Twisted Fate

Chapter 13

Astrid

My body froze, and our eyes locked. I could hear the drumming of my heartbeats as his hand fell possessively over mine. The sparks tingled throughout my body, giving life to the butterflies fluttering in my stomach. It happened so fast; all I could do was get lost in those captivating silver eyes that held so much intensity.

At that moment, I didn't care if I'd managed to make myself look like the biggest idiot in front of him. My attention was focused on him and only him. His touch made me forget how to breathe all of a sudden. The way he possessively gripped my hand tightly didn't help. His actions only increased the addictive sensation.

I waited for him to let me go, but he didn't. Instead, he kept his hand on mine, enjoying the electrifying sparks that stemmed from the contact. His eyes were slowly beginning to swirl with a deep red. It bewildered me for a moment, and I almost thought I'd imagined it, but as I leaned in closer, the redness became more prominent.

"Astrid," Nicole brought me back to reality. I blinked a couple of times before gathering my things and pulling back to take my seat. The aftereffects of the sparks left me in a daze. I couldn't help but want more of them. Meanwhile, my friends looked at me with the uttermost concern. It was then I noticed how our peers watched me curiously.

"What crawled up his ass?" Derek commented, skeptical of his kindness. Nicole leaned back in her chair to look at my mate. She hummed once before adding, "Maybe he was just feeling nice today," The reflective look she held screamed that she knew my secret. It felt odd not to tell Nicole and Derek about my mate, but the fewer people knew, the better. I kept my mouth shut and sat still for the rest of the time.

The meeting began shortly after the officials' walked into the conference room. Alpha Marcus took a stand at the podium to make his plea for the land. I watched him as he spoke about his industrial designing business and all the work it required. He started most of his sentences by expressing his obnoxious self-love for his talent and hard work. Not once did he mention the people who helped him climb the high pedestal he put himself on. I grimaced as I watched the self-absorbed asshole talk for what seemed like hours. There's no way I'd give him my vote.

The committee consisted of eight alphas who made decisions regarding important matters, sometimes more crucial than the topic we discussed now. My father left his chair for me, and I planned to take it very seriously. My inputs would be well thought out and reasonable, mainly because I was the only woman in the group. I needed to make a good impression this time around. 

The remaining alphas took their turn at the podium to convince the committee they were more deserving of the land. Most of them wanted it to expand their businesses. So far, Alpha Paxton had my vote with his plans to build more schools for the wolves. I thought he was the last one, but as Arlo stood at the podium, my cheeks flushed, and I sank deeper in my chair. It would be difficult not to stare at his delicious features.

The sound of Arlo's deep voice made my stomach dip. Our eyes met again as I listened to him talk about the population problem within their packs. Those butterflies were now eating away my insides. He would pull his eyes away for some time but not for long. I compelled most of his attention without even trying.

"If both of you stopped taking in the strays, then you wouldn't face these problems. Blood Rose territory has plenty of acres. Silver moon shouldn't even exist," Marcus argued. The disgust in his tone, instantly irked me.

"Those strays are innocent people who deserve a second chance. They come from broken packs with corrupted alphas. Maybe if the council looked into these matters, then we wouldn't have to take these people in," Kane said, throwing shade at the officials and the elders sitting at the front of the room.