The council of elders

Chapter 6

Arthur's POV

The council chamber always made my skin itch.

Maybe it was the ancient stone walls, heavy with history, or maybe it was the eyes—six pairs of them—watching from the semicircle of thrones carved from pinewood and obsidian. The Council of Elders didn't just see you. They stripped you bare with a glance, like they already knew your secrets and were just waiting to hear you lie.

Jayden stood beside me, his arms behind his back, chin high. He always looked composed in moments like this, while I felt the nerves crawling down my spine like fire ants. I knew what we were about to ask was unprecedented. No Alpha had ever tried to claim another pack's wolf—Omega or not—without bloodshed. But Meya wasn't just another wolf.

She was ours.

"We appreciate you meeting with us," I began, trying to keep my voice level. "We've come to report an injustice in the Dark Blood Moon Pack. One that can't go unaddressed."

Elder Marlowe leaned forward slightly. The oldest among them, with white hair that spilled past his shoulders and eyes like river stones. "Speak clearly, Alpha Arthur. Who is being wronged?"

I swallowed hard. "Meya. Rowan's older sister—though only in title. He treats her like a slave. He punishes her without cause, sends her on dangerous errands, isolates her from the pack. We've witnessed it ourselves."

Jayden stepped in, his voice sharper. "She was sent to a rogue alpha as punishment, alone. She could've been killed. We believe she's being abused—physically and emotionally."

There was a ripple of murmuring between the elders. Elder Kellen, a sharp-featured woman with little patience for sentiment, raised a brow. "And what is your connection to this Omega, exactly?"

I hesitated. This was the part they'd find hardest to believe.

"She's our mate," I said quietly. "We both felt the bond."

Dead silence.

Then Elder Thorne scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Impossible. You're already mated. Sarah carries your child. The Moon Goddess does not split the bond."

"It's rare," Jayden said, stepping forward, "but not impossible. There are records of second bonds forming under unique circumstances. We both felt it. Deeply. It wasn't imagined."

"Or perhaps," Thorne snapped, "you were simply seduced by a desperate Omega seeking protection."

Heat surged in my chest. "Meya is the last person who would manipulate someone. She flinches when touched. She barely speaks. She doesn't even believe she's worthy of love, let alone protection."

Elder Marlowe raised a hand and silence returned.

"Let's assume the bond is real," he said. "Even if it is, you cannot claim a bonded wolf from another pack without just cause. Rowan is Alpha. You would be undermining his authority."

"Rowan doesn't deserve that authority," I said before I could stop myself. "He rules with fear. And Meya… she's dying in that pack. Slowly. Quietly."

Jayden's voice softened. "We're not asking for war. We're asking for guidance. For a way to help her without shattering the laws that bind our packs together."

Marlowe studied us both for a long moment. I felt like he was peering into my soul.

Finally, he nodded once. "We will send a Seer to investigate Meya's condition and confirm the bond. If your claims are true, and Rowan is found guilty of cruelty against a pack member—Omega or not—we will grant you permission to retrieve her."

Relief hit me like a crashing wave, but it was short-lived.

"But," Marlowe continued, "you are not to act until the investigation is complete. Do you understand? Any rash movement will be considered an act of war."

"We understand," I said quickly, nodding.

Thorne leaned forward again, his voice like a blade. "And what of your mate? Sarah? What becomes of her when you bring another woman into your home?"

The question landed like a slap.

I glanced at Jayden, whose jaw had tightened. He answered first. "We haven't figured that part out yet. But we will not abandon our responsibilities. We'll protect our pup."

I nodded in agreement, though guilt twisted deep in my stomach. Sarah had been our mate for years. We'd built a life with her. But lately… it felt like the threads were unraveling, slowly but surely. And Meya had arrived in the middle of that storm.

The Elders dismissed us with cool nods, and we left the chamber in silence.

Outside, the late afternoon sun bathed the clearing in gold, but I didn't feel its warmth. Jayden was quiet beside me as we walked toward the pack house.

"Well?" I asked finally. "What do you think?"

"I think we have a shot," he said. "But this isn't over. Not even close."

"I know." I ran a hand through my hair. "If the Seer confirms the bond, Rowan's going to explode."

"Let him." Jayden's voice was ice. "We're not afraid of him."

No, we weren't. But that didn't mean we were ready for what he might do. Rowan was volatile, vicious, and prideful. And if he lost Meya—if the Council sided against him—he'd see it as betrayal. As an attack.

"Do you think Meya will even come with us?" I asked quietly.

Jayden looked at me, his expression pained. "I don't know. After everything she's been through… she might not believe she deserves to."

That cut deeper than I expected. Because it was true.

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

As we neared the front steps of the pack house, a figure emerged from the shadows. My stomach sank when I saw her—Sarah. She looked radiant, even angry. The kind of radiant that makes your gut churn because you know something's wrong.

"You've been gone a while," she said, arms folded over her small round belly.

"Council meeting," I replied carefully..

She nodded, but her eyes were sharp. Too sharp.

"Funny," she said. "I heard whispers that you were asking about another woman. An Omega, no less."

Jayden stepped forward, voice calm. "We're not hiding anything from you, Sarah. We'll explain everything. Just… not here. Not now."

Sarah smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Of course," she said sweetly. "Whenever it's convenient for you."

She turned and walked back inside, her scent lingering behind her like crushed lilacs and stormclouds.

Jayden sighed. "That's going to get worse before it gets better."

I nodded grimly. "Everything is."

But still, as I looked out toward the horizon—toward where Dark Blood Moon Pack lay beyond the mountains—I felt it again.

Hope.

Maybe this time, we could change fate.

Maybe this time, we could save her.