The Unforgiving Moon

29.

"Shanza," Aven grumbled, pinching his forehead as if he had a terrible headache.

"Don't you think I should be invited to these meetings, Aven? I am your Beta," Shanza snapped back. Her gaze was solely fixed on Aven, and Moons was I glad that was the case. Behind those eyes, something murderous was hiding, and I wouldn't want it directed at me.

"About that," Aven mumbled, before turning to the person on my other side. "Lotta, would you like the honors?"

"Oh, by the Moons, don't be ridiculous, Aven," Shanza replied, dismissing Lotta the possibility of an answer. "You need me, and you know that."

Aven leveled his stare to hers. "Didn't I send you away to Udron?"

Shanza huffed, and drew her arm back from the table, only to cross her hands over her chest. "Clearly, that was useless and it didn't work."

I looked to Lotta, and my look seemed to speak for me. "Later," she mouthed.

Shanza continued her tirade, unaware of Lotta and I's silent conversation. "We both know I am the best person for the job. My loyalties to this pack are unquestionable."

"Because you want this pack for yourself," Aven argued, nearly hissing.

Shanza laughed, and I was in awe at how unfazed she seemed to be by the seething Alpha in front of her. "Not in the middle of a war. Rest assured dear Aven, I am not coming after your title just yet."

Aven took a deep inhale, and clenched his teeth. "Fine," he reluctantly said. "But if I have the slightest hunch you have your own agenda, I will kill you myself without waiting for proof."

A genuine smile appeared on Shanza's face, and it terrified me. "I would expect nothing less. Now, I assume you were about to talk about the atrocity that happened in Spitta?"

"Ah, your perceptiveness already proves to be a valuable asset to this pack," Aven grumbled. Lotta and I stayed quiet, we both knew not to get in the middle of... whatever this was.

Shanza ignored his dig at her, and reached for something in her satchel. A moment later, she placed down a black arrow on the table in front of us—one that looked oddly familiar.

"I got shot in the leg with this thing, and my powers were immobilized," she said.

Aven reached for the black pointed arrow and studied it up close.

"Notice anything funny about it, Alpha?" Shanza asked.

"I would appreciate if you don't play games and just say whatever the fuck you're going to end up saying anyway," he growled, as he put the arrow back on the table.

It was strange that that arrow had been used for weaponry—it looked so rough around the edges, so unfinished. The point looked cut off, not even sharp anymore. Especially for a weapon that could immobilize a wolf's power, I would've expected them to perfect this. A blunt arrow was practically useless.

Shanza scoffed. "This arrow fell apart as soon as it struck my leg, which meant I couldn't fully access my powers until I had dug every single little piece out of my flesh. Just removing the arrow was not enough."

Weren't those the arrows they'd used to trap the goddesses? Hadn't Sariranyasa shown me exactly this, a war between iron and black stone? Had that been the reason we'd been losing the war so many Moons ago?

Aven's eyes flashed with something I couldn't decipher, and he hurried out of the room.

"Always so dramatic," Shanza mumbled, uncaring if Lotta and I—or Aven—heard her complaint.