Rhydor's POV
I stood in the empty hallway, staring at the closed door.
My fist throbbed where I'd smashed it against the wall. Blood dripped slowly onto the cold stone floor, but I didn't move to wipe it away. I deserved the pain.
Footsteps echoed behind me. I didn't turn around. I didn't want to see anyone.
"Alpha."
It was Axel, my Gamma. He stopped a few feet back. I could feel him watching me, his eyes full of questions I wasn't ready to answer.
"The Elders want to see you," he said quietly. "They've called a meeting."
Of course, they had. They couldn't wait even an hour to start their trouble. I clenched my jaw, forced my face to stay like stone, and finally turned.
"Where?" I asked. My voice sounded like gravel.
"The council chamber."
I walked past him without another word.
The council chamber was a cold, circular room with high walls. Five stone chairs sat in a half-circle, and all five Elders were already there. They looked like they were ready for a fight.
Elder Cassius, Isadora's father, sat in the middle. He looked like he wanted to kill me. He gripped his staff so hard his knuckles were white.
I stopped in the middle of the room and crossed my arms. "What is this about?"
Cassius stood up slowly. "We cannot accept that girl as Luna."
I didn't move. I didn't blink.
"She's a danger to this pack," he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "She's a nobody! A thief! She has no honor and no place here."
"And she has no rank," another Elder added, leaning forward. "How is that even possible? It's not natural, Alpha Rhydor. It's wrong."
A third one joined in. "And yet, this rankless girl somehow beat a Beta's daughter. How do we explain that to the pack? It's suspicious."
Cassius slammed his staff against the floor. The sound cracked like a whip. "She is unfit to be Luna. We demand you choose someone else Alpha Rhydor. Someone with a real wolf."
The room went quiet. They all stared at me, waiting for me to agree.
I let the silence grow until it felt heavy enough to choke them.
"You wanted the fight," I said. My voice was low, but it cut through the room.
Cassius blinked, surprised.
"You pushed for this," I continued, stepping closer to them. "You set the rules. Everyone saw what happened in that arena. Azura won. Fair and square."
Cassius opened his mouth to argue, but I didn't let him.
"There is nothing more to talk about," I snapped. I let my Alpha power spill out into the room, making the air feel thick and hard to breathe.
"If anyone here has a problem with her being Luna, you are free to leave the pack tonight."
No one moved. They looked at the floor, suddenly very quiet.
"And from now on, no one calls a meeting about this again. Am I clear?"
Still, no one spoke.
"Good." I turned and walked out.
The hallway was quiet, but my head was spinning. The Elders were right about one thing, none of this made any sense. How did a girl with no wolf fight like that?
I found myself standing outside the healing ward again. I hadn't meant to come back. My feet just... took me here.
I pushed the door open.
The healer was still there, her hands glowing as she worked over Azura. She looked up and bowed fast. "Alpha."
"How is she?" I asked, keeping my voice flat.
"The same. Her wounds are healing, but it's slow. Too slow."
I looked at Azura. She looked so small in that big bed. Her face was a mess of blue and purple bruises. She looked like she might break if the wind blew too hard.
The healer hesitated. "There might be a way to help her heal faster."
I frowned. "What way?"
"Since she's your mate... physical contact would help. Skin to skin. It strengthens the bond and sends your energy to her."
I stared at her. "Is there another way?"
She shook her head. "No, Alpha. Not if we want her to wake up soon."
I didn't say anything. I just stood there, with a blank face.
"I'll go get more herbs," the healer said, bowing again. She left quickly, shutting the door behind her.
The room was silent. I looked at Azura's hand, resting on the white sheet. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to feel anything for her.
But I couldn't just leave her like this.
"Let's get this over with," I muttered to the empty room.
I pulled a chair over and sat down. I reached out, my hand shaking just a little, and took her small hand in mine.
The second my skin touched hers, a shock went through my whole body. It felt like a bolt of electricity hitting my chest. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I couldn't even breathe.
The bond.
It was still there. It hadn't broken at all.
Despite everything I had done to push her away, the connection was still screaming inside me. It was alive. It was strong. My wolf had been right all this time, she was ours.
But as the warmth of the bond flowed into me, my blood turned to ice. I didn't want this. I refused to let this mysterious girl be the one who owned my heart. I would not let a fate I never chose steal my life.
I stared at her bruised, sleeping face, my jaw tightening until it throbbed.
"I don't care what the moon says," I whispered into the dark room, my voice cold and full of hate. "I will find a way to break this. I will destroy this bond until there is nothing left."
I didn't care how much it hurt. I didn't care if it tore me apart. I was going to snap that link between us, no matter what it took. I would prove to my wolf, and to the world, that she was not mine.
I held her hand tighter, but not out of love. It was a promise. I was going to finish what I started. I was going to kill the bond for good.