Chapter 25 Chapter 25
ΚΑΙ
The next few days were a whirlwind of me trying to bypass the elders. They had called for me urgently in the past 24 hours more than five times, and it seemed that it was about time since I went to them. I was tired of our meetings. It only consisted of me telling them the one thing they did not want to hear. After a few more summons today, I decided that I needed to go. They needed to be fucking patient.
The tension in the conference room was palpable when I walked in, thickening the air. I sat at the head of the table, staring at the faces of the lords and elders, their expressions a mix of frustration and fear. They seemed to be even more on edge right now. They had sent me a letter that ren more guards had been killed at the borders. I offered my sympathy to the families, but that was not enough. Lily told me that people were talking a lot.
"We can't wait any longer," Lord Armand said immediately after I sat down on the chair. He did not even wait for me to breathe. "The pack is scared, Kai. Rumors of a war are circulating, and the people are losing faith. They're angry, and they're terrified." I looked around the table, my hands clenched into fists beneath the table. I knew they were right. The fear in the pack was becoming too much to ignore. I wished there was something I could do. A catalyst to make this happen. Remembering that everything would have been good if not for the moon goddess came to me and I nearly hissed. It was all her damn fault.
"I'm working on it," I said, keeping my voice steady which was hard to do because of the raging storm inside of me. "I have a plan."
Elder Agnes shook her head, her expression hard and unforgiving. "You're not moving fast enough. Every day we lose more of our own, and you're still not on the throne. The pack needs an alpha, Kai. Now."
I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep my temper in check. "I'm doing everything I can. This isn't something that can be rushed." "How hard is it to make a woman marry you?" Elder Agnes spread her small wrinkly fingers into the air. "You do not lack anything. You are handsome, a king-to-be, and also rich. How hard is it to make a girl that came from the trenches, a werewolf girl marry you?"
It was beyond me too. Maybe if it was before, I would have been able to charm her but Alina had seen all of me. I could not impress her anymore like that.
"You need to have some more faith in me." I hissed under my breath.
Elder Bernard leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Two weeks," he said sharply. "You have two weeks to claim the throne and prove you can protect this pack. If you don't, we'll find someone else who can."
"I understand the urgency." I said, trying to keep my voice cool even though I was getting enraged inside. How dare they think that they can come in front of me and insult me like that? My father left the throne for me. They have forgotten that I could dismiss every one of them on the table but out of respect, I did not.
"We don't have the luxury of time," Elder Gideon snapped. "We've given you months, and the pack is growing restless. You either take the throne and lead, or we find someone who can."
I felt a wave of anger rise in me again, but I pushed it down, keeping my expression neutral. I reached for the glass of water in front of me, desperate for something to calm the negative emotions brewing in me. But just as I was about to bring it to my lips, Elder Agnes's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"Don't drink that."
I froze, my hand tightening around the glass. My eyes shot to her, as I raised a brow in confusion. "What?"
"That water is poisoned." She dead happened, looking over at the rest of the elders. I thought they were going to laugh and dismiss it off as a joke but apparently not. They looked serious.
My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a cold wave of fear wash over me. I looked down at the glass in my hand, my fingers suddenly trembling. Poisoned? My eyes widened as the realization hit me. The board of lords and elders really almost killed me.
Elder Agnes leaned back in her chair, her expression calm. "This is how easy it would be to replace you," she said. "One drink, and we could find a new alpha."
Rage flared hot and fast inside me, and I slammed the glass down on the table. "What the hell is this?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "Is this some kind of threat?"
"It's a warning," Agnes replied. "The pack cannot afford weakness. We need an alpha who will act now, not later. Consider this a reminder that the position you hold can be taken away just as easily."
I stood up, my hands shaking with anger. Every instinct in me wanted to throw them all out, fire them on the spot, but Nyx's voice echoed in the back of my mind, urging restraint.
"They're doing what they believe is best for the pack,' Nyx said, his voice calm, though I could feel his own agitation beneath the surface. 'Firing them will only make things worse. You need them for everything when you become alpha. These are just empty threats. They can't kill you.'
I clenched my fists, breathing hard as I fought to keep my temper under control. "You have no right to threaten me like this," I said through gritted teeth. "You think this is in the pack's best interest? Poisoning your own alpha?"
Agnes raised an eyebrow, her expression unfazed. "It's not personal, Kai. It's about survival. You have two weeks. Do what needs to be done."
Without another word, I stormed out of the conference room, the door slamming shut behind me. My blood was boiling, and my mind raced with a hundred different thoughts, none of them good. How dare they threaten me like that? How dare they act as if they had any right to replace me? I stormed through the hallways, barely aware of where I was going until I reached my quarters. I opened the door, my breath still coming in heavy, angry bursts. But when I stepped inside, all of that fury seemed to melt away.
There she was. Alina.
She was sitting on the bed, wearing a soft pink dress that hugged her figure, her hair cascading around her shoulders. She looked up at me, her eyes soft and full of concern, and in that moment, all the tension, all the anger I had been holding onto slipped away.
"Kai?" she asked gently, her voice filled with worry. "What's wrong?"
For a moment, I just stood there, staring at her, the weight of everything suddenly feeling too heavy to carry. I wanted to tell her everything about the elders, about the poison, about how close I was to losing everything. But I couldn't. Not now. Not when I needed her to stay with me. If I told her that the reason why I brought her was because I wanted to succeed on the throne, it would not take her a minute to back and leave me, never coming back.
"It's nothing," I said quietly, forcing a small smile as I walked over to the bed. "Just a long day."
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press me. She just scooted over, making room for me on the bed. I sighed heavily as I climbed in beside her, feeling the warmth of her presence chase away some of the darkness that had been clinging to me. She laid her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. The scent of her filled my senses, calming me in a way nothing else could. For a moment, it was just us-no pack, no elders, no throne. Just me and her.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked softly, her voice a gentle whisper against my skin.
I nodded, though Nyx's voice echoed in the back of my mind, urging me to tell her the truth. 'Tell her now,' Nyx growled. 'She needs to know what's happening. There is no better time to tell her this than now.'
But I couldn't. I couldn't take the risk of her leaving, not when I needed her more than ever. If she knew how close we were to losing everything and the real reason she was beside me at the moment, she was going to lose all the trust she had started to develop towards me and she might walk away. And I couldn't let that happen.
"I'm fine," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow."
But even as I said the words, I knew it was a lie. I was planning to tell her, never. But for now, I could pretend. For now, I could hold onto her a little longer. I could get what I wanted and if she is to find out after the wedding, then she may leave. I was not going to stop her because I knew the way I was. I did not deserve her even one beat.