Chapter 46. Elder Council

Elara POV

“Please,” I try not to stutter. “You don’t need to stand on my behalf. This is more your pack than it is mine.”

Instantly, I know I have said the wrong thing. The Imperial Pack Elders give each other weary looks before they take their seats. The bright smiles that were once on their faces are now gone. They have been replaced with scowls of distrust.

“I didn’t mean that,” I whisper as Alma directs me to my seat. “I just meant that you know more about the Imperial Pack than I ever will.”

“Your mother did not explain things to you?” One of the Elders asks.

“My mother is dead,” I say calmly.

“We know that,” another growls. “We tried to explain to her that the boy from the Opal Pack was dangerous. But she simply would not listen.”

My mouth feels dry. I reach for the glass of water sitting before me. Greedily, I gulp it down, but it does not quench my thirst.

“She does not know the truth,” another one says with a hint of am