His Missing Luna

CHAPTER 42

NATHAN

MINE!

As we head towards the building, we see the bastard father and son going the same way. Jessica tenses beside me when Saul directs his gaze towards her, scowling.

I move her to my other side and push us ahead of them.

“Alpha Nathan Hunt,” Kizziah gestures to the door. “After you two.” I hate the smirk on his face and wish nothing more than to swipe it away with my claw. “I must say you look quite different, Jessica,” he chuckles. “I hope he hasn’t touched you.”

My leg halts, hanging between the air and the floor. I draw my gaze back slowly, giving him a deathly glare. My fists clench, and my muscles tense, ready to strike. “What did you just say?”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “I am only saying what everyone will soon start thinking. She’s glowing and looking different from how she was in my pack. We all know what the Clause says. No touching,” his mockery delighting him. “If he has touched you, we will find out, and he will lose his pack and title, and you will have no choice but to come back home with us.”

This fool surely came prepared.

“Better to say the truth and let’s save ourselves the time and strength th…” he stops suddenly, his hands flying to his throat as he starts to choke.

I frown, thinking it’s part of his act, but when his eyes widen in horror looking to my side, I know he’s not acting. Following his gaze, I see Jessica’s eyes, staring at him menacingly, tight-lipped, her other hand clenched tight into a fist. The air around her seems to shimmer with raw power.

Saul runs to his father. “What the hell are you doing, Jessica?!” he barks at her.

“Do not bark at her!” I warn him, my voice a low, dangerous growl.

“Release him, now!” the i***t barks at her again, making me growl again at him.

“Do not order her!”

I gently place my hand on her shoulder, turning her away from the two, and we walk away. My men follow us, circling us when we stop at a quiet spot.

“Calm down, Flower,” my arms circle her into my chest. “You can’t hurt him now. He’s only trying to provoke me.”

“I want to kill him!” she grits out. “All of them!”

I chuckle. “You don’t mean that.”

“I mean it!” she says determinedly, glancing briefly at me. “They put me through hell. I want them to go through the same thing.”

I hold her tightly, feeling the heat of her anger radiate through her body. “Flower, we will deal with them, but not now. We need to play this smart,” I whisper into her ear. “Trust me.”

She nods reluctantly, burying her face in my chest and inhaling deeply, her body relaxing slightly against mine. I hold her for a moment longer before we head back to face the council.

The meeting hall is a grand, sophisticated room that commands respect the moment you step inside.

The high, vaulted ceiling is adorned with intricate carvings of wolf pack symbols, painted in gold and silver, reflecting a legacy of power and tradition. The Thunderstorm Pack’s symbol of a wolf howling to a full moon, sits among the mix.

Crystal chandeliers hang from above, their light refracting through the room and casting a dignified glow on the proceedings.

The walls are paneled with dark, polished wood, each piece carefully selected to convey both elegance and authority. Along the walls, portraits of past council members and notable alphas, my ancestors among them, watch over the meeting, their eyes seeming to follow every move, adding to the solemnity of the occasion.

Between the portraits, tall, narrow windows with heavy, velvet drapes allow slivers of natural light to filter in, merging with the chandelier's glow to create a balanced, regal atmosphere.

The council members are seated behind a long, ornate table made of mahogany, its surface gleaming under the lights. In front of them, two rows of chairs are arranged, separated by a central aisle, creating a formal setup that reinforces the seriousness of the meeting. The chairs are upholstered in rich, dark leather, offering a mix of comfort and gravity to those who sit in them.

At the far end of the room, behind the council's table, a large tapestry depicting the legendary founding of the wolf packs hangs as a backdrop, its vibrant colors and detailed stitching telling a story of unity, strength, and honor.

The air in the hall is tinged with the subtle scent of aged wood and the faintest hint of incense, adding to the ambiance of solemnity and reverence.

“Alpha Nathan, Miss Jessica,” Elder Matt greets us, giving her a warm smile. “Nice to see you again.”

