Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Experiencing the icy intensity radiating from Ethan, and observing how his muscles tensed and contracted, I leaped into action.

Liam proved to be much more skilled at masking his killer instinct, maintaining an apparently indifferent expression on his face.

I made my way through the twins and took a step towards the slightly ajar main entrance.

Nicolas’s eyes followed my movements, as if waiting for me to escape.

I suppressed the irritation that threatened to show on my face and offered him an indifferent look.

Men like Nicolas, just like Axel, clearly harbored an excess of self-esteem.

“You can come in, but try to make it quick,” I replied with a touch of haughtiness, crossing my arms over my chest.

I was sure I wasn’t the most imposing she-wolf, at least a foot and a half shorter than Nicolas.

On the positive side, what I lacked in appearance, I made up for with power.

Nicolas’s face displayed hardness, his gaze undoubtedly trying to be intimidating.

His emotions were transparent, he couldn’t hide them from me even in the slightest.

I didn’t feel fear; no, he was too arrogant for that.

His presence here annoyed me, a mixture of irritation from being challenged by the twins, and suspicion regarding my lack of concern.

Turning around, I walked through the living room, gesturing for Nicolas to follow me.

I had moved past the stage where I saw the world with starry eyes.

I wouldn’t allow these dominant males to trample me and turn me into a submissive docile wolf.

I had dealt with Lia and Dub, among others. If anything they had taught me, it was not to let anyone walk all over me.

Gea manifested within me with joy, reminding me that I was a Luna, not a fragile girl.

“Maybe you could ease up on the tough guy act a bit,” I threw a smile in his direction, “My packmates aren’t uncomfortable with it, I’m sure.”

I headed to the kitchen and grabbed something from the breakfast the twins had prepared and left unfinished.

Liam, Ethan, and Nicolas entered the kitchen seconds later.

The twins seemed content to play bodyguards, positioned in the most intimidating way possible on either side.

Nicolas’s eyes scanned the cabin, as if it were an unusual place for him.

It wasn’t strange, just a cabin equipped with more luxuries than he was used to.

Perhaps Nicolas was accustomed to a level of opulence that this cabin couldn’t match.

Nicolas tilted his head, his bright eyes shifting from one twin to the other before landing on me.

A flash of interest gleamed and disappeared quickly in him, almost escaping my notice.

His angular features twitched slightly, and his lips formed a thin line.

“Did you burn something, Sussan?” “I’m not surprised you assume I was the cook,” I snorted, refusing to let this arrogant man get under my skin.

The twins seemed to agree, though I wasn’t sure how Ethan could harbor so much anger in his hefty frame, though I guess that’s precisely what gives him his imposing presence.

“And besides, have you ever had to cook?”

“Why would I need to?” Nicolas replied with a frigid voice, one of his perfect eyebrows arching toward me. His way of speaking reminded me of Axel, like a child dancing in the adult world, trying to understand things he had no knowledge of.

“I’m the future Alpha. Others do the cooking for me, so I can focus on more important things.”

“Ah, I see. So, one of those ‘more important things’ was hunting me, right?” I pressed, taking a piece of bacon and wrapping it in a pancake before chewing. “I guess a big, strong Alpha has better things to do.”

Nicolas’s irritation had a bittersweet and salty taste, but it gave me a perspective I wouldn’t have had otherwise. He didn’t want to be here. The search for a white wolf was beneath his status. Someone had forced him to come, most likely his father.

“Now I understand. You don’t want to be here,” I nodded, allowing an unwavering smile to grace my face. “Let me guess, you got into trouble with daddy and he sent you here as a task for the foot soldiers?”

“Enough of that,” Nicolas replied in a soft tone, his blue eyes darkening to a navy blue hue. I knew what he was searching for, and I could almost feel his gaze piercing the delicate skin of my neck. “You bear no mark, and you haven’t been officially sworn in as your pack’s Luna yet.”meetings, unless invited.”

“Observer, but I’ll receive my mark tonight,” I responded. “As you can see, my mate has already marked me.”

“That’s true, but it doesn’t alter the incomplete ceremony,” Nicolas pointed out. “You’re still not officially the Luna of any pack. Since your father and uncle haven’t yet relinquished their rights over their own packs, essentially, you’re just a wolf with an attitude problem. You won’t be allowed to speak during the High Table meeting, unless you have a title or purpose.”

“You’re the Luna, Sussan. Like your mates, we won’t let this jerk ruin things in our house. You’ll have many Alphas challenging you, trying to bring you down. It’s not our duty to intervene on your behalf, no matter how much we’d like to. Unfortunately, we only have about ten minutes before Ethan loses it with him,” Liam said in a reassuring tone that reflected a hint of anger.

Liam was right, about both me and Ethan. Ethan exuded a truly fierce anger, fists clenched and jaw tense. His rage wrapped around me like icy whips coiling around my ankles and embracing me.

“I won’t be allowed to speak? In a meeting that affects my life?” I laughed ironically, feeling those bitter, angry emotions wrap around me. My fingers twitched, and I could almost grasp them, almost throw them at Nicolas as I had done in battle.

“A ceremony means nothing. If you think I was born as anything other than a Luna, you’re dead wrong. Your disdain for our customs only shows how above everyone you feel,” Nicolas responded, looking at me as if I were a child needing correction. “Only the Alphas and their Lunas have the right to speak at meetings, unless invited.”

