Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession
Chapter 156: Storms

Chapter 156: Storms

The grand receiving room still pulsed with the echoes of Williams’s announcement. Though conversation had resumed, laughter even bubbling up now and then between remarks, a quiet undercurrent of tension ran just beneath the surface.

Roman leaned back in his seat beside Tessy, his expression unreadable, but his eyes had not missed the slight shift in Vanessa’s composure when Williams introduced Dexter as his son and Dera as his woman.

Elena, caught it too. Yet none of them said anything about it. Not Roman, not Elena, and certainly not Tessy.

But Tessy noticed something else, something no one else seemed to see.

While all eyes had shifted to Dera and the boy, to Elena’s reaction and Williams’s explanation, there was one gaze that never left Vanessa. It wasn’t suspicious or scrutinizing. It wasn’t laced with judgment or curiosity. No. It was longing.

And the eyes belonged to Daniel.

He stood at a spot close to the entrance, quiet, composed, as usual. But his eyes were not on Elena, or Dexter, or even Dera.

They were fixed on Vanessa, his expression soft in a way that Tessy hadn’t seen before. There was a gentleness in his gaze, as if he saw something no one else did. As if, despite the walls she had around her, he could still see her pain, and feel it with her.

And Tessy could swear she saw more than longing. There was ache in his expression. Pain that clung to the corners of his eyes and the downward twitch of his lips.

Vanessa stood suddenly, interrupting nothing but pulling all eyes for just a brief second.

"Excuse me," she said with a calmness so polished it was almost cold. "There’s something I must attend to outside."

Elena nodded without protest. "Of course."

Vanessa bowed slightly and walked out, her steps measured. But Tessy saw Daniel’s eyes follow her, watched how his jaw tensed and how he dropped his gaze only after she disappeared through the doors.

A thought nestled itself deep into Tessy’s mind.

What exactly is going on?

She didn’t ask. Not now. But she made a mental note—one she wouldn’t forget. She would talk to Daniel about it. At a more appropriate time.

The conversation in the room gradually shifted back to the purpose that had brought them all together. Williams straightened, his arm unconsciously draped behind Dera in a gesture of protective pride as he began to speak.

He took his time re-explaining everything to Elena, from the curse that had once bound Roman, to the recent assassination attempts, to the role Dera and Charlotte had played in performing the Sirioni spell.

Elena listened intently, arms folded loosely over her lap, her brow furrowed in deep thought as Williams spoke. When he finished, she exhaled slowly, her gaze sweeping across the group before returning to him.

"Casper is getting bolder," she said, her tone quiet but firm. "His movements are no longer as subtle as they once were. He is testing the edges of our defenses, probing for weakness. We don’t have as much time as we think."

Tessy’s breath hitched slightly, but she stayed silent, her hand curling against Roman’s where it rested between them.

Elena turned her eyes to her. "Which is why we need to begin your training as soon as possible. I will do everything within my power to help you gain full control over your gifts, my queen. You must learn how to channel them properly, know when to wield them and when to restrain them."

Tessy gave a grateful nod. "Thank you, Elena."

But Elena wasn’t done.

She shifted her gaze to Dera, who straightened slightly, as though she sensed her name was next.

"And you as well, Dera," Elena said. "You never truly learned how to use the powers passed down to you through Williams. The last time you used them, you were guided solely by Charlotte, and that channel was focused in one direction only, toward the spell."

"That’s true."

"I can help," Elena added. "You’ve carried untapped power for years. It’s time you understood how to use it, how to let it serve you."

Williams’s expression softened, and he reached for Dera’s hand, giving it a small squeeze.

"Thank you," Dera gave her a nod.

But Elena shook her head, waving away their gratitude with a small, dismissive flick of her fingers.

"No," she said. "Don’t thank me. I refuse to accept it."

They all looked at her in surprise, and she met their gazes one by one.

"This fight is mine too. I am not offering help out of kindness. I am doing my duty. To my people. To our cause. I won’t take any glory for that."

Roman sat tall in his chair, his hand resting comfortably on Tessy’s, as he addressed them with a commanding yet unmistakably tender tone.

