Chapter 20: The Claiming Ceremony

Emma's POV

The silver shackles snapped shut around my wrists just as Marcus admitted he'd been faking his modification.

"Dad, no!" I cried out, but it was too late.

The moment the shackles touched my skin, my link to Kai was severed like someone had cut a rope. The golden light that had been surging through our bond disappeared, leaving me feeling cold and empty.

"I'm sorry, Emma," Marcus said, his eyes truly sad even as he secured the chains. "But this is the only way to keep you safe."

"Safe?" I fought against the silver bonds, but they were too strong. "You just handed me over to Dr. Hayes!"

"No," Marcus answered firmly. "I gave you over to the Alpha Council. There's a difference."

Dr. Hayes dropped her gun, looking confused. "Marcus, what are you doing? We had a deal."

"Our agreement was based on lies," Marcus said, turning to face her. "You told me you wanted to study supernatural powers to help humans and werewolves coexist. You never mentioned extracting skills or creating modified slaves."

"The end result is the same," Dr. Hayes asserted. "Peace between our species."

"Peace built on slavery isn't peace," Marcus shot back. "It's conquest."

While they fought, I caught Kai's eye across the room. He was being held by two of the exile wolves, but I could see him testing their grip, looking for a chance to break free.

The problem was the silver shackles. As long as I wore them, our mate bond was blocked. Kai couldn't feel my thoughts or emotions, and I couldn't access the full extent of my powers.

Alpha Ravencrest stepped forward, his silver eyes grave. "The Council has made a decision. Due to the unprecedented nature of this situation, we invoke the Right of Traditional Claiming."

My heart sank. I'd read about traditional claiming ceremonies in the werewolf books. They were ancient rituals where an Alpha could claim a mate through formal ceremony, creating an unbreakable bond whether the other person wanted it or not.

"You can't force me into a claiming ceremony," I protested.

"Actually, we can," Alpha Stormwind said, stepping up beside Ravencrest. "In times of supernatural crisis, the Council has the authority to arrange matings for the good of all packs."

"And there's never been a bigger crisis than this," added Alpha Ironheart. "The Moon Daughter must be properly bonded to ensure her power is used responsibly."

"Bonded to who?" I demanded, though I was afraid I already knew the answer.

"To Alpha Marcus Bloodfang," Ravencrest announced. "As your biological father's pack leader and the Alpha with the strongest claim to your protection."

I felt sick. "Marcus isn't my father! Sarah is my mother, but she was never properly mated to him. That makes me pack-less, not a member of Bloodfang."

"Technicalities," Alpha Stormwind waved dismissively. "The ceremony will legitimize the bond and give you proper pack standing."

"While also ensuring the Moon Daughter's power serves the Alpha Council's interests," Kai said bitterly from across the room.

"The exile speaks truth," Magnus added, his scarred face grim. "This isn't about protecting Emma. It's about controlling her."

Dr. Hayes had been listening to all this with growing amusement. "How wonderfully medieval of you all. But I'm afraid I can't allow this ceremony to proceed."

"You have no authority here," Ravencrest said coldly.

"Don't I?" Dr. Hayes smiled and pulled out a new device—smaller than the last one, but somehow more menacing. "This is a pack bond disruptor. One press of this button, and every werewolf in this room will lose their connection to their pack permanently."

The Alphas went very still. Losing pack bonds was one of the most terrifying things that could happen to a werewolf. It meant becoming truly alone, cut off from the strength and support that came from being part of a family.

"You're bluffing," Alpha Ironheart said, but his voice shook.

"Am I?" Dr. Hayes pressed a small button on the side of the device.

Immediately, every werewolf in the room except me gasped in pain. I could see the terror in their eyes as they felt their pack bonds wavering.

"That was just a taste," Dr. Hayes said pleasantly. "The full pulse will sever the bonds completely. Unless, of course, Emma comes with me voluntarily."

"Don't do it," Kai said through gritted teeth. "Don't let her blackmail you."

But I could see the agony on everyone's faces. Dr. Hayes was torturing them just to get to me.

"Stop," I said quietly. "I'll come with you. Just stop hurting them."

"Emma, no!" Marcus stepped toward me, but Dr. Hayes raised her device threateningly.

"I wouldn't," she warned. "The next pulse will be much stronger."

That's when I realized something important. Dr. Hayes's device was affecting everyone except me. The silver shackles that were blocking my mate bond with Kai were also protecting me from her pack bond disruptor.

Which meant I could still use some of my powers—just not the ones that required connection to other people.

I closed my eyes and reached deep inside myself, looking for the part of my healing ability that came from within rather than from bonds with others. The part that had let me heal Kai when I first found him, before I knew anything about mates or pack connections.

There it was—a small golden spark that belonged entirely to me.

I opened my eyes and smiled. "You know what, Dr. Hayes? I changed my mind."

Before she could react, I channeled my internal healing power not into fixing injuries, but into strengthening the silver shackles around my wrists.

The metal began to glow and vibrate, resonating with frequencies that made Dr. Hayes's device start sparking.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Something you didn't plan for," I replied. "Silver doesn't just block supernatural abilities. When charged with the right energy, it can amplify them too."

The shackles suddenly shattered, freeing my hands and restoring my connection to Kai. Immediately, our mate bond flared back to life, stronger than ever.

But more than that, the resonating silver energy I'd created was interfering with Dr. Hayes's pack bond disruptor. The device was smoking and sparking in her hands.

"No!" she cried, pressing buttons frantically. "Thirty years of work!"

The device exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke. The moment it was destroyed, all the werewolves in the room straightened up as their pack bonds returned to full strength.

"Now," I said, golden light radiating from my hands, "let's talk about this claiming ceremony."

"There will be no ceremony," Alpha Ravencrest said firmly. "The Moon Daughter has proven she cannot be controlled or coerced. She must choose her own path."

"And her own mate," Kai added, moving to stand beside me.

The other Alphas looked like they wanted to argue, but before they could speak, the air around us began to shimmer. Not with Dr. Hayes's technology this time—this felt different. Older. More strong.

"Actually," said a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once, "there will be a ceremony. Just not the one you were planning."

A figure materialized in the center of the room—tall, elegant, and glowing with silver moonlight. Even though I'd never seen her before, I knew instantly who she was.

"The Moon Goddess," Sarah whispered from where she'd been hiding in the shadows.

The Moon Goddess smiled at me with ancient, kind eyes. "Hello, daughter. I think it's time we had a proper conversation about your destiny."

She gestured, and suddenly everyone else in the room froze like statues.

"What did you do to them?" I asked, reaching for Kai's hand only to find it solid and unmoving.

"Gave us some privacy," the Moon Goddess replied. "We have much to discuss, and very little time before the real enemy arrives."

"Real enemy? You mean Dr. Hayes isn't—"

"Dr. Hayes is a pawn," the Moon Goddess interrupted. "The real threat is her father. Aldric has been using her to gather information and resources, but his true plan is much worse than anything she imagined."

"What plan?"

The Moon Goddess's expression grew grave. "He's found a way to kill me."