“I’m not disregarding any custom. This meeting is about my right to live, as if such a thing were really in question,” I retorted, unable to contain Ethan’s anger. It hit me like an ice storm, wrapping around my insides until they hurt. Ethan’s anger was immense, a pure emotion based on loyalty and love. It acted like a nuclear bomb inside me, filling me with so much energy I was about to explode.

“I will speak at this meeting and won’t ask permission from a group of outdated Alphas. You’ve got what you came for. Now, get out before my mates kick you out,” my anger burned within me and directed itself at the nearest target. Cold tendrils, mine and Ethan’s anger, shot toward Nicolas, and I watched in silence as they aimed for his face. Those tendrils collided with something clear and smooth, a bubble enveloped Nicolas, just inches from his skin. That bubble acted as a shield, tearing apart those tendrils of cold anger. It shimmered for a moment before returning to its transparency, but I couldn’t deny what I had seen.

There was only one explanation, and that only increased my concern.

“You have a white wolf protecting you,” I asserted, confident that I was right.

“But how is it that I can still feel your emotions? Why doesn’t your little shield protect you from that?”

“There are many variations of a white wolf’s abilities, and this is one of them,” Nicolas shrugged. “It guards against magical attacks, nothing more.”

“So, if I break your nose, the shield wouldn’t protect you?” Ethan mused, his eyes fixed on the blue eyes and golden hair of his prey. Nicolas ignored Ethan but shot him a sharp look.

“So, as long as your pack can use their powers, that gives them the right to live?” I scoffed, finally understanding the mindset of these High Table men. It wasn’t about whether I deserved to live or not, but whether I could be controlled and used by them. I couldn’t allow this incredible weapon to fall into the hands of their enemies, as if I weren’t a person with a life of my own.

“I came here to observe and offer you advice,” Nicolas exclaimed, visibly annoyed by my words this time. He didn’t deny it, as I knew he wouldn’t. His attitude might be arrogant, but so far he hadn’t lied to me.

“I’m trying to convince my father that you can be useful, that you’re not a wild she-wolf with the power to shake up our pack and the High Table. If you keep behaving this way, I can’t help you.”

“If your help turns me into something they can use, into something they must protect and fear, then I don’t want it,” I replied. “Have you or any of the other High Table members ever considered that white wolves were created for a reason, and that reason shouldn’t be under the control of those who fear us?”

Nicolas fell silent for a long moment, his eyes attentive to each of my movements. When he finally spoke, he seemed even more puzzled. “You’re going to change things, Sussan. Try not to die in the process,” he growled, displaying the only unrefined expression I had seen on his face. He crossed the kitchen and headed toward the front door, followed by the three.

Nicolas opened the door and stepped out, but he seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I know you haven’t been able to find much about your abilities,” Nicolas remarked, keeping an eye on the twins. “Tell your people to look up ‘Soul Devourers,’ and pray you’re not one of them.”

As soon as Nicolas left and the sound of tires faded away on the pavement, Liam was already on the phone with Thomas and Axel. Soul Devourers. That sounded even more comforting than an emotional leech. I wasn’t sure what to make of Nicolas Zoe. He was self-assured, arrogant, and clearly held some kind of animosity toward his father. The little advice he gave us about Soul Devourers didn’t seem to be exactly for our benefit. What if he himself was a Soul Devourer? I was certain the prospects of a bright future would dim under that revelation.

“Do you know Nicolas or something? You seemed like you were about to explode all the time,” I asked, approaching him and smiling as his anger subsided.

“Nicolas Zoe is an i***t with no character and utterly insufferable, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth,” Ethan growled, as I noticed he absentmindedly ran his hand over one of the prominent scars on his bicep.

“His father, David, is even worse. At least Nicolas pretends to care about his pack, David doesn’t even bother with those formalities.”

“And the fact that he came here…” I began, but I was interrupted when Ethan brushed his thumb over my lower l*p. His brows were furrowed, but I only sensed a small drop of concern coming from him.

“It’s not a good sign,” Ethan responded. “You were right in what you said earlier. David sent Nicolas here, though I’m not sure why. He usually likes to keep his property close, especially his golden boy son. Nicolas must have done something that really angered him, or maybe he couldn’t trust anyone else with this.”

“Thomas and Axel are digging for information through their contacts, but it’s going to be a delicate process,” Liam commented with a furrowed expression, placing his phone on the coffee table. “We need that information, but we also don’t want to cause too much commotion. The last thing we need is the world finding out that we have a white wolf with strange and potentially dangerous abilities.”

“All this talk about Soul Devourers, could it actually be true?” I mused aloud. “I’m not exactly the kindest person in the world, but eating someone’s soul? That seems too… dark.” I shook my head, trying to convince myself, but a multitude of unsettling possibilities crowded my mind. I had said I was willing to do anything to protect Liam and Ethan… but did that include the possibility of stealing someone’s soul?

The twins remained silent for a moment, as if they could sense my inner conflict. Once their mark was established on my skin, they would be able to perceive how tormented I was by this. They exchanged a glance between them that piqued my curiosity, and Liam turned toward me with a gentle smile.

“Power isn’t something you should fear, but something you should respect and use when necessary,” Liam shared, his rough hand caressing my face. “That’s something someone like David Zoe doesn’t understand. He sees power and simply wants it, all for himself. He doesn’t respect it and uses it to harm others.” Liam sighed, his voice full of experience. “No matter how advanced your abilities are, you must learn to wield them fully.”

Ethan chimed in, standing by my side. “It’s not about exerting dominance over others with your power, but about using it to protect your family and your pack.”