Chapter 51 Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Chapter 51

Luci 

The morning of the ritual arrived with something seemingly wrong in the air.

I felt it the moment I woke up.

A weird tension was pressing against my senses. It was like the whole pack was uneasy. I could feel it through the bond I shared with them.

For a few seconds I just lay there staring at the ceiling.

Beside me Yulia stirred.

The sound made me turn my head. She was sitting up brushing her hair back as she looked out the window.

“Do you feel that?" she asked quietly.

“Yes" I said.

She looked at me.

We just sat there for a moment.

The full moon was visible in the early morning sky beyond the window. Tonight was about the ritual. Tonight would decide everything. 

But this situation felt different.

I pushed myself upright.

My body still hurt a bit from the poison and training but I ignored it.

“We should go outside" I said.

Yulia nodded.

We got ready quickly. The silence between us wasn’t uncommon, but it was heavy with anticipation.

Something was happening.

Something I didn’t know about, and I didn’t like surprises in my own territory.

When we stepped outside it was clear what was going on.

People were gathering.

Dozens of pack members were standing near the grounds. They were talking among themselves.

My jaw tightened.

“What is this?" I asked.

I looked around the gathering until I saw Rhys.

My Beta stood near the edge of the crowd watching everything.

Yulia and I walked toward him.

Rhys noticed us.

“Alpha " he said.

“What’s going on?" I asked.

He took a breath.

“From what I’ve gathered… Elisse’s parents called for a meeting.”

I felt a calm.

“They what?" I asked.

Rhys shrugged. "They’ve been talking to people since morning.”

I got angry.

They had gathered my pack without my permission.

If I had been earlier I would have sensed it.

Last night…

I looked at Yulia.

Whenever I slept beside her I felt better.

The worries of the pack quieted.

Apparently that peace had cost me awareness this morning.

From the crowd, two figures stepped forward.

Elisse’s parents.

My eyes darkened immediately.

They walked like they had every right to be there.

I almost stepped forward to stop them.

The crowd was listening.

They wanted to hear what Elisse’s parents had to say.

So I stayed where I was.

For now.

Elisse’s father spoke.

“I apologize for calling everyone so suddenly.. What we need to discuss concerns everyone’s welfare.”

My jaw tightened.

He kept going.

“As you all know Alpha Luci’s betrothal to my daughter Elisse was not a political agreement.”

Some pack members looked confused.

“There were… protections attached to it " he said.

My eyes narrowed.

Protections?

What was he planning to say?

He clasped his hands behind his back.

“The betrothal created a protection barrier around this pack. A barrier strong to prevent enemy packs from invading.”

The crowd murmured.

My anger grew.

“That barrier " he continued, "only stays if the betrothal stands.”

I stepped forward.

“That’s enough " I said.

The crowd was already reacting.

“What do you mean?" someone asked.

Elisse’s father raised a hand, as if trying to calm them.

“It’s simple. If the betrothal ends… the protection disappears.”

The crowd murmured again.

Uneasy murmurs this time.

I opened my mouth to shut it down. But Someone else spoke before I got the chance.

“What happens then?”

The man looked eager to hear the answer.

Elisse’s father didn’t hesitate.

“If the betrothal ends,” he said slowly. Then the barrier protecting this pack will vanish.” He said with an air of sadness, trying to make himself look sympathetic.

He looked around.

“. When that happens… everyone’s lives will be in danger.”

The crowd was silent.

My patience snapped.

“Enough of your lies—”

But several voices interrupted me before I could complete my sentence.

“Wait.”

“Let him finish!”

My expression hardened.

He had succeeded in getting the crowds attention.

Elisse’s father smiled, clearly pleased at the reaction. 

“Thank you." he said.

Someone else spoke.

“What are the options then?”

The man nodded.

“There are two.”

My fists clenched.

He pointed at me.

“Alpha Luci honors the betrothal, and marries my daughter Elisse.”

His voice grew louder.

“In that case the protection barrier gets stronger. Ensuring the continued safety of every member of this pack”

He paused.

“Or”

He looked at Yulia.

“Alpha Luci rejects the betrothal and chooses to pursue a mating bond with Yulia.”

The atmosphere shifted.

“If that happens" he finished, "everyone here becomes vulnerable.”

The crowd erupted.

“He should marry Elisse!”

“That’s the option!”

“We can’t risk the pack!”

My eyes darkened.

Some voices rose louder than others.

“Elisse is the choice!”

“Yes! She belongs here!”

I looked around.

Not everyone agreed.

Other voices pushed back.

“Yulia saved the Alpha!”

“She’s his mate!”

“They should be together!”

The pack was splitting.

Rhys muttered beside me. "This is getting out of hand.”

I was about to step forward and shut down the entire gathering when Yulia touched my arm.

I looked down.

She shook her head.

“Don’t" she said.

My brows furrowed.

“They’re manipulating your people" I said quietly.

“I know" she said.

Her gaze moved across the crowd.

The determination evident on her face.

“If you silence them now it will only make things worse.”

The chants continued getting louder behind us.

“Marry Elisse!”

“Protect the pack!”

I could feel the anger swelling up inside me, almost beyond my control.

Yulia’s voice softened.

“Let them talk.”

I looked at her.

“You’re not angry?”

“Oh I am" she said.

Her eyes shifted toward Elisse’s parents.

“But anger won’t win this.”

Her lips curved.

“I’ll change their minds.”

My brows lifted.

“How?”

She looked back at me.

“If the ritual doesn’t annul the betrothal…" she said, "…then I’ll make the pack see what kind of villains Elisse’s parents are.”

The calm confidence, in her voice made me feel better.

The crowd kept arguing.

But for the first time since the morning began, I wasn’t worried anymore.