Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance-Chapter 111: DISCUSSION (IV)

The room was deathly silent, Serena looked up to the fuming man, this was the first time that she had ever seen him this angry. To be fair, their interactions were very limited, but lately he had controlled himself. Now his jaw was clenched so tightly a vein had begun to pulse at his temple. Serena pressed her lips into a thin line. Was seeing her sit at the council table like a member enough to shake him this badly?

From the corner of her eye, Serena stole a glance at Darius. He did not look pleased. The paper in his hand was creased into his palm, crumpling further with each breath he took.

The room’s energy had divided; General Silas seemed vaguely amused, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. Elder Julian’s expression barely shifted, as if a breeze had merely nudged a leaf into the chamber. Elder Iris stared straight ahead, her face carved from stone, unwilling to react to Ryker’s outburst.

Elder Evelyn shook her head in a disappointed manner, Elder Cedar sighed loudly and placed his hand on his chin. Serena could not pinpoint what sort of face Livia made.

The rattling of the bangles on the Moonseeker’s wrist drew Serena’s attention from observing everyone in the room. The priestess smiled and shook her head.

"You are much too much of a brute, Ryker," the woman began, her double-layered voice commanding the space.

"Why are we not listening?" Ryker said through gritted teeth, his voice strained and trembling with restrained rage. "Surely you, as our anchor, have not gone mad?"

"Ryker!"

All heads turned to see the angry old woman glaring at Ryker. "What is the meaning of this? Have we gotten so close to the priestess that we address her like a subordinate?"

Ryker relaxed and he looked down, almost remorseful before he shook his head. "Please accept my apologies."

The priestess merely blinked.

"But please, listen to my reasoning," Ryker said, his voice had taken a more persuasive tone.

Serena could do nothing but watch this unfold, would this morph into some sort of trial where her fate would become worse? The blonde woman chewed on her lip absentmindedly, everyone was quiet so they could listen to Ryker talk about the need to throw her out of Ironshade.

"This is a rogue. Have we forgotten our history? Need I remind everyone in this room of what we have gotten through for centuries? When our ancestors broke away from the first pack and we had our own killed off by stragglers."

"That was centuries ago as you have said," Elder Cedar butted in. freewēbnoveℓ.com

"Elder Cedar you disappoint me," Ryker said. "You of all people know how hard we worked day and night to repair the damage done to us by rogue skirmishes. General, what is the report?"

Silas cleared his throat and pulled himself closer to the table. "In the last encounter, which was an ambush and a blunder on my part, we lost seventeen wolves."

Silence filled the room once more again. Ryker tapped a finger on the table. "Can you see? And we let one of them in with open arms, as far as letting it sit with us at the table where important matters are discussed."

Serena looked down and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew she had no place to counter the man, his argument was logical. But was it so much hate that filled his heart that allowed him to refer to her as ’it’?

"We all are victims," he continued and then turned to Livia. "You of all people would know best, you saw it happen, how those devils tore apart your parents, how-"

"Enough, just stop," Serena said.

She turned to glare at Ryker and rose up, she turned her neck to look down at him and shook her head.

"What is the point of all of this? Livia does not deserve for her parents to be brought up as a cheap argument. It could not be all they are worth for..." Serena trailed off.

Her heart beat fast but not from fear, no. It was from the anger that coursed in her veins, it was fine to secretly hate her but this man was insulting her in public and now had brought up someone’s pain to get back at her. It was not fair.

"I-" Serena struggled for words. What was she to say now? If she were to defend herself, it would not hold strong against the man’s arguments. She was considered a rogue and that stain would not go away.

"I am Serena Evers," she said, louder now. "I am not an ’it.’ I sit on this council because I was invited. Acting the way you are is not only cruel...it undermines the intelligence of your Alpha and everyone present in this room."

Serena caught the subtle bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed hard. She didn’t need to claim she was different from the others who had attacked Ironshade. She was, but that didn’t matter. Ryker wasn’t arguing facts, he was appealing to emotion and stoking old wounds.

"Do you think we are foolish, Ryker?"

Serena stilled from the cool voice that spoke, it was unexpected. It belonged to Elder Iris. Serena looked at the slender woman who had finally acknowledged the stout man.

"No, I do not," came Ryker’s swift reply.

"Why would a rogue have to correct you so like this? This meeting is not a gathering of simple-minded wolves, so act accordingly." Elder Iris did not mince her words as she spoke, Ryker’s brows furrowed but he said nothing more. "Look how you have hijacked the stage from our priestess."

Both Serena and Ryker looked at the Moonseeker, who had a neutral face. Serena could almost swear she looked amused.

"You have always been a passionate one, since you could walk, Ryker," the priestess began.

Serena let herself sit back down, her legs trembling slightly as the adrenaline eased. She exhaled slowly, the breath catching faintly in her throat. When she glanced at Darius, she found his gaze not on her, but off to the right, fixed on Livia.

Serena pressed her lips in a thin line, the damage had already been done. What bothered her was how Darius acted like he was shackled tightly that he could not do anything.

"But you have truly insulted me," the priestess said.