Chapter 28: Pack Politics

Thorne's POV

The doors of the Obsidian Court crashed open as Thorne stormed in, his golden eyes shining with anger. Behind him, Elara and Sebastian hurried to keep up.

"You can't just walk in here," Sebastian warned. "This is wolf territory."

"It's my home," Thorne growled. "And I need answers."

Three days had passed since they'd closed the opening at the Temple of Three Moons. Three days since they'd saved Kaela from Orion. Three days of hiding out, trying to figure out what to do next.

But now, a word had come from Thorne's father, demanding his return.

The main hall of the Obsidian Court was huge, with stone walls and a roof that reached up three stories. Wolf guards stood at attention, their eyes widening when they saw who had entered.

"Where is he?" Thorne demanded of the nearest guard.

The guard pointed toward the council room. "They're all waiting for you."

"They?" Elara whispered.

Thorne's jaw clenched. "The wolf council. My father's put them together."

"Is that bad?" she asked.

"Very," he answered.

Sebastian hung back. "Maybe I should wait here. A vampire in the wolf council chamber might cause more trouble."

"We stay together," Thorne urged. After everything they'd been through, he wasn't about to split up now. The blood bond had changed them all, made them stronger together than apart.

As they reached the huge wooden doors of the council chamber, Thorne could hear angry voices arguing inside. He took a deep breath, then pushed the doors open.

The room fell silent as they entered. Ten older werewolves sat around a circle table. At the head was Thorne's father, Alpha Darius Davidsyn. His silver-streaked black hair and hard face showed no happiness at seeing his son.

"So," Darius said, his voice deep and cold, "the heir returns. And he brings outsiders into our holy chamber."

"They're with me," Thorne said firmly.

"A witch and a vampire," growled one of the council members. "This is an insult to the pack!"

Elara stepped forward, her eyes sparkling. "We just saved the world from being destroyed. You could say thank you."

Several of the wolves growled, but Thorne felt a surge of pride through their bond. Elara had changed so much from the scared forensic doctor he'd first met.

"I received your message," Thorne said to his father. "What's so urgent?"

Darius stood slowly. "The pack is in danger because of your deeds. The prophecy was not meant to be accomplished this way."

"We stopped Orion," Thorne argued. "We closed the portal."

"And in doing so, revealed our existence to humans," another council member said. "The fight at the Temple was seen by witnesses. Videos are spreading online. Our secret is broken."

Thorne hadn't known about that. They'd been so focused on stopping Orion that they hadn't thought about who might be watching.

"There's more," Darius continued. "The girl must be judged by the council."

"Her name is Elara," Thorne snapped, "and she's not subject to your judgment."

"She carries the blood of three magical lines. She's too dangerous to roam free," his father maintained. "The council has voted. She must stay here, under our protection and control."

Thorne felt anger bubble up inside him. He moved to stand in front of Elara protectively. "She's not staying anywhere against her will."

"You forget your place," Darius growled, his eyes sparkling gold. "I am still Alpha."

"And I am still your son," Thorne answered. "But I won't let you imprison her."

Sebastian moved to stand beside them. "The Midnight Syndicate would consider any move against Elara an act of war," he said easily. "I don't think you want that."

The stress in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Thorne could feel Elara's fear and drive through their bond. He reached back and squeezed her hand.

"The bond between you three is unnatural," said an older wolf with a white beard. "It goes against our laws."

"Your laws are outdated," Thorne replied. "The world is changing. We should change with it."

A younger council member stood up. "I agree with Thorne," she said firmly. "What they did at the Temple saved us all. The old ways aren't working anymore."

"Be silent, Anya," Darius ordered.

But something was happening. Three more council members moved to stand beside Anya. "We support Thorne," one of them said. "It's time for new leadership."

Darius's face clouded with rage. "This is treason!"

"No," Thorne said. "This is progress."

Through the bond, Thorne could feel Sebastian's amusement and Elara's increasing confidence. They were stronger together. Maybe the rest of the magical world could be too.

"I challenge you for leadership of the pack," Thorne said clearly.

The room burst into chaos. Some wolves shouted in anger, others in support. Darius's eyes glowed brighter with anger.

"You would challenge your own father?" he screamed. "Over these outsiders?"

"Over the future," Thorne amended. "A future where we work together instead of fighting each other."

Suddenly, the doors behind them burst open. Everyone turned to see who had entered.

Kaela ran in, bleeding from a cut on her forehead. "They've found us," she gasped. "Orion isn't dead!"

"What?" Elara cried, running to her sister.

"He's outside with an army of Harbingers," Kaela said between heavy breaths. "And he's not alone. Someone else is with him."

"Who?" Sebastian demanded.

Kaela looked up, her eyes filled with fear. "Your father, Thorne. But not just him—there are two of him! One outside with Orion, and one in here with us."

All eyes turned to Darius, who smiled slowly. His face began to change, melting and reforming.

"Who are you?" Thorne asked, his blood running cold.

The thing that looked like his father smiled with too many teeth. "Don't you know your own grandfather, boy? I've been waiting for this moment for decades."

As the creature's form settled, Thorne gasped. Standing before them was Magnus Davidsyn—Thorne's grandfather who had reportedly died twenty years ago.

"The prophecy isn't over," Magnus said, his voice echoing oddly. "It's just starting. And now that you three have opened the door, what was trapped can finally come through."

From outside came the sound of howls and screams as the battle started.

Thorne reached for Elara and Sebastian, their hands linking naturally. The link flared between them like fire.

"Run," Magnus ordered the other council members. "Tell your families to flee. Ravenshadow City belongs to us now."

As they watched in horror, Magnus's skin split open, showing something ancient and terrible beneath.

The war for Ravenshadow City had just started.