Resistance (1)
Alkrevas was currently in the meeting room at the residence of Marquis Esthel, surrounded by key figures from his supporting faction, including Marquis Esthel himself, who was hosting the gathering. In truth, the party being held was merely a cover for them to have a closed-door meeting without being noticed by other factions. That’s why Alkrevas, reluctant to leave Luna’s side, had to attend this meeting due to its importance. His fingers tapped lightly on the table’s surface while his back rested against his chair.
The meeting room at Marquis Esthel’s residence was quite luxurious. It consisted of a large round table of high-quality wood surrounded by ten opulent chairs. A chandelier embedded with high-quality magic stones hung from the ceiling. The room was adorned with paintings of the finest artistic value and vases filled with fresh, fragrant flowers. The walls were painted maroon with gold ornaments, the best artists painted the ceiling, the marble floor was of a quality comparable to that of the imperial palace, and finally, a thick carpet was spread across the middle of the room.
For a Marquis, Esthel had a reputation for business and wealth that almost rivaled that of the Veniam Duchy, in addition to the reputation of the Esthel family as an old noble family that had existed since the founding of the Vasilos Empire. Initially, Esthel was merely a small pack in the eastern region. Still, its power grew until Vasilos was established. Ethel became one of the most significant contributors, along with Veniam, Remo, Erendiel, and another family, Demetri.
However, the Demetri Duchy was wiped out when his late father was still the Emperor. The family was exterminated after being proven to have planned a rebellion. However, Alkrevas firmly believed it was his father’s fear of losing power to his brother, Duke Nyxe Demetri. After the Demetri family fell and vanished without a trace, the nobles began to split into two factions.
Alkrevas briefly glanced at the portrait of the previous head of the Esthel family hanging on one of the walls before returning his gaze to his supporters, who were currently engaged in a heated debate. He sighed and took out a pocket watch from his jacket pocket. Two hours had passed, and this meeting was far from concluding. He had wasted time that he could have spent with his soulmate instead of with nobles, who often made him sick.
Alkrevas adjusted his sitting position to be more upright. His dominant Alpha aura was palpable. His posture exuded authority, and his sharp gaze, like piercing needles, moved across the faces before him. The chair he sat in was the most lavish, indicating that he was at the head of the table, a sign that he was in charge. However, this fact was forgotten as each of his supporters focused on their territorial interests. If Markus had been with them now, Alkrevas was certain his cousin would have growled in anger and threatened to rip out the tongues of those who wouldn’t stop talking. He could do that now, but his current focus was on Luna’s whereabouts. He didn’t care about the ongoing debate in front of him.
For the past ten minutes, he had been using his power to monitor Luna’s movements through the bracelet he had placed on her ankle, and he smiled when he discovered she was in the bedroom. Alkrevas was tempted to install surveillance magic in the bedroom to monitor Luna’s every move when he wasn’t around. Still, he refrained, wanting to respect Luna’s desire for privacy, especially since he could no longer enter Luna’s mind without her permission, which only intensified his desire to do so.
Regardless, he needed to know what Luna was doing at all times-what she ate and drank, with whom she spoke, laughed, and touched. The fear of losing her kept swirling every time he parted from Luna. He could use his hearing in the palace to ensure Luna was still with him. Still, at a distance like this, he could only rely on his magic, which had its limits.
Alkrevas couldn’t fully trust their agreement because now he didn’t know what Luna was thinking, so he couldn’t read her movements as he used to. He could tolerate it if she did something that disappointed him, but if it was a betrayal of their promise… Alkrevas couldn’t forgive that. Unfortunately, Luna had a high potential to do the thing he hated the most. And that truly angered him. He was always two to ten steps ahead when dealing with anyone, but he couldn’t do the same with his soulmate this time.
Of course, no matter what happens, he will never let go of Luna. She was destined for him. She belonged to him and must always remain within his grasp. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t punish her. Alkrevas smirked as he imagined what he might do to Luna. Should he perform a public mating as punishment? Imprison her? Or let Norris be the one to administer the punishment to his soulmate?
