Chapter 35 Kaden's POV
The council chamber felt suffocating.
I sat at the head of the table, surrounded by elders who had been arguing for the past two hours. My patience was wearing thin.
"This is madness, Kaden!" Elder Marcus slammed his hand on the table. "You can't keep Selena locked up indefinitely. Her family is demanding her release; they are threatening retaliation."
"Let them threaten." I said coldly.
"She attempted murder and poisoned a member of this pack in my own house. She stays in that cell."
"But the political ramifications-” Elder Rowan began.
"I don't care about politics, I care about justice."
"Justice?" Marcus scoffed. "You are risking war with one of the most powerful families in the region over an omega servant!"
My wolf snarled at his dismissive tone. I forced myself to remain seated, to keep my voice level. "She poisoned someone under my protection, that is not a minor offense."
"Then exile her.” Another elder suggested.
"Send her away from pack lands that would satisfy both justice and politics."
"No, she faces trial here, she answers for what she did."
"Kaden, please." Rowan's voice was softer now, almost pleading.
"We are not saying that she shouldn't be punished. We are saying there are ways to handle this that don't put the entire pack at risk. Selena's family has allies. Strong allies. If we execute her or imprison her long-term, they will retaliate."
"Then we defend ourselves."
"We are already defending ourselves against Erebus's followers!" Marcus stood, his face red with frustration.
"We lost ten wolves three nights ago and we have wounded still recovering. Our borders are stretched thin. And now you want to add another enemy to the list?"
He had a point. I hated that he had a point.
"What exactly are you proposing?" I asked.
Rowan leaned forward. "Release Selena to her family's custody. Banning her from pack lands permanently makes it clear she will never be Luna, that the arrangement is void. Her family saves face, we avoid war, everyone wins."
"Except justice." I said quietly. "Except the victim who almost died."
"The victim is alive," Marcus said. "And she will remain alive. Selena will be gone, no longer a threat. Isn't that enough?"
Before I could answer, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter." I called.
Damian walked in, his expression grim. "Alpha, I need to speak with you privately. It's urgent."
The elders looked annoyed at the interruption, but I was grateful for the excuse to end this circular argument.
"We will continue this discussion later," I told them. "You are dismissed."
They filed out reluctantly, Marcus shooting me a warning look before he left.
When we were alone, Damian closed the door and locked it.
"This must be serious." I said.
"It is." He set his research papers on the table. "I need to show you something. It is
about Elara and Erebus."
Twenty minutes later, I understood why Damian had looked so frightened.
The prophecy symbolizes the pattern all leading to Elara.
"They are hunting her," I said, the words tasting like ash. "Hunting my mate and my child."
"Yes and based on the pattern of their movements, they are getting closer. The border attack wasn't random. It was strategic. They are probing our defenses, learning our response times."
I stood and paced to the window, my hands clenched into fists. "How long until they make their move?"
"I don't know if it could be days, it could be weeks. But they will come for her, Kaden. And when they do, they will be prepared."
"Then so will we." I turned to face him.
"I will have Elara's security tripled, no, quadrupled. Guards posted outside her quarters at all times. No one gets near her without my explicit permission."
"That is going to make the pack talk even more."
"I don't care what they say. Her safety is all that matters."
After Damian left, I went to check on Elara myself. The guards outside her door snapped to attention when they saw me.
"Has she left her quarters today?" I asked.
"No, Alpha, she has been inside all morning."
I knocked on the door. "Elara? It's Kaden. May I come in?"
Silence.
"Please, I need to speak with you."
Finally, her voice came through the door. "I'm resting."
"It is important."
"Everything is always important to you."
The words stung, but I deserved them. "Five minutes, that is all I ask."
Another pause then the door opened.
She stood there in simple clothes, her hair pulled back, her hand resting protectively on her still-flat stomach. She looked tired. Beautiful and tired and wary.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"I need to tell you that security around you is being increased with more guards, more restrictions on who can access this wing."
"Damian already told me about Erebus about the prophecy."
"Then you understand why this is necessary."
"I understand that I'm a prisoner here. Just a better-treated one than Selena."
"You are not a prisoner, you are being protected."
"Is there a difference?" She moved back into her room and I followed, closing the door behind me.
"I can't leave without guards, can't eat without my food being tested. Can't talk to anyone without wondering if they are a threat that sounds like prison to me."
"It's temporary until we deal with Erebus's followers."
"And if that takes months? Years? What then?"
"Then it takes months or years for your safety, our child's safety is worth any inconvenience."
She turned away from me. "You keep saying that. Our child. But you haven't even asked how I'm feeling. How the pregnancy is going. If I'm scared or overwhelmed or struggling."
The accusation hit home. She was right. I had been so focused on security and threats that I hadn't thought about what she was going through emotionally.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "You're right. How are you feeling?"
"Now you care?"
"I've always cared."
She laughed bitterly. "You have a strange way of showing it."
I moved closer, careful not to crowd her. "Elara, I know I've made terrible mistakes. But I'm trying to keep you both safe. that's all I can do right now."
"What about after? After the baby is born and Erebus is dealt with? What happens to me then?"
The question hung in the air between us.