KNOW YOUR PLACE

Drake's POV:

The moment I stepped out of my chambers, my entire demeanor changed. The warmth that Lyra had somehow managed to claw out of my deep, cold heart completely vanished, and cold indifference took its place.

My expression hardened as I increased my pace. Even out here, in the hallway, I could already hear the elders of my pack arguing.

Their petty squabbles and fights were infuriating enough, and now, they had the audacity to argue in my sacred hall? Rage began to bubble within me, and I decided that I had indulged the elders long enough.

"Alpha." The wolf standing guard at the door of the meeting room took a step forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply as he greeted me.

I nodded at him, "How many?" I asked,

"Six, Alpha.” The guard gulped as he answered, “Your brother is also there."

Of course. I gave him another nod before walking past him.

He moved to open the doors, but I waved him off, I could open a simple door myself. So, I did. I pushed the door open, and walked in. The moment I stepped foot inside the hall, all the conversations died.

The meeting hall for my pack was a simple hall that only had a large rectangular table.

My gaze immediately shifted towards the head of the table, the one specifically kept for the alpha. My chair. And there was someone sitting on it, Derrick.

My brother smirked the moment he spotted me. All the other elders stood up and bowed, but my brother didn’t. Instead, he nodded at me, as though we were peers.

"Brother," he whispered, a faint smile spreading across his lips.

I didn’t speak, nor did I acknowledge any of the elders. Instead, I just walked right towards my seat.

Derrick froze. I had no idea what reaction he had been expecting from me, but he was clearly shocked. Before I even reached my seat, he quickly stood up and took a step to the side.

I could smell his fear. Pathetic.

I settled into my seat and waved him off to the side. I could hear him curse under his breath, but I didn’t care.

“What is it?” I asked, “What debate would make all of you old foggies try to bring down my castle.”

The elders exchanged glances with each other for a second. Then, Elder Rowan, the leader of the largest faction in the pack, coughed and rose slightly from his chair,

"Alpha," he whispered in that same tone that didn’t quite seem right to me. He was certainly respectful, but I always felt like his respect was only a facade. Rowan was certainly one of the smartest men I knew, and that meant he was also on my watch list.

"Speak." I ordered.

Elder Rowan cleared his throat, and spoke up. “We were discussing the mating ceremony from earlier today.”

“And?” I asked, frowning, "What about it?"

"The argument is about your choice of Luna."

I smiled. I had expected this. So, all I did was nod, "Go on." I answered absentmindedly, my fingers tapping on the armrest as my mind began to race.

Elder Rowan took a deep breath, and after exchanging a glance with the other two elders that were a part of his faction, he spoke up, "Some of us believe that having Lyra Ashford as our Luna is a disgrace. She should not be the Luna of a pack like ours. We all-”

“Well, that doesn’t matter, does it?” Elder Marcus, the leader of the other prominent faction in the pack cut in, "We all know that her family’s territory, while small, is strategically important. This alliance is going to strengthen our position against the western packs.”

“But there were other packs we could have chosen,” Rowan hissed, his voice rising a little as he let anger consume him.

Anyone else might have thought he was actually angry. But I knew the truth, just like almost everything the man did, this too, was an act. A good one yes, but still an act.

"We have all heard about the rumors surrounding Lyra’s bloodline. Besides, even her family doesn’t want her. I heard she walked in by herself, without a single servant, or entourage.”

A humorless smile touched my lips. Interesting. So that was their concern.

It wasn’t the fact that Lyra had been abandoned in the snow, or that she had been bloodied and in pain while she walked through the pack’s cold grounds.

No, they only cared about her usefulness. And that pissed me off.

Finally, I spoke up. "Did I ask any of you for your opinion?” I hissed, “Or did I ask you to evaluate her worth?"

"No, Alpha, but—" Rowan spoke up, trying to defend himself,

“Then, why are we having this conversation?” I asked, cutting in, “If I wanted your input, then, I would have asked for it.”

The elder closed his mouth. Marcus smiled triumphantly, and behind him, I spotted Derrick’s lips raising up into a smirk.

I slowly turned towards him with raised brows, “Is there something amusing?”

He raised his hands innocently. "Nothing, brother. I simply find the entire situation rather unfortunate," he answered, "Of all the women you could have chosen, you ended up with a cursed girl. She is probably a witch in disguise.”

The room became noticeably quieter. And all the elders, even the ones who were usually on good terms with Derrick, immediately found something much more interesting to stare at in the hall.

"Be very careful with your words,” I whispered, my tone cold enough to lower the temperature of the room.

Derrick shrugged. “Or what?” he asked, “You know I am not lying. She’s a witch. She should even be grateful that someone is willing to take her. She might even be damaged.”

Rage boiled within me. My jaw tightened, and subconsciously, I began to ball my fingers into a fist.

I had tolerated Derrick's arrogance for years. I had tolerated his constant attempts to undermine my authority, his childish competition, and his obsession with proving that he was the right one to be the Alpha.

But I could not tolerate him disrespecting her.

"Watch your mouth." I hissed,

Derrick's smile widened, and I could see him beginning to ride the wave of power. "Or what?"

I moved before he could finish speaking. One moment, I was sitting down, the next, my hand was wrapped tightly around his throat, and he was high in the air with his feet dangling beneath him.

A shocked gasp escaped someone around the table, but I barely heard it. Derrick began to choke, and his hands immediately clutched my wrist.

His eyes widened as he struggled to breathe. I tightened my grip.

"Listen carefully," I hissed, “You will never speak about my mate that way again. Is that understood?”

His lips quirked, and I knew he was about to say something to rile me up. So I raised him up, and slammed him hard against the wall.

The impact sent a deep crack through the wooden panels behind him. The elders jumped to their feet.

"Alpha!"

"Please!"

I didn't look at them. My attention was only on the bloody man who was struggling to remove my hand from his throat. He tried to shift, but I quickly increased the force, and his wolf stopped stirring.

"Your wolf doesn't frighten me, Derrick," I whispered as I brought my face closer to him, “And neither does your ambition. Why? Because the only reason you are alive today is because of my grace. And I can take that grace away anytime I choose."

I didn’t finish speaking, instead, I released him.

I straightened my sleeves. "Get up."

He glared at me, but he quickly got up. And before I could say anything else, he turned around, and ran out of the meeting hall.

But before he walked out of the door, I heard him mumble something under his breath.

“You are going to regret this, Drake,” he hissed, “I am going to kill you, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

And with those threats, he walked out, and slammed the door shut.