Chapter 7

Council's Judgment.

The silence was heavy, weighted by Ethan's revelation over the elders so gathered in the grand hall of the council chamber. Tapestry-draped, ancient stone walls depicting their pack's history seemed to swallow the tension, while flickering torches created long shadows around them. The Council faced each other around a great round oak table, its expressions deep in worry and disbelief, composed of the oldest and most respected wolves.

Elder Marla was the first to break the silence. She was an elderly woman, sharply featured, and with a bit of a no-nonsense demeanor, her mannerisms bordering on being quite stern. She had been leaning forward in her chair, eyes narrowing from Ayla onto Ethan, as though she would go from one target to the next.

“The bond is still alive?” Although her tone was flat and measured, there was the edge of disbelief she could barely keep under rein. The idea was counter to everything they had supposed was written in the natural laws centuries back.

With a clenched jaw, the turmoiled man-giant stood at the head of the table. He expected resistance, or perhaps confusion, but the reality of the thing still chafed at him.

"Absolutely what it sounds like, Marla. Our mate bond remains, somehow, despite the rejection." His voice was firm but carried underneath tones of exasperation, desperation to make some sense out of what shouldn't have been possible.

A murmur swept the room. The elders exchanged glances of alarm. The mating bond was sacrosanct, something people believed could not be reclaimed once it had been broken. To say that Ethan and Ayla had endured an utter rejection was nothing if not precedent.

Ayla listened to the elders, her eyes cast down beside Ethan. She felt a great unease at this. In her chest, a knot pulled tight with thoughts of what could be. She had no explanations, no theories, to light upon their strange predicament. For now, that was all that was within her power to do: be silent and keep her questions and fears at bay until the council balanced out its decision.

Elder Rolf, the eldest of the councilors, stroked his graying beard all the way to the roots, deep in thought. Nothing about his age did much to blunt his mind, indeed. He was counted to be the most level-headed among them all, a voice of wisdom.

"This is unprecedented," he said, mumbling in that low, ruminant voice of his. His eyes now turned to Ethan, questioning in the gaze but worried. "Rejection usually severs the bond completely. The fact that yours persists…there's something more going on here."

Ethan nodded as his mind whirled with the immensity of all the possible implications Elder Rolf's words could involve. He had always had faith in the council's wisdom, but this was beginning to sound like something above even their vast knowledge.

Just before the speech was to slide into further speculation, Ayla finally raised her eyes from the floor, meeting the council's—in a movement suddenly filled with resolution.

"What of the children?" The agitated interjection came, sharp with an undercurrent of care.

"We have to find them. Whatever is wrong with the bond can wait until after we reach them." Her words returned the concerns all to present and with purpose, lifting the council from a spiral of dark foreboding about their true mission.

Elder Marla, so apprehensive just moments before, nodded. Her face softened in regard to Ayla. There was concern in the voice, and it appealed to the mother within her.

"Yes, of course. The priority is finding the pups. We will continue to pursue what is happening with the bond, but we need to find and rescue them."

Others murmured in agreement, and the change in topic was as natural as he could hope for. Whatever the hell was going on between Ethan and Ayla was unnatural; it was unnerving but was a problem for another day. The immediate need was the children's safety.

Ethan's chin snapped back, his face rigid with determination.

"The leads are already pointing back toward the Moon Shadow Pack. If that's the case, then the council has to approve the incursion." His tone was firm, his stance authoritative, leaving completely no room for doubt in his mind. He would stop at nothing to bring his children home if the Moon Shadow Pack were involved.

The room fell silent as council members began to give one another worried looks. The request was a good one from Ethan. Moon Shadow was cloistered, protective almost to the point of being isolationists. To give incursion orders on barely more than a hunch could start a war. No one took that lightly.

It was then that Elder Rolf leaned further forward, his eyes locking with Ethan in a level stare.

"You do have our support, Alpha Ethan," finally, spoken strongly.

"Be warned; we cannot afford to declare war on the Moon Shadows without solid evidence. . ." The words reminded Ethan just how delicately balanced this situation really was, one wrong move on either side disastrous for them both.

"Understood," said Ethan, rising. There was a proper alpha aura around him, and his great, powerful build filled his corner of the room. "Meeting adjourned. We will make sure to keep you all posted on our progress." His tone brooked no argument. Decided; now it was time for action.

When the Council members filtered out of the room, some of the pressure seemed to leave it. For a long moment, Ayla stood silent until she headed towards the main entrance, worry furrowing her brows.

"What if we're wrong? What if the pups aren't with the Moon Shadow Pack?" she said. It stayed with her, the fear of walking down the wrong track and wasting already minimal time.

She gazed into his eyes, which softened upon taking her clasped hand gently, assuring her. "We'll find them, Ayla," he told her. "We are going to bring them back from wherever they are." He touched her warmly, grounding her in the midst of her fears. That was a simple gesture but it talked volumes, a promise that he wouldn't rest until they found their children.

Ayla nodded, but something heavy with uncertainty nestled in her heart. She yearned to be that sure of herself, as Ethan sounded with his words; yet before them, an unknown approached, broodingly, like a storm cloud that heralds a storm. They exited the room together; the shadows seemed to have grown longer with the weight of their mission on her shoulders.

Not once did either of them catch a glimpse of the dark figure standing just inside the door behind them, unseen, as Ethan and Ayla wove ever deeper into the stronghold of the pack. Neither noticed the cold, calculating way that its eyes seemed determined to show the glimmer of something altogether more ghoulish was afoot.