Chapter 92

Olivia POV

“He seems to know you,” Elroy said, and there was some accusation in his tone.

“I promise I have no idea—”

“Alphas! Betas! Omegas! And ladies and gentlemen!” the man said, his voice easily reaching over the chamber music to every corner of the room.

Elroy signaled for the music to stop, and the man nodded with approval. He truly was ridiculously handsome and looked like a pirate straight from the movie screen. I thought perhaps he was a performer someone had hired to liven up the night, and though I didn’t like the idea of someone springing such a surprise, I waited for him to juggle or sing a ballad.

“I have waited so long to stand among you,” he continued. “You have no idea what this night means to me.”

He paused and seemed pleased at the puzzled expressions turned his way.

“You see, many years ago, I was rescued by a lovely alpha woman, and ever since then I have been seeking my path into her affection.” He threw a broad wink at the crowd and said the next bit while theatrically turning in a circle, his left arm raised high. “And into her arms, of course.”

There were a few uncertain laughs. He could have said something cruder, I suppose, but I still didn’t really get what he was doing. Was this a scene from a play?

“But my story begins many years further back!” he boomed out next. “You see, my father had two sons, two males born to rule. The eldest should have led the pack.” He made a little bow.

“But that was not to be, for I am not an Alpha! My younger brother, being an ideal Alpha, you see, he was the one our father and our people decided should rule the pack.”

Beside me, I felt Elroy growing tense.

“So, there I was, a young lad without anyone to support me. Callously, even contemptuously, I was abandoned in the wilderness outside the city walls.” He seemed to grow reflexive and looked down at the ground. “I should have died, I suppose.”

His head snapped up, and his dark eyes flashed. “But I lived! A pack of Rogues found me, you see, and at first I was afraid of them. From the stories I’d been told, I expected they would eat me up!

“But instead they took me to their bosom.” He folded his hand over his heart. “They became my new family.”

Elroy was as tense as a bowstring now, and I heard him breathing deeply. Something was obviously wrong, but what did this odd man’s performance have to do with Elroy?

“You should have seen my new mother and father. They were so splendid! Strong and powerful wolves, they taught me to survive in the wilderness. It felt to my young spirit that we ruled the land!”

His voice dropped low again. “And in many ways, we did rule. Wolves came to us from all continents, all walks of life. They pledged loyalty to my family, and soon there were none who could stand in our way.

“Alas, when I was older, my family was hunted and killed for sport by some nobleman of the of the Opal Pack. I learned he skinned them alive and hung their pelts on his walls.”

OK, this was getting very odd now. The Opal Pack lived far from Lunaris, but we had all heard about the attack by Rouge werewolves who basically whipped them out several years ago. Why was this actor bringing up something so horrible?

“I swore that day I would avenge my Rogue family by laying waste to the lords and ladies who had left me to die in the woods as a child, who looked down on my people and killed a family so they could brag about their so-called strength and prowess! I would see them all dead!”

His voice echoed through the room as everyone stared at him in horror. But then his whole form seemed to soften, and his voice came out as a gentle lilt. “All but one, the beautiful Alpha female who had saved me with her silver light. The woman who sits in her Lily Room and has no idea the power she will wield and the difference we will make together.”

He looked at me and then bowed deeply, making several people gasp.

“Come with me, Lady Olivia,” he urged, looking up with his hand stretched toward me. “I have gathered an army of Rogue werewolves who call me their king. Come with me and rule them by my side.”

I was about to demand just what sort of joke this was when Elroy snarled. It took me a minute to realize he’d said a name.

“Denis.”

“At your service, dear brother.”

“You have murdered hundreds of our kind,” Elroy snapped, looking over to the guards at the door to get them to take “Denis” into custody. They moved forward, but they weren’t alone. Others in the crowd were moving about, and some I had thought were servants were producing knives. “You’re a criminal, and you dare to come in here and make this nauseating proposal to my Luna?”

Denis shrugged, and just like that a circle of wolves stood around him, protecting him. Then he turned away from Elroy and looked at me with pleading eyes.

“Come, my love. After my people have given me Lunaris, rule the people with me. Fulfill the promise you made to me once by saving my life, and live the life you are destined for.”

“I don’t have a clue who you are!” I shouted, suddenly full of rage. “And I certainly never saved your life or made you any promise!”

He actually looked wounded. “Do you not remember me, my love?”

“Stop calling me that!” I looked around to demand the guards take action, but until a few minute ago it had been a high-class party. There just that many guards to protect us from this mad wolf.

“I’ll see you dead for this insult, Denis,” Elroy said, moving his body between me and the Rogue King.

“I think rather it shall be I who sees you dead, brother.”

“Olivia is not your love, and I am not your brother!” Elroy moved away from me slightly, and I realized he was going to shift.

But in the blink of an eye, Denis transformed into a brilliantly white wolf. He leapt back to be surrounded by his soldiers. Together, they snarled and swiped their claws at some of the wolves nearby, who screamed and ran back, obscuring Denis and his wolves.

Elroy ran into the crowd wearing his black wolf form, but when I could see anything again, Elroy, Denis, the guards, and the Rogues had all gone. I heard screams from beyond the room and great crashing noises.

Then it all went silent.

I looked around desperately, and Jordan was there at my side.

“Are you all right, Luna?”

“What was that?” I gasped out, looking around for Elroy and finding nothing but frightened and angry guests. A flash of red drew my eye. An omega male had been wounded.

Something inside me took over, and I met Sam’s eyes.

“Get medics in here,” I ordered. I looked to a tall beta woman on my right. “Get people to help you and look over the guests to see who needs medical attention.”

“Yes, Luna,” she said before grabbing another woman’s hand.

“I’m here, Luna,” Apothecary Iris said as she rushed into the room. I wasn’t sure why she hadn’t been at the banquet, but questions could be asked later.

I had my mouth open to tell her to sort the wounded when there was a stir at the main entrance. A grim-looking Elroy had returned.

“Mother, lead the others in helping everyone,” he snapped. Then his eyes locked on mine.

“We need to talk, Olivia.”

Not long ago, I suppose I would have quailed at his tone, but I nodded instead.

“Yes, we do.”