"Cade!",Riven barked out the minute he emerged from his room.
Cade had been standing close by, waiting for him to come out.
"Yes Alpha", he responded instantly and moved his body away from the wall he had been leaning on.
"Get me Alex. And let the rest of the shifters gather at the meeting room. Immediately!".
"On it Alpha",Cade said and his eyes turned blurry as he mind linked the entire shifters. Caleb joined him and they both followed Riven to the meeting room, a large open room where Riven always held impromptu meetings concerning the pack.
Caleb moved further and opened the door quickly, holding his breath as Riven walked through. The aura surrounding Riven was so dangerous and scary and this only proved how furious he was.
Riven settled on one of the chairs in the room. It was a large golden throne seat with a similar one beside it. The other was for his mate and she would sit beside him someday as the Luna of his pack.
Cade and Caleb stood on either side of him and watched as the remaining shifters arrived. The atmosphere of the room was thick and oppressive.
Suddenly Alex and Cara were shoved into the room through the crowd of shifters. Alex remained quiet, his face looking pale with fear while Cara cursed at the lycan that pushed her in.
"Riven!",she said sharply. "I will not tolerate this kind of treatment from your pack. For the love of the goddess, I deserve their respect. For an Alpha's daughter to be treated this way, it's terrible and my father wouldn't hesitate to..."
"Who let this woman in?",Riven asked coldly, his hard voice cutting off Cara's rambling.
"Riven...",Cara stuttered at the rude interruption. "Why..."
"Get out Cara! Go back to your father's pack", Riven said icily. Cara gasped and the room went totally quiet. Her lips trembled, opening and closing repeatedly without forming any coherent word. She had never been treated this way by Riven so it came as a shock to her.
Cade quickly bent and whispered the incident that occured to Riven. Riven's eyes turned furious again and he snapped his head around towards Cara.
"HOW DARE YOU CARA?",he roared at her and shot out of his seat. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY MATE?".
Cara's temper piqued when she realized Riven was treating her coldly because of the mute brat up in his room.
"So this is because of her?",she asked in anger, staring back at Riven defiantly. "You've suddenly turned cold to me because of the trash you picked from the ocean a few days ago?"
Riven's golden eyes flickered furiously. The pupils turned from red to gold and back to red again. He was losing it.
He lunged from his sit and reached out to strike her with his hands that had shifted halfway. Cade was quick enough to hold him back and he only scratched her face with his claws. Cara screamed and tried to shield herself from Riven's wrath. Blood sprayed out from the open wound and it took a longer time for her to heal.
"Alpha please.... control your beast",Cade pleaded, his neck strained with the pressure he exerted in holding Riven back.
Riven's eyes were still flickering from red to gold and it proved that he was having a hard time controlling the beast within him. He was furious, and his beast was raging mad that his mate had been treated badly by this woman.
"THROW HER IN THE DUNGEONS!",Riven roared in rage. "And torture her until she begs for her life".
"You can't do this Riven. I am not some slave to be tortured at your will!",Cara screamed as she was dragged away by two powerful lycans. She couldn't fight them off. Her voice continued to scream out as she was taken to the dungeons. "You will regret this Riven! My father will not tolerate this ill treatment!".
The room was deathly quiet after Cara's screams died down. Riven turned his furious eyes towards Alex and the shifter cowered under the murderous glare of the Alpha.
"Take this one away from my sight!",Riven spat viciously. "Lock him up and starve him for a week. That should teach him never to disobey my orders!".
Alex didn't say a word as he was dragged away from the room. He was lucky to be given such punishment. If the Alpha had been in a mood to kill, he would have been dead by now.
Riven shut his eyes and tried to control his beast. It was difficult. His beast wanted to kill. Wanted to rip through the hearts of the perpetrators. Wanted to feel the blood soaking his fur. But he couldn't do all that. Not with his mate in the mansion.
"I will only say this once",he began to address the crowd of shifters. He opened his eyes and they were calm again. He looked round the sea of shifters and made it clear to them.
"You are all aware of the arrival of my mate, after so many centuries of waiting. Let it be known to you all that she is your Supreme Luna. I shall crown her when she is ready but She. Is. Your. Supreme. Luna",Riven enunciated the words so it would sink into their thick heads.
"You will give her the same respect you give to me. You will address her as your Luna because no one else takes her place. You will swear your allegiance to her and protect her with your lives. And if anyone tries to hurt her, he will wish for death and won't find it. Have I made my orders clear?".
"YES ALPHA!",the response was loud and sharp. No one would dare dispute the Supreme Alpha's orders. Unless they were ready to end their lives.
"Cade",Riven called sharply.
"Yes Alpha",Cade's response was prompt.
"Send word to Alpha Dave",he said crisply, referring to Cara's father. "Let him know of the atrocities his daughter has commited".
"On it Alpha",Cade said and exited the room.
Riven suddenly felt tired. He needed to see his mate. He needed her sweet scent to soothe him. Henrietta would be waiting with the potions now.
"Dismissed",he said to the shifters and they all struggled to move out and escape the oppressive atmosphere Riven had created. It was like having your breath seized from your lungs and they couldn't be more happy to be out of the meeting room.
Caleb remained beside the Alpha, waiting for any other orders.
"Caleb reschedule the meeting with the Ancient Shifters. I won't be available for them through out today",Riven said and got up form his throne.
"Yes Alpha",Caleb said walked out behind Riven.
...
Layla sat on Riven's large bed looking clean and refreshed. Henrietta had discarded the awful sac and given her one of Riven's large t-shirts. It completely covered her body, stopping a little above her knees. Her sprained hand was cradled in her other arm and she wouldn't let Henrietta touch it. She only wanted Riven. Her hair had been washed and dried, combed back from her face. She looked a lot better than she did days ago. Her body was slowly regaining its lost flesh with the endless food Riven provided for her. Her skin shone brightly, as smooth as a river pearl. Her vibrant gray eyes were no longer downcast. They sparkled with questions.
Henrietta emerged from the bathroom and smiled at Layla.
"You look so beautiful sweet child",she said softly. Layla lowered her eyes, not used to such words. No one had ever told her she looked beautiful.
"You don't have to be shy my dear. You're safe here with us",Henrietta said and moved closer to Layla. She began to wonder why she never spoke.
"What's your name?",she asked softly.
Layla looked down again, her eyes looking dejected. This was what she had been dreading. How would she tell them she couldn't speak.
"It's okay. You can talk to me",Henrietta said. "I'm a very good friend of Riven. I know you don't trust me yet, I understand. I can tell you've been through so much. But the people here are kind, and so is Riven".
Layla knew Riven was kind. He had proven it to her countless times. That was why she trusted him. And she only wished her voice could be heard.
She was about to mime to Henrietta that she couldn't speak when the door opened and Riven walked in.
Their eyes met and Layla felt shivers run down her body.