Chapter 94

Zeena's POV

The pack gathered faster than I expected.

That was the first thing that made my stomach tighten. I stood there listening to the noise outside, the scrape of boots, voices piling up on one another, and all I could think was how quickly they came. I couldn’t tell if it was because they actually wanted to hear what I had to say or because they just wanted it over with. Me over with, and whatever it was I had to say.

Would they even want me to rule?

The thought felt almost embarrassing, but it wouldn’t leave. Maybe someone was already ready to challenge me. Maybe they were just waiting for the chance, besides I had no real training, no years of preparation, no certainty in my bones the way Ryder always seemed to have. I didn’t know the old rules the way they did. I didn’t know how to be an alpha’s replacement, or whatever it was I was pretending to be.

And Ryder wasn’t here.

That absence pressed in on everything as I didn’t know what the pack would become without him, and worse–I didn’t know what I would become trying to stand where he should have been.

“Zeena.”

Andre nudged me lightly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“They’re gathered.”

My heart jumped like I’d been caught doing something wrong. I nodded, swallowing, and wiped my palms on my dress. They were slick with sweat and I hated that. I hated that my body was giving me away even in private.

I took a step toward the door.

“You’ve got this, Luna.”

“Hopefully,” I said, and gave a smile that probably looked like a grimace instead.

We stepped out together to find the courtyard full. It was the second time I was seeing them in these numbers all at once since the full moon. I slowed without meaning to, my eyes moving over faces, trying to read them, trying to guess what waited for me out there. Was it hostility? support? anything. Anything at all that would tell me how this would go.

Andre nudged me again, to remind me to move. He leaned in, close enough that only I could hear him. “Don’t show weakness. Or restraint.”

I nodded once and straightened, forcing my feet to move. I climbed onto the small elevated platform at the front, Andre and Laura standing behind me. As I stopped, my gaze drifted to the empty space beside me. It felt wrong on every level.

Ryder should have been there. The gap beside me felt loud, like everyone could see it, like it was shouting what I was trying not to say. I looked away before it could get worse as I felt my eyes tingle.

I swept my eyes over the crowd again and that’s when I noticed Marra. But immediately our eyes met, she lowered her head, eyes on the ground. It threw me off more than a glare would have. I lifted my brows slightly, confused, but she didn’t look up. Well, that's new.

I cleared my throat and was annoyingly aware of how loud it sounded. Or was it just my nerves magnifying everything?

‘Moon goddess,’ I prayed, ‘please, don’t let me break this.’

“I won’t waste your time,” I said, finally. Wanting to get this over with. My voice sounded steadier than I felt, which was a good thing right?

“You all know what happened today.” I continued. “Elliot is dead. Alpha Ryder is alive, but injured. And the council has already taken notice of Elliot’s absence.”

The reaction came immediately. Murmurs, voices overlapping, the crowd shifting. I waited, my pulse thundering in my ears and When I spoke again, the noise faded away which was nice because it meant they were actually ready to listen.

“I stepped into an alpha’s fight.”

A few heads lifted sharply. They all knew what that meant.

“Whether my reasons matter or not,” I continued, “the law is the law. By pack rules, that action opens me to a challenge.”

I inhaled slowly. There. I’d said it.

I fought hard not to look away, shut my eyes or drop my gaze. I scanned the crowd instead, forcing myself to stay present, to watch. This was the moment I’d been bracing for. The one where chaos was supposed to erupt, where wolves stepped forward. The one where everything fell apart. Where someone took advantage of weakness and opportunity.

Time stretched by as I waited, counting seconds as each one went by.

Then someone moved.

A man stepped out from the crowd–a pack member I recognized vaguely. Quiet. Always keeping to himself. The murmuring followed him as he approached, and I could feel my heart beating faster.

This is it…right?

He stopped a few steps from the platform.

Then he bowed.

I frowned, caught off guard. Was I supposed to bow too as part of the ritual before a challenge?

“This isn’t a challenge,” he said.

I blinked. Okay?

“The law allows a challenge,” he went on, steady and clear. “But it doesn’t necessarily demand one. Right now, Stormfang grieves.”

I took a step back before I could stop myself, then forced my feet to stay where they were as my thoughts tripped over each other.

Was this acceptance? Pity? No.. wolves weren't that sentimental. Or did they just not see me as worth the effort? Were they waiting for me to fail on my own?

Oh Ryder, can I really do this?

I glanced back at Andre and Laura. They met my eyes and gave a small, silent nod.

When I turned again, I saw heads dipping throughout the crowd. Didn't know if I could call it submission or respect. Or perhaps both.

My vision blurred and I had to blink hard, pressing my lips together, refusing to let the tears fall. I hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t prepared for it.

I nodded once in return, a simple acknowledgment, and watched as the man stepped back into the crowd. Slowly, the pack began to disperse, the tension easing as everyone left the courtyard.

When they were gone, I took in a deep breath, squared my shoulders and turned to Andre and Laura,

“We need to dispose of Elliot’s body.”