Chapter 95: Chapter 95

/Aiden's POV/

I sat silently at the head of the ancient oak table while these grown alphas chatter among themselves. The last thing I wanted was to sit through the tedious council meeting. As a future Pack Alpha, I had no choice but to attend them along with my beta and listen to these old hags talk like they have been through it all.

My hands fell on the side, gripping the armrest of my chair as I focused most of my energy, not on listening to this lively debate but on stopping myself from jumping across the table and strangling as many councillors as I could.

Their voices mix in a crescendo of opinions, clouding the conversation and giving me another reason to ignore the incessant bickering.

Looking over my shoulder, I noticed an empty seat next to me, lips twisting. As a Luna, Rose will be taking over that seat in the future. My father used to bring his mate for the meetings, too, and I did think of asking Rose to tag along. However, she was not in the training ground or the packhouse for that matter, making my stomach curl uncomfortably.

Where could she be? I asked around, and the unmated omegas told me that Ellen was missing too. Another guard was on the lookout for her as I had to attend the meeting as soon as possible. For now, though, I sat in my father's chair and allowed the members to speak their fill.

They're glaring at me now, too proud to acknowledge that their loud discussion was futile without my approval. I cleared my throat and gave the council a cursory once over, and tipped my head back, "Now that that's out of your systems," I started, "Let us discuss the upcoming festivities. I believe we are approaching full moon by the end of this month."

The council looks amongst each other, six Alphas of the eldest families in the pack and all unsure of the date. If it didn't piss me off so much, I might laugh.

"Please do not tell that none of you was aware of the upcoming festival."

Liam winced by my side, keeping his best to appear blank as he stared at them. He cleared his throat and started noting down the agenda on the paper.

"Alpha Aiden, I thought we would be addressing the shortage of medical herbs in our pack. Several critical wolves are still not healing, and the witch is unable to help."

There were murmurs as soon as the topic was disclosed, each one pitching their ideas on how to tackle it. A sigh escaped my lips at that, legs pressed together. I completely forgot to talk with Damon about it, but now the issue cannot be ignored anymore.

"Don't worry, I will talk to my friend Alpha Damon today and get it sorted."

***

"Did they find her?" I asked, rushing out of the council room, my strides determined and hasty.

"No", Liam made a sound in the back of his throat. "I heard from Matt now. He said two pups saw our Luna with Ellen and Caden in the morning. They took the back route, but after that, no one knows where they went."

My nose flared at that. "What about patrol guards?"

"They were taking a break."

My hand tangled in my messy hair, tugging on them and trying not to let out a growl. Why would Rose walk out of the pack without informing me? It was dangerous out there with the enemies lurking and waiting to exact their revenge.

"Keep me updated. I have to talk with Damon."

Liam bobbed his head before bowing down and parting ways with me. I stilled for a moment, my eyes turning towards the rows of cabins. Where are you, Rose? I murmured to myself with a tired sigh escaping me, shoulders sagging.

Rose did not even have a phone anymore, so I was unable to track her. When she returns, I will force her to accept my gift; yes, that's the first thing I am going to do.

With that thought in my head, I turned on the balls of my feet and moved to the packhouse.

***

Damon was in the living hall, busy flickering through the pages of the magazine, when he saw me. The Alpha grinned at me, head tilting to greet me lazily. I waved back at him, nudging at his folded knees.

"Can we talk?"

"Why so serious?" Damon sat up, blinking at me but not making any attempt to stand up.

"It's Pack business..."

"You can both talk it over lunch." A familiar shrill voice from behind cut me off abruptly. My body froze upon seeing Ria walk towards us with a wide grin on her face, utterly oblivious to my stoic face. "Come on. Join in." Her eyes were focused entirely on me, lips curving.

At that, Damon perked up, getting on his feet and sporting a dopey grin. "You cooked for me?"

"Yes." She answered with her eyes still trained on me.

"No thanks. I can eat later." I grumbled under my breath, watching as her face fell and mouth twisted. How could she act this way after everything that happened between us?

Damon patted harshly on top of my shoulder, coming around to tug on my elbow. "How can you say no to her? My mate put so much effort. Come on!"

My friend managed to drag me towards the dining table, forcibly making me sit and taking a seat next to me. Before I could protest, Ria placed two plates in front of us. I held my breath as she bought out a tray of pasta, just the way I like it.

"Mmh, this smells heavenly." Damon licked his lips, picking up the nearby cutlery while Ria started to serve us.

My nose scrunched as I picked at the food while she sat in front of us the whole time. Ria made a show of tending to my every need, pouring water in my glass and handing me a napkin. I did not have a single chance of talking about pack business without Ria interrupting me.

All this time, I could feel Damon's glare at me, his sharp intake of breath and the way his grip tightened around the fork.

"Do you like it, Aiden? Want another serving?"

I coughed, taking a large swig of water instead of answering her ridiculous question, looking away. My throat bobbed as I kept on gulping the cool liquid, aware of Damon's glare on me.

"No thanks. I am fine."

My chair scraped as I stood up abruptly, watching as Damon continued with his eating. While walking towards the nearby wash basin, my face felt hot, trembling fingers rushing to unbutton the top two buttons. A loud breath forced out of my lungs, cursing silently under my breath.

Washing my face with cold water, I gripped on the sides of the basin; jaw clenched tight. In the mirror, I saw Ria approaching me, holding a dry napkin in her hand. Her lips curved in a wide smile.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" I huffed, turning around, not bothering to hide my hostile tone. My arms crossed against my chest, lips pressed in a thin line.

She innocently blinked, lines marring on her face, her mouth parting. "What am I doing?"

"Don't make me say it! Stop this madness already, Ria. Can you not think about others for a change?"

The beta bristled, taking a step closer, our bodies almost pressing closer. She wrapped a hand around my wrist, head tilting. "Why should I think of others? Huh? Who is going to think of me then? I am done holding out now, Aiden."

I tried to take a step back, my teeth gritting together at the audacity in her tone. When did she ever do that? All this time, Ria has been annoying Rose so much, so she believed something was going between us. Anger coiled in my belly.

"Think about Damon! He is pinning after you, and all you think about is..."

"I don't care about him!" She yelled, her voice booming. "I want you! I told you that I am madly in love with you. Why can you not get it through your thick head?"

"I knew it!" A growl echoed around, startling the both of us. Startled, I lifted my head only to stare at Alpha Damon approaching us with fire in his eyes.

Stalking forward, his canines bared, the Alpha ripped Ria's hand off my wrist and stood in between us. I opened my mouth to explain, but he pinned me with a look.

"I, Pack Alpha Damon, challenge you for a dual."

***