Defying Declan

Town meeting

Matt couldn't move after I filled him in on everything Brian told me. His face held a mask of horror. His eyebrows were pinched together and he was tapping his knees with his fingers. Something he did when he was worried.

The thick tension in the room was suffocating. "Matt say something" I finally said after what felt like hours.

He just stared at me lost in thought. Sighing, I sit down next to him on the old orange floral couch that was my grandmothers before the war. I rest my head on his shoulder and stoke his back. He shivers at the contact and it seems to snap him out of his silent brooding.

"Lex, how can this be true, we fought for so long. How.... How can the Chancellor just hand us over like that!" He spits out angrily. Matt groans and runs his hands though his hair as he glares at the bare wood floors of our tiny home.

After losing his parents at 12, he moved in with us only for my father to die in the war a few years later. My mother died when I was born, I never knew her. Matt took care of me ever since, he is the only family I have.

"Matt, I don't know what to do." I groan "I don't want to marry Brian and I definitely don't want to leave you behind. I don't want to stay here though and look over my shoulder every second."

He turns to me and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear and pulls me towards him. His chin rests on top of my head as my face is pressed against his chest. He feels so warm and welcoming. He feels like home.

"We will escape this Lexi, I will make sure of it. Go get ready for the meeting tonight, I am going to call a friend to meet me there. He knows of some rebels who are not loyal to either governments. Who knows, maybe he can help us." His voice full of determination as he kisses my head and gets up to leave.

I lay there hoping Matt will save us like he always does.

Declan

"Alpha with all due respect, how do you know the Western Chancellor will follow through?" the grey haired, frail Elder asks. His voice is full of worry. If one didn't know him like I do you would think that he was sincere and afraid, but I know the vile man better than that. I know the things he's done to protect his status, and he disgusts me; he's weak. The only reason he is still breathing is because I need him and his power to calm humans. Right now, he is an asset but the moment that's no longer a fact, I can't wait to wipe him from this earth.

Growing board of the man in front of me, I look to my beta and nod. He gets up and addresses those in the room. "With all due respect Elders, you don't get to question your alpha. He trusts the Chancellor and so should you. In order to keep peace this has to be done right and slowly. We need the trust of the Eastern people if we want to avoid bloodshed" Blake's voice rings with authority as he ushers the Elders out of the room.

Elder Simcove holds back and address me. He's usually quiet and doesn't interfere, but I know not to mistake that quietness as weakness. He's one of the more powerful Elders. The quiet leader of the group.

His words come out strong "The peace you speak of will not last, I see more bloodshed than ever before on the horizon" His bright green eyes shine, and his frail hands point a shaky finger at the moon while he speaks. "The Moon has shown favor on you tonight Alpha, you hold the key to stopping these wars Alpha, you and our Luna." His last words bring out a deep primitive growl out of me.

The beast has risen up inside of me and is close to snapping at the mention of Luna. I have been searching endlessly in every territory looking for her. The elders smirk has me whipping the wooden chair next to me across the room, narrowly missing his head. As the chair crashes against the wall into pieces I am in the elders face faster than he can turn to look.