My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 187

Elara

Two Weeks Ealier. Blackwater

The only reason I wasn’t throwing up was because of the scent blockers Aldric had given me. But I could still taste the stench of these idiots in my throat. These many wolves gathered in one place, and I had to be present as concerned Luna.

I didn’t care.

I sat on the carved wooden chair behind the podium, my hands folded neatly in my lap, playing the part of the concerned Luna while my stomach did slow, nauseous flips.

Kane stood at the front, his Alpha robes looking too heavy for his shoulders. He looked like he hadn't slept since Sera walked out the door, his eyes bloodshot and his jaw perpetually locked. Beside him stood Jace, looking entirely too polished for the situation.

"We are aware of the losses," Kane said, his voice echoing hollowly against the stone. "The Eastern border is... unstable."

A man in the front row stood up, his face a mottled red. "Unstable? Alpha, my youngest nephew was on patrol. He died unable to protect himself. We can't trade if our children are being turned into compost!"

"The black beasts are precise," a woman from the Education sector added, her voice trembling. "They watch the school paths. You don't see them until they’re already tearing into a throat. We can’t keep the schools open, Alpha. We just can’t."

Kane shifted his weight, his frustration rolling off him in waves of hot, bitter musk. I could see the vein in his neck throbbing. He opened his mouth to respond, but Jace stepped forward first, placing a hand on the edge of the podium.

"Listen to me," Jace said, his voice smooth and commanding, the kind of voice that expected immediate compliance. "The Alpha is already moving resources. We are sealing the trade zones. Schools are on indefinite break starting tonight. We are going to pinch the border shut until these rogue beasts starve or move on. Exercise patience."

The Merchant Guild leader scoffed. "Patience? Closing the schools is fine, but sealing the trade zones is suicide. We’ll starve before the beasts do. It’s an unwise move, Alpha."

Jace’s eyes snapped to the man. The "playful" edge he usually carried vanished, replaced by a cold, arrogant sharpness. "Tell me, Master Verrick... do you think your Alpha is unwise?"

The merchant went mute instantly. He looked at Kane, then at Jace, and slowly sat back down, staring at his own boots.

I clicked my tongue under my breath, the sound lost in the murmurs of the crowd. Jace was such an arrogant bastard. If I could point out every single thing I hated about him, we’d be here until the next full moon. He wasn't even an Ashford. He was just an old friend who had breezed back into Blackwater and started making calls like he owned the place. And for some reason, Kane just let him.

The meeting broke up into a mess of low whispers and fearful glances. I stood up, smoothing my silk dress, and watched Kane and Jace huddle together. I felt like a ghost in my own house.

It had been about two weeks since the omega had left. That part of the mission was done. I’d put the drops in her tea for years, watched her wilt, watched Kane grow resentful, and finally watched her leave. It should have been my victory lap. But it felt like a waste of time, because Aldric wasn't responding to me anymore.

"I'm not a Luna! I'm—"

Marcas moved faster than I could track. His hand caught me across the face, a brutal, open-palmed slap that sent me spinning into the wooden coat rack.

I hit the floor, my vision blurring. A sharp, hot pain exploded in my jaw. I reached up, my fingers coming away wet with blood. I’d bitten through the inside of my cheek, the copper taste of it flooding my mouth.

"You forget yourself," Marcas hissed, looming over me. He didn't look like a noble. He looked like a handler. "To the pack, you’re a big shot. To us, you’re just a slave Aldric uses for his pleasure. You are an asset. Nothing more."

The woman stepped closer, her voice a low, lethal venom. "I hope you remember who you are, Elara. When Aldric is finished with you, you won't be going to a palace. You’ll be sent straight to the processing center with your family. You better go back and enjoy your little privilege while it lasts."

My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic, terrified rhythm. My jaw felt heavy, misaligned. I struggled to my feet, my mouth full of blood, and didn't say another word. I walked out of the house, the cold air stinging the raw skin of my face.

I was a slave. I had always been a slave.

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