Chapter Six: The Claim

Ares

I wanted to rip his throat out.

Seeing Elira trip and stumble straight into my chest was like a hit of pure adrenaline. My hands moved on instinct, wrapping around her waist to stabilize her.

She felt so small, so fragile, but the heat radiating off her skin was enough to set my entire body on fire. It was the bond, screaming at me to lock my arms around her and never let go.

I set her down on her feet as gently as I could, but she winced, a small gasp escaping her lips.

Leon didn't even notice. He didn't care that she was in pain.

Instead, he just glared at her, his eyes full of disgust.

"Lose your decorum somewhere else, Elira," Leon hissed, his voice cutting through the quiet hall. "Falling shamelessly on my brother is beneath the queen of this kingdom."

My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.

I wanted to smash his face into the marble floor. But I had to stand there, frozen, fighting the beast inside me that wanted to claim her right in front of him.

Elira kept her eyes on the floor, her shoulders tense. She didn't say a word back to him.

We walked into the grand dining hall, and the tension only grew heavier.

The tables were piled with food, but everything tasted like ash in my mouth. I couldn't focus on anything except the way Elira was being treated.

Leon sat at the head of the table, looking every bit the proud king, while Elira sat beside him like a ghost. He didn't look at her once. He didn't hand her a drink or offer her a plate.

It was like she didn't even exist to him.

"The borders must be quiet if the great general has time to grace us with his presence," a noble sitting near me joked, raising a glass.

I didn't answer him. I just kept my eyes on my plate, cutting my meat with a little too much force.

Across from me, a minor lord from the northern packs leaned over to his neighbor, not bothering to lower his voice.

"She is just an omega who got lucky," the lord whispered, scoffing as he looked at Elira. "The Moon Goddess must have been blind the day she picked a maid's daughter to wear the crown."

The words hit me like a blow.

Before I could stop myself, I slammed my knife down onto the table. The silver rattled against the wood, loud enough to make the people around us freeze.

I leaned forward, fixing my eyes on the man who had spoken.

"Say another word about the queen," I said, my voice dangerously low, "and I will personally ensure you never speak again."

The noble turned pale, his fork slipping from his fingers.

"General, I meant no disrespect," he stammered, looking around for backup.

Nobody helped him. They all knew what I was capable of.

I didn't care about their politics or their titles. If anyone insulted my mate, I would destroy them.

I didn't eat a single bite after that. My appetite was gone.

Instead, my eyes kept drifting back to Elira. I couldn't stop looking at her. Apparently that was a mistake, because a second later, she looked up and our eyes locked across the table.

A wave of longing hit me in my chest, so heavy it nearly took my breath away.

Her eyes were wide, glowing with the exact heat that was currently burning through my veins. She felt it too. I knew she did.

She looked away quickly, her hands trembling as she picked up her wine glass.

I forced myself to look down, gripping the edge of the table until my knuckles turned white. I had to quell this down. I had to control myself.

"Ares, you must tell me about the eastern campaigns," a voice purred next to me.

It was Nyra. She was leaning in close, smiling like I just said something amusing.

"I hear the terrain there is quite dreadful," she continued, batting her eyelashes at me.

"It was fine," I said, not even looking at her.

"Oh, don't be so modest," she laughed, touching my arm lightly. "The whole city is talking about your victory."

I pulled my arm back, making her hand drop into her lap. Her aura felt pretentious, like a cheap mask covering up something rotten.

"I am not interested in gossip, Nyra," I said coldly.

Her smile faltered for just a second before she turned back to Leon, pouring him more wine.

I watched Leon accept the drink from her, his expression softening. Then he looked back at Elira and his face instantly turned to ice.

He didn't say a single word to his wife the entire night.

He dismissed her whenever she tried to pass him something. He actively turned his back on her to talk to the lords on his other side.

The disrespect made my blood boil.

I didn't want to see him lay his hands on her, but seeing her ignored like she was trash was almost worse.

She was the Astral Luna. She was meant to be revered. She was meant to be worshipped as the chosen one of the goddess.

But instead, she was sitting there enduring silent torture from the man who was supposed to protect her. A man who was supposed to love and care for her.

My dislike for my brother grew with every passing second.

Leon was a fool. He had the greatest treasure in the kingdom sitting right next to him, and he was trampling all over it.

I kept my hands clenched in my lap, counting the seconds until this nightmare of a dinner would finally end.

"Are you alright, brother?" Leon asked suddenly, his sharp eyes cutting over to me. "You look like you want to kill someone."

"Just tired from the journey," I lied, keeping my voice flat.

"Then you should retire early," Leon said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. "We have a kingdom to run tomorrow, and I cannot have my general falling asleep."

"Of course, Your Majesty," I said, pushing my chair back.

I stood up, giving a stiff nod to the table.

As I turned to leave, I caught Elira's eye one last time. She looked so alone in that crowded room.

I swore to myself right then that I would find a way to get her away from him, no matter what it took.

She would be mine.