My Omega Secret Lover is Alpha King!

Chapter 4: Night Dancer

Chapter 4: Night Dancer

(Aria's POV)

Elder James’s voice filled the room, every word measured, laden with authority that demanded obedience.

"Aria, Alexander," his steely eyes rested on each of us in turn, dissecting us with that unwavering gaze. “The council has decided. You two will represent the Storm Pack in the negotiations with Dominic Blackthorn regarding Silver Lake Territory."

I stiffened but forced my features into something resembling calm indifference. Beside me, Alexander gave a visible start, his brows furrowing deeply. "Grandfather—"

Elder James cut him off with a raised hand, his tone brokering no argument. "This deal is crucial for the survival of our pack. The herbs in Silver Lake could heal hundreds, maybe thousands of our sick and injured for decades. Your… personal differences will not interfere. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Elder James," I murmured, dipping my head respectfully.

They saved my life and treated me as their own daughter. I would do anything I could for this pack.

Elder James continued. "Tomorrow evening is Dominic Blackthorn's grandmother, Elder Grace's 70th moon blessing ceremony. It will be the best opportunity to get in touch with the future Alpha King."

Alexander hesitated but, under his grandfather’s piercing glare, finally nodded. "Understood."

Victoria Storm, the Luna, who had been silent up until now, took a step forward, her sharp gaze locking onto us. "Good. Then since the both of you refuse to resolve your issues behind closed doors, perhaps a united front will remind you of the importance of this union."

I bit back the urge to scoff. A united front? With Alexander? My mate could barely conceal his protectiveness over his mistress.

But the next words that left Victoria's lips froze me in place.

"And," she added, her tone as icy as the winter winds, "as future Alpha and Luna, it’s high time the two of you produce an heir. A child would solidify our claim on the Silver Lake territory far more effectively than words or promises ever could."

What?

I blinked, a wave of nausea twisting my stomach. My wolf stirred uneasily. Even through the suppression potion dulling our bond to Alexander, Moonhealer's disdain rippled through me. She wanted no part of this male, let alone… I gritted my teeth, swallowing the rising bile in my throat.

Victoria’s eyes bore into me, expectant, daring me to object. While I toyed with a sharp retort, Alexander beat me to it.

"Mother," he said in a terse voice, "this is hardly the time to discuss…" His steel-blue eyes flickered to me for half a moment before darting away, discomfited. "That."

Victoria raised a brow, unimpressed. "It’s precisely the time, Alexander. If Sarah's actions haven’t already undermined your standing, your failure to fulfill even the bare minimum of your duties as my heir is tearing this pack apart. Do you deny it?"

Every eye in the room turned to him. He looked cornered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

I exhaled steadily through my nose, willing calm into my veins. This was ridiculous. Produce a child? If I hadn’t spent years perfecting my composure, I might’ve laughed outright at the absurdity of their demands. Instead, I said nothing, opting to stand quietly, my gaze fixed pointedly on an invisible point across the room.

The tension in the air was suffocating as Victoria's words hung between us like a knife.

Later that evening, pack dinner was held in the grand hall, as it always was when a major event or decision took place. The atmosphere was heavy, a mixture of the council's earlier decree and Alexander's continued failure to meet expectations weighing on everyone present.

Victoria dominated the end of the table near Marcus, her piercing gaze scanning everyone present like a hawk. She ate slowly, each movement deliberate as though waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The moment came when her sharp eyes landed on Alexander, her nostrils flaring faintly.

"Sarah’s scent," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but somehow it carried across the room. "It lingers on you, Alexander." Her fork clinked delicately against her plate as she set it down. "Have you learned absolutely nothing in the past three years?"

Alexander stiffened at once, his spine straightening in his chair as his grip on his utensils tightened. "Mother—"

"You swore when you returned that you’d commit to the mate bond," Victoria said, her voice cutting through his like icebergs colliding. "You sit here, at this table, with your mate bonded by the Moon Goddess herself, and yet you dare to carry the scent of..." She didn’t complete the sentence. She didn’t need to.

The silence that followed her words was deafening. I sipped my wine casually, my expression unreadable as her attention didn’t shift to me once.

Moonhealer made a sound deep within me, a mixture of satisfaction and sadness that I suppressed quickly.

Alexander’s face darkened like a storm brewing on the horizon. “Mother, that is a private matter between Aria and myself. I don’t need you to—"

"Correction," Victoria’s tone hardened to steel. "It is a matter of the pack. Do not forget who you represent when you act like a foolish boy instead of an Alpha."

He bristled, his lip curling faintly in a snarl, but he said nothing further.

I set my glass down and placed my napkin on the table, rising gracefully from my seat. "If you'll excuse me," I said lightly, feigning a serene expression. “It seems I’ve lost my appetite."

Victoria's eyes followed my movements, her expression unreadable. She knew. Oh, she always knew.

Back in the private quarters I shared with Alexander, silence reigned like a reigning monarch.

He was perched by the window, his phone in hand, mind-linking someone, which didn’t take a genius to figure out was Sarah. The way his brows furrowed tightly, the slow exhale of his breath as though trying to calm himself—it was clear.

How quaint. The patience he never had for my tears, he now reserved for hers.

I stretched out on the bed, my head resting against the pillow as my eyes traced the ornate designs on the ceiling. Memories floated to the surface unbidden, despite my wolf’s best efforts to drown them.

I recalled the marking ceremony. Back then, I had been so full of hope and laughter that I teased him too much. I thought I could make him smile the way I always did as children.

It was foolish, in hindsight. All it did was wound his pride when I laughed about how he hesitated. He had stormed off angrily that night, and our relationship had been strained ever since.

Those memories didn’t hurt the way they used to. In their place was a singular warmth—a single individual who had burned brighter in my life, if only briefly.

Night Dancer.

My mysterious lover from the Silver Moon Club.

Even the thought of him now caused my pulse to quicken, much to my chagrin. His touch, his wolf’s presence, his raw intensity—it had been everything Alexander lacked. Arrogant and overbearing as he had been, he still made me feel alive.

I checked my phone reflexively, his contact glaring at me like a whispered temptation. “Night Dancer.”

The phone buzzed suddenly, surprising me.

His voice cut through the air, raw and insistent. "Where are you?"

I smiled faintly, amused despite myself. “Demanding as always,” I murmured.

"Are you with him now?" His voice was sharp, his anger barely restrained. "Have you finally let him mark you?"

Amusement flickered in my tone, though I kept it low. “Jealous? I thought you didn’t care for attachments.”

The growl that rumbled in my ears sent a shiver down my spine. "He’s unworthy of you. Do not allow his mark, Aria."

Rolling my eyes, I teased back lightly, “Why? Planning to come claim me yourself?”

At first, there was silence. But then his response cut through like a knife. "You have no idea who I really am, do you?"

My lips thinned, though my tone remained calm. “I know enough,” I replied simply.

The door opened then, and Alexander’s presence filled the room. His steel-blue eyes darkened as they locked onto me.

Without missing a beat, I projected a single clear thought loud enough for both men to hear. "My lover needs me to end things properly."

The voice severed sharply as I ended the call, leaving Alexander standing there, his weak Alpha aura bristling with tension.