Chapter 4

  

Lucas pov .

  I watched as Lana walked out of the courtroom angrily. The whole room had been cast in silence as the Wolf Elders watched me for a reaction. I could feel their eyes on me, boring into my skin like drills. 

I fisted my hands, trying to control my anger. Anger at Lana who had just left, anger at the girl that knelt before me, her eyes downcast. She was the cause of all of this, the cause of the embarrassment from the Wolf Elders, the cause of the intense rage I felt brewing inside me. I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her. I wanted her to be punished. I shouldn't have slept with her.

I turned to one guard who stood on standby. "Take her out of here." I said, pointing to the woman on the ground. 

The guard bowed, then moved to the slave that knelt in the middle of the courtroom. 

"Hold it there!" Elder Ryker said, stopping the guard. Then he turned to me. "We're not done here. We have not closed this discussion. That girl—"

"I do not wish to continue this argument with you, Elder Ryker." I said, cutting him off. "If you would kindly go back to your seat."

 "Get up." I heard the guard say to the slave, yanking forcefully on her chains. She laboriously got up from the ground and gave me a long, hard look. I could feel her stare. It made me uncomfortable, and I knew I would give myself away if I stared back at her.

Then she looked away and shuffled towards the door. I held my breath and looked forward as she walked past me, and in a matter of seconds, she was gone.

I released the breath I was holding in one slow puff.  How did a mere slave girl affect me so much? It was as though I was fighting a losing battle against myself. A part of me, deeply buried in a corner of my heart, was ashamed at what I had done with her that night, but I quickly silenced that part of me

I'd slept with several slave girls before. Why was she so different?

I looked up at the Wolf Elders seated to my left. They all had their eyes on me, waiting for a response. I sighed and turned my eyes away. This meeting was getting tiring and I needed to talk to my woman.

"This meeting is hereby dismissed." I muttered with boredom, then stood up and walked out of the court room without waiting to see if they heard me.

I walked towards Lana's room, hoping she was there. I needed to talk to her and smoothen things over. I would never apologise to her though: apologies were beneath my status as an Alpha.

I got to the door of her room and opened without knocking. I looked around: the whole room smelled of her signature lavendar scent. I could smell her but I couldn't see her. 

There was a patio that jutted out from her room and overlooked the courtyard of the house opposite where I stood. I knew Lana often stood there to think when she was troubled. True enough, I could see her thin outline through the glass of the double patio doors. 

I walked over to the patio and opened the doors, coming to stand behind her. She was leaning against the wrought iron bars of the patio, oblivious to my entrance.

"Lana," I called her name. I saw her shoulders tense as she heard my voice, then it relaxed.

"What are you doing here, Lucas?" She asked, her back still turned to me. It was clear that she would rather not talk to me.

"Why did you leave the council meeting?" I asked her. In my heart I already knew the answer to that question but I needed it to come from her own mouth.

"Why did I leave?" She wondered. "Hmm, let's see. Because you shamelessly showcased your behaviour to the entire group of Wolf Elders while I watched? Because, once again, I needed to sit and watch as rumours about your cheating on me was being discussed?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Another question I knew the answer to.

"Don't ask me that question, Lucas!" Lana yelled suddenly. I wasn't taken aback; I already knew she would explode with anger. I was only waiting for it to happen.

"This behaviour is not worthy of a Luna." I said to her, my hands fisted. I could feel the anger brewing inside me, and I knew I'd end up laying my hands on her if she continued like this.

"And this," She said, gesturing with her hands "Is not a behaviour fit for an Alpha." I could see the tears in her eyes, try as she might to hold it back.

I stood there in silence watching her let it out. She looked at me as though expecting an answer, but I had nothing to give her but silence. Then she flipped her hands up in the air. "I should have known. You'd never see anything wrong in your...filthy behaviour." She said and walked out of my sight in obvious anger. A part of me wanted to chase after her, to beg and ask for her forgiveness, but no, I wouldn't do that for anything.

Looking around, the atmosphere was peaceful and serene, I imagined how much peace of mind I could have had if I didn't let that one night and one slave, do so much for me. 

Lana was hurt, the elders were offended and disappointed in me. Regardless, I wasn't going to apologise to anyone, whatever happened could have happened, I didn't care. They either see me and forgive or let go.

Then I remembered the slave, I needed to deal with her. She was the genesis of all these. It was partly my fault: I shouldn't have had sex with her that day. But I was ready to lash out in anger at anyone, and she was the most readily available victim.