Lydia’s words cut through everyone, especially the two men sitting across from her. Lions had been known for their powerful Prides, but like their animal predecessors before them were known to have only one major sire for all of the children within the group. In rare cases, males lions would kill all the children of the previous alpha due to needing to sire new offspring. Nicolai looked at Lydia with an intense stare, his eyes glowing with anger at the comments she had directed towards him.

“I suggest you mind your tongue elder” Nicolai snarled his eyes glowing with rage, “Don't you dare insinuate to know of my character when this whole time you have been showing the lack thereof along with Ephraim.”

Lydia looked at him with annoyance, “Yet you are not able to answer my questions in order to prove our assumptions wrong alpha. Are the traditions of your breed of feline not known to be true?” She snapped back at the lion.  

“Do not assume my Pride acts in the way of savages and that all lions are to be considered the same! My family will not be insulted by a shifter of the likes of you, elder. Do not allow your prejudices to get you reminded of your place Lydia.” Nicolai growled his grasp on Aston's leg tightening slightly. 

Aston stared in shock at Lydia’s bravery, her gaze looking down at his mate from her nose with a challenge. Her challenging gaze was met by the release of energy that shook the room around them. The energy came pouring out of Nicolai like before forcing the occupants of the room to partially bow their heads towards the lion. All except Aston. Lydia stared at the alpha with an overwhelmed expression, her body trying to resist the submission to the lion alpha. 

Lydia’s eyes glowed as she found the power swirling around her releasing her own power as a rebuttal to the alpha before her. Aston watched her with concern, his eyes turning to his mate noticing her resistance and challenge.

She made a grave mistake.

Nicolai disappeared from her sight with the closing of her eyes, she looked around desperately looking for the lion within the library. The others gasped as they looked at something behind her, her eyes widening as she felt a hand grab the back of her head. Aston watched as his mate slammed Lydia’s head onto the table, the table splintering with spider webs of cracks traveling away from the impact. Nicolai looked feral from anger at the challenge that Lydia had issued, surprising even his sisters by his actions. His eyes glowing fiercely and his canines elongated ready to transform.

“Do not look down upon me, elder” Nicolai hissed in a deep voice sending a shiver through Aston's body, “Though I commend your bravery Lydia, your arrogance has seemed to have gotten you into this position. Luckily you are not of my pride and that Aston is my mate or they would be cleaning you up from the nooks and crannies of this library. Do not insult or make assumptions of my pride Lydia, we are not like any other lions you have ever encountered.”

Everyone stared at the Lion Alpha in shock as he held Lydia’s face into the table as he talked for everyone to hear. No one had openly ever assaulted an elder of the clan the way that Nicolai had, much less forced an elder to submit. Nicolai growled deeply, smelling the fear that radiated off of Lydia, his beast taking control of the situation. 

Astons eyes widened as he stood up from his seat watching his mate before him hold down the elder that had challenged his mate not seconds ago. Lydia forced her head to the side underneath the pressure of Nicolai’s hand releasing a whimper as he pressed her face harder into the cracked table. The others could only stare in disbelief as they fought the energy that poured out of the Alpha not being able to move in the slightest to aid Lydia. 

“Where is the challenge in your eyes now, elder?” Nicolai asked, his voice vibrating through her body with power. 

“Nicolai she did not mean you any harm or any challenge, that is just how she is. She was just making good intentions towards the clan and our Aston” Isadora gasped watching Nicolai, her body trying to fight the power.

“Silence!” Nicolai roared with the deep voice of his beast, ”this woman knew the effect of her words and the use of her body language when addressing me. Her words were assumptions and a challenge to me and my sister’s characters!”

“Please Alpha, Lydia only had good intentions.” Ephraim strained, ”Please allow us to apologize on her behalf.”

“Ephraim your words hold no value, the way you speak to my mate is proof of that. You should be glad, All of you, that I have yet to punish her for insolence towards my Pride.” Nicolai replied hearing Lydia start to whimper again as he clutched her head with an even tighter grasp. 

Nicolai was slightly impressed with her ability to take the pain he was inflicting on her head without the others knowing. Out of the corner of his peripherals, he noticed the two guards of the room start to edge towards him. He paid them no mind as he knew that they would not be able to reach him if he retaliated or unleashed his power full force on them. 

