33

The winning trumpet shattered the silence within the arena, startling the spectators. Yet, not a soul dared to cheer. The officials from the brunette's pack stared at their precious lady's corpse in disbelief.

I observed the corner of Zen's lips curling up into a satisfactory smirk. He seemed really proud of his Luna. Claire ascended the stairs to the sacred throne of the Luna nonchalantly.

However, an unyielding Groundhog Day lay ahead, a reality none had anticipated.

"You people are responsible for her death!" a chilling voice interrupted the victorious drums, drawing all eyes to its source.

Burning rage flickered through the eyes of the official from the brunette's pack earlier.

"This pack, along with Alpha Zen, should be held accountable for the murder of the Moon pack's only Alpha female," the man spat.

"Have you no conscience?" Zen calmly inquired. "You and the Alpha princess insisted. Did I not warn you of the consequences?"

"Indeed, we requested it," the man admitted, hesitating. "Yet, this woman ruthlessly killed our Alpha princess after she had surrendered. No pack will forgive such a crime!" Every muscle in his body tensed as he trembled, overwhelmed by emotion

Whispers of conflicting opinions echoed throughout the entire arena. While most of our pack members held the official from the Moon packs responsible for provoking Claire, spectators from other packs believed Claire could have acted with maturity.

Suddenly, Claire burst into laughter, seizing the crowd's attention as the murmurs faded away.

"You people have no shame, do you? The girl asked for it, didn't she? You should feel delighted that such a worthless girl met her end by my divine hands. When I become the Luna and awaken the Spring, your pack may be the first to greet me."

"How insolent!" the official exclaimed. "Do you expect the wolves present here to believe such a ridiculous claim? A person whose hands are stained with murder will never be chosen by the moon spirits."

"Really? Now, if I think carefully, was that the reason you insisted so much on turning the conclave into a life-or-death one? Why? Was it to prove me a murderer? Was it you who planned it?" Claire asked mysteriously.

The man was unprepared for the sudden question. However, he quickly composed himself and asked in an icy tone, "What are you implying?"

"Enough!" Zen's stern voice interrupted the conversation. "Claire won the conclave fair and square. I overlooked your pack's audacity once already. I will not overlook it twice."

Zen's words sent a chill through the arena.

"And now! It is the moment," Zen declared, seizing everyone's attention. "Finally, the moment for which we have patiently waited all these years has arrived. The soul of the wolf that the mystic spring seeks has been revealed and captured."

Zen paused for a second, casting a sidelong glance at me. Then, he turned to Claire and said, "We also have the most suitable vessel for that wolf soul."

Nausea churned in my stomach as a thousand knots twisted inside me. I gasped, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. Suddenly, my body felt hot, while my palms remained as cold as ice.

Zen continued, "Our oracle had this vision months ago. She followed all the sermons for the opening of the moon springs. However, it appeared all the female alpha wolves were rejected by the moon spirits."

I scowled, recalling I had heard something different from the oracle. Zen's eyes met mine, a wicked gleam flickering in them.

"In the past, we didn’t search for Ella's wolf simply because we weren't aware of her wolf being an alpha," Zen said. I clenched my fists tightly. "How absurd!" I muttered in disbelief. Murmurs spread through the entire arena as everyone's gaze turned to me, filled with doubt.

Zen reiterated, "But the oracle's predictions were correct. Ella's wolf is indeed an alpha, which is crucial for awakening the spring of sovereignty and supremacy."

Murmurs once again echoed across the arena as impatience continued to grow within me.

"Since the spring has already rejected all the female alphas, we hadn't considered a breed wolf. When the oracle revealed it was an alpha female, it was logical to think of someone as strong as Claire. However, Claire wasn't the one, unfortunately. Still, Claire is the most suitable vessel for this breed's wolf," Zen said, giving me a disdainful glare as though I were an animal.

"Ella's body isn't suitable for the ritual," the oracle added. "To control an alpha wolf like Ella's, we need a strong vessel. By merging Ella and Claire's wolves, there will be no risk of rejection by the spring. And Claire has proven her capabilities today. Claire's body is necessary to contain Ella's wolf," the oracle explained further.

"Let go, you oaf! They're talking about my wife!" Edward's sharp voice cut through the tense atmosphere of the arena.