Chapter 69 The Recess
The private room they led young Sera to was smaller than the main conference hall but still designed to impress. Dark wood panelling covered the walls. Heavy curtains blocked the windows. A small table held refreshments that young Sera had no appetite for.
Maya appeared within minutes, carrying a medical kit and wearing her calm healer’s expression. “Let me check you over. You look pale.”
“I am fine.”
“You are not fine. You just confronted your abusive father and accused a powerful Alpha of murder in front of two dozen witnesses. You are running on adrenaline and shock. Sit down before you fall.”
Young Sera sat because arguing with Maya was pointless. The omega’s gentle insistence was somehow more effective than Lyra’s sharp commands or Garrett’s quiet strength.
Maya checked young Sera’s pulse, her pupils, her breathing. “Your heart rate is elevated but not dangerously so. You are not going into shock. But you need to eat something and drink water. Your body is burning through resources faster than you can replace them.”
Kai handed young Sera a glass of water and a piece of bread. Simple food that would not upset her churning stomach but would give her body something to work with.
“What happens now?” young Sera asked between small bites. “During the recess?”
Lyra, who had followed them into the room, leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. “Now the council examines Kael’s evidence against Victor. They will verify that the documents are authentic. Interview the witnesses. Determine if the charges have merit. If the evidence holds up, Victor faces trial. If it does not, Kael faces consequences for making false accusations.”
“The evidence is real though. Right?”
“Every word of it. We have been building this case for two years. Triple checked everything. Made sure it would hold up under scrutiny. Victor is guilty and the evidence will prove it.”
“Then why does he look so calm?” Young Sera had seen Victor’s expression as they broke for recess. He had not looked panicked or desperate. He had looked calculating. Like he was already planning his next move.
“Because Victor always has contingencies,” Kael said, entering the room and closing the door behind him. “He is smart enough to know this might happen someday. Smart enough to have escape plans ready. We need to make sure he does not use them.”
“What kind of escape plans?”
“Bribed guards. Hidden exits. Alliances with Alphas who owe him favours. Victor has been building power for decades. He will call in every debt he has to avoid facing justice.”
Garrett appeared in the doorway, his massive frame filling the space. “I have warriors watching all exits. No one leaves this building without my knowledge. If Victor tries to run, we will know immediately.”
“What about my father?” young Sera asked. “Where are they holding him?”
“Basement holding cells. Richard Stone’s estate has proper facilities for containing dangerous wolves. Marcus is locked in silver-lined cells that prevent shifting. He cannot escape and he cannot hurt anyone.”
Young Sera should have felt relief at that news. Should have felt safe knowing her father was locked away. But Marcus’s threat kept echoing in her mind.
I will destroy everything you love.
“He meant it,” young Sera said quietly. “When he said he would destroy me. He was not just angry. He was making a promise.”
“Let him try,” Lyra said fiercely. “He is locked in a cell. You are surrounded by the best warriors in the Northern Kingdom. He cannot touch you.”
“He does not need to touch me to hurt me. He knows that. He spent eighteen years teaching me exactly where I am vulnerable. He knows hurting the people I love is worse than hurting me directly.”
Kai sat down beside young Sera and took her hand. “Then we make sure everyone you love is protected. We stay alert. Stay together. Do not give him opportunities.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Richard Stone entered with an apologetic expression. “I am sorry to intrude. But I need to speak with Luna Queen Sera privately.”
Kael tensed. “Why?”
“Because several Alphas have raised questions about her status. About whether Kael’s declaration during the summit was legally binding or just a political manoeuvre. They want to interview her separately. Make sure she understands what she claimed and accepts the responsibilities that come with it.”
“That is ridiculous,” Lyra snapped. “Kael declared her Luna Queen according to pack law. There is nothing to question.”
“Nevertheless, the council wants to hear from her directly. To verify she was not coerced or manipulated into accepting the position.”
Young Sera felt anger flash through her exhaustion. “They think I am a puppet. A girl Kael is being used to shore up his own legitimacy.”
Richard’s expression confirmed that was exactly what some of them thought.
“Fine,” young Sera said, standing despite Maya’s protest. “I will speak to them. I will prove I am not being manipulated. That I chose this position with full understanding of what it means.”
“You do not have to prove anything to them,” Kael said.
“Yes, I do. Because if they doubt my legitimacy, they will use it to undermine everything we are trying to do. Better to address it now than let it fester.”
