Luna For The Council

Sable's POV 

The hall fell silent. Elder Marris examined my palm before returning to his seat. The bond between us was no longer something they could dismiss as a convenient arrangement.

 Elder Oriel Rose next. Her silver hair was neatly arranged, and her expression gave away nothing.

"Why should a half-breed be Luna?" I looked directly at her.

"Because I was never protected as a daughter, so I know how to protect as a Luna. I know what it feels like to be unwanted, to be judged before anyone bothers to understand you, and to be treated as though your existence is an inconvenience. You don't need another woman who was simply born into power. You need someone who understands what it means to have none and still chooses to stand."

The old woman's expression softened slightly.

"That is a considerable responsibility."

"I understand." Elder Vance turned towards Richard.

"You raised this girl. In your opinion, is she worthy of becoming Luna?" Richard stepped forward, his face arranged into the concerned expression he had perfected over the years.

"Absolutely not. Sable has always been disobedient and weak. She has no proper wolf, no understanding of our traditions, and she has disgraced herself by sleeping around. She is not fit to represent any respectable pack."

My fingers curled, but I remained still. Kael's growl shook the hall. "You are speaking about my Luna. Choose your next words like they are your last."

Richard immediately lowered his head. His confidence disappeared beneath Kael's command, and he stepped backwards without another word.

Elder Vance returned to his seat. The Elders began their private discussion before bringing out two bowls containing white and black stones.

"White represents approval. Black represents rejection," Magnus announced. "Each Elder will cast one stone. The majority will determine the outcome."

One after another, the Elders approached. Four white stones landed in the bowl, followed by two black ones.

Only Elder Marris remained. The entire hall seemed to hold its breath as he stood with the final stone in his hand. He looked at my face, then at the faint mark left by the knife.

"You bled," he said. "You did not flinch. You spoke when the man who raised you tried to bury you."

He dropped the white stone. "Five votes against two. Approved." A gasp swept through the hall.

"NO!" Celeste screamed.

Rhett struck one of the pillars with his fist, while Richard stood motionless, his face drained of colour. The woman they had spent years humiliating had just been approved to stand above them. Magnus rose.

"Kael Blackwood, your claim to succession is confirmed. Sable Kael is hereby recognised as Luna of Crestwood and future Luna Queen. Her formal presentation will take place in seven days, during the full moon."

Kael pulled me towards him and pressed his lips against the mark on my neck. It was a public claim, unmistakable to everyone watching.

I closed my eyes briefly, allowing myself to feel the weight of what we had achieved.

We had won. After the Council dispersed, Kael and I stepped into a quiet hallway away from the crowd.

"We did it," I said, unable to hide my smile. "I'm Luna."

"For a year," he replied. "Don't forget the contract." My smile faded.

I looked at him, wondering how easily he could return to business after everything that had happened between us.

"And after a year? After you become King?". His expression remained unreadable.

"You get what I promised. Your freedom, your money and the opportunity to attend medical school. You can leave whenever you want."

I looked down at my hands. I had fought so hard to become Queen, yet the thought of being Luna for only a year suddenly felt like another kind of rejection.

Before I could respond, a messenger hurried towards us. Behind him, a black car bearing the crest of a neighbouring pack had stopped outside the entrance. He bowed.

"Luna Sable, urgent news. Your human mother's family has been found. They want to meet you immediately." I froze.

My father was dead, and I had believed there was nobody left from his side of the family. I had never imagined that there were relatives somewhere who might still remember us.

I turned towards Kael, unable to decide whether to feel excited or afraid. He looked at the messenger, then at me, his expression suddenly serious.

"You are not going alone.” The journey to the neighbouring pack took almost an hour. Kael sat beside me in the back seat, his fingers occasionally brushing mine, although neither of us acknowledged it. My mind was occupied with questions I had never thought I would have the chance to ask.

What if they knew my mother? What if they knew why she had left her family? More importantly, what if they knew something about my father's death that I didn't?

When the car finally stopped, I stared at the enormous mansion before us. Several people stood outside, waiting. An elderly woman stepped forward, her eyes immediately filling with tears when she saw me.

"Sable?" she whispered.

I nodded cautiously.

She covered her mouth, shaking her head as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "You have her eyes. Good heavens, you look exactly like your mother."

Before I could respond, she pulled me into an embrace. I stiffened initially, unfamiliar with being welcomed so warmly by a stranger, but something about her touch made my throat tighten.

"I'm Eleanor Whitmore, your maternal grandmother."

My heart skipped.

Grandmother.

I had spent my entire life believing I had nobody beyond the family that had treated me like a burden.

She held my face between her palms, studying me with a mixture of sorrow and affection. "We searched for your mother for years. When we finally heard she had died, we couldn't find you anywhere."

"How did you find me now?" I asked. Her expression changed. She glanced briefly at Kael before turning back to me.

"Because someone recently contacted us. He claimed your father didn't die naturally, and he had evidence connecting his death to a powerful family."

My stomach tightened. "Who contacted you?"

 Eleanor hesitated before answering.

"Richard."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Kael immediately stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Explain yourself."

My grandmother reached into her handbag and brought out a photograph. It showed my father standing beside Richard, with another man whose face I recognised from the portraits in Crestwood's royal chambers.

The former Alpha King.