Thirteen/Fourteen

Xenia, Roselyn, Beta Dimitri all sped out of Anabelle's room to the balcony of the palace, where they saw hundreds of people carrying a banner with angry words.

The people's faces were filled with discontent, and their footsteps shook the ground as they moved closer to the palace.

"No one will demolish our tradition! We are against the Luna."

"Women auctioning is our tradition! We will not stop it!"

"The Luna has been unfair! She doesn't respect our tradition!" These and more other banners were being raised by the angry subjects whilst chanting hateful songs.

Xenia was dumbfounded, she was confused of what to do.

A hand pulled her and she turned.

It was Alpha, Maxwell.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

Xenia tried to say, but she broke down in tears.

"A Luna doesn't cry in front of her subjects. The pack Elders are here to see you, urgently." Alpha Maxwell said.

Her heart skipped.

"The pack Elders?" She muttered.

He realized the fear in her voice and the anxiety shown on her face.

He placed his hands on her cheeks.

"Sometimes these happen, okay? Do not take it hard on yourself." He said, she nodded, and they matched out of the balcony while holding her hand.

Beta Dimitri also went with them, whole Roselyn stood, watching the angry protesters, with Martin, Anabelle's stepfather, taking the lead of the protest.

*The meeting hall*

Xenia and Maxwell arrived at the meeting room and all the eight Elders were already seated, waiting for them, all their hands clicking on the table.

Their stern expression made Xenia nervous.

"Welcome, Alpha Maxwell, Luna Xenia." They said and bowed.

Xenia couldn't reply the greetings as she was feeling cold, like a fever has suddenly stroked her.

Maxwell looked at her tensed self and squeezed his hands in hers, giving her some warmth.

He pulled a chair for her, and she sat down, then he also did.

"Your highness..."

"I know why you called for the urgent meeting. It's about the protest, huh?" Alpha Maxwell asked.

"The subjects are against the new law. This is the first time the subject's of Red claws pack are being disobedient." The oldest, Elder Cyril stated.

Maxwell stared at him.

"So, what do we do?" He asked.

"Maybe the Luna have to take things step by step, if it's for me, I will suggest the law should be cancelled." Elder Cyril answered.

"Elder Cyril, with all due respect, I cannot cancel the law for any reason." Xenia spoke up, before fixing her gaze on him.

"You have a daughter or a granddaughter. How will you feel if she gets auctioned?" Xenia asked.

"I will never do that to my granddaughter or daughter. Those doing it is also doing it because they are interested, but I am not." Elder Cyril replied.

"Good. And how do you think the victim's feels when they get auctioned like animals in the market? Do you know the pains, the trauma, the embarrassment they had to deal with?"

Xenia questioned.

The Elders looked at her, the angry face they once had on was slowly melting.

"I was a victim of woman auctioning. I knew what it feels and as long as I am the Luna of this pack, I will never let this tradition continues, unless I'm dropping my title as the Luna." Xenia added.

"No, no, you won't do that." The pack Elders immediately said, looking frightened.

Alpha Maxwell cracked his voice and took Xenia's hands.

"Let's go." He said.

"To where?" Xenia asked.

"To bring an end to women auctioning forever in Red claw's pack." Maxwell answered and took the lead, while Xenia followed him, trying to understand what he was about to do.

The pack Elders joined him, and Dimitri scoffed before also going with them.

Alpha Maxwell and Xenia arrived at the balcony and the people had to bowed for the Alpha.

"I don't need you to bow for me. It's already loud and clear that you do not respect me as your Alpha anymore because disrespecting my Luna is as good as disrespecting me." Alpha Maxwell stated.

The crowds were quiet, and they had a look of guilt on their faces.

"Why do you think we make or amend laws? It's for the betterment of the pack. If you insist on continuing the tradition of women auctioning, then you all, the men will also have to join the auctioning. Which means that, if your wife gets tired of you, she can auction you and have the right to enjoy the price of your auction. So how does that sound? Interesting, right?"

Alpha Maxwell exclaimed.

The people gasped and looked at each other, then started murmuring among themselves.

Xenia only stared at Maxwell, proud of how he was defending her.

"Enough!" Maxwell thundered.

"Unless you agree for the auctioning to be mutual. That is not gender base, then from now henceforth, you have the option of staying in the pack and obeying the Luna's law and respecting her, or you can decide to disobey her, and he declared as rogue's. The choice is yours. Let's go, Xenia." Alpha Maxwell declared and started walking away.

The subject's had never seen Maxwell this angry.

They dropped the banners they were carrying and went on their feet.

"Please forgive us, your highness, forgive us, our Luna. We will never go against you again." They muttered.

"You know better than to do that." Maxwell said and turned away.

Xenia took a deep breath and decided not to leave.

"Dear people of Red Claw's pack. I'm so sorry for deciding that will make you all not happy with me. Trust me, I only meant the best for this pack and only that. I hope a day will come when you will be grateful to me for bringing an end to such tradition. Instead of the auctioning market, I will organize a market that will be more fun, but for now, please bear with me, I promise I don't mean any harm." Xenia exclaimed and took her leave.

The people seemed convinced, and they decided the Alpha had done so much for them, and they will never pay him back with disrespecting his Luna.

They jumped on the banners breaking it down; however, there is one person who is not convinced and still very much angry by with Xenia.

Martin, Anabelle's stepfather.

His face turned red with rage as he watched Xenia disappear into the palace. His eyes blazed with fury, and his fists clenched at his sides.

The crowd around him began to leave, their chants and shouts fading into murmurs and whispers.

He was the initiator of the protest, but it failed and that wasn't his plan.

"You will regret ever meddling in my business, Luna Xenia." He mumbled angrily.