Chapter 17 THE GLOWING SECRET
Marius's shout of "I accept" echoed through the Council Hall. The Council members followed Dorian, Serra, and Marius toward Serra’s father’s office.
Dorian’s hand gripped Serra’s tighter than in any previous performance. Pure Alpha rage—not just for Marius, but for the fate that sealed the curse to his body—flowed through Dorian's veins.
"You commanded me to show my power," Dorian murmured, his voice low enough only for Serra to hear. "But I was on the verge of losing control. Why did you save me?"
Serra replied without taking her eyes off Marius’s back. "Losing you before the Council doesn't serve my revenge, Dorian. Your end must come by my hand."
Physical Tension and Power Transfer
The corridor to the office was damp and lined with old, engraved stones. As they entered this narrow space, Dorian's seal began to burn again. Dorian's tight grip on Serra's hand was a shout for survival.
"Damn the stones," Dorian growled, his voice hushed. "These old stones... they are weakening the seal. I am losing control."
Serra swiftly moved closer to Dorian, ignoring the astonished looks of the Council members. Serra leaned into Dorian’s neck. This was an emergency power transfer disguised as an embrace.
"I am giving you power," Serra whispered. "Become strong enough to defeat Marius before the Council. But remember, the cost of every drop of that strength is your obedience to me."
Dorian flinched with a momentary mixture of pleasure and pain. The touch gave him the ruthless ambition to regain control.
Marius’s face twisted with rage when he saw this intense, passionate moment. "Youths! Control yourselves! This is inappropriate before the Council!"
Dorian pulled his head back. His eyes now shone with the cold resolve of a pure, powerful Alpha.
"Inappropriate?" Dorian questioned, his voice more menacing. "My Luna's power shows me how much I want her. And right now, I want to enter her father's office more than I want to tolerate you."
The Volcan Kin's Challenge
Marius's face was turning purple. He was trapped.
At that moment, the door at the rear of the corridor burst open, and Lady Vespera Volcan, Dorian's distant Gamma aunt, swiftly approached, accompanied by her supporter Lady Elara. Vespera was visibly agitated from the journey, having just arrived due to the earlier commotion.
"This is not just about Marius!" Lady Vespera’s voice sliced through the tension. "I just arrived from the East Wing, hearing the rumors of this scandal! Alpha Volcan, this outsider Luna—who openly flaunts her power like a rogue Gamma—is a contamination to our line! This is the defilement I warned against!"
Serra instantly turned to face Vespera. "The contamination, Lady Vespera, is the greed that drove Marius to plant silver in a sealed office! I showed power to save your Alpha’s life!"
Dorian’s cousins, Kael and Valeria, standing near Vespera, shifted uncomfortably.
"Aunt Vespera, be calm," Kael pleaded. "The entire Hall is watching. This is the Alpha’s concern."
"Silence, children!" Vespera dismissed her nephews with open disdain. "This is about the contamination of the Pack's blood! Weak Betas like you have no say about this woman's power!"
Serra ignored the ineffective efforts. "This is not a mere scroll, Lady Vespera," Serra announced, pointing to the desk. "This is the Origin Seal. The document that validates Dorian’s claim to the throne. And the only reason Marius wanted to burn it with silver is simple: He is a fraud."
As Serra's fingers brushed the ancient Origin Seal, the scroll responded to the touch of the Red King’s bloodline. The scroll began to pulsate with a soft, warm red-gold light, affirming its legitimacy.
Marius, realizing his failure, screamed. "Seize her! That woman has contaminated the sacred texts!"
Lady Vespera froze in shock. The light was pure Alpha power, yet infused with the Red King’s essence. Vespera was trapped between her distrust and the Seal's undeniable proof.
Dorian slammed Marius to the floor and retrieved the Origin Seal. The moment he touched the parchment, his restricted Alpha power surged with stability.
"Marius Volkov," Dorian declared, holding the glowing scroll aloft. "By the power of this Seal, I officially remove you from the Council for the attempted destruction of the Volcan lineage. And my Luna's legitimacy is affirmed by the Seal itself."
The Aftermath: Vespera's Scorn and The Alliance’s Cost
Marius and his allies were swiftly apprehended. As Dorian and Serra started to leave, Lady Vespera, Lady Elara and the quieted Kael and Valeria blocked their path.
"The Seal may accept your lineage, Alpha Volcan," Lady Vespera said, her voice dripping with suspicion. "But it does not approve of this… unholy alliance. You carry the curse of restricted power, and she carries the stain of a rival Alpha bloodline. Do not think this single victory has erased the doubt in the hearts of your kin."
Dorian placed the Origin Seal inside his jacket.
Serra met Vespera's gaze directly. "The curse and the stain, Lady Vespera, are exactly what Marius tried to exploit. We will turn them into our strength. Until then, stay out of our way."
Dorian pulled Serra close, with a mixture of possessiveness and genuine relief. "My Luna speaks the truth. Come, Serra. We have a Pack to stabilize."
As they walked away, leaving Vespera and Elara frozen in their scorn, Dorian leaned down to Serra's ear.
"You saved my life again, Luna," he murmured. "You used my lineage to silence my greatest familial opposition. What is the price for this kind of service?"
Serra looked up at him. "The price, Alpha? You will find out tonight. You owe me a debt, and I collect in honesty, not obedience."