Nn POV
The council chamber of Moonstone was heavy with tension, the kind that clung to the walls and made the air harder to breathe. I stood at the head of the long table, arms crossed, jaw set.
Ellie sat beside Lance on one end of the table, and Alpha ric and Cassian sat at the other end. I had the full attention of everyone assembled. Not because of any respect or dominance, but because I was practically radiating
anger.
I thought that I had a handle on my rage about this situation, but I was wrong. The relief of having Ellie by my side had merely overridden the rage I felt at Cassian for his deception.
Now, with him in front of me, the anger was impossible to ignore.
Lance was watching me warily, like he expected me tosh out at an second. His stance beside Ellie was protective, cautious. It was enough of a reminder of my past treatment of her that I knew I had to at least try to control myself.
I turned my full attention to ric.
"You understand why I''m here," I said tly.
ric, his silver hair gleaming in the pale afternoon light, gave a slow, steady nod. "You believe Moonstone has vited our alliance."
"Believe?" My temper spiked, though I kept my voice even. "Your son concealed my wife''s existence for nearly a year. He orchestrated her disappearance. He harbored her in your territory. That is not a belief, ric. That is fact."
Cassian didn''t flinch. He sat beside his father at the table, calm as ever, infuriatingly unruffled. My wolf bristled, pacing behind my ribs.
ric''s frown deepened, though his words were quiet, deliberate. “Cassian?"
Cassian''s expression didn''t change. "It''s true. From the moment she left the hospital, Ellie has been under my protection."
ric''s ever-steady eyes fixed on his son for a long moment before moving to Ellie.
I saw the fraction of a second when his gaze softened, an unfamiliar gentleness crossing his features. It was gone the instant he looked back at
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"I understand your anger at the situation, but it seems that the circumstances
necessitated some action on Cassian''s part," he said calmly.
"You expect me to believe that you had no idea?" I asked ric.
"Believe what you will, the fact is my son concealed this from me. A matter that I assure you we will be discussing in private."
Cassian''s expression didn''t change. His eyes were still fixed on me with that defiant confidence that made my
blood boil.
I stepped toward Cassian, every muscle taut. "You chose to undermine an alliance between two packs? You chose to interfere with my mate bond?"
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Ellie''s voice cut through the air, firm, steady. "He chose to protect me."
I turned to her, equal parts startled and enraged by her defense of Cassian. She stood tall, her chin lifted, her eyes bright with conviction.
Lance sat on the edge of his seat beside her, looking at me cautiously, anticipating my reaction. He was ready to
pounce on me.
I took a deep breath, attempting to reel in my anger. I couldn''t lose control now. Not in the middle of a meeting like this.
"He didn''t force me into anything," Ellie continued. "I asked him for help. He gave it. If you''re going to me someone, me me. Not him.”
Her fierceness... it stopped me cold. She had never spoken to me like that before, not with fire in her words and her shoulders squared as if she were ready to go to war for him.
Ever since her car ident, she''d had a confidence to her, but this was different. She wasn''t calling me a jerk or pointing out my mistakes; she was standing firm in defense of her choices and her ally.
I hated that I respected her for it. It would be so much easier to just let my anger take the reins.
"You''re defending him,” I said, harsher than I meant to.
"Yes." She didn''t falter. "Because he doesn''t deserve your wrath. Without him, I wouldn''t be standing here at all. Nn, I was going to leave no matter what. Cassian only made sure that I did it safely."
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