-HER-

I felt his eyes on me the moment I stepped inside the courtroom. I felt this urge to glance at him because of the way my wolf stirred inside of me but I didn't look at him at all. All those long hours of practice had finally paid off.

I smiled, I talked, I laughed, I joked around but I never looked at him for a bit. Although my wolf was dying to steal a glance at him because we hadn't seen him for a long time but I ignored the urge completely. It was easier for me now. All I needed to do was remind my wolf how he'd acted with me the last time we were together.

Of course, I'd forgiven him because holding a grudge for so long would have been very futile but I'd promised myself to never forget the insult. I'd now learned to use it as my motivation rather than cry on it all day— something that I'd done when I was still a pup. I am glad those days are over and I've grown up and learned my lesson but it seemed like he was still stuck in the past.

He'd still been his old self— judgmental, sexist, rude and so full of himself that his growth had been completely paralyzed. At first, I was shocked but then I reminded myself that it was Ezekiel and there was just no way to change him but yes... there was always a way around and working with Nefret and Arsinoe, I'd learned this well.

I wasn't surprised when he rose objection while I was taking up the position of the General. In fact, all of us had been expecting it from him:

"Does anyone have any objection with this she-wolf being the General of this state ?" The head print asked.

"I object!" His deep, masculine, and coming voice pierced the silence in the room.

"What is your objection?" Ares demanded regally. This time, I finally glanced at the Lycan who'd almost ruined me. He stood among the crowd, tall and looking more regal than ever.

I didn't feel the butterflies as his dark eyes locked with mine. In fact, I felt nothing. This time my skin was thicker and my walls were higher.

"A woman can never be the General of the army of Wolves!" He roared in the silent courtroom, making a fool out of himself. I had to contain myself from rolling my eyes at him in front of everyone.

The only thing I felt for him was an annoyance. I simply tore my eyes off him and looked at the new Royal couple.

"Objection dismissed," Arsinoe spoke. The amusement in her voice was unmissable as she gave him a mocking look. A wide smile climbed on my lips as the crowd of wolves erupted in cheers and applause. I felt something heavy being draped on my shoulder— a new cloak having the golden emblem of General of the Wolves threaded on the left chest.

That was it!

I was the first female General of the wolves now and nothing would change that!

~

I felt his eyes on me throughout the whole ceremony and the dinner. He was seated just a few places away from me but that didn't stop him from sending me cold glares now and then. Other important guests were also sitting at the table with the newly crowned Royal couple. The conversation was flowing smoothly but of course, he never opened his mouth.

He was either too embarrassed or very full of himself to say something that'd actually interest others. I decided that the latter was the case most likely.

"What has crawled up his ass?" Markos, my second in command asked after a while. I was sure that he was able to feel Ezekile's eyes as well because he was sitting right beside me.

"His dignity," I answered and saw a smirk climb on Markos' lips before he added, "although I must admit that he made a fool out of himself today,"

"Just wait until we'd have to sit down to renew the military cooperations," I told him and I ended up being right.

After dinner, some important meetings were held where the old cooperations were being renewed with the allies under the order of the new King and Queen.

"I'd need the Frost Platoon again," Ezekiel demanded when it was his turn, "My Eastern Command is undermanned," His eyes bore into me as he spoke to me. I already knew the plans he had for the Frost Platoon but unfortunately for him, I didn't agree with his plans.

"My wolves will not go to proxy wars anymore," I told him with a straight face. Rage was quick to flicker in his eyes but he didn't sit anything stupid yet.

"I need them to guard my Eastern Command," He lied very smoothly but I was able to look through it very, very easily. I'd spent the past years studying all of Ezekiel's military records and the one thing that I'd learned about him so far was that Ezekiel never borrowed extra wolves to simply 'guard' his borders.

He borrowed our wolves to attack his enemies. He'd always raged some sort of war with this extra power. I knew that this time it wasn't going to be any different.

"Guard your borders? You can put some of your new soldiers there. The Frost Platoon is too skilled and busy for such petty business," I told him up front and he didn't seem very happy with it.

He sent me a dangerous glare as he ground his teeth. For a moment, it had my heart racing but I didn't let it show on my surface. I wasn't scared. Not at all!

"I have a lot of frozen valleys in the east which are not easy to navigate. The Frost Platoon is hence very suitable to do this petty business," He spoke to me in a mocking tone which instantly pissed me off.

He was here to ask for help, not me. I could easily pull back all military cooperation if he continues to not be careful with his words. I hope he understood that.

"Then why don't you use your Victor Squad? They are the best flyers and they can keep an eye on these valleys from the sky," I suggest and if anything, this pissed him off visibly even more.

