Chapter 30: Council Hall

Dawn came too fast.

I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw fire. Demons. War.

Cole knocked on my door at five. "Time to go."

I was already dressed. Black jeans. Black shirt. Boots.

Downstairs, the pack was waiting. All awake. Ready.

"You don't have to come," I said to Cole again.

"Yes I do."

I didn't argue. Truth was, I was glad.

We took Cole's truck. Just the two of us. The drive to Council Hall was two hours north. Deep in the mountains.

"What do you think they want?" Cole asked as we drove.

"I don't know. But it can't be good."

"The message said you'd learn about who you really are. What does that mean?"

"Maybe my bloodline. My ancestors. I don't know." I looked out the window. "Or maybe something worse."

"Like what?"

"Like maybe I'm not supposed to be Luna Alpha. Maybe I'm something else."

"You are Luna Alpha. You passed the trials."

"But what if the trials weren't the real test? What if this is?"

Cole was quiet. "Then you pass this one too. Like you've passed everything else."

I wanted to believe him. But something felt wrong.

We drove in silence.

Council Hall appeared suddenly. A massive stone building built into the mountain. Ancient. Powerful. Intimidating.

"This is it," Cole said.

We parked. Got out. The air was cold. Thin. Hard to breathe.

"You ready?" Cole asked.

"No. But let's do it."

We walked to the entrance. Huge wooden doors carved with wolf symbols.

Before we could knock, they opened.

The Elder stood there. "You came."

"You summoned me."

"I did." She looked at Cole. "But the summons was for Lita alone."

"I'm not leaving her."

"You must. What happens inside is for Luna Alphas only."

"Then I'll wait here."

The Elder nodded. "That's acceptable."

Cole turned to me. "You sure?"

"No. But I don't have a choice."

He pulled me close. Kissed my forehead. "Be careful. If anything feels wrong, leave."

"I will."

He let me go.

I followed The Elder inside. The doors closed behind us.

Inside was dark. Cold. Only torches on the walls gave light.

"This way," The Elder said.

We walked down a long hallway. Stone walls. High ceilings. Everything echoed.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"The heart of the wolf world. Where the first packs were formed. Where the first Luna Alpha made her stand three hundred years ago."

"My ancestor."

"Yes. And now you follow in her footsteps."

We reached another set of doors. Even bigger.

The Elder stopped. "Before we go in, you need to understand something."

"What?"

"What you learn today will change everything. About yourself. About your destiny."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No. It's supposed to prepare you." She looked at me seriously. "There are six Council members inside. They will ask you questions. Test you. Judge you."

"I already passed the trials."

"Those were tests of strength, wisdom, and heart. This is different. This is about truth."

"What truth?"

"Your truth. Who you really are. What you're meant to do."

She pushed open the doors.

Inside was a circular room. Six people sat in high chairs arranged in a circle. All old. All powerful. All staring at me.

The Elder gestured. "Go. Stand in the center."

I walked in. The doors closed.

I stood in the center. Alone.

One Council member spoke. An old man with a white beard. "Lita Dillard. Welcome to Council Hall."

"Thank you."

"Do you know why you're here?"

"You said I need to know things. About the war. About who I am."

"Yes. But first, we must determine if you're worthy."

"I passed the trials. I'm Luna Alpha."

"You passed the basic trials," a woman said. Her voice was sharp. "But there is one more test. One that every Luna Alpha has faced."

My stomach dropped. "What test?"

"The Test of Truth," another man said. "You must answer three questions. Answer honestly and pass. Lie and fail."

"And if I fail?"

"Then you are stripped of your Luna title. Banished. And left to face the demon army alone."

Silence.

"Do you accept?" the first man asked.

I had no choice. "Yes."

"Then we begin." He leaned forward. "First question. Your brother James. How did he really die?"

I froze. How did they know?

"He was killed. By Brian. On my mother's orders."

"And you knew this before the trials?"

"Yes."

"Yet you still chose to save your mother's life. Why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do. Even if she didn't deserve it."

The Council whispered to each other.

"Second question," the woman said. "When you were possessed. The demon offered you power. Offered to make you strong enough to rule all wolves. Did you consider accepting?"

I thought back. Had I? Even for a second?

"Yes," I admitted. "For a moment. But I rejected it."

"Why?"

"Because power gained through demons isn't real power. It's corruption."

More whispers.

"Third question," another Council member said. "And this is the most important."

I held my breath.

"If you had to choose. Between saving your mate Cole and saving all the wolves in the world. Which would you choose?"

My heart stopped.

This was it. The real test.

I thought about Cole. Our bond. How much I loved him.

Then I thought about all the wolves. All the packs. All the innocent people who would die.

I looked at each Council member.

"I would save all wolves," I said. "Even if it cost me Cole. Even if it broke my heart. A Luna's duty is to her people. Not to herself."

Silence.

Then the first man stood. "You have passed the Test of Truth."

Relief flooded through me.

"But," he continued. "What you don't know is that this wasn't hypothetical."

My blood went cold. "What?"

"The war that's coming. The demon army. They're not just coming to kill wolves." He looked at me sadly. "They're coming for you. They're coming to use you. And the only way to stop them is to sacrifice yourself."

"What are you saying?"

"We're saying that to win the war. To save all wolves. You have to die."

The world tilted.

"And," the woman added. "When you die. Your mate Cole will die too. The mate bond will kill him. So your choice is real. Save yourself and Cole and watch the world burn. Or sacrifice both of you and save everyone else."

I couldn't breathe.

"You have three days to decide," the man said. "Choose wisely, Luna Alpha. The fate of the world depends on it."