Emira followed the two princes hesitantly as the heavy doors opened. She didn’t know why but she had a feeling that she was not supposed to be here.
Hesitantly, she looked about at the vast room as she followed in and noticed a few dark faced elders sitting in gilded seats. Hurriedly she looked away as she felt their stared turn to look at her. At this moment, she almost wished she could disappear. Because despite all the assurances from Prince Zen, she felt the disdain directed from the elders towards her.
Just as she turned her head to focus her stare on Prince Zen’s back, when he shifted and she was able to get a first look at the Crown Prince of the Werewolves and the alpha of the Stormhold Pack.
For a heartbeat, Emira could not breathe. The three of them were identical in face, the same strong features and tall frame, yet it was impossible to confuse them.
She had heard that Prince Lance was the most powerful of the three brothers.. but now as she saw him she realized at a glance just how powerful. The Alpha seemed to be encased in power.. His eyes were dark and black and impossibly cold.. even worst than Prince Kael who she had thought was the most indifferent man she had ever seen and when his dark flgaze settled on her... it left the impression of a blade cutting through flesh.
Emira shivered.
Even though she was intimidated by all three of the princes, Prince Lance seemed the cruelest of all. One look from him was enough to make her want to hide behind the pillars.
"Lance," Zen called, his voice ringing across the chamber with light mockery. "Still sitting there looking as if the whole world has offended you? No wonder the elders love you most. They cannot stand us laughing too much."
Prince Lance’s lips curved faintly, though it was hard to tell if it was amusement or disdain.
"Zen," he replied, his tone flat but edged. "You have not changed."
"And I hope never to," Zen said cheerfully as he strode forward.
He clasped his brother’s arm with a loud grin, ignoring the stern air of the room and then simply moved to sit on the left side where his own seat sat empty.
Kael followed more quietly, and then with a single nod of his head, moved to the right to his place, leaving Emira standing in front of the Prince, her head bowed and standing.
Realizing that she was standing in front of the most powerful werewolf in the world, Emira hurriedly bowed her head, and fell to her knees...not daring to speak a word. An Omega was not allowed to speak until spoken to.
However, as she knelt with her head bowed, she felt yet another change in the surroundings.. a kind of fearfulness that had not been there before this.
The elders in the room seemed to shift slightly, and Emira wondered if she had committed some kind of faux pas, but before she could overthink, Prince Zen was quick to break the moment and she felt a moment of calm at the sound of the voice.
"Ah, and here we are, all gathered like it is some great council. Tell me, elders, was it too much to let us brothers meet quietly?"
His tone was playful, yet glinted with challenge.
No one dared to answer, and Zen took advantage of the silence and continued, "Well, I will tell you all right now. I will not be subjected to any questioning until I have rested. So all you oldies can just go back to wherever you came from. We’ll meet in the evening. Until then, leave me in peace."
The elders exchanged stiff glances, their jaws tightening. It was clear that such words were an insult to their dignity, but none spoke up immediately.
Emira lowered her eyes quickly, biting the inside of her lip to keep her expression neutral. She knew enough to sense the silent tension that filled the chamber, but Prince Zen’s casual defiance only deepened the strange unease inside her.
Prince Kael broke the silence, his voice cutting through the air with calm indifference. "Has my room been cleaned?"
The words were simple, spoken without concern, but they carried weight and agreement with Prince Zen that they would not be answering any questions now.
From the corner of her eyes, Emira saw the elders turn instinctively toward the Crown Prince, as though hoping he would check this insolence and help them.
But Prince Lance only inclined his head slightly.l and answered the question himself, "Yes. Everything is prepared. Rest well. We will congregate in the evening."
That was all he said, and yet his tone left no room for argument or discussions from the elders.
Zen smirked, clearly satisfied with his brother’s support and rose again with a lazy stretch.
"Goodbye then." With that, he came to stand in front of Emira and gently patted her head. "Come on little fire."
Just when it seemed the moment would end and they would finally leave, one of the elders, a tall man with silver hair and a heavy robe, cleared his throat. His voice echoed with deliberate firmness as he spoke.
"In the evening," he announced, "we will have a celebration to welcome the two of you back. And on this happy occasion, the date for the Crown Prince’s mating ceremony will be declared."
The words dropped like a stone into still water, sending ripples through the hall.l and Emira felt it as the hand on top of her head stilled and tightened in her hair for a moment.
Something in those words had angered Prince Zen.
But in the next moment, the man seemed to have forgotten his anger and she heard his voice echo, "Alright then. We’ll celebrate well."
"Let’s go little fire..."
Emira hurriedly straightened up and moved to follow Prince Zen. She had no interest in staying here... but before they could walk out, a cold voice cut through, "Zen. Wait."