The men around the table all stared at me with scrutiny, apart from Asra and Bohdi, who watched me with impassive expressions.

I crossed my arms, leaning back in the chair. My eyes wandered until they settled on Augustus at the opposing end. His lips pursed, eyes narrowed as he stared down at me.

"We took over because you humans were destroying the planet."

"Oh, and killing us was the right way?" I scoffed.

"Your kind fought; it was a war. Death happens."

"Well, how would you feel if creatures of the night came out of nowhere and started pillaging villages and killing your family? You're terrified every night that the beasts may come back and finish the job and you have nothing to defend yourself with because you know, deep down, that you are the weaker species. No weapons can stop the beasts, because you don't know what they are or where they came from. You are defenceless." I glared. "How would you feel? Honestly?"

His tongue came out to lick his lips, and he glanced toward my mate.

I gritted my teeth. "Don't get him involved in this. We are talking."

Eyes snapped toward me, and he sighed, raising his hands. "Okay, fine. I wouldn't be impressed."

"Right, good. Unimpressed is a start." I nodded, crossing my arms. "So then, what do you do? You retaliate in any way you can, and finally you realise that silver weakens the enemy. But by the time you discover that, it's too late and half of your entire world is dead. You'd be frustrated and in mourning, right?"

He shrugged and nodded quietly, watching me with interest, so I continued with my history lesson.

"Then, forced to surrender because your numbers are few, you submit to the enemy." I clicked my tongue, shaking my head with disapproval. "But they won't let you go so easy. They force you to sign a treaty, to make an agreement because they discovered something but won't tell you. Remember, these creatures came out of nowhere and killed nearly everybody on the planet, so this is the only thing keeping you alive. But you don't know what it is."

I continued, words tumbling from my lips without a filter. I knew I would probably regret half of the crap I was saying, but for now, they were shutting up and listening.

"So to avoid any more bloodshed, you sign it. Then they group you into different uses, restrict you to small districts where they force you to work for them, for a few pieces of stupid metal that don't even cover the rent they expect you to pay." My voice was stern, unwavering, and the alpha merely blinked. "Families are broken, towns torn apart. Everything you have created is destroyed. Every home, every memory... People's parents, siblings, children. Forced apart, killed, taken and never seen again... But why? Then, every year, the wolves come back, and they tear apart the villages, seeing if any of the humans are worthy of their time."

I avoided looking toward Bodhi, all too aware of his family's death during the war.

I laced my voice with hatred, and I noticed Augustus' nose twitch with the smallest of a flinch. His eyes dropped, staring at the table, deep in thought. I inhaled deeply before simmering all of my frustration with a sigh. My hand ran through the random wisps of fallen hair, smoothing them down my head to pass a moment of time.

"You make a very emotional point."

My once calm spirit flared up like a nasty rash. My eyes darted toward David, chest burning with hatred.

"I'm sorry, emotional? You are saying I am emotional when I was just teaching you history?" I laughed, loudly. "Coming from the man who cannot hold his own temper and constantly wears his emotions on his sleeve."

He glared at me, and I laughed, pointing at his face.

"There it is again!"

A growl sounded from his chest. "You are forever below me, human."

Well, fuck you too.

"You really think so? Because you have what? A bigger dick than me?" I rolled my eyes. "The one on your head doesn't count, you know."

"Why you little bi-

"Enough!" Asra smacked his hand on the table. "You will treat my luna with respect. She is of equal status to everybody here."

Oh, Asra...

"Luna's don't have equal titles." David grunted, sliding his greasy gaze back to me. "Female humans especially."

My eyes narrowed on his. "You wouldn't even have life if it wasn't for a woman."

"Is that all you have?" He snorted. "Bringing my mother into this won't win you this argument. She ruled beneath my father, like everyone else."

Oh, someone was touchy about his mummy issues.

I cocked my head. "Has your small, insignificant heart healed from the loss?"

Nostrils flaring, he growled. "Her death is none of your concern."

"It's rather obvious." I rolled my eyes. "You cannot handle the guilt and loss of the woman that you treated like shit, just like his father did. Am I right?"

"Enough!"

Both our heads snapped toward Augustus, David's lips pursing as he sat back in his chair. I blinked, unaffected, and met the alpha's gaze head on. His eyes narrowed in on me, jaw working as he chewed on his thoughts.

"Ailia, you made valid points." He began, and I cut him off.

"I know," I nodded.

