Chapter 4: The Luna on Trial

Devlin's POV

I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jason walking away from me. Not because I had pushed him away, or because we had fought, but because Chloe had called, and whatever was happening between them had been important enough for him to leave me standing there after we had just made love. I hated how much it hurt. Worse, part of me still wanted to believe there was an explanation.

By morning, I was done searching for one. After choosing a deep green dress that fell just below my knees, I pulled my hair back into a neat bun. If the Council wanted to judge me, they would have to do it while I was standing tall. The notice from the previous night was still fresh in my mind.

Future of the Luna.

A feeling in my gut told me they were about to announce something I already suspected.

When I entered the council chamber, every conversation stopped. Jason was seated at the head of the long table. Isabelle sat beside Charles, her expression unreadable, while the elders occupied the remaining seats. Chloe was there too. Of course she was.

Stopping at the doorway, I looked directly at her. "Why is she here?"

Chloe's lips curved slightly, but Isabelle answered before she could. "Because this concerns the future of the pack."

I walked to my seat without taking my eyes off Chloe. "The future of the pack concerns me too. I'm the Luna."

"Which is precisely why you're here," Elder Thomas said.

After sitting down, I folded my hands on the table. "Then let's stop wasting time."

Jason's eyes briefly met mine. There was something uncomfortable in his expression, but searching it for meaning wasn't going to help me. Elder Thomas cleared his throat.

"The Council has serious concerns regarding the continuation of the Red Moon bloodline."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"The Alpha has no recognized heir."

My gaze shifted to Jason. He remained silent while Thomas continued. "An Alpha's first responsibility is to ensure the stability of his pack and the continuation of his bloodline. Four years have passed since the Alpha's mating and marriage."

There it was. Every pair of eyes in the room seemed to turn towards me, but I kept my face still.

"Are we discussing my marriage or the pack's succession?"

"The two are connected," Charles said.

I held his gaze. "Then say what you actually mean."

His jaw tightened, and I leaned back in my chair. "You didn't summon me here to discuss some abstract concern about the future of Red Moon. You summoned me because you believe I'm the reason Jason doesn't have an heir."

No one answered. That silence answered enough.

Isabelle finally spoke. "No one is blaming you."

A bitter laugh nearly escaped me. "Really?"

She looked offended. "You are being unnecessarily defensive."

"Then perhaps everyone should stop giving me reasons to be."

Chloe shifted in her chair. Good. Let her be uncomfortable.

Elder Thomas folded his hands on the table. "Devlin, the Council cannot ignore certain realities. You have never shifted."

"I know that already."

"And your inability to shift raises questions about your ability to provide the Alpha with a suitable heir."

My fingers tightened together beneath the table. Finally, they were coming out of their shells, and Thomas didn't show even a little shame as he said it. They had decided my body was now Council business, but they weren't going to get away with it without hearing what I had to say.

I looked directly at him, "Have you examined me?"

Thomas blinked in surprise. "No."

"Have you spoken to my physician?"

"That isn't the point."

"Then what exactly gives you the authority to decide what my body can or cannot do?"

Isabelle's expression hardened. "This isn't a personal attack, Devlin. It's about the welfare of the pack."

"Funny. You keep saying that every time you want to insult me."

Her eyes narrowed. "You need to learn when to control your tongue."

"And you need to learn when to stop speaking to me like you're still Luna."

The room went completely silent. Charles shifted in his seat, Isabelle's face flushed, and Jason finally spoke.

"Devlin."

"What?" I asked. Turning in his direction.

"Enough!"

For several seconds, I stared at him. "Of course." The bitterness in my voice was impossible to hide. "Everyone else gets to question my marriage, my body, and my position, but I'm the one who needs to be quiet?"

Jason's expression hardened. "This isn't about attacking you."

"Then defend me! For once, defend me, Jason!"

The words came out before I could stop them. His eyes flickered, but I held his gaze. "You're my mate, Jason. If they're going to sit here and discuss whether I'm worthy of remaining your Luna because I haven't given you an heir, then say something!"

He remained quiet, just like the coward he had recently become. It was the same silence that had followed me through our marriage lately. Only this time, there were witnesses.

Chloe suddenly spoke. "Maybe the Alpha shouldn't have to defend what everyone already knows."

Slowly, I looked at her. "What exactly is it that everyone knows?"

She lifted her chin. "That the pack needs an Alpha female who can give him a strong heir."

My chair scraped against the floor as I stood. "Be careful, Chloe."

She smiled. "I'm only saying what the Council is already discussing."

"Then perhaps you should let the Council speak for itself."

"You don't get to control every conversation simply because you're Luna."

Stepping closer to the table, I replied, "And you don't get to speak over me simply because you want my position or because we grew up in the same home."

Her smile disappeared, and the room became tense and suffocating.

Isabelle immediately jumped in. "Devlin, enough with this obsession over Chloe!"

"Obsession? Is that what you call it?"

My gaze shifted from Isabelle to Chloe. "She's sitting in a Council meeting about my husband's heir. She has been meeting with the elders behind my back. She's been in my home almost every day, sitting at my table, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Now she's telling me what kind of woman Jason needs, and all you can call me is obsessed?"

Looking around the table, I continued, "If that isn't suspicious to you, then perhaps I'm the only person here still paying attention."

Chloe's face hardened. "You think everything is about me."

"No." A cold smile spread across my face. "I think you've made it very clear that you want it to be."

Jason pushed his chair back. "Both of you, stop! That's enough!"

 "Why?" I demanded.

He stared at me. "Because this is a Council meeting."

"Exactly. So let's have the Council meeting and stop pretending this is simply about an heir."

Elder Thomas exchanged a look with one of the other elders. I caught it.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked him.

Thomas hesitated, and that hesitation sent a chill through me.

"The Council has considered alternatives."

My stomach tightened. "Alternatives to what?"

"To ensure the continuation of the Alpha bloodline."

My eyes returned to Jason. He didn't look surprised, and that broke my heart far more than it should have.

"So you knew."

His eyes met mine. "Devlin..."

"You knew all along."

He looked away and that was enough.

A laugh escaped me, but there was no humor in it. "Unbelievable."

Isabelle straightened. "The Council is simply considering what is best for the pack."

"And what happens to me?"

She didn't answer, so I turned back to Thomas. "What happens to the Luna if the Council decides another woman can give the Alpha an heir?"

The silence that followed was heavier than before. Finally, Thomas spoke.

"That would depend on the Alpha."

My gaze returned to Jason. The decision had been placed in his hands, and yet he still hadn't defended me. Then it dawned on me that they had already decided my fate before even announcing the Council meeting.

Chloe lowered her eyes, but I caught the faint smile she tried to hide. Nothing escaped my notice.

Facing the Council again, I said, " Fine.If you have already decided that my worth depends on whether I can give you an heir, then at least have the courage to say it plainly."

No one spoke. I Picked up my handbag and rose from my seat.

"I'm done being discussed like an object sitting in another room." I muttered while walking towards the door.

"Devlin," Jason called.

I stopped but didn't turn around. "What?"

"We aren't finished."

Looking over my shoulder, I met his eyes. "No, Jason."

My gaze moved briefly to Chloe before returning to him. "I think you've made yourself very clear. We are done."