The Alpha’s Dark Heritage

Chapter 5

***Nina***

My mate tensed at Ryan's words, and I couldn't help but stare at him, trying to understand why this situation might be problematic. Before I could voice my concern, Mateo turned to Ryan with determination. "Take Nina to my room. No one is to know she is here." Ryan sighed heavily at his Alpha's command.

"Mateo, they already saw you drive up and open the door for her. Your mother linked me to warn you of their presence because Sam is with them," Ryan explained, and I could see Mateo's fists balling up at his sides.

"Very well, she'll come with me." Mateo grabbed my hand, leading me up the stairs to the pack house.

“Mateo, what's wrong? Why do you want to hide me from the council? They already know I'm the King of Coven's younger sister,” I asked as we stepped through the threshold.

Mateo stopped and turned to face me. “They don’t know we are mates, remember? They can’t know, not a thing. I’m sure you’re aware of the mating law the council has enforced for a long time.” I nodded, recalling my grandmother's admonitions about that very law. “Your people are now part of the council again, which means the law applies to you more than ever. We can’t let them suspect anything, or there will be dire consequences. I can’t risk anyone harming you.” My chest tightened, and I nodded in understanding.

“So what do we tell them? If they saw us get out of the car together, they’ll probably wonder why I’m here without my brother, who should be attending the meeting too,” I said, my mind racing for a quick plan.

“First of all, we are study buddies.” He winked at me, I blushed at his actions. “Secondly, Sam checked in with your brother; he’s on his way. I have a plan,” Mateo replied, confidence returning to his voice. “The story is that you’re here to examine my grandfather, and that you and Isaac will be working to wake him from his coma. You’re also here to attend the meeting with Asher. He’ll get the picture when he arrives.” He turned and ascended the next flight of stairs.

I inhaled deeply, grappling with the nerves that bubbled up at the thought of lying to the council. Well, it was the truth—just not the real reason I was here today. We paused in front of two large doors, and Mateo faced me once more.

“We can’t hold hands in front of them,” he said, stepping in front of me to create distance. “No affection or longing; we can’t let them know. They may suspect something after what happened when we met with your brother two weeks ago.” He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Nina.”

“I understand,” I whispered, my heart swelling. “I love you too,” I added hastily before he stepped back and opened the doors to the meeting room.

The second the doors swung wide, all eyes turned toward us. I fought to keep my expression neutral, suppressing the nervousness bubbling within me. I couldn’t allow any sweat to betray my anxiety; everyone in this room could sense my emotions if I let them slip. I focused on my grandmother's lessons: don't reveal your true emotions, or your opponents will use them against you.

“Alpha Mateo.” An elderly man I recognized as one of the werewolf elders stood, addressing Mateo with an air of authority. “We apologize for the unexpected meeting, but it’s essential that all members gather. Now that the King of Covens is officially part of the council again, we couldn’t reach you directly. So we opted to meet you here. The King of Covens has been informed,” he continued, glancing in my direction.

Mateo strode to the front of the room, taking his place at the head of the table. I caught a glimpse of Sam at the far end, seated next to a woman who looked strikingly similar to Mateo. His mother, I realized, and she smiled warmly at me.

“For those who don’t know, this is Princess Nina, King Asher’s younger sister,” Mateo introduced me, and I felt the room shift as recognition dawned on their faces.

“Yes, the one who sensed the demon that almost got us,” a pale-looking man chimed in. When he smiled, I noticed fangs glimmering in his mouth.

Before I could react, he appeared before me in the blink of an eye. Right, he's a vampire.

“I see her in you,” he declared, raising an eyebrow as he examined my features. “Queen Alice! You’ve inherited some of her traits. You even smell like her,” he added, referring to my grandmother who was no longer here. “I’m King Emmet. I met your grandmother when she visited my castle during her tour as the new Queen of Covens.” He extended a hand toward me, and I instinctively reached for it, expecting a handshake.

Instead, he bowed slightly, placing a kiss on my hand. My eyes widened in surprise, and I immediately sensed Mateo's jealousy radiating from him.

“I’m old school,” King Emmet said with a wink, and just like that, he was back in his seat before I could blink.

I stole a glance at Mateo, who had mastered his expression. He looked calm, but I could feel the jealousy simmering underneath. From what I had gleaned through my grandmother's teachings, wolf mates were incredibly possessive of their partners, especially when it came to other men touching them.

As the council members rose from their seats along with their Kings and Queens, each introduced themselves to me, warmly welcoming me.

“Alright, we can now get started,” Mateo said, his tone shifting to something I had never heard from him before.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and I quickly joined Sam at the table, who greeted me with a friendly smile. Just as we were about to begin, the doors swung open once more.