Ezra
"No, I will not do that."
The words left my mouth before I could think twice but I made sure to keep my voice clear. I didn't stutter. For some reason, I just couldn't contain it anymore. Whatever the ranks looked like here, it wasn't enough reason for him to demean me in that manner.
Every single alpha at the table froze.
Alpha Xenon's eyes looked like I had spat on my hands and rubbed the residue on his face. The atmosphere was charged with tension and I could feel his aura strongly from where I sat but I couldn't care less.
I leaned forward slightly.
"How would you feel," I asked, "if I walked up to you and told you that you weren't allowed to have an opinion?"
Xenon looked like he might explode.
But I kept going.
"Imagine for a second that you were among the lowest ranks here. A beta. Or an omega. You have thoughts, feelings, things that matter to you, but you can't voice them because some pompous alpha says you shouldn't speak."
Alpha William's jaw actually dropped a little.
Alpha Richard blinked hard, like he wasn't sure this was happening. At one point, I thought he'd draw out a pen and start jotting down his new discovery.
Alpha Allen… stared at me with that same unreadable expression.
"Do you see how outrageous it sounds?" I asked, looking straight at alpha Xenon.
"Because that's exactly how all of you sound right now."
For a full second, nobody inhaled anything.
Then Xenon stood so fast his chair slammed into the wall behind him.
"How," he growled, "dare you compare me to a lowlife omega?"
Then I felt an aura so powerful, I was sure it had enough power to bring down this entire room. The ground began rumbling and cutleries began falling off the ground. His aura pinned me directly to the chair, I couldn't move my body even an inch.
Xenon's body shifted, his eyes blazed with fury and his body transformed.
He wasn't fully beast, but he wasn't fully alpha either. He was something in between.
"Sit down," Alpha William warned him, but even William's voice did nothing to stop him.
Xenon ignored everyone. His eyes were glowing.
I tried to speak, but the strength of his aura still pinned me to the chair.
"You insolent omega," he snarled. "I will—"
A thick smoke rose from the air and it had the form of a tiger. A bolt of lightning suddenly flew from the smoke.
I flinched, certain that was it. I was cooked and there was no saving me now. I closed my eyes, waiting to disappear from the surface of the earth. One, two, three…..
But it never reached me.
Alpha Allen suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
And I mean literally appeared out of nowhere.
He blocked the strike with one hand like it was child's play.
Something changed in his eyes and Xenon was pushed back immediately.
"Enough!" Allen's voice thundered across the hall. "What are you doing, Xenon? Have you gone mad?"
Xenon's clawed hand twitched. "Do not stand in my way."
"I will stand in your way," Allen snapped, stepping directly in front of him.
"I will stand in your way every time you think of touching him."
Xenon's lip curled. "He's not marked yet. We can do away with him and find a better omega. One who knows his place."
"Say that again," Allen said, his voice low and dangerous. "And I will make sure you regret it."
The room shook. For a moment, I thought they would fight. Really fight.
Alpha William finally stood, pushing his chair back like he wasn't about to kill me a few seconds ago as well.
"Xenon," he said, "control your temper. You almost killed him."
Xenon scoffed. "He insulted us all."
Richard looked at me. His expression wasn't angry like Xenon's but they held their own tightness.
"Ezra," he said, "apologize."
I looked at Allen. He met my eyes and gave a small nod.
My pride wanted to resist, but I wasn't stupid. Alpha Xenon had barely transformed and he was this destructive. I had a feeling that the power he showed just now wasn't even a quarter of his strength.
So I let out a slow breath.
"I apologize," I said quietly.
Xenon stared at me for a long, mind boggling moment. Then he shifted back into his normal form. But his anger was still written all over his face.
Without another word, he stormed out of the hall.
Alpha William exhaled. "Xenon has gone too far," he muttered.
Richard sat again. "He'll calm down."
Allen turned to me. "Ezra. Come with me."
His tone wasn't harsh but I knew if I didn't follow him, what alpha Xenon did to me would be nothing in comparison.
The maids at the door stepped aside as he walked past them without slowing down. I followed him through the hall, down a corridor, and up a flight of stairs. My heart was beating. I could almost hear it. What the hell was I thinking of challenging Xenon like that?
Allen finally stopped in front of a tall black door.
"Inside," he said.
I stepped in first. The room was large, neat, and really beautiful. His bed was covered in dark sheets and you could almost taste his scent in the atmosphere. A few weapons hung on the wall as well. The windows were open too.
Allen closed the door behind us.
He didn't speak at first. He just looked at me.
"You shouldn't have spoken like that," he said finally. "You could've been killed."
"I know," I said. "But I wasn't wrong."
Allen's mouth twitched like he wanted to argue but couldn't. "You are bold Ezra."
"Is that a bad thing?"
His eyes softened. "Not for me."
My heart skipped.
"But Xenon will not tolerate you talking back at him," Allen continued. "You cannot push him like that again."
"I wasn't going to let him treat me like a kid," I muttered.
Allen let out a low breath, almost like he was about to laugh. "You're impossible."
He walked closer. Close enough that I could smell him. He smelt warm, clean. His scent smelled strongly of honey and fresh flowers.
"Come," he said. "I need to make sure you weren't hurt."
I walked up to him with shaky legs.
He pulled me close and I was almost breathless. He checked my arms, my neck, my chest. He was so gentle, but careful. His fingers brushed my skin and it sent tiny shivers through me.
"You're fine," he said in a tantalizingly husky voice. "Good."
"This is my room," he said quietly. "From now on, if anything happens, you come to me. Always."
I swallowed hard. "Okay."
"Good."
He stared at me with those eyes and I could feel warm sensations all over my body.
He took a deep breath, as if restraining himself and pulled away from me.
Then walked to the door and opened it. "Come back later. I'm not done talking to you yet but I have a few things that require my attention at the king's chambers."
I nodded.
I walked out of the room feeling all shades of red but I could have sworn that I felt Alpha Allen's erection when he held me. I didn't get to see it but I could tell that he was hugeeee!
At this point, I might as well just accept it—there was a huge chance that I was gay.
I should have gone straight to my room afterwards, but I didn't and in the next few minutes, I'll find out why it was a very very bad idea.