The Alpha Who Destroyed His Mate

Chapter 9

The question was so unexpected that Elena struggled to answer. “I… I don’t understand.”

“It’s a simple question.” Isabella smiled at the gathering. “A Luna must stand beside the Alpha, represent her pack, and help protect its future. She must be someone the other packs can respect.”

Elena felt the eyes of the surrounding guests settling on her.

“I suppose so.”

“You suppose so?” Isabella laughed softly. “After serving this pack for years, surely you understand the importance of knowing your place.”

A few guests exchanged amused glances.

Elena lowered her gaze.

“I’m only a servant, Miss Crowe. I don’t know much about those matters.”

“Exactly.”

The word landed with quiet cruelty and Isabella turned toward the others.

“Which is why I find tonight’s circumstances so interesting. Imagine discovering that the Alpha heir has developed an interest in someone who has spent her life serving food and cleaning floors.”

Elena’s face grew hot.

She could feel Dominic watching them, but he said nothing.

“Isabella,” Richard warned.

She offered him an apologetic smile.

“I mean no disrespect, Alpha Richard. I’m simply concerned about the pack’s future. Surely we can agree that becoming Luna requires more than an unexpected attraction.”

One of the representatives nodded.

“She’s right. The Alpha’s mate must be someone who can strengthen the pack, not introduce uncertainty.”

Elena wanted to disappear.

She wished she had never returned to the ballroom. She wished she had stayed in the corridor until the celebration ended. Most of all, she wished she could stop feeling Dominic’s presence so strongly when he stood only a few steps away and allowed strangers to discuss her as though she weren’t there.

Isabella wasn’t finished.

“There’s also the matter of her family.”

Elena’s head lifted.

“My family?”

“Your father, Marcus Vale. Surely you haven’t forgotten the accusations against him.”

“My father is dead,” Elena replied quietly.

“That doesn’t make his past irrelevant.”

“Isabella,” Dominic said sharply.

She turned toward him. “Are we supposed to pretend his past means nothing simply because you feel drawn to his daughter?”

“This is neither the time nor the place.”

“Then when should we discuss it? After you’ve made a decision that could affect every pack in the north?”

The surrounding guests were listening openly now and Elena could hear whispers beginning to spread.

Marcus Vale. Traitor. His daughter.

She had endured those words since childhood, but hearing them spoken in front of Dominic’s family made the humiliation feel different. She had thought that if the bond between them was real, perhaps she would finally have someone willing to stand beside her.

Instead, she was standing alone in a crowded room.

Isabella faced her again. “Do you believe your father’s past should have no bearing on the future of this pack?”

Elena’s throat tightened.

“I don’t know what happened between my father and the people who accused him. I was too young to understand everything.”

“But you admit there were accusations.”

“I admit that people accused him. That doesn’t mean they were right.”

Isabella’s smile faded slightly.

“And yet you expect the Alpha heir to ignore those accusations simply because you might be his mate?”

“I haven’t asked him to do anything.”

“Not yet.”

“Enough!” Dominic’s voice silenced the room.

He stepped forward, his expression hard.

“This discussion is over.”

One of the representatives cleared his throat. “With respect, Dominic, if a mate bond exists, it must be considered alongside your responsibilities as the future Alpha. The Crowe alliance cannot be jeopardized without careful consideration.”

“I am aware of my responsibilities.”

Richard intervened before the argument could continue.

“My son will make no decision tonight. The matter requires proper consideration, and I expect everyone to show restraint.”

The guests gradually returned to their conversations, but the damage had already been done.

Elena looked at Dominic, hoping he would offer her some reassurance. Instead, he approached her with a troubled expression.

“Elena, I need time to consider what has happened between us.”

She stared at him. “Consider it?”