Chapter 47
To my great dismay and embarrassment, the Golden Blade insisted that I need to have my mark reconfirmed by their own pack’s elders.
It was quite a predicament, as I had to constantly remind myself that I was representing our pack as an ambassador, just so I wouldn’t create a scene in front of everyone.
Reluctantly, I agreed to their demand on one condition: that the task be entrusted to their only female elder. Surprisingly, they accepted my condition. The whole process went much faster this time, mainly because their resources were scarce compared to those of the Lock Heart. The elder used a book with limited information, which made me appreciate and yearn for Elder Tom’s magnificent library. I made a mental note to return one day and plead with him until he allowed me to explore all the treasures in his study.
Once the confirmation was settled, the real challenge began. It wasn’t surprising that convincing them of my legitimacy wasn’t the hard part. The difficulty lay in the fact that none of them wanted to engage directly with a fifteen-year-old, which was quite understandable, given the circumstances.
“For the hundredth time today, listen to me,” I emphasized through clenched teeth. “It’s evident that you’re getting a fantastic deal here. By aligning yourselves with our pack and enjoying the additional trade benefits, your economy will undoubtedly gain the most value from this partnership.”
“Why is she the one discussing business with us again?” one
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of them interrupted, their name escaping my memory. “I thought they brought the girl only as proof, not to negotiate directly with us.”
I was seething inside, the urge to leap across the table and tear out his throat was consuming me. However, I knew that wouldn’t be the most effective approach to negotiate.
Behind me, Benjamin reclined in his chair, observing the entire scene unfold. I could sense his displeasure with how they were treating me, his eyes narrowing each time they tried to dismiss me.
“I concur,” one of the Elders spoke up. “We ought to discuss this matter with someone more experienced.”
Oh, despite my six years of expertise in conquering an entire country, they seemed to think I lacked experience. That was the final straw. I had grown utterly fed up with the drawn-out process that had already extended late into the night.
“Listen,” I exclaimed loudly, causing everyone to fall silent and gaze at me. “Either accept the damn deal or I swear, by the Goddess residing within me, that I will personally unleash my wrath upon each and every one of you. Your display of unprofessionalism today has pushed me to my limits, as I have shown you a courtesy sorely absent in return.”
Of course, I didn’t possess any godlike powers to smite them… but they were unaware of that fact. And based on their abysmal collection of books, they had no means to discover the truth either.
Instantly, their faces turned pale, unsure of how to respond.
That is, until their Alpha finally interjected.
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“Benjamin, esteemed heir of the Alpha lineage, do you sink so low as to let this audacious girl speak to us with such insolence during this momentous gathering?” he exclaimed, struggling to find his words. “Rein her in immediately if you still harbor even a glimmer of hope that we’ll acquiesce to your proposed terms today.”
I witnessed a sudden shiftation in Benjamin, as if a switch had been flipped in his mind, and instinctively withdrew inward, recognizing the expression that crossed his face. If they believed I was formidable, they had yet to comprehend the true nature of the individual they were confronting.
Without even rising from his seat, he leaned forward, his mere proximity exerting an intimidating influence. In response, every member of the council involuntarily recoiled, Benjamin’s piercing gaze alone a menacing threat. In that fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of the old Benjamin lurking within him.
And not just him… but a reflection of myself as well.
Here we were once more, assembled in this council chamber, employing deceit and violent ultimatums to coerce an alliance. The nauseating sensation swelled within me.
“Alpha,” Benjamin uttered in an icy tone. That single word sent a shiver down my spine, though it wasn’t even directed at me. “I daresay the terms proposed by our pack’s heir to the Beta position today are exceptionally reasonable. In my opinion, she has extended a remarkably fair offer, and we have generously granted you ample time to thoroughly contemplate it over the past several hours.”
I could discern instant remorse in the eyes of each council
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member. They swiftly realized the gravity of their error in involving him.
