BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 34: ELDER COLBAT’S MOVE

Chapter 34: ELDER COLBAT’S MOVE

{" When you see a good move, look for a better one"}

The council members of the Bay Shifter pack had all arrived on time, a rare occurrence and the tension in the room was palpable. I was the last to walk in, and the moment I did, I took in the dynamics of the group, reading each of them carefully.

Elder Cobalt and General Steel looked irritated, their faces hard as stone. Tiger, on the other hand, had a small smile playing on his lips, still enjoying the shower I had forced him into earlier. Aqua stood with her jaw locked, clearly holding something back. Blossom and Lily’s eyes were glued to Wave, and I could feel the anger rolling off Spark, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly. Crystal Astor, General Tiger’s mother, was giggling next to Flora Bolt, Wave’s sister, who was rolling her eyes at some inside joke they shared.

Elder Mercury Gale, Wave’s mother, sat in stoic silence, her face unreadable. Haze Steel, the commander of the pack, was just as quiet, though his posture was as rigid as ever. Wave looked the most irritated, his shoulders tight, clearly bothered by whatever tension had been lingering in the room long before I had arrived.

I stood in the doorway for a moment, letting the tension hang in the air. I had no idea what was going on between them all, but I could not afford to care. If they knew what was going on, what I was dealing with... well, I had enough problems without dragging more into the light. Still, the thought of Freyr crossed my mind again. If they found out about him, it would tear everything apart.

They all stood to greet me as I entered, but I did not waste any time with pleasantries. I raised my hand, cutting through the tension, signaling them to sit. As they did, I moved to my seat, my eyes hardening.

"I’m not here to waste time," I began, my voice firm and unwavering. "I need updates from everyone in charge of the pack projects, finance, border security, everything. I expect to know where we stand. Now."

A shocked silence followed my command. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me, and I let the weight of the silence settle. Slowly, the room began to shift. This was not the same old "easy-going" council I was used to. I was not playing games anymore.

Spark and Wave were the first to speak up, their reports clipped and efficient. I watched carefully, observing the change in the room as they realized I meant business. I could almost hear the shift in their attitudes, their disbelief turning to respect as they understood I was serious.

The meeting had barely ended when I noticed the irritation radiating off Elder Cobalt, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes narrowing. General Steel was not doing much better—his face was hard, eyes dark with visible disdain. I knew exactly what was happening. They were testing me. They wanted to see how far they could push before I broke. They needed to be reminded with whom they were dealing.

I chose to attack General Steel first, to bait Elder Cobalt into stepping into my trap.

I broke the silence, my voice cold but sharp. "General Steel, why do you look so irritated?" I asked, leaning forward in my chair, the words thick with authority. "As your Alpha, I can feel the hate and anger coming off you. And Gale." My Lycan stirred inside me, his growl vibrating through my chest. "Gale is not in the mood for disobedience today."

The room went deathly quiet, all eyes on General Steel, but to my surprise, his eyes flashed with anger. I felt the surge of fury inside me, and before anyone could react, Gale, my Lycan, roared inside my mind. I moved so quickly that I barely saw the room around me, my body acting on instinct. I grabbed General Steel by the neck, slamming him down on the table with enough force to make it creak under the pressure. Shocked gasps echoed in the room, but the only ones who did not flinch were Spark and Wave. They knew me too well. They knew what I was capable of.

"Who the hell do you think you are General Steel?" I growled, my voice low and filled with rage. The sound vibrated off the walls, a primal warning. General Steel squealed in pain, but I did not let go. My grip tightened around his neck, my gaze never leaving his face. I let the silence linger, letting the tension build before I shifted my eyes to Elder Cobalt. His face registered complete surprise, his brows furrowed, clearly thrown off by my aggression. I was not done. "Since when do I look like a weakling?" I snarled, my voice a growl. "Since when do I allow disrespect in my pack?"

The room was dead silent. Not a sound, not a breath. No one dared to speak, not even General Steel, whose face was now pale, his chest heaving in fear. With a flick of my wrist, I threw General Steel to the ground, hearing the thud as he hit the floor with a sickening crash. I did not spare him another glance. I walked calmly back to my seat, sitting with deliberate control, my eyes scanning the room.

"Now," I said, leaning back in my chair, my tone icy." Is there anything that I need to know?"

The silence that followed my words was almost deafening. It was a pin-drop moment. The tension in the room was palpable. No one dared to make a sound, but I could feel the weight of their eyes on me, some filled with respect, others with wariness.

Then, slowly, Elder Cobalt leaned back in his chair, his face calm but his voice laced with an edge. "No one wants to disobey you as the Alpha," he said, his tone controlled. "But there are matters arising in the Bay Shifter pack, and it seems the Paradise Coven is behind them."

I chuckled lightly, the sound a sharp contrast to the stillness in the room. "Since when do the matters of the Bay Shifter pack not reach my ears or my desk?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know about this issue. I have already assigned people to handle it. You’ll get my answer in a week."

Elder Cobalt’s eyes narrowed, and I could sense his irritation bubbling beneath the surface. "Who’s in charge of the investigation?" he asked, his voice cold.

I leaned forward, my elbows on the table, my eyes locking onto his. "I am in charge," I said, each word deliberated. The silence that followed felt like it could suffocate the entire room.

To my surprise, General Steel stood up, brushing himself off and trying to act unaffected, but the red bruise on his neck, rising from where I had grabbed him earlier, told a different story. He was trying to regain his composure, but I knew the sight of it bothered him.

I did not let him off the hook just yet. "I’ve also gotten wind that some of our pack members are colluding with the Paradise Coven vampires," I continued my voice growing cold. "I will spare no one who is a traitor. And I will use the ancient laws of the Bay Shifter Coven to end them."

There was a low hum in the room, murmurs of agreement and dissent, but no one dared to openly oppose me. Elder Mercury Gale spoke up next, her voice firm and unwavering. "We should never entertain traitors," she said. "I support your decision, Alpha."

I nodded at her appreciatively, grateful for her support. The room shifted slightly, tension still thick in the air, and I could see the flicker of anger in Elder Cobalt’s eyes, though he did his best to mask it.

Before anyone could speak again, a voice broke through the silence. "If I may," Crystal Astor, General Tiger’s mother, spoke up, her tone polite but with an underlying hint of curiosity. "Shouldn’t the matter of you taking a Luna be discussed as well?"

Her words hung in the air like a challenge, and I felt a flicker of annoyance rise within me. I could tell she was testing me, trying to provoke a reaction, but I was not fazed. I stared at her without flinching, my expression unreadable.

"I would appreciate your advice on the matter," I said, my voice calm, betraying no emotion. "But I believe we can discuss it outside of the pack council meeting."

In truth, I had ulterior motives for the conversation. I had no interest in discussing the matter of a Luna right now. My mind was focused elsewhere. I needed information. Crystal had lived through things I had not things about my father and Freyr’s father. And I needed to know what she knew.

I stood up, pushing my chair back deliberately. The legs scraped against the wooden floor, the sound cutting through the lingering tension in the room. Without a backward glance, I dismissed the meeting with a curt nod. "This meeting is adjourned. We’ll reconvene when I have updates."

The murmurs of acknowledgment followed me as I walked out, my steps firm and unhurried. Spark and Wave were right behind me, their presence a silent but solid show of loyalty. Their footsteps echoed mine, a rhythm that brought me a measure of calm after the charged atmosphere.

As I reached the hallway, I heard a voice behind me, clear and measured. "Alpha Tor, can I have a moment of your time?"