Claimed by the Vengeful Alpha

Chapter 92: Safe or Unsafe?

Keenan’s gaze was pulled to the door as soon as it opened. He knew instantly that she was walking into the meeting room even before he saw her.

Her shoulders stood high as she walked in with gloved hands carefully placed in front of her. Her eyes nervously glanced around the room before she settled on him.

It was hard to explain the sensation he felt as their eyes met, but it was similar to anemia as his blood pooled downward. He ground his jaw, hearing the sound of teeth grinding against each other.

He wasn’t some teenager going through puberty. It didn’t matter if last night was his first time; it was no reason to have such a strong reaction just by looking at her.

As soon as their eyes met, her eyes briefly showed surprise before she looked away instantly. However, despite not looking at him, she still walked to his side of the table.

He could already smell her even before she was close enough, but as she came closer, he could pick up traces of himself. He ignored the feeling it elicited and by the look Claude sent him, the Alpha also noticed. This was his fault. If he hadn’t covered her with his scent...

Keenan tore his gaze away from her as he tried to compose himself. It was hard enough to keep his thoughts at bay, but now his imagination was getting out of hand.

He looked across the table to where Vilhelm was seated. He had expected her to walk to her father, who was staring in this direction with a dumbfounded look.

He had not given her enough of a heads-up to get word to her father. If Vilhelm had not been aware he was going to make it to the meeting, he was sure the High Alpha was in more shock to see his daughter.

The old man had glared at him all through breakfast, and while he didn’t say anything about his presence, he didn’t seem ready to hold his tongue now that his daughter appeared.

"Daughter," Vilhelm called softly as she sat down.

Maya stiffened, and an equally stiff smile hung on her lips. Keenan didn’t like that he noticed. His hands formed fists beside him as he forced himself to concentrate on the meeting.

"Father," Maya bent her head slightly as she spoke.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a frown.

"That’s the same thing I asked Father," Maelle spoke. "She has no reason to be here."

Vilhelm’s eye twitched; he didn’t look pleased that Maelle had interrupted. Furthermore, her interruption stopped Maya from speaking.

"Dragging my daughter around, Keenan. Have you no regard?"

"Did you call us for your family meeting, High Alpha Vilhelm?" Alpha Mason interrupted.

Alpha Mason’s territory was Nordhaven. He shared boundaries with the High Alpha and Alpha Claude. Like Vilhelm, he had been against Keenan becoming an Alpha.

Vilhelm shot him a glare. "If I did?" He asked.

Mason sighed and moved his gaze toward the Alpha King. "Surely, I don’t need to be here for this, Your Eminence. As we have found, my input is irrelevant."

Mason was in his early forties with well-groomed ginger hair that fell against his shoulders. His eyebrows were plucked and trimmed, and a single earring dangled from his left ear.

"You’re an Alpha of the Kingdom, Alpha Mason. You are not allowed to leave," Vaughn replied.

Mason sighed loudly and skimmed the table before his gaze rested on Claude. He shrugged and mumbled, "Whatever."

His beta, who was half his age and had a scarf wrapped tightly around his head, glanced at his Alpha with concern, but Mason didn’t look in his direction.

"Well then, carry on," Mason impatiently urged.

Vilhelm narrowed his eyes at Mason. They weren’t at odds, but the Alpha’s laziness, impatience, and disinterest rubbed him the wrong way.

"The Mad Witch hasn’t made any strange moves," Claude began. "It’s been over seven months since the war ended, and I don’t think we have any reason to be concerned. The spies I have sent have returned unharmed."

"That’s not enough reason," Vilhelm blurted. "She started and restarted the war however she pleased. Don’t expect her not to have any plans to return for more."

"Perhaps," Claude said. "But for now, there is no reason to believe there are any plans for more war. The battles took their toll on all of us. It’s enough fighting."

