Chapter Ninety Five - The Wolf’s Summon

Chapter Ninety Five - The Wolf’s Summon
Eron’s POV

There was ash and the faint smell of exhaustion in the air. Breaths and voices echoed all around, adding to the heavy weight on my shoulders.

I stood there again, before the same long table filled with the same wrinkled faces, listening to the same tired voices argue about the same pointless things.

Every word scraped at my patience.

Across from me, my father, the Lycan King, sat heavy on his throne, fingers pressed to his temple like he was trying to hold his skull together.

He looked older than he had the week before, maybe because he was. Every meeting like this drained him.

And me? I was just tired.

Tired of being called here every time I dared to make a decision without their approval. Tired of pretending to care about their endless back and forth. Tired of biting my tongue while they debated honor, politics, and loyalty like they knew the meaning of any of it.

“My prince, what you did jeopardized our alliance with the mountain clans,” one of them was saying now, a high ranking fool with more hair in his ears than sense in his head. “You cannot send troops across borders without the council’s consent!”

“I didn’t send troops,” I said flatly, not even bothering to lift my head. “I sent scouts. There’s a difference.”

“Scouts or not,” another cut in, voice thin and sharp, “you acted without the crown’s blessing. That is insubordination.”

My jaw tightened at that one word. “If waiting for your ‘blessing’ means losing ground, then yes, I’m guilty. But don't accuse me of that, it's absurd.”

A low murmur rippled across the room. One of them actually had the nerve to slam his palm against the table. “You will not speak to us that way, boy! You may be the prince, but you are not—”

“I said enough.” My voice came out harsher than intended, but I didn’t care. “You’ve all sat here for months doing nothing but argue about how we should handle the vampires, while they tear through our borders and feast on our people.”

“Has anyone of you done anything about it, have you gone out there to try and find a solution by yourself? No. And yet you sit here talking about what? You want to talk about proper conduct? Fine. Tell that to the families burning their dead because we can’t act fast enough!”

The room went silent.

I could feel my father’s gaze on me, heavy, weary. When I looked at him, he didn’t scold me. He just sighed, leaning back on the throne like a man who had carried a burden too long.

“Eron,” he said, his voice low, calm. “You need to learn restraint. You are not wrong, but your temper clouds your judgment.”

I almost laughed. “My temper? Or your council’s cowardice?”

That earned a few gasps. My father’s eyes closed for a brief moment, and for the first time, I saw something in him, not anger, not disappointment, just… exhaustion.

He was tired of me.

And I couldn’t even blame him for it.

Before either of us could speak again, the great doors creaked open.

A servant, young, trembling, hurried inside. Every head turned her way. The councilmen glared at her as though she had spat on their dinner.

“How dare you interrupt this council?” one barked.

She froze, clutching her gown in her hands, eyes wide like a cornered rabbit. “I-I bring an urgent message—”

“Show some respect! You’re in the presence of—”

“Enough,” I snapped, raising my hand. The girl’s eyes flicked to me, uncertain, until I nodded. “Go on.”

She stepped closer, hesitant, her voice shaking. “My prince… I've been asked to deliver this message to you directly. It's from the wolves.”

The words cut through the air like a blade.

For a heartbeat, no one spoke. Then the council erupted.

“What nonsense is this?”

“The wolf?”

“They dare send a messenger here?”

“This must be some trick—”

“Listen girl, you better not be trying to play games right now. We will have your head for it.”

For a while she didn't say anything, scared or perhaps cautious, I couldn't exactly tell. But then she looked at me pleadingly.

“What do you wish to say? Let's speak over there.” I gestured, about to move.

“Whatever she has to say, she must do it before the council,” an elder spoke out, pulling our attention.

“But I was instructed to deliver it to him alone.” she said in a trembling voice.

“Who would dare urge you on something like that?” another elder spoke, clearly infuriated by her words.

“The Alpha King,”

Gasps filled the air, as well as a few exchange of glances. Murmurs rippled through the air quickly, each voice a silent whisper.

“He has demanded an audience with The Lycan Prince.”