Chapter 19 - Damn the Consequences

*“Never throw the first punch. If you have to throw the second, try to make sure they don't get up for a third.” ― Brandon Sanderson*

***Kiya***

“Lyria!”

My pregnant sister spun around on her heels, her lips stretching to a wide grin once she caught sight of me. She spread her arms open and embraced me when I leaped in for a hug. Her baby bump pressed against my belly. I burrowed my face in her shoulder. Her sweet mandarin scent tickled my nostrils.

“It’s great to see you too, Kiki.” Lyria pulled me from our embrace and cupped my cheek with her palm. The lighting from the many chandeliers hanging above us reflected in her hazels, the light brown almost gold. “You haven’t aged a day, cutie.”

“It’s the moisturizers.”

My sister stifled her laughter in her throat, but it couldn’t stop her grin from stretching wider. Her husband, Alpha Dimitri of the Thunder Moon Pack, walked up behind her, his thin-lined smile curving upward when he spotted me. I embraced my brother-in-law as the surrounding noises of alphas and lunas arriving grew in volume.

I soaked in the banquet hall's ambiance. I’ve never been in a place so vast, yet made me feel small at the same time. Gold embroidery stretched across the perimeter of the ceiling, dripping down the walls, adding to the golden haze accentuated by the crystal chandeliers. Men and women, powerful and refined, mingled around the many circular tables draped in white cotton tablecloths. Lace was woven into the hem with hints of diamond hidden in the hanging tassels, exposed when moved. Dinner plates and clean silverware resting on triangle napkins encircled the edge in front of the chairs.

I broke out into a nervous sweat when I compared my outfit to the many others drinking from champagne flutes plucked off the trays of the passing Omegas. Dressed in a basic pair of jeans with a navy-blue top with a black cardigan vest, I felt out of place. Nothing about me reflected power and status other than hanging off Neron’s arm. I was a plain jane in a sea of opulence, sticking out like a sore thumb.

My plans to run back to the hotel room and hide were foiled when stealthy fingers tickled my side. Giggling, I turned to see Alesia’s heart-stopping smile, dispelling all the anxiety I felt moments earlier.

“There she is!” She announced. “You ought to stick with us, honey. Looking like a lost guppy will arouse attention by some unsavory men in here.”

*That, and the nakedness of my neck*.

I searched my eyes for Neron and breathed in a sigh of relief when he was a couple of feet from me, chatting with some couples. Judging by the smile on his face, they must be his associates. It was so strange how comfortable I grew with his presence in the past several weeks.

Dare I say that I actually *liked* being around him? Even for just a few days?

Anthony pulled Lyria and me aside to snap a couple of photos for Mom and Dad, who requested many since they couldn’t be here to see their children reunite. I could hear them blubbering over our photos, lamenting at how their kids have all grown up.

“Champagne, ma’am?” A raven-haired Omega asked, balancing a tray in her right hand.

“Thank you.” I smiled, snagging a flute. I downed the bubbly in one go, satisfied with the smooth burning in my throat.

Alcohol was good for a couple of things. Liquid courage, confronting sober thoughts and the visceral awareness of a pair of eyes zoning in on my back.

It was approaching with purpose. A predator was on the hunt. For me. The hunt was thwarted when I was abruptly spun around to meet Neron’s face, more notably his tautened smile.

“Kiya. Are you up for meeting a couple of my allies?” His voice was strained with emotion, with his eyes conveying a silent message of *please-say-yes*.

“Um, sure. Where are th—eek!” I barely had time to set my flute down on a table when the blue-eyed Alpha grabbed my hand and whisked me away to the far end of the hall as fast as he could. His grip was made of steel with no intention of letting me go. His long strides made it hard for my legs to catch up, practically tripping over my own feet. “Uh, can you slow down a bit, Mr. Skyscraper?!”

Neron didn’t answer. A cold sweat dripped down my spine. *Did something happen*? Curious, I peered over my shoulder, searching for the trigger of Neron’s reactions.

And I locked eyes with the gun itself.

Wystan was watching me, standing in the very spot I was before.

*Motherfucker*.

------

My social battery wasn’t equipped to have many small conversations in little time, but watching Neron effortlessly weave through the crowd, using his charm with the other alphas and lunas, made it all worth it. He had since calmed down from his moment earlier, speaking with conviction about Onyx Moon, drawing spectators in awe as they learned how the pack flourished in under three years. Pride twinkled in his eyes. The sparkle of accomplishment.

It made me realize how much Neron truly cared about his community. His hard work had paid off. With the funds he allocated from Zircon Moon after its destruction, he accomplished a feat that would’ve taken alphas half a decade or more to complete.

It was a testament to his strength. And how he changed from a tormented man to a flourishing Alpha. Neron highlighted his industrial investments and how Onyx Moon was on the verge of becoming a big manufacturer in glass, wood, and other building materials in Oregon. Many of the newest pack members are carpenters, architects, and construction workers—hailing as part of the reason the pack grew so fast.

