The elders exchanged uneasy glances. I could see the doubt creeping into their faces, but I knew that Ares had already sunk his claws into them. His influence ran deep, poisoning their thoughts, twisting the truth.
"I am not stepping down," I declared. I managed to voice firm despite the growing sense of helplessness inside me. "This is my birthright. And I won’t let anyone take it from me just because I’m mated to someone you don’t deem worthy."
Ares chuckled. "It’s not about worth, Tabitha. It’s about power. And you don’t have it."
My heart raced as I glared at him. Fury and frustration swirled in my chest. I knew I wasn’t going to win this fight here, not today. The council had already made up their minds. And Ares had stacked the odds against me.
Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the council house.
I had never felt so powerless… so alone. The pack was slipping through my fingers. And I didn’t know how to stop it.
Ares’ POV
The sun was barely up when the someone's knock pounded on the door, loud enough to wake the entire street. I groaned, rolling over. Beside me, Nimfa grumbled, tugging the blankets over her head. The peace we had, brief as it was, shattered in an instant.
“Who in Fenrir’s name is that?”
I sat up with my mind racing. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, and certainly not the investor. A cold knot of worry twisted in my gut. I had made too many promises and delivered on too few. If the investor was here unannounced, it couldn’t be good.
“I’ll handle it,” I muttered. Nimfa stayed buried under the covers. I barely had time to start pulling on my clothes before the voice outside demanded her presence as well.
“Nimfa, get up,” I barked, already halfway dressed. “Our guest isn’t someone we can ignore.”
She groaned but reluctantly pushed herself out of bed, still wearing nothing but a thin nightgown. She muttered curses under her breath, following me downstairs. But when I opened the door, her bravado disappeared. The man waiting outside, tall and broad-shouldered, with eyes that could freeze over hell, was staring straight at her. Nimfa, suddenly aware of how little she was wearing, crossed her arms over her chest. Her discomfort was clear.
“This is… unexpected,” I said, forcing a smile as I opened the door wider. “I wasn’t informed you’d be visiting today.”