His hesitation was one of irritation, but I let him continue.

"As a kind, we do not look back at our past." He stated again and sighed when my eyes narrowed. "We do not condone the terrible measures our parents took, however, it was what was necessary."

"Okay, so next time when someone more powerful comes and tries to destroy you, I will merely look the other way, the same way you are right now. It's what's necessary, right?" I cocked my head. "I'll stand on the sidelines as, say, the vampires or the witches destroy your packs. Kill your children and rape your women."

His eyes narrowed. Women and pups were a sore spot, I learnt, and speaking so ill of them got any alpha male riled up.

"Ailia..." Asra mumbled.

My eyes darted to him, narrowing. "Don't Ailia me."

"Calm your mate, Asra." One of the nameless alphas grunted.

Didn't realise they could speak, I figured they were just side pieces.

"And you are?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Alpha Conrad." He nodded his head. "Steel pack."

"Steel pack?" I questioned, and he nodded.

I hummed, flickering my eyes over him to note him in my brain storage. Dark smooth skin, and a well-kept beard with long braids that were skin tight to his head. His arms, much like my mate, were covered in dark ink, swirling amongst the richness of his skin before disappearing beneath his unbuttoned shirt.

I felt Asra's frustration through the bond and respectfully dropped my eyes from Conrad's hazel ones.

"Pleasure to meet you," I nodded.

His lips curled, a handsome smile lifting his cheeks. "Pleasure is all mine, Ailia."

Asra growled, and Conrad's eyes flickered to my mate. He chuckled softly, dropping his eyes and baring his neck to show the dark pink of his mate mark. Asra grumbled, narrowing his eyes as a warning. I could roll my eyes at his overprotective nature, but kept my face impassive.

"Anyway, I will not calm, Conrad."

"Alpha Conrad, human." David growled.

"Shut up." I glared.

Why was he even here?

His head reared, offended, but I barely even looked his way, my eyes falling to the man opposite him. He was just a fuzzy blur in the corner of my eye; irrelevant. Conrad's lips quirked, and I noticed Piper's father sitting silently to his side. His eyes softened when we made eye contact, but the elder male remained quiet. I wondered if he was even paying attention to any of this meeting.

"And why not?" Conrad asked.

"Because I won't stop until a change can happen." I shrugged. "I didn't expect to come in here today, to tell you how it is, but here I am. Unprepared, but ready to prove to you why humans deserve more."

His chin lifted, fingers running through the curls of his beard. I tried to hide the disgust on my face; I've never been a fan of long beards. They remind me of pubic hair, but on your face. You wouldn't weave your fingers through your pubes in public, would you?

"Very well," Conrad shrugged.

"Very well?" David scoffed, and Augustus shut him down with a growl.

"Enough bickering!" He snapped. "We shall let Ailia speak."

"It's Luna, thanks." I smirked, and Augustus grunted.

I heard Asra sigh as he leaned forward in his chair. My head turned, looking at my mate beside me with curious eyes. His hands fell onto the table, knitted together. I licked my lips, ready to reciprocate at whatever he was about to say.

"My mate has various concerns about human welfare." He began, not meeting my eyes. "Over the past few weeks, Ailia has made various comments about changes that not only do the humans need, but what they deserve."

"She has?" Bodhi hummed. "So soon into being a luna?"

"Yes." Asra nodded.

"What can I say? I'm prepared." I smiled and Bodhi's eyes lightened with humour.

Asra's spine straightened as he continued. "We as alphas need to look at how we handle our numbers and see where we can improve their lifestyle."

"Lifestyle?" Augustus wondered.

"I'm sure she can tell you better than I." Asra nodded toward me and I grinned.

"Well, if this is where the meeting is going to go, I am happy to lead it there."

"A woman, taking over an alpha meeting..." David sighed. "What has this world come to?"

"This world can be a better place if you just shut up when someone is trying to tell you something." I snapped, baring my teeth.

His nostrils flared, but he actually shut up. His lips remained glued together, body tense in his chair. The quiet, and otherwise half asleep man beside him, even jerked, blinking back to the present. I observed him curiously, wondering why the fuck he has been so quiet. Even Conrad has spoken by now.

"Curious." Bodhi spoke.

An ominous statement if I ever heard one.

My eyes darted to him, and I loosened the tension in my bones. "Anyway-

"Tell me, Ailia Zenith, who are your parents?"