I didn’t talk much. I was simply a student watching the professor give his lecture. When attention was drawn to me, I added my two cents before Neron took over again. I could only comment on Neron’s character and willpower, which has served well in gaining interest in pack leaders beyond the west coast.

As Neron spoke, I thought back to the conversation I had with Nuria back at the mall. Some veteran alphas don’t take kindly to ‘newer’ alphas, whatever the hell that means, picking on them to prove a point.

And I saw what Nuria meant when Neron was approached by an older alpha who looked as if he had been on both sides of a war. I saw the light on Neron’s face dull and it both squeezed and lit my heart on fire.

“I have yet to be impressed.” The large, haggard alpha shrugged his shoulders, downing his drink while his Luna, I assumed, stood beside him in silence. “I can name at least ten packs on the back of my hand that could manufacture building supplies, some taking the consideration of expanding their business to the humans. What makes Onyx Moon special?”

Artemis’ deep growls thundered in my chest.

“I wasn’t implying that my pack is special, Alpha Jackson.” Neron’s arm was around my shoulders, but I felt the muscles on his forearm tense. “What I was saying is—”

“Remind me why your pack is so young, again? Didn’t you rule over another pack previously?”

“I’m not sure what relevance that has to the conversation.”

“Well, it speaks of your capabilities of being a leader. It doesn’t look good that an alpha had jumped ship from one pack, onto another, and yet the new pack somehow defied all odds and flourished in such a short amount of time. While some would praise it as remarkable, I find it suspicious.”

My jaw ticked. Was this aging mountain of muscles implying that Neron was a mediocre leader because he changed his destiny? I caught eyes with the brunette, willowy Luna who blinked before darting her eyes away. There was that unmistakable flash in her eyes.

*Fear*.

Neron huffed out a silent sigh, running his tongue over his teeth. “I assure you, Alpha Jackson, that my choices on how I decide to build my pack shouldn’t concern you. Onyx Moon has become prosperous because of its wolves working together for the common good. My leadership is but a small factor in it.”

“Hmm.” The man grunted, tuffs of his silvering hair falling over his dull brown eyes. “It’s a shame your old man isn’t here to judge.”

Neron and I stiffened. “You knew my father.”

“Yeah. We used to be high school buddies. Didn’t see him much in recent years, but the man was one hell of a leader. A mighty shame that he’s no longer here with us.”

*If only you knew the truth of what a piece of shit he really was, you fucking fossil*.

“Anyway...” Alpha Jackson tossed his glass on the tray of a passing Omega, eyeing Neron with nothing less than disdain. “Word of advice? Figure out what actually makes your pack unique, and you’ll find yourself on better terms with gaining alliances. Take Alpha Anthony for example.” He pointed to my brother shaking hands with prospective partners. “That man is in charge of the largest and greatest warrior pack I’ve ever come to know. Granted, both you and Onyx Moon are in its infancy, you’re running out of time to persuade me and many others on why we should give a damn about forming an alliance if it wouldn’t benefit us in the long run.”

“I don’t think—”

“No one wants to ally with a potential liability, Neron. Onyx Moon has flourished, but it’s weak. It hasn’t stood the test of time like many others, including my own. I applaud you for getting the ball rolling, but I don’t think many pack leaders would be bothered with protecting a baby pack that an army of rogues would snuff out in the blink of an eye.”

White-hot rage lit my blood cells on fire. I slammed my glass down on the table beside me. Tiny cracks stretched from the body to the rim. The luna gasped behind Alpha Jackson. “And I don’t think Neron would be bothered with an alpha who hasn’t learned respect since his days in the playpen.”

Dull brown ignited when he focused on me like he was seeing me for the first time. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“Someone who doesn’t take kindly to a man an inch away from the grave disrespecting his fellow Alpha. You wouldn’t even let him finish his sentences and we’re supposed to care about what you say?”

“Kiya...” Warning underlined Neron’s tone, his hand squeezing my shoulder for emphasis. “You don’t need to come to my defense. There is some truth to Alpha Jackson’s words.”

“Life I give a damn.” I retorted, crossing my arms. Okay, the liquid courage was definitely settling in. “I don’t care how truthful he thinks he is. He has disrespected your integrity and leadership the moment he approached you, and I’m appalled that you’re allowing yourself to be disrespected!”

Old Man Jackson stifled his laughter. “Someone doesn’t know how to control their woman.”

“And someone needs to slap the mess out of you before I do!”

