CHAPTER 5 – The Council’s Whisper

(Delph’s POV)

Sleep refuses to come.

The halls of Bloodstone are quiet, but my head isn’t. Every sound, the drip of water from the roof, the low hum of the guards outside feels like it’s echoing her heartbeat.

I’ve faced wars, hunted rogues through blizzards, survived blades meant for my throat.

None of it ever felt this dangerous.

She’s in the east wing, in the room that used to face the garden she loved.

I told myself it was for her safety, but the truth is simpler.

I needed her close.

Draven, my wolf, paces inside me, restless.

You smell them, he growls. Ours.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. We don’t know that yet.

We do.

The truth burns in my chest. Those eyes, the boy’s quiet defiance, the girl’s curiosity mirrors mine. I’d seen enough of my own reflection to know when fate was mocking me.

A knock cuts through the silence.

“Enter,” I commanded.

Corin steps in, rain dripping from his cloak. My Beta looks uneasy, which is never good.

“The Council requests a private audience at dawn,” he says. “They heard she’s back.”

Of course they have.

The Council smells blood faster than any wolf.

“Tell them I’ll come when I’m ready.”

Corin hesitates. “Delph… they’re already in the chamber.”

My jaw clenches. The Council never requests. They summon.

The Council chamber is colder than usual when I enter. Six elders sit in their semicircle, silver insignias glinting under the torchlight. Serena stands beside them, perfect as always, smile polished, eyes poisonous.

“Alpha Delph,” Elder Varr begins, his voice smooth as oil. “It seems your… former mate has returned.”

Every word is measured. Every glance, calculated.

“She crossed the border without permission,” I replied. “I’m handling it.”

“Handling?” Serena’s voice is honey-sweet. “You mean locking her in your home?”

Her tone grates against my nerves. “My pack, my rules.”

Varr folds his hands. “And yet, her reappearance raises questions. Where has she been? With whom? And those children…”

I growl, low and warning. The elders flinch, but not Serena. She steps closer, lips curving.

“The pack whispers, Delph. They think you’ve brought danger to our doorstep. Perhaps even a traitor.”

She means to bait me. She always has.

“You’re saying she’s aligned with rogues?” I ask.

Serena shrugs delicately. “Two years away is a long time. She could’ve been anywhere. With anyone.” Her smile turns thin. “Maybe even bearing anyone’s pups.”

My claws pierce the edge of the table before I can stop myself. The wood cracks under the pressure.

“Watch your tongue, Serena.”

Her eyes gleam. “Oh, I struck something, didn’t I?”

The Council murmurs among themselves, pretending neutrality. Cowards. They want my temper to confirm their control.

Elder Ruhn leans forward. “Alpha, the Council must ensure the purity of Bloodstone’s lineage. We suggest a Blood Oath Test, just to”

“No.”

The word is a snarl before I can think.

Varr arches a brow. “You refuse an ancient law?”

“I refuse humiliation,” I bite out. “Afnan will not be paraded like prey for your amusement.”

For a moment, the room stills. Even Serena looks surprised.

Varr’s smile returns, thin and sharp. “Then we’ll interpret that as an admission you have something to hide.”

They rise slowly, robes sweeping the floor. Their message is clear: comply or lose control.

When they leave, only Serena stays behind. She tilts her head, golden hair catching the light.

“You’re letting your emotions rule you again,” she says softly.

I look at her, really look. The painted perfection, the hunger in her eyes, the satisfaction she hides behind concern.

“You should remember,” I say, stepping close enough for her to flinch, “the last time someone tried to use my emotions, they bled for it.”

She smiles, brittle but brave. “Careful, Delph. The Council is watching everything. Even your… attachment to ghosts.”

By the time I return to my study, dawn is bleeding through the windows. The rain has stopped, but the air still tastes like a storm.

I pour a drink and stare at the wall of maps, at all the borders I’ve secured and the one place I can’t control her.

Draven growls again, low and certain. She’s ours. The pups are ours.

I close my eyes. “If that’s true, the Council will tear us apart to get to them.”

Then we protect them.

I glance toward the east wing.

Protection.

The same word I’d used was like a command. But now, it feels different. Heavy. Honest.

Because for the first time in years, I’m not sure if I’m protecting the pack from her… or protecting her from the pack.