The message arrived before they reached the pack house.
Mark's phone vibrated sharply in his hand. The caller ID displayed one word.
Council.
He answered without slowing his stride.
"This is Ravenwood."
The voice that responded was cold and formal. Alpha Darius Cole.
"You will report to the Alpha Council immediately," Darius said. "In person. No delay."
Mark's jaw tightened slightly. "I am aware of the instability."
"You are more than aware," Darius replied. "Three Alphas collapsed at the exact moment you dissolved your Luna bond."
Stacy heard every word.
She stood beside Mark in the entrance hall of the pack house, warriors moving quickly around them as tension filled the building.
Mark's tone remained steady. "Correlation is not proof."
"The Council will decide that," Darius said. "Bring the former Luna."
The word former struck like a stone.
Mark's eyes darkened.
"She will attend," he said calmly.
"That is not a request," Darius added. "If this crisis spreads further, consequences will be immediate."
The line went dead.
Silence lingered in the hall.
Several warriors nearby pretended not to listen, but fear was visible in their eyes.
Mark lowered the phone slowly.
"They want answers," Stacy said quietly.
"They want control," he corrected.
He turned toward Beta Liam.
"Prepare the aircraft. We leave in thirty minutes."
Liam hesitated only briefly. "Alpha… the Council can turn this into a political fast."
"I know."
"And if they sense weakness…"
Mark's gaze sharpened.
"They will not."
Liam nodded and left to make arrangements.
Stacy followed Mark toward his office. The pack house felt different now. Not unstable, but alert. Wolves stepped aside respectfully as they passed, yet their eyes lingered on Stacy longer than before.
Not with blame.
With something else.
Dependence.
Inside the office, Mark closed the door firmly.
"We need to be clear," he said. "The Council will accuse you first."
She folded her hands calmly in front of her.
"I expected that."
"They may demand testing. Ritual verification. Public statements."
"I will not be handled like property."
His gaze softened slightly.
"I will not allow it."
Another faint dominance ripple brushed through him, but it remained manageable.
He moved behind his desk and opened a secure file drawer. Inside were sealed documents marked with Council insignia.
"They have monitored your bloodline for decades," he said.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"Why?"
"Anchor Lunas are rare. Historically, they appear during periods of instability. Their presence balances Alpha dominance."
"And if the Anchor leaves?" she asked quietly.
He looked at her.
"Records show instability spikes."
A chill ran through her spine.
"So divorcing you triggered it."
"Yes."
He paused.
"I thought dissolving our bond would reduce political pressure on you."
She studied his face.
"You never told me they were pressuring you."
"If I had, you would have felt responsible."
"I feel responsible now."
His expression tightened.
"You should not."
"But I do."
A knock interrupted them.
Liam entered briskly. "Aircraft ready. Council representatives are already gathering. They demanded live updates from all major packs."
Mark nodded once.
"We move now."
As they walked through the corridor toward the private airstrip, whispers followed them.
Some worried.
Some hope.
Some fear.
Outside, the sky had darkened unnaturally despite the early afternoon hour. Heavy clouds rolled in slowly, thick and gray.
The helicopter blades began spinning as they approached.
Mark stopped briefly before boarding.
He looked at Stacy.
"You will stand beside me. Not behind."
The statement surprised her.
"Why?"
"Because if you stand behind me, they will think you are weak."
"And if I stand beside you?"
"They will understand you are power."
The truth in his voice steadied her.
They boarded the aircraft.
As it lifted into the sky, Silver Crest grew smaller beneath them.
For a moment, she felt a faint tug inside her chest. Distance.
But the instability did not spike.
Instead, she felt threads stretching outward.
Connecting.
Across mountains.
Across rivers.
Across territories.
She could sense faint disturbances from other packs.
Like distant storms on a horizon.
Mark sat opposite her inside the aircraft, eyes closed briefly as he steadied his breathing.
"Still unstable?" she asked.
"Less when you focus," he admitted.
She concentrated quietly.
The faint tremors eased further.
