Chapter 117: Emergency meeting
Kieran suddenly pulled the car to a stop.
Yuki’s head snapped towards him, confusion flashing across her face as she looked around. They were nowhere near the pack centre anymore. The familiar buildings and busy roads had disappeared a long time ago, replaced by winding mountain roads surrounded by dense trees. The road ahead stretched into the distance, leading towards the territory where the pack house and the Obsidian Palace stood.
Kieran said nothing. His hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles slowly turning pale.
Yuki stared at him, confused as to why he had stopped. Her heartbeat began to pick up. Something was wrong, but all she could do was wait.
Kieran continued staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle jumped beneath his skin.
The silence stretched and stretched until it became unbearable, and eventually, Yuki could not stand it anymore. She reached for the door handle.
"Don’t expect me to sit here and watch you have a breakdown, Kieran," she said, her voice edged with irritation. "If you need to fall apart, do it alone. I’ll shift and head back with my wolf."
Kieran’s head turned sharply towards her. "Stop," he called out. The single word was quiet.
He did not raise his voice, but something in the calmness of it made Yuki freeze, with her fingers still resting on the handle.
She slowly looked at him. Kieran’s expression remained controlled, but there was something beneath it that she could not quite identify.
Before either of them could say anything else, the sound of an approaching vehicle filled the silence. Yuki glanced through the windscreen.
A dark car was coming towards them. The familiar Ravencourt plate number immediately caught her attention. The vehicle slowed as it approached, and the passenger window rolled down.
Kaden’s face appeared behind the glass. His gaze immediately flickered towards Yuki before returning to Kieran.
"Why did you stop?" he asked, his voice carrying easily through the open windows. Kieran’s grip tightened around the steering wheel.
"I had a long shift. I was out of it," he answered shortly. Kaden tilted his head, studying his brother for a moment. He clearly did not believe him. Still, he did not press.
"I was in the middle of a classified process at the barracks when Alexander called me all the way from there," Kaden said, adjusting the dark shades resting on his face. "Killian is already waiting."
Kieran’s expression changed slightly. Kaden raised his window. The car began moving again, leaving them behind.
He had not said another word to Yuki. Not that she expected him to. Yuki’s gaze remained fixed on the vehicle until it disappeared around the bend. Then she slowly turned towards Kieran.
"Alexander summoned you?" she asked in a calm voice. Kieran straightened in his seat. He started the car again without looking at her.
"There is an emergency pack meeting being held at the Obsidian Palace," he stated calmly.
Yuki’s stomach dropped. She didn’t like the sound of that. She stared at him, several emotions fleeting through her mind. "Am I..." Her voice trailed off.
She swallowed. She already had a terrible feeling about this. Kieran finally glanced at her. "I was specifically asked to bring you," he replied, and Yuki’s heart sank.
"Me?" she blurted, pointing at herself. He did not answer. That was the last thing either of them said.
Kieran pressed his foot against the accelerator, and the Aston Martin surged forward. Yuki instinctively grabbed the side of her seat as the car sped deeper into the mountains.
The trees blurred past the windows. She stared ahead, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what this emergency meeting could possibly be about.
The answer came into view before she could think of one. The tall towers of the Obsidian Palace rose in the distance, dark against the evening sky.
Yuki’s stomach twisted. Whatever was happening, it was serious enough to summon all three Ravencourt brothers and apparently, serious enough that they specifically wanted her there too.
Kieran’s car swerved into the outer courtyard of the Obsidian Palace before coming to a sharp stop. Yuki instinctively reached for her seat belt and immediately opened the door.
She was halfway out when Kieran’s amused voice stopped her. "Look at that," he chimed, and Yuki paused. Kieran glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting. "The clueless little wolf finally knows how to open a car door." He snickered.
Yuki’s face immediately heated. "You are an awful person for bringing that up," she hissed. Her eyes narrowed at him. Of all the things he could remember, he had chosen that.
Her birthday and the humiliating disaster where she had somehow managed to make an absolute fool of herself and kiss his ugly face.
Yuki slammed the car door shut with enough force to make the sound echo across the courtyard. She turned around and froze immediately.
Kaden was still there, presumably waiting. He was leaning against his armoured, customised SUV, dressed in military camouflage trousers and a fitted black shirt. The outfit did nothing to hide the imposing presence of the man who commanded an entire military force.
His arms were folded across his chest, his dark shades covering his eyes. An annoyed smirk tugged at his mouth.
Killian stood beside him. The two brothers were not speaking. Yuki knew better. They were mind-linking. Killian’s attention shifted towards her, his expression immediately becoming more serious.
Kaden glanced at his Patek Philippe before looking back at Kieran’s car with an expression that suggested he was already irritated by how long they had taken.
Yuki slowly climbed out of the vehicle. Something about the atmosphere made her pause. They had been waiting for them.
All three brothers knew something was happening, and judging by the looks on their faces, it was not good. Kaden’s jaw tightened the moment his gaze settled on her.
He clearly had no desire to waste a single word on her. Killian, however, pushed himself away from Kaden’s SUV.
"Took you long enough," he remarked, his voice carrying a faint edge of impatience.
Yuki opened her mouth, but Kieran’s voice came from behind her, cutting her off. "She didn’t want to get in," he mentioned. Yuki’s back stiffened.
Was he really going to make this her fault?
When the hell had he gotten behind her?
And what the hell was happening?