Chapter 189: 189 - the best
189
~Lisa’s POV
Sure enough, the door opened, and Damon and I stepped in, Rowan’s sharp gaze flicking from Damon to me. Kael followed, his smirk already tugging at his lips.
"What now?" Rowan asked, his voice clipped.
Damon straightened his shoulders, keeping his grip on me. "We’re going to pick up things for the baby. And the two of you will come with us."
Rowan’s brows shot up. Kael gave a short laugh. "Finally. You are making sense."
But Damon wasn’t finished. His tone hardened. "But you’re not to interfere with what she chooses. She picks. That’s the agreement."
I blinked at him, surprised. My mouth parted slightly. He actually said it.
Rowan’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Damon said. "She chooses."
Rowan’s voice dropped low, dangerous. "And we’re supposed to just stand there and watch? Like useless guards while she makes decisions for our child?"
"It’s not up for debate," Damon shot back.
Kael tilted his head, smirk widening. "You can’t be serious, Damon. How could you expect her to know what befits the child of alphas? Do you truly think she’ll pick something rich enough, fine enough, worthy enough?"
My teeth ground together. My hands curled into fists at my sides. Damon’s hand tightened on mine, holding me in place.
"That’s the agreement," Damon repeated, his tone firm.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way. "Are you three even listening to yourselves?"
Rowan’s head snapped toward me, his nostrils flaring. "Careful, Lisa. Mind the way you talk to us!"
"No," I said sharply, cutting him off, my chest heaving. "Don’t ’careful’ me. Damon is right. You’re only following because he pleaded for you. If you don’t like the conditions, then don’t come. Stay back. Nobody’s forcing you."
The room fell silent. My words echoed, ringing loud in the heavy air.
Rowan’s face twisted with anger. His fists clenched, his jaw sharp enough to cut glass. "You dare...."
"Yes, I dare," I hissed, stepping forward, my voice trembling but strong. "Because I am the one carrying this child. Not you. Not Kael. Not even Damon. Me."
Rowan snapped first.
"You think that gives you power?" he said, his voice dark. "You think carrying what belongs to us makes you untouchable?"
Damon stepped between us, his shoulders broad, his presence commanding. "Enough."
Kael chuckled again, low and taunting. "Oh, this is going to be fun. Watching her pretend she has a say. I almost want to see what cheap little blanket she’ll choose just so I can laugh."
"Kael," Damon snapped, "shut your mouth."
Kael smirked, but he did fall silent.
I folded my arms, glaring at all of them, my throat thick with anger. "You know what’s funny? You keep talking about what’s worthy, what’s rich, what’s fine. But not one of you has asked me what the baby actually needs. Not one."
Damon turned his head slightly, his eyes flicking toward me. I caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips, like maybe, just maybe, he agreed.
Rowan’s teeth ground together. "You’re overstepping."
"No," I said firmly, though my heart pounded so hard it almost hurt. "I’m finally stepping where I belong. This child is growing inside me. That makes my voice matter, whether you like it or not."
The silence that followed was heavy, sharp as broken glass.
Rowan looked ready to explode, but Damon spoke first.
"That’s enough. We’re going," he said. His hand tugged mine gently but firmly, pulling me forward. "And the rules stay. She picks. You follow. That’s final."
The walk to the carriage was suffocating. None of them spoke. Rowan’s fury burned hot beside me, Kael’s smirk lingered like a shadow, and Damon’s grip on my hand was steady, grounding.
When we reached the carriage, Rowan muttered under his breath, "Unbelievable."
I shot him a glare. "You’re welcome to stay behind, you know."
His head snapped toward me again, eyes blazing. Damon’s warning growl rumbled low, a sound that silenced Rowan for once.
We climbed into the carriage. Damon sat beside me, his shoulder brushing mine, while Rowan and Kael sat across, their gazes sharp and unreadable.
The tension was thick enough to choke on.
Kael broke it first. He leaned back lazily, his lips curving into that infuriating smile. "So tell us, Lisa. What will you choose first? A rattle from the village market? A cradle made of straw?"
I rolled my eyes again, leaning back against the seat. "I’ll pick what’s best for the baby. Not what looks best for the alphas’ pride."
Rowan’s glare sharpened. "You mock us."
"I tell the truth," I shot back.
Damon’s hand brushed against mine under the seat, steadying me again. His voice was calm, almost too calm. "She’s not mocking. She’s choosing. That was the agreement."
Rowan cursed under his breath, but didn’t argue further. I didn’t even know why they chose to ride in the same palaquin with me.
The moment we stepped out of the carriage, the air shifted.
Voices hushed. Heads bowed. Men, women, even children lowered themselves as if the very earth demanded their submission.
"Alphas," the pack members murmured, voices carrying both reverence and fear. Some pressed their fists over their chests, others dropped to their knees.
Rowan didn’t even glance at them, his expression cold, distant, as if their greetings were nothing more than air. Kael smirked, of course, like every bowed head was a personal victory. Damon gave the slightest nod here and there, acknowledging, but never softening.
I walked just a step behind them, and suddenly I felt every pair of eyes on me. My cheeks burned. I wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t royalty. I wasn’t even a wolf. And yet, standing there with the three of them, their human scandal.
Then I saw it, the marketplace.
Not just any market. The largest market I’d ever seen, reserved for them, the alphas alone.
Tall banners of deep crimson and gold hung from the arches. Stalls stretched endlessly, each one overflowing with the finest things I’d ever laid eyes on, silks, carved wood, silver trinkets, spices that filled the air with their rich scent. Merchants bowed deeply as we passed, their voices rising:
"Alphas!"
"Welcome, great Alphas!"
The merchant’s eyes slid toward me, confusion flickering in them. He quickly dropped his gaze again, muttering, "And... welcome, lady."
Lady. The word startled me. I’d never been called that in my life.
Kael leaned closer with a mocking grin. "Try not to look so shocked, Lisa. This is our Market. Only the best of the best. Even you should be impressed."
I shot him a glare, but my lips betrayed me, parting slightly as I stared at the jeweled cradles, the golden rattles, the silken swaddles stacked high. Everything gleamed, rich and unreal.
"It’s..." I whispered before I caught myself. My heart thudded, and I forced my chin higher. "It’s fine."