There were a hundred better things Alpha King Elijah could be doing with his time, but instead, here he was, presiding over a glorified shouting match. The parents of the Cardinal Alphas sat at his long table, bickering like children.
Still, he didn’t mind. He rather enjoyed watching them devour one another.
The last time the High Houses united, they had birthed the Cardinal Alphas, a dream his brother and chief instigator of his misery, Alpha Angus, had tried yet failed to achieve.
So let them stay divided. He would feed the fire himself if he had to.
Irene Hale said, "This scandal has done irreparable damage to Lunaris Academy’s image. It’s not just about a school anymore, it’s about the credibility of our sons. Elsie Lancaster cannot remain as a bride option for my son."
"That is, if your son emerges as the heir," Alpha Henry pointedly reminded her that Griffin would have to defeat his own son, Asher. And in Henry’s arrogance, that could never happen.
"Heir or not, appearance is everything, and Elsie Lancaster is heavily affiliated with our sons," Leon Draven argued. "Elsie was supposed to be the perfect role model as our chosen Luna-to-be. What does it say when she’s at the center of such disgrace? I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Irene on this, she can’t remain a bride option."
The look that Henry gave Leon after those words was pure poison. They were supposed to be allies, and now the coward was jumping ship?
"So what then?" Henry sneered. "We throw Elsie away and roll out a carpet for that purple-haired whore? The one all our sons are sniffing around like dogs in heat?"
Elijah, who had thus far reclined with a bored expression, perked up, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"Excuse me?" he asked mildly.
Irene Hale cursed under her breath. She had been careful not to get Violet implicated in this, but of course, Henry obviously wanted that girl’s head rolling on the ground. That fucking bastard!
Elijah’s voice came again, quieter now, and far more dangerous. "What whore are we referring to?"
Irene spoke through clenched teeth. "Violet is not a whore, Alpha. Henry just uses that word for any gender that doesn’t have a dick between their legs. If that’s the case, I can’t help but wonder what he thought of his own mother."
Henry slammed a hand against the table, rising halfway from his seat. "You venomous little—"
"Sit," Elijah snapped, not even raising his voice. The command alone dropped the temperature in the room and Henry sank back into his chair, lips pressed tight.
"If you can’t have a civil discussion," Elijah continued, "I’ll make decisions without your input."
Zara Storm picked up where the tension left off. "What Henry means to say is that Violet Purple has become a distraction. Our sons are following her around like bewitched fools, and there’s even talk of a polygamous relationship."
Caspian grunted. "It’s ’polyandrous,’ not polygamous."
"Don’t correct me!" Zara hissed at her husband, shutting the man off successfully. This situation was frustrating already, and he was correcting her? If he had the energy, he should be bringing their son back to his senses.
Elijah leaned back, stroking the edge of his jaw in thought. "Violet Purple," he repeated softly, tasting the name. "That’s one interesting name,"
Irene said at once. "I believe we were talking about Elsie.This isn’t the time to discuss other distractions. After all, we’re here to determine how to reduce the damage to Lunaris Academy."
She had purposefully shifted the attention away from Violet. Irene didn’t like the gleam in Elijah’s eyes at the mention of the girl’s name.
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