Aria's Revenge

CHAPTER NINE

I watched as her eyes fluttered open slowly. She tried to sit up, but her hand instantly reached for the back of her head.

“That must have hurt,” I thought to myself. When she went into that frenzy, I had to snap her unconsciousness.

“You are awake,” I said.

“Ryder,” she called.

“That name,” I groaned.

“Ryder must have done a number on you,” I spoke up and she looked at me startled.

To be fair, I don’t think I was in a position to tell her this, considering I called my first mate's name in the middle of an intimate act.

“Where am I?” She questioned.

“My room.”

“Why will you take me to your room,” she said in almost a whisper before she stopped and pulled the blanket over her body, “ did you touch me while I was unconscious?” She asked.

I looked at her disgusted. In what world would she think I would touch her while she was unconscious? I mean, I want to touch her, and it's been driving me crazy, especially my wolf.

“What’s this scent that filled the room,” she said.

I avoided her gaze; how would I tell her that it was my arousal scent that refused to leave since that treacherous kiss?

Speaking of the kiss, I moved to sit on the bed, and when I noticed she shifted, I had to calm her down.

“Nothing happened, okay,” I assured her before I continued, “ I couldn’t take you to your room like that without people questioning what happened.”

“What happened?” She asked.

“You don’t remember?” I raised my eyebrow.

“You attacked me or should I say your wolf attacked me,” I started.

“I attacked you? I thought we were just kissing,”

“Well, that’s what I thought too,” I said before I narrated the ordeal to her. “I had to knock you out. I didn’t know your wolf was that strong,”

“My wolf?” She said again, looking bewildered.

“I am sorry, did I injure you?” She asked, and my hand reached for the back that she had slashed, which healed instantly.

“Of course, I can’t injure you; you are a Lycan. I should be grateful to the moon goddess that I am still alive,” she added.

“I am surprised as to what had triggered you to act like that?”

“My wolf used to be pretty defensive because of the bullying I endured before Ryder announced me as his mate,” she explained.

“Why the term used to?” I asked before the realisation hit me, “Your wolf hasn’t…” I tried to say when she immediately got up and before I could stop her, she dashed out of the room.

She collided with Thane by the door and muttered a sorry. I know I am in for questioning.

“What was she doing in your room?” Thane asked once she was out of ear shots.

“It just happened,” I managed to reply.

He took in the state of my bed and instantly assumed something else.

“Are you deprived? I can call the omegas to satisfy you instead of an intruder,” he said.

“I am fine and she is no intruder,” I replied, trying to keep my voice from rising.

“How did I not sense you were on your way? The last time it happened was when I lost my mate,” I told him.

“Well, the elders had requested an urgent meeting,” He said, avoiding my statement.

Thane was one of the few who knew what happened and how helpless I had been then. He also knows how the topic is a touchy subject for me.

Thane and I walked through the hallways to the meeting room where he said the elders had gathered. I reached to open the door when he stopped me.

“Be sure to keep calm regardless of what they say and not flip on them,” he said.

I replied by grunting. I doubt I can do that.

“Lycan,” they called in unison as they stood up to bow, then sat down again.

I walked to my seat and sat down where my eye caught Lyra by the corner and I looked at all the elders respectively. Lyra is the only woman in our midst or wait! There is another, the librarian who keeps changing appearances at will and today he is a woman, or should I say they are a woman. Please, whatever.

“Lyra informed us about the intruders you brought into the pack house,” one of the elders spoke. Barry, my first mate's father. Ever since the death of his daughter, he had never seized to let me know he loathed me. He blamed me for her death for which I blame myself too. If only I never had left her alone.

“Did Lyra say that?” I said, my gaze turning to my sister who only glared at me before she responded. “ I had to do what was necessary, you don’t want to repeat what happened in the past.”

“First, they are not intruders, and secondly, they are refugees who need our help.”

“I guess even my daughter’s death didn’t teach you anything,” Barry responded.

I looked away. My conscience can never let me argue with him. He has every right to be and I will let him.

“They are under strict surveillance from me,” I said.

“Is that why one was seen leaving your room?” Barry attacked again.

I cast a quick glance to Thane, who stood at my right-hand side, and he shook his head.

“Are you perhaps taking her as the luna,” another of the elders, Makine interjected. He oversees the pack storage and supplies. Even though he pockets some of them and charges the masses an extra for the sales, I didn’t say anything because he is a relative of Barry.

“Don’t be ridiculous, he probably needs someone to warm his bed. But Kael,” Barry said. The only member of the council who calls me by my name. “ Is she better than the omegas?” He sneered.

That statement caused laughter from the members of the council, and I slammed my hand on the table. This act took shocked them but they weren’t surprised.

“If you all have nothing to say further, I will take my leave,” I said, standing up.

“If they are refugees, shouldn’t they help in the packhouse? The kitchen, the stable, the storage house,” Caige, who had been silent since the meeting said. “We don’t want to give a message to people that Eldrid is freely accessible by all. That’s one of the qualities of a leader, don’t you think?”

Caige was to be the Alpha until the position went to me. I looked at him briefly before barging out of the room.

“Why didn’t you tell me Lyra was the originator of this?” I asked Thane who was following me behind.

“Well, she meant well,” I stopped to look at him when he added, “Maybe she went about it the wrong way,” he quickly added.

“A moment with Kael,” the librarian walked towards us. Thane used that opportunity to disappear from my presence.

Well, other people call me Kael aside from Barry.

“Look, if this is about the people I brought…” I started but the librarian interrupted me.

“Remember that scroll that had those couples’ pictures?”

“You still kept it?”

“I mistakenly brought it out while I rearranged the library but Aria asked me about it one day while I saw her searching for it frantically after I had hidden it,”

“Which makes me ask, who have you brought to Eldrid, Kael?”