Chapter 09: Impulsive attitudes.
2066 Words
“We’re here.” Tomas stopped on the sidewalk next to Mia. They had just handed his car over to one of the valets stationed outside the upscale building she was now eyeing.
“Yeah, I figured.” Her gaze shifted to the double front doors. No glass—just solid wood, covered in elaborate carvings, with gold handles that wouldn’t surprise her if they turned out to be real. “I thought we were going to have lunch at some fancy restaurant or something.”
“So did I.” Tomas adjusted his suit, even though it already looked flawless. Like Mia, he didn’t seem thrilled about going inside and facing whatever waited for them. “But this is the address my mom sent me.”
“And where exactly are we?” She shot him a sideways glance. The way he spoke, the way he stared at the building—it felt like they were about to be marched to the guillotine.
“This is where my father works. It’s the council building.” He turned to face her, unease flickering in his light eyes. “I know I said it was a good idea for you to come with me for lunch, but maybe... maybe you shouldn’t.”
Mia turned fully toward him, brows raised. She could’ve been offended by the sudden uninvitation, but he looked completely defeated. It didn’t feel like he was trying to blow her off—it felt like he was trying to shield her from something. Something bad.
She wanted to tell him to quit playing the noble protector, but instead, her voice dropped to a murmur.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s nothing going on.” His gaze shifted away—a tell he’d had since they were teenagers, whenever he was lying about something that made him uncomfortable.
Mia shifted her weight from one foot to the other, silent, eyes fixed on him as if waiting for the truth to finally break through.
Tomas let out a resigned breath. “When I asked you to come, I thought it was going to be just a regular lunch.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly styled waves he wore every morning like some CEO trying to conquer the world. “But then my mom sent the address halfway here, and I only realized where we were heading when I turned onto this street and saw the damn council building.”
“What do you think is going to happen in there?” Her tone softened, but her eyes stayed locked on his. Maybe she shouldn’t get involved—it’s not like she cared about him or anything. But she’d heard the tone in that old man’s voice when he delivered the message, and she knew it had something to do with the rebels. And if it had to do with the rebels, it had to do with her. End of story.
“They asked me to come to the council building for lunch, Mia. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’d bet good money it won’t be anything good.”
“Then I’m going with you.” She pivoted toward the building and started walking.
“Wait—what?” His voice chased after her, more alarmed now.
“I’m not a child, Tomas.” She stopped abruptly and spun to face him, eyes fierce. “I heard how that old man talked to you, and I know this is about the rebels. If there’s bad news coming involving my people, I want to be one of the first to hear it.” Her expression hardened. “Unless you don’t want me there for some reason other than this whole ‘trying to spare me from the worst’ thing.”
“No.” Tomas halted mid-step, tension in his shoulders. “There’s no other reason. I just didn’t want you to witness the chaos if things went sideways, that’s all…”
“Great.” She turned back around, her tone clipped, her steps firm. “Let’s go. I’ve always loved a good circus.”
***
Several heads turned toward Mia the moment she stepped into the meeting room beside Tomas. Apparently, he was right—there was no lunch waiting for them here. Just his parents and a dozen other people whose arrogance practically made Mia’s nose itch.
“I didn’t know you were bringing company, son.” Joel—if Mia remembered his name correctly—offered the comment in his usual appeasing tone. Of everyone in the room, he was the only one who hadn’t spared even a second to judge her jeans and T-shirt.
“And I didn’t know the so-called lunch I was invited to would actually be a…” Tomas scanned the room slowly, his gaze cold and controlled. He’d put his armor back on—the one forged from arrogance and authority, the same one he wore at the company. “What exactly is this supposed to be?”
“Maybe you should ask your friend to wait in the hall.” Joel shot Mia an apologetic glance, his voice hesitant, like he was about to say more—until his wife cut in sharply.
“Or maybe he should let her stay.” Morgana’s voice sliced through the room, cool and composed. She was the woman Mia had heard truly awful things about—the one who supposedly ran everything from behind the scenes. “After all, everyone will soon find out what kind of man Tomas has become. Doesn’t really matter if she hears it now or later.”
She cast Tomas a sharp look that could only be described as maternal disappointment cloaked in performance.
“How could you do this to our family? How could you disappoint us like this?”
Murmurs rippled through the room. Council members shook their heads, exchanged knowing glances, and one of them even handed Morgana a handkerchief—though her eyes remained dry.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tomas remained calm, his posture steady as he stood firmly at Mia’s side. But the tension in the air was impossible to ignore—thick and ugly, creeping in beneath the surface like a rot.
“We know everything, cousin.” A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward, the only one in the room with a smug little smile tugging at his lips.
