Chapter 65

CALANTHA

The door to my chamber rattled against the wall as I slammed it open. I tore off my formal council robe and threw it across a chair, the fine material crumpling like my dignity had in that room.

"Breathe," I whispered to myself, pressing my palms against my temples. But the air felt too thick, and my chest too tight.

I paced the length of my room, from window to door and back again. The floorboards creaked beneath my feet, matching the rhythm of my racing thoughts. My fingers twisted the silver ring on my hand. The symbol of my authority, my position, my supposed partnership with Alpha Arlo.

What a joke.

The door opened without a knock. I spun around, ready to dismiss whoever dared enter, but the words died in my throat when Alpha Arlo stepped inside. His face was calm, but the storm in his eyes betrayed him.

"How dare you walk out of that meeting?" he said, his voice deceptively quiet.

"How dare you undermine me in front of the entire council?" I shot back.

Alpha Arlo closed the door slowly behind him. "Is that what you think happened?"

"I know what happened." My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "You made me look like a petulant child whose opinion means nothing."

"You acted like one." His words cut through the air between us. "Demanding we strike names from the guest list? Ordering letters to be sent? These aren't your decisions to make, Calantha."

I laughed bitterly. "Then what decisions are mine to make? The colour of the napkins at dinner? Which flowers to place in the great hall?" I moved closer to him, my voice rising. "I'm tired, Arlo. Am I your wife or just someone in the pack? I feel like I have no say in anything."

"Who's the head of this house, you or me?" His voice remained steady, which only fueled my anger.

"Is that all that matters to you? Your authority? Your control?"

"What matters to me is respect." He took a step toward me. "Respect for our traditions, respect for the council, and yes, respect for my position."

"And what about respect for me?" I demanded, refusing to back away despite his proximity.

His eyes narrowed. "Respect is earned, Calantha. Today, you showed nothing but contempt for everything we've built."

Arlo always had a way to blame me for everything. He would never accept the fact that he was wrong at any point. All he cared about was himself and  his selfish reign as alpha king.

"Because you refuse to listen! Those Northern Territories—"

"Are invited because I say so," he interrupted. "Whatever personal grievance you have doesn't override centuries of tradition."

I opened my mouth to argue further, but he raised his hand.

"I'm relieving you of your duties in the pack until I say otherwise," he declared.

The words hit me like a physical blow. "What?"

"You heard me." His expression was immovable. "Until you can conduct yourself with the dignity expected of your position, you will not represent this pack in any official or unofficial capacity."

Heat rushed to my face. "You can't do that."

"I just did."

"I am your Luna!" I shouted, my voice cracking.

"And I am your Alpha," he countered, his voice finally rising to match mine. "Don't test me on this, Calantha."

I stepped closer, my breath coming in short bursts. "What are you going to do? Lock me in my room? Forbid me from speaking?"

"Don't dare me," he warned, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone.

We stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, neither willing to yield.

"You're going to apologize to the council members," he finally said.

My chin lifted. "What happens if I don't?"

Before he could respond, the door opened again. This time, my father walked in, his expression thunderous. My blood ran cold.

"What's the commotion about?" he demanded, looking between us. When neither of us immediately answered, he focused on me.

"What's wrong with you?"

The familiar dismissive tone in his voice made me feel like a child again— small, insignificant, and perpetually disappointing.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I replied, my voice hardening with every word. "I simply questioned why we're inviting people who have no business at our celestial conjunction."

My father's eyes narrowed. "The Northern Territories, I presume?" He shook his head, looking at Alpha Arlo. "Are all these because of Vespa again?"

The betrayal stung worse than I expected. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I knew," my father snapped. "I was consulted, as were all the elders. Only you seem to have a problem with the northern territories. You have to learn to uphold sacred traditions, Calantha."

"Sacred traditions?" I repeated incredulously. "Since when has inviting our enemies been a sacred tradition?"

"They are not our enemies," my father said sharply. "Your personal feelings are clouding your judgment, as usual."

"As usual?" The room seemed to spin around me. "When have my feelings ever mattered to any of you?"

My father stepped closer, his finger pointing at me. "You embarrassed your husband today. You embarrassed our family. And for what? Because of some childish grudge you refuse to let go?"

I felt Alpha Arlo watching me, measuring my reaction. I turned away from both of them. I rolled my eyes, folding my arms around my breast.

"The conjunction will proceed as planned," my father continued. "All invited guests will be welcomed, including Alpha Vespa. And you will apologise to the council at the next meeting."

"Or what?" I asked without turning around, my voice hollow.

My father sighed heavily. "Or you prove every doubt they've ever had about you correct."

The silence that followed was deafening. I heard my father's footsteps moving toward the door, then Alpha Arlo's following.

"Think carefully about your next actions, Calantha," Alpha Arlo said quietly. "There's more at stake here than your pride."

The door closed behind them, and I was alone again. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, watching my breath fog the pane. Outside, the sun continued to shine, birds continued to sing, and life continued to move forward.

But inside, everything had shifted. In the reflection of the glass, I barely recognised myself. This powerless, cornered version of the woman I thought I was.

I wiped away the fog with my palm, clearing my vision. One thing was certain: I would not be the only one forced to see clearly before this was over. The Northern Territories, Alpha Vespa, my husband, my father—they would all understand what happens when you corner a wolf who has nothing left to lose.

I remembered my father's face. How angry he was.

"Was he the one who asked me to get more in pack matters, or did he have a twin brother we never knew about?"

I wondered if everything was worth it. Maybe u shouldn't have attended the meeting after all. This was only my first meeting, and I ended up this way.

Embarrassed in front of the council members, yet obliged to beg for their forgiveness.

I exhaled deeply as I walked back to my bed and sank there, my mind wandering from one thought to the other.