Alkrevas couldn’t consider the third option. He didn’t care if Luna hated him because, no matter what, the entire woman was his and bound to him, but he didn’t want Luna to look at him with the same fear she had shown. It didn’t matter if it was someone else but not his soulmate.Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.
He would instead Luna look at him with hatred, defiance, or even rebellion rather than fear. Thinking about this made him long for Luna, wanting to hold her tightly. He missed the warmth and softness of her body, the way she sighed, and the sweet sound of her voice calling his name with pleasure. Alkrevas groaned inwardly as he felt his body stirring in response.
Should I wake her up when I return to the palace? He asked himself.
-No, Mortal! You can’t do that to our mate! You’ve already exhausted her over the past few days, which makes me envious that you get to touch her.- Norris suddenly interjected with a grumbling tone.
“You’re part of me, which means you’re touching her too,” Alkrevas replied flatly.
Norris snorted and retorted, -I know you’re playing word games with me. Don’t act clever. Because if you’re clever, then I’m smart too. We are the same, aren’t we, Mortal?-
Alkrevas rolled his eyes as Norris managed to throw his own words back at him. He immediately cut off communication with his wolf spirit before refocusing on the meeting. He signaled Sigmund-loyally standing by his side-to approach before asking, “How much longer do I have to be here?”
“Your Majesty…”
Alkrevas pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration because even his chief aide couldn’t answer him. As a result, he felt the urge to end the meeting immediately and return to the palace. At least when Alkrevas attended the banquet, he greeted the guests before heading to the meeting room with Marquis Esthel. So, it would only matter if he left after returning to the banquet hall.
Moreover, Marquis Esthel was in the room with him, so there was no reason to go back and entertain the nobles who wanted to curry favor with him. Alkrevas sighed softly and massaged his temples, which were beginning to throb.
“Enough,” he commanded sharply. Instantly, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to him.
“If you wish to speak to me, stop your bickering. What is it that prompted you to call for such a closed meeting? If it concerns the noble faction, you need not worry.”
One of the men seated at the far end, Count Hansel, cleared his throat and said, “We wanted to ask about a rumor that’s been circulating.”
“Rumor?”
“There’s a rumor that you intend to proceed with a marriage to General Thea.” Then, the gaze shifted to the head of the Deborah family-Count Maximus Deborah-before returning to Alkrevas, who displayed arrogance and authority. His back was still leaning against the chair, but his left hand propped up his head while the other rested on the armrest, gripping it lightly. His right leg was crossed over his left. Alkrevas briefly glanced at the red ring he wore and chuckled softly. “Your Majesty?”
“Where did you hear that rumor? Is it one of those spread by Erendiel, or perhaps by you… Count?” Alkrevas asked with a bored expression.
He saw Count Abony shake his head and deny that he would do such a thing when Alkrevas had already found his soulmate. Alkrevas nodded in satisfaction. “If you have nothing important to discuss with me, you can express your concerns at next week’s congress.”
“But, Your Majesty…” Marquis Esthel murmured this time.
“I will not marry anyone except my soulmate. How many times must I say that for it to be etched into your tiny brains, huh? I don’t like repeating myself, and you’re making me do it over and over again. Not Amelia Erendiel, Thea Abony, or Diana Grace. I will not marry any woman other than Luna.”
“Your Majesty, we-”
“Enough!” Alkrevas cut in sharply. His brown eyes turned red, warning those seated at the table not to overstep their bounds.
“I thought you wanted to discuss more pressing matters, such as the smuggling of Rogues, border issues, or the movements of the noble factions, but it seems you’re aligned with that faction this time.” After saying this, Alkrevas rose and walked toward the exit. His hands were clenched tightly, and a thought crossed his mind.
Kill them all. It would be better to kill them all so they would shut up and stop annoying me.
Alkrevas took a deep breath and paused to calm himself before, without turning around, he addressed the men in the room, “Luna will be my Empress, and if any of you oppose that decision, I will personally rip your hearts out with my own hands.” He stepped out and entered one of the private rooms to calm himself.
……….