, the tussle of the bai still grazed the back of his knees as he walked. Many from different continents of their packs have come, wanting to defeat this wolf-less man who has torn apart the egos of several men but have miserably failed.
These were the members of the Head of Alphas, all carefully picked and chosen by the Elders and have earned themselves a spot where they belonged.
The fourth member being the Lycan- it was no guess how he made the spot, but it was no surprise either why he wasn't present.
Anthony bumped into me as well and began heading for the center table to serve them the first course meal. I raised my eyes, only to follow his where it was fixed.
Alpha Geneive was in her royal regalia which didn't exactly leave much to the imagination and she was an endowed woman who wasn't ashamed of gaining herself some attention. The only men in the room who weren't fazed were Alpha Reuben, Alpha Eliot and Zion.
"I'm sure the Elders would try to talk to him, but they don't seem to understand it's Lucien we're talking about here. The only person he listens to is his ego, and well, we know that's not exactly a good idea... " Geneive stated. I approached her, tray out before me, one behind my back as I bowed to her in respect.
"The shifters are not sitting around making aimless decisions like we are here- wasting precious time when we could spring into action before they do ...." Riven speaks up and everyone's attention is to him as Geneive elegantly reaches forward for a glass. For a second there's a shift in the air between us as her hand lingers around the cup in the tray, preventing me from moving.
Her eyes subtly rises to meet mine and I swallow, seeing her green irises gleam a shade of blood red.
"Is there a problem, Alpha Geneive?" From across, I hear Alpha Godric's voice and a lump forms in my throat.