Chapter 6 When the table turns

Lena POV

At first, it sounded blurry. Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief while I melted where I sat.

“Is… is that my name?” I asked beneath my breath taking a quick glance yet my vision stayed more blurry.

“I think so,” Adam replied, as if lost too.

“What?! Lena?” Aaron shrieked, jerking me back to reality. 

In that moment, I knew I hadn’t misheard. I was chosen. 

Wait...what? How is that even possible.

Aaron twisted his face as though he'd brawl his eyes at me and I shook where I sat.

The twins jaws dropped and the piercer let out a coy smile with a curious gaze at me.

In that space, Aaron yank from his seat and stomped to the lawyer at once, snatching the will from his hand.

I can tell time stopped as though everyone was trying to process the news. No one wore their usual pretentious smile.

Aaron's eyes danced in their sockets as he dumped the will on the table.

"This isn't true!!!"

The lawyer finally lifted the parchment in his hand as his voice trembles.

"Do we have Lena here? From the will...the alpha has made her...the alpha" he continues but I shook my head.

That confident look on Aaron dropped immediately.

He stared at the paper as if it might rewrite itself, his jaw tightening until I could see the muscles in his neck strain. 

Beside me, Adam’s smile faltered, his hand still clasped around mine tightening just enough to hurt.

And the twins, adain and adnar exchanged a quick glance and their usual cocky smirks gone. 

Even the old woman at the far end, who had been watching the scene with a detached curiosity, let out a soft, incredulous gasp.

“W‑what?” Aaron barked, in an intense tone “You… you can’t be serious. I’ve trained for this my whole life!” He roared stepping forward and the lawyer flinching back as if the very sound might shatter him.

I felt my heart racing like it would explode. Adrenaline pumps inside me, ready for me to run.

My palms sleek with sweat as a sudden pressure took my breath away.

This can’t be happening. I’m not… I’m not a leader. I’m just… a girl who showed up at a funeral.

The thought crashes in my head that I had to look at the lawyer.

“Are you… are you sure?” I whispered, beneath my breath. 

My eyes darted to Adam, searching for any reassurance, but his gaze was fixed on the will, his brow furrowed as if trying to decode a language only he understood.

The lawyer, his hands shaking, cleared his throat. “The documents are clear, Miss Maury. The alpha line passed to you through your mother’s blood. There’s no… no contest.” He glanced nervously at Aaron, whose face had turned a shade paler than any color in this room.

Aaron’s voice rose in a terrifying manner.

“You fucking think a piece of paper can just erase everything I’ve done? The trials, the blood, the… the oath I swore?” He slammed his fist onto the table, the sound cause everyone to shudder.

“You’re… you’re a fraud!” Aaron accuses.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I could feel the eyes of everyone in the hall boring into me.

Some with pity, some with contempt, all with a sudden, terrifying expectation. 

I wanted to curl into a ball, to disappear but it wasn't happening.

Adam lean closer, and in a whisper, he said;

“Lena, breathe. You don’t have to do this alone.” He squeezed my hand, and with that I could breath.

He has been holding on to me, since I sat here.

I swallowed, forcing the tremor out of my voice. 

“I… I didn’t ask for this” I said, my “I’m… I’m scared, Adam. I never wanted any of this.”

The confession was already a surrender but before Adam could speak, Adam was already talking.

“Typical,” sneered Xandra, her voice held grudges as she pushes a strand of silver hair over her shoulder. 

“A stray walks in, and suddenly she’s the heir. What a joke.” She glanced at my mother, who stood now a few steps away, eyes downcast, hands clasped tightly at her waist. 

The silence from Mom was a cold blade; she didn’t even bother to look up.

“Did you plan this, Lena?” Ashar drawled, leaning against his chair, his shirt still unbuttoned from his earlier dramatic move “Or did you just get lucky, again?” He smirked, and the twins snorted in unison, their laughter sounded more like a mockery.

“Looks like the bloodline skipped a generation,” Adain muttered, his tone half‑joking, half‑bitter. 

“Or maybe the old man finally decided to give the throne to someone who actually knows how to use it… which isn’t you, Aaron.”

Ace added, his voice low, “She’s a wildcard, Aaron. You know the council will never accept a newcomer. They’ll tear her apart before the moon even rises.”

Each of their statements were condemning Aaron and the way he looked at me, I knew it void.

Aaron’s jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might fall out. “You all think this is a game?” he snapped, turning his glare on each of them in turn. “She’s not ready. She’ll get us all killed.”

"Not when we kill her first" Ace suddenly suggested in a deadly tone that made me hold my heart in my mouth.

My mother finally lifted her head, her eyes meeting mine for a second before she turned away, the faintest tremor in her lips the only sign that she was listening. 

It was as if she were a statue, present, but unreachable.

“Enough,” Adam orders as he rose up. His voice interrupted the words of contempt.

“We’re not here to argue about who deserves what. The will is clear. Lena is the alpha now, and we’ll deal with the fallout together"

While he speaks, I could feel the heat of everyone’s gaze, the weight of their accusations, the bitter taste of fear on my tongue.

"Now let's hear the loser speak! You had better reject this!" Xandra mused like she'd pull my hair off.