30

The entire day went by without any significant events. I had little to do other than wander around the pack while being constantly watched. I also tried to search for Edward.

However, I was unable to even approach the prison area. Therefore, I decided to patiently wait for the night's gathering.

In the evening, a maid prepared another beautiful gown for me to wear. The fabric was adorned with a celestial shade of pearl-white, and intricate lace embellishments traced delicate patterns across it.

"Why are they even bothering?" I muttered as the maid placed the gown and jewelry on the bed. When I noticed that the maid had no intention of leaving, I said, "You don't need to wait here. You can go."

"I have to inform you of the rules, ma'am," the maid said, disregarding my command. "You cannot enter the arena in your regular clothes. You must change."

The maid was different from the one in the morning. Despite being an omega, I could sense a violent energy emanating from her body. It was clear from her aura that if I resisted, she wouldn't hesitate to force me.

I was becoming impatient to attend the gathering. I didn't want to waste time arguing with a maid. So, I picked up the gown from the bed and gestured for the maid to leave the room.

"Another white gown. Do they think it's my marriage?" I sighed.

After changing into the gown, I followed the maid into the conclave arena. The arena was filled with wolves from different packs. The packs that were allied with us always followed our pack's command. As a result, I had grown up witnessing many festivals where members from other packs would come to ours to participate.

As I entered the arena, my gaze landed on Edward, who was chained in a corner with two guards by his side. In just one night, I could see the dark circles under his beautiful eyes and his unkempt hair.

My heart ached, imagining the cruelty that Edward must have endured throughout the night. I couldn't control my emotions.

"Ed!" I shouted his name and tried to approach Edward, but Alex immediately stopped me.

"Not so fast, Princess," Alex whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing my back against his chest. I felt a bitter expression on my face as Alex turned my body, locking our eyes.

"You always seem to appear at the wrong time, don't you?" I asked, scornfully.

"The wolves didn't come to this pack tonight to witness your reunion with your lover, Ella," Alex said. "You are not the protagonist of tonight's event."

Alex said sarcastically as his eyes scanned my body. The sleeveless gown exposed more of my shoulders as Alex pressed against me harder. The hair on my neck moved, revealing a faded bite mark. Alex calmly bit his lower lip as his gaze fixated on my neck.

Feeling uneasy, I pushed Alex away, freeing myself from his embrace. Since we were standing in a corridor near the entrance of the main arena, we were out of sight of the spectators.

I turned towards the platform where Zen and the oracle stood, hoping they would let me go to Edward. However, they hadn't even noticed that I had arrived. Alex, understanding my intention, grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, taking me with him.

I heard loud cheers behind me as two guards lit the torches for the conclave. The oracle's voice echoed through the arena as she announced the entrance of the participants.

As the entire hall fell silent, I assumed Zen had made his appearance before the cheering crowd. Alex guided me into a room adjacent to the conclave arena. The sounds from the conclave arena could be heard clearly inside the room.

Alex locked the door from the inside as I gave him a suspicious look, unsure of his intentions. However, before I could confront Alex about his actions, Zen's voice caught my attention.

"Tonight's conclave holds great significance for all of us. Each one of you has gathered here for a major reason. Alpha females are valuable assets to any pack, without a doubt. Therefore, I feel a deep sense of guilt for putting them in a position where they have to fight each other."

I calmly sat on the bed in a corner of the room. The room was run-down, with only a bed and a table. Alex leaned against the table, listening attentively as Zen continued.

"Since the alpha females are special, the rules for this conclave will be different tonight. None of the participants will die here tonight. No one is allowed to harm their opponent. In the end, whoever becomes my Luna, we are allies. We cannot let this conclave affect our alliance. Therefore, the rules will be strictly enforced. And if any of the contenders attempt to break the rules, they will be immediately expelled."

The entire arena fell silent for a moment. I assumed the wolves were conflicted about Zen's decision. Knowing the nature of the wolves, a conclave without any bloodshed was unimaginable. There was no way the wolves would agree to that. How could they possibly enforce such a rule?

I smirked sardonically, understanding why Zen had made such a decision despite knowing it would disappoint his allies. How could he let the girl he loved be harmed in that gathering? After all, Claire was going to become the Luna. Based on the oracle's words, I could already assume that Zen would plot if necessary to ensure Claire's victory.

"We don't accept that," a deep voice shattered the silence. The person sounded like an official from any of the alliance packs. "The weak one dies, that's the rule. We've followed it since the beginning of our existence. Our pack doesn't need your kindness. Our alpha princess isn't afraid to risk her life in a gathering."

The entire arena suddenly growled in agreement with the person's statement.

"That's unnecessary," Zen's voice interrupted the cheers once again. "Is this how little an alpha female is valued by your pack? Are you suggesting that you're willing to sacrifice such a precious asset for nothing? Can't you all see that we're in the midst of a war? The war isn't among ourselves. It's foolish to harm our asset for amusement."

"How can the alpha be so certain that it will be our alpha princess who will be harmed in the gathering? As far as we're concerned, we're not losing anything tonight. However, if the alpha lord is concerned about the safety of his chosen mate, our alpha princess might consider it," the former man stated.

Before Zen could respond, Claire's familiar voice intervened.

"Who's concerned about who? I actually agree with your proposal. Overconfident idiots need to be reminded of their place."

Claire's tone was resolute and icy, causing a shiver to run down anyone's back who listened to her. The menacing undertone was not lost on me, as I had already witnessed her cruel disposition.