22

Devon’s steps matched the chant in his head - “kill him. Kill him.” - Kaiser’s voice was low as he repeated that phrase, but he meant it. Kristen’s death was going to be on sight. 

He kicked the door to his room open, then plopped down on his desk, head cradled in his hands. When he asked Kiara earlier if her first mate was the one behind everything; he hoped it was a lie, it was a form of betrayal he hoped that she did not experience, but the tears that slowly slid down the corners of her eyes gave him his response and tore his heart into bits. He ended the conversation after that. He couldn’t bring himself to force her back memory lane and relieve what he knows was the worst moment of her life.

Prying open his laptop, he typed in the name of her pack, and the scandal around her was the first thing to pop up, and he grounded his teeth together then reached for his phone.

“I want the scandal on Kiara Sorde cleared out before the night is over.”

“Alpha, that will…”

“You have only till tomorrow morning, I don’t care what it takes, have that scandal cleared out of the internet.”

A slight pause followed his order, before the person on the other end of the line released a breath. “Yes Alpha.”

His eyes hovered over the texts displayed on his laptop screen for a while before he closed the tab and opened the one that had Kristen’s face plastered all over it. He had taken on a new mate, and was made the Alpha of Lupus pack, the position that rightfully belongs to Kiara.

Devon’s blood roared in his ears, and he felt like reaching into the screen and whisking his head clean off his shoulder.  That would still not be enough to compensate for what he has done, but at least he won’t walk the earth that Kiara was in and he wouldn’t breathe the same air as her. 

Shutting the laptop, he threw his head back and exhaled through his nose. Finding this out has put him in a much more dire situation than he’d hoped. He still needed to mate with Kiara, he needed to mark her and reinstate her as the Luna of this pack. Akira Pack needs her, he also needs her, but with the revelation of this, all his plans to convince her to think again about their mating flew out of the window.

He needed to win her trust, he needed to prove himself, and that could take months, years even, given what she has gone through, and he was willing to wait that long, for however long she wants, but his people… even if they understand, they will eventually get impatient and they will ask for their Luna, they will demand for her, they’ll place their demands on her to fulfill her roles, and he might have to choose between her and them when it happens, and heaven knows he’d choose his woman.

Exhaling through the mouth, he tried to force those thoughts to the back of his mind. He still hasn’t had a proper conversation with her since her arrival, things might just go better than he expected. With her wolf back and stronger, resisting the mating bond was only going to get harder.

A bit of relief flooded his vein at that thought and he walked to the bathroom and freshened up, hoping to come back and crash on his bed. 

But just as he was done, and ready for bed, Luka walked into his room with an envelope. “You have an invitation.”

His brows scrunched together as he skeptically took the outstretched envelope and tore it open, “it’s from the council, they demand an audience because you have been charged by your brother for holding his mate hostage.”

Devon rolled his eyes, and without looking at the invitation, tossed it into the trash. “They can go to hell.”

“But that’s not all,” Luka’s voice held a more serious tone and Devon’s interest piqued.

“They have also invited you on the account of your mate,” his muscles immediately tensed up and his jaw hardened. “They have gotten wind of all that has happened with her, from her scandalous act at her pack down to the issue with the rogues, and they demand an audience with her. They intend to question her.”

“Over my dead body.” His voice reverberated dangerously in the room, and Luka unconsciously straightened his spine.

The council was made up of old Alphas, who parole themselves as having the best interest of the community at heart, but truly they are just looking out for their disgusting greedy selves. That council was a mirage for evil, and Devon had not a single atom of respect for anyone there.

“What is the f*e if we refuse to honor their invitation?”

“War.” 

Both of Devon’s brows shot up and he chuckled. He wasn’t afraid of war, if anything, he enjoyed it because he knows how it will end. They knew that too, they knew they stand no chance against him, but they also know he wouldn’t want to fight a war now that his mate was in the picture. He had something to lose now, and they were going to milk that.

“Those bastards. When is this meeting of theirs to be held?”

“In a week.”

He thinned his lips then gently nodded. That means he has time to discuss with Kiara about this and prepare her for those bastards. 

“Fine then, we shall honor their invitation.” Surprise flashed through Luka’s eyes, but he nodded nonetheless. “You know what you have to do, don’t you?”

“They will be ready, Alpha.”

“And the other part?”

“Alfonso will have it ready before then.”

“Very well, you can go.”

With a slight bow, Luka walked out of the room and Devon picked up the invitation from the trash. His eyes took in the words written on them before he squeezed it and threw it back in the trash. Next week was going to be interesting.