Chapter 31 The Seal of Vigil
Another alpha approaches and bows.
"This is Alpha Kael, Maya. Alpha of the counselor pack, which is our neighbor and greatest ally. Kael and I are childhood friends." Conrad introduces him, with a smile on his face.
Kael, who had been serious before, smiles at Conrad. The friendship between the two was evident, and that made me smile.
"This is my daughter, Ana." Kael introduces.
Ana bows and observes us, a little shy. Ana was already a woman and seemed to be my age.
"It's a great pleasure, Your Majesty." Ana greets me.
"Likewise." I reply with a smile.
This introduction seemed different from all the others. Everyone in the hall looked at us attentively, even those who were dancing. The music was calmer and quieter, as if to help everyone hear better.
"Kael and many of his pack have the gift of seeing emotions. That's why they were appointed advisors to the kings," Conrad explains.
I look at Kael curiously. I had never heard that wolves could have this kind of gift.
"It's something we inherited, a debt the Moon owed us," Kael answers my thoughts.
I look at him in surprise, as if Kael had just read my thoughts.
"Emotions lie less than words," Kael clarifies my doubt.
"You get used to it over time," Conrad says with a smile.
"I think it's unlikely," I reply honestly.
I make the three of them smile, especially Ana.
"Forgive us, Your Majesty. It's something we can't avoid," Ana explains gently, still smiling.
"It may seem uncomfortable at first, but it's something that has helped the kings from the beginning," Kael replies, observing me attentively.
"How?" I ask curiously.
"My pack doesn't read minds. We read emotions. Where there's a lie, we see fear. Where there's betrayal, we see hidden anger. This has allowed us to avoid wars before they even started and to save alliances that seemed lost. We don't rule by force, but by the truth that no one wants to admit. That's how we help the wolves stay united."
A chill ran through my stomach. Suddenly, I saw myself as easy prey in Kael's hand. Could Kael see who I really was? Was there any chance he could uncover my whole charade?
"May I, Your Majesty?" Kael asks.
I know he's asking permission to read me. I look at Conrad, and his expression is calm, confident. It would be even stranger if I said no to Kael. I force a smile and nod.
Kael moves a little closer to me and extends his hand. I notice everyone falls silent, anxiously awaiting the revelation.
"There's a calmness in you that doesn't come from security," he finally said. "It comes from someone who learned to survive without protection."
I feel my chest tighten.
"I see loyalty... not only to the king, but to herself. But there's also emptiness and fear. I see someone broken, but who still chose to stay. Someone broken learns to care more strongly than someone who has never fallen. I see courage where others only saw silence. I see someone different. You, Maya, are different from all of us."
I swallow hard, feeling the weight of each of her words. The silence was so profound that it made me think everyone was even holding their breath. Making any noise seemed like a sin. And I felt an agony growing throughout my body. The fear of her next words.
"I don't know what the moon expects of you, Maya..." A small smile appears on Kael's lips. "But I know the wolves need someone like you."
I release the breath I didn't know I was holding.
"All of this is rarer than blood purity," Kael finishes.
I see everyone in the hall gape, paralyzed and surprised by Kael's words. Kael removes a cord from his neck and extends it towards me. I take the necklace, curious.
"I believe this is the most valuable material possession I have. It's a Vigil seal; I only give it to someone who would trust my pack if I weren't here."
The necklace pulses in my hand, and the symbol spins twice. I stare at it attentively. The symbol changes; the three wolf claws now have a mist surrounding them. I look at Kael and see him surprised.
"What was that?" I ask, confused.
"I don't know, Your Majesty. It's an ancient jewel," he replies thoughtfully. "The jewel has the power to summon all alphas and freeze decisions. Some scholars believe it's also capable of opening unexplored places, to mysteries never before seen in our world. But I didn't know the jewel could change its symbol. Perhaps, in a way I can't explain, this jewel has always belonged to you."
Home. I felt the jewel echoing that word. Was the necklace speaking to me? I look at Kael, as if expecting him to have heard it too, but I only see a curious expression. Had another jewel come to me?
"It's an honor to have you as my Luna!" Kael says, kneeling and bowing.
Everyone seems astonished by his gesture, which is followed by Ana. Soon everyone is kneeling and bowing towards me. I take a deep breath, impressed by that gesture. Everyone stands and applauds me.
Conrad offered me his hand, and I looked at him, impressed. I showed all the surprise I was feeling, and Conrad just gave me a small smile. We started walking through the valley, and everyone began throwing white rose petals at us. Everyone seemed happy and satisfied.
I forced a smile, trying to disguise the confusion inside me. We left the valley amidst the congratulations of the alphas and other guests. We walked through a grove, towards the large garden.
From afar, I could already hear the loud noise echoing from the garden. After all, everyone in the pack, including visitors, was waiting to meet me.
"That was..." I begin to speak, but I can't find a word to define everything.
"You were perfect, Maya. You proved to everyone what I already knew, you were chosen by the Moon! You are destined for unimaginable things. And I am lucky to have you."
Conrad stops and holds me by the waist. His lips touch mine passionately, and I feel all the anxiety in my chest drain away. We hear the applause from afar and pull away, smiling.