Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“B*TCHI” Giselle responded. “You absolute, flaming c-

“Do you really want to finish that sentence?” Hale intoned, coming to stand behind me.

I looked and saw Hale with his arms folded, immovable as a mountain. That meant I

I was stuck between a rock and a harpy with nowhere to go.

Giselle’s jaw went slack. “M–Mason…”

“Alpha Hale,” Hale corrected her.

“R–right.” Giselle swallowed. “Alpha Hale.”

“Who else did you expect to be in this office?” Hale asked coldly.

“Well, I saw the b—”

“Not ranking high on the intelligence meter today, are we?” Hale said flatly.

Giselle turned scarlet. “You can’t talk to me that way.”

“Ranking lower,” Hale growled. “Tm your Alpha. I will talk to you any way I want. This Hale squeezed my shoulder.“—is your future Luna. I would expect you to treat her with the respect her rank in this pack affords her.”

My shoulder tingled where Hale touched me, and I looked at him in confusion.

Giselle snorted. “She’s no Luna. She’s a traitor’s daughter and belongs with the rest of them in the Traitors‘ Cave. I know your mother thinks so…”

“I seem to remember accepting her before the Moon Goddess and the pack,” Hale mused. “I don’t remember asking you or my mother for permission to do that. And Kora’s rank is what I say it is, and before the Moon Goddess, I have said her rank will be Luna. So show some GODDAMN RESPECT!”

Giselle took a step back. Anger was rolling off Hale like an oncoming storm, and, for a moment, I’d been afraid Giselle had become too dense to notice it. But her self–preservation seemed to have finally kicked in.

“I will never respect her,” Giselle spat, though her voice quavered a little.

“Then perhaps YOU’D like to spend some time in the Traitors‘ Cave?” Hale said.

Giselle’s eyes welled up with tears, and she ran away without another word.

Hale sighed and gave my shoulder another squeeze before releasing me. I expected he thought I’d be leaving then, but as he went and sat behind his desk, I paced back over to stand across from him.

“What’s with her?” I asked.

“Hmm?” Hale said, looking through a pile of papers as though searching for something specific..

“Giselle. I mean, she was always annoying as we were growing up, but now she’s.. well downright mean. And she has been for a few years now,” I replied.

“Hmm. Can’t say.” Hale then began muttering under his breath about the spearhead team list,

“The commander has it,” Lexplained, hoping he’d stop questing for papers and actually talk to me.

Hale nodded. “Good point. I’ll send for it, then.” He picked up a phone, still ignoring me. “Eddie? Yes, it’s Alpha Hale. I need you to get the original spearhead team list. I need to check something”

“Alpha,” I said as Hale finished his call. “Are you really not going to talk to me?”

“I have a lot of work to do right now, Kora,” Hale sighed. “But I’ll see you later, okay?”

I frowned. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought Hale was avoiding the subject of Giselle altogether.

“Go change clothes,” Hale added when I didn’t move. “You’re not a warrior anymore.”

I blinked, “Pardon?”

“I’m sure the maids will find you anice dress,” Hale said. “Or at least something you’re more comfortable in

“I’m plenty comfortable in these,” I said, gesturing to my uniform. “I’m Bloody Kora, remember? I’m the best warrior this pack has

Hale shook his head. “Not anymore.”

“Alpha–II protested.

I growled under my breath, not wanting to push him further, and headed out of his office. Hale was too distracted by, well, something, to reason with right now..

But I certainly wasn’t just going to let this go.

I WAS a warrior.

“Here’s the list, Alpha,” Eddie said, handing me the spearhead team list.

I took it from him and looked it over, noting the handwritten “Kora Monroe” at the bottom. I recognized the handwriting. “Would you mind sending for my mother, Eddie? It seems we have something to discuss”

Eddie, who was no fool, and also would recognize my mother’s handwriting, stiffened. “Alpha, maybe you want to take a few deep breaths before-”

“NOW.” I speared him with an angry look.

With a nod, Eddie went to get Annalise Hale, Luna Regent.

My mother swirled in, graceful as always, her eyes soft and her demeanor calm. It was hard to imagine what a cold, calculating, hard soul lay beyond that exterior. In my father’s absence, my mother had molded me into a strong Alpha with a ruthless reputation. She had made our pack stronger.

I had to thank her for that.

Today, though, I was not feeling particularly grateful.

“You put Kora on the spearhead team,” I said without preamble.

My mother’s eyes flicked to the paper I held in my hand, then back to mine, perhaps thinking she could somehow intimidate her way out of this. “It was the right deci-

I was not going to be intimidated. She’d raised me too well. “You are NOT in a position to make such decisions!” I roared, slamming my fist down on the desk.

Alright, perhaps I had intended to approach this with more calm, and my mother’s distasteful look at my outburst only, confirmed that I should have, but this was Kora. MY Kora. And my mother had tried to have her killed.

Will you keep your voice down?” my mother said.

“I will not,” I snapped. “By rights, I should be throwing YOU down in the Traitors‘ Cave, do you know that?!”

My mother squared her shoulders “I’d like to see you try,” she sniffed. “Eddie will be Alpha five seconds after you give the order, what with you already having accepted a traitor’s child as your mate. People will think you’ve lost your mind completely!”

“HER NAME IS KORA!” I snarled.

“That doesn’t make her any less of a traitor, Annalise said firmly. And you know that. It was a terrible move taking her as a

mate. Terrible”

“You are entitled to your opinion, Mother, but you are NOT entitled to sneak behind my back, undermining my authority and doing things like THIS!” I shook the list at her. It crinkled ominously in the air.

My mother raised an eyebrow. “It was for your own good. You have a blindspot when it comes to Kora Monroe. You don’t think clearly. You need a Luna who will help your position in the pack, not hurt it.”

“Like Giselle,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm..

“You were not very kind to her the last time I was here,” my mother said. “I think you should apologize-

“For what? Telling the truth? The only reason I’d have the loyalty of the pack if she were my Luna is that she’s slept with every man in it!” I muttered.

“And a thrice rejected mate is somehow better? You think she’s going to garner you a stronger following?” my mother countered

“Twice rejected,” I corrected her.

“You did reject her once when you were thinking clearly. There were three marks on her cheek. I don’t know what came over you, Mason,” Annalise sighed. “I credited you with better judgment”

There was no use talking to her. “If you ever do something like this again, I will have you sent to the Traitors‘ Cave, Mother, do not doubt me. It is you who showed very, very poor judgment. Now, I’d suggest going back to your room and staying there until I’ve forgotten about this.”

My mother shook her head and walked gracefully to the door.

“On your head be it.”