Chapter 34: The Invitation.
June 19 2026, 10:23am.
For the next few days, Draven couldn’t stop thinking about that smile she had sent his way when he asked if she had any specific person she wanted at her wedding.
He could not shake off the warmth it filled his cold heart with whenever he remembered that soft look in her eyes as she regarded him with open gentleness.
He thought: ’Nyx’ara might be a murderer but she was a sophisticated one... a beautiful one,’ but was soon jolted out of that thought when someone said; "Is something funny?"
His eyes flashed, face flushed. He pressed his palms over his cheeks and closed his eyes to block out the sound of everyone around him. When he eventually peeled his eyes open, Rhys was still watching him, a complicated expression on his face.
The other members of their tech team had returned to their conversation about the new artificially enhanced microchip design they wanted to patent. The one they said could be used in the home and for industrial purposes.
Some people even speculated that it could be used to lengthen the lives of all werewolves and Lycans alike, especially omegas, if designed well enough.
Killian, their lead tech guy with salt-and-pepper blonde hair and beady gray eyes, frowned; "But why should we have to put omegas first? This sounds like we are putting them first." He asked,
As soon as he did, Draven flinched. He vaguely remembered the story of his mother... his mother, Leilani Snr, who had been branded as an omega and treated as one until people figured she was a hybrid instead.
The memory made his throat go tight. The corners of his lips burned, but choking down the first retort that came to the tip of his tongue, he drawled;
"In this pack, Werewolves and Lycans are to be treated as one. Omegas should be treated with respect. Humans who work with and for us should be respected... our only enemies are vampires, Faes and humans who are too nosy. Understood?!"
"Understood!"
The word rippled through the room, carrying enough weight to make the paintings on the wall tremble.
The meeting was dismissed soon afterward, leaving all four brothers to sit around in silence while everyone else scrambled to their feet.
Before everyone left, they made sure to throw in a bit of: "Congratulations!" here and there, congratulating all four brothers for their wedding coming up the next day.
But they did not share in that excitement.
They did not care whether they were getting married or not. To them, this was all a plan to break their sister’s murderer, Nyx’ara, until she became a shell of whatever she used to be. This was arranged to ruin her... to make her defective in the eyes of any man who would try to claim her.
They wanted to suck her dry until she was nothing but a discarded shadow, and—
"Have you sent out an invitation to the Alpha of Moonshine pack? Do you really want him here for the occasion despite the fact that Leilani was murdered by a member of his pack?" Azriel asked aloud, his voice carrying just enough disappointment and ice to show that he was not in support of that decision.
Kieran nodded at the sound of Azriel’s words, turned to Draven, and added; "He also sent people to retrieve Nyx’ara a day after she was brought here, you remember that right?"
Hell if Draven doesn’t remember.
He remembered it like it was the back of his palm.
He remembered the way the tortured men had stared at Nyx’ara for a moment too long even after she fled from the torture chamber.
If they had thought that they could take his mate... his toy, away from him, then they had no idea what was coming for them.
His grip on the pen in his hand tightened until the object snapped into two. He lifted his eyes slowly, coldly, and hissed;
"It is one of the reasons I have invited him... so that he knows and it is clear that she now belongs to us. That she is a property of this pack and that if he tries that stunt one more time, he will be committing treason against us."
"Draven..." Rhys started to say but upon better thought, turned away.
It was better this way.
Draven continued; "Also, it is true that Leilani was murdered by a member of his pack... he didn’t murder her himself. Besides, since the said ’murderer’ is the bride, and there is absolutely nothing more twisted than that... he can come. His presence is the lesser sin."
The other three brothers nodded in understanding but before they left, their PA, Scarlett, walked into the room.
She was dressed in a white cotton shirt which had the first three buttons loose, exposing more skin and the top of her bra in a way that the brothers disliked. Her black pencil skirt was so short and so tight, she could barely move.
She walked over, leaned downward to pick up the remaining files on the table, and remained for a second...
Two more seconds...
Three more.
By the fifth second, all three brothers turned to look at Azriel, the one who loved things (women) like this. He was a chronic flirt, a complete playboy, and an utter easy target for whores.
However, to their utmost surprise, he wasn’t looking at her, he was staring at his water glass, his purple-blue eyes dimming only a little.
A moment later, he lifted his head after feeling the weight of the stares on him and flinched when he was met with a clear view of Scarlett’s breasts.
He frowned. "Scarlett?"
The girl stood straight, batted her long lashes at him, and smiled. "Alpha..."
"Do you have anything to do after this?" He asked, pointing at the documents in her hands.
The girl shook her head quickly, thinking to herself; "Yes, this is it! He has finally noticed me."
"No." She said,
"Good then, because I would love for you to return to your office, clean up your table, and leave. At this moment, you are fired!"
The words echoed.