Richard nodded. “Thank you. The interview will be conducted by three neutral Alphas. Maria Santos, David Chen, and Alpha Katherine Williams. All three changed their votes in Kael’s favour earlier. They are not hostile. Just thorough.”
“When?”
“Now, if you are willing. The sooner we settle this question, the sooner we can return to the main charges against Victor.”
Young Sera looked at Kael, silently asking permission even though she technically did not need it anymore. As Luna Queen, she had equal authority. But habits built over eighteen years of asking permission for everything did not disappear overnight.
Kael nodded. “Answer their questions honestly. Show them who you are. That is all you need to do.”
Young Sera followed Richard out of the private room and down a long corridor. They entered a smaller conference room where three Alphas waited. Maria Santos, the older woman who had voted against Kael initially out of concern for omega safety. David Chen is a middle-aged Alpha with kind eyes and a thoughtful expression. And Katherine Williams, a woman young Sera had not noticed during the main session but who radiated quiet authority.
“Thank you for agreeing to speak with us,” Maria said as young Sera sat down across from them. “We know this is a difficult time.”
“I understand your concerns. You want to make sure I was not forced into claiming a position I do not want.”
“Exactly. You are very young. You have been through enormous trauma. We need to verify that you have the capacity to consent to this role and understand what it entails.”
Young Sera took a deep breath, organising her thoughts. These Alphas were not enemies. They were doing their due diligence. She could respect that even if it was exhausting.
“Ask your questions,” young Sera said. “I will answer honestly.”
Maria nodded. “First question. Do you understand what it means to be Luna Queen? The responsibilities and expectations that come with the position?”
“Yes. Luna Queen means I share leadership of the Northern Kingdom with Kael. I am responsible for pack wellbeing, particularly omega welfare and protection. I help make decisions about alliances, conflicts, and internal pack management. I serve as a voice for pack members who might not feel comfortable approaching the Alpha King directly. I represent the Northern Kingdom in summit gatherings and political negotiations. And I am expected to uphold the laws and values my grandmother established during her time as Luna.”
David Chen looked impressed. “That is a comprehensive understanding. Who taught you these things?”
“Lyra, Garrett, Mora, and Kael. I have spent the past two weeks learning pack law and Northern Kingdom history. Learning what my grandmother built and why it matters. Learning what leadership actually requires beyond just sitting in a throne.”
“Two weeks is not very long,” Katherine observed. “Most Luna Queens train for years before taking the position officially.”
“Two weeks is all I have. But I also had sixteen years of my grandmother watching over me from the space between. Teaching me through dreams and visions and moments where her presence guided me even though I could not see her. She prepared me for this my entire life, even if I did not realise it at the time.”
Maria leaned forward. “Tell us about your grandmother. What did she teach you that you think matters most for being Luna Queen?”
Young Sera thought about all the moments she had witnessed through visions. All the conversations she had heard. All the choices her grandmother had made.
“She taught me that leadership is not about being perfect. It is about showing up even when you are scared. She taught me that protecting people sometimes means making choices that hurt you personally. She taught me that omegas have value beyond breeding and that protecting omega rights is not weakness, it is the foundation of a healthy pack. She taught me that love is stronger than power and that building connections matters more than building walls.”
“And you believe those lessons prepare you for this role?” David asked.
“I believe those lessons are the only things that matter for this role. Technical knowledge about the pack law is important. Understanding politics is important. But without the foundational belief that every pack member has worth and deserves protection, all the technical knowledge in the world is useless.”
The three Alphas exchanged looks. Something was passing between them that young Sera could not quite read.
“Second question,” Maria said. “Were you coerced into accepting the Luna Queen position? Did Kael pressure you, threaten you or manipulate you into claiming this role?”
“No. Kael has never pressured me about anything. He gave me choices from the very beginning. He explained the risks of coming to the Northern Kingdom. Gave me the option to stay with my father. Explained about his unstable wolf and the test I would have to pass. When I survived that test, he offered me the contract. Three heirs in exchange for freedom and wealth. I could have taken that deal. Could have produced children and left to live my own life anywhere I wanted.”
“But you did not,” Katherine observed. “Why?”
“Because somewhere along the way, the Northern Kingdom became home. The people there became family. And I realised that having freedom to go anywhere meant nothing if I abandoned the place where I actually wanted to be. When Kael declared me Luna Queen during the summit, he was not forcing me into anything. He was officially recognising what I had already chosen. I chose to stay. Chose to lead. Chose to fight for the pack my grandmother died protecting.”
