Chapter 373
Amelia’s POV
I braced myself for what would surely be a vague insult hurdled in my direction. Perhaps a backhanded compliment.
Instead, he looked around the outdoor facilities and then glanced to me. “This was your doing, Luna?”
“Yes,” I replied.
He hummed, his expression unreadable. I didn’t trust him, still steadied myself for whatever terrible thing he was sure to say next.
“I suppose you have an adequate job,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he believed that. In fact, with the snide way he said it, I was sure what was going to come next was going to be even more offensive. “In this pack, however, we prefer for our Luna’s to go above and beyond.”
There is was, the man I was more familiar with. In the past, I might have allowed this kind of vague comment to bring me down, but for whatever the reason, I didn’t feel like letting it stand this time.
Maybe sometime during the mysterious past six years, I had learned some measure of strength. Or at least confidence in myself.
“Where exactly to you find this event lacking, Councilman Stark?” I asked him, putting him on the spot. If he was going to insult me, I wasn’t going to give him a free pass. I was going to drag it out, forcing him to explain himself, hopeful to make this as uncomfortable for him as possible.
All with Damien watching.
He blinked, seemingly surprised by my new boldness. “For one thing, an outdoor event is terrible inconsiderate. So out of the way, a long way to travel for your guests.”
“This location was necessary,” I said. “We wanted to celebrate the alliance between both packs. What better place than to do so in the space that both packs share?”
“Somewhere more civilized, for one,” Stark said. “Like in the banquet hall in our pack, a building meant solely for this purpose.”
“The guests from Jake’s pack might object to traveling such a great distance.”
“Then they shouldn’t feel the need to attend.”
“It would hardly be a celebration of unity with only one pack there,” I said. He seemed to have an answer for everything that I said, but I wasn’t going to let him push me around.
In the past, I had been a meek human, unaware of my power. But now, I was Luna, a werewolf, mated to a strong Alpha and the relation of a different Alpha family.
This man, while deserving of respect, was just a pack council member. I could be kind, but if he pushed me too far, there had to be consequences for that too.
Already, I could see that Damien was growing tenser beside me, ready to take action if needed. I didn’t want that
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from him. I gave him a calm glance, hoping that he could see that I was still okay to deal with this situation.
“Even so,
“Councilman Stark began, clearly revving up for some further nonsense.
This time, I didn’t even let him continue. “Even so, it is a beautiful night here under the stars,” I said. “We have wine and we have dancing. The night has just begun Councilman Stark. I’m sure you will have a good time if you tried.”
I smiled brightly at him, hoping to win him over with kindness, but when I saw his lip twitch, I knew more was needed.
“I would ask you not to attempt to ruin this banquet that I have so meticulously planned, Councilman Stark. I feel perhaps it has been too long since there has been a Luna in the limelight here.” I laughed lightly, trying to soften the words, but even the laugh was sharp enough that it surely would have been seen as the threat it was. ” It seems you might have forgotten your manners.”
Stark stilled a moment. His gaze slipped from me to Damien and then back again. He must have seen the
warning here, because he cleared his throat. “Yes, I haven’t even seen the rest of the banquet. Perhaps I should… hold my judgement. For now.”
It wasn’t a perfect victory, but it still felt gratifying to have Councilman Stark, a man who in the past had treated me so unkindly to now be on the back foot.
“Enjoy yourself,” I told him, not letting him have the last word.
I even smiled at him as he turned his attention fully to Damien.
Damien’s POV
Councilman Stark was notoriously mean-spirited and critical. As he approached Amelia and me, it took everything inside of myself not to send him away at once before he could say something unkind to upset my dear mate.
Instead, it seemed, she had handled him masterfully, like a true Luna. I was so shocked I stood there blankly for a moment, unsure if what I was seeing was real or imagined.
But then Councilman Stark moved to me and dipped his head in reverence. “Alpha Damien.”
“Councilman,” I replied.
That was that, and he moved along.
With all the introductions made, Amelia looked at me, her smile so big it was practically beaming.
She’d done well so far, and that was a good sign of things to come. Though I still worried about her, I was starting to feel more comfortable with her ability to handle herself. She’s certainly done a wonderful job planning this event.
She’d always seemed so timid in the past, and after she had expressed some unhappiness, I had stopped requesting her to attend events like this with me, wanting to protect her from any negative feelings.
I wondered now, if I had done her a severe disservice in the past. In trying to protect her, maybe I only isolated her further, making her feel more estranged, more isolated from the rest of the pack.
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I had worried because I had thought her only human.
Yet, even as a human… Seeing how she could handle herself now, I wondered if I should have pushed her more, and pushed more for her in the pack.
What I fool I had been back then to not see the true beauty and ability of my wife and mate.
I made a private vow, here and now, that I would never make the same mistake again. To seal the vow, I wrapped my arm around Amelia’s waist, tugged her toward me, and brought my lips down to hers.
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