His father’s death was a major reason for the war, and it was odd that he would say this, but he had ripped out more than enough necks of the Mad Witch’s people to be satisfied. The war had gone on for so long that he forgot it was for revenge.

"It’s not. We should never have allowed her to withdraw. We should have pursued while we had the upper hand. Leaving you in charge of the war was a mistake."

Claude’s eyes blazed. His father would still be alive today if he hadn’t listened to the High Alpha, and there would be no war. However, as soon as the anger rose, it died down. Getting riled by Vilhelm was a waste of emotions.

"Perhaps," Claude said with a shrug. "But I don’t see you doing any better in your fancy castle, High Alpha. Did you ever visit the battlefield? Did you even go past the capital?"

"I sent you more than enough men, and what did you do with—"

"Enough!" Vaughn’s voice loudly called. "Is that all you called this meeting for, Vilhelm?"

He shot his brother a dark look as the Alpha King addressed him by his name. "No, Alpha King Vaughn," he dragged his brother’s name more than he needed to.

"Then what is the purpose of this?" Vaughn asked. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Verlassen is unsafe," he blurted. "With a direct route to the Mad Witch’s kingdom, it is the first territory that will be hit when the Mad Witch decides to retaliate."

The Alphas stared at him, dumbfounded. "You sound pretty sure that she will," Claude finally broke the silence.

"I am not, but don’t you think it’s a little odd that the war ended when he joined?" He sent a death stare toward Keenan. "Two decades we have fought, and barely six months after he joined the war, he ended it."

Alpha Keenan returned the High Alpha’s stare without flinching. "I did no differently than my brothers in arms. Our collective efforts brought an end to the war."

Vilhelm scoffed. "You say that, but I don’t see anyone else getting the title of an Alpha or picking any woman they want as their bride."

"Are you accusing me of something?" Keenan sat upright in his chair as his gaze darkened.

Vilhelm hit his cane on the ground, and despite the fact that his anger was more directed at her, Maya flinched.

"Do you perhaps think you can go against me?" Vilhelm asked in disbelief. "The Alpha King’s favor must have gotten to your head. Remember, you’re nothing more than vermin that I didn’t kill."

"You—"

"High Alpha," Vaughn cut in. "You will speak to Alpha Keenan with respect. Your anger changes nothing. He has broken no laws, and you let your daughter leave your territory by your own free will."

"I did no such thing. You forced my hand."

"Father," Maelle cried.

Vilhelm turned to look at her, and Maelle shrank in her seat. Her lower lip quivered, and she bit the corner to settle herself.

"Verlassen is unsafe for her," Vilhelm repeated.

"If this is about the Mad Witch attacking," Claude replied with an exhausted expression, "as I have explained, you have no reason to worry. Why wouldn’t she be safe in Verlassen?"

Vilhelm stared at the Alpha with a dark look in his eyes. His father had been easier to handle. He found Claude to be a nuisance. If it weren’t for him, Keenan wouldn’t have gained any of the power he recently had.

"Answer the question, High Alpha Vilhelm," Vaughn spoke when his brother didn’t reply. "The war is over, isn’t it?"

Vilhelm made a fist as he looked in his brother’s direction, but he didn’t speak; he just held the King’s stare.

"Perhaps I should ask her directly?" Vaughn asked.

Maya’s eyes widened as all attention turned to her at the table. Her chest felt tight, and it was hard to draw in any air. She kept her gaze locked on the table as cold sweat made her fingers sticky.

"Lady Keenan," Vaughn called.

"Yes," she responded as she looked up at the Alpha King, not missing the look her father sent in her direction.

"Do you feel unsafe in Verlassen? Do you want to dissolve your marriage?"

Her eyes bulged. She had anticipated the unsafe question, and that was easier to answer, but the Alpha King was also asking her—and likely giving her an opportunity to opt out of the marriage.

Maya tasted bile. None of the people had looked away, but she was more aware of the pair of eyes right next to her that was obviously waiting for her response.