The Next Day:

Aire noticed the watchful gaze around the moment she stepped out of her chambers that morning.

Servants bowed lower when they saw her. Guards straightened faster and the moment she walked past them, the maids returned to whispering among themselves.

The invitation from King Elijah lingered quietly in her mind.

A private political discussion. His invitation warmed her heart, but left her walking on tiptoe.

Aire adjusted the sleeves of her gown lightly as she walked through the corridors beside Madam.

"You are nervous," Madam observed calmly.

Aire glanced at her. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes."

Aire sighed softly.

Madam continued walking beside her.

Aire looked ahead again. "What if they don’t want me there?" she asked softly.

Madam’s expression didn’t change. Her expression remained neutral. "Then King Elijah would not have invited you."

.....

The discussion chamber was smaller than the main council hall when they walked in. There was no public audience in this chamber. It was more private, and silent.

There was no unnecessary decoration around this room.

A long dark table stretched through the center. Maps, sealed letters, and military records already rested across it.

Several Alphas were already present.

The moment Aire entered, the conversation lowered. Their eyes shifted toward her immediately.

Some gazes were curious, some were unreadable, and some were openly displeased.

Aire felt every single one of them.

Still, she walked in calmly.

King Elijah sat at the head of the table, his silver gaze steady as it landed on her.

"Luna," he acknowledged, with a smile at the edge of his voice.

Aire bowed her head lightly. "My King." Her gaze moved briefly around the room when she straightened again.

Nate sat near the middle section of the table.

The moment she saw him, her breath nearly paused. His eyes were already on her. His gaze was so intense, and she felt a strong pull towards him.

His wolf was calm today.

Usually, she could feel tension rolling off him whenever they occupied the same room. Today, she does not feel the restlessness and possessiveness coming off him.

His wolf felt settled and at peace this morning.

Aire looked away first.

Xanden stood near the far side of the table, speaking quietly with another Alpha. The second he noticed her, his entire face softened.

Warmth flickered openly in his eyes. Everyone around the table noticed the softness his eyes held towards her.

He immediately stepped away from the conversation and walked toward her.

"Your Grace," he said with a small bow.

Aire blinked softly at him. "Alpha Xanden."

Xanden smiled softly at her. He took her hand in his, and placed a deep kiss at the back of her palm with his eyes on her. "I know you were invited, but that has never stopped people from avoiding these meetings."

A small smile pulled at her lips despite herself.

Xanden’s gaze lingered on her for a second too long, before he reluctantly let go of her hand.

He looked relieved simply seeing her there.

"Sit beside me," he said gently. She looked so lovely in the cream coloured dress she wore.

Without waiting for an argument, he pulled out the chair beside his own.

Aire hesitated briefly before sitting. Several gazes sharpened immediately around the table.

Xanden noticed. He ignored every single one of them.

Aire settled quietly into the chair.

The discussions resumed not long after.

At first, Aire simply listened. She listened to the conversations about trade routes, territory disputes, supply movement, and the border patrols.

The northern territories came up repeatedly, and so did humans.

Aire noticed the tension surrounding the subject.

"The northern villages have become too familiar with the humans who come in disguised as merchants," one Alpha said coldly.

Another scoffed. "They grow bolder every single day, and we’re just seated, during nothing."

Aire’s fingers curled slightly beneath the table.

"Their crops failed during winter," Nate said flatly from across the room, referring to the humans. "Trade with closer villages will become necessary."

The older Alpha frowned deeply. "Necessary becomes dangerous quickly."

King Elijah remained silent. He watched and listened to everyone, silently testing them.

Aire noticed him too.

Another Alpha leaned forward. "Human settlements have crossed closer to our borders than usual these past months. They now know we exist. They attack us, and have also taken in possession two of our people."

"The eastern roads collapsed after the flooding," Aire spoke suddenly.

The room quieted immediately.

Several heads turned toward her.

Aire remained composed beneath their attention.

"Their southern routes were destroyed," she continued calmly. "The northern border is the only border left, and has become their closest surviving trade path."

One Alpha’s expression hardened. "And how exactly would you know that?"

Aire met his gaze evenly. "I lived with my uncle, and went hunting so many times. I explored other borders, and encountered a human or two a few times to know what desperation looks like."

Silence settled briefly. Humans didn’t just start coming into the werewolf realm now? How is that possible?

Wasn’t the veil said to be broken just months ago? After Aire was taken at Luna by the Alphas?

The Alpha Aire spoke to leaned back slowly.

"With respect, Luna," he said, though his tone lacked any respect at all, "your sympathy toward humans may cloud your judgment."

Aire’s expression remained calm. "Compassion and stupidity are not the same thing."

A faint sound nearly resembling amusement escaped Nate.

The Alpha heard the sound, and his jaw tightened. "Humans become problems when allowed too much comfort," he said sharply. "Everything that happened with the last war was as a result of people like you."

Aire looked directly at him now. "Believe what you may of me," she said softly. "But I assure you that it’s better we hold back in preparation."

The room stilled.

Her voice had not risen, yet every person listened.

The Alpha frowned. "Preparation for what?"

