11| Pitying Feels Weird

I gestured for him to proceed.

"I assume from your reaction that you, Ashley Diamante, are not aware that Jared Liandre has chosen you as his Luna candidate."

"I don't believe you." I didn't, even though he had no reason to lie to me. I simply couldn't.

Zak turned to Ryker.

"Ryker, did you bring the list with you?"

"Yes, Alpha," he replied, and a stack of papers appeared out of thin air. I wished I could do that too. Lycans were really lucky. They could do spells like a Magicka and shift like a Mythicka. The best of both worlds, seriously. I couldn't do either.

He handed the papers to the Alpha, but Zak shook his head and pointed at me. Ryker handed the papers to me. I recognized the Wolfsbane official sigil at a glance as I took it from him dubiously.

My eyebrows raised of their own accord as I saw the title. How did this guy even obtain the Luna Candidate list, which was exclusively accessible to the members of the Royal Council? I recognized their sigil too, which I had seen as a child.

Last time I checked, Alpha Superiors weren't part of that council.

I opened my mouth to ask, but Darren cut me off.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," he said, with a miserable look on his face. I decided not to ask. It was none of my business. They gave it to me, so I was obviously supposed to read it. It was a pretty long list, but it didn't take me long to find Jared's name since my pack was in the top ten.

I hoped fervently that it was Sierra's name next to his.

But it was not her name next to his.

It was mine.

ZAK'S POV

Ash didn't react at first.

She just stared at the paper blankly, as if processing things. A few seconds later, she started trembling. Out of anger or fear, I did not know, as I couldn't smell anything but her faint lure scent. I wanted to know why, but it was not the time for such trivial things.

I needed to find out what that Alpha Heir brat had planned. The last thing I wanted was a war with a bunch of lupine shifters who couldn't even hold their own against my Lycans. A complete waste of resources and time, not to mention the death of innocents.

My easiest solution was to find out everything this woman knew, which I had just discovered was nothing. Maybe explaining things to her would get me some answers. I didn't have to worry about her revealing anything, as a simple mage oath would seal her loyalty.

"Do you still not want to take a seat?" I asked patiently. It must have been hard for her if she had finally closed her snarky mouth. Was this what pity felt like?

"Are you going to hold me ransom or something? If you are, then I'll have you know that the guy doesn't give two shits about me," she said in a small voice.

"We are not going to harm you, Miss Diamante. We simply want your cooperation, and I will explain everything if you take a seat."

She hesitated for a moment but sat down quietly. I may have known her only for a few moments, but seeing her silent was...not pleasant. I brushed those thoughts away. I needed to focus on the matter at hand.

"Your Alpha Heir has been pushing for a war with Eternal Frost and its allies for the past six months."

Ash inhaled sharply.

"There's been an increase in attacks around the border, but we were told they were feral attacks! Were those people..." She trailed off. I nodded.

"They were sent by one of my allies in the south. I did not approve of it as I didn't want a war, but they went and did it anyway. Your Alpha's brat retaliated by killing the Luna of Flame Heart." I looked into her golden eyes.

"After that, they announced a bounty in the south for the head of Jared Liandre's chosen Luna." Her eyes widened, as if realizing how she was implicated in all of this.

"When did this happen? Does that mean there are people out to kill me?" That was the problem now.

"No. Nobody is out to kill you." Ash tilted her head in confusion but patiently looked at me, her eyes asking for an answer.

"Everyone thinks that the Beta's daughter is the chosen one. We are the only ones who know the truth, as I managed to get my hands on the Luna Candidate List," I said.

"So there's a bounty on Sierra's head instead of mine? But I told you! The guy really does hate me."

"Alpha, is he really doing this for her? Or is it something else?" Darren asked.

"It's definitely something else," Ash replied.

"It's both." All three of them looked at me in confusion.

"The Beta and the Alpha are the ones opposing him in the choice of war. Getting the Beta's daughter killed by his enemies might get him on Jared's side, and it would also ensure that no danger comes to you." Her eyes widened at this.

"Oh my god," she muttered.

'Did she finally figure out something?'

"Oh god. If you all don't get out of here and save Sierra, I'll disembowel you! You're all fucking idiots." Ash shook her head at us.

"What do you mean?" Ryker asked in confusion. I looked at her with questions in my eyes.

"You all managed to get your hands on an extra confidential list, but you don't know that Sierra's going to be the next Beta?"

She yelled and let out a groan of frustration. Ash paced around nervously while mumbling something about being surrounded by idiots. Strangely, I did not mind as long as she was talking again. As in, as long as she was giving me information. Definitely that.