Chapter 158

Ava

The silence that followed Chris’s announcement was deafening. I could practically hear the gears turning in each of the Elders’ heads as they processed his words. Bradley characteristically mussed up his red hair, Fatima and Claire exchanged wary glances, and Elise ground her jaw repeatedly.

Finally, Elise was—of course—the first to break the silence. She rose from her chair, gripping the edge of the table.

“Humans? Living in Moonstone and marrying Moonstone residents?” she sputtered incredulously. “Alpha Chris, with all due respect… Have you lost your mind?”

Despite Elise’s dig, Chris remained calm, his posture straight and poised as he faced Elise. “I assure you, I’m quite sane, Elise. For the most part.” He shot me a wink.

“But… This is surely unprecedented, Alpha Chris,” Bradley chimed in, his brow furrowed with concern. “Humans have never been allowed to live permanently in werewolf territories.”

“Whatever is your reason for making this change, anyway?” Claire added.

“Times are changing. The world is changing,” Chris replied evenly. “We can’t keep ignoring the progress happening in the human world forever. It’s about time we learn to adapt.”

Elise shook her head vehemently and turned to me. “Ava, you well know that humans are consumerists who will destroy our land! They have no respect for nature or our ways. They’ll bring their pollution, their waste, their... their technology! Let us not forget what happened when Ethan tried to bring a human factory here!”

I couldn’t help but flinch at her words. Elise was right; that factory had been a disaster, and the land in that area would never recover. But there were also ways to integrate modernity into our pack without harming the land.

Chris held up a hand to quiet her. “We understand your concerns, Elise. But I assure you, this will be highly regulated. Only those who have been blessed in marriage with a Moonstone pack resident will be allowed to move here permanently.”

“And how many do you expect that to be?” Fatima asked, her voice cautious but curious.

“That remains to be seen,” Chris answered, glancing over at Leonard, who was still too stunned to even move. “But I don’t anticipate a flood of human residents. This is about opening our doors to those who have truly committed themselves to our pack through marriage.”

Claire leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. “But I must ask again… Where did this idea come from, Alpha? It seems rather... sudden.”

To my surprise, it was Leonard who finally spoke up. “If I may,” he said, clearing his throat. All eyes turned to him. “I believe I might be able to shed some light on this matter.”

Chris nodded for him to continue.

Leonard’s cheeks flushed slightly as he spoke. “I’ve recently begun a relationship with a human woman named Ophelia. We’ve only just started dating, and I’m not sure where our relationship will go. But... if I were to marry her someday, she has expressed a desire to live here permanently. She loves Moonstone, and respects our ways greatly.”

The room fell silent once again as the Elders absorbed this information. I could see the conflict playing out on their faces—the desire to support a pack member versus their ingrained wariness of humans, both of which I couldn’t blame them for.

“And what do we know of this... Ophelia?” Elise asked, almost sarcastically. “Is this the harlot who has been gallivanting around town in hot shorts and high heels?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but Leonard straightened his shoulders. “Yes. Ophelia is the beautiful woman who has been seen in town recently. She’s kind, intelligent, and has a deep respect for nature. And she loves Moonstone so much that, after just one visit, she can’t find it in herself to leave—even though she could easily live a much more lavish lifestyle in the human world.”

I saw a flicker of interest cross Fatima’s face at that.

Chris seized the moment. “I urge you all to keep an open mind. Ophelia will be attending Paul’s welcoming ceremony tonight. I encourage you to speak with her, get to know her. Perhaps you’ll enjoy her company as much as we do.”

Bradley nodded slowly. “I suppose... it couldn’t hurt to meet her.”

“I’m willing to give it a chance,” Claire added.

Fatima hummed in agreement. “A conversation never hurt anyone.”

Elise, however, remained stone-faced. “Yes, well… I still have my reservations,” she muttered, still standing.

Chris sighed. “And I wouldn’t expect any less from you, Elise. But I ask that you at least try to approach this with an open mind. Just this once.”

Elise pursed her lips, but nodded and said nothing more.

With that, the meeting was adjourned. As the Elders and Leonard filed out, Chris called out, “Elise, a word please?”

She paused, turning back with a wary expression. I hesitated, unsure if I should leave as well, but Chris gave me a small nod to stay.

Once the others had left, Chris turned to Elise. “I need to understand something, Elise. Why the strong attitude lately? It seems like you’re opposed to every decision I make.”

Elise’s lips thinned. “If I may…”

“Speak plainly, Elise,” Chris said. “I won’t hold anything you say against you.”

The Elder nodded. “I’ll be honest then, Alpha. I’m not a fan of all these huge changes you’ve been implementing lately. The Omegas, the GMOs, your choice in a partner, and now this human integration... I worry that your unconventional leadership may be... well, disastrous for our pack.”

I saw Chris’s jaw clench, his eyes flashing with anger. But before he could respond, I stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm.

“Hold on,” I said softly, looking between Chris and Elise. “I understand both of your positions. Change, even necessary change, can be scary—especially when it comes so quickly. But I genuinely believe that just a little more time is needed to see the benefits of these changes.”

I turned to Elise. “The GMOs are already showing promise in fighting the blight. And opening our doors to a select few humans could bring new skills and perspectives to our pack. Not to mention the boon that freeing the Omegas from slavery has had on our economy and social structure.”

Then turning to Chris, I said, “But we also need to be mindful of the pace of change. Perhaps we could implement these new policies gradually, to give everyone time to adjust?”

Chris and Elise exchanged wary glances. I took a deep breath and continued. “The point is, we should be working together, not against each other. Our pack is strongest when we’re united.”

Elise gave me a strange look—part surprise, part... something else I couldn’t quite identify. But after a moment, she nodded.

“You... make a fair point,” he said simply. She turned to Chris and bowed her head slightly. “I apologize for my outburst, Alpha. I’ll try to keep a more open mind moving forward.”

Chris’s posture relaxed slightly. “Thank you, Elise. That’s all I ask.”

With a curt nod, Elise turned and left the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Chris sank into his chair, rubbing his hand over his face.

“You alright?” I asked, striding over to him.

He nodded silently and reached for me. His fingers dug into my hips as he pulled me close and buried his face in my skirt. I heard him say something, but it was too muffled by the fabric to make out what he said. Chuckling, I tipped his chin up.

“Repeat that,” I said.

Chris sighed, his face reddening ever so slightly. “I said… I’m glad I chose you as my Luna.”