Aire’s gaze lowered briefly toward the maps spread across the table. She caught a glint of light passing through the map.

No one saw it.

Aire looked back up. "A war no one would truly win."

Silence followed again.

Xanden leaned back slowly in his chair beside her. His eyes never left her face. The look in them nearly made her uncomfortable.

Not because it was cruel. It wasn’t a cruel look, but it was worse. He looked at her with a tender gaze, completely smitten by her.

He had forgotten there were other people in the room at all, or he simply didn’t care.

Aire looked away quickly.

Xanden smiled faintly to himself before reaching toward the large map spread near the center of the table.

Without breaking his gaze from her fully, he gently slid it closer toward her side.

"Show them what you might know," he said quietly. He sounded confident in her.

Several Alphas looked irritated immediately.

Aire stared down at the map. Her fingers hovered briefly above it before pointing toward the northern border.

"There," she said softly, relying on her memories, and what she had come across a few times while hunting years ago.

King Elijah’s gaze sharpened.

Aire continued. "The human settlements here and here were destroyed during the winter flooding a few years ago. I heard them speak among themselves when it happened." Her fingers shifted lower across the map. "That forced merchants through the northern crossings instead."

One Alpha frowned deeply. "And how does that matter?"

Aire looked up. "Starving people don’t think politically," she said. "They think about surviving."

King Elijah studied the map thoughtfully.

Nate watched Aire instead. His gaze also never left her. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Something about her speaking like this, calmly and intelligently before men who clearly doubted her, settled his wolf even further.

He could feel it.

The strange pull toward her deepened. Without fully realizing it, he stood. The movement drew attention immediately.

Aire looked up instinctively.

Nate walked around the table slowly, directly toward her.

The Alpha seated beside her stiffened almost immediately.

Nate stopped beside him, then looked down at him. He did nothing else, and just that one cold, deadly and possessive look said everything he had to say.

The Alpha swallowed immediately and stood from his seat without argument. "I’ll stand," he muttered quickly.

Nate sat down in his place beside Aire. He sat own closely. Far too close.

Aire felt heat rush into her face immediately. Her breath nearly caught.

Nate leaned back slowly into the chair, his eyes still on her. His gaze was intense, and unmoving.

Aire swallowed hard and immediately looked away. Her heart suddenly felt too loud inside her chest.

’This is Nate,’ she thought quickly. ’Perhaps, he’s just bored.’

That explanation sounded ridiculous even to herself.

Beside her, Nate’s wolf remained calm and satisfied. Like this was where he belonged.

Aire could feel his presence beside her too strongly now. Every small movement suddenly felt noticeable.

The warmth of him, the quiet sound of his breathing, and the way his arm rested near hers.

She kept her gaze firmly on the map.

Nate noticed. A faint almost-smile touched his lips briefly.

Xanden noticed that too. And for the first time that morning, something sharp flickered through his expression.

Jealousy flickered in his gaze, and left almost immediately.

King Elijah finally spoke after several moments of silence.

"The human near the northern crossings increased after the flood," he said calmly. "They never knew we existed until the veil broke."

Aire’s gaze lifted slightly.

Another Alpha frowned. "Then we kill them all, and restore the veil. They’re already killed us."

"And force starving settlements into rebellion?" Aire asked softly. "Perhaps, they’re just curious about what we are."

The Alpha looked irritated again.

"They are humans."

"And still living beings," Aire replied.

Nate’s eyes remained on her.

One Alpha scoffed quietly under his breath. "She speaks like one of them."

Nate’s gaze shifted instantly toward him. The room temperature seemed to drop immediately.

The Alpha lowered his gaze without another word.

Aire’s chest tightened strangely.

The meeting continued for nearly another hour.

Discussions shifted, more strategies formed, and decisions delayed. Through all of it, Aire slowly realized something.

People were listening to her now. Not everyone, and not willingly. But it was enough.

The meeting finally ended slowly.

The chairs shifted, and documents were gathered as the Alphas began to stand up to leave.

Aire rose carefully from her seat.

The moment she did, Nate stood too. He towered above her. His grey eyes gleamed at her.

Aire looked up at him briefly.

His eyes met hers instantly. That same intense look remained there, dangerously focused.

Aire looked away first again.

"Luna." Xanden’s voice interrupted softly.

Aire turned toward him. Most of the others had already begun leaving the chamber now and perhaps back to their parks.

Xanden stepped closer. His expression remained warm, though quieter than before.

"There’s something you should know."

Aire tilted her head slightly.

Xanden lowered his voice. "Not everyone in court welcomes your growing influence."

Aire’s gaze softened faintly. "I already noticed."

Xanden smiled faintly, though it didn’t fully reach his eyes this time. His gaze flickered briefly toward the chamber doors then back to her.

"Be careful, Aire... the moment a kingdom starts listening to a woman, someone always decides she must disappear." he murmured.

Aire lashes fluttered. "Doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be here to protect me, right?"

Xanden swallowed. His eyes flickered to her neck, then back into her eyes. "You’re right. I would stand beside you even if it cost me my title."

Aire smiled at him. "That was all I needed to know." She said softly, and walked away.