Chapter 83

Ava

I fidgeted nervously in my seat at the long council table, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the lines in the wood. Across from me, the five vacant chairs meant for the Elders seemed to loom larger and more imposing with each passing second. Chris sat beside me, tapping his foot on the floor with his eyes fixed on the window.

I was just about to open my mouth to wonder aloud where the Elders were when the heavy double doors swung open, and the Elders filed in one by one—Fatima, Elise, Claire, Bradley, and finally Degas, who took his customary seat at the far end of the table. My heart skipped a beat as Chris rose from his own chair.

Chris shot me a reassuring glance before clearing his throat, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Elders.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he began. “I’ve called this emergency meeting because I have an important announcement to make regarding the Alpha selection process.”

The Elders shifted quietly in their chairs, waiting for Chris to speak.

“I’m calling off the selection,” Chris stated bluntly. “Effective immediately, I will be remaining in Moonstone to take up my position as Alpha.”

For several long moments, a heavy silence blanketed the room. The Elders stared at Chris with varying degrees of surprise written across their faces: Elise blinked wide-eyed at Chris, Fatima and Claire’s mouths hung open, and Bradley nervously toyed with his red hair.

Only Degas remained relatively impassive, simply smiling up at Chris.

Finally, Degas was the first to speak. “A pleasant surprise,” he said, rapping his cane on the floor beneath the table. “It’s wonderful to hear that you are staying.” He shot me an almost knowing look, and I felt my stomach twist.

Perhaps Degas knew about Chris and I—about the fact that I, as Chris’s secret lover, was a big part of the reason as to why he chose to stay.

Although, I doubted that Degas would be the one to look down on us for that. No; Degas was always a kind, generous, and understanding soul.

Chris inclined his head respectfully toward the oldest Elders. “Moonstone is where I belong,” he said simply. “This pack is my home, my family. And my pack needs me now more than ever after… everything.”

A few of the Elders nodded solemnly at that, clearly understanding the unspoken reference to the chaos that had plagued our pack for a while now. Only Elise remained silent, her fingers digging into the edge of the table.

“Elise?” Chris asked, noticing her demeanor. “Is there anything you would like to add?”

Elise cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes, in fact,” she bit out. “I’m happy to hear that you’re staying, Chris, but your actions during this whole Alpha selection debacle have left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths. You undermined centuries of sacred tradition and very nearly plunged us into utter disarray by allowing brutish strangers to compete.”

I winced inwardly at her words, knowing she wasn’t wrong. The selection tournament was a good idea in theory, but not executed as well as we had all hoped. Thanks to our own poor planning, Olivia had slipped in a contestant who served to undermine the entire thing.

To his credit, though, Chris didn’t so much as flinch. “You’re right,” he acknowledged with a solemn nod. “Which is why I’ve already taken steps to try and make amends.”

With that, he turned to address the rest of the council. “First and foremost, I’ve decided to promote Sam to chief of commerce,” he announced. “He has a solid understanding of running a business, I’ll give him that—thanks to his father’s successful businesses.”

A murmur of approval rippled through the Elders, and I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of one of our pack being rewarded for his efforts.

“And as for Allen,” Chris continued, “while he is not a part of our pack, I have still decided to award him a participation prize, if you will—one thousand dollars, as well as a permanent visitor’s pass granting him free room and board here in Moonstone whenever he chooses to visit.”

Bradley let out an impressed whistle at that. “That should lift his spirits,” he said, nodding. “A very desirable prize, in fact.”

Chris simply shrugged. “I only wanted to make sure those two didn’t feel like their time was wasted,” he explained. “Plus, extending an olive branch to Allen could go a long way toward solidifying good relations with his pack down the line.”

The Elders all nodded in approval at that, seemingly placated—for now, at least. But of course, Elise had to pipe up with the question I had been dreading.

“And what of the matter of selecting a Luna?” she asked pointedly, fixing Chris with an inscrutable look. “Surely you don’t intend to forsake that most sacred of traditions as well?”

I felt my stomach drop at her words, panic flickering through me as I waited with bated breath for Chris’s response. Surely he wouldn’t tell her about us so soon, not when we didn’t have a plan set in place.

To my surprise, however, he didn’t so much as miss a beat.

“As I mentioned before, my intention is to remain here in Moonstone and serve as Alpha,” he said evenly. “And I understand that an Alpha needs a Luna.”

“Lily should still be interested,” Claire said brusquely. “We can send a letter today, if you wish. Let her know that you’ve changed your—”

Chris held up a hand to stop her. “I have no romantic interest in Lily,” he said coolly. “I thought I made that clear.”

