Chapter 67: Take My Protection
The Serpent-Spine wolves bristled, their lips curling back to expose long fangs as they let out a collective, guttural growl at Rhea. But her silver eyes remained calm, her boots anchored firmly to the stone.
"How dare you speak to our Alpha with such disrespect!" one of Draven’s lead guards roared, taking a step toward the stairs.
Inside her skull, River bared her teeth, clawing at the edge of Rhea’s consciousness. "Let him come! I will rip his windpipe out and taste his blood on the stones!"
Alpha Draven stood perfectly still. His chest heaved beneath his heavy furs, his knuckles clenched so tight they turned stark white as he stared her down.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the second Alpha, the one in the silver-fox pelt, suddenly burst into a loud, mocking laugh.
Draven whipped his head toward him, his own fangs slipping out before he could stop his wolf’s reaction.
But the laughing Alpha completely ignored him. He stepped forward and turned his gaze directly to Rhea, entirely unfazed by her cold expression.
"Luna Rhea, I am Alpha Varick of the Waterwall pack," he said, stepping forward with an easy, arrogant stride. "I, too, come bearing gifts fit for a Luna of your stature."
Rhea did not say a word. She watched with an unyielding gaze as Varick raised a hand and ordered his vanguard forward. His men rushed into the firelight one after another, laying down heavy steel weapons, crates of smoked meat, live, bleating goats, and velvet pouches overflowing with gold and jewels.
Her eyes scanned the mountain of wealth, and then she slowly shifted her gaze back to Varick’s face.
Alpha Varick was smiling, a confident grin plastered across his features.
But Rhea did not return the warmth. Instead, her lips curled with displeasure. "And what is all this supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Varick gestured toward the pile, his chest puffing out. "I heard about the attack that happened here last night. I decided to bring these thoughtful provisions myself, and to also offer you the absolute protection of my pack."
Rhea looked at him, her expression completely unreadable. "So, an Alpha of the valley travels all this way, through dangerous territory, just to deliver groceries and livestock to a sanctuary? I don’t buy that," she said, her voice dripping with ice. "State your real business."
Alpha Varick’s smile widened, a flash of genuine impression crossing his features. "You are as sharp as they say, Luna," he said, taking another step closer. "As you already know, the Waterwall pack is one of the strongest in this region. Even Kaleb of Ironfang knows not to cross my borders. I came here personally to demand your hand in marriage and to offer my mark in exchange for your safety."
Rhea let out a cold, humorless scoff. "I see." Her eyes drifted over the gold one more time, then locked back onto his face.
Varick’s grin remained wide, as if he believed the deal was already struck.
Rhea’s expression turned to stone. "I see your offer, Alpha Varick, but I am not interested in a single thing you have brought. And I am definitely not interested in being your Luna," she said, her tone calm yet cutting like a silver blade.
The color instantly drained from Varick’s face.
Rhea did not pause to let him recover. "So why don’t you gather your men, pack up your goats, and leave this place? As you can see, there are children inside trying to sleep," she said. "And do not bother returning or sending messengers. My answer is final."
At the head of the circle, Alpha Draven let out a loud, mocking laugh, looking at his rival. "That is what you get for howling before the hunt is over, Varick," he sneered, his voice thick with malicious satisfaction.
Rhea did not waste another second on either of them. She spun on her heel to walk back toward the nursery.
"Wait!" Alpha Draven barked, his voice lost its smooth polish.
Rhea stopped, but she did not turn around to look at him. She stood on the gravel, her back rigid.
"You surely do not believe you can simply walk away from two Alphas," Draven said, his tone dropping into a low threat. "You know exactly what that means, Luna."
Rhea slowly turned back to face them. The raw menace in his voice made her pulse spike, but she kept her breathing steady. River rumbled a dark promise of violence in her head.
"Let me make this very clear to both of you," Rhea said, her voice ringing out firmly across the courtyard. "I do not want you, Draven, and I do not want you, Varick. I do not want any Alpha. No matter how many gifts you pile at my feet, I will never accept your proposals. I will not be owned. Not again."
Alpha Varick looked at her, his eyes narrowing as he let out a slow, menacing sigh. He tilted his head, his yellow eyes flashing.
"Do you not think you are holding your head a bit too high, female? Remember what you are. An unattached Luna with no pack to shield you. If you reject our protection with such blatant disrespect—" He paused, letting the silence hang heavy in the cold air.
Rhea’s jaw hardened, even though her heart was hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
"You might as well seek refuge in the afterlife," Varick finished, his voice a dark whisper. "Because that is the only place that will guarantee your safety."
Before Rhea could unleash her fury, Alpha Draven stepped directly between her and Varick.
"You will not threaten her in my presence, Varick!" he snapped, his posture bristling. "If you want to touch a hair on her head, you will have to claw your way through me first."
"Have some dignity, Draven!" Varick sneered, disgusted. "She just humiliated you in front of your own men, and you still stand there offering to bleed for her?"
Draven stood his ground, his eyes darting toward Rhea. But Rhea did not miss the cold calculation behind his fierce display. The trickster. He was trying to play the savior, hoping her fear of Varick would drive her straight into his arms.
"Get your pack off these lands, Varick, before I make this a blood feud," Draven snarled, his wolf pushing against his skin.
Alpha Varick glared at Rhea, waiting for her to break, but she remained silent as a statue. Recognizing he had lost his leverage, Varick turned his stiff shoulders and signaled his men.
"You have not heard the last of this, Luna," he promised darkly. "By tomorrow there will be seven packs outside these gates."
Varick and his warriors had barely taken ten paces toward the gates when Rhea turned her cold gaze directly onto Alpha Draven.
"And what are you still waiting for?" she asked, her voice flat.
Draven adjusted his stance, the blunt question clearly catching him off guard. He cleared his throat, quickly smoothing his features back into a protective mask. "As long as I stand here, no other Alpha can claim you. No rogue or rival pack will dare cross these walls, knowing the Serpent-Spine Alpha is camped in your yard."
Rhea looked at him, her silver eyes narrowing into dangerous, calculated slits.