Fiona's entire body tensed. "You don't get to make those commands."
He passively spread out his fingers as he said, "I just did."
Fiona's green eyes went livid, darting around at the other Alphas who remained motionless before looking back to him. She behaved as if she were the queen herself, facing a subject that refused to bow. "Explain yourself, Alpha."
He swiped his thumb over the tips of his fingers, his patience for the Elders thinning by the day. "Because we never agreed to it. That seems to happen a lot lately, Fiona."
She tutted, and he could smell her ferocity brewing, her scent rising with panic. "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, that's what we are doing right now."
"It's a good thing you gave us such notice," he said with a sardonic chuckle, although his eyes echoed none of the humor. Instead, his gaze bore into hers.
For a moment, he felt like she understood that he knewsomethingwas wrong; he wasaware.
The only female Alpha, named Varga Evensen, chimed in with her own chortle, and Ronan glanced at her. She leaned forward, her long, straight maroon hair moving with her. "He has a point, you know. I had plans for my Silver. It would have been nice to know that you did, too."
Fiona looked between the two of them, and then to the others with hopeful eyes. When none of them replied, she paced. "What is this?"
The rest of the Elders watched in the background with the same apprehension.
Ronan replied, "A reminder that we are only here because we have an alliance, not because you have an entitlement."
"You are all subjects to the sovereigns," she spat.
"They only became that after the Purge, and that was to unify to allow us to heal. We have healed, or did Enola want us to heel as dogs?”
"You weren't even alive to know the difference," Fiona said, throwing her arm out as if it would help make the point. “You were bornafterthe Purge.”
"I know when I can feel my power being pulled away from me, Fiona. Such as when Rem was injured, and not even you went to let another know."
He could see her skin rising with gooseflesh, small strands of gray and brown hackles rising on her spine. "So, what do you want,Ronan?"
"To have the final say in what happens to the Silvers. At least with mine. They don’t belong to Scarlet Howl."
Fiona huffed. The other Elders tensed their shoulders, glaring at him. It didn't bother him. He considered most of these Elders—at least in Scarlet Howl—to be drinking deeply from the chalice of power. He couldn't trust what they said, but he trusted the way the flames turned silver. These Silvers were special, and if they could control wargs, then he would not allow that decision go to the sovereigns alone. That’s how kings rose and fell, and this wasnota monarchy, no matter their titles.
"I don't want someone like Marcus making claims on my Silver, either," Ronan trivially added, imagining Marcus laying claim to Rem just for petty’s sake. “So, Rem will stay with me.”
"And I don't wanthimtaking one of mine, unless he wants to indulge in an exchange, of course," Marcus said, making a small slight at Rem.
Ronan ignored him. Now was not the time to engage in something so trifling, even if hehadinstigated it. He addressed Fiona. "The male that mates these women will become immensely powerful.That'swhy they are here in the first place, and yet you want me to give you mine so you can do whatever you want with her? So I have to pick from the thirteen of them and hope that Enola or Calder approves of my decision?" He tutted. “I don’t need approval for who I choose as a mate.”
Varga, Enzo, and a few other Alphas made sounds of approval, while Marcus and the rest remained silent, although they were not protesting, either.
All Alphas seemed to agree.
"You are fractiously pressing this authority," Fiona said, a fury rising in her eyes.
"No, I am reminding you ofwho I am," Ronan replied.
He leaned back in his seat, his back pressing on the cold wood. Rem hardly moved, only periodically glancing over her shoulder as he spoke.
Fiona licked her lips and looked around before saying, "Are you, anAlpha, denying the holy words, no, the holycommandsof our goddess? That's obscene! This is what she wants. You have a duty to lead in the moon's name."
He gently chewed on his bottom lip as he glared at her, a slight snarl escaping him. He withheld from speaking, allowing a silence to remain so as to further fray at her ego.
Once Fiona looked like she was about to explode, Ronan finally said, "I don't deny that some of you have a way with our goddess, such as with the Arch, but I don't like the wayyou'vebeen exercising your powers. I draw the line at giving you all of our Silvers. The political undertone of giving them up is impossible to mistake. And to be honest, I don't trust you."
Varga hummed in approval, and surprisingly, so did Marcus. Rem’s rapid breathing was impossible to ignore, and it unexpectedly anguished him. He dropped his hand to place it on her shoulder. He had a feeling she was a victim in this, somehow, someway… Perhaps in a manner that even went beyond the scar on her back.
