Chapter 892

"It's all of this Alpha bullshit!" Maryam nearly shouts, casting out a frustrated hand. “An entire culture of men who believe that because they're physically bigger, and stronger, and can shift into the body of a lethal predator that it gives them the right to go out into the outlying towns and take what they want from them!? It's -"

"Is that what Alphas really think?" Ella asks, her interruption smooth and calm, her own steady command slicing neatly through Maryam's louder voice.

"Do not misinterpret me, highness," Maryam replies, a bit between her teeth. "The issue is not with the men themselves, but with the ideology in which Alpha wolves are raised."

"Well, you have two Alphas here," Ella says, gesturing towards Mark and Rafe. "Why don't you ask them what their own impulses are? What rights they believe they have to claim our bodies and possessions simply because either of them could kill any of the rest of us with barely an effort?"

Rafe sighs long and slow through his nose as he closes his eyes.

Mark sits straight and looks around, worried. Because he...very much does not want to enter this debate. Not that he'd ever - ever - have the impulse to rape or maim or hurt anyone ever - and certainly not because he's stronger. He just... kind of has the feeling that Maryam would eat him for breakfast, logically, were he ever to attempt to go toe to toe with her in a battle of wits.

Silence reins in the room for a moment as Maryam looks at the two young Alphas on the couch, her eyes slipping over them, the haughty upward tilt of her chin suggesting that she is unimpressed. "Well, these two certainly seem to fit the reputation for being strong and silent," she says, her voice a condescending coo.

A little growl rumbles in Rafe's chest as he slowly opens his eyes and turns them on the girl he now knows to be his mate.

She raises an eyebrow at him, daring him to take her on.

Inwardly, Rafe's wolf leaps excitedly at the challenge, but he grabs his wolf's fur tight in his hand, forcing him to calm down.

"Your own rather...tame Alpha sons aside," Maryam continues, turning away from Mark and Rafe in a clear dismissal that makes Rafe's wolf howl with rage and want as she focuses again on the Queen. "The issue is one of education. Your administration has suffered the growth of a cult in its northern climes which tells powerful young men not only that their Alpha bodies give them dominion over their world and community, but further gives them no critical education by which they might begin to rethink that education. It's incredibly dangerous, highness and forgive me, but while you and your family are resting peacefully in your palace? Your northern citizens - particularly the humans are suffering from the results of that educational neglect."

Ella flashes her teeth, just a for moment. "I'd urge you to consider that we are not necessarily resting in comfort, young lady - especially as two of my daughters have been kidnapped by foes who, by my understanding, do far less for the rights of the common people than my mate and I."

Maryam clenches her jaw for a moment, hating to concede a point, but then nods sharply. Just once.

"That aside,” Ella continues, smiling a little at the girl and then turning her attention back to Hank. "Her point is well made. Do you consider that further education would help to fix the issues we're having in the North?"

“My daughter is as passionate as she is impetuous," Hank says on a sigh, shifting his gaze to glare at his daughter, who doesn't budge an

inch. "She over-states her argument because she's pissed off and

Wishes

to be right. At the detriment to her

argument, she has grosslynoveldrama

over-simplified the problem."

Maryam's mouth pops open with an appalled little squeak that has Rafe's wolf howling and turning in an eager circle.

She's so cute, his wolf huffs. Look how pretty she is when she's mad - oh my god

- oh my GOD – she's so great - move closer. What can we say to piss her off? I want to see her all squeaky again -

Rafe groans inwardly and again grabs his wolf by the scruff, urging him to calm the hell down.

"I am not over-simplifying," Maryam says, pressing a hand to her chest.

"You are," Hank replies, dry, glaring hard at her. “And while I will tolerate you being rude and obnoxious to your host and your sovereign, as it is your right to make an absolute

out of yourself if you wish it,

fool

ove

Maryam – I will not tolerate a poorly constructed argument. I educated you better than that."