Chapter 80 Kaden's POV
Breakfast should have been straightforward.
It wasn't.
I arrived at the dining room first, coffee already in hand, reviewing border reports from the overnight patrol. Nothing unusual, no new Erebus activity on a quiet night.
Ethan came next, dropping into the chair beside me and stealing my coffee before I could protest.
"Get your own," I said.
"Mine is still brewing." He took a long sip. "How did you sleep?"
"Barely. You?"
"Same." He glanced at the doorway. "This is going to be an interesting morning."
"Why?"
The answer walked in before he could explain. Damian entered from one side of the dining room. Xavier entered from the other.
They saw each other immediately and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Damian's expression went absolutely stone cold. He moved to the opposite end of the table from Xavier and sat down without a word, immediately burying himself in a medical report he had brought with him.
Xavier, in contrast, seemed perfectly relaxed. He poured himself coffee, selected food from the buffet, and sat down at his end of the table with the calm of someone who had absolutely nothing to prove.
But I noticed his eyes kept drifting toward Damian.
Selena arrived next, dressed perfectly as always, her smile firmly in place. She took in the room, assessed the tension between Damian and Xavier in about two seconds, and filed it away behind her expression.
"Good morning, everyone." She said brightly.
Nobody responded with matching enthusiasm.
She sat between Ethan and Xavier a strategic choice, positioning herself as close to our most important guest as possible.
We ate in uncomfortable silence for several minutes.
"Excellent coffee," Xavier said finally.
"The kitchen grinds it fresh every morning," Selena said immediately, leaning toward him. "I mentioned to the head cook that you prefer strong coffee. I hope it's to your liking."
"You didn't mention that," I said flatly. "You had nothing to do with it."
Selena's smile tightened. "I may have passed along a word or two-"
"The kitchen staff take their direction from me," I said. "Or from Elara, not from you."
A muscle jumped in Selena's jaw but her smile didn't waver.
I looked toward the door. Elara should have been here by now. She was never late for breakfast when she was feeling well.
Something in my chest tightened.
Through the bond, I reached out instinctively. Felt the faint echo that came back a dull ache, a heaviness, the bone deep exhaustion that spoke of a hard night.
She wasn't feeling well.
I was already pushing back my chair when Kara appeared in the doorway, pushing Elara's wheelchair.
She was dressed and her hair was done but her face was pale. Shadows under her eyes told me she hadn't slept. She was trying to look composed but I could see the effort it was taking.
I crossed the room to her before she could protest.
"You should have rested," I said quietly, leaning down so only she could hear.
"I'm fine," She said the standard answer.
"You are not fine, you look like you didn't sleep."
"I will explain later."
I took the wheelchair from Kara and wheeled Elara to her place at the table myself, making sure she was comfortable and that her leg was properly elevated.
Xavier watched this exchange with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Good morning, Elara," He said warmly. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I look, I hope."
"You look perfectly fine," he said.
From across the table, I felt Damian's attention sharpen. His eyes moved from Elara to Xavier and back, his expression tightening slightly.
Breakfast resumed sort of.
Elara ate slowly, picking at her food. I kept watching her, noting every sign of discomfort she was trying to hide.
Ethan, apparently unable to resist, leaned toward Elara and nodded subtly in Xavier's direction.
"Did you know they are brothers?" he said, just loudly enough for Elara and me to hear. "Damian and Xavier. Half-brothers."
Elara looked up sharply, glancing between them. "Really?"
"Apparently long story I'm still getting the details."
Elara looked at Damian, something shifting in her expression of concern, maybe understanding.
Damian, who had clearly heard Ethan, looked up from his report and gave Ethan a glare that could have stripped paint off walls.
Ethan remained completely unrepentant.
Xavier, who had also heard, said nothing, just took a calm sip of his excellent coffee.
I looked at them side by side now that I knew, I could see something in the jaw and the eyes. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before.
After the dishes were cleared and the conversation had moved to pack business and border updates, Xavier set down his cup and straightened.
"Speaking of events," he said. "The celebration for our alliance."
He looked at me. "The other Alphas were confirmed yesterday. Two weeks from Saturday you haven't forgotten?"
I had, frankly, pushed it to the back of my mind. "I hadn't forgotten. I just haven't had time to organize it."
"That's understandable given everything. But it's important, Kaden strategically shows Erebus and everyone else that we are unified and thriving."
"I know I will get someone working on it today."
"I would be happy to help," Elara said. "I can coordinate from the wheelchair meet with the kitchen staff, the decorating team-"
"Absolutely not." Damian's voice was firm. "You need to rest, organizing a large event is not a rest."
"I can manage it from-"
"No."
Before anyone could continue the debate, Selena's voice cut in.
"Alpha Xavier." Her tone was perfectly calibrated, respectful but warm. "I wonder if I might suggest something."
Xavier looked at her politely. "Of course."
"Hosting this celebration properly requires someone who's physically capable. Someone with the energy and health to manage the considerable demands of a pack-wide event attended by neighboring Alphas."
Selena clasped her hands together on the table. "I would like to volunteer myself as host."
"Selena-" I started.
"Please, let me finish." She kept her eyes on Xavier rather than me.
"Elara is injured, she has a broken leg, she's recovering from silver poisoning, and she's in a sensitive stage of pregnancy. Any significant stress or physical activity could harm both her and the baby."
Selena's voice was the picture of genuine concern. "I'm not suggesting this to be unkind. I'm suggesting it because the safest thing for her and the child is rest. Complete rest, not running around organizing an event for hundreds of guests."
The table was quiet.
"The event reflects on Blue Moon Pack's capability," Selena continued.
"If something goes wrong because our host was too unwell to manage it properly, it undermines exactly the image of strength and stability you're trying to project."
She finally looked at Xavier directly. "I have extensive experience hosting diplomatic events. I know the Alphas who will be attending. I know their preferences and protocols. I can ensure this event is flawless."
Xavier listened to every word with that unreadable calm expression.
I felt the rage building in my chest. I knew exactly what she was doing. Using Elara's genuine health concerns as ammunition to take control of something important. To position herself as capable and central while making Elara look like a liability.
"Selena, this isn't your decision to-" I started.
"Actually," Xavier said, interrupting me with the kind of ease that only came from authority.
He looked at Selena thoughtfully, then at Elara, then back. "Selena raises valid points about the practical demands of hosting."
I stared at him.
"The event needs to go smoothly," He continued.
"There will be ten Alphas in attendance. Security concerns diplomatic protocols, food, entertainment, scheduling."
He paused. "It is a significant undertaking."
"I'm aware of what is required," I said through my teeth.
"Of course and the final decision is absolutely yours."
Xavier looked at me. "But perhaps Selena hosting the event while Elara focuses on her recovery is worth considering."
Selena's smile was radiant.
I looked at Elara.
She was staring at the table, jaw tight, hands wrapped around her glass so hard her knuckles had gone white.
She hadn't said a single word.
And her silence said everything.