“Well.” Olivia huffed and exchanged a look with Fatima. “You must pick someone, then.”

“Don’t worry.” Fatima leaned back in her chair, tilting her chin up at Chris. “I already have a few eligible bachelorettes in mind, Alpha. Perhaps you will have your chance to undergo another selection process—for a wife this time.”

Chris simply nodded. “Very well.”

The words felt like a lead weight dropping into the pit of my stomach. I knew, realistically, that he was just saying what he had to in order to appease the Elders and avoid rousing their suspicions.

But some small, irrational part of me still couldn’t help but feel a twinge of hurt and insecurity at the idea of Chris being with someone else—even if I knew, deep down, that it would never happen.

Beside me, I noticed Elise, Fatima, and Claire exchange a meaningful look, their gazes briefly flickering in my direction before returning to Chris. A cold knot of dread formed in my gut as the horrible possibility occurred to me: did they already suspect something about us? Was Degas not the only one who had some inkling?

Thankfully, they didn’t press the issue further; it seemed that there was more on their minds. Or perhaps Degas was just merciful.

“Speaking of traditions,” Degas interrupted, “there is also the matter of your sister’s punishment to attend to. From what I understand, her tattoo was recently removed.”

A tense silence fell over the chamber at the mention of Olivia. I could practically feel the tension in my bones.

“We had initially agreed that banishment would be the appropriate consequence for her actions,” Elise spoke up, her voice taking on a softer, almost regretful tone. “But upon further reflection… well, the truth is, banishing one with Alpha blood from the pack is unprecedented. It could have severe ramifications that we can’t yet foresee.”

Chris opened his mouth to protest, but Degas held up a withered hand to silence him.

“Let us not be too hasty,” the wise Elder cautioned. “Olivia’s actions were reprehensible, to be sure. But we must also consider the… circumstances that led her down such a dark path to begin with.”

He paused, letting out a weary sigh as he stared off into the distance.

“That girl has been through more trauma and heartbreak in her young life than most of us can even fathom,” Degas continued solemnly. “Perhaps… perhaps what she needs is not further punishment, but a path toward redemption. A second chance to find her way back into the light.”

I felt Chris tense beside me, clearly bristling at the notion of showing Olivia any leniency after what she had done. But before he could voice his objections, Elise was speaking once more.

“It would mean a great deal of hard work and oversight on your part, Alpha,” she said, fixing him with an inscrutable look. “But if you’re truly committed to leading this pack with wisdom and compassion… well, allowing your sister—your only living relative—the opportunity to atone could be the first step on that path.”

The silence that followed was deafening. I could practically hear the gears whirring in Chris’s mind as he mulled over their words, his jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

“You’re asking me to give her a third chance,” he finally said flatly. “After everything she’s done—the lies, the manipulation, poisoning Ava… you want me to just let her off with a slap on the wrist?”

“Not at all,” Bradley cut in with a shake of his head. “But perhaps simply the opportunity to improve—community service, mandated counseling. That sort of thing.”

Chris sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He paused for a moment, then glanced over at me.

“Your thoughts, Ava?”

Suddenly, I could feel the weight of all the eyes in the room on me. I swallowed, shifting uncomfortably in my chair.

“The idea of… banishing Olivia seems satisfying,” I said softly. “But perhaps the Elders are right. Perhaps she just needs… help.”

Chris stared at me, clearly surprised. Hell, I was surprised, too. I didn’t want to ever have to look Olivia in the face again, not after what she had done.

But at the same time, I knew that the Elders were right; banishing a pack member with Alpha blood was unprecedented. It might paint Moonstone as weak, as having no familial ties. And it might open us to the prospect of being overthrown by those who didn’t ally with us.

Finally, Chris let out a deep breath and nodded, more to himself than anyone else.

“Keep Olivia in the cells over the weekend. I’ll consider this and make an official decision by Monday. You’re all dismissed.”

With that, the Elders scraped their chairs back and stood, muttering amongst themselves as they made their way out of the room. Degas hung at the back, shooting me and Chris one last pointed look before hobbling out on his cane.

It wasn’t until they were all gone and the door was firmly shut behind them that I stood on shaking legs.

“Chris, about—”

“The meeting is over, Ava,” he said softly, turning to face me. He smiled, crossing the room, and looped his arm around my waist to pull me close. “Pack a bag tonight. I’m taking you to the human continent for the weekend.”