CHAPTER 69: RUFFLING THEIR FEATHERS...

Emerald met Lucien in the hallway just outside the council chamber. He was already waiting, dressed in his usual muted black and charcoal attire, hands clasped behind his back like a statue carved from stone.

"You’re late," he murmured.

"You’re early," she replied.

His gaze flickered toward the chamber doors. "You don’t have to do this."

"I’m not doing it for you." She stepped closer. "I’m doing it for the people. And maybe a little for me, because I’m sick of walking around wondering who’s trying to kill us."

Lucien gave a short nod, then held out his hand.

She didn’t hesitate to take it.

They entered together, side by side.

The chamber was shaped like a half-circle, with stone walls that had narrow windows. Eight council members were seated in ornate chairs along the curved wall. As soon as Emerald walked in, all conversation came to a halt.

She moved toward the long stone table and calmly took her place at Lucien’s right.

There was a beat of silence.

The moment she sat down, one of the councilmen, Elder Pierce, cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Alpha, but... what is she doing here?"

Lucien didn’t even blink. "Emerald is my mate. She’s an Alpha in her own right, with every reason to be present. And last I checked, this council answers to me. Not the other way around."

"I wasn’t aware mates could sit in on closed council sessions," Sera Tain added coolly.

"Then consider yourself newly educated," Lucien replied almost immediately.

Emerald leaned back in her seat, silently enjoying the tension crackling across the room. She didn’t have to say a word to ruffle feathers. Her presence alone was enough.

Silence fell.

Not wanting to seem rude, she rested her hands lightly on the armrest, lifting her chin just slightly. "Thank you for having me."

Lucien glanced at her, and a flicker of amusement crossed his face. He cleared his throat and began. "Let’s begin with the usual. Patrol updates?"

Gavik Holt spoke up. "Northern ridge patrol reports nothing out of the ordinary. One fox was spotted, nothing else. The South border’s quiet, recruitment numbers for trainees are up."

Lucien nodded. "And the east?"

A pause.

Elias Morn adjusted the papers before him. "We lost one patrolman. Beast attack. No signs of magic or rogue involvement."

Emerald watched the way his hands trembled just slightly.

Lucien responded coolly. "Then ensure proper burial rites are given."

Elias nodded.

The discussion continued with mundane topics: resource allocations, village expansion timelines, and minor squabbles between families in the lower rings. Emerald half-listened, half-studied.

She watched the council members’ faces as they spoke. She noted every glance, every shift in tone, every darting eye.

And then, just as the scribe moved to the next agenda, Lucien leaned back. "I’d like to raise something... off script."

The room shifted, bodies leaning forward. Elder Gavik arched a brow. "Go on."

Lucien’s voice was calm, but his words were sharp. "There was an attempt on my life last night."

The silence that followed was deep and sudden.

Emerald didn’t look away from the table. She was too busy watching them. Watching how Sera’s eyes widened slightly, how Elias Morn’s pen stilled in his hand, and how Gavik’s lips parted in a half-breath.

Pierce narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Lucien continued, "An intruder entered my quarters, armed with a blade. I would be dead if not for Emerald’s warning. And before that, there was another directed at Emerald herself two days ago."

Sera cleared her throat delicately. "That’s... alarming."

"I agree."

"And you’re only telling us now?"

Gavik leaned forward. "Do we have a suspect?"

Lucien shook his head slowly. "Not yet. But what’s concerning is that both incidents took place inside our walls. And that’s why I brought it up here, in front of everyone, where the silence matters."

Elias shifted in his seat.

Pierce scowled. "Are you accusing us?"

Emerald didn’t move, but inside, she smiled.

Bingo.

Lucien smiled too in a cold, controlled manner. He tilted his head slowly as he replied. "Did I say that?"

"You might as well have."

"I’m simply stating a fact," Lucien replied smoothly. "An assassin knew when and where to strike. That kind of information doesn’t float through the streets."

The tension in the room spiked like a whip.

"We all pledged loyalty to you," Pierce bit out.

Lucien folded his hands. "Then there’s nothing to worry about."

Pierce’s eyes gleamed with something too sharp to be called fear.

