Teya, the other female Beta, was tall—even taller than I was, I thought, which put her somewhere over six feet. She had silky-smooth natural platinum hair, something I could tell since her brows were almost the same shade. Her eyes were the color of molten gold, which, combined with her pearly-white skin and slightly pointed ears, made her look like an elf. She also held herself with an air of dignity that seemed to add to the overall effect.
Seeing these two ethereally beautiful women made me feel so self-conscious, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I sneaked a glance at Lucien.
He was smiling, his eyes on one of the Betas before him. The two female Betas were sitting right where his gaze was aimed.
And that gutted me, even though I already knew he was way out of my league. That if he could’ve had a choice, he would’ve never chosen me as his Eteria.
Because why would Lucien go for me, with my plain brown hair and eyes, glasses, and mousy appearance, when women like Callista and Teya existed?
“Where is Mack?”
The words snapped me out of my depressing thought back to the present, where one of the male Betas, Oz, had just spoken. His slanted dark eyes glared at Lucien, and the tips of his lips curled down, showing obvious disapproval and displeasure.
Lucien, however, didn’t get angry like I somewhat expected him to. Instead, he said in an even tone, “He’s dead.”
All five Betas stared at Lucien with stunned expressions that almost seemed comical. But not even a second later, Oz’s face twisted, and he growled. “Dead?”
Lucien looked at his Beta with something akin to pity. But when he spoke, his voice was authoritative and cold. “He conspired with the Sable Syndicate to kill me. When his plan failed, he suffered the consequences of his actions.”
Oz stopped growling, but he was obviously still furious. As if his fellow Beta trying to kill their Alpha wasn’t a good enough reason to have him die.
But Lucien ignored Oz’s blatant disrespect and looked at the others, who were watching him quietly.
“Five days ago, I received an anonymous report about a few werewolves who wished to go rogue,” Lucien said now, leaning forward to meet each Beta’s eyes. His biceps bulged when he rested his elbows on the table, and I tried not to let my eyes linger too much, especially since I didn’t want to be distracted. Not now.
Lucien’s eyes finally landed on Oz, who glared back for a moment before looking away, his lips curled downward. Lucien’s eyes remained on him as he continued. “I tracked those rogues from downtown LA to North Hollywood. I was also aware I was being followed.”
He paused, his gaze still fixed on Oz, whose jaw clenched, before he resumed. “At first, I ignored the follower, since I wanted to find the rogues first. But then it occurred to me: The follower might be after the rogues. Perhaps it was a Society agent using me as a compass. So I led them to a dark alleyway and confronted them.”
His face darkened. “In retrospect, I know the assassin was already enveloping me in their magic. There is no other reason for why my reaction time was suddenly slower, and why the assassin was able to pin me down and carve a Spellscript over my back.”
Callista and Teya seemed shaken by this information. Ren, another male Beta, had a disturbed look in his bright gaze. Oz’s seemed to freeze in shock, while the fifth Beta, Blaise, watched Lucien with an impassive face, though his eyes betrayed him, practically spitting fire with worried rage.
“I would’ve died,” Lucien said simply now, as though he were talking about the weather, “had Drew not found me in time.”
He turned to me with a heavy look. “The assassin who attacked us this afternoon is the same one who almost killed me,” he informed me suddenly, and my eyes widened as shock stiffened my spine. “I recognized their smell. It’s very ... particular.”
My heart lurched in my chest. “Did you kill them?” I asked in a whisper, searching his gaze.
He grimaced. “After they stabbed me and you ... fainted”—I winced—“they fled the premises.” He paused, and frowned. “I’m not sure why, though. I’m certain they knew I had two humans with me, though I didn’t feel like I was being followed this time, and that you wouldn’t be a threat. They injured me too. Everything was perfectly set up for them to try and take me out. Yet the moment they realized you fainted, they suddenly froze and left.”
He seemed to be thinking out loud, as if realizing something was amiss for the first time since the recent attack. And now I felt on edge, too, especially since the assassin was still out there.
“So why do you think Mack was involved in all this?” Oz suddenly snapped, glowering at Lucien. “What proof do you have to show for your suspicions?”
Oz seemed to be itching for a fight. His voice was dripping with skepticism, and his face showed his apparent distaste.
But Lucien wasn’t having it. He said in a low, emphatic voice, “Are you doubting my judgment, Oz?”
Oz bared his teeth. “Why would I believe a French mutt?”
Tension immediately spread through the room. Lucien stood up, eyes freezing, as his whole body seemed ready to beat the life out of Oz. Oz, on the other hand, was grinning, goading him, as if he’d been waiting for this.
The other four Betas also rose from their seats. Teya, Callista, and Ren were glancing frantically between Oz and Lucien, while Blaise walked toward Lucien and put his hand on his taut shoulder. He murmured quietly, “Il est en deuil, Lucien. Mack était comme un frère pour lui.”
I wished I could know what he said, because Lucien seemed to slightly relax as he replied with a bitter voice, “Il me provoque depuis des mois, Blaise.”
Despite the tense situation we were in, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the way Lucien’s beautiful baritone voice rolled in flawless French. I could listen to him speak in French all day long without understanding a thing, and I would still die a happy woman.
