Chapter 0005

CHAPTER 5

I pushed open the council chamber doors before anyone could stop me. The click of the hinges echoed far too loudly, and I felt every eye snap to me.

The room froze. Even the Alpha, standing at the head of the table, stiffened. I swallowed and lifted my chin. I was Sailyn now. I had to be Sailyn.

“Luna,” one of the elders said, voice tight with surprise.

“Yes,” I answered, my own voice strange to my ears. “I am here.”

Whispers ran around the chamber, soft but palpable. Some of the council members leaned closer to each other, exchanging shocked glances.

The Alpha’s dark eyes met mine, and I noticed something flicker across them…relief? Or calculation? I couldn’t tell. He stepped aside, motioning for me to sit beside him.

“You wished me here?” I asked carefully, keeping my tone neutral.

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “It’s… important you understand our discussions firsthand.”

I raised an eyebrow, but I moved forward. As I slid into the seat next to him, I felt the familiar, dangerous tug of the bond. My stomach twisted. I reminded myself: this was Sailyn’s place, her life, her authority. Not mine.

“Good,” he said, and then something entirely unexpected happened, his fingers brushed my hand briefly. A small, deliberate movement. Not accidental. My pulse skipped. He withdrew quickly, as if testing the waters, but the heat lingered, sharp and distracting.

I forced myself to look down at the papers in front of me. The council began with reports; border patrols, recent disputes among the eastern villages, rumors of rogue packs. I listened, committing every detail to memory, weighing each suggestion, each complaint. When the elder overseeing trade proposed new tariffs, I found myself speaking before I even realized I would.

“Those tariffs,” I said, keeping my tone measured, “could destabilize the smaller villages along the ridge. A compromise that ensures safety while supporting trade might be preferable.”

A ripple went through the room. Whispers turned into startled murmurs. The elder looked taken aback.

This time…the Alpha’s fingers rest on my laps. I jerked. His fingers moved all the way up and finally slipped his fingers beneath the band of my skirt, brushing the soft skin between my hips, his touch featherlight.

“Ah!", a soft gasp ripped out of my mouth unknowingly.

“Luna are you okay?", the pack elder asks

I nodded trying to compose myself. Still, he didn't stop. He pushed in deeper.

“Additionally,” I continued, “uh..a rotating patrol schedule could minimize the strain on our forces without reducing coverage. It ensures the pack feels secure while maintaining efficiency.”

The council elder’s face reddened. “You… you have thought this through?” he asked, almost incredulous.

“I have,” I said. “And I’m confident this approach balances authority with practicality.”

The room fell silent, except for the Alpha’s steady breathing beside me. His fingers remained beneath my skirt, small, subtle movements that somehow sent a current straight through me, making my mind sharper, but my body restless.

The meeting continued.

At one point, the Alpha’s hand moved again, his fingers kept exploring, teasing, wringing pleasure in ways I didn’t know were possible.

My pulse stuttered. I caught his eyes, and for a split second, he looked… unguarded. Vulnerable, even.

I realized something dangerous: the bond between us wasn’t dormant. It was awake, insistent, pulling in ways neither of us wanted to acknowledge. My chest constricted, but I didn’t let it show. Sailyn didn’t falter.

As the discussion shifted to external threats, I found myself analyzing motives as much as facts. There were subtle cues in the elders’ posture, the inflection in their voices, the way they avoided certain topics. I leaned forward, offering proposals that balanced diplomacy and authority.

Murmurs ran through the room again. And then the alpha pulled out his fingers and I gasped suddenly missing his touch. I hadn't even come yet. I swallowed hard and focused on the words coming out of my mouth.

“Furthermore,” I said, “a small delegation sent to meet the regional leaders personally will show goodwill without compromising our control. It ensures loyalty, not fear.”

The Alpha’s lips twitched. He met my eyes, then quickly looked back down at the documents, as if to say: Do not read more into this.

I didn’t. Or at least, I tried not to.

By the time the meeting ended, the council members were visibly impressed. Even those who had doubted my presence could not deny that the Luna seated beside the Alpha, my legs still tingling from his brief contact, had handled the discussions with intelligence and authority.

As everyone filed out, leaving us alone in the chamber, the Alpha finally spoke.

“You exceeded my expectations,” he said quietly, brushing past me as he gathered the documents. His hand lingered just above mine again, brushing fingertips before releasing them entirely.

I ignored him

“I… why?” I finally asked, my voice low but sharp, cutting through the thick silence. “Why did you…” I faltered, unsure how to frame the question without betraying the storm of emotions I couldn’t name.

He didn’t flinch. He met my gaze steadily, the corner of his mouth tugging in a faint, almost amused line. “Why what?” he asked, deliberately slow, as if savoring my hesitation.

“Why… do that. In there,” I said, gesturing vaguely toward the council room, though the memory burned hot enough that I didn’t need to.

My chest tightened, a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else I didn’t want to admit.

His eyes darkened, unreadable, but there was a weight behind them now. He stepped closer, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from him.

“Because appearances matter,” he said finally, his tone measured, almost clinical, like he was explaining strategy rather than… that. “You’re the Luna, whether you like it or not. Every gesture, every look, every reaction…it all carries meaning. I needed things to seem… right.”

“I hate that you think this is only politics,” I admitted finally, my voice almost a whisper. “That this… this closeness… is just strategy.”

He let out a humorless laugh, a quiet rumble that vibrated in my chest. “Maybe you should. Because if you think it’s anything else, you might start imagining things that don’t exist.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words stuck.

And just as I thought I could steady myself, the chamber doors opened behind us, and the eldest council member stepped back in. His eyes were wide, and he clutched a sealed scroll.

“Luna,” he said, voice shaking slightly. “This… this just arrived.”

I glanced at the Alpha. His expression darkened instantly.

Whatever was in that scroll, I knew..it would change everything.