Mikael had shot daggers at anyone who so much as opened their mouth while the little Luna attended to her people. Expected, because of the new mate bond, but still out of character for him. The man who likes to sit back and watch as a shitstorm brews then unfurls in front of him, allowing her to have a moment of peace amid the brewing calamity. This game was becoming more interesting by the second.
I watched as she fawned over her Councilmen, tending to their insignificant wounds. She paid special attention to the blonde, whose eyes reminded me of fresh honey. Carefully maintained stubble defined his jaw and cheeks, giving him a ruggedly handsome appearance. Along with his powerful build, it wasn't hard to deduce that he would be an ideal candidate for a chosen mate of the Luna's.
My blood simmered at the thought of how this perfect Luna was taken from me by Mikael. I looked over to him and was thrilled at how stiff he was, his nostrils flaring and hands digging into his arms in barely contained anger as he watched his mate tend to her Councilman so affectionately. I chuckled and smiled; I suppose it's time to stir the pot.
"What is your relationship to that one, little princess?" I could barely hold my mirth as Mikael seemed to stop breathing while awaiting her answer. I tilted my head, raising my eyebrows in expectation of an answer, making her narrow her eyes further. Oh, how I would enjoy breaking her.
"He's my Councilman, one of my most trusted advisors. A trusted member of our community, and your men seemed to take particular care in injuring him." She glared around the room, making the generals shrink back as they recalled her outbursts of aura just a few minutes ago. I nodded, a smile still on my face.
"And that explains why you were holding his face so tenderly mere moments ago, much like a girl in love." I cocked an eyebrow in challenge, her eyes coming back to settle on me. Her nostrils flared and eyes flashed, she was clearly pissed off with my prodding as to why she was behaving so intimately with someone other than her mate.
"How I treat my civilians with care must be so foreign to you, your highness, since you seem to treat them no better than the dirt under your shoe." Her voice dripped sarcasm, which excited me all the more, "However, I treat each one as for what they are. People. People in need of care, no less. Whether it is setting bones and providing comfort, or cleaning a scraped knee, my civilians are treated with the same level of care. I see them as my equal, not as my lesser."
Mikael's stiff posture relaxed ever so slightly, and Adrian looked at her with a level of respect I hadn't seen from him in a long time. I would change that in due time, I can't have someone like him holding respect for her. Not when I will be taking her as mine.
"It seems very…intimate, how you care for your civilians. Especially him, it was as if you tuned all of us out and it was just you two in here having a moment." I enjoyed goading her, her reactions were sweet beyond words.
"Are you deaf? Or are you ignoring what I said on purpose?" She cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head, letting me know she had caught on. Clever little minx.
"Alright, enough trying to get a reaction out of her Lucien. Let's begin the meeting that we were all called here for, as long as that is agreeable Luna?" Adrian held up his hands in a gesture to stop the exhilarating exchange. She nodded her head, and I gestured for him to continue.
"We have a pack of white wolves racing towards us as we speak. They've killed over two dozen of our warriors, leaving no survivors. Luna, I assume you know who this belong belongs to?" She nodded, her mouth set in a grim line as she made her way to the wall behind Adrian, which held a massive map.
"The Ice Claw pack is an ally of ours, they must have heard of the invasion somehow. Tundra wolves from the Northern boundary," she gestured to a large area marked in a light blue, "they are unstoppable once set to a mission. The only way for them to stop is for me to go out and meet them."
"Not going to happen." Mikael shot down the idea without hesitation, his voice sharp. She whipped around and set her hands on the table in front of her.
"And why not?" She snapped back at him, anger rolling off her body. So much anger in such a small body…
"You think I'm going to let my mate out to meet another pack of wolves? It's out of the question."
"You severely underestimate their desire to kill to protect her." Her special Councilman stood on shaky feet, limping towards the Luna. "Every pack within our allied communities have sent their best warriors to her defense. They have been running nonstop for hours, the only thing they know is that she's in danger. It is protect her or die trying."
"He's right, every pack that has pledged allegiance to us is on their way. With their support, your armies would've been outnumbered even if you," the other Councilman narrowed his eyes at Mikael, "hadn't made it over the walls and skirted past our defensive measures. The only way to stop them is to present the Luna and have her declare that she is well."
"Who notified your allies that she was in danger?" I asked, watching the two men as they subconsciously moved to flank her. They looked to her then each other, their mouths forming grim lines. They had a silent conversation, then her favourite nodded slowly, turning to face the room.
"The Goddess. She sent out a blast of the Luna's last words before your men stormed the temple."
Things became more interesting by the second here. I would have her by my side, there was no doubt about it.