“That’s Alpha Tomas to you.” Tomas’s tone sharpened instantly, and in that moment, Mia knew—whoever this smug bastard was, he and Tomas had a history, one lined with unfinished business.
“Of course, Alpha Tomas.” The man echoed the title with dripping sarcasm as he tossed a folder full of documents onto the table. “Not that you’ll be holding onto that title much longer.”
Mia scanned the room, trying to make sense of it all. The council remained split between stunned silence and hurried whispers. Joel looked ready to bolt. And Morgana… she wasn’t even trying to hide her rage anymore. The mask of maternal disappointment had completely slipped.
“Is someone going to explain what’s going on, or are we wasting the whole afternoon with this pointless circus?” Tomas’s gaze swept the room again, landing briefly on the man with the smug smile before flicking to the others.
Mia shifted her weight uneasily. She still didn’t know exactly what was going on, but the part about Tomas potentially losing his Alpha title—that struck something deep inside her. Tomas was the only bridge between the rebels and the Akello pack. Him becoming Alpha was the only thing protecting the rebels right now.
If he lost his position as leader of the Akello...
God. Mia couldn’t even bring herself to think about what would happen to the rebels. They were still recovering from the last attack. They’d been running and fighting the traditionalists for years. And now things were even worse, with the Marlon pack out for blood because of Amelia and Daniel.
If Tomas lost his power now, the rebels—her family—would be doomed.
“Igor found out you’ve been trying to cheat our traditions.” Morgana dabbed at eyes that had long since dried, her voice teetering on theatrical grief. “We know all those women coming in and out of your company were candidates to become your mate. How could you try to deceive your own family like that? What was your plan? Pay a woman to pretend to be your mate for the rest of your life? And how would you give us heirs that way? Did you really think you could fool us? You’ve always been a foolish, ungrateful little boy, you—”
While Morgana continued her carefully measured list of insults, a strange chill crawled down Mia’s spine.
God, it was over. The peace the rebels had dreamed of for decades—so close just moments ago—was falling apart.
How had the council found out about the interviews, when not even the candidates knew what the position was truly for? What would the rebels do now? What—
“—Because of you, Janaina is no longer with us.”
The words snapped Mia back to the present. Her body went rigid, though not as stiff as Tomas’s beside her.
She stared at Morgana, stunned. Was she really bringing up Tomas’s sister like that? Was she seriously blaming him for a death that happened when he was just a child?
God, she always knew Tomas’s parents were awful—but this was cruelty on a whole new level.
“That’s enough.” Tomas’s voice came low and sharp, vibrating through Mia’s chest like a warning growl. Around the table, a few council members exchanged uneasy glances. Morgana, however, remained unshaken.
“Does the truth bother you?” Her eyes narrowed, her tone sharpening to a blade. “You should’ve thought about that before tarnishing our honor like this.”
“I haven’t tarnished anything.” He stood tall, posture steady, though the tight line of his jaw betrayed the effort. “I can’t even begin to understand how any of you actually believe this ridiculous story about hiring a mate.”
“We have proof,” the smug man interjected, his grin widening as he gestured to the envelope on the table. “Confidentiality contracts, terms outlining a fake relationship—all of it pulled straight from your private office.”
“Fabricated evidence.” Tomas didn’t blink. Cool, composed, unshakable—at least on the outside. And even though Mia wasn’t exactly his number one fan, she had to admit—he knew how to hold his ground.
“Just admit what you did, Tomas.” Morgana pressed a hand to her chest, her voice dipping into a tone so wounded it bordered on parody. “For once in your life, admit your mistakes. Just like you didn’t have the courage to do when Janaina…”
Tomas flinched beside Mia, and when Morgana started digging at that old scar again, heat surged through Mia’s chest.
“Alright, that’s enough. This is absurd.” The words burst from Mia’s lips before she even realized she’d spoken. The entire room stilled, every pair of eyes snapping to her.
“What’s absurd is you thinking you can butt into a family matter.” Morgana’s glare burned through her, all traces of composure gone. “Who do you think you are to even be here? Do you really believe you can defend him, even with all this evidence?” She held up the envelope like a weapon, venom dripping from every syllable.
“If you knew the things he’s done, the shame he’s brought to—”
“I’m sure I can defend him, even with this so-called evidence.” Mia’s voice cut clean through the chaos, sharp and sure, stopping Morgana before she could mention Janaina again—before she could reopen a wound Mia knew still bled in Tomas. Before she could destroy the only thing keeping the rebels safe.
And then, just like lightning, the solution hit her. Raw and reckless and burning with desperation.
“And I can do that because I’m Tomas’s mate.”
And that's how Mia silenced everyone in the room.
- Writer