My words died on my tongue, and I looked to Bodhi with wide eyes. Muscles taught, my mouth snapped shut as I fought to keep down the anxiety that suddenly coursed through me.

Why was he asking me that?

"What?"

He didn't seem bothered by my bluntness, the old man raising from his chair. I watched him quietly as he came closer and stood beside me. My eyes only seemed to widen, my heart hammering in my chest as he stared me down. Why did I suddenly feel so uneasy? Why was this man getting into my personal space?

"Your parents. They were human?"

Swallowing harshly, I held the man's intense gaze. "Y-yes, why?"

He squatted, and I winced as his bones clicked and popped with the movement. "Are you certain?"

"I am."

His nostrils flared as he scrutinised me, his eyes settling on my hair way too many times. "You don't smell human."

"I'm aware."

"So, you know you are not human?" He rose an eyebrow.

"What are you asking me, here Alpha?" I narrowed my eyes.

"A human does not growl."

"We can," I defended.

"But not with meaning." He smiled softly, like I was a child. "A human growl does not convey meaning. It is like a baby cat hissing at a tiger. Nobody cares."

My face scrunched up, my favourite word dancing on my tongue. "Rude."

His lips quirked. "A human cannot hold an alpha's gaze so easily."

I frowned. "That's because your kind is so ugly."

"Is it?" He hummed. "And the way you can command an alpha to shut up? That's just a human thing, is it?"

I licked my lips, nervously dropping my eyes to meet Asra's. He was tense, staring intensely at the alpha, who was so close to me. I knew with one wrong move from Bodhi, Asra would jump from his seat and get me out of here. His eyes were dark, no longer the pretty sky, and his veins bulged in his arms.

Looking back to Bodhi, I cleared my throat.

"This is a silly little conversation, isn't it?" I blinked.

"Has there ever been anyone in your life who you felt close to? Indebted to?" He asked.

My heart sank, my words softer. "Nobody."

"Nobody?" His eyebrows scrunched. "Surely there is someone in your life who you found yourself bonded to."

"There was no-one, I can reassure you." I whispered.

Asra's chest vibrated with a growl. "Bodhi, you are upsetting my mate."

Bodhi ignored him, his wise eyes focused on my face. "Not even your parents?"

"My mother was not kind. They killed my father when I was young."

"Killed?" His eyebrows rose.

"Wolves." I glared at the table. "He went out with his friends and it was a massacre."

"So, you say," He hummed. "Were they the only people killed that day? What happened before those days? Anything before your father passed?"

Growing irritated now, I lifted my jaw and met his eyes again. I wasn't happy with his personal questions, especially in front of so many people. Those parts of me I kept locked deep inside of myself, and only let Asra have the key.

"I am not answering your ridiculous questions." I shook my head.

"You say your mother disliked you? Did she grieve the loss of your father?"

"Stop it," I glared.

"I just want to learn about these strange quirks you appear to have." His eyes brightened. "Are you aware that red hair is a dying genetic defect? Rarely anybody has it anymore. We wiped out a lot of redhead lines during the great war."

"What has my hair got to do with this conversation?" I snapped.

"I am just wondering about your life, Ailia, so I can see more into your reasonings."

"You make no sense." I grunted. "And frankly, you are too close to me."

"Do I intimidate you, Ailia?"

"No," I shook my head. "I just like my personal space."

"You only have to give you mate one look and he will be right here to save you."

"I don't need saving." I tutted.

"Then tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Who was your father? Your mother?" His fingers curled into the arm of my chair. "What is your full name? Where and when were you born? Do you look like your father? Do you remember him well?"

"It's nothing to do with you."

"Tell me!" He shouted, glaring holes into my eyes.

Recoiling as though he had scorned me, I retaliated.

"No!" I shouted, my jaw snapping shut.

Within an instant, his face dropped to one of disinterest. A perfect poker face calmed the raging seas, and it left me breathless and confused. Bodhi rose to his feet with a soft grunt before brushing off the dirt from his knees.

Meeting Asra's eyes for reassurance, he stared at me with such a choking intensity. My heart was racing in my chest, but Bodhi left me more confused than anything else.

"I see," Bodhi said before he walked back to his chair.

"See? See what exactly?" Asra spat.

"Miss Zenith," Bodhi sat down. "I believe you have been bewitched."

****

Question of the Day:
It's March!! Anything exciting planned?
I'm going to 2 concerts this month!!

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