Forest doesn’t say much when the recording stops. “That was cheap,” he tells Lissa. “Very cheap, and you know it. You sank low, Lissa.”
His tone is cold and detached, and it’s easy to see how embarrassed she is by the way she reacts. She tries to wrap her arms around him, but this time, I have had enough. I get to my feet, cock my head to the side and stare down at her, anger bubbling in my stomach. “You have some nerve,” I say slowly. My voice sounds cold even to my own ears. Maybe I should tone it down a little, but then, they didn’t call me Ice Queen for nothing, so I might as well own it. “To try and seduce my mate. What were you thinking? Did you think I would stand by, watching idly while you not only insult me, but also your future alpha and your future gamma? You should feel embarrassed.”
Lissa has grown pale, but Forest just stares at me through wide eyes before a smile lights up his face. He gets up, taking my hands and pulling me into a hug. I can barely contain my surprise, but somehow his body feels so warm and comforting, I instinctively sink into his arms. “You are amazing,” he exclaims.
“And what about me?” Griffin asks, spreading his arms towards us. “Am I not amazing?”
Forest turns his head to look at him. “A solid third.”
“Hey, why just a third?”
“Well, first there are my luna and me, and then you’d still need to battle it out with Martin.”
“Martin didn’t get that amazing recording, though.”
“Griffin, read the room.” Forest chuckles and lets go of me to take my hand in his. I have no idea if he even notices what he is doing. Everything seems to flow naturally with him right now, and I can’t help but let him sweep me with him. I knew he hadthat calm strength in him. I just didn’t know it would affect me in any way.
“Well, the room is watching and loves the show,” Griffin mutters.
Some pack members around us laugh. Meanwhile, I notice that Lissa has disappeared, and Harry looks majorly pissed off. I hear some whispers about Lissa around us, most of them sounding displeased. Yeah, she really shot herself in the foot with that, while I thank the goddess that Griffin had our backs. I never expected him to step up like that, but now I am glad that Forest filled him in on everything. He must have followed Lissa around like he promised he would, and probably saw her acting off.
Hopefully, he will tell us later how he got to that recording.
Before Forest and I can talk to Griffin, I go to the office and wait there for Nina. The young omega looked terrified when Lissa appeared, so I can only hope that she will open up to me.
That is, if she comes at all.
I shouldn’t have worried because not even half an hour after I arrived, there is a knock at the door. “Come in,” I say, smiling when I notice Nina. “You came!”
Nina stands in the door, her face pale, lips trembling. “I didn’t know if I should, but I also don’t know what else to do.”
She looks worse than I expected her to, making me get up immediately and walk towards her. What happened to the poor girl? “Did someone hurt you?” I ask, closing the door behind her. I reach out my hand to her, feeling relieved when she takes it and lets me guide her into the room. “Why don’t you sit down, darling? Here, have some tea.” I pour her a cup of steaming hot tea, handing it to her before sitting down next toher. For a moment, I completely forget about Lissa and focus on the woman next to me. “What are you so worried about?” I ask softly.
To my shock, she bursts into tears. “It’s just… I am so sorry, Luna… He didn’t know what to do.”
“Who didn’t know…” I pause, trying to put together who she would be so upset for. “Your mate?”
“He is a good man,” she sobs. “He is so sweet. He is a warrior and of a higher rank than I am, but he never looked down on me. Accepted me immediately.”
“He sounds like a great person,” I tell her.
“But not everyone likes that… a warrior mated to an omega.”
I blink, before a sinking feeling settles in. No way. Don’t tell me this terrible alpha and his failure of a luna meddled with relationships in the pack? Their elitist asses would totally do that. I have no doubt about that. “Withnot everyone,you mean the current alpha and luna.”
She stares at me, eyes wide.
“Unfortunately, I am not surprised,” I say bitterly. “Disappointed but not surprised. They are not right. You know that, don’t you? The goddess chooses our bonds, and she found you to be the perfect match for your mate. It’s absolutely irrelevant whether these two are against it or not. They are wrong, not you.”
“You really think that, Luna?” she asks quietly.
“I am convinced of it and will stand by what I say. No one will be looked down on or forced to reject their mates under my watch.” That’s a sentiment I learned from my parents, and I am glad I did. The mate bond didn’t turn out well for me, for whatever reason, but it doesn’t mean everyone else needs to suffer.
“It’s not just them,” she says quietly. “It’s also…” A pause. “Lissa,” she finally says with so much venom in her voice that it surprises me.
“What is she doing?” When Nina hesitates, I take her hand. “Nina, you saw what she did earlier this morning, didn’t you? I am sure you heard the commotion.”
Nina nods.