The helicopter moved fast across the landscape, cutting through thickening clouds.
After nearly an hour, the Alpha Council Citadel came into view.
It stood on high cliffs overlooking a deep valley. Stone towers rose sharply against the sky. Massive iron gates guarded the entrance.
This was the political heart of the continent.
Where alliances formed.
Where wars began.
As the aircraft landed, several other helicopters were already present.
Multiple Alphas had arrived.
Mark stepped out first.
His posture returned to perfect Alpha composure.
Strong.
Controlled.
Unyielding.
Stacy stepped down beside him.
Immediately, she felt it.
The instability here was heavier.
The air around the citadel vibrated faintly with suppressed dominance waves.
Three Alphas stood near the entrance.
Victor from Iron Ridge.
Cedric from Riverfall.
Mateo from Storm Bay.
Each looked exhausted.
Each looked wary.
Victor's eyes locked on Stacy immediately.
"It is her," he said bluntly.
Mark stepped slightly forward but did not block her.
"She is not your enemy," he said firmly.
Cedric's voice was tense. "When you divorced, my bond flickered. Explain that."
Before Mark could answer, the massive doors of the citadel opened.
Alpha Darius Cole emerged.
Tall. Controlled. Immaculate.
His presence was sharp but perfectly regulated.
Unlike the others, he showed no visible instability.
Interesting.
He descended the stone steps slowly.
"The Council is assembled," he announced. "We will determine the cause of this continental failure."
His gaze settled on Stacy.
Not hostile.
Calculating.
"Former Luna Hale," he said smoothly. "You have caused quite a disturbance."
Mark's dominance flared subtly in warning.
Darius did not react.
"Let us not waste time," Darius continued. "If the Anchor has destabilized the system, we must contain the threat."
Stacy felt anger rise briefly.
She controlled it.
"I did not destabilize it," she said clearly. "The system was fragile before I signed."
A few Alphas exchanged glances.
Victor frowned. "Explain."
She stepped forward calmly.
"When the bond broke, dominance surged uncontrollably. That means the system relies too heavily on one connection."
Silence followed.
Darius smiled faintly.
"So you admit your role."
"I admit the structure is flawed."
That was different.
Mark watched her closely.
She was not shrinking.
She was not apologizing.
She was analyzing.
Cedric crossed his arms. "If proximity to you stabilizes dominance, then you are the anchor."
"Yes," she answered calmly.
"And if you leave?" Victor pressed.
She met his gaze.
"Then instability rises."
The truth hung heavy in the air.
Darius clasped his hands behind his back.
"Which means," he said smoothly, "we cannot allow you to remain unattached."
Mark's eyes darkened.
"Be careful," he warned.
Darius continued as if he had not heard.
"A bonded Anchor provides centralized stability. An unattached one creates risk."
"You are suggesting forced bonding," Mark said coldly.
"I am suggesting continental survival."
The other Alphas shifted uneasily.
Mateo spoke for the first time.
"If she stabilizes dominance naturally, perhaps the issue is not her divorce but our over reliance on structured hierarchy."
Darius's gaze flicked toward him briefly.
"An interesting theory."
But his focus returned to Stacy.
"For now, the Council requires proof."
"Proof of what?" she asked.
"That you are not the cause of further collapse."
A low murmur rippled through gathered Alphas.
Mark stepped closer to her.
"You will not experiment on her."
Darius's smile remained faint.
"Then let us observe. The summit begins now."
The heavy doors opened fully.
Inside, the grand chamber awaited.
Stone pillars lined the circular hall. Each marked by pack insignia. The air inside hummed with suppressed dominance.
Stacy felt it clearly.
Tension.
Fear.
Suspicion.
And beneath it all, something else.
Dependency.
As she stepped across the threshold beside Mark, she understood something with sharp clarity.
The Council did not just want answers.
They wanted control over balance itself.
And if they decided she was too dangerous to leave free, they would not hesitate.
The doors shut behind them with a deep echo.
The emergency summit had begun.
And every Alpha in the room was watching her.