Alison’s POV
The air in the pack house felt heavy, suffocating, like a storm waiting to break. Whispers had reached my ears early that morning, whispers of a meeting called by the elders. The tension was palpable, coiling around my chest like a python.
A sinking feeling took root in my stomach as I was summoned. It wasn’t a request, it was an order. My heart pounded with every step I took toward the council room, the walls closing in around me. I tried to steady my breathing, but my wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind.
As I approached the tall wooden doors, I paused, my palms clammy. Beyond those doors lay judgment not just of my actions but of my worth.
“You have to do this,” I told myself. “They won’t break you.”
I pushed the doors open.
The sight before me stopped me cold.
The elders were seated at the long table, their expressions grim, like they were preparing to deliver a death sentence. Katherine sat near the center, her posture regal, her sharp eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. And behind her, Caitlyn stood, a smug grin tugging at her lips, as though she had already claimed the title of Luna.
Xander wasn’t there.
My chest tightened. Why wasn’t he here? Was this intentional? Did he know?
“Miss Alison,” the head elder, I had learnt his name was Arthur, began, his gravelly voice slicing through the silence. “Step forward.”
I forced my feet to move, each step feeling heavier than the last. The whispers from the ceremony replayed in my mind. Reckless. Unfit. A disaster.
I stood before the table, the center of their judgmental stares.
“Do you know why we’ve called you here?” Arthur asked, folding his hands on the table.
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling as I replied, “I assume it’s about the ceremony.”
“Assume?” Katherine’s voice cut in, sharp and cold. “Is that what you’re going to do as Luna? Assume everything while chaos unfolds?”
I flinched at her tone but held my ground. “The ceremony didn’t go as I had planned,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Didn’t go as planned?” Elder Marsha scoffed, leaning forward. “A child was injured, Alison. A child!”
“I.. I know,” I stammered. “It wasn’t supposed to happen… ”
“But it did!” Katherine snapped, her tone harsh enough to make my wolf recoil. “This pack deserves a Luna who can handle responsibility, not someone who can’t even secure a simple decoration.”
Caitlyn’s smug grin widened. I could feel her satisfaction radiating like a poisonous fog.
“You’ve embarrassed this pack time and again,” another elder said. “Do you truly believe you’re fit to be Luna?”
“I’ve tried… ” I began, but they cut me off.
“Trying isn’t enough,” Arthur said, his tone final. “This isn’t just about you, Alison. It’s about the pack. And the pack needs stability, not disasters.”
Their words crashed over me like a tidal wave, and I felt my resolve crumbling. My throat tightened, tears welling up in my eyes.
“I…. ” I began, but my voice broke.
The doors to the council room slammed open with a resounding bang.
Every head turned as Xander stormed in, his eyes blazing with fury. His presence filled the room, dominating, suffocating.
“Who the hell authorized this meeting?” he demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
The elders exchanged uneasy glances, but Arthur stood, his expression firm. “I did,” he said, his tone steady. “And as head of the council, I don’t think I need your permission to do what’s best for the pack, Xander.”
Xander’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You don’t need my permission?” he repeated, his voice deceptively calm. “Let me remind you, Arthur, that I am the Alpha, no matter your age. And when it comes to the choice of Luna, I believe it’s mine and mine alone.”
“This isn’t about you alone, Xander,” Arthur replied, standing his ground. “It’s about the pack. And the pack has spoken not even you can speak otherwise.”
Xander’s growl reverberated through the room, a warning that sent shivers down my spine. “The pack hasn’t spoken. You have.”
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Xander’s wolf was dangerously close to the surface, his dominance rolling off him in waves.
Arthur didn’t back down. “The council has decided that Alison is in no way fit to be this packs Luna,” he said firmly. “Caitlyn is a far more suitable choice to be Luna.”
My breath hitched. The words felt like a dagger to my heart.
“That’s not going to happen,” Xander said, his voice low and deadly.
“It’s not your decision to make,” Arthur snapped.
Xander took a threatening step forward, his eyes glowing with the faint shimmer of his wolf. “The hell it isn’t,” he growled.
The room seemed to hold its breath as the two men squared off, their wolves bristling beneath the surface.
“Enough!” Katherine’s sharp voice sliced through the tension.
Both men turned to her, their glares searing.
“Let’s not lose control,” she said, her tone firm but laced with venom. “This isn’t about dominance. This is about what’s best for the pack.”
Xander’s lip curled in a silent snarl, but he didn’t respond.
“Alison,” Katherine said, turning her cold gaze to me. “You want to prove yourself? Fine. You’ll get one last chance. But if you fail, you’ll agree to step aside, and Caitlyn will take her rightful place as Luna.”
“No,” Xander said immediately, his voice a steel edge of defiance.
“Xander,” I interrupted softly, my voice shaking.
He turned to me, his expression softening as his eyes met mine.
“It’s okay,” I said, though it was far from the truth. “I’ll do it.”
His brows furrowed. “Alison… ”
“I said I’ll do it,” I repeated, my voice firmer this time.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I turned to the elders. “I’m sorry for what happened at the ceremony,” I said, my voice breaking. “I’ll make it right. But if I fail this time, I’ll step aside. I promise.”
The weight of my words settled over the room, and for a moment, no one spoke.
I didn’t wait for their response. I turned and fled, my vision blurred by tears.
Back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed, the sobs wracking my body uncontrollably.
“Please, Moon Goddess,” I whispered, clutching the sheets tightly. “Please, help me. Just this once. I can’t fail again.”
The silence that followed was deafening, but I didn’t stop pleading, my broken heart crying out for a miracle.