Chapter 4

Eliara’s POV

“You’re going to have to do something!”

Selene’s voice snapped through the corridor, sharp and demanding.

“Bypass the elders. Bribe the council, I don’t care! Do whatever it takes! You must marry me. You must make me Luna. Even the Moon Goddess herself knows I’m not terminating this child!”

My hand hovered mid-air, knuckles lifted as if I were about to knock, when I realized I’d walked straight into an argument.

And that alone shocked me.

In all the time Selene had been around the Alphas, I’d never seen her argue with them.

The only time she raised her voice, it had been for herself or worse, during her late-night… performances.

Moans echoing through the halls like some twisted song long after midnight.

So… she’s pregnant?

Of all possible times… this had to be the worst.

I wouldn’t even be here if the elders hadn’t strictly ordered me to stay within the pack house.

They said they wanted to observe the Alphas and watch how they treated me while my mother lay unconscious.

Once my mother regained consciousness, the council would decide if a coronation could even be set.

I started to turn away, deciding this wasn’t my place, when hurried footsteps thundered down the corridor.

“Alpha… there’s a problem!”

Dorian burst in, chest heaving, his breath ragged as if he’d sprinted across the entire pack house..

Nikolai’s voice snapped immediately.

“Dorian do you want to kill me? Why do you always have bad news?”

Dorian bent slightly, bracing his hands on his knees.

“I just got word… our foreign clients were kidnapped from their hotel about an hour ago.”

Nikolai’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“That’s absurd. Not with the level of security around that hotel.”

Dorian’s jaw tightened.

“That’s what we thought too. But this… this has Alpha Eric written all over it. He’s the only one who could pull a stunt like this without leaving a trace.”

“What does he want this time?” Niven demanded.

Dorian exhaled slowly.

“We know exactly what he wants. We’ve been tracking this case for over two years now.”

Niven exploded.

“Are you saying we should give him fifty percent of every one of our business deals? Just like that? That brute wants a share of everything! our company, our pack, our clients! I’m sick of him being a nuisance.”

“We’re not giving him a bloody dime,” Nikolai snapped, stepping forward.

Dorian stiffened.

“You can’t be serious, Alpha. Eric is the Alpha General. He has the right to that percentage. We’re not the only pack bound by it. That law has existed for centuries.”

“What stupid laws?” Niven shouted.

“Laws are meant to be changed,” he hissed, “and he won’t do a damn thing about it!”

I pressed myself closer to the wall, heart hammering, listening to every word of their heated exchange..

Then a voice murmured right beside my ear.

“You know it’s a bad habit to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.”

My breath caught as I turned sharply.

And there he was.

Alpha Eric Lewis, the Alpha of the Black Moon Pack. The infamous Alpha General. My stepbrothers’ greatest enemy and their most dangerous business rival.

He was the one they were talking about… and I now doubted he was here just because of a tax issue.

Everyone hated Alpha Eric or maybe it was jealousy.

He was dangerously handsome, the kind of man whose presence could make a woman forget herself entirely.

And he controlled over thirty-two companies. A billionaire. Became Alpha General at twenty and had never lost an election.

Eric stepped fully into the sitting room, clapping his hands slowly.

“That… was quite a performance, Niven Anderson,” he said, voice mocking. “I must say, I’m truly entertained.”

Without waiting for an invitation, he strolled to the nearest chair and made himself comfortable, leaning back with effortless dominance.

I watched, heart hammering, as the scene unfolded.

Glances were exchanged, but no one dared move.

Finally, Nikolai spoke, his voice calm but edged.

“To what do we owe this visit? And… how did you even gain entry into my pack house?”

Eric’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

“Why are you pretending like you don’t know why I’m here?”

“Or do I need to bring in the heads of those clients before it clicks? You’re the only pack who hasn’t paid tax for the past two months.”

Nikolai’s eyes flashed, veins standing out on his temple.

“We are not paying a dime. Do your worst!”

Eric’s gaze sharpened, almost amused.

“Are you daring me?”

Niven stepped forward, chest pressing against Eric’s in defiance.

“Do your worst, Eric Lewis. You can’t be more than a cursed rogue.”

A tense silence hung over the room.

Then Nikolai suddenly clutched his chest, stumbling backward.

“My chest… I… I can’t breathe!” he gasped, eyes wide with panic.

Selene’s scream pierced the air.

“Where’s that stupid girl, Eliara! Get water! What’s happening?!”

Niven doubled over next, clutching his own chest, letting out a strangled scream.

Eric sat back, expression eerily calm, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

“I actually thought you guys could come up with something different. But no… you want to fake a fainting spell to avoid paying tax? Dramatic twins, really.”

I froze, water bottle in hand, heart thundering as I watched the chaos unfold.

Selene’s voice rose again, panicked.

“They’re not breathing!”

What should I do?

I could probably use my powers to heal them, but my mother had warned me.

Black Crest Pack destroyed the healers Pack years ago. We barely escaped, and she told me to keep my powers hidden.

If anyone found out we were survivors… I’d be dead before I even blinked.

But now… they were in serious danger. I could not leave them like this.

Instincts took over. I knelt down, checking Nikolai’s pulse.

“Get… get your filthy hands off my man! You stupid Omega!” Selene hissed, trying to push me away.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t even look at her. Her words blurred into meaningless noise as I tightened my grip on Nikolai’s and Niven’s hands.

Nikolai jerked violently, his back arching as a harsh convulsion ripped through him. Niven followed a second later, his body shuddering.

Pain exploded through me.

“Stop her!” Selene shrieked, voice shrill with terror. “I don’t know what she’s doing to them! She’s a witch! She’s trying to kill them!”

The Alphas let out a deep, thunderous growl and then collapsed again.

“No… no…” Selene wailed. “They’re dead! She killed them! This has been her plan all along. I’m sure she poisoned them!”

My body trembled violently, strength draining fast..

And just before I slumped forward, my wolf growled inside my head.

“MATES.”