Chapter 15 – Game of Thrones
1078 Words
Norton
I stormed into my mother’s room, feeling the weight of frustration pressing down on me. Lucille was sitting in her favorite chair, calmly sipping tea, her eyes lifting to meet mine as I entered. She raised an eyebrow, already sensing my irritation.
"I spoke to my spy," I began, my voice tight. "But there’s still no sign of Alpha Jake’s body, and he hasn’t figured out who ordered the hit either."
Lucille sighed, setting her cup down with deliberate care. "It’s troubling," she said, her voice measured, as if she were considering each word carefully.
"But we must remain vigilant, Norton. Whoever orchestrated this is clearly aiming to become the next Alpha. With the ghost bride already in place, the voting will soon begin, and everyone will be vying for power." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "And don't think for a moment they won't come after us, too. Whoever is responsible could see us as a threat."
I nodded, the tension still simmering under my skin. The situation was becoming more dangerous by the hour, and I didn’t like how unpredictable everything felt. But before I could respond, the door slammed open, and Ayla stormed in, her face flushed with fury, arms crossed over her chest.
Lucille’s face hardened immediately. She straightened in her chair, fixing Ayla with a sharp glare. "What is it, Ayla? You didn’t even bother to knock. Where are your manners?" Her tone was laced with irritation, clearly not appreciating the interruption.
Ayla threw herself into the chair by the window, scowling. "Mom, that useless ghost bride, Megan, had the nerve to interfere when I was disciplining the servant, Lara," she spat out, her voice brimming with anger. "Lara dared to talk back, saying I was only adopted and accusing me of trying to seduce Alpha Jake. I was going to slap her, but that stupid human Megan stepped in and took the slap instead. She deserved it!"
I froze, feeling the blood drain from my face. Megan? Ayla slap Megan?
My hands curled into fists as I glared at Ayla, who seemed oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. "Did you hurt her?" I growled, the words slipping through clenched teeth.
I wasn’t sure why the thought of Megan being harmed sent such a fierce wave of protectiveness through me, but I couldn’t control it.
Ayla blinked, taken aback by the venom in my voice, then smirked mockingly. "I didn’t mean to," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But if she’s stupid enough to get in the way, that’s on her, isn’t it? She took the hit meant for Lara, and frankly, it serves her right."
I stepped forward, the fury inside me threatening to boil over. "You never, ever lay a hand on her again," I snapped, my voice low and dangerous. The room seemed to freeze as the words hung in the air, and Ayla’s smirk faltered.
Lucille raised an eyebrow, finally looking at me with some concern. "Why do you care so much about that human, Norton?" she asked, her sharp gaze piercing through me. "She’s just a weak little thing, nothing more. Powerless. Insignificant."
Ayla, stoke the flames, leaned forward with a grin that made my skin crawl. "Oh, is that it? Do you care for her, Norton? Do you have feelings for the ghost bride?" Her voice was taunting, laced with amusement. "She’s nothing. Poor as a rat. What would you even do with her? Think she could handle being part of the pack? Maybe I should bite her, see if she breaks like the fragile little human she is."
I saw red.
Before I realized what I was doing, I lunged at Ayla, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the chair. Her eyes went wide with shock, fear quickly replacing her arrogance.
My grip tightened as my wolf surged forward, my vision blurring. I could feel the anger burning inside me, hot and relentless, my control slipping as my eyes flashed with rage.
"Don’t you dare," I hissed, my voice barely more than a growl. "Don’t you ever touch Megan again. If you do, I’ll make sure you regret it. Do you understand?"
Ayla’s hands clawed at mine, her face pale as she gasped for air. Lucille stood up, shock etched on her face, but she didn’t interfere. She knew better than to come between me and my fury.
I threw Ayla to the floor, watching as she scrambled back, her eyes wide with terror. She had never seen me like this, and I intended to make sure she wouldn’t forget it.
"Don’t push me, Ayla," I warned, my voice trembling with the effort to keep my wolf in check. "You don’t want to see what happens if you do."
Ayla nodded frantically, her throat raw from where my hand had been. "I’m sorry," she stammered, her earlier confidence shattered. "I swear I won’t touch her again."
I turned away from her, trying to calm the storm inside me. My body still ached with the tension, the anger refusing to fully subside. I could feel Lucille’s eyes on me, studying me, calculating.
"What’s gotten into you?" she asked quietly, though her words were laced with suspicion. "You’re acting like you actually care for that girl. Why?"
I shook my head, refusing to meet her gaze. "I don’t care about Megan," I lied, my voice hard and emotionless. "But we need her for now. She’s important for the pack’s future. Nothing more."
Lucille didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she sat back down, crossing her legs and composing herself. "We need to stay focused," she said, her voice firm again. "I’ll speak to the elders and ensure the voting goes in our favor, for us to be safe, or else, they could vote the one who kill Alpha Jake. They could also target us as we are relative of Alpha Jake."
I forced a nod, though the weight of my earlier outburst still hung heavily in the room. "Good," I muttered. "Make sure it happens fast."
Ayla, still on the floor, cautiously got to her feet. She avoided my gaze entirely, her hands trembling as she rubbed her throat. "I won’t cause any more trouble," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I swear."
The door creaked open behind me, and before I could turn around, a chilling voice echoed through the room.
"Swearing won’t save you, Ayla."
Everything went still.
- Writer
