LOGINJaxon POVI made it to the stairwell before my legs gave out.My hand caught the stone railing, and I lowered myself to the steps, my back pressed against the cold wall, my breath coming in short, uneven pulls that I could not control. The rune stone was still burning in my pocket — a heat so sharp and constant that it felt like holding a coal against my thigh. I pulled it out and held it in my open palm.It was glowing.It wasn’t like the faint ember I'd seen after Lyra brushed past me in the corridor an hour ago, or the dull pulse it had given at the banquet, lost in a room of hundreds. This was a steady, undeniable light — white and cold, the same color as the five points I had seen igniting around her body when I touched her arm.The Vessel was Lyra.I closed my fist around the stone and pressed it against my forehead, squeezing my eyes shut.The Moon Goddess Vessel was Lyra.For three years I’ve been searching for her.I had walked through crowds of thousands with the stone in my
Lyra POVI had almost reached the end of the corridor when I heard Jaxon’s footsteps behind me.“Lyra, please wait.” I stopped, drew in a breath, and let it out slowly through my nose. Then I turned around to face him. He stood a few feet away, one hand at his side, the other pressed flat against his thigh as though steadying something. His jaw was tight. His amber eyes held that same fractured intensity I'd seen in my bedroom — the look of a man at war with himself.He sighed. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back from the scar that traced his temple to his jaw"Are you going to just ignore everything?" he asked.I frowned, tilting my head slightly. "Whatever do you mean, Alpha Varek?"The formality landed exactly the way I intended it to. His eyes flickered as he slowly shook his head, meeting my gaze again."This," he said. His index finger moved back and forth between us in a short, blunt gesture. "This thing between us. Are you going to stand there and tell me it mea
Jaxon POV"I haven't found the so-called Moon Vessel," I said into the phone. I was standing in the corridor outside the Council wing, my back against the stone wall, the phone pressed to my ear, and I said the thing I had sworn I wouldn't have to say.On the other end, Maren was silent, making me shift with discomfort. "The rune stone activated during the Summit," I continued, keeping my voice low. A pair of delegates passed at the far end of the corridor, deep in conversation, and I turned my shoulder toward the wall. "At the night of the banquet, I felt a strong pulse — stronger than anything I've felt from it before. But I couldn't isolate the source. There were hundreds of wolves in that hall, Maren. The stone can confirm the Vessel is present, but it can't point me to a face in a crowd.""And since that night?" Her voice came through thin and dry; it was laced with disappointment. "Nothing. A few faint tremors, but nothing I could track. Whatever triggered the activation — who
Asher POVThe chamber was still settling from Corvane's closing — murmurs along the benches, the elders conferring in low voices — when Marcus stepped forward again. His posture had changed. The smooth confidence of his opening was still there, but something harder lay beneath it now. "Honored Elders," Marcus said. "I thank the respondent's counsel for his eloquent statement, and I acknowledge the points raised regarding the nature of the marriage arrangement." He inclined his head toward Corvane — a gesture of respect that cost him nothing and bought him credibility. "Counselor Corvane is correct that the union between Alpha Voss and his Luna was formalized through a contract. We do not dispute this. However, I would remind the Council that the Marriage Act, Section Fifteen, provides for contractual unions when the acceptance of a fated bond is delayed due to — and I quote — 'circumstances of political necessity, pack stability, or the emotional unreadiness of one or both parties.
Asher POV“We’ve heard the opening sentence from both sides,” The chief elder said, regarding them wearily. “Honestly, I feel like this is an issue that can be solved without coming to us. This is clearly a dispute between a man and his wife, but since it’s here, we have no other choice.”He drew in a deep breath and turned to me. “Alpha Asher, it states you’re currently engaged to Vivienne Hartley, the daughter of the former Beta of your pack?”“Yes.” Asher rose to his feet. “I am engaged to her.”“Are you not satisfied with making her your new Luna?” One of the council elders asked. “Because how can you have one woman whom you’re set to marry and still insist on taking back your ex-mate? Explain exactly what is going on in your pack? And this Vivienne, is she related to your wife? They bear the same surname.”“I beg this honorable council to keep their word regarding focusing on the issue we’re here today,” Marcus shot to his feet. “Alpha Asher is not breaking any rule in having a s
Lyra POV"Alpha Voss is not here to punish," Marcus said, his tone shifting to a gentle one. "He is here to seek the truth. He believes that Lyra Moonshard is Lyra Hartley, his fated mate.”“What is the evidence he’s submitted to prove that fact?” the chief elder asked. “We already submitted a lab facial verification comparing Luna Lyra Hartley and Princess Lyra Moonshard, and it came back a 100% match. We know the respondent’s counsel might argue that it cannot be a reliable means to check if they’re the same people, and for that, we are requesting a simple scent examination.”“A scent examination?” the chief elder arched his brow. “Why do you need to go to those lengths? Can’t he smell it himself and verify that they’re the same person or not?”“Unfortunately,” Marcus’s voice dropped into a painful beat, “we cannot do that because Princess Lyra concealed her scent; hence the reason we’re asking for a scent examination, conducted by the Moon Priests under controlled conditions, that







