Chapter 13

Dante’s POV

The council chamber always has that weird smoky, inky, like maybe somebody dumped a bottle of cheap cologne on a mountain of paper. Scrolls everywhere, walls stacked so high, it’s a miracle no one got crushed yet. Torches barely hanging on, flames twitching and tossing shadows across the elders’ faces, exaggerating every wrinkle and frown. These meetings were supposed to be some kind of bureaucratic nap-fest. Chopping up land, arguing the price of rabbit jerky, moaning about broken wagons... but today felt off from the jump.

All because Dominic went rogue.

Just turned, plain as day, and locked eyes with Elora.

“Well, Luna, what’s your take?” he tossed out, with that smooth, neutral tone he rocks when he’s pretending not to stir the pot. Like he wanted her opinion on the fog rolling in. 

The whole room went silent at once.

My chest had an annoying clutch.

Elora did a double-take. Blinking like she was surprised or something. I spotted that telltale shake in her fingers, but she straightened up, iron in the spine. Met every single one of those old wolves' eyes before she opened her mouth.

When her voice rang out, it was a whole different, slicing right through the air.

“If we keep letting the east border get hunted out, we’re screwed by winter,” she said. “We’ve played catch-up long enough. Put hunting parties on a rotation, keep tabs on the herd, or we’ll end up starving and sorry.”

She just dropped sense like a sledgehammer.

The elders shuffled, whispers sparking like dry leaves. Old Wolfrick, or whatever name he’s gone by for half a century, gave a slow nod. “Ain’t wrong. The deer are about gone.”

A second elder grumbled, refusing to sound impressed, “Venison’s it. We lose that, we’re done. Better to ration now.”

And you know what? You could see the relief start to leak into her shoulders, but the spark in her eyes just got brighter.

She leaned in, a little bolder. “Also, we should hit up Shadowfang for trade. They’ve got livestock, don’t hunt so hard as us. They’re practically begging for a reason to team up. Could work for both packs.”

You could have heard a feather drop. Every jaw hit the floor.

Not just at the plan. At the guts to go bold, standing in a den full of gray wolves who eat uncertainty for breakfast.

Couldn’t help it. My heart did a backflip.

I swallowed. 

Nope, not happening, feelings. Not today. Not mine to want. Law, personal or otherwise.

Dominic sat back, his face plain, but he didn’t shut her down. That’s what got me...he just tipped his head, like, “Of course, this is exactly what I expected.”

 “You heard her. Get started.”

The elders hopped too. Discussion over, just like that.

I should have felt lighter. Instead, I felt singed, scorched, like my ribs decided to play squeeze-the-human. Pride mixed up with... something else. Something molten and totally unwelcome.

Elora was all flames in that dark room, burning steady, burning bright. Made me remember all the reasons that stupid invisible thread between us refuses to break, no matter what I tell myself.

And I just killed myself.

Because I made promises. To her, to myself. I wasn’t going to chase her. Friendship, end of story. But as she walked out, cheeks flushed, eyes fierce and shining, my stubborn heart didn’t give a damn about my fine speeches.

It jumped anyway.

When everyone eventually wandered out, hunched over their scrolls, shuffling like the undead, I lingered. 

Elora snatched up her papers, organized to the point of obsession, but her fingers shook a little now that the rush was gone. She didn’t spot me right away. Which, fine, I guess.

But then, she looked up and our eyes met. "You stayed," she said, like she didn’t quite trust it wasn’t a trick.

"Somebody had to make sure you weren’t attacked on your way out, right?" I shrugged. 

Her mouth was quivering, not quite smiling. "You think the elders have it in them to throw hands?"

I snorted. "Their words could leave scars, you know."

That got a real, if soft, laugh. Honestly, I almost had to turn away. Not like her laughter could actually hurt, but it sure tried.

She went quiet for a second, then, almost too quiet for me to hear. "Thanks. For sticking around. Even if you didn’t say anything there. I could feel you had my back."

I swallowed. There was a lot I wanted to tell her, like how it wasn’t just in that council room, it was everywhere, all the time.

But I tamped it down, flattened my voice. "Told you before, I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone in this."

That was true. Or that’s what I told myself, kept repeating it. Not love. Not want. Just… looking out for an acquaintance stuck in an open marriage. Support, nothing more.

If I kept saying that, it would have to start feeling real.

   By the time dusk hit, the gossip was in full hurricane mode. Heard it everywhere, hallways, kitchens, even the training yard.

"The Luna spoke out today, acted like an Alpha."

"Did you see Beta Dante? Guy barely blinked, just stared at her."

"Think Dominic lets her talk like that because of Dante?"

I had to jam my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t punch a wall. Everyone was wrong. Had to be.

Because if they weren't…

Nope. Not going there.

Later, lying in bed, ceiling looking back at me like it knew all my secrets, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Elora, in front of all those elders, voice clear, fire in her eyes.

And the way my heart reacted, like it recognized something I desperately wanted to lose.

Rolled onto my side, grumbling.

"She’s not yours," I muttered like an idiot. "Never was."

But the bond? Yeah, it didn’t listen. It pulled at me, hard, and didn’t care about reason.

And the really, truly pathetic part? Part of me almost wished things were different.