Chapter 52 Chapter fifty-two
"Sylvia, gather all the elders and scholars. We must decipher the meaning of this unusual language," Claus instructed.
"Understood," Sylvia replied, nodding before departing to fulfill the task.
Before long, the courtroom was occupied by the pack's elders and scholars.
The document was handed to them. A wave of panic and confusion swept through the room. The language was unfamiliar to everyone present.
"Alphas, throughout my years of study, this is the first time I have encountered such a peculiar language. Where did you say you found it?" Nicholas exclaimed in distress. He is the pack's foremost scholar.
Nicholas passed it to another individual, and the document circulated around the room as everyone shook their heads. None of them had ever encountered this language before.
A loud murmur swept over the gathering as the elders and scholars realized none of them recognized the language.
"Enough with the clamor," Claus slammed his staff against the ground, plunging the room into complete silence. He ran his fingers through his hair in utter frustration. "So none of you can decipher this language. Why do I even have you fools in my cabinet, huh?" he groaned.
"We apologize, Alpha," the elders and scholars said in unison, bowing their heads.
Claus rose from his throne. As he walked toward them, the elders and scholars stepped back in fear. Claus ignored their reactions and paced around the room.
"So I’m left with a bunch of fools who can't read a single letter in my cabinet. You’re all pathetic."
Meanwhile, Ellie had been waiting for Claus to return to the chamber, but when he didn’t appear, she decided to search for him and overheard the commotion in the courtroom.
She caught wind of Claus's mention of a letter and wondered what it could possibly contain. She hoped it wasn't yet another letter of threat.
Upon entering the courtroom, she noticed a low murmur among the elders and scholars.
Claus was still pacing, while Sylvia sat in a dark corner of the room.
All eyes turned to Ellie, causing her cheeks to flush with nervousness. She straightened her posture, remembering that as a Luna, she couldn't show weakness to the pack members.
She walked gracefully over to Claus, and when he noticed her approaching, his anger seemed to subside.
"Ellie, I told you to stay in the chamber. I have everything under control," he said in a softer tone.
"Claus, what letter are you referring to?" she asked quickly and assertively.
"It’s nothing, Ellie. Just return to the chamber, and I’ll come see you when I’m finished," Claus replied dismissively.
"Claus," she insisted, attempting to get him to respond, fixing her gaze on him.
"Alright," he exhaled, avoiding eye contact with her. "We discovered something at the healer's house..."
"Did you find Cyprus? Where is she? Is she alright?" Her voice rose as she bombarded him with questions, scanning the hall for any sign of her friend.
"Ellie, please calm down," Claus placed his hands on her shoulders. "We haven’t found her yet, but we will soon... Instead, we found an unusual letter in her house," he said.
Ellie’s brows furrowed. "What letter?" she inquired.
"This," he took the letter from the elders, "it’s titled: the pack's secret and it’s written in a strange language none of us comprehend." He elaborated.
"Let me see it," she requested, taking the letter from him.
The letter felt heavy in her hands, wrapped in an old cloth. She unwrapped the material from the letter. Upon seeing the content, her stomach dropped. Her heart raced in her chest. She glanced around to see if anyone noticed her rising panic.
The letter was written in Hebrew. She was certain of it. She examined it closely to confirm her suspicions one last time.
After her pack was destroyed, she had to stay with the language teacher for a while. That teacher taught her in several ancient languages, one of which was Jewish.
Her hands shook as she delved deeper into the contents of the letter. She swallowed hard when she reached the end of the letter.
The atmosphere around her grew tense.
"A FORBIDDEN ACT IS OCCURRING IN THIS PACK..... TWO ALPHAS SHARING ONE LUNA."
Her blood ran cold. She looked up to find everyone staring at her. She was so taken aback that even attempting to speak left her voiceless, her lips simply hanging open.