“But if you don’t like the terms…” he continued, his voice dropping dangerously low. “Then let me assure you, if our Saintess doesn’t strike you down, I will personally return with the entire Lock Heart’s army. I will tirelessly hunt each and every one of you down, tearing you apart… bit by bit.”
It was clear that we reached an agreement swiftly after that
intense moment.
However, even after the meeting concluded, I remained upset, even furious. We both sank to such depths when the situation could have been resolved peacefully.
“Benjamin,” I called out, capturing his attention.
I found him near the wall, away from the others, overseeing everyone as they completed the final paperwork.
He looked at me with confusion. “What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter?” I seethed. “What was that?”
“What?”
“You didn’t have to make such threats!”
He stared at me incredulously. “You mean I didn’t have to threaten them… just like you did?”
I gritted my teeth. “That’s beside the point. I’m not absolving myself of blame, but you went too far.””
Glancing around, I noticed several onlookers who had been drawn in by our heated exchange. Taking hold of his arm, I
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guided him away from the main building to prevent further scrutiny. After walking for a minute or two, Benjamin finally freed himself and halted our progress.
“I don’t understand why you’re so angry,” he argued. “I tried to let you handle it on your own, but they refused to listen. You must have seen that, too. I was only trying to assist you.”
“I never asked for your assistance! I was perfectly capable of handling it myself! And why do you suddenly care about what others think of me?” I shouted.
“What on earth are you talking about?” he retorted angrily. “There you go again, treating me like some damn criminal. We’ve been through this before! I don’t understand how I could have given you that impression! We hardly spent any time together while growing up. But now, out of nowhere, you’re terrified of me? And every time you see me, you either look like you’re about to burst into tears or run away. Neither of those is a good impression for a partner or a Beta, by the way. Both require you to tolerate being in the same room as me!”
We locked eyes, both of us breathing heavily after our heated exchange. The fury in our gazes was intense. I could feel the rush of blood through my veins and my heart pounding in my chest. I needed to calm down.
I turned away from him, allowing us some space to catch our breath without being in each other’s faces. Deep down, I knew I was being unreasonable. The reason I was so angry at him for what happened in that meeting room was because it frightened me.
Over the past few months, I had seen a glimmer of hope that
he could change, but now, witnessing a glimpse of his old self was a chilling reminder that he was still the same Benjamin.
And he was right. In this lifetime, we barely knew each other before I returned. Yet, I had altered the future so drastically that it was possible we had spoken more in this life than in our previous one. From his perspective, I could understand why my actions since returning would have elicited his reactions.
When we first reunited, I had a complete breakdown and suffered a panic attack simply because he entered a room. I had to be comforted by another man just to escape from him. Every time he came near me, I recoiled in fear, to the point where I even broke a plate while attempting to flee and accidentally burned him with hot tea.
I openly declared to the entire Lock Heart council that I wanted nothing to do with Benjamin or to become his Luna. I even orchestrated the overturning of a tradition that had lasted for thousands of years just to avoid being with him.
If Benjamin had done these things to me in my past life, without any knowledge of the future, it would have devastated me. And it did devastate me. While it wasn’t exactly the same or as severe, Benjamin had put me through something similar to a certain extent.
I didn’t truly discover Benjamin’s true nature until we were mated at the age of eighteen.
Could it be possible that he had been a different person before? Did my return actually have an impact? If I could admit that I was capable of change now, didn’t that mean that people from my original timeline could change as well?
However, I couldn’t forget what was yet to come. His current
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attempts to show he cared were probably just a result of being told his whole life that I was his mate. He didn’t genuinely have feelings for me; he was simply angry that I was rejecting him seemingly without reason. But I knew better.
I knew that when Isabella arrived, he would forget all about me, just like he had in the past. I was about to turn back and apologize for my part in overreacting, but I never got the chance. Suddenly, several people emerged from the trees and surrounded us.
At that moment, I quickly realized that we were under attack.
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