Feeling Kieran’s arctic rage and seeing his muscles bunch and tense, I leapt into action. Ethan was much better at concealing his murderous appetite, maintaining a disinterested look on his face.
I pushed myself between the twins, stepping toward the open front door. Zack’s eyes tracked my movements like he expected me to bolt. I suppressed the irritation threatening to form on my face and gave him a disinterested look of my own. Men like Zack clearly had an inflated sense of self-worth, much like Sebastian.
“Come in, but make it quick,” I replied haughtily, crossing my arms over my chest.
I’m sure I wasn’t the most intimidating she-wolf, standing at least a foot and a half shorter than Zack. On the bright side, what I lacked in appearance, I made up for in power.
Zack’s face was hard, schooled in what I was sure was his threatening look. His emotions told the truth, and he couldn’t hide them from me. He wasn’t afraid; no, he was too arrogant for that. He was annoyed at the fact that he was here, irritated that the twins had stood up to him, and suspicious over my lack of concern.
I turned on my heel and walked through the living room, calling out to Zack. I was done treating this world as though it were shiny and new. I wouldn’t let these dominant males stomp me into the perfect submissive she-wolf. I dealt with Lauren and Darren of all people. If they taught me anything, it was not to take shit from people. Silver stirred within me happily, reminding me that I was a Luna, not some weak girl.
“You can also drop the tough guy act,” I shot a smirk in his direction. “My mates aren’t phased by it, and I’m sure as hell not either.”
I strolled into the kitchen and picked at some of the leftover breakfast the twins had made. Ethan, Kieran, and Zack entered the kitchen just a few seconds later. The twins seemed content on acting as bodyguards, standing in the most intimidating way possible on either side of my body.
Zack’s eyes darted around the cabin, as if he had never stepped into a place quite like this. It wasn’t anything strange, just a cabin fitted with more luxury than I was used to. Perhaps Zack was used to even more luxury than what this cabin had to offer.
Zack tilted his head, those bright eyes darting between the twins before settling on me. A flash of interest burned and fizzled so quickly within him that I nearly missed it. His angular nose wrinkled a bit, and his lips formed a thin line.
“Did you burn something, Sophia?”
“Somehow, I’m not surprised you assumed I cooked,” I snorted, refusing to let this cocky man bait me. The twins seemed to be in agreement, though I wasn’t sure how that much rage could fit inside Kieran’s form-though, I suppose that’s why his build is so large. “Also, have you even cooked a day in your life?”
“Why would I need to cook?” Zack replied with a cool voice, one of his perfect eyebrows lifting at me. The way he talked to me reminded me of Sebastian, like I was a child dancing through the world of adults, trying to make sense of things I knew nothing about. “I am a future Alpha. Others have the job to cook for me, so that I might spend my time on more important things.”
“Mm, I see. So, one of those more important things was hunting me down, for what?” I pressed, grabbing a piece of bacon and wrapping it in a pancake before chomping down. “I’d think a big, strong Alpha has better things to do.”
Zack’s irritation tasted like bitter apples and salt, but it gave me some insight I wouldn’t have had otherwise. He didn’t want to be here. Searching for some white wolf was beneath his status. Someone had forced him to be here, most likely his father.
“I get it now. You don’t want to be here.” I nodded, letting a sure-fire smile twitch onto my face. “Let me guess, you pissed Dad off and he sent you here, on an errand meant for foot soldiers.”
“Enough of that,” Zack replied smoothly, his azure eyes darkening to a shade of navy. He knew what he was looking for, and I could almost feel his eyes hone in on the smooth skin of my neck. “You are unmarked and have not been sworn into your pack as Luna.”
“Observant, but I will be marked tonight,” I countered. “As you can see, my mates already have my mark.”
“They do, but that does not change the uncompleted ceremony,” Zack pointed out. “You are not officially Luna of any pack. As your father and uncle have not yet relinquished their rights to their own packs, you are essentially just a she-wolf with an attitude problem. You will not be permitted to speak during the High Table meeting, not without a title or purpose.”
“You are Luna, Sophia. As your mates, we will not disrespect you by throwing this shithead out of the house. You’ll have many Alphas challenging you, trying to knock you down a peg. It’s not our job to step in on your behalf, no matter how much we want to. Unfortunately, we have about ten minutes before Kieran goes feral on him,” Ethan’s soothing voice ran through my mind, sharp with the edge of rage.
Ethan was right, both about me and Kieran. Kieran looked downright murderous, his fists clenched and jaw set tightly. His anger nearly dragged me in, like whips of ice wrapping around my ankles and wrists.
“I won’t be permitted to speak? At a meeting that has to do with my life?” I chuckled dryly, feeling the pressure of those angry and bitter emotions swirling around me. My fingers twitched, and I could nearly grab them, I could nearly fling them at Zack as I had during the battle. “A ceremony means nothing. If you think I was born anything other than a Luna, you are sorely mistaken.”
“Your disregard for our customs only shows me how in over your head you are,” Zack replied, looking down on me like I was a child in need of scolding. “Only Alphas and their Lunas are permitted to speak at meetings, unless they are a guest called forth.”
