Chapter 31: Beware of The Ambitious Ones

The sun had begun its slow descent into the horizon, casting long shadows across the camp as Ares made his way back from his run. He had spent the entire day running in his wolf form, searching desperately for Vanya.
Ares' heart had been pounding in his chest as he raced through the dense forest, his senses heightened to their fullest. Whenever he thought he had caught faint whiffs of Vanya's scent throughout the day, they had always led him astray, like a cruel game of cat and mouse. He had run for hours, his paws pounding the ground with a fierce determination.
But now, as he returned to camp, he was finally calmer. He slowed his pace, savoring the feeling of the cool grass beneath his bare feet. The air was thick with the scent of pine and wood smoke, and the distant sound of crickets chirping filled the night.
The adrenaline had worn off, and he could feel the tiredness seeping into his bones. It was a welcome break from the desperate urgency that had consumed him earlier.
As he entered the camp, the female omegas who had been brought along to cook and serve them at the camp were looking at him with a mix of curiosity and surprise. Ares paid them no mind, used to their glances by now.
But as he turned a corner, he ran into Moira, whose eyes widened in shock as she took in Ares' naked form. She quickly averted her gaze, reprimanding him for his lack of clothing and the state of his tent.
Ares bristled at the reprimand, but he knew better than to argue with Moira. She was one of the few who could command his respect, and he knew she had his best interests at heart. When she asked him to follow her to her tent, he nodded silently, knowing he had little choice in the matter.
They reached Moira's tent, and the old mage instructed one of the nearby omegas to fetch Ares some clothes before they went inside. The young omega, visibly uncomfortable at the sight of Ares' nakedness, quickly acknowledged Moira's order and scurried off.
Moira noticed the omega's discomfort and shook her head disapprovingly. "Look what you did to that poor omega," she said finally, her voice low and gruff.
Ares simply shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned by the omega's response."Everyone's born naked. Okay?" he replied casually. "Why should my nakedness bother anyone?"
But Moira was not to be swayed. "You may be young and foolish, Ares, but you would do well to remember that there are things in this world more important than just what you think."
They went inside Moira's tent, and Ares couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as the warmth of the fire welcomed him. Moira motioned for him to sit on a small stool near the fire as she rummaged through a pile of furs in the corner of the tent.
"You have much to learn," she said finally, her voice low and gruff. "Your father would not be pleased with your behavior today," Moira added.
Ares sarcastically remarked, "I guess I'm lucky he's in The Capitol." Suddenly, he felt the weight of his frustrations bearing down on him. "Kissing those bloodsuckers' ass."
Moira's eyes narrowed at the insult. She stated sternly, "You are well aware that the Royal Council has summoned your father. He is not kissing anyone's ass. He is doing what is necessary to protect our pack."
Ares rolled his eyes. "Protect our pack by being a lapdog to those bloodsuckers?" he retorted. "And if it has anything to do with the attack, that's why they summon him, we can handle ourselves, Moira. We don't need the council's interference."
He was seething with anger at his father’s lack of urgency in finding Vanya, but he knew it was not wise to argue any further. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
"I suppose you want to know why I've brought you here," Moira said, finally emerging with a thick fur cloak in her hands. "It's about Vanya."
At the mention of his mate's name, Ares tensed up, and his heart started to race.
Moira draped the cloak over Ares' shoulders, then took a seat opposite him. "And her other mates," she said slowly, her brow furrowed with concern. "I understand how difficult this must be for you. Male lycans, especially those of Alpha's blood, are usually very protective of their mates. You and Vanya are mated for life, along with the other three mates."
Ares felt a surge of jealousy and anger, his grip on the cloak tightened. "Vanya doesn't need to have four mates, Moira. She can reject the other three. And I know she will. And if they don't accept it, I'll make them."
Moira sighed heavily, her eyes filled with concern. "I don't even know if that's the right thing to do, Ares."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Ares gritted his teeth, feeling the anger rise inside him.
"To reject one mate would not only cause a tremendous amount of pain and loss to her other mates, but to her as well," Moira said, her voice softening. "Would you be willing to risk her life just so you could be her only mate?"
