Page 379

There were a hundred better things Alpha King Elijah could be doing with his time, but instead, here he was, presiding over a glorified shouting match. The parents of the Cardinal Alphas sat at his long table, bickering like children.

Still, he didn’t mind. He rather enjoyed watching them devour one another.

The last time the High Houses united, they had birthed the Cardinal Alphas, a dream his brother and chief instigator of his misery, Alpha Angus, had tried yet failed to achieve.

So let them stay divided. He would feed the fire himself if he had to.

Irene Hale said, "This scandal has done irreparable damage to Lunaris Academy’s image. It’s not just about a school anymore, it’s about the credibility of our sons. Elsie Lancaster cannot remain as a bride option for my son."

"That is, if your son emerges as the heir," Alpha Henry pointedly reminded her that Griffin would have to defeat his own son, Asher. And in Henry’s arrogance, that could never happen.

"Heir or not, appearance is everything, and Elsie Lancaster is heavily affiliated with our sons," Leon Draven argued. "Elsie was supposed to be the perfect role model as our chosen Luna-to-be. What does it say when she’s at the center of such disgrace? I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Irene on this, she can’t remain a bride option. "

The look that Henry gave Leon after those words was pure poison. They were supposed to be allies, and now the coward was jumping ship?

"So what then?" Henry sneered. "We throw Elsie away and roll out a carpet for that purple-haired whore? The one all our sons are sniffing around like dogs in heat?"

Elijah, who had thus far reclined with a bored expression, perked up, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Excuse me?" he asked mildly.

Irene Hale cursed under her breath. She had been careful not to get Violet implicated in this, but of course, Henry obviously wanted that girl’s head rolling on the ground. That fucking bastard!

Elijah’s voice came again, quieter now, and far more dangerous. "What whore are we referring to?"

Irene spoke through clenched teeth. "Violet is not a whore, Alpha. Henry just uses that word for any gender that doesn’t have a dick between their legs. If that’s the case, I can’t help but wonder what he thought of his own mother."

Henry slammed a hand against the table, rising halfway from his seat. "You venomous little—"

"Sit," Elijah snapped, not even raising his voice. The command alone dropped the temperature in the room and Henry sank back into his chair, lips pressed tight.

"If you can’t have a civil discussion," Elijah continued, "I’ll make decisions without your input."

Zara Storm picked up where the tension left off. "What Henry means to say is that Violet Purple has become a distraction. Our sons are following her around like bewitched fools, and there’s even talk of a polygamous relationship."

Caspian grunted. "It’s ’polyandrous,’ not polygamous."

"Don’t correct me!" Zara hissed at her husband, shutting the man off successfully. This situation was frustrating already, and he was correcting her? If he had the energy, he should be bringing their son back to his senses.

Elijah leaned back, stroking the edge of his jaw in thought. "Violet Purple," he repeated softly, tasting the name. "That’s one interesting name,"

Irene said at once. "I believe we were talking about Elsie.This isn’t the time to discuss other distractions. After all, we’re here to determine how to reduce the damage to Lunaris Academy."

She had purposefully shifted the attention away from Violet. Irene didn’t like the gleam in Elijah’s eyes at the mention of the girl’s name.

Henry turned on her. "Or you don’t want us talking about you grooming Violet to follow in your image? "

Irene didn’t flinch. "Or perhaps you’re still bitter because she knocked you flat on your ass during the supposed friendly parents match?"

Elijah’s lips twitched. "She did what?" A spark lit behind his eyes, a smile almost breaking through the serious air. "Well, now I’m curious. Tell me more about this girl."

Irene frowned at the attention Violet was suddenly receiving. "There isn’t much to tell. Violet is a temperamental, hormonal teenager. She’s bold, yes, but that’s hardly new. The heirs are at an age where they form bonds and chase feelings. It doesn’t mean anything."

Zara folded her arms. "Perhaps to you, but that bond is too strong for comfort. I don’t like her influence over my son. I’d take Elsie as his Luna any day over risking Violet twisting his future."

"Ah, now that is interesting," Elijah mused, watching them all. For someone who was supposed to be mad that they kept such a secret from him, he seemed rather delighted?

He said, "So we’re deciding between a scandalous heiress and a girl with dangerous sway. This should be fun."

Everyone in the room shifted uneasily at that last word. Elijah’s idea of "fun" was rarely shared.

Henry, sensing an opportunity, jumped in. "What did Elsie even do that’s so wrong? Like Irene said, they’re teenagers. The scandal can be smoothed over. The media will move on. People forget." He used Irene’s words against her.

"Elsie will not be anyone’s Luna," came a cold voice from the doorway that silenced the room.

All eyes turned toward Luna Beatrice. She stood dressed in striking white, regal and radiant. Not just the parents of the cardinal alphas, Elijah’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Luna Beatrice was after all known for her silence in politics. Hence her sudden presence was thunderous.

Luna Beatrice moved with purpose, unfazed by the wide eyes and stunned faces as she approached.

Elijah lifted a brow. "Beatrice?"

But she didn’t even look at him. Her eyes were locked on Henry as she stopped directly in front of his seat.

"Really?" She hissed. "People forget? You mean humans that can be easily manipulated and their voices suppressed."

As a human herself, her fury was understandable. And even Henry, smug as he was, leaned back slightly beneath her fire-lit gaze.

She turned to Zara next. "You’d rather a disgraced, manipulative girl become Luna than someone fresh just because she doesn’t share your incestuous bloodline?"

Zara’s face twisted, but she held her tongue. Human or not, Beatrice was Luna over them all. Any insult toward her could mean serious consequences.

Beatrice wasn’t finished. Her voice rang with steel. "Do not forget, it’s my position she would inherit. Do you think I’ll sit back and watch my legacy drowned in scandal?"

She let her gaze sweep across the table and found no seat had been arranged for her. Beatrice didn’t ask for one.

Instead, she marched straight to the head table and before anyone could blink, sat herself astride Elijah’s lap.

Everyone froze.

And for the first time in a long while, Alpha King Elijah was completely and utterly stupefied.

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