“I’m not disregarding any customs. This meeting has to do with my right to live, as if something like that is really up for debate,” I snapped, unable to keep Kieran’s anger at bay. It whipped through me like an ice storm, frosting over my insides until they ached. Kieran’s anger was endless, a pure emotion based on loyalty and love. It acted like a nuclear bomb within me, filling me with so much energy that I was sure I might burst. “I will speak at this meeting, and I will not request permission from a bunch of old-fashioned Alphas. You’ve gotten what you came for. Now, get the fuck out before my mates toss you on your pompous ass.”
That anger pulsed within me and lashed out at the nearest thing. Icy tendrils of mine and Kieran’s rage shot out toward Zack, and I watched in silence as they leapt for his face.
Those tendrils bounced against something clear and smooth, a bubble wrapped around Zack just a few inches from his skin. That bubble acted like a force field, making those tendrils of cold rage shatter. It shimmered once more before becoming translucent again, but I couldn’t mistake what I had seen. There was only one explanation, and it troubled me further.
“You have a white wolf protecting you,” I stated, sure that I was correct. “How come I can still feel your emotions? Why doesn’t your little force field protect you from that?”
“There are many variants of white wolf abilities; this is one of them,” Zack shrugged. “It protects from magical attacks, nothing more.”
“So, if I shatter your nose, it will not protect you?” Kieran mused, his eyes locked on the azure eyes and golden hair of his prey.
Zack ignored Kieran but did give him a scathing look.
“So, as long as their powers can be used by your pack, they have the right to live?” I scoffed, finally grasping what these High Table men were like. It wasn’t about whether I deserved to live, but whether I could be controlled and used by them. They couldn’t let an incredible weapon fall into their enemies’ hands, as if I weren’t a living person.
“I came here to observe and give you a piece of advice,” Zack snapped, visibly irritated by my words. He didn’t deny it, just as I knew he wouldn’t. Pompous ass he might be, but he hadn’t lied to me thus far. “I’m trying to convince my father that you can be useful, that you aren’t an uncontrollable she-wolf with the power to level our pack and the High Table. If you act like one, I cannot help you.”
“If your help turns me into something to be used, guarded, and feared, I don’t want it,” I retorted. “Did you or any of the other High Table members ever think that white wolves were created for a reason, and that reason was not to be controlled by those who fear us?”
Zack remained quiet for a few long moments, his eyes locked on my every move. When he finally spoke, his words left me more confused. “You’re going to change things, Sophia. Try not to die along the way,” he grunted, the one unrefined expression I actually saw from his face.
He stalked through the kitchen toward the front door, the three of us tailing him the entire way. Zack flung the door open and stepped outside but hesitated for a moment.
“I know you haven’t been able to find much on your abilities,” Zack commented, not sparing a glance at the twins. “Tell your people to search for ‘Soul Eaters,’ and pray to the goddess you are not one of them.”
As soon as Zack left and the sound of tires peeling down the pavement echoed, Ethan was on the phone with Williams and Sebastian. Soul Eater. That sounded even more comforting than an emotional leech. I wasn’t sure what to make of Zack Billford. He was self-assured, pompous, and clearly felt some sort of animosity toward his father. The little tip he gave us about Soul Eaters wasn’t exactly for our benefit. What would happen if I was a Soul Eater? I’m sure the chances of a bright future would dim under that revelation.
“Do you know Zack or something? You seemed like you were about to explode the entire time,” I asked, stepping into Kieran’s arms and smiling as his anger ebbed.
“Zack Billford is a spineless, insufferable prick who’s had a silver spoon in his mouth since the day he was born,” Kieran grunted, and I noticed he absentmindedly brushed his hand against one of the thicker scars on his bicep. “His father, Maverick, is even worse. At least Zack pretends to give a fuck about his pack; Maverick doesn’t bother with such formalities.”
“And the fact that he came here-” I began but was cut off when Kieran ran his thumb along my lower lip. His eyebrows were creased, but I felt only the smallest drop of worry coming from him.
“It isn’t a good sign,” Kieran replied. “You were right about what you said earlier. Maverick sent Zack here, though I’m not sure why. He usually likes to keep his property at his side, especially his prodigal son. Zack must’ve done something to really piss him off, or maybe he couldn’t trust anyone else with this.”
“Williams and Sebastian are pulling some of their sources, but it’s going to be a bit difficult,” Ethan frowned, setting his phone down on the coffee table. “We need the information, but they can’t stir the water too much. The last thing we need is to tell the world we have a white wolf with rare and very dangerous abilities.”
“This whole Soul Eater thing-it can’t be true, right? I’m not the nicest person ever, but to eat someone’s soul? I couldn’t do that.” I shook my head, trying to convince myself, but countless possibilities ran through my mind. I did say I would be willing to do anything to keep Ethan and Kieran safe… but did that include stealing someone’s soul?
The twins were quiet for a moment, as though they could sense my internal debate. Once their mark sat on my skin, they’d be able to sense how truly tormented I was by this. The twins shared a look that had me curious, and Ethan turned to me with a gentle smile on his face.
“Power isn’t something to be afraid of; it’s something to respect and use when needed. That’s the thing someone like Maverick Billford doesn’t understand. He sees power and wants it, all of it. He doesn’t respect it and uses it to hurt others,” Ethan sighed, cupping my face with a calloused hand.
“No matter how far your abilities progress, you should learn how to use them to their fullest,” Kieran chimed in, standing on the opposite side of me. “You don’t have to lord your power over others; instead, use it to protect your family and pack.”