(3rd person P. O. V)
As the guards moved to seize Xavier and Oliver, a commanding voice sliced through the tense air, freezing them in place.
“You will not lay a hand on them.”
The sheer authority in the voice sent a tremor through the meadow, causing even the elders to stiffen. A surge of energy rippled outward, shattering the oppressive force Elder Theron had cast over Xavier and Oliver. They gasped as the invisible weight lifted from their shoulders, strength rushing back into their limbs.
All eyes snapped toward the source of the voice.
Stepping into the clearing was a woman of regal bearing, draped in the flowing robes of a high priestess. Her silver-white hair cascaded like moonlight over her shoulders, framing a face both serene and commanding. Power radiated from her like the gentle glow of the night sky-calm, yet undeniable.
Elder Theron’s expression darkened, his displeasure unmistakable. “You aren’t one to simply accept such invites,” he said, his tone edged with frustration. He doesn’t like anyone interfering in his matters.
It was no secret that Zoya had never attended such gatherings. Whether it was a wedding banquet, a Luna ceremony, or a baby’s blessing, she always found a reason to decline. Time and again, she had dismissed invitations with carefully chosen excuses, making her presence at this moment all the more unexpected-and unwelcome in Theron’s eyes.
“A first time for everything, indeed. And yet, some things are as predictable as the moon’s cycle. Are two alphas merging their packs without council approval? That’s not a show of unity-it’s an act of defiance. A rebellion waiting to bloom under the guise of love.”
He cast a glance at Xavier and Oliver, his eyes filled with scrutiny before they settled on Elena.
“And what a clever pretense they have-this human girl, unmarked, wolfless. No tangible proof that she is their fated mate. And yet, they want us to believe that the Moon Goddess would do it? That she granted them a mate outside of her Arrangement, one who binds two great alphas together just as they seek to challenge the council’s authority?”
His voice grew sharper, colder.
“You ask what I think I’m doing, sister? I am preserving order. I am ensuring that this council is not undermined by whispers of unity masking intentions far less noble.”
A soft chuckle escaped Xavier’s aunt, an eerily calm sound that silenced the murmurs among the elders. She stepped forward, her robes flowing like whispers of an untold prophecy, her eyes gleaming with something far older than the council itself.
“Oh, Theron,” she said, tilting her head, “for someone so devoted to preserving order, you certainly enjoy bending it to your will.”
She turned, addressing the other elders, her voice carrying the weight of experience and authority.
“A rebellion? Is that truly the best justification you can muster? Because if we start labeling every alliance between packs as treason, then half the council should have been stripped of power ages ago.”
Her gaze sharpened as she continued, “The law does not forbid pack mergers. It only requires council approval. And since when has failure to request permission been treated as an act of war? What precedent are you setting here, Theron?”
She stepped toward him, lowering her voice, but it still rang clear for all to hear.
“As for Elena…” she turned toward the human woman, “you claim she is no mate, yet neither you nor this council holds the power to decide the will of the Moon Goddess. Just because she does not bear a wolf does not mean she is not chosen. I could name dozens of past alphas who found mates beyond what tradition deemed acceptable-did we strip them of power? Did we shackle them like criminals?”
She let the words settle before delivering the final blow.
“If you insist on punishing them, then let it be just. The law dictates penalties for overstepping council procedures, not the destruction of their rule. At most, they owe a formal appeal for their merger-perhaps a fine, a test, a condition to prove their leadership is stable. But to strip them entirely?” She scoffed. “That would make this council no different from the tyrants we swore to protect our people from.”
She folded her arms, waiting. “So tell me, Theron, will you uphold the law, or will you reveal your hand and show us all that this is not about justice-but about power?”
Elder Theron’s words hung in the air, thick with skepticism, as he narrowed his eyes at Xavier’s aunt.
“Yes, I understand that it’s normal to have a chosen mate,” he mused, voice measured, “but the thing I am not able to understand is why a human? Are our kind runs out of options? Wouldn’t a werewolf be a much better option since they would be more aware of our kind than this human was?”
A murmur rippled through the crowd, growing louder as agreement spread among them-all except for those closest to Elena. Sensing the shift in his favor, Elder Theron’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
“And more importantly,” he continued, his voice carrying with authority, “why are they sharing a mate when werewolves are possessive by nature? No werewolf-no Lycian-has ever tolerated such a bond.”
The silence was tense, expectant. The elders watched, waiting for her answer, for a justification that could settle their doubts.
Xavier’s aunt exhaled softly, her expression unreadable, before stepping forward.
“Theron, you speak as if the Moon Goddess has never worked in ways beyond our comprehension. Is it truly so impossible?” She let the question settle, then continued, “You say no werewolf has tolerated such a bond-but tell me, has it ever happened before? Has there ever been a moment in history where the Goddess has granted two powerful Alphas the same mate? Or are you simply afraid of something new?”
Elder Theron’s jaw tightened, but he remained silent.
She lifted her chin, addressing the other elders as well. “We revere the Moon Goddess, do we not? We claim to follow her wisdom. Yet, when she presents us with something we do not understand, we reject it simply because it is unfamiliar. Because it does not fit into our narrow perception of how mates should be.”
She turned toward Elena now, her voice laced with meaning. “Why a human? Why not? Do you believe the Goddess would waste her divine gifts on someone unworthy?”
Then she delivered her final blow, her voice steady, unwavering.
“Perhaps it is not Xavier and Oliver who are clinging to something unnatural, but you, Theron. You are fighting against fate itself because it threatens the order you are so desperate to maintain.”
She let her words linger before speaking again, softer this time. “The Goddess does not make mistakes. If she has chosen Elena, then it is not our place to question it. The only question that remains is-will this council defy the will of the divine out of fear?”
“At least give them a chance to prove their bond,”
The priestess’s words hung in the air like a divine decree, daring the council to defy the will of the Goddess. A hush fell over the gathering, the weight of her question pressing down on each elder, each warrior, each witness.
For a fleeting moment, doubt flickered in their eyes. But Elder Theron’s gaze remained hard, his jaw tightening as his fingers curled into fists at his sides.
His smirk returned, colder this time. “Faith does not make a bond real. Words do not make a Luna worthy.” His voice was sharp, slicing through the silence like a blade. “Let them prove it, then. But know this-if they fail, their punishment will be absolute.”
The murmurs resumed, a storm of uncertainty rippling through the council. Some nodded in grim approval. Others shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Elena as though seeing her for the first time.
She felt their judgment, their doubt, pressing in like a cage.
Her chest tightened, but she held her ground, refusing to look away. They can question me. They can doubt me. But they will not break me.
Because she would prove them all wrong.
Even if she had to tear down every expectation that stood in her way.