Markos was sitting beside me all the while, listening to our debate very silently. I could feel him growing tenser each moment and why not? Ezekiel was using all his Lycan powers to make sure that I'd give in but I wasn't going to give it.

Never again!

"I want ther wolves in those Valleys to find the infiltrators. Are you going to grand me your Frost Platoon or not?" He questioned again. This time I had to give it to him for at least speaking the truth, even if it was the half truth.

He did mention finding the infiltrators but I was sure that wasn't his only plan. He'd find those infiltrators and rage war on those who sent them. I was okay with the first half but not with the latter half.

We'd already faced so many losses because of Ezekiel's wars. I wasn't going to afford more losses.

"I can grant you the support of the Frost Platoon if you promise to not send them beyond your borders," I told him and the rage in his eyes instantly skyrocketed. At this point, I was able to feel the tension in Markos' body.

"I cannot promise that," He gritted and leaned back, never taking his eyes off me. In fact, he hadn't even blinked once over since we'd started talking. The intensity in his eyes only increased with each second, and to say that it didn't have any effect on me would have been a lie.

My wolf had been pacing inside me since morning just because of him. She was excited to see him but at the same time, she was anxious. He hadn't been very nice to us in the past so there was no guarantee that he'd be nice to us now but still, that damned mate bond!

Though this time, I had better control over myself and my emotions. I didn't let them affect me so much now.

"Then I am afraid you'd have to find another alternative," I shrugged casually, adding more to the tension in the air and the rage in his eyes. He was sitting up straight now, reaching to his full height.

His whole body seemed tensed, ready to leap at me. I did my best to keep my eyes from wandering down his body and his dreadlocks which I'd always dreamed of. Remembering this made me feel something in my stomach but I ignored it.

The determination in his eyes increased before he finally spoke, "By saying so you're proving yet again why women shouldn't hold such important positions. You don't even have any idea what you're talking about and what impact your words have. Had it been someone more experienced, had been a man, he would have agreed for the cooperation by now instead of wasting our precious time,"

For a moment I was stunned to hear those words but I wasn't a bit surprised given that those were coming out of Ezekiel's mouth. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Markos clutching his fists as he glared at Ezekiel.

"By saying that you've proven that we are in fact wasting our precious time, our precious time on arguing with a fool. I think we're done here. No cooperation from Frost Plato-"

My words were being interrupted by a thundering growl from Ezekiel. At this, I couldn't help but straighten up and be more careful. He looked very mad, so mad that his body was slightly shaking.

The whites of his eyes were slowly being swallowed by the blacks in his pupil and a very dangerous and feral look slowly started to climb onto his face. The energy that he was preciously emitting now grew even stronger, adding more to the tension that was already in the air.

Even after all of this, I held my ground. His power was overpowering me, forcing me to lower my gaze but I didn't. I held his gaze with every drop of determination that I could squeeze out of my soul. To add the cherry on top, I tipped my chin up at him and looked at him as if he wasn't the King of Lycans, as if he was absolutely nothing... nothing for me.

My wolf wasn't very happy with the way I was acting with him but this was what he deserved for talking like that to me. I wasn't going to let him get away with it this time. He would face consequences one way or the other and the sooner he understood it, the better it was for him.

It wasn't as if he was in the position to choose either. He was in deep trouble. Deep, deep trouble. All these years of bloody and expensive wars were slowly draining wealth and manpower from his kingdom which resulted in him turning to Zaeris more than he should.

He was at my mercy now!

"No cooperation from the Frost Platoon," I completed with a very small and sweet smile decorating my lips. This acted as fuel to his rage. His nostrils flared as his eyes burned into me with the intensity of thousand suns but this wasn't going to affect me anymore.

I was a Phoenix who had leaned to rise from its own ashes.

I held his gaze without batting an eye. I thought I saw something flash in his eyes, something cunning and very, very dangerous but it was gone the instant it had appeared.

He rose from his seat and slammed his fists on the table and spoke down to me.

"Fine," He growled. "I promise to not send the Frost Platoon beyond my borders,"

My smile widened and I couldn't help but comment, "I'm glad you still have some sense left in you,"

"Oh, you'd be surprised what else I have left," he gritted at me darkly, sending a shiver down my spine and making my wolf stir but I ignored it... or tried my best to do so.

"I'll dispatch thousand and one wolves from the Frost Platoon next week," I told him grimly.

"Thousand and one?" Markos asked.

"I don't trust him. I'll be going too," I declared, looking dead into Ezekiel's eyes.

_

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