(3rd person P. O. V)
Elder Theron exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as if exhausted by the debate. The other council members watched him intently, waiting for his final decision. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
“Perhaps I was too quick to judge,” he admitted, “but understand this-my duty is to protect the balance of our kind. If we allow such an unprecedented bond without proof, we risk setting a dangerous precedent.”
His gaze flickered between Xavier, Oliver, and Elena before settling on Xavier’s aunt. “I will let this go under one condition-” his voice hardened, “you have three weeks to prove their bond before this council.”
Xavier’s aunt’s eyes flashed in protest. “Two weeks? That is far too little time to prove something as sacred as a mate bond, especially one as unique as theirs!”
The council chamber was filled with murmurs of agreement and dissent. Some elders nodded in approval of the compromise, while others seemed skeptical. Elder Theron folded his hands, observing her.
After a moment of deliberation, he conceded. “Very well. One month. No more.”
Xavier and Oliver exchanged glances, tension thick in the air. Elena shifted slightly but remained quiet, absorbing the weight of what had just been decided.
Elder Theron leaned forward. “And what will happen, Lady Zoya, if you were wrong? What If they are truly trying to rebel against the council? Who will take responsibility then?”
The silence was deafening.
Zoya squared her shoulders, her eyes were filled with determination. “I will.”
She took a step forward, standing tall despite the pressure bearing down on her. “With the authority granted to me by the Moon Goddess herself, I swear upon all that I have worked for-on my devotion, my position, and the temple that I have dedicated my life to-that I will personally ensure they do not rebel.” Her voice rang with conviction. “If they prove to be traitors, then I will lose everything I have worked hard for.”
A hushed murmur swept through the council at the weight of her oath. Even Elder Theron seemed momentarily taken aback.
“You would risk everything?” he asked, his voice quieter now, less accusatory and more calculating.
She nodded. “Because I believe in them. And I believe in the will of the Moon Goddess.”
Elder Theron studied her, then let out a slow breath. “Very well. One month. And if you are wrong…” his lips curled into a knowing smirk, “then you will be stripped of everything, just as they would have been.”
He turned his gaze to Xavier and Oliver. “Prove it, or lose it all.”
As the council began to disperse, a sudden voice cut through the murmurs.
“I will prove it.”
All heads turned sharply. Elena stepped forward, her chin raised, her stance unwavering.
Zoya’s eyes widened slightly, but there was no disapproval in them-only a flicker of something close to pride.
Elder Theron’s expression remained unreadable. “You?” he asked, arching a brow.
“Yes,” Elena said firmly, stepping forward. Her voice was steady, unwavering. “You want proof? Then give me the time, and I will show you that my bond with Xavier and Oliver is real. Not only that, I will prove that I am also worthy of them and their packs.”
A ripple of surprise went through the gathering. Even Elder Theron seemed momentarily taken aback, his calculating gaze narrowing as he studied her.
A heavy silence stretched across the meadow. Then, unexpectedly, Zoya smiled. A small, knowing smile-but there was something like approval in her eyes.
“I would expect nothing less from you,” she murmured.
Xavier, however, felt a deep sense of unease coil in his stomach. Elena was human. She barely knew the depths of their world, let alone the weight of a bond like theirs. Could she handle the pressure? The scrutiny? What if, in trying to prove it, she ended up getting hurt-physically, emotionally, or worse?
His fists clenched at his sides.
What if proving their bond meant breaking her?
“And about the matter of merging the pack without the werewolf elder council member’s permission, they have to pay the penalty for breaking the law, and I will have someone from our side to keep an eye on them for safety reasons. I hope you understand our reason and won’t go against it.”
“Thank you, Elder Theron,” Zoya said, her voice steady despite the enormous risk she had just taken. “We do understand your reasons and will accept your terms.”
“Good then, I will send someone to collect the penalty and appoint an authority to keep an eye on them, ” with that said the council began to leave the meadow.
Xavier’s mind raced. One month to prove a bond that they themselves barely understood. How could they possibly convince the skeptical elders?
Oliver’s hand found his, squeezing gently. “We’ll figure this out,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only Xavier and Elena could hear.
Before anyone could react, Oliver ran toward Elena and pulled her into a tight embrace. His hands skimmed her arms and shoulders, checking for any sign of injury.
“Are you hurt?” His voice was thick with concern, his golden eyes scanning her face for any sign of discomfort.
Elena hesitated before shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
Oliver let out a breath, his hold on her lingering for just a moment longer before he stepped back.
Zoya took in the scene before her, her expression unreadable. Then she turned to the rest of the gathering with an air of finality.
“The drama is over, everyone. Please leave.” Her voice carried a quiet authority, but the coldness in her eyes sent a chill down the spines of those who remained. They didn’t wait for anyone and left the meadow leaving Elena and the people close to her alone.
“Aunt Zoya,” Xavier said, a genuine smile replacing his usual serious expression. He went to her and gave her a warm, if slightly restrained, hug. “Thank you, thank you so much for coming here and helping us,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude. Elena chuckled, surprised and touched by this display of unguarded emotion. It was a rare glimpse behind the carefully constructed facade of maturity Xavier usually presented to the world.
Zoya gave Xavier a light smack on the back and shoved him away. “Xavier Cassian McKnight,” she scolded, pinching his ear, “you’re the alpha of the Blood Moon Pack! How can you be so irresponsible with your pack and your mate? Don’t you know you can’t merge packs without permission?” Releasing his ear, she turned to Jason. “And you, Alpha Jason, how could you let them do this? You should have stopped them! Why didn’t you?”
Jason looked contrite. “It’s not that I didn’t want to follow the rules and stop them. I was just worried about retaliation from the council members. I was afraid they’d hurt Elena or our packs.”
“What do you mean by retaliation from the council members?”
This time it was Xavier who answered her “You may not know Aunt Zoya, but the council is not how they like to be before. They have become notorious nowadays. They take bribes to give approval, interfere in pack inner matters, enslave and sell rogues, Force arranged mate bonds, Divide packs to maintain power, and much more.”
I see… the Moon Goddess was right, Zoya thought to herself.
Oliver chimed in, his voice laced with frustration. “They believed we were merging the packs to rebel-because together, we are the two strongest packs in the world. If we did rise against them, they wouldn’t stand a chance. To protect our mate and our pack, we decided to keep it a secret and joined forces with other alphas who had suffered under their rule-just in case they retaliated. We planned to prove our bond and provide a solid reason for the merge, but who would’ve thought it would come back to bite us?”
Zoya narrowed her eyes at them. “I understand your situation, but you could have handled this better,” she said, her tone sharp. “Instead of secrecy, you could have used their own rules and regulations against them-just as I do-to protect ourselves and the other species from their tyranny.”
“Very well, what’s done is done. The real question is-what do we do now?” Alpha Jason said, his gaze shifting toward Zoya. “But more importantly, how do we prove their bond?”
Turning fully to her, he asked, “Lady Zoya, you were once the lead elder in the council. Have you ever seen a case like this-where a human or werewolf mate has more than one mate?”
All eyes turned to her, filled with hope, waiting-desperate for an answer. Hoping that she will come up with something to resolve this problem.