Aston watched as River and Rhea inched their way towards the Lion Alpha, their faces strained from fighting the power plowing into them. He knew that the situation had escalated due to Lydia being the person that he had known her to be.

  A nuisance. 

He looked again at Lydia and Nicolai seeing his mates anger not die down in the slightest. He needed to act quickly not wanting there to be an altercation within the library, the room was of great importance and needed to be protected. Another factor was that the other elders were locked in place by the display of power and would only be injured by a possible altercation. Before the two tigers could get to the pair, Aston appeared behind Lydia, surprising Nicolai with his sudden appearance as he had not sensed his mate move from his seat. River and Rhea froze in place watching their future leader moving at a speed that they had never seen from him towards an angry Alpha. 

“Nicolai” Aston stated calmly placing his hand on Nicolai’s cheek, “Calm down.”

Aston stared deeply into his mates’ glowing eyes seeing the rage start to falter within the lion’s body. Aston's hazel eyes glowed softly as his face softened, his eyes never leaving the Alphas’. Nicolai’s other hand grabbed onto the one at his cheek leaning into the touch feeling something he had never felt before. 

A connection. 

He had never felt this way with someone before, previously feeling only solidarity and anger. When he looked at Aston he no longer felt alone; he still had his many sisters, but he didn't feel the loneliness that had plagued his heart. 

“Unfortunately Nicolai, this is how Lydia is. She is a pain in the ass, and she is not going to change not even for me or anyone else. Please just let her go. I think she has learned her lesson” Aston explained, placing his other on top of Lydia’s head along with his mate's hand.

Nicolai looked down at Lydia seeing her fear-stricken face, her body tensing up as she pulled the collar of her shirt baring her neck to him. Lydia had submitted. The other elders looked in disbelief at her actions, Lydia being the only elder in 100 years to be forced to submit to a King of any kind. Nicolai’s power started to dissipate from around them, disappearing as if it had never happened, allowing for everyone to move. Viktor sat there making slight eye contact with Nicolai, he smirked nodding at the display of power before he grabbed Kendric’s hand. Kendric squeezed his mate’s hand staring at Aston with silent contentment seeing that Aston was transforming before their eyes.

A leader was slowly being born.

“Aston I-” Nicolai was cut off with a thumb to his lips.

“Let this be known,” Aston stated sternly, his voice hardening, “Any insults or challenging of our positions will be met with punishment. My mate and I will not be treated with contempt due to our new coupling or my lack of experience in leadership. I will not hesitate to react with action when it comes to any of you! Respect others and we will respect you regardless of species.”

“Yes Aston” everyone in his clan replied in understanding.

“It’s about time you found someone with some balls, little brother” Emersyn stated breaking the silence, “Aston you at the only person in the span of ever to rein in Nicolais little anger management problem.”

Nicolai blushed a deep red as he grabbed Aston’s hand, taking both of them off of Lydia’s head releasing her. Lydia slid from her seat heading into Isadora’s arms silently trembling from what she had just experienced.

“I agree with Emersyn, no one has ever been able to manage his anger problem or bring out this different side of him that we had experienced earlier” Adria spoke up looking at her brother making him squirm slightly in Aston’s touch, “What other surprises are we expecting from you, Aston?”

Aston laughed out loud, finally taking both of Nicolai’s hands within his own, his mate watching him with silent adoration feeling his groin tighten just from Aston’s laugh.

“I think I'm going to leave it to a mystery,” Aston chuckled, squeezing Nicolai’s hands. 

The elders rolled their eyes knowing that the lions were not aware of what they were asking for. The treaty had been finalized at that moment, the elders feeling that the pair would introduce a new power dynamic to the city. The Gathering was in the coming weeks and they knew that they had to silently prepare for the meeting with the other heads of power. 

“Just wait till he meets our other sisters, right Adria?” Emersyn smiled devilishly 

“There.. are more!?” Aston sputtered looking into Nicolai’s eyes seeing him nod.

“Forewarning young King to be, my sisters and I, together, have been known to devour anyone in our path. Let's see if you can impress them as you impressed us.” Adria answered.

“Oh, gods.” Aston groaned knowing that he would have to possibly replicate tonight with his mate’s other sisters.

Aston let his head fall into Nicolai’s chest only imagining what was soon to come as he felt the chest he was against start to shake.

Now it was Nicolai’s turn to laugh.