Everyone stared at me in horror.
"The ability to erase their scent! That is something I never thought possible!" Elder Oren exclaimed.
Even Ronan balled his hand into a fist.
I nodded, "Yes. This news is frightening, but in a way, it's a blessing that we were able to notice it now, and not in a different setting— like war."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes, finding something like this at the wrong time could be deadly. We'll need to find a way to counter it."
Suddenly Elder Thea stood up. "If the humans can do something like completely erase their scent, what other methods do they have? I vote to keep her alive so that we can learn more of their hidden skills."
The room suddenly erupted into chatter. A few people agreed, but others didn't.
"Preposterous! She attacked our Alpha! That should be reason alone to put her to death! Could you imagine if our Alpha was hurt? Or worse? What would become of the pack? There's still no heir!"
My stomach twisted at the mention of an heir. It was still too soon...
A few others nodded, agreeing with the Elder's words. "Indeed! The Alpha is the lifeblood of our pack. Without one, there would be nothing but chaos and disorder."
"I also think we should kill her! Show the humans that we aren't afraid!"
My eyes flicked over to the youngest in the room. He was just recently named Scout Commander, earning him a Gamma rank and a seat at the council.
I felt my lip twitch at his words. Arrogant, haughty and naive, but I couldn't deny that I shared his sentiment.
So why did I suddenly want to throw him out of the room?
The room dissolved into a heated debate. One side was vehemently against killing her, while the other wanted her dead.
After nearly ten minutes of shouting, a headache formed behind my eyes. My patience was wearing thin; I needed a decision before sunrise.
"Enough!" I slammed my fist on the table, freezing everyone in place. "Since we are so divided, let's take a vote. If you are in favor of killing the human, stand up. If you are against it, remain seated."
The room quickly shifted as a few people stood up, while others remained seated.
Ronan leaned forward as he stood. "Alpha, it's split perfectly down the middle. Please, make the final call."
The others watched in silence while I closed my eyes.
This was a waste of time.
I knew the decision that I wanted to make: kill her and move on. It was the right choice if I meant to keep my pack safe.
A few moments later, I opened my eyes. "She will live. I will personally keep watch over her."
"Alpha..." Ronan couldn't help but whisper.
I shot him a warning look. "It's decided. Everyone is dismissed."
Those who were in favor of keeping her alive left with slight smiles and relieved expressions, while the others stormed out with worry and disappointment.
I ignored the murmurs and returned to my room. With the decision made, I could finally try to get some sleep. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
By the time I made it back to my room, I could see the first rays of light peek through the horizon. I expected to lie on the bed and watch as the sun rose, but as soon as my head touched the pillow I fell asleep.
-
The rays of sun warmed my face as they filtered through the windows. I abruptly sat up and glanced at the clock that hung on the wall opposite my bed.
"Ten."
I stared at the clock in disbelief. It was already ten in the morning which meant that I had at least a few hours of sleep. This was more than I've slept in the past week combined.
The first thing I noticed was the silence in my head. For the first time in days, I felt almost like myself.
Why? Why is my wolf suddenly calmer?
I wouldn't say the condition was fixed. In fact, it was still far from it. But compared to the way I felt yesterday, this was a significant change.
A pair of ice-blue eyes flashed in my mind. Even amidst everything that happened last night, I very vividly felt her piercing gaze. Whatever it was about her… my wolf was intrigued.
It could be a drug. Perhaps this is another one of her tricks.
My mood instantly soured. If she really did do something to me, I wouldn't let her keep it from me for long.
I stood up abruptly. The feeling that she somehow drugged me was gnawing at my gut. I needed to find out before something even worse happened.
Without wasting another moment, I made my way down to the dungeon, pulling on my black robe along the way. It only took me a few minutes to arrive in front of her cell.
"Alpha," the guards greeted, bowing their heads.
"Leave us," I ordered and took a seat on the wooden chair in front of her cell. The moment I looked at her I noticed that she was injured. Her wrists had deep purple bruises and there was dried blood in her hair. "And send for the healer."
"Yes, Alpha," they replied, hurrying off.
I leaned back and studied her closely. Her long blonde hair, once neatly braided, now lay in tangled strands across her face. From this angle it was difficult to get a good look at her face.
My gaze drifted down her body. The strange human clothing she was wearing clung to every curve, leaving little for the imagination.
A twinge of excitement hit me. I couldn't tell if it was mine or my wolf's, but it made my fists clench in anger.
She did something to me. Poison?
Even the most beautiful she-wolves had never stirred anything in me. There was no way a human could.
My eyes widened. Is this part of their plan? Seduce me to manipulate me?
The more I thought about it the more I regretted my decision to keep her alive. My only comfort was the fact that I needed information out of her.
Just wait. As soon as you reveal your secrets, I'll end you.