The room had fallen into an uneasy silence before Dante, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke.
"I think the Alpha should approach her," Dante said calmly, his tone steady but firm.
"Tell her who he is, explain what she is to him. Bring her to the Alpha's residence. The attacks on our borders have been increasing, and whoever's behind it might target her if they find out she's his mate."
The elders nodded, murmuring among themselves. Dante's gaze shifted to me and continued what he was saying. "By now, most of the pack already knows you've imprinted, Alpha.
But I've been doing my best to keep her identity hidden. The less anyone knows, the safer she is—for now. So the alpha needs to bring her here as soon as possible."
His words made sense, but my gut twisted all the same. "And what if she rejects what I am?" I asked, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. It seems to me that nobody he as thought of this particular issue.
"She's human, Dante. She has no idea that we exist. What happens if she finds out about us—about me—and wants nothing to do with any of it? What happens to me then?
You all know what happens to alphas that got rejected, and with my curse, if I get rejected by my mate, I will succumb to it and be lost for good." I turned my gaze to the elders, daring any of them to answer..
"Cole," my mother's voice broke the silence. I turned, and she stood near the bookshelf, her eyes soft but steady. "She won't reject you if that's what you're worried about."
I let out a humorless chuckle. "How can you be so sure, Mom?"
"Because the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes," she replied with quiet conviction. "Yes, she might be afraid at first. Who wouldn't be? Afterall, this world will be new to her. Once she finds out, it will shatter everything she has ever believed her whole life.
But if she was chosen for you, human or not, it means she has the strength to stand beside you. You just have to show her that you'll protect her through it all and stand by her."
Her words struck a chord deep inside me—but before I could respond, Elder Albert cleared his throat.
Alpha Cole," he began cautiously, "you must understand…as you know, the humans don't know of our existence, humans who learn about us rarely accept it easily. And the ones that do know about us, are directly linked to us one way or the other.
We...are....lycans.." he sounded proud and smug to me. "And we try to protect the supernatural world....our world. If she rejects you, we may have to consider an alternative."
My gaze snapped to him. "And what alternative would that be if I might ask, Elder Albert?" I ask him, my anger trying to rise to the surface, knowing what he might be hinting at.
He hesitated, his fingers tightening around his cane. "Removing her—"
I didn't let him finish.
An angry roar ripped through my chest, primal and violent, shaking the walls of the study. The air around us seemed to warp as my control slipped. My eyes burned crimson, claws unsheathing from my fingers, dark fur crawling up my arms, my face and neck.
My fangs protruding out as I rose intimidatingly from my seat, eyes locked in on the elder that talked about killing my mate.
The elders froze.
"Finish that sentence," I snarled, my voice deep, inhuman. "I dare you."
"Alpha—please—" Ophelia tried to intervene, but my aura exploded outward, crashing into them like a physical wave. Gage and Hendrick flinched. Albert shrank back in his chair, the smell of fear rolling off him.
"You even think of harming her again," I growled, stepping closer to the table, "and I'll make sure you don't live long enough to regret it."
"Alpha Cole... Calm down. It hasn't gotten to that yet." I refused to stay calm, not after he just threatened to harm my mate.
"Cole, calm down!" my mother hissed, moving closer, but I didn't hear her.
My wolf wanted blood for that insult.
"Cole!"
The command snapped through the room like a whip.
My father's voice.
Everyone turned as Zack Williams appeared at the doorway. His black hair gleamed under the chandelier, his dark glasses masking the blindness that came from a battle long past, from a rival pack. He leaned lightly on his cane, but even sightless, his presence was enough to still the air.
"Calm yourself," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "And don't disrespect the Elders under my roof."
I gritted my teeth, forcing my claws to retract, the fur receding slowly as I wrestled control back from my wolf. My chest heaved as I sank back into my seat, my eyes still burning faintly red.
