Chapter 26: A Dog At Their Feet
Luna Reana sat at the head of the table, her presence commanding attention, while the council members took their seats around her. Ryder, on the other hand, stood tall behind Reana, his eyes locked onto the elders, holding their gaze like a naive and innocent child staring curiously at a fascinating yet unsettling spectacle.
The air was heavy with tension, thickening the silence like a fog. Every breath, every creak of the wooden chairs, seemed amplified, heightening the sense of unease that settled over the gathering. And Ryder’s presence seemed to be the cause of this atmosphere.
"What is he doing here?" Beta Ryan’s voice cut through the oppressive silence, his tone dripping with disdain as his sharp glare pierced Ryder like a dagger.
The venom in his eyes was no longer veiled, his hatred for the servant now boldly on display, encouraged by the council’s presence. The air seemed to vibrate with Ryan’s malice, and Ryder’s expression remained impassive, his eyes never leaving the Beta’s face, as if daring him to take it further.
"Beta, this is not why we’re here," Kira interjected, a subtle frown creasing her forehead as she cast a disapproving glance at Ryan.
But Beta Ryan didn’t want to hear it. "When did a servant have the right to be in the presence of the council?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "This is an outrage. He’s nothing but a lowly servant, a dog at our feet. What could he possibly have to offer that warrants his presence here?" Ryan’s eyes blazed with indignation, his gaze locked on Ryder with a mix of disgust and hostility.
"A dog at our feet?" Reana’s voice was chilling, her tone dripping with disdain as she repeated Ryan’s words. Her eyes, like two glittering icicles, froze Ryan in place, her gaze piercing through him with a quiet intensity that made the air seem to vibrate with unspoken warning.
The room held its collective breath, awaiting her next words. The silence stretched taut, like a bowstring pulled to its limit, vibrating with anticipation and unease.
Every eye was fixed on Reana, her face a mask of calm, serene composure. They waited and waited, but she remained silent, her stillness a force that seemed to draw the very air out of the room. The council members fidgeted, their eyes darting nervously to Ryder, then back to Reana, as the silence grew thicker, heavier, and more oppressive, until it seemed to have a life of its own.
Kira cleared her throat, breaking the suffocating silence. "The pack was attacked yesterday," she stated, her voice firm but laced with a hint of unease. "I’m sure the Luna called this meeting to discuss the... incident and our course of action."
Her eyes flicked to Reana, seeking confirmation, but the Luna’s expression remained inscrutable, her gaze still fixed intently on Ryan.
Ryan shuddered under Reana’s hard stare, his instincts screaming at him to back down, to apologize for what he’d said. But his pride and anger, fueled by days of confinement in the dungeon and the haunting memory of his failure to save Vivian, refused to let him yield.