Chapter 8 Her Preference

• Averin's POV
• The meeting had ended terribly, and I wasn’t sure if I should be proud of just how much I had managed to rattle the elders or concerned about how they were going to retaliate.
• Because, oh, they were going to retaliate.
• The moment the words had left my lips—what if I actually am into men?—they had lost their minds.
• They hadn’t just been shocked—they had been outraged. For over ten minutes, I had sat there, listening to each of them lose control, one after the other.
• Boris, of course, had been the loudest. His voice had been so loud that I had to sit there and watch him declare me irresponsible, delusional, and insane for even entertaining such a thought.
• Yelena had looked personally offended, and her face twisted in disgust as she demanded to know if I had any idea how much shame I was about to bring on the pack.
• Gregor had simply shaken his head in disappointment, muttering under his breath about how he had always suspected something was wrong with me, and then there was Rurik.
• He had been the calmest of them all—but that was what made him the most dangerous. While the others had yelled, Rurik had simply watched me, but I could tell by his sinister eyes that he agreed with their opinions and was plotting something in that head of his.
• When the shouting finally died down, I had decided that if they were going to act like this, then I might as well double down.
• So I had leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and very clearly and deliberately stated—
• "I am into men, and there’s nothing you can do about it."
• That had been the moment their last bit of restraint snapped. The faces they made—I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
• It was horrifying, and at the same time, it was hilarious. And it had taken every ounce of my self-control not to snap a picture of their dreadful expressions.
• I had never seen them so panicked before.
• The way Yelena’s eyes had bulged, the way Boris had gone completely red, the way Gregor had buried his face in his hands as if praying for strength—it was priceless, but, of course, now that the meeting was over, I had to face the consequences of what I had just done.
• They had left the room angry, flustered, and determined—promising that they wouldn’t allow me to become a disgrace.
• Which meant only one thing: their obsession with getting me married to a woman was about to triple.
• I leaned back in my chair, groaning as I dragged a hand down my face, and I was still overthinking the consequences of pissing off the elders when a sharp knock at my office door pulled me from my thoughts.
• I exhaled slowly, already knowing that whoever was on the other side was not someone I wanted to deal with right now.
• “Who is it?” I called, leaning back in my chair, pressing my fingers against my temples.
• The guard outside answered immediately. “Beta Rowan, Alpha.”
• I groaned in frustration, dragging a hand down my face.
• Of course, it was Rowan. The last thing I wanted right now was to deal with my Beta and his overly logical concerns.
• I already knew what he was going to say; I already knew he was going to reprimand me for pushing the elders too far, and I already knew he was going to lecture me about how I was putting a bigger target on my back.
• And quite frankly, I wasn’t in the mood for it.
• But I couldn’t exactly refuse to see him, so with a heavy sigh, I muttered, “Let him in.”
• The door swung open, and Rowan walked in, his expression tight with frustration, and I barely had time to prepare myself before he spoke.
• “What in the world do you think you’re doing?” He demanded, his dark eyes burning with exasperation.
• I shrugged, pretending to be unfazed. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
• Rowan let out a sharp breath, raking a hand through his short, dark hair. “It looks like you just stood in front of the only body in this pack that has the power to impeach you and declared that you were into men.” He fixed me with a pointed stare. “And now, you’re sitting here like you didn’t just make things ten times worse for yourself.”
• I leaned back, giving him an unimpressed look.
• “And?” I said.
• Rowan gaped at me, his disbelief palpable. “And? And?! Averin, are you even hearing yourself?”
• I simply shrugged again, my lips curving slightly in amusement. “I figured there was no use lying,” I said lazily. “So, I just told them the truth. It's not that big a deal since they were the ones who wanted the truth so much.”
• Rowan looked like he was going to lose his mind.
• “You figured there was no use lying?” He repeated, his voice filled with barely restrained disbelief. “Averin, they already wanted you to get married. Now, they’re going to be twice as relentless about it! You handed them a reason to come after you harder!”
• I let out a mock sigh, tilting my head. “Well, at least they’ll be entertaining,” I mused.
• Rowan let out a long, exhausted sigh, rubbing his temples as if trying to soothe the headache I had just given him. Then, with a cautious glance at me, he asked the question he had clearly been dying to ask.
• “Are you being serious, though?” His voice was lower now. “Are you actually… into men? Or are you just messing around and trying to be rebellious?”
• I rolled my eyes, leaning back in my chair. “Did you not just hear what I said?”
• I spread my hands out in mock exasperation. “I literally just told you that I decided to be honest about my preference to the elders. Meaning, yes, Rowan. I’m into men.”
• I watched as his eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening slightly, but no words came out.
• It was rare for Rowan to be speechless, but he just stood there for a few long, awkward seconds, staring at me as if he was trying to process what I had just said.
• Finally, he let out a strained laugh—one that sounded more like he was hoping this was a joke. “Please say psych,” he muttered, staring at me. “Tell me you’re just joking.”
• I lifted a brow. “Why does it matter?”
• “Because—” He cut himself off, shaking his head like he couldn’t even begin to put his thoughts into words.
• I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t understand why the elders—and now you—are acting so shocked when it’s my preference and none of your business.”
• Rowan looked at me like I had just set the entire pack on fire and called it a campfire. “Averin,” he said, voice strained, “you're admitting—out loud—that you’re into men. Do you understand what kind of damage you're causing?”
• I smirked. “Yeah.”
• His jaw clenched, and I knew he was one second away from losing his mind.
• I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “And just so we’re clear, I’m not going to be marrying a woman—so don’t waste your time trying to talk me into it.”
• Rowan let out a sharp scoff, his expression filled with disbelief. “You’re making a mess for yourself, Averin. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
• I merely shrugged, unbothered. “You worry too much.”
• Rowan exhaled sharply, shaking his head before turning around and walking straight out of my office.
• As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a relieved sigh, leaning back in my chair.
• Finally.
• No more pointless lectures. No more annoying arguments. Now, I could actually focus on something that mattered.
• I reached over and picked up the intercom, pressing the button that connected me to Dain.
• His voice came through almost immediately. “Alpha?”
• “Prepare a car,” I ordered, my voice firm.
• There was a pause. Then, “Where are we going?”
• I smirked slightly, tapping my fingers against my desk before answering.
• “We’re leaving for Ironfang Pack,” I said, “to meet Maverick Blackwell.”
• Silence.
• “... What?”
• I chuckled. “You heard me, Dain. Be ready in ten.”
• I hung up the intercom before he could start questioning my sanity.