My father walked inside the room, his cane tapping against the marble floor. He stopped and stood in front of the elders and sighed. "You all know mate matters are sacred and delicate." he said evenly. "To even suggest removing one in front of an imprinted Alpha is… unwise." His tone was calm, but there was a warning buried underneath it.
The elders bowed their heads slightly, avoiding his gaze.
"Instead of jumping ahead with rash talk," my father continued, "I believe my son should first approach the girl. Tell her the truth. Once that's done, we'll decide the next step together."
There was silence, then Gage nodded slowly. "Agreed. The council will await your report, Alpha Cole."
He turned toward Dante. "Since she's in Westvale and you are the appointed vice chancellor, you're responsible for her safety until the Alpha claims her. Keep her safe from the other supernaturals."
Dante inclined his head respectfully. "I'll see to it, Elder Gage."
Gage stood, followed by the others. "We came as soon as we heard of your imprinting. Now that we've discussed it, we'll take our leave and await news of your progress."
One by one, the elders filed out, their presence leaving behind a charged silence.
I leaned back in my chair, exhaling hard.
My father turned to me, lips twitching faintly. "You handled that about as well as I expected."
I snorted. "You mean like a ticking bomb."
He chuckled. "You get that from your mother."
She gave him a mock glare before leaving the room quietly, closing the door behind her.
My father gestured toward the hallway. "Come. Let's get a drink."
---
The bar was dimly lit, the shelves lined with aged whiskey and crystal glasses. My father poured us both a drink, the amber liquid catching the low light, though blind, he's other senses were still as sharp as ever. We sat opposite each other, the air filled with the faint scent of oak and alcohol.
"You know time's not on your side, Cole," he began. "You know what happens on the Blood Moon. You have to prepare her before then. Had it been you imprinted after the blood moon, we wouldn't be this worried. Though am happy that you've found your mate, I can't help but worry as well."
I nodded. "I know." I stared into my glass. "But it's not that simple, Dad. Even though am trying to calm myself from going crazy from wanting her right now, i can't help but hesitate. If she were one of us....if she had a wolf, she'd feel what I feel.
She'd understand this pull, this... madness. But she doesn't. She's human. How do I even start explaining something like this to her?" I said, laying my doubts and vulnerabilities bare for my dad. Its very rare for me to feel so lost and my dad knows it and he exhales deeply.
He took a slow sip, considering me carefully. "You start by not thinking like an Alpha for once. Think like a man."
I blinked at him. "A man? What do you mean?"
"Yes," he said, smirking faintly. "The Alpha in you wants to command, to claim, to mark. But the man—the one who feels—has to earn her trust first. Remember that."
I nodded slowly, his words sinking in deeper than I wanted to admit.
"You're in your final year, right? And she's a fresher. That gives you an advantage." His smirk widened. "Use it. You've got charm, confidence, very good-looking, and let's not pretend the girls don't trip over themselves for you."
"Yeah dad you're right... How hard can it be for a good-looking guy." I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "Dad, that's not exactly helpful advice."
"Pls...give me a break. You've always been cocky because you know how deadly your looks could be," he said dryly, but there was warmth in his tone.
"The advice I gave you was meant to remind you that you've faced tougher battles than this. You can win this one too—if you lead with your heart, not just your instincts. Because let's face it, right now if you're in front of her, the only thing you'd want is to have sex with her and mark her."
"Yeah....tell me about it. You have no idea how much am fighting against myself right now." I said dryly, running a hand through my hair.
"On the contrary I do understand. Your mother and I went right in immediately we imprinted. We couldn't keep our hands off each other." My dad said with a smile.
"Dad pls..don't try to tell me about you and mom's sex life, because it will be disgusting for me." My dad laughed hard when he heard me.
For a moment, we sat in silence, nursing our drinks.
Finally, I said softly, "She's not just another girl I can fuck, Dad.....she's different . The moment I saw her… everything changed."
He nodded knowingly. "Then make her see it, son. Before the Blood Moon rises."