Chapter 24

Ava

“I have brought you here today to issue a decree that will change the future of our pack... forever.”

Chris’s calm, yet firm, voice carried across the gathered crowd with ease. All around us, our pack watched with bated breath; after all, the past few days had been a whirlwind of activity that our pack hadn’t seen in decades.

In just a few short days, Ethan had left me and declared a new mate, Chris had returned, the two of them had fought for control of the pack, and now Chris had taken his rightful place as Alpha—all while claiming me as his Acting Luna and declaring that he had plans to assign the role of Alpha to someone else.

Everyone was practically holding their breath in anticipation of what he might say next; would he declare a new Alpha? Would he take on the role himself? Would he banish Olivia, just as he had banished Ethan?

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd with an intensity that made my heart pound in my chest. I could feel the gazes of our pack on me, causing my muscles to stiffen beneath my skin. Normally, public appearances didn’t bother me in the slightest.

But lately… Lately, things had changed. Now, as I stood in front of our pack just as I had a thousand or more times before, I felt my heart pound and my palms go clammy as if it was my first time all over again.

“From this day forward,” Chris finally continued, his voice strong and unwavering, “all Omegas will be given proper, fair wages for their work and labor.”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and I felt my knees go weak as the weight of his words hit me.

Was this really happening? After centuries of our kind treating the Omegas as nothing more than slaves, Chris was simply going to change everything in the span of a matter of days?

“Furthermore,” he pressed on, ignoring the murmurs of confusion, “any mistreatment or abuse of an Omega, be it physical or otherwise, will be punished to the fullest extent. Depending on the severity of the offense, punishments will range from fines and hard labor to imprisonment…”

He paused, letting the weight of his next words sink in as his gaze swept over to Olivia. “...and even banishment,” he finished.

The murmurs grew louder now, a mix of disbelief and confusion filling the air. My gaze instinctively sought out Olivia at the forefront of the crowd, and the sight of her ashen face nearly made me stumble.

She looked as though she might faint at any moment.

Then, without warning, she suddenly broke free from the guards flanking her, letting out a feral scream as she lurched forward.

“This decision very well could destroy the integrity of our pack, brother!” she shrieked, her eyes wild and rimmed with madness. “Who will serve our tea? Stoke our fires? You don’t mean for us to pay these worthless slaves!”

Chris remained unmoved, his expression hardening as he regarded his sister with a cool detachment. “Tea? Fires?” he scoffed. “Perhaps it is time for you to learn how to do some of your own work, then, sister. Goddess knows you’ve never lifted a finger in your life.”

A shocked hush fell over the crowd at his words, and even I felt a shiver run down my spine. Olivia gaped up at Chris, clearly not having expected this.

And then, her gaze fell on me.

She raised a shaking finger, pointing at me. “It’s because of her, isn’t it?” she cried out, whirling around to face the crowd. “This traitor is manipulating our Alpha! Stealing my brother from me, turning him against our ways! No… I won’t have it! She should have been banished, not Ethan!”

As Olivia’s shrieks carried through the square, the murmurs rose once more, this time accompanied by shouts of both support and dissent. Before long, it seemed as though the entire square had erupted into chaos, with packmates shouting over one another and the Elders frantically trying to restore order.

It wasn’t until one of them—Elder Degas, who rarely ever raised his voice—finally managed to let out a piercing whistle that the noise began to die down.

“That’s enough!” he bellowed, his voice carrying over the dwindling clamor. “Let us take a moment to breathe and discuss this rationally. Alpha, if you would please…” He nodded his head off to the side, indicating for us to follow.

“Of course, Elder.” Chris nodded and followed him. I followed, too, but only because of the sensation of Chris’s hand on my lower back to guide me. Otherwise, I would have remained frozen.

Once we were shielded behind a hedge, Degas turned to Chris with a weary sigh, his brow furrowed with concern. The other Elders gathered around us in a circle, regarding us with varying degrees of worry on their faces.

“Alpha, are you certain about this?” Degas asked quietly. “Such a drastic change could have severe socioeconomic consequences that ripple throughout our entire way of life. I hope you have thought this through. Thoroughly.”

Chris didn’t even blink. “I am aware of the risks,” he replied evenly. “And I have been up all night strategizing and preparing contingency plans. I am ready to handle whatever may come… So long as I have Ava’s guidance…”

He turned to me then, his gaze softening ever so slightly. “...as my Acting Luna.”

All eyes suddenly turned to me, and I felt my cheeks flush under the weight of their scrutiny. For a long moment, I simply stood there, paralyzed by indecision and the gravity of what Chris had just proposed.

Then, slowly, I stepped forward until I was standing at his side. Our shoulders brushed together, and I could feel the warmth of his body radiating against mine as I lifted my chin defiantly.

“You have my full support,” I murmured, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Before I could even process what was happening, Chris had pulled me into a tight and burning hug, his strong arms encircling my waist as he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin.

I shivered at his touch, every nerve ending in my body suddenly alive and burning with electricity. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to revel in the comfort and safety of his embrace, breathing in the earthy scent of his soap.

Then, all too soon, he was releasing me, turning back to face the Elders with a firm set to his jaw. The five of them exchanged loaded glances, a silent conversation seeming to pass between them before Elder Fatima finally spoke up.

“Very well,” she said with a curt nod. “We will support your decree, Alpha—for now. But know that if you falter, if you make a grave mistake that jeopardizes the safety and wellbeing of our pack…”

Fatima’s trailed off, letting the unspoken warning hang heavy in the air. Neither of us blamed her; this decision could spell trouble for our pack, and the Elders had every right to voice their concern.

Chris, however, didn’t so much as flinch. “Let’s see what the people think, first,” he replied coolly.