We greet him back, taking our seats.

“How are you finding your stay at the Thunderstorm Pack, sweetheart?” De Santos asks, grinning when I growl at him. Declan and I actually.

I notice the exchange of looks that pass around the table and the slow grins springing up on their faces.

“Calm your wolf, Alpha Nathan. It’s just a greeting,” De Santos says, still grinning. “Now where are the other parties?”

As if on cue, the father and son duo walk in, looking as arrogant as ever.

“f*****g maggots!” Declan spits in my head. “We should ambush them and send them to hell.”

“All in due time, mate.”

“Elders,” both greet the table.

“Alpha Kizziah, Alpha Saul,” Alpha Matthew greets the bastards. “Thank you for coming today. Please, have a seat?”

“Without wasting much time, let’s get down to business,” one of the elders says. “Clerk,” he calls the Council clerk appointed for this case.

The person stands at one end of the table, drawing all eyes to him as he reads the paper in his hands.

“Starting with Alpha Kizziah…” the same elder, who I presume is the head of the Council, starts. “I am Alpha Samuels of the Haven Pack and head of this Council. I will proceed with you because of the circumstances surrounding the said Miss Jessica,” he gives Kizziah a serious look. “Can you tell this table how she…” pointing to Jessica. “came to be a member of your pack?”

Kizziah takes deep breaths, twisting his head sideways, before slowly rising to his feet. “Thank you for your concern and interest in my pack member,” he points at Jessica.

Internally, I roll my eyes at his fake display.

“Her parents came to my pack seeking sanctuary, like I told the two elders at the table, who presided over the mating ceremony…almost completed before this alpha…” pointing to me.

“I will advise that you stay on point and not derail, Alpha Kizziah,” another one of the elders warns. “We asked you a specific question. Please, answer as truthfully as you can.”

“Sorry for derailing. I am only doing what any father would do if his son is suddenly cheated of his…”

“Last warning, Alpha!” Alpha Samuels growls.

He grits his teeth in annoyance, throwing an angry glare our way, making me smirk at him.

“Her parents came to me seeking sanctuary.”

“How old was she when her parents came to your pack?”

Kizziah takes his time, probably to arrange his lies well, putting the room in silence, save for the sound of the clerk typing on the computer.

“She was a child…six or seven…” he looks Jessica’s way. She hasn’t stopped glaring at him.

I just pray she isn’t thinking of harming him before the elders.

“That makes it how many years she has been in your pack?” De Santos asks.

“She’s twenty-one now, that makes it fourteen, fifteen years,” Kizziah replies, looking around the table.

“And you don’t know their names?”

“Jason and Sally Hoover,” he says, looking at Jessica again.

Her eyes soften at the mention of her supposed parents’ names. Her body relaxes slightly, hope filling her eyes.

But, I know Kizziah is lying.

“What pack were they from?” De Santos asks again.

“They never said. They wanted sanctuary because they were running from their alpha.”

“And you didn’t bother to find out from other packs or even report it to the Council?” Samuels asks, flicking his wrist, still serious. “I mean, that’s why we are here. To be made aware of situations like that.”

“They asked us not to do so for fear he would find out. At that point, what I felt was more important was giving them a place to stay and raise their beautiful daughter,” Kizziah defends himself.

“As much as I commend your action, it still doesn’t absolve you of your failure to report it to us. It wasn’t your duty to keep them safe as such,” a new elder speaks, leaning forward. “She is now with no knowledge of who her parents are or where they come from.”

De Santos leans forward too, stroking his chin and frowning. “I am curious about something I saw that day. Why was she getting mated to your son, and from the looks of it, she was being forced to do so?”

“No one was forcing her to do anything. She’s my son’s mate!”

“Mine!” Declan growls angrily, surging forward, and before I know it, I am out of my chair, glaring at the i***t, ready to tear his tongue out for calling Jessica his son’s mate.