The Council's Decision

The High Council arrived three days after the rogue attack.

They came in a convoy of black SUVs, their presence announced by the thunder of engines and the scent of ancient power. Twelve Alphas from the surrounding regions, each one a force to be reckoned with, each one carrying the weight of centuries of tradition and law.

Luna watched them from the balcony of the packhouse, her expression unreadable.

"The Council doesn't interfere unless they see an opportunity," Damian said beside her, his voice low. "They're here because of you."

"Because of Leo," Luna corrected. "They want to see the child with Moonfire."

"And they want to control him."

Luna's hands tightened on the railing. "They can try."

---

The Council convened in the great hall of the Silver Moon Pack. The long table was filled with Alphas—men and women who had ruled their packs for decades, who had seen wars and peace, who had shaped the werewolf world with their decisions.

At the head of the table sat Elder Mathias, the oldest and most powerful of them all. He was a tall, gaunt man with silver hair and eyes like chips of ice. He had ruled his pack for over fifty years, and his word was law.

"Alpha Xavier," Mathias said, his voice carrying through the silent hall. "Alpha Damian. Alpha Queen Luna. Thank you for your hospitality."

Xavier inclined his head. "The Silver Moon Pack welcomes the Council."

"We are here to discuss a matter of great importance." Mathias's cold eyes swept over the assembled Alphas. "The child. Leo."

Luna's heart stopped. Beside her, Damian tensed.

"What about my son?" Luna asked, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.

Mathias's gaze settled on her. "The child possesses Moonfire. A power thought to be extinct. A power that could reshape the werewolf world."

"He's three years old," Luna said coldly. "He doesn't understand his power yet."

"Which is precisely why the Council is concerned." Mathias leaned forward, his expression stern. "A child with that much power, raised without proper guidance, could become a danger to us all."

Luna's Moonfire flickered at her fingertips. "Are you suggesting my son is dangerous?"

"I'm suggesting he needs to be trained. Controlled. Raised in an environment that understands his power and can help him master it."

"And that environment is where?"

Mathias's eyes flickered to Xavier. "The Silver Moon Pack. His father's pack. The pack that produced the bloodline of Alphas."

The room erupted.

Voices rose in outrage and agreement. Damian was on his feet, his amber eyes blazing. Xavier sat frozen, his expression unreadable. Luna's Moonfire flared, silencing the room with a burst of silver-white light.

"Let me make one thing clear," Luna said, her voice deadly quiet. "Leo is my son. He is not a bargaining chip. He is not a weapon. He is a child—a child who will be raised by me, in the Shadowfang Pack, surrounded by people who love him."

The Council members exchanged glances. Mathias's expression hardened.

"Alpha Queen Luna, you must understand—"

"No." Luna stepped forward, her power filling the room. "You must understand. I was rejected by this pack. I was cast out, left for dead, because I was deemed worthless. And now you want to take my son—the same son who was conceived through that rejection—and raise him here?"

She turned to Xavier, her eyes blazing. "Is this what you want? Is this why you fought for us? To steal my son?"

Xavier rose slowly, his expression conflicted. "I didn't know about this."

"Didn't you?"

"I swear it." His stormy grey eyes met hers. "I would never take Leo from you."

"Then say it." Luna's voice cracked. "Say it in front of the Council."

Xavier turned to the assembled Alphas, his jaw tight. "Leo stays with his mother. He will be raised in the Shadowfang Pack. That is my decision as his father."

The room fell silent.

Mathias's eyes narrowed. "Alpha Xavier, you would defy the Council?"

"I would protect my son." Xavier's voice was cold steel. "Isn't that what you're asking me to do?"

The tension in the room was suffocating. Luna could feel the Council members measuring her, weighing her power against their traditions, calculating the cost of defiance.

"Very well," Mathias said finally. "The child stays with his mother—for now. But the Council will be watching. And if we deem the child is being raised improperly, we will intervene."

Luna's Moonfire flickered dangerously. "You're welcome to try."

---

The Council departed the next morning.

Luna stood on the balcony, watching their convoy disappear into the forest. Her body ached with exhaustion, her heart heavy with fear.

"They'll be back," Damian said behind her.

"I know."

"And they'll try again."

"I know."

Damian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "We won't let them take him."

Luna leaned into him, drawing strength from his warmth. "No. We won't."

They stood in silence, watching the forest, thinking of the battles to come.

And somewhere below, in the garden, Xavier stood alone.

He'd defied the Council. For her. For Leo.

The thought should have softened Luna's heart. But all she felt was confusion—and a flicker of the bond, pulsing between them like a second heartbeat.

She closed her eyes, pushing the feeling away.

But it didn't go.

It never did.