Souls Entwined

Chapter Five

Chapter Five
Kaden's POV 

She had been so carefree in the dim lights of the party, a real, genuine smile gracing her lips and an untroubled look lighting her eyes. It was the kind of smile she so rarely offered to me.

More than once, our eyes had met across the room. I'd cursed the line of alphas and lunas keeping me occupied as she'd spent her night dancing with enjoyment, the stress of the past few weeks visibly washing away.

I could only be grateful that she hadn't looked across the room enough times to know just how mesmerised I had been by her—totally mesmerised as she moved around the dancefloor, immersing herself into the spellbound crowd.

I had all but sat back and conjured up ways to bring back that carefree smile in my own way. It was my distraction as the alphas and lunas held my time captive with nice pleasantries and hidden motives that were sure to be evident as the week progressed.

'Why are we even entertaining the thought?'

Her fear had shaken my core as ruthlessly as it had hers. I had taken every resolve to force myself to finish my conversation with the Alpha and Luna of the Flavo Calendis pack. I finished my pleasantries before excusing myself to go to her.

'It's not traditional, but neither is the situation.'

Elle had needed the break. She had been working hard to find her place in the pack, studying the laws and customs of traditions. I'd caught her reading the conference regulations four times, taking notes and consolidating them. She would find new questions to ask each time, vying to become an expert on the topic before she faced the experience head-on.

'Would the goddess approve of a blood promise?'

It showed how much she cared and her need to be perfect for the role before she came close to considering herself fit. I did not doubt that she would turn it away if she considered herself a poor option, even though I'd seen it in the way she commanded herself in a room. She had been picked for a reason, and I was running out of ways to help her see that.

'Kaden Delossa, you've come to us with a request, yet you've hardly defended the suggestion.'

I cleared my throat, focusing my thoughts so they no longer wandered. 'Forgive me if you expected me to come up with your answer. I am willing to answer any questions you have regarding her. I am sure you have a few.'

The elder on the right exploded from his seat, razing his fist against the wooden panel. 'A few!' He shouted. 'You are asking us to blindly allow this human into our conferences as though she were one of us!'

'Elliot is my soulmate, and as such, she is to be Luna of the Vermiculo pack, which makes her one of us. The Potestate Dominii ritual will pass the power of sovereignty onto me, and I will be Alpha of the Vermiculo pack by next week. She has the right to be here as future Luna, just as any other does.'

'It is not her claim to lunaship, which we doubt. Your loyalty to her is proof enough that you are indeed fated. However, there are aspects of her past that raise questions. For one, her human disposition is a cause for concern.'

I bristled, leaning forward in the chair they'd offered me, not in the mood to play games. 'Then ask them. Do not let those questions stay silent if they concern you.'

'As Elder Jefferson stated, we understand you are loyal to your soulmate. How can we be sure of the girl's loyalties.'

I closed my fingers over the edge of my seat, passing a scoring glance across the elder panel, who now waited for my answer. They were set in their ways, and convincing them to see the truth would be hard. In their minds, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, while the opposite could be said about them.

The question on their mind was, why would we tamper with something that did not need fixing?

'Elliot has gone through a lot to be where she is now and who she is today. I don't doubt that she holds nothing but respect for our community and would find it a personal sin to betray what we hold sacred.'

Elder Rickon laid his hands together, peering through thick double prescription glasses. 'She has a troubled past.'

'To which part of her past are you referring, because if you knew her, you would understand that her past is very complicated, and several instances stand out.'

Elder Rickon pried one hand away to lift a leaf of paper. 'Let us start at the beginning, the most pressing. Elliot Clarke was born to two hunters, a rarity for them even to bring one child into the world nowadays, let alone more.'

I nodded, knowing this question would come up. It had been one of the defendant's main points during the trial against the Umbra pack. It was the first concern any pack member brought to my attention when they questioned her involvement. I would have worried if I had not seen her grow into the woman she is today. I would have had doubts, just as they did, if I had not known her immense satisfaction in learning about our history.

'Elliot spent the first six years with her parents, though she was often in the care of her grandparents. During this time, she did not reach the standard age of hunter initiation, and as far as we can tell, she has not suffered from having parents who had skewed views of our kind. Elliot has a curious mind and is well-versed in tradition and our history. She shows a kind heart towards everyone and has not been heard to speak out about our kind.'

'Does her history with the Umbra pack put her in jeopardy of anger towards our kind?'

'No. She fears a specific few who were involved and others who might want to do her harm due to the nature of our relationship, but she does not have hatred or fear towards our kind.'

'It says here she worked at a hotel.' There was disdain in the way the elder noted the fact. 'Does she still?'

'Elliot did not return to work after the incident with the Umbra pack, though I am under the assumption that she is still on their books if she does desire to return.'

'What role will she take within the pack?'

'Luna.'

'All the roles of a Luna?'

'That is up to her discretion, though she shows interest in each aspect of the role, and I don't see her disrupting tradition.'

'Is she currently living within the confines of the Vermiculo pack?'

'No. As of current, Elliot lives with her grandparents.'

'Does this not make her vulnerable to an attack.'

'Certainly. However, Elliot does not want to take from the pack's generosity without first being able to give back. We have recently assigned a twenty-four-hour security detail to her protection. This will include her home if she stays on neutral territory.'

'How can we be sure a human can protect herself against hunters if they get hold of her and she shares secrets-'

'At the end of the day, there is only so much that I can say without Elliot being able to prove over time that she is capable of what you are asking. I can assure you that I am working hard to ensure she is never threatened with an attack again.'

'If we decided to let her prove her worth, you must know that this trust would come at a price. You will be held personally responsible for her actions, and if she slips up, it will be her facing trial and you. This is not an easy decision for us to make.'

'I understand.'

They withdrew to conduct discussions privately and left me to reflect on my answers. I was sure I could have done more, though I couldn't remember enough to know where I should have been more expressive with my answers. Their decision wasn't final, but it would take months to counter what came from our meeting, and it was more stress than Elle could do without.