“Ooookay Kiya, I think you need to—”

“You should be happy to have someone like Neron as an ally!” I brushed Neron’s hands off me and marched up to the older man. He was a giant. I’ve taken shits bigger than him. “A man who has seen hell in the face, was dropped in the fires, yet came out wanting to do better for himself and his family is a man you’d want by your side in battle. I don’t know what bullshit standards you have on what an alpha should be, but the fact that Neron could produce a fully functioning pack in so little time is a testament to his care. To his strength and his resilience because I know for a fact that if you were in his shoes, you’d cower to your knees like a basic bitch.”

It wasn’t fair for Neron to take hits from the old man without putting up a fight. Alpha Jackson doesn’t know his history. *I do*. He doesn’t know what happened between us. *We do*. Yes, he destroyed an older pack, but a new and better pack rose from the ashes.

Onyx Moon survived and blossomed with Selene’s blessing. Neron made his family proud. He made Selene proud.

He made *me* proud.

I won’t stand to have his hard work sullied by a man who can’t see past his ‘newborn status’. If Neron can’t fight against the veterans, then I’m coming in like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

*Damn the consequences*.

Alpha Jackson leaned in; his sordid breath mixed with champagne offending my nose. “You watch how you speak to me, girl. Talking out of turn to an alpha will land you in a lot of trouble.”

“Respect is a right, not a privilege. Holding the alpha title doesn’t get you respect. Your character does. The way you spoke to Neron told me enough about your character, and I don’t think he would benefit from your allyship.”

“And you’re making the decisions for him?” He furrowed his eyebrows, focusing back on Neron. “You won’t control your woman?”

“I’m not controlling a damn thing,” Neron remarked. There was a smile in his voice, and sure enough, on his face. “When she speaks, you listen.” Suddenly, his voice dropped to a growl. “Her name is Kiya, and you will refer to her by her name, not ‘*woman*’.”

“She’s very ballsy for an unmarked bitch, I admit. Pining for an alpha’s attention brings that side out of unmated she-wolves.” Alpha Jackson didn’t flinch when Neron’s anger flooded our space, but his luna felt it for sure when she shuffled behind him. The smell of food flooded the air, signaling that dinner has begun. The ancient bastard shook his head before narrowing his eyes at Neron. “Keep her on a leash before someone else does.” He snapped his fingers and barked at his luna, Liberty, to follow him. In silence, she bowed her head and trailed half a step behind him.

How ironic that her name meant liberation, yet she was following a lot like a subservient, trapped puppy. The vibe from the couple irked the hell out of me when I watched them amble back to their table.

 Something wasn’t right.

Neron eventually pulled me away by the hand.

“Misogynistic asshole,” I grumbled under my breath.

“Sadly, he isn’t the only one in this room.” The silence between us lasted ten seconds before Neron spoke again. “Kiya, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Defend me, but I appreciate that you did.”

“Well, someone had to do it. It might as well be me.”

“Why?” He spun around on his heels, facing me. His hands gripped my shoulders, raining pleasant warmth through the fabric of my top into my pores. “Why did you defend me as hard as you did?”

“Because I...” I breathed. “...care. I care about you a lot, Neron, and I didn’t like how he was treating you. You deserve so much better than that. I defended you without a second thought because I wanted to and I’ll do it again.”

“You could’ve gotten yourself in trouble.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“The consequences could rain down on me.”

“Then, we’ll fight it.”

“We?”

“We.”

Neron stared at me. Through me. Searching for something only he knew of. I stood still, reflecting his expression as the surrounding constituents rushed to their seats. We were vacuumed into a private world with only the two of us reeling in from the aftermath of an unfair battle.

There was no prize to claim, no glory to show. That didn’t matter to me. I believe in Neron and that won’t change.

*Ever*.

Because he’s my... friend. *Friend*. That’s what friends do—they defend one another when one is accosted.

Right?

The world emerged in brilliant color when Neron broke out in a pleasant smile, shaking his head as he muttered something below his breath in Norwegian. “You are the most hard-headed woman I’ve ever met.”

I grinned. “Ah, yes, it’s one of my most endearing qualities.”

“And one of the many qualities I love most about you.”

My heart skipped a beat. “I-I... um...”

“I think our table is being served. We should get going.”

And like that, everything that had transpired was forgotten. But the heat building in my chest couldn’t be ignored. Heading back to the table behind him, I walked past the banquet hall's doors that were slightly ajar. The room had four entrance ways, three of them with Omegas and servants flooding in. In this doorway, two pairs of eyes captured mine, eyeing me with curiosity.

A pair of greens and a pair of browns.

And they seem... young?

I waved at them, trying to be friendly. Instead, I got frightened squeaks, and the pair skittered away like ants. Another funny feeling washed over me, almost identical to what I felt with Alpha Jackson and his Luna Liberty.

Then another jolt of power rocketed through me, almost knocking me off balance. I quickly collected myself and darted toward my seat, a steaming pile of filet mignon with a side of cheesy gratin and grilled zucchini on my plate.

I dug into my food, but not as vigorously as I normally would.

I was in for a *long* three days.