Chapter 51 Mate is Worthy - Aleksandr’s POV
Skoll growled so loudly in my mind that for a moment I thought the sound had escaped my own throat. 'Kaela will shift,' he insisted. 'Mate is strong. Mate is worthy.'
"The council's concern is understandable," Blackthorn interjected, ever the mediator. "But perhaps there's a compromise. We proceed with planning the ball while continuing to observe Amelia's influence on His Highness. If significant progress is made before the invitations must be sent..."
"And how would we measure such progress?" I asked, letting my gaze pin him in place. "What metrics would satisfy the council that Amelia might indeed be my salvation?"
An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. None of them had a good answer—how could they, when they'd already decided she wasn't worthy? Their judgment was based not on evidence but on their own prejudices, their political calculations, their narrow view of what a Queen should be.
"I'll tell you what would satisfy me," Kane said finally, breaking the silence. "Proof that she can shift. Proof that her wolf exists and is strong enough to balance an Alpha King's. Without that, she's just a human with a wolf-scent; a curiosity, not a Queen."
I felt my canines lengthen slightly, the first sign of anger breaking through my control. "And if she shifts tomorrow? If Kaela emerges and proves to be everything Skoll believes she is? Would the council then abandon this talk of balls and parades of eligible females?"
Again, that uncomfortable silence, the councillors exchanging glances that spoke volumes.
"Your Highness," Blackthorn began carefully, "even if Miss—even if Amelia's wolf were to emerge, there are other considerations. Political alliances. Bloodline strength. The traditions of royal succession."
"In other words," I said, my voice dangerously soft, "nothing would convince you. You've already decided she's unworthy, regardless of what she might prove to be."
"We've decided nothing," Kane countered, though the lie was evident in his scent. "We simply believe that as king, you should have options. That limiting yourself to a single candidate when the curse's deadline approaches is irresponsible."
I stood slowly, my palms flat against the ancient stone table. The councillors instinctively leaned back, their bodies responding to the subtle shift in my posture, the predator in me rising closer to the surface.
"Here is what will happen," I said, each word measured and deliberate. "You will continue your preparations for this ball if it makes you feel productive. But you will not send invitations, you will not make announcements, and you will not breathe a word of this to Amelia. She has been through enough without knowing the council considers her unworthy."
"Your Highness—" Kane began, but I cut him off with a glare that made him physically recoil.
"I wasn't finished, Councillor. Amelia stays. She is under my protection and will remain so regardless of whether she shifts, regardless of whether she breaks the curse, regardless of what political advantages she might or might not bring. The council would do well to remember that while I value your advice, I do not require your permission."
The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably, the air itself seeming to grow heavier with the assertion of my authority. Blackthorn and Blackstone lowered their eyes in submission, their wolves recognizing the alpha's command even if their human minds still harbored doubts. Only Kane maintained eye contact, though even he had the sense not to push further.
"As you wish, Your Highness," he said finally, each word clipped with barely restrained frustration.
I turned to Nora, whose ancient eyes glittered with something that might have been approval. "Elder, I'd like daily updates on your research into the connection between these curses. And I want your honest assessment of any progress—or lack thereof—you observe between Amelia and myself."
"Of course, Your Highness," she agreed with a slight bow of her head. "I'll continue monitoring the situation closely."
With a final sweeping glance at the assembled council, I straightened to my full height. "If there's nothing else requiring my immediate attention, this meeting is adjourned."
They rose as one, bowing as protocol demanded, though the tension in the room remained thick enough to cut. I waited until they had filed out, Kane last with a backward glance that promised this wasn't over, before allowing my shoulders to slump slightly. The show of strength had been necessary, but maintaining it had drained what little energy the morning's breakfast had restored.
'Proud,' Skoll rumbled in my mind, his earlier rage subsiding into satisfaction. 'Defended mate. Showed strength.'
"For now," I murmured, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "But Kane won't give up so easily."
'Kane not important,' Skoll dismissed. 'Mate waiting. Go to mate.'
He was right. Amelia would be in the meditation garden by now, waiting as we'd arranged. The thought of her there—patient, resilient, steadfast despite everything—eased some of the tension the council meeting had knotted into my shoulders. I left through a side door, avoiding the main corridors where I might be intercepted by courtiers or servants, making my way through less traveled paths toward the eastern corner of the castle grounds.
The meditation garden welcomed me with its peaceful ambiance, the sound of trickling water and rustling leaves a balm after the tense atmosphere of the council chamber. The sun had begun its descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and gold. And there, seated on the stone bench beside the reflecting pool, was Amelia—her dark hair loose around her shoulders, her profile outlined against the setting sun.
She looked up as I approached, those extraordinary mismatched eyes brightening when they found mine. The simple joy in her expression made something tight in my chest ease, some knot of tension unraveling at the sight of her.
"You came," she said, shifting to make room for me on the bench.
"I promised I would," I replied, settling beside her, close enough that our shoulders brushed. "No more hiding, remember?"
She smiled, leaning slightly against my side. "How was the meeting? Is everything okay?"
I hesitated, tempted to burden her with the truth—that the council deemed her unworthy, that they pushed for alternatives, that even now they plotted to parade more "suitable" candidates before me. But the peace in her expression, the quiet contentment as she watched the sunset reflect on the still water of the pool... I couldn't bring myself to shatter that.
"It is now," I said instead, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and drawing her closer. "Just council politics. Nothing worth discussing."
She looked up at me, studying my face as if searching for the lie. For a moment, I thought she might press further, might demand the truth I was withholding. Then she simply nodded, resting her head against my shoulder.
"Okay," she said softly. "But if it becomes worth discussing..."
"You'll be the first to know," I promised, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
We sat in comfortable silence as the sun continued its descent, painting the garden in deepening shades of gold and amber. In that moment, with Amelia warm against my side and Kaela's presence a gentle hum alongside Skoll's in our shared consciousness, the council's doubts seemed distant, insignificant.
Nine weeks until my hundredth birthday. Nine weeks that no longer felt like a death sentence but a challenge to be met with this extraordinary woman by my side. Whatever came next—whatever plans Kane and the others might devise—we would face it together. I had promised her that much, and it was a promise I intended to keep.