Chapter 58

Ava

The docks were buzzing with activity as Chris and I hurried toward the growing crowd, our rapid footsteps echoing against the weathered wooden planks. A ferry had just docked, and a steady stream of passengers was stepping off of it.

Werewolves from the human continent—those who had come to participate in the Alpha selection process.

“Looks like word travels fast,” Chris murmured, already scanning the crowd with a keen eye as we approached.

I nodded mutely, clipboard in hand as I prepared to document the influx of visitors. It had only been a couple of weeks since Chris made his public announcement, and already we had people practically banging down our doors to enter the running.

The Elders, of course, were not happy with this decision. They watched from afar in their draping robes, all five of them standing in a perfect row. All of them, save for Degas, had Chris and myself fixed with stony stares. Only Degas looked on with a bit of intrigue.

One by one, the participants filed off the boat and onto the docks, their voices mingling with excitement in the warm afternoon air. I diligently took note of each of their identification cards, former pack affiliations, and their reasons for attending.

The litany seemed endless—many were merely visitors coming to watch the games, some came out of genuine interest in the Alpha role, while others admitted their motives were more… mercenary in nature.

By the time the last few stragglers had disembarked, a sizable crowd had gathered, radiating a heady mix of excitement and trepidation. All eyes turned expectantly to Chris.

Sensing the weight of their scrutiny, he stepped forward, his hands tucked casually into his pockets as always as he addressed the masses.

“Welcome to Moonstone, one and all,” he called out, his deep voice carrying clearly across the docks. “I trust your journey was smooth?”

A smattering of murmurs and nods rippled through the crowd.

“Excellent.” Chris’s lips curved upwards into that signature easy smile of his. “Then allow me to lay out the plan moving forward. The trials to determine our new Alpha will commence first thing tomorrow morning in the village center.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled men and women with the faintest hint of challenge sparking in his eyes.

“I’ll let you all get settled and prepare however you see fit in the meantime. Rooms have been prepared for your stay at the local just up the road. Please be sure to show your identification to the concierge and state whether you’re a guest or a participant so you may receive the proper badge.”

“And for those so inclined,” Chris continued after a beat, “we will be hosting a welcoming feast in the village square come sundown tonight. A chance to mingle with the locals, sample some of Moonstone’s finest cuisine before the real trials begin. Everyone is invited… so long as you behave yourselves.”

Chris winked after his last statement, causing a ripple of murmurs and laughs to make their way through the assembled crowd. I watched with pride, genuinely excited for tonight’s party; not only would this feast allow us to properly gauge the dispositions of the participants, but it would also be a boom for our local economy and would help bring more tourists to the pack during the on-season.

Even the Elders couldn’t argue against that.

With that, Chris waved the visitors forward. The crowd began to disperse, some already making a beeline for the inn Chris had mentioned while others headed towards the center of town, no doubt hoping to scope out the lay of the land before nightfall.

Only when the docks had fully cleared did the hushed voices of the Elders finally pipe up from where they had gathered a respectful distance away throughout Chris’s address.

“I’ll say it one last time: this was highly unwise,” Elise tutted, shaking her head slowly as she approached. The others trailed in her wake, matching expressions of concern written across their weathered faces.

Chris merely arched an unimpressed brow. “You’re fully entitled to your opinion, Elder Elise,” he said coolly with a polite dip of his head. “But if I recall correctly, you all agreed to this. Begrudgingly, perhaps, but you did agree.”

“Perhaps. But you must admit we never expected an influx of this many outsiders in the village,” Bradley protested. “Think of how it will disrupt the daily operations, unsettle the locals!”

“Not to mention the potential security risks,” Fatima added with a heavy frown. “We don’t know these… outsiders’ true intentions.”

I watched in quiet fascination as the Elders’ voices rose in a discordant chorus of their doubts and worries. Throughout it all, Chris remained a perfect picture of unruffled calm, simply allowing their increasingly frantic words to wash over him like it was nothing.

Finally, when it seemed as though the Elders had run out of air, he raised a placating hand.

“I understand your concerns,” he said evenly. “Truly, I do. But you have my word—if even the slightest bit of trouble arises from having our visitors here, I will handle it swiftly and decisively myself.:

The Elders seemed to deflate a bit at that, their worries momentarily eased.

“Now then,” Chris continued briskly, looping an arm around my waist and pulling me snug against his side, causing a hot blush to creep into my cheeks in an instant. “Ava and I have a feast to prepare for this evening.”

With that implicit dismissal, he steered me away from the docks, leaving the grumbling Elders in our wake. I couldn't resist a final glance over my shoulder, only to find his emerald gaze already locked on me, lips curved upwards into a proud smile.

My steps slowed as we made our way back towards the village center, a bemused chuckle slipping free.

“You certainly have a way with commanding a crowd,” I mused.

Chris’s smile widened, almost appearing mischievous for a second. “Impressed?”

“You could say that,” I admitted with a roll of my eyes, letting him tug me along a little faster. “Although I feel I shouldn’t encourage that ego of yours any further.”

We fell into a comfortable silence as the Packhouse came into view, keeping an eye on the preparations already underway in the village square. All around, workers busily tied up steamers and banners, set up tables, and prepared the stage for tonight’s music. It looked like it was going to be a lovely night already.

But even then, a knot of anticipation tightened in my belly—for the feast, the trials, this pivotal moment that would decide the future of Moonstone itself.

I wanted Chris to stay. I really did. But come tomorrow, that might not be a possibility any longer.

As Chris and I made our way up the front steps of the Packhouse, he held the door open for me and cast me a sidelong look.

“You’re deep in thought. What are you thinking about, exactly?”

I knew I couldn’t tell him, so I merely answered, “My thoughts are my own, if you don’t mind.” Chris seemed to respect that, and simply nodded.

We were barely halfway up the steps to Chris’s office, however, when a slim figure whisked around the corner, her face cast in the dim light streaming in through the windows. She stopped at the top of the stairs and stared down at us.

“Well, well,” Olivia drawled, hip cocked as she regarded us with her lips pressed into a thin line. “If it isn’t the happy couple themselves.”

Instinctively, I took a step back, putting some much-needed distance between us. Her disdain I could handle—it was the calculating gleam in her eye that set me on edge.

“Need something, sister?” Chris asked calmly.

A heavy silence fell, seemingly stretching on for an eternity before she finally took a breath and spoke again.

“I’d like to be considered for the Alpha selection process. As a judge.”