"I will bring Tessy to Luminera every day until she completes her training," he said, his voice leaving no room for dispute. "She is my sole mission for the time being. Once she is done with her training, once she’s properly equipped to defend herself against the bad guys..." he paused, glancing sideways at her, his eyes softening for a beat, "then I will shift my attention to my duties as King."

He turned his full gaze back to the room, the protectiveness in his tone curling into every word like a shield. "But my mate comes first. She will always come first."

There was a quiet stillness after his declaration. No one questioned it.

Certainly not Elena.

The High Priestess gave a small nod, her face unreadable for a moment before a smile ghosted across her lips. "That arrangement is perfectly fine by me," she said, her voice calm, composed. "We’ll begin first light tomorrow."

The final words of the meeting rang clear, firm, and resolute, bringing the long session to its natural end. The air inside the grand receiving room had lightened somewhat from the heavy matters previously discussed, but the weight of the decisions made still settled on everyone like the final notes of a symphony.

The group slowly rose from their seats, the tension dissipating into the background as the shift to more relaxed matters began.

"Shall we eat?" Williams asked, his voice brighter as he gestured toward the side entrance that led to the dining area.

The mood began to lift. There was a new sense of ease in the room, now that the decisions were made, the burdens momentarily shared. Tessy rose beside Roman, feeling the lightness returning to her chest, even if it was small.

As the group began filing toward the dining area, their footsteps a quiet rustle against the polished floors, Daniel—who had been silent and withdrawn for most of the latter part of the meeting—stepped beside Roman and spoke.

"Boss," he said in a low voice, bowing respectfully to Roman, "I’d like to be excused for a few minutes."

Roman glanced at him with mild curiosity but gave a nod. "Permission granted. Don’t take too long."

"Thank you," Daniel said, then pivoted and walked in the opposite direction, down a different corridor from where the others were heading.

Tessy saw him go, her eyes following the retreating figure of the man whose expression had given her pause earlier. Her frown returned. The desire to follow him rose within her almost instinctively, but she fought it down just as quickly.

’Leave the guy alone to settle his business,’ she told herself, her inner voice gentle but firm.

Still, the way he’d walked off, his steps lacking the usual lightness they carried, stayed on her mind longer than it should have.

The rest of them entered the grand dining room, and the shift in atmosphere was near immediate. Light from tall windows spilled in, catching on the warm golds and tans of the furniture and draping the space in a welcoming glow. The dining table was long, elegant, and already set with covered dishes that smelled divine even before they were unveiled.

The chairs were well-cushioned and arranged for comfort rather than formality. Everyone took their seats, settling in as servants began removing the covers and revealing a spread of well-prepared dishes—roasted meats, creamy vegetables, golden loaves of bread, rich gravies, and spiced fruits that shimmered with syrup.

Conversations started to flow easily again, casual and lighthearted, the lingering stress of the meeting gradually melting away.

Tessy took her seat beside Roman and accepted a glass of chilled water, grateful for the refreshing contrast. Her eyes occasionally drifted to the door, but she said nothing of Daniel’s absence.

Elena, ever attuned to the energy of a room, turned her attention to Dexter. The little boy, seated between Dera and Williams, had been quiet for the most part, his small hands folded on the table, his eyes wide and observant.

"So, Dexter," Elena began, her voice gentler than before, "what do you like to do for fun?"

The question caught the boy off guard, and his eyes flicked up to hers uncertainly. But after a slight nudge from Dera and an encouraging look from Williams, he responded.

"I like to read," he said shyly, then added quickly, "and draw. I draw dragons sometimes."

Elena’s face lit up. "Dragons? Oh, I love dragons! Have you ever drawn a red one with golden wings?"

Dexter’s eyes sparkled. "No, but I’ve thought about it!"

"Then you have to draw one for me," she said, smiling wide. "Promise?"

The boy grinned, a full and open grin that transformed his whole face. "I promise."

Laughter rippled softly around the table at that, and Tessy found herself smiling too. Elena had a way of drawing warmth out of even the quietest hearts. She admired that.