Chapter 2 Strongest

Aria's POV

"Did you see his face?" I burst into laughter the second I step into my mother's sitting room. "I swear, Mother, I thought his head was going to explode."

My mother chuckles behind her tea cup, shaking her head. "You certainly have a talent for testing your father's patience."

I flop onto the velvet couch, grinning. "It's not my fault he refuses to acknowledge pure greatness when it's sitting right in front of him."

She rolls her eyes but can't quite hide her amusement. "Aria, you do realize your father is never going to accept you as Alpha, right?"

I wave a hand. "Yet. He's never going to accept me yet."

Mother sighs, but before she can reply, a sharp gust of wind suddenly rushes through the room, sending the tea cups clattering to the floor.

Every hair on my body stands on end.

Mother's eyes widen, and before either of us can react, a black-cloaked figure appears in a blur, standing right behind her, the person has a male figure, his clothes covered every single part of his body.

And he's got power crackling in his hands.

Oh, hell no.

Before he can release whatever deadly spell he's about to use, I act on instinct.

A deep surge of energy erupts from within me, roaring like a wild storm. I don't even think, I just released it all at once.

A blinding flash of silver light explodes from my hands, colliding with the assassin just as he tries to strike.

The impact sends him flying across the room, slamming into the bookshelf. Hard.

The books crash to the floor, dust filling the air. I breathe heavily, my heart hammering in my chest, watching as the figure groans and tries to get up.

Not happening.

I flick my wrist, and an invisible force wraps around his throat, pinning him to the ground.

Mother stares at me, stunned.

"...You were saying?" I smirk.

She blinks, then regains her composure, stepping over the broken tea set like nothing happened. She kneels beside the struggling spy, her usual calm expression darkening.

"Who sent you?" she asks coldly.

The spy chokes but doesn't answer.

I roll my eyes. "You guys always make this more difficult than it has to be."

With another flick of my fingers, I tighten my grip on his throat, though not enough to kill him, just enough to make it very clear that I'm not in the mood for games.

"Start talking, or I swear I'll make your death the most painful experience of your life." I tilt my head. "And trust me, I can get creative."

The assassin gasps for air, eyes darting between my mother and me, probably realizing just how screwed he is.

Finally, he coughs out one word.

"...Council..."

I freeze.

Mother's expression turns sharp. "The Council?"

He lets out a strangled breath, nodding weakly. A heavy silence fills the room.

Then, before I can demand more answers... The spy's body goes limp.

I jump back as his eyes roll into the back of his head, his skin suddenly turning ashen.

"What the hell?" I hiss, watching as dark veins spread across his face.

Mother touches his wrist, then curses under her breath. "Dead. He must have had a poison seal embedded in him,and it will be triggered the moment he talked."

I exhale sharply. "So let me get this straight. The Council sent a spy to assassinate you?"

Mother nods grimly. "It seems that way."

I grin. "Well, this is fantastic timing."

She frowns. "Aria, this isn't a joke. This is serious."

"Oh, I know," I say cheerfully. "And that's exactly why I'm going to use it to my advantage."

****

I'm still smiling when Father slams his hands on the grand oak table.

"An attack on the Luna, in our own home is an act of war!" he roars, his voice echoing through the Council chamber.

Around the long table, the Elders and Beta wolves of the pack sit stiffly, exchanging uneasy glances.

"The assassin was a spy from the Council," Mother adds, her calm tone almost more terrifying than Father's rage.

Murmurs break out among the Council members.

"What does this mean?" Elder Colin frowns. "Would the Council truly move against us?"

"It's clear they don't want us in power anymore," Father growls. "But they made one fatal mistake."

I smirk. "They underestimated me."

The entire room turns to me. Father groans. "Aria.."

I raise my hand. "No, no, hear me out. This is the perfect moment to prove something."

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table, my smirk widening. "I killed the spy. None of your highly trained warriors did. I did."

They were all silently listening.

I continue, my voice confident. "If I hadn't been there, the Luna would be dead. And what does that tell you?" I tilt my head, raising an eyebrow.

Elder Morgan clears his throat. "That you...acted recklessly and got lucky?"

I roll my eyes. "No, that I have what it takes to lead."

The room falls deathly silent.

Then....

Laughter. Deep, hearty laughter.

I glare as some of the Elders chuckle, shaking their heads like I just told the funniest joke ever.

One of them, an old grumpy bastard named Elder Magnusson, smirks at me. "A female Alpha?" He scoffs. "That's adorable."

Oh, he did NOT just say that.

I stand up so fast my chair scrapes loudly against the floor. "What's so funny?" I say sweetly. "Is it the fact that I'm stronger than half the idiots you've been training?"

Magnusson chuckles. "You may be powerful, girl, but power alone does not make an Alpha."

"Then what does?" I snap.

The Elders exchange amused glances.

"Experience."

"Wisdom."

"Command over an army."

I snort. "None of which the morons you're considering have, either."

Elder Colin leans back. "You're a child, Aria. You are hotheaded, reckless, and impulsive. You'd burn this pack to the ground in a week."

I grit my teeth. "At least I'd burn it down with style."

Father pinches the bridge of his nose like he's about to have a stroke. meanwhile, my mother was fighting a smile.

I sigh dramatically. "Alright, fine. If none of you want a badass, powerful, intelligent female Alpha, that's your loss."

I turn to leave, but pause at the door.

"Oh, and one last thing," I add, glancing over my shoulder. "The next time an assassin tries to kill my mother, I won't be so nice."

Then, with the dramatic exit I absolutely deserve, I flip my hair and strut out of the chamber.