“Send out the letter that way; this war will not go our way if we reveal her identity.” Alpha Carlos muttered in a low voice and excused himself.
*************
AT SILVERADO PACK
The air slapped against the trees, causing the leaves to sway violently in the direction of the wind.
Alpha Damian was overjoyed when the new royal doctor confirmed Luna Lorienta’s pregnancy.
The pack house frontage was quickly filled with pack members, as Alpha Damian had requested their presence earlier.
They had no idea what the joy in the pack house was about, and their curiosity was piqued when Alpha Damian stepped out with his Luna.
With a smile on his face, he announced, “I have exciting news to share with all of you.”
The pack members began murmuring as they prepared themselves for the news.
“Pack members, I stand before you today full of joy and pride. I proclaim: Our beloved Luna, Luna Mavana, carries the heir to our pack, which means a new member will join us soon, an heir produced by the destined Luna of this pack for the first time in history.”
The crowd erupted into cheers and jubilation, pack members jumping and embracing themselves.
Alpha Damian glanced over at Luna Mavana, whose heart was racing with joy.
After all of the struggles and obstacles that had accompanied the beginning of their journey, it was finally coming to an end.
Tears stream down Luna Mavana’s cheeks as Alpha Damian pulls her into a hug.
“This is a reason to celebrate!” Gamma Loan yelled, his face contorted with mixed emotions as he looked over at Alpha Damian, his glares tinged with sympathy.
He looked over at the relation elder, who had a smirk on his face; disgust and anguish filled him as he tore his gaze away.
“I hope you both make it through this,” he murmured, only audible to himself.
“The multipurpose hall is open to all pack members, and the feast will begin in the next few hours,” Gamma Loan announced as he walked into the pack house, his mind heavy.
The pack members turned and marched towards the multi-purpose hall.
“This is not right, Alpha Damian.” Since the mating ritual and the coronation of the Luna, you have been ignoring the importance of the Elders, which is not acceptable.” The Civil Elder sneered, his gaze fixed on Luna Mavana, hatred and irritation emanating from his glares.
Alpha Damian stared at him, stunned. He wonders why the issue was brought up so suddenly, even though he knew nothing about it.
“If I am allowed to question your assumptions, how did I disregard the importance of the Elders when they have none?” He replied casually.
The civil elder’s eyes darkened in unison with the other taunting elders. “You have been extremely disrespectful, dismissing our traditions. This pregnancy should have been discussed with us first before being announced to the rest of the pack. It is completely disrespectful.” He yelled as his chest heaved.
Alpha Damian’s expression turned cold; he drew Luna Mavana away from him and nodded his head, a slight smile on his face.
He turned to face the Civil Elder and said, “I have always followed our pack’s rules and traditions, but that does not mean I have to tell the Elders about everything that happens. Your concerns and accusations seem misplaced”
The statement heightened their tension, demonstrating that their concerns were more than just that, stemming from a deeper hatred.
They both continued to stare at themselves with hatred in their eyes; if looks could kill, they would be dead.
“I do not think this issue should escalate to this point; we should address it in the meeting room,” Beta Frank said, trying to be polite enough.
Alpha Damian tore his gaze away from the Civil Elder and walked into the pack house, his hands holding Luna Mavana’s.
“I have a feeling that something is about to happen,” Luna Mavana thought, her thoughts audible to Alpha Damian, who halted his steps.
“What is wrong, my love?” Alpha Damian inquired.
“Nothing,” Luna Mavana answered nervously.
“Let us go to the meeting room; this issue must be addressed before a narrative is created.” Luna Mavana added, smiling at Alpha Damian.
“I couldn’t tolerate the nonsense anymore, so I had to say it.” The Civil Elder sneered, still justifying his actions.
“You were not the only one who had those thoughts; I, too, had those thoughts and grudges, but I managed to control myself and stick to the plan.” The Relation Elder yelled, cutting him off immediately.
“We had sleepless nights just to have a perfect plan, but you used your impatience to destroy half of it,” the Relation Elder said, his anger washing over him.
“I do not think we should discuss this right now; I am confident that the Alpha and Luna will have settled down in the meeting room.
I have done everything I can to distract the pack members, including providing them with extra food and drinks. We should start going to the meeting room as well,” Gamma Loan said, putting an end to the rift that was about to form between them.
“I concur with you.” The Relation Elder glared at the Civil Elder before walking away.
*********
After a long period of silence, the meeting room filled up.
There was palpable tension.
“Let us resolve this issue once and for all,” Alpha Damian declared, his voice calm but firm.
The Civil Elder scoffed, “You have consistently disregarded our presence; what is there to discuss?” His voice was unusually calm, raising suspicions.
Luna Mavana’s gaze shifted to the relation elder, looking for a flicker of emotion or anything suspicious, and she found one.
A forced smile appeared on his lips before disappearing like the wind.
Beta Frank intervened, “We need to stop creating narratives for the pack members. A slight notice of disunity among us will cause a serious problem.”
The discussion continued, and Alpha Damian’s leadership was tested by serious accusations.
“Why was Daniel banished in the first place?” Is it because he attempted to fuck the Luna? ” A random elder inquired, and the entire room became infected with murmurs.
“I wanted to know why the Royal doctor was locked up as well. He did not lie when he told us his suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Luna Mavana’s pregnancy, and I believed he knew what he was saying,” another Elder added.
Luna Mavana’s breath caught in her throat, her chest tightened, and each breath was held in shock.
The air around her tightened, and the lies that had nearly destroyed her began to germinate again.
She slammed her hands on the table, her eyes darkened with isolated emotions, and she stood up on her feet, glaring around.
” I believe it is past time for me to issue a warning to every one of you; I will not tolerate any demeaning words or lies directed at me; if you are so stubborn as to find a way out and stay up to date on the pack’s affairs, do not include me, and do not tell lies about me. Regardless of who it is, I will not take it lightly.” As they looked at her in confusion, their open mouths hanging in the air, she said, cutting them all off.
The room was more silent than a cemetery, and they felt the tension building until they were startled out of it by a knock on the door.
Alpha Damian yelled, “Come in.”
Lucas, a young warrior who appeared uneasy, came in.
“Alpha Damian, the border patrols have informed us of some unsettling information. Some messengers from the Crest Pack were spotted nearby, and they dropped this letter before darting into the woods.” He arched his neck and pulled a brown paper from his sword pocket, then walked towards the Alpha and stretched it out with a bow.
Alpha Damian collected the paper and slowly opened it, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw the letter’s title.
“NOTICE OF WAR.” He read the text aloud.