THE ALPHA WHO KNELT

Chapter 16

Thirty minutes," I repeated to Elara. "If you're still on pack grounds after that, I'll set the warriors on you. And trust me when I say they won't be gentle."

Elara looked at me for one more moment, her eyes full of heartbreak and something that might have been pity. Then she turned and ran from the room, her sobs echoing down the hallway.

My mother gave me a look of such profound disappointment that it almost made me flinch. Then she followed Elara out of the room without a word.

The silence stretched for a moment before the whispers started. Pack members leaned toward each other, gossiping and speculating about what they'd just witnessed. Some were giggling behind their hands, clearly enjoying the drama.

"SILENCE!" I roared, unleashing my Alpha command across the room. The effect was immediate and absoluteevery mouth snapped shut, every whisper died, every movement ceased. The pack sat frozen in their chairs, unable to speak or move without my permission.

I took a deep breath, surveying the room of motionless faces. "Good. Now finish your meals."

The command released them just enough to eat, but they remained unable to speak. I sat down at the head table, cutting into my steak with deliberate precision. The only sounds in the room were the quiet clinks of silverware against plates and the occasional nervous swallow.

The silence stretched on. Minutes turned into an hour as I forced myself to eat slowly, methodically, refusing to acknowledge the weight of dozens of eyes watching my every move. I could feel their judgment, their confusion, their fearbut none of them could voice it.

My mother's chair remained empty. She hadn't returned.

I was contemplating a second helping when the dining room doors opened and Damien walked in. He stopped just inside the doorway, his eyes sweeping over the unnaturally quiet room, taking in the tense faces of pack members who sat like statues.

"Jesus," he said, looking around the room. "Who died?"

I looked up from my plate,meeting his dark eyes. The question hung in the air with unintended accuracy.

"It’s nothing that concerns you," I said finally.

Damien's gaze moved around the room again, and I saw understanding dawn on his face. He'd recognized the lingering effects of an Alpha command.

"Release it," he said quietly. "No."

"Ronan." His voice carried full Beta authority. "Release the command."

There was something in his tone that made my wolf bristle but also recognize a deeper truth. Slowly, reluctantly, I let the Alpha command fade.

The moment it lifted, the room came alive again. Pack members shifted in their seats, whispers starting to spread, but before the noise could build, Vivica stood up with a bright smile.

"Oh, Damien, it's wonderful news, actually!" she announced cheerfully. "Elara is pregnant!"

Damien's face lit up, and he turned to me with a grin."Congratulations, Ronan! That's fantastic news. When's the pup due?"

The words hit me like ice water. I stared at him for a moment, then roared with fury. "It's not mine!"

Damien's smile faltered completely. "What?"

"She's been sleeping around," Vivica added with false sweetness. "Can you believe it? Our sweet little future Luna, spreading her legs for anyone who'd have her. Ronan just rejected and banished her for adultery."

Damien stared at Vivica for a moment, then looked around the room at the pack members who were watching the exchange with rapt attention.

Finally, his gaze settled on me, and I saw something dangerous flash in his dark eyes.

"We need to talk," he said quietly. "Now." "I have nothing to"

"NOW, Ronan." His voice carried a Beta command that made my wolf sit up and take notice. It wasn’t enough to command me, an Alpha, but still I followed him out of the dining room and back to my office, slamming the door behind us.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Damien exploded the moment we were alone.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I snapped. "I just banished a lying, cheating mate who"

"That pup is yours, you f*****g i***t!"

The words hit me like a slap. "That's impossible. I've never touched her."

"Haven't you?" Damien moved closer, his dark eyes blazing with anger. "The night of the winter festival. Do you remember where you were around midnight?"

"I was with Vivica"

"Bullshit." Damien's voice was deadly quiet. "You spent the entire evening whining to me about how much you wanted your mate. About how hard it was to wait until her eighteenth birthday to do things 'correctly.' You must have said it twenty times that night."

A chill ran down my spine. "That doesn't mean"

"You were drinking, yes, but you weren't stumbling drunk," Damien continued relentlessly. "Around eleven-thirty, you looked at me and said, 'f**k waiting. She's my mate now.' Then you headed straight for the stairs."