The Aurelia⎪✓

{45}

Nefarious

(adj.) wicked; despicable

♡

*Arrax's POV*

"Grant, that's insanity, we can't trust Aurelias! She clearly didn't care to tell us before she absolutely had to." Balto snapped. My fingers ticked in annoyance by his words, he'd had it out for my mate for so long, too long, and if he kept it up I'd kick him out of this pack, without even the smallest ounce of remorse. He was fucking useless to me if he despised our Luna. 

Standing in my office, I looked over the woods where the biggest war just occurred. We lost too many and my Beta was more worried about Aspen being an Aurelia, he hadn't mourned over over losses, not even in the slightest. She was my mate and it was my choice to trust her word, as my Beta he should never question my judgement. 

Anger pulsed through my chest, the upcoming headache didn't help his bitch fit either. I wasn't even allowed time to process how my mate was an Aurelia, she hadn't told me and the excitement of finally finding her blinded my rationality. Grant hadn't seen the signs either. 

Her wolf was so painfully stunning, her smell of lavender and citrus undoubtedly the best smell I'd ever encountered. I was hurt when she shifted initially, but I really couldn't blame her for keeping this from us. We constantly threatened her indirectly and I hated how scared she must've felt. 

The blame definitely wasn't on Aspen, she healed so many of our werewolves. She showed herself when we needed her the most and it only made my love for her grow, after the initial shock had settled I carried her into the house, silently adoring her beautiful soul while she slept. 

My mate was insanely strong and I was proud to have her as mine, it didn't even matter anymore that she lied to me. This was bigger than some lie, she was raised to keep it a secret, this was her way of survival. I just had to prove that I'm different than the stereotypical reaction. 

Hence me being angry with my Beta for questioning her, he never knew when to keep his mouth shut. This wasn't about any of us, we didn't have the right to be pissed about her keeping it a secret. He most definitely did not. 

Our Gamma caught my eye, he protected our Luna and I respected him for that. The vile words that Balto spat were riling me up, whereas I usually could keep my cool with him. 

Grant couldn't though, he took a threatening step towards Balto, "She endangered herself to heal every last one of us, don't give me that shit!" His voice boomed throughout the room, he should've been my Beta, but his talent at fighting made for a better Gamma than anything. 

Balto weakly huffed in annoyance, "She's dangerous to us. We should've known better either way, with her masking her smell, never shifting in front of us. It probably tortured her not to shift, too. That's the only thing I'm happy about, she got some karma for lying to us for such a long time." Him talking about my mate in pain in such a humored manner didn't sit right with me, I growled at him and turned around to face his shocked eyes. "Come on, Alpha, you know she's a wixen." 

Taking one step closer, I glared down at his smaller frame, "You want to repeat that, Beta?" My voice was seething and Balto knew he'd stepped into dangerous territory. 

He visibly gulped, "I'm warning you, Alpha. She's erratic, both a rogue and an Aurelia, where's your head gone?" Even though his words were spiteful, his lips quavered when he tried to stand up to me, showing me how nervous he was. 

"If I hear you questioning my authority again I won't hesitate to banish you from The Dark Moon Pack, now what was it that you were telling me again?" I taunted, the smirk settling on my lips. 

His frightened eyes flickered between my challenging ones, trying to decipher whether I was being candid. The fuck I was. It should be against his nature to question the Alpha, but his disrespectful ways made him do exactly that. I'd dealt with this for a second too long and he was an absolute waste of space if he kept going like that.

"Nothing." He whispered, removing his eyes from mine. 

Looking at Grant he was smirking at me, he hated Balto, but I'd asked him to be civil for the safety of the pack. No wonder he was enjoying this right now. 

"Just don't come running to me when she kills your pups, just like she killed your parents." He warned, officially done. 

My body moved before I had the chance to think. Pushing him roughly against the wall, I placed my hand on his neck, choking him. I saw red. No one mentioned my family, no one mentioned my mate and he should never question whether his Luna would love her pups. 

My parents were killed by rogues, I knew that, Aspen would never kill them and the fact that he questioned that, it was solely the reason for my reaction. My grip got stronger when his words repeated themselves in my mind, effectively cutting off his oxygen. 

Waste of space, he clawed at my fingers trying to get them off, leaning my head closer to his I smirked at him, "I, Alpha Arrax Santora of The Dark Moon Pack, hereby banish you from ever returning, you're forcibly stepped down from your position as Beta and I declare you rogue." My words made pathetic tears well up in his eyes and I let go of his throat, letting him fall to the floor, clawing at his neck and forcing oxygen into his body again. 

"Gamma, force him off the premises and make sure he gets all his shit, I don't want to see anything of his in the house." Grant nodded his head and roughly pulled Balto to his feet. 

They were walking towards the door, "Wait," I growled and placed myself right in front of the weak werewolf, "This one's for Aspen." I smirked at him before my fist connected roughly with his face, his body falling to the ground by the force of the blow. 

A smirking Grant pulled a dizzy Balto with him, that felt fucking great.