CHAPTER 7:ALPHA IN CONFLICT

CAMERON'S POV The council chamber was oddly silent, a rare and ominous thing among the pack elders. They were know for their ability to voice their concern any day anywhere, yet today they all sat still, their stern gazes fixed on me as they sit around the long rectangular table. “Alpha Cameron,” Elder Marcus finally began, his deep voice breaking the quietness. “We’ve given you time to manage this situation with your mate, but it seems to us that no progress has been made.” “She rejected him outright,” Elder Lorna interjected sharply, her sharp gray eyes narrowing. “It's unheard of, an Alpha rejected by his own mate and I found out she stole her pack's sacred item that's why she was banished. The pack will start to question your strength if you don’t take control.” My jaw clenched as I met her accusing glare. I respected the elders, but their judging is kinda too much. They didn’t understand Emilia. They didn’t know what she’d endured, and to say the truth, they didn’t care. “This is not about strength,” I said evenly, though my frustration simmered just below the surface. “Emilia is… complicated. She’s been through more than you could realize, and forcing her to accept this bond won’t solve anything.” “It’s not just about her, Cameron,” Elder Marcus said, his tone firm but not kind, he'd always gone against me. “The pack is watching. They need to see unity, strength, and stability from their Alpha. A mate brings balance to an Alpha, and without her by your side, doubt will fester.” He was my father's elder brother, so I quite understand the hatred towards me. “Do you think I don’t know that?” I snapped, my control slipping. “Do you think I don’t feel the weight of this bond every second of every day? I’m doing what I can, but I won’t force her into something she doesn’t want.” “That’s admirable, Cameron,” Lorna said, though her tone was anything but approving. “But admirable doesn’t keep a pack in line. If she refuses to stand with you, what then? Will you remain bound to someone who undermines your authority. There are lots of girls outside that will kill to be..." “I’ll handle it,” I slammed my palm on the long table startling them all and said through gritted teeth. “This is my responsibility, and I’ll find a way to resolve it.” The elders exchanged glances, their eyes everywhere but not on me. I'm sure they know they have strike a cord deep within me. As I left the chamber, their warnings replayed in my mind. The bond between an Alpha and their mate was sacred, a source of strength that bolstered not only the Alpha but the entire pack. Without Emilia by my side, I could already feel the cracks forming—whispers of doubt, questions about my ability to lead. But what could I do? Emilia’s rejection wasn’t just stubbornness; it was pain, fear, and something deeper that I hadn’t yet uncovered. I found myself outside her room before I even realized where my feet had taken me. Taking a deep breath, I knocked lightly and waited. When there was no answer, I pushed the door open. She was sitting by the window, her back to me, staring out at the forest beyond the pack. The golden yellow light of the setting sun framed her figure, making her look both fragile and fierce at the same time. “What do you want?” she asked without turning around. “To talk,” I said simply, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. She sighed and finally looked at me, her dark eyes wary. “If you’re here to convince me to stay, don’t bother. My answer hasn’t changed.” I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. “I’m not here to convince you. I just want to understand.” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Understand what?” “Why you hate this bond so much,” I said, meeting her gaze steadily. “Why you hate me, when we’ve barely even spoken.” She flinched at that, her defenses slipping for a brief moment before she hardened again. “I don’t hate you. I just don’t believe in this… mate nonsense. I don’t want to be tied to someone because of some cosmic joke.” “It’s not a joke,” I said quietly. “It’s fate.” “Fate,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “Fate didn’t help me when I was a maid, scrubbing floors and serving people who didn’t even know my name. Fate didn’t save me when I was beaten for things I didn’t do. So excuse me if I don’t put much stock in fate.” Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d suspected she’d had a hard life, but hearing it from her own lips was something else entirely. “I’m sorry,” I said after a long pause. “I didn’t know.” “Of course, you didn’t,” she said bitterly. “Why would you? You’re an Alpha, used to people bowing at your feet. You don’t know what it’s like to feel powerless, to have your life controlled by others.” “You’re wrong,” I said, surprising even myself. “I may not have lived your life, but I know what it’s like to feel trapped by expectations, to have your choices taken away.” She looked at me skeptically. “You? Trapped? Please.” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t ask to be Alpha,” I admitted, my voice low. “I didn’t ask for the weight of this pack, the endless decisions, the responsibility for every life under my rule. But it’s my duty, and I do it because I care about them. Just like I care about you.” Her eyes widened slightly, and I saw the faintest flicker of something—doubt, maybe even hope—before she pushed it away. “Don’t. Don’t pretend you care about me. You don’t even know me.” “I want to,” I said firmly. “But you won’t let me in.” She stood abruptly, turning away from me. “Because it doesn’t matter. None of this matters. I’m not staying, Cameron. I don’t belong here.” “Why not?” I demanded, stepping closer. “What are you so afraid of?” “I’m not afraid!” she snapped, spinning to face me. But her voice wavered, and I saw the cracks in her armor. “Yes, you are,” I said, my tone softening. “You’re afraid of letting someone care for you, of being vulnerable. You’ve been hurt so much that you’ve convinced yourself it’s easier to push everyone away.” “Stop,” she whispered, her voice breaking. But I couldn’t stop. I needed her to see that she wasn’t alone. “You’re not weak, Emilia. You’ve survived so much, and that makes you stronger than you realize. But you don’t have to keep fighting alone. Let me fight with you.” Her shoulders trembled, and for a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to her. But then she shook her head, her expression hardening once more. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t even have a wolf.” The words hung in the air, heavy and shocking. “What?” I said, my mind racing. She doesn't have a wolf? “I don’t have a wolf,” she repeated, her tone bitter. “I never shifted. I never felt the connection that everyone else does. I’m just… broken.” “No,” I said immediately, stepping closer. “You’re not broken, Emilia.” She laughed bitterly. “Then what am I? A freak? A human pretending to belong in a world I was never meant to be part of?” “You’re my mate,” I said firmly, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “Wolf or no wolf, you’re mine. And I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away, her jaw tightening. “You should care. Your pack won’t accept someone like me. The elders already hate me. I’ll only make things harder for you.” “Let me worry about the pack,” I said, my voice unwavering. “All I care about is you.” She stared at me, her defenses crumbling bit by bit. But before she could say anything, she pulled away, retreating back toward the window. “I need time,” she said quietly. I nodded, though every instinct in me screamed to pull her close and never let her go. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.” As I left her room, her words echoed in my mind: I don’t have a wolf. Is it really encouraging to have a wolf less mate by my side knowing all the ruckus going on?