Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Historical Luna: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 69

THELMA'S POVThe trial grounds were packed.Every pack leader who'd survived the Council attack was there. Hundreds of wolves, all watching, all waiting to see if Xavier would live or die.The fighting circle had been drawn in the center, ancient symbols that would prevent anyone from interfering. Once Xavier stepped inside, he was on his own.Aurelius was already waiting.He was massive. Easily a foot taller than Xavier, with muscles that looked carved from stone. His eyes were cold, calculating. This was someone who'd been bred and trained for one purpose, killing opponents in single combat."He's huge," Clara whispered beside me."Size isn't everything," I said, but my voice shook."Thelma…""He's going to win. He has to win." I watched Xavier approach the circle, his injured arm still in a sling. "Because the alternative is unacceptable."Elder Morrigan stepped forward to officiate. Despite everything, the exposure of Council corruption, Thorne's death, she still held her position

THELMA'S POVI should have looked away. Should have cleared my throat or made some excuse to leave the room. Instead, I met Xavier's eyes deliberately, watched them darken from amber to nearly black as he realized I'd caught him staring.The bond between us thrummed with unspoken need."Thelma?" Clara's voice cut through the tension. "Did you find anything else in the database?"I forced my attention back to the screen, acutely aware that my face was probably flushed. "Yes, actually. There's a section here about Aurelius's training regimen. It's... extensive."Marcus moved closer to look over my shoulder. "How extensive?""He's been conditioned since childhood. Combat training, pain tolerance, strategic thinking. Thorne literally designed him to be unbeatable." I scrolled through the files, each one more disturbing than the last. "There are psychological profiles here too. Aurelius doesn't just fight to win. He fights to destroy. Completely."The room went quiet.Xavier's voice, stead

XAVIER'S POVThe compelled wolves flowed into the arena like a grey tide, their eyes empty and their movements synchronized. Fifty of them. Maybe more pouring in through the breach in the wall.I didn't move. Couldn't move, not yet. Every breath sent fresh agony through my chest. The wound was closed, but barely. Thelma's magic had stopped the bleeding, but it hadn't healed the deeper damage. My right lung still felt half-crushed. My shoulder was a symphony of broken things held together by stubbornness and spite."Xavier," Thelma's hand gripped my arm. "You need to get out of the arena. You're not—""I'm exactly where I need to be," I cut her off, keeping my voice low so only she could hear. "Gina didn't bring fifty wolves here to let me run."It was true. If I fled, she'd hunt me. Hunt us. Better to end this now, on ground I'd chosen, with the pack watching.The first wave of compelled wolves reached the arena floor. They moved with eerie silence, no snarling, no growls. Just the th

THELMA'S POVThere was something deeply unsettling about Elder Morrigan.I'd looked into minds steeped in conspiracy. I'd read the thoughts of people planning murder and treason and revenge. But Morrigan was something else entirely. Her mind was a fortress, but not a hidden fortress. It was open, transparent, but so carefully organized that you could look right through it and still not understand what you were seeing.It was like being shown a map in a language you could recognize but not read."You're wondering why I'm not afraid of you," Morrigan said as we left the interrogation chamber. Xavier had excused himself to deal with other matters, leaving me alone with the Elder."The thought had crossed my mind," I admitted."Because I'm very old," Morrigan said, "and I've seen too many young wolves with power think that power meant wisdom. Thorne thought his magic made him untouchable. Gina thought her obedience made her invincible. And you…"She paused, studying me with eyes that were

"Someone who's been playing a much longer game than any of you realized," Morrigan said. She stood up slowly, her ancient frame moving with careful deliberation. "Someone who's been waiting in the shadows since before you were born, Xavier. Someone who saw in Thorne a tool that might be useful. And when Thorne proved to be more obstacle than asset, someone who simply... adjusted their plans.""You're speaking in riddles," I said, frustration bleeding into my voice. "I don't have time for…""You don't have time for much longer, no," Morrigan agreed. "Which is why you need to understand what you're facing before you charge into battle. Before you make another decision you'll have to live with."She moved toward the garden entrance, and we followed."Sit with me," she said. "All of you. And I'll tell you about the one who made Thorne look like an amateur."We found a collection of stone benches near the garden's center, arranged around a dying fire. Morrigan moved toward them with the ce