CHAPTER 5: THE DINNER

"Welcome to the feast of Ellipses," Beta Degen stepped forward, holding a scroll in his right hand. The hall buzzed in salute of the word.

"CRESCENTSSSSSSSSSSS!"

"But before we begin the feast, we must know who our pack runner is amongst the captives after the judgement." After he spoke, immediately there was a loud trumpet, and the hall was dead silent; even a drop of a needle could be heard within this silence.

The main door to the large entrance opened, and three persons entered, and all the people rose from their seats. Though from a distance, no one could see their faces long afar within the long hall, but as they came closer.

To the right, a 35-year-old male figure of Magnus Dan, the pack's top official and messenger, 5'5 tall, dressed in a completely black robe reaching below his knees and a white belt around his waist. To the left, a beautiful 24-year-old, light-skinned lady Delilah Collins, Deta Collins' daughter, 5'7 tall, wearing black skin-tight pants and a golden crop top, fitted to her breast, complicated with 2 inches combat heels, revealing her strong firm stomach, upper and lower back. Delilah, Crescents' top official training the women division for combat. At the center was the very Alpha of the Crescents Moon Pack, Heartfield Hayes.

The other two were fast to walk straight up to the throne, but Alpha Hayes himself walked slowly, looking both to his right and his left at his people who stood. He almost sized them up, but it was a smile, satisfactory to the people.

He was so handsome, with a lovely jawline, but his obnoxious character and his words made him ugly to her at that moment, even with his dark red eyes and hair of the same colour, showing a signature of great strength amongst all the officials Alicia had seen so far in the Crescent pack.

He had a lion's hide hugged on his shoulder; his skin glowed, giving a radiance of his youthful firmness. He was a man in his late twenties, definitely having been through a lot as the Alpha of the Pack. He saw himself as their knight in shining armour.

A man with a purpose that made him cut out differently from the rest, a mighty warrior of valor and chivalry. But yet, no pride was found in his eyes; his expression only posed anger, and his words commanded great authority.

He didn't have to express his ultimate title; he was more than the alpha of the Crescent pack; he was a king to a people who were loyal to him and his cause. His black tight leather pants and thick black boots left dirty prints on the floor as he walked up the hall to sit on his throne.

Hayes seemed unhappy; he had received an urgent information while he was on his way to the hall, stopped by the messenger, Mangus Dan, who informed him about an invitation from the head council of Jacksonville, which comprised the four Alphas of all different packs within the region and a meeting at the last day of the full moon.

It was not just any invitation; it was a compulsory one for Crescents; failure to attend would be called an act of war. It interested Hayes the more when he saw that it was more like a funeral than a meeting, and he knew what that means.

Hayes sat down gently on his throne; then, he waved his hands for everyone to sit.

The whole king to his people led to an uproar of joy, and when they were settled, Beta Degen called out all the prisoners one after the other; each was given judgements, either services to the army, packs run capture, or sentenced to death, as many were unfortunate to be victims of the latter judgement.

The guard hurriedly reached his hand over Alicia's shoulder, and aggressively tugged her forward. In motion, it was finally her turn, a firm grip as he moved behind her. She reluctantly took a cautious step while shooting glances in all directions within the silent hall full of people.

It was a long walk; she tried to maintain calm, but her eyes on the other hand glanced this way and that, even at the slightest movement within the crowd, watching and scanning, craning her neck this way and that, operating her eyes like binoculars and trying to see all the faces, hoping to see her parents maybe, just maybe someone who knew who she was.

The walk finally led up to the throne's judgement circle, that stood just several feet away from his throne. She wondered how many had made this walk to their death or if she was coming out alive.

"We have before us, a Midnighter," Beta Degen said decoratively, like it demanded applause. Instead, the hall suddenly filled itself with murmuring and a spat in disgust from the people.

Hayes carefully muttered his words as a king, choosing to tell Alicia the news about her parents. He was clever; he knew it would answer so many questions already for her, that he had decided there and then to answer.

"My men at the border saved you that night, unknowingly of who you were, and our physicians made sure you got the best treatment in all of Jacksonville," he said and paused to look at Alicia.

"I call that, Mercy!" he added, and the people roared in agreement to his words.

"My people, let's not forget, we could have struck you dead and forgotten you ever came through our borderline, but we didn't." He added, and an uproar shut the air one more time.

"MERCYYYYYYYYY!"

"Midnighter, what would you call that?" he added again.

Alicia stared at him; the power he commanded caused her stomach to ache.

"Crescents! We have no ordinary Midnighters in our midst; rather, the moon goddess had graced us with the very Luna! As you all know, she was Alpha Jones' daughter and his wife Chloe, may their souls rest in peace," he carefully added to an end.