Ares fell silent, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. He thought about the dream he had of Vanya, and the name she had called out. The name that wasn't his.
 
"I dreamed of her," Ares finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "We were finally together. But then, she suddenly called me another name."
"What name?" Moira asked, her expression grave.
Ares hesitated for a moment, feeling a sense of betrayal as he spoke the name. "Killian," The name almost felt vile in his mouth.
Moira's eyes widened in surprise. "Killian? He could be one of her other mates," she said, her voice filled with concern.
"That rotter?!" Ares' face twisted with anger upon hearing Moira's words about Killian possibly being Vanya's other mate. However, before he could say anything else, the tent flap opened, revealing Selene.
Selene was holding Ares' clothing, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Ares wearing nothing but the fur cloak.
Ares felt a jolt of surprise at Selene's sudden appearance, not expecting her at all. Moira, too, was taken aback by Selene's arrival, her brows furrowing in confusion.
"What are you doing here, Selene?" Ares snapped, his anger still simmering.
Before she spoke, Selene hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between Ares and Moira. "I came to help look for my sister," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was something off about her demeanor. Though she was trying to act concerned, Ares thought it didn't seem genuine, as it didn't reflect in her eyes.
"And I’m here to give you these." Selene's smile turned flirtatious as she handed Ares his clothing. Ares took the clothes from her and made his way towards a corner of the tent where blankets were hung to change in privacy.
Moira got up from her seat and started working on something at her desk. Ares and Moira discussed their plan for the following day, strategizing in hushed tones.
 Selene's eyes wandered around the tent, and she took the opportunity to roam over the various trinkets and tools scattered about. Suddenly, she caught sight of a bronze saucepan on a nearby table. Intrigued, she walked over to it and peered inside.
"What are you cooking?" she asked, interrupting Ares and Moira's conversation.
Moira turned to Selene, her expression hesitant and slightly annoyed at the interruption. "It's tapioca," she said curtly.
Selene's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I have some?" she asked eagerly.
Moira's expression hardened. "No," she said flatly, her tone brooking no argument.
Selene's face fell at Moira's response, and she retreated to the other side of the tent. She felt disappointed and a little embarrassed at being rebuffed by Moira.
 Ares emerged, fully clothed. He noticed the look on Selene's face and felt a pang of guilt for snapping at her earlier. "Selene," he said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I didn't mean to."
Selene looked at him, her expression softening. "It's alright," she said. "I understand you're under a lot of stress."
Ares nodded. "Yeah, I am," he said. "But that's no excuse for being rude to you."
Selene smiled, touched by his apology. "Thank you," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Ares thought about it for a moment. "Well, my tent's a mess," he said. "I trashed it this morning, and I haven't had a chance to clean it up yet. Can you please ask an omega to tidy it up for me?"
Selene nodded. "Sure, I’ll have someone clean it up for you," she said.
Ares smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Selene," he said. "I appreciate it."
She stood there for a moment, and suddenly, all three of them were awkwardly silent. Then Selene spoke, "Oh! You mean...you want your tent tidy up now."
Ares nodded with a smile, "Yes, please."
"Oh, okay. Anything to help, Ares," Selene said, reaching out to touch Ares' arm, squeezing it tightly before she walked out of the tent, hips swaying. As she left, Ares couldn't help but notice the way her hips moved, and he felt a twinge of guilt for unknowingly leading her on.
 Moira looked at her retreating figure and shook her head. "We have to be careful around her."
Ares's face was confused. "Moira, she's Vanya's sister."
"No, she's not, Ares. Randall adopted Vanya. They're not sisters."
He nodded, feeling a bit foolish for not knowing that. "I think I understand what you mean. I'm Vanya's mate, and well, Selene's pretty forward about her feelings for me."
Moira sighed in frustration. "Not everything is all about you, young Ares. She and Vanya are never the best of sisters, and she suddenly shows up here to help search for her?"
Ares nodded. "You're right." 
"I can sense that her unbridled ambition knows no bounds, and in moments of desperation, those who possess such an insatiable drive will stop at nothing to achieve their desires."