I turned to the elders. My heart pounded. "You can’t let him manipulate you like this. My father wouldn’t have wanted the pack in Ares’ hands."
The elders exchanged uneasy glances. I could see the doubt creeping into their faces, but I knew that Ares had already sunk his claws into them. His influence ran deep, poisoning their thoughts, twisting the truth.
"I am not stepping down," I declared. I managed to voice firm despite the growing sense of helplessness inside me. "This is my birthright. And I won’t let anyone take it from me just because I’m mated to someone you don’t deem worthy."
Ares chuckled. "It’s not about worth, Tabitha. It’s about power. And you don’t have it."
My heart raced as I glared at him. Fury and frustration swirled in my chest. I knew I wasn’t going to win this fight here, not today. The council had already made up their minds. And Ares had stacked the odds against me.
Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the council house.
I had never felt so powerless… so alone. The pack was slipping through my fingers. And I didn’t know how to stop it.
Ares’ POV