Chapter 15

Melissa's POV

She runs the show

I made sure to stand proudly before the council. The absolute look of shock on their faces was hilarious.

I couldn't help but enjoy the looks of sheer unbelief written across their faces.

The once-mighty men of the council who had looked down on me and any other omega as if I were nothing now seemed utterly dumbfounded by my mere presence.

I had never wanted to come back to this place, to this hod forsaken pack where I was once treated like a pariah. But seeing the disbelief and confusion on their faces was worth every moment of discomfort.

There was a time when I would have cowered under their harsh frowns. My eyes would be downcast, trying to shrink into invisibility. But those days were long gone now. I had become something far more powerful than they could ever comprehend—far too powerful for them to hurt me anymore.

As I scanned the room, my eyes landed back on Alpha Knox. He was sitting, transfixed with an intensity that seemed to tear through the entire room.

His eyes were locked on mine. He was giving me a look that told me he was not seeing anything else in the room except me.

It sent a shiver down my spine

Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to get back with him—God, no. But knowing that I could command his attention, that I could attract him, was a small, satisfying victory.

I turned my attention back to the council, who had begun arguing among themselves in hushed voices.

"Is this really the same Omega Melissa from years ago?" one of them muttered in disbelief.

"It can't be," another replied, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the notion. "She was just a meek little thing, barely worthy of our notice."

I overheard a voice—a familiar, yet nasally voice—cutting through the chatter. It was Councilman Morris, intense and sharp-tongued elder. "She is the same one the Alpha wanted to marry years ago. There's no mistaking her."

I felt a jolt of shock at his words. Marry me? Knox? That idea seemed absurd. Probably some kind of twisted joke.

I never imagined Knox would want to marry me, an Omega he had banished without a second thought. All my memories of Knox were far from loving or romantic.

He had always treated me like a dumb little sex toy, a pretty little thing to warm his bed and nothing more. Before he banished me, he made it absolutely clear that he would never marry a weak, wolfless Omega like me. His words had stung then, and even now, I could hear their painful echoes in my head.

The council had to be mistaken, I concluded silently. They were grasping at straws, reading into something that simply wasn't there. Knox had only ever cared about me as a poor, pitiful, sugar baby, not as a potential partner. I was his sex slave, nothing more.

As the council continued their bickering, I overheard one of the council members who also happened to be Susie's uncle speak. He was a particularly vile man with a permanent scowl tattooed on his face.

"Someone as weak and worthless as Melissa can't possibly be a doctor. This is a fat joke."

His words were murmured by several others, "The Alpha is trying to use her to trick us," someone else argued. "He's buying himself time with this nonsense."

The blatant disrespect in their words lit up a spark of anger inside me. "I would appreciate it if you stopped assuming things based on sexist, outdated biases," I scolded firmly. "Your narrow-mindedness does nothing but embarrass you. I am here as a professional, and I expect to be treated as such."

They shifted uncomfortably, but their arrogance and disrespect continued. "We're not being sexist," Morris replied defensively. "But there's simply no way that the Alpha's old Omega whore could suddenly become a renowned doctor."

The room held its breath as the insult hung in the air, and I saw Knox's expression darken with fury.

His voice suddenly slipped out on a low growl and barely-contained rage. "You will all shut your fucking mouths this instant, or I'll have you whipped and dragged through the streets," he threatened, his eyes flashing dangerously.

I didn't need Knox to fight my battles, though, and I refused to let him step in where I could defend myself. "Thank you, Alpha, but I can take care of myself," I said firmly, turning back to the council with a smirk.

I walked over to the group of men, and began studying their appearances closely.

Their sneers quickly turned to unease as I began speaking in a voice that was steady and sure.

"You, Councilman Harper," I said, pointing to a particularly surly man with a bulbous nose and an air of self-importance. "The yellowing of your skin and eyes indicates jaundice, likely due to liver dysfunction. You should consider a regimen of milk thistle and dandelion root to support your liver function."

Harper's eyes widened in shock, his hand unconsciously going to his face.

Before he could retort, I turned to the next man, who was nervously adjusting his spectacles.

"Councilman Reed, I'd bet that you have untreated hypertension, given the swelling in your ankles and your frequent need to catch your breath. A prescription of beta-blockers combined with dietary changes would do you well."

One by one, I moved through the council members, accurately diagnosing their conditions and suggesting treatments that were well-known within medical circles but evidently surprising to them.

The room was suddenly silent, as the council members became stunned. Their disrespect had been replaced with admiration, and I felt a thrill of satisfaction seeing their smug little faces crumble before me.

"Now," I challenged, sweeping my gaze across the room, "you have a choice. Accept that I am indeed a doctor capable of treating the Alpha's son, or force Knox to send me home. Because let me be clear, I have no desire to stay here, not after being dragged back and kidnapped against my will."

The last part of my statement hung in the air, the word "kidnapped" triggering a murmur of surprise and confusion among the council members.

Morris, who had been silent for a moment, looked particularly perturbed. "Kidnapped?" he repeated with disbelief in his tone.

I snorted before crossing my arms. "Yes, kidnapped. The Alpha brought me here against my will because, frankly, I never wanted to come back to this place or see any of you ever again."

The council seemed to shift and grumble as they processed my words, before finally giving reluctant. But yet, Under their acceptance, I detected something more sinister—a hidden desire for the boy, Knox's son to die so they could have a chance for them to claim power.

The thought made me nauseous. They were ready to exploit any weakness to fulfill their own ambitions. But I wouldn't let them. Not while I still had a chance to make a difference.

I turned back to Knox, with a neutral expression, though a storm of chaotic emotions raged inside me. "So, Alpha," I addressed him, breaking the heavy silence. "When would you like me to begin?"

Knox met my gaze and a flicker of something unreadable passedthrough his eyes.

The room waited with bated breath, and I could see the council members still reeling from the realization that the power dynamics had shifted, and that I was no longer a pawn in their silly little games .