Lucien stood slowly. "I expect each of you to gather your informants. Leave no stone unturned. I need names, motives... suspects and proof. Whoever was behind these attacks on me or Emerald must be rooted out before they strike again."

Emerald watched their eyes. Sera avoided looking up. Gavik stared at his hands. Elias tapped his finger against the table once... then twice.

Pierce, however, was burning holes into Lucien’s skull.

Good.

Lucien added, "I’m sure none of you would want your loyalty questioned. Not now."

The meeting adjourned shortly after, and one by one, the council members filed out, silent as ghosts.

When the door clicked shut behind the last one, Emerald turned to Lucien. "I think they’ll take the bait."

Lucien exhaled. "You saw it too?"

"Oh yeah. Pierce was practically vibrating with rage. I think he’s our biggest fish for now."

Lucien nodded. "He’s always been loud."

"They all looked uncomfortable," Emerald added. "Whether actively involved or just passively turning a blind eye, it’s safe to say they all know something."

Lucien moved to pour a drink, his brow furrowed. "So what now?"

"We watch. We listen. And we wait for them to start scrambling." She looked toward the door. "Keep an extra eye on Elder Pierce, though."

Lucien rubbed his jaw. "You want to follow him?"

"I want you to look into him, for now. Quietly. He’s too obvious to be the mastermind, but that outburst wasn’t performative either."

Lucien’s mouth twitched. "This feels... less like justice and more like war."

"Sometimes, they’re the same thing."

—

That night, they had dinner alone in a private courtyard. Lanterns swung lightly in the breeze, creating a warm glow on the stone walls and ivy-covered pillars. It was peaceful, not just in sound but also in the overall atmosphere.

"I can’t remember the last time I ate without fifteen people watching," Lucien muttered.

Emerald smirked over her cup. "Welcome to being a real person."

He chuckled.

There was less tension between them tonight. The looming threat still remained, but for now, they both let it sit in the background.

"Thanks. For staying."

"I haven’t forgiven you," she said.

"I know."

"But I’m here."

"I know," he repeated, voice quieter.

When dinner was done, Lucien stood. "There’s a place I want to show you."

Emerald raised a brow. "That sounds like the beginning of a terrible idea."

"You like terrible ideas."

"...true."

They left the estate on foot, slipping through a narrow gate near the west wing. The path wound through a quiet forest trail, and after a few minutes, it opened into a clearing.

A stone ledge overlooked the valley below, where the lights of the village twinkled in the distance. The stars above were bright and clear, free from city lights and not affected by war or stress.

Lucien shrugged off his cloak and laid it down. "Come on."

Emerald sat next to him. Their shoulders touched, and neither of them shifted away. They lay back, heads tilted toward the sky. The silence between them this time was... peaceful.

"You ever wonder what it’d be like?" Lucien asked quietly. "To live where no one knew who you were?"

"Every day."

He turned his head slightly. "What would you do?"

She smiled faintly. "Open a bookstore, live above it. Read fantasy and mafia romance... the spicy ones, maybe spy novels too... and I’ll eat all the lemon cake I want."

Lucien chuckled softly.

"And you?" she asked.

He hesitated. "I wouldn’t be an Alpha. I’d be a guard... maybe a carpenter."

"You?" she laughed. "You with calluses and wood chips in your hair?"

He nudged her shoulder. "Hey. I’d be great at it."

They both laughed for a bit. When the silence returned, it was different this time... heavier, but not uncomfortable.

Their fingers brushed... once, twice, but neither of them pulled away.

Lucien turned to her, his eyes finding hers under the starlight. He reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips grazed her cheek, and her breath caught.

But neither of them leaned closer. They just... looked.

For a long, steady moment, there was only starlight and warmth and everything unspoken between them.

Then Emerald sat up. "We should head back."

Lucien nodded. "Yeah."

They walked together in silence, side by side.

When they reached her door, Lucien opened the door for her. "Have a good night, dearie," he said.

"And you, too," she replied.

With that, he turned and disappeared down the hall. Emerald watched him go, then entered her room and shut the door.

She was just beginning to unclip her hair when she heard a knock. She blinked, half-expecting to see Lucien at the door, but was surprised to see someone else.

"Talia?"