Different

JULIETTE

The courtroom was strained with tension, opposition clung to the air and sharpened every glance from the nobles, including Beta Cole. Their displeasure was impossible to hide, it sat plainly on their faces, unmasked and very deliberate.

It was all they could do, really glare and seethe in silence. None of them dared to speak against Darius or question my presence in their council.

I wasn’t exempt from the discomfort either. As Darius’s slave, I had no rightful place in that room. This wasn’t one of the gatherings he sometimes dragged me to for display, this was different. This was sacred. The kind of meeting where the fate of the pack was decided, where strategies were debated, where every voice in the room held weight.

And mine was not one of them. Not as an Omega, not even as his slave.

Yet there I was. Not kneeling, not standing at the back, I was seated by Darius’s side.

An outrage to their order.

Amidst the silent chaos, Darius sat unbothered, his hand resting casually on the armrest as though he hadn’t just ignited the fury simmering in the room.

“Shall we begin?” he asked, his tone clipped and cool.

Cole stepped forward, sliding the file across the table toward Darius. “New records from the pack’s stockhold. We did well these past months. I would call it a win overall,” he said, though there wasn’t a trace of satisfaction in his eyes, or his voice.

Darius gave only a brief nod, flipping through the pages with practiced precision. I watched him, noting the way his attention never wavered, how calm he looked even under the weight of so many hostile stares.

And somehow, that calm brought back memories of the day before.

I pushed the thought away quickly before it could unsteady me, before I said something foolish in a room where every wrong word could cost me dearly.

I forced myself to focus, to listen to the discussions about the pack’s affairs, and the only reason Darius could have possibly brought me here in the first place.

“And the recent attacks?” he asked.

The question silenced the room instantly. Every council member shifted in their seats, unease thickening the air.

After a long pause, Cole cleared his throat. “There was an intrusion at the borders,” he began carefully. “But the warriors handled it. The message of a final warning was delivered along with the bodies of the intruders.”

A few heads turned at that, but no one spoke.

“Alpha Rico sent a reply two days later,” Cole continued, reaching into his shirt pocket. He pulled out a small envelope and passed it to Darius, who tore it open without hesitation.

Cole waited while Darius scanned the contents, then added, “He’s proposing a northern alliance. He wants the trading route with the Wind Winder Pack reopened. He’s even offering to pay double the tariff plan, in exchange for our grain and herbs.”

Darius folded the letter neatly and placed it on the table before him. His expression gave nothing away.

“What does everyone think of this development?” he asked, his voice appeared to be calm but edged with authority.

“Alpha Darius,” one of the nobles, a lanky old man, spoke up, I could hear his voice being cautious but it was still eager to please. “I believe we should accept the alliance. It could strengthen ties with the northern pack and greatly boost our economy.”

Another voice followed almost immediately. “I agree with Lord Galdor, Alpha,” said a noblewoman seated further down the table. I recognized her instantly, the same woman who had glared at me during the function when Halric was punished. Her face was flushed with irritation now, her lips pressed thin. “Our pack has grown remarkably over the past decade because of the alliances well have built. They have sustained us through war and drought alike. This will be no different.”

I remembered how she had looked at me earlier, her expression burning with contempt the moment I entered beside Darius. Her cheeks had gone so red I thought she might burst from rage alone.

Before anyone else could add to the debate, Darius’s voice cut through the murmurs.

“What do you think, Juliette?”

The room froze. Gasps rippled through the council, followed by low, incredulous whispers.

My head snapped toward him. “Me?” I asked, pointing at myself in disbelief, certain I had misheard.

“Yes,” he said evenly, eyes fixed on me. “What do you suggest we do?”

I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tighten. “Urm… well, I. . .I have a question,” I managed to say, clearing my throat.

“Go on,” Darius replied casually, giving me the go-ahead without even glancing at the murmuring council members. He didn’t seem to care about their disapproval, or the disbelief spreading through the room.

To answer properly, I forced myself to ignore the hostile glares aimed my way.

“Aside from the tariff,” I began carefully, “what else do we gain in return?”

I hadn’t directed the question at anyone in particular, but thankfully, Cole responded. “Peace,” he said, his tone steady. “The Alpha has promised there will be no more intrusions or surprise attacks.”

“But a promise is not enough,” I countered quietly but firmly. “Promises are like the wind, they shift when the direction changes. If this alliance is to be accepted, the pack needs more than just words. We need assurance.”

Cole frowned, clearly not expecting me to challenge the point. “Still, Alpha,” he said quickly, turning back to Darius, “it could be worth considering. The WindWinder pack’s offer is generous. The additional tariffs could fund several projects within our lands, from small towns to the main cities. . .”

“Enough.”

Darius’s voice cut through Cole’s speech. It sounded final and the room fell silent at once.

He leaned back slightly, his face expressionless, his shoulders relaxed in that way that made it hard to tell whether he was bored or quietly simmering. “What else is left?” he asked flatly, his tone dismissive, as though he wanted the discussion over, or perhaps to be anywhere else but here.

Another spoke, a hefty-looking man with a sharp and terrifying gaze. “The eastern border still faces minor disputes with the rogue patrols. There have been a number of attacks on my men, some of whom are gravely injured and still hospitalized. Our numbers have shaken immensely in the space of two months, but we are doing our best to hold them back. However, there’s been a demand for more reinforcement. We need an extra troop of me, and perhaps from the Delta sector.”

Darius didn’t answer immediately, instead, he leaned back, resting his jaw on his hand.

Then he replied, “Disappointing to hear such words from you, Major Ron, I expected more from your men, trained specially with exquisite weapons only this pack possesses. How can a bunch of rogues tear down your men?”

Major Ron parted his lips to speak, but he was silenced by Darius. “There will be no reinforcements. You will stick to the men you have.”

“But Alpha…”

“As for the alliance with the Wind Winder pack, it will not be approved. We will not be risking the safety of the pack. A letter of refusal will be sent to him, and if there is one more case of others illegally crossing our borders, my wrath will release them.”

He rose from the chair, “I believe that is all, this meeting is adjourned.” He said and walked off. I followed behind him, desperate to get away from the heat of hatred.