“You speak about your grandmother’s death very matter-of-factly,” David noted. “That must have been traumatic.”
Pain flashed through young Sera’s chest. Fresh and sharp despite the weeks that had passed. “It was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me. And I have lived through a lot of trauma. My grandmother gave up her existence to protect my right to choose life. She burned away completely so I could refuse the Void Lords’ offer. I think about that every single day. Wonder if I am making choices that honour her sacrifice. Wonder if I am becoming the kind of leader she believed I could be.”
“And are you?” Maria asked gently. “Becoming that leader?”
“I do not know yet. I am trying. Some days I feel like I am failing. Like I am just a scared girl pretending to be strong. Other days I feel like maybe I am actually growing into this role. Becoming someone capable of carrying the weight she left behind.”
Katherine smiled slightly. “That uncertainty is actually a good sign. Leaders who are certain they have all the answers are usually the most dangerous kind. Leaders who question themselves, who wonder if they are doing the right thing, those are the ones who make thoughtful choices.”
“Third question,” Maria said. “If the council decided today that you are too young and inexperienced to serve as Luna Queen, would you accept that decision?”
Young Sera considered the question carefully. It was a trap of sorts. If she said yes, she looked weak and uncertain. If she said no, she looked arrogant and unwilling to accept authority.
“I would argue against that decision,” young Sera said finally. “I would present evidence of my competence. I would point out that age does not equal wisdom and that I have survived things that would break older wolves. I would fight for my right to serve my pack in the way I believe I am called to serve. But ultimately, if the council voted against me and that vote was legitimate and not based on manipulation or prejudice, then I would accept it. Because respecting the pack law and the democratic process is more important than my ego.”
The three Alphas looked at each other again. This time young Sera could read their expressions more clearly.
Respect.
“Final question,” David said. “What do you hope to accomplish as Luna Queen? If you could change one thing about werewolf society, what would it be?”
Young Sera did not have to think about this answer. It came immediately and with absolute certainty.
“I would change how omegas are treated. I would make it so that no omega ever has to endure what I endured. No omega sold like property. No omega beaten for existing. No one told them they were worthless because of their designation. I would reform pack laws across all territories to protect omegas and give them real power. Not just theoretical rights that most packs ignore. Actual enforceable protections with real consequences for Alphas who violate them.”
“That is ambitious,” Katherine said. “Many Alphas would resist those changes. Would see them as attacks on traditional pack hierarchy.”
“Then those Alphas would be wrong. Protecting omegas does not weaken the pack hierarchy. It strengthens it. Because packs that value all their members, not just the strongest ones, are the packs that survive long term. The packs that thrive. My grandmother proved that with the Northern Kingdom. She built protections for omegas and the pack became stronger, not weaker. I want to expand that model. Make it standard across all territories.”
Maria stood and walked around the table to stand in front of young Sera. She placed her weathered hand on young Sera’s shoulder.
“Your grandmother would be very proud of you,” Maria said quietly. “I knew her. Not well, but enough to respect what she built. Enough to grieve when I heard she was gone. You carry her legacy well. You are not her replacement. You are her continuation. Her evolution. You take what she started and push it further. That is exactly what the Northern Kingdom needs.”
David and Katherine both nodded in agreement.
“We will report to the council that you are competent, willing, and fully aware of what you claimed,” David said. “Your status as Luna Queen is legitimate. Anyone who questions it from this point forward is doing so for political reasons, not legitimate concerns.”
Relief flooded through young Sera’s body. “Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to verify instead of just accepting assumptions.”
“That is what good governance requires,” Katherine said. “Verification rather than assumption. Your grandmother taught us that too.”
They escorted young Sera back to the private room where her pack waited. Kael looked up immediately when she entered, reading her expression.
“It went well?” he asked.
“They verified my status. Said anyone questioning it from now on is just playing politics.”
Kael smiled, genuine warmth breaking through his usual controlled expression. “Good. One less thing to worry about.”
But even as young Sera sat down with her pack around her, she knew the hardest part was still ahead.
Victor Kane’s trial. Her father’s threat. The underlying tensions that had brought them all to this summit in the first place.
The recess was almost over.
And when they returned to the main conference hall, everything would be decided.
The future of the Northern Kingdom hung in the balance.
And young Sera, newly verified Luna Queen, would help determine what that future looked like.
Ready or not.