Chapter 28 The Weight Of A Crown
ZANE'S POV
As I held Davina's hands and we made our way to the general hall, I could feel her fidgeting beside me. Honestly, who could blame her? She was navigating all these challenges she never asked for and certainly never planned on.
I didn’t regret blurting out that she’s my mate, not one bit. I wanted everyone to know. I wanted to show her off proudly because she deserved that recognition, at the very least. I imagined holding her hand and strolling through the compound every morning and night, just the two of us.
Sure, I knew I’d just made things a bit more complicated, but I also realized that the truth would come out eventually. Whatever we had to face now would be nothing compared to what we’d deal with later, so why keep it hidden?
The only regret I had was making things harder for her. I knew my pack, and I knew the wolves, they wouldn’t just sit back and watch a human become their Luna. This was that had never happened before in our history. At first, I thought the moon goddess was being cruel, throwing this challenge my way. I kept asking, “Why me? Why a human as a mate?” But then I came to terms with it. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Just having her around calms me in ways I can’t even put into words. I was now burdened with the choice of either choosing to lead my pack or risk losing my throne, and my pack by choosing my mate.
When we finally stepped into the general hall, the hall was packed.
Word had spread like wildfire, as it always did in a pack, and the wolves were buzzing with confusion.
“Silence!” Father commanded, and the room fell quiet instantly.
Then he turned and looked at me. “Now, Zane, what was that nonsense I just witnessed? What kind of behavior is that for a leader?” he asked, clearly furious.
“No one lays a hand on her! If I see him even breathe near her again, I swear I’ll skin him alive,” I shot back. Lately, it felt like everyone was testing my patience. First, Grayson’s men had crossed the line with my mate, and now Jax. Just thinking about how close he’d gotten to her made my blood boil.
The murmurs from the crowd started up again.
“Silence!” my father barked again before turning to me. “I get that you want to protect your mate, but this isn’t how leaders handle things. You can’t just throw punches whenever you feel like it. You’re not kids anymore, Zane,” He admonished.
Jax chuckled, a cloth pressed against his nose. “Are we really just going to accept this? A human Luna, in our pack. In our bloodline.” He spread his arms wide. “Has this ever happened? Has any Alpha in our history brought a human into the succession? What is he trying to turn us into?” He yelled out.
My anger flared even more. “Her name is Davina, and yes, she’s a human. But she’s the one the moon goddess chose for me. What would you have me do?”
“Reject her, for crying out loud! What kind of question is that? Send her back and lead your pack the way it's supposed to be led. If you’re not ready to lead, maybe it’s time to hand over the position to someone who is, because you’re looking pretty weak right now,” Jax continued, his voice rising.
A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, and I felt Davina's hand shift in mine.
“I suggest you watch your tone with me, or you won’t like what happens next. Mind your words,” I warned.
“What are you going to do, hit me again? I can take it, but I won’t stand by and watch our pack fall apart because of your selfish desires. Has any alpha in our pack ever had a human Luna? No, because it doesn’t happen. Who here is comfortable with the idea of having a human as our Luna?” Jax asked, but no one raised a hand.
“See? This is madness. I say you reject her right here and now and send her back to where she came from, or you give up your Alpha position,” Jax argued.
I watched as the wolves’ voices rose in support of him, and I tightened my grip on Davina’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I could feel her anxiety in the air. She had gone from living a normal life to standing in front of a pack that was against her. I wished I could pull her closer and reassure her that everything would be okay.
“I’m not going to reject her, and I’m not stepping down. If anyone here thinks I should, take it up with the council. Davina will prove herself. I believe she’s more than just a weak human, she’s got so much more to offer than meets the eye.”
"Who cares about what she has to offer, that doesn't change the fact that she is human and what you're planning to do will make our pack appear weak." He started. "Other packs that didn't have the balls to stand close to us before will now have the audacity to challenge us." He paused for a while then continued.
"Since you won't reject her and you won't give up the Alpha position, I'm challenging you, here and now." His voice was steady. "A formal Alpha challenge. You win, things stay as they are. I win, the human goes, and this pack gets the leadership it deserves.”
Nobody moved. My father went completely still at the front of the room.
I locked eyes with Jax across the space between us, his bloodied face composed, and his eyes holding something that looked almost like relief as if he’d been carrying this decision for ages and had finally put it down.
“You understand what you’re starting,” I said quietly.
“Yes,” he replied. “Do you?”
The hall was silent except for the crackling fire.
I felt Davina’s hand tighten around mine. Then my father’s voice cut through the silence. “A formal challenge has been declared.” He looked between us. “Pack law requires three days before the fight takes place.” His gaze landed on me. “Three days, Zane.”
I looked at Jax, and he met my gaze without flinching.
And somewhere in the back of the hall, where she had slipped in quietly enough that nobody had noticed her yet, Aurelia stood with her arms folded, watching everything unfold.