Chapter 9: The Fall of an Alpha

The sound of a hundred wolves dropping to their knees echoed through the arena like thunder.

Lord Marcus stood at the edge of the high balcony, his silver hair catching the morning light. For a long, tense moment, he just stared at me. Then, with a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, he bowed his head.

"The Trial of the First Moon has been won," Marcus declared, his voice echoing across the stone. "The bloodline of the High Priestess is restored. I, and the Council, acknowledge Elara as the True Heir."

A rush of triumph flooded my veins, but I didn't let it show on my face. I kept my chin high, my posture rigid.

"But," Marcus continued, his eyes snapping to the far end of the balcony, "the trial has also revealed a grave injustice."

Jason went stiff.

"Alpha Jason of Silver Creek," Marcus said, his voice dropping to a dangerous boom. "You publicly rejected your fated mate. In doing so, you violated the most sacred law of the Moon Goddess, and you attempted to extinguish the True Heir's bloodline. The Council strips you of your title. You are no longer an Alpha."

Jason’s face drained of all color. "You can't do this!" he roared, shoving his chair back. "I am an Alpha by blood! My father—"

"Your father would be ashamed of the coward you have become," Marcus interrupted coldly. "Guards. Remove him."

Two massive wolves stepped out of the shadows, shifting into their human forms. Jason panicked. He grabbed Olivia by the arm, shoved her toward the guards, and bolted for the back exit. In the chaos, he shifted into his wolf form—a large, dark brown beast—and leaped off the back of the balcony, disappearing into the forest below. Olivia screamed as the guards tackled her to the ground.

"Let him run," Kael murmured in my ear. He had moved silently to my side, his hand finding the small of my back. "A cornered rat is still just a rat."

I leaned into his warmth, suddenly exhausted. The adrenaline was fading, and the aftermath of the shift was hitting me like a freight train.

Kael didn't wait for the Council to dismiss us. He swept me up into his arms and carried me out of the arena.

Back in the privacy of our guest quarters, he set me down on the bed. The moment my feet touched the floor, the tension between us snapped.

He didn't say a word. He just cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. It was hard, desperate, and tasted like the fear he had been hiding all morning. I gasped against his mouth, my fingers gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. The mate bond hummed with a golden heat, washing away the cold terror of the trial.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he breathed against my lips.

"I won," I whispered back.

"Doesn't matter." He pressed his forehead to mine. "I thought I lost you."

Before I could answer, a frantic knock pounded against the door.

Kael growled, his body vibrating with frustration. "What?"

The door swung open. Vera stood there, her face pale, holding a piece of parchment.

"Alpha, we just received this from our border scouts," she said, her voice tight. "Jason didn't run away to hide. He ran straight to the Rogues' territory. He's rallied them."

Kael snatched the parchment from her hand. His eyes scanned the words, and the blood drained from his face.

"How many?" he demanded.

Vera swallowed hard. "Our scouts estimate ten thousand. Jason told them about Elara's power. He told them that if they drink the blood of the Moon Goddess's heir, they will become invincible."

I felt the blood drain from my own face. Ten thousand rogues. An army of lawless, savage wolves who wanted to kill me and consume my power.

"Jason is marching them toward the Blackwood border," Vera finished. "They will be here in three days."

Kael crushed the parchment in his fist, his eyes blazing with pure, unadulterated fury.

"Then we don't wait three days," Kael said, his voice cold as ice. "We march to meet them."