Chapter 29 The Council Judgement
Lira's POV
The Darkfang packhouse loomed before us like a fortress of judgment. My fingers tightened around Kael's as we approached the massive oak doors, my newly awakened wolf senses picking up the scents of dozens of wolves gathered inside. Fear, anger, curiosity, and a sharper scent of hostility.
"They're waiting for us," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the evening wind.
Kael squeezed my hand once before releasing it. "Remember what you are now. You're not the broken girl from the cellar anymore."
Through our bond, I felt his certainty, his pride in what I'd accomplished at the temple. But underneath that, tension coiled like a spring. He was worried about what came next.
The doors swung open before we could knock. Thomas stood there, his expression grim. His heavyset frame filled the doorway, the tribal tattoos on his arms seeming darker in the dim light. As Kael's beta and younger brother, Thomas had always been the steadying force in the pack—but tonight, even his usually calm demeanor showed cracks of strain.
"Brother. The council's been in session for hours. They're... not pleased about the territorial implications," Thomas said, his solemn brown eyes flicking between Kael and me. The weight of his wolf spirit Bjorn's protective instincts was evident in how he positioned himself, ready to shield us both if necessary.
Despite being only three years younger than Kael, Thomas had spent most of his life in his older brother's shadow and had never once complained about it.
While Kael was groomed as the future Alpha, praised for his strength and leadership, Thomas quietly learned to be the reliable second, handling details and managing politics without recognition.
He'd watched Kael receive their father's attention, the pack's admiration, and the assumption of greatness, yet Thomas had only felt pride for his brother's achievements.
Even when their father Magnus had branded Kael a traitor eleven years ago after sixteen-year-old Kael had publicly confronted Magnus during a full moon ceremony, exposing how their father had been secretly selling pack members to rogue traders under the guise of "training missions"—Thomas had never wavered. Magnus had responded with fury instead of shame, branding and exiling Kael rather than face his crimes.
In a move that cut Thomas deeper than any physical wound, Magnus had then passed the Alpha power to Brutus, his own brother, rather than to Thomas—the rightful heir after Kael's exile.
Thomas had stood before the pack that night and declared their father had made a grave mistake, that Kael had been trying to save them all. His unwavering loyalty to his exiled brother had cost him dearly, watching as Uncle Brutus took the position that should have been Thomas's birthright.
But Thomas had never complained about that either, never wavered in his belief that Kael was the rightful Alpha, even through the eleven brutal years that followed.
"Let me guess," Kael's voice carried that dangerous edge I had learned to recognize. "Selene's leading the charge?"
"She's questioning the legitimacy of the bond. Says it needs to be tested." Thomas's eyes flicked to me with something that might have been sympathy. "Publicly."
My stomach dropped. Through the bond, I felt Kael's fury spike.
"Over my dead body," he growled, stepping protectively in front of me.
"That can be arranged," came a cold voice from the shadows.
Elder Selene Darkmoon stepped into view, her frost-white hair gleaming in the torchlight. At one hundred and twenty years old, she was the oldest living Luna in the northern territories, and her eyes held the weight of centuries of accumulated power.
"Alpha Kael," she said, inclining her head with calculated respect. Her tone was carefully neutral. "Miss... what shall we call you now? Ashborne? Or are you claiming the Thorn name already?"
I felt Kael tense beside me, but I stepped forward, forcing strength into my voice. "My name is Lira Ashborne," I said, lifting my chin despite the tremor that betrayed my fear. "Alpha of the Silvermoon territory."
Selene's laugh was mocking. "Alpha?" She circled us slowly. "Child, you can barely stand without shaking. You think a pretty light show at some ruins makes you worthy of leading a pack?"
"The Moon Goddess herself" I began.
But Selene cut me off with a dismissive wave. "The Moon Goddess chooses many vessels, little girl. Not all of them survive the honor. The Moon Goddess speaks through trials, not through convenient visions." Selene moved closer, her ancient wolf's dominance pressing against my consciousness. "If you truly are what you claim, you'll submit to our judgment."
Kael stepped between us, his own alpha aura flaring in response. "She's proven herself already. The temple, the revenants, the prophecy"
"Means nothing here," Selene cut him off. "This is Darkfang territory, and Darkfang law applies. Your attachment to this girl doesn't change pack protocol."
The word 'attachment' hit like a slap. I felt Kael's flinch through the bond, his instinctive rejection of anything that sounded like weakness.
"What do you want?" I asked quietly.
Selene smiled, showing teeth that were still sharp despite her age. "Three trials. Combat, wisdom, and sacrifice. Prove you're worthy of the mate bond with our alpha. Prove you can lead wolves instead of cowering from them."
"And if she refuses?" Kael's voice was deadly calm.
"Then the bond is declared illegitimate. She returns to whatever hole she crawled out of, and you choose a proper Luna from among our own."
Through the bond, I felt Kael's protective rage building to dangerous levels. His wolf wanted to challenge Selene right here, right now. But I also felt something else—a flicker of doubt. What if I wasn't strong enough? What if the council was right?
"I accept," I said before he could speak.
"Lira, no." Kael turned to me, eyes blazing. "You don't have to prove anything to them."
"Yes, I do." I met his gaze steadily. "If I'm going to be Luna, if I'm going to help you lead this pack, they need to respect me. Not just tolerate me because you claimed me."
"The trials begin tomorrow at dawn," Selene announced, satisfaction clear in her voice. "And Kael—you're forbidden from interfering. Pack law. Break it, and you forfeit your own alpha status."
The elder turned and walked away, leaving us standing in the doorway with Thomas.
"She's trying to get you killed," Kael said flatly once Selene was gone.
"Maybe." I touched his arm, feeling the tension in every muscle. "But she's also giving me a chance to earn what should have been mine by birth."