Ares pushed down the unwelco heat twisting inside him and dragged in a steadying breath.
"Co in," he called.
The door opened slowly, and Ellie stepped inside with one hand in his pocket. Rhea followed right behind him, her stride unhurried, her posture loose. She did not look nervous. She did not even look concerned. She looked mildly curious.
Her eyes drifted around the office as she entered. The shelves, the desk, the chairs, the couch, even the dark curtains framing the window were all black. She took it in quietly. Nice, she thought.
Ares caught the small flicker of interest on her face, and sothing jolted in his chest at the sight of her.
His wolf stirred within him. Ares clenched his jaw internally. Calm the fuck down, he reprimanded. She is no longer our mate. We rejected each other. Rember.
You and who is we? his wolf retorted. You did all that by yourself, she’s still my mate for all I know.
Ares ignored him and shoved the presence back, locking the feeling down.
Ellie cleared his throat. "We are here," he announced, closing the door behind them.
Ares nodded slightly and moved behind his desk, needing distance. He gestured toward the seating area, indicating they should sit.
Rhea and Ellie crossed the room and settled onto the sofa. Ellie leaned back comfortably, but Rhea leaned forward, elbows on her knees, eyes fixed on Ares.
"So," she said, "why am I here? Don’t tell I was dragged here just to be scolded for eating before you."
Ares stared at her for a mont, thrown by how casually she addressed him. He blinked, voice dropping lower than he intended. "No."
He cleared his throat, straightening. "No. That is not why you are here."
Rhea lifted a brow. "Good to know." She nodded slightly and leaned back. "So why am I here then?"
Ares tapped his fingers on the desk, each soft tap echoing like contained irritation. "I understand that you were never involved in anything concerning this pack," he began. "And you might not know the rules or customs. But you should know that certain people require a certain level of respect."
"Like who?" Rhea asked.
"Shut up and listen to ," Ares said sharply.
"I am encouraging you to go straight to the point," Rhea replied with a shrug.
"One more word," Ares warned. "One more word and I’ll show you what respect looks like in practice."
Rhea’s jaw tightened. She opened her mouth, ready to throw sothing sharp back at him.
But Ellie shook his head quickly, stopping her.
"Rhea. Just listen," he said, tone calm but firm. "Please."
She glanced at him for a mont, weighing the request, then exhaled. "Fine, I’m listening."
Ares clenched his jaw. She always defied him. But the mont Ellie spoke, she listened without hesitation. Ellie was not even her real brother. The irritation simred.
And whose fault is that? his wolf asked.
Shut the fuck up, Ares snapped internally.
Rhea looked at him with a raised brow, her expression clearly saying she would prefer he not waste her ti.
Ares inhaled slowly, then leaned forward. "There are rules in this pack. Things you do not do. You do not challenge my authority in front of everyone. You do not provoke the pack unnecessarily. You do not cause scenes that draw the pack’s attention for the wrong reasons." His voice hardened. "You got on the Krolls’ bad side. You insulted Eberhard and his daughter. You stirred unnecessary tension. And all of this happened in two days. Two."
Rhea blinked once, unimpressed.
Ares continued. "Nobody challenges the way you did. Nobody has ever spoken to the way you do. I looked past it because I have bigger matters to handle. But if it repeats itself, I will not ignore it."
Rhea sighed softly. "Duly noted, can I go now?"
"No," Ares snapped. "You go nowhere until I am finished. And do not speak without permission."
Her jaw dropped slightly. "Are you being serious right now?"
"Yes. I am," Ares said without hesitation.
Rhea opened her mouth again.
"If I hear a word from you," Ares cut in, voice cold, "I will throw you out of this pack. Goddess chosen or not. And you do not want to know what a wolf without a pack faces."
Ellie’s head jerked up, eyes wide. "Ares..."
Rhea went still.
For a mont, nothing moved. No one breathed.
She stared at Ares, anger flickering in her eyes. She did not know everything about this world. She did not know what being packless truly ant. But she knew enough. Enough to understand that challenging him now was not worth it.
Fine, she thought bitterly. But I will get back at you one day. Her glare sharpened with that silent promise.
"Do you not think that was a bit too much, Ares?" Ellie asked, tone tight.
Ares shot him a cold look.
Ellie cleared his throat quickly. "Right. Staying out of it."
Ares held his gaze for a mont longer before turning back to Rhea. She sat stiffly on the sofa, fists clenched, jaw tight. The tension filled the room like a thick fog.
Ares leaned back in his chair, trying to regain so control. His heartbeat thudded annoyingly loud in his ears.
Rhea’s glare never left his face.
Ares forced his tone to steady. "Good. Now that you understand the seriousness of your actions, we can continue."
Rhea rolled her eyes dramatically, a full exaggerated arc like she wanted to make sure he saw every second of it.
Ares exhaled through his nose, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "If you cannot respect or abide by my pack rules," he said slowly, "then maybe you do not belong to this pack in the first place."
Rhea’s eyes narrowed.
Ares continued, voice firm but controlled. "Do not forget who you are. You are still the daughter of a traitor. Allowing you to stay here is already more privilege than you deserve."
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