001

Councils of all ranks, from high to low, crowded the hall. They had been convened by the Alpha because he needed to inform them about his acting Luna, and his parents would be notified as well.

Freya followed the King as he entered.

The voices from Flarry's warning replayed themselves in her head as she went alongside him. "Are you sure becoming the acting Luna of the man you want murdered is the right course of action? Do you believe everything will turn out the way you had intended?” She tried pushing it out of her by pushing her head, but it persisted. “Remember that we share a goal and that you are mine, Freya. I will not spare any of you if you ever fall in love with him.” Having finally let those words go, she wiped her face.

"Flarry, I refuse to fall for him. I will never fall in love with my enemy. This is my one chance to do the task you assigned me and exact my retribution.” She answered that way, and she meant it.

She despises this man more than words can express, yet in order to obtain what she wants, she must appear composed.

She was standing in front of the ministers, studying their faces intently to see if she recognized any of them. However, years have passed, and she can not seem to recall a single person from them.

Placing his paw on her shoulder, Alpha Arthur stood in front of them. "I am here to tell you all that I have found a Luna,"

The hall erupted into commotion at that announcement. Everyone is aware that their Alpha has never desired a Luna, and even if he did decide to alter his mind, he would not be expected to choose such an arbitrary woman as his Luna.

The chief minister walked out and bowed to him. “Elora's suitability for the throne has been acknowledged by Your Majesty, your parents, and the councils of this pack. Bringing in another lady to be your Luna is pointless; you can only make her your mistress.” He said, bowing to him.

Between them, Alpha Arthur moved forward. "Should I make the decision or do you all have to? Who will remain with this "Luna," anyway?

“That is not relevant, Your Majesty. A lady fit for the role is all that the pack is looking for—it is not only about love.” The deputy chief minister elaborated.

He looked at every one of them. "No one has the authority to defy my wishes, and I still stand by what I stated. I shall have Elora as my mistress and Freya as my acting Luna. The person who bears the heir will be crowned Luna, and the other will become my concubine.” He said as he approached his throne.

Freya grinned to herself. She will be at the palace and will be able to access anything that would help her exact her retribution, even though something about what he said last night has altered.

She felt uneasy about the whispers in the hall since she was not used to the commotion, but she had to put up with it. And as a not-too-old man and woman entered the hall with a young lady, everything turned into a cemetery. She gazed at them, realizing that the young woman had to be Elora and that they were Alpha's parents.

The woman stood in front of the ministers, who bowed as they made their way to their seats. The mother did not sit down; instead, she approached her son and gave him a hard smack across the cheek, which made the already silent hallway seem even quieter.

“How many times will I tell you not to misbehave?” She tightened her fist and yelled. "You are not entitled to select your Luna. Just sit tight and observe, and remember that you have no option; it is up to me and your father to carry out that plan.” She gave him a heads-up.

“What sort of mother embarrasses her son in the presence of the councils? Being the Alpha King of the pack, she ought to honor him at all costs. How come they crowned him when they knew he could not make decisions on his own? This family seems strange for some reason.” With a scowl, she turned to face the woman.

Their gazes met, giving each other a fierce look.

That face, her mother's closest friend, was still fresh in her memory, and seventeen years ago, her husband had been her father's Beta. She still has memories of them even though they are becoming older. Their son is the one about whom she is unable to provide information on how he entered the show. Perhaps he was always indoors, or perhaps they had no children at the time.

As the woman approached her, she could tell by the expression on her face that she was familiar with her.

"It is illegal to enter the palace after dark, and an orphan cannot be the Luna of this pack." Freya squirmed her face as she blurted. She had no doubts that no one saw her. "You will have to explain to everyone how you entered the palace because the gate guards all confirmed that they never opened the gate for you."

Her skin sprang out in goosebumps. Although it would not be difficult for her to swiftly decapitate them, the moon goddess may easily take away her rights if she behaves carelessly.

She took a quick look at Arthur, who was observing her from his throne. "I apologize, but you too will bear the consequences." Gazing at the Alpha, she pondered. "There is a chance the guards will not spot me or recognize me because he let me inside and I was here before the palace's main entrance was shut." Her appearance made her seem credible even if she was lying.

Elora took a step ahead. “Your Highness!” She bowed to Arthur's mother. “That's a fat lie. I caught her climbing inside the palace via the fence."

"Which leg did I use to leap that high fence?" Freya chipped in. She was captured, based on what she stated. She arrived clothed like a woman, but all thanks to the moon goddess. She was wearing a gown for the first time as an assassin, which gave her a more feminine appearance. The only problem was that Arthur had to loosen her hair because she had forgotten to do so. "Look at me closely. Do I appear like a man who can leap the fence?"

"What else do you guys want to know? She already mentioned that I invited her." Alpha Arthur got up from his throne. The agony from the smack seemed to have dissipated, and he was already used to such things. But if this is the case, it is difficult to accept that he is the old couple's biological son. "I welcomed her inside the palace, which is why she will be the acting Luna regardless of what you all say. I made my decision, and nothing can change it." He commented.

In fury, his mother bit her lips. “Arthur!!!” She yelled his name, but he ignored her. “What do you think you are doing?” She approached him more closely.

"No matter how much humiliation you cause me, remember that I am now the Alpha King and have complete authority to make a decision. I have the authority to determine what will be and what will be disregarded." Arthur descended from his throne. "As she mentioned, I invited her, and she will be my acting Luna and Elora my mistress." Grasping Freya's hand, he pulled her with him out of the hall.