The council chamber was colder than it should have been.
Not physically.
Politically.
Dozens of nobles filled the hall, seated in carved wooden chairs arranged in a half circle around the elevated council throne.
All eyes were on me.
And that was the problem.
I stood beside the High Elder, hands folded neatly in front of me. Lady Selene. Guest of the East. Nothing more.
Except the mark beneath my clothes.
Except the words the Seer had screamed.
The Moon Queen walks again.
The council murmured.
Whispers.
Speculation.
Fear.
Kael stood at the opposite end of the chamber, expression unreadable.
He had not spoken since the incident.
Not to me.
Not to the council.
He watched.
Measured.
Waited.
The High Elder raised a hand for silence.
"The Seer's words have caused unrest," he began.
Understatement.
Some nobles refused to meet my gaze.
Others stared openly.
One whispered something about blasphemy.
The Elder continued.
"We will investigate the Seer's claim."
A diplomatic answer.
It satisfied no one.
Cassian rose from his seat.
"My people require clarity," he said smoothly. "If there is a prophecy at play, the Southern Alliance demands to know its implications."
Ah.
Politics.
I kept my expression calm.
Kael's eyes flicked toward Cassian.
Subtle.
Warning.
Cassian ignored it.
"The idea of a Moon Queen reborn is… destabilizing," he continued.
The room shifted.
Murmurs of agreement.
Discomfort.
I understood why.
The Moon Queen was not simply a myth.
It was a legend of power.
Of judgment.
Of war.
A being said to balance the wolf world when chaos reigned.
To guide.
Or destroy.
Most believed it was folklore.
Children's stories.
Now the Seer had spoken it aloud.
And I was the subject.
I cleared my throat.
Every head turned.
Even Kael's.
"If the Seer believes I am something greater," I said evenly, "I cannot control her words."
Cassian smiled slightly.
"Well spoken."
It was a compliment.
Also a trap.
He continued.
"But surely you understand the concern."
"I understand fear."
A ripple moved through the room.
Nobles leaned forward.
The High Elder watched me carefully.
"And do you fear it?" he asked.
Interesting question.
I considered it.
"No."
Truth.
Not bravado.
I had died.
I had returned.
If fate wanted to call that prophecy—
So be it.
The Elder studied me.
"Bold."
Not approval.
Observation.
Kael finally spoke.
His voice cut through the chamber like a blade.
"Enough."
The room stilled.
Even Cassian fell silent.
Kael stepped forward.
Slow.
Controlled.
"You all wish to debate legends," he said.
His gaze swept the nobles.
"But there is no proof."
He looked at the Elder.
"No evidence."
Then at me.
Just briefly.
"You are chasing ghosts."
The statement should have ended it.
Dismissal.
Authority.
Instead—
The High Elder hesitated.
That was enough.
A crack in the facade.
Cassian noticed.
Of course he did.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then we will investigate," he said smoothly.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"You may investigate the Seer's claim," he replied. "Not Lady Selene."
The distinction mattered.
Cassian smiled.
"Of course."
Too easy.
The Elder nodded.
"Agreed."
The council would investigate the prophecy.
But not me.
Officially.
Unofficially—
I would become the subject of scrutiny.
And that was dangerous.
Because if the prophecy was real—
Someone would want to control it.
Or destroy it.
The meeting adjourned.
Nobles filed out in quiet groups.
Whispers trailing behind them.
I remained standing.
Kael remained at the opposite end.
For a long moment, neither of us moved.
Then he approached.
Not aggressively.
Not warmly.
Purposefully.
The room emptied.
Guards positioned themselves at the exits.
Privacy.
He stopped a few steps away.
His eyes searched my face.
"You should leave the palace," he said quietly.
Not a request.
Advice.
I blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"This place is becoming unstable."
A diplomatic way of saying dangerous.
I straightened.
"I am a guest."
"You are a target."
That caught me off guard.
I studied him.
His expression remained controlled.
But something lingered beneath it.
Concern.
Frustration.
Something else.
"I can protect myself," I said.
A small pause.
"Can you?"
The question landed heavily.
I met his gaze.
"Yes."
Silence.
He considered me.
Then nodded once.
"Very well."
He turned to leave.
I frowned.
"That's it?"
He stopped but did not look back.
"For now."
Cryptic.
Typical.
I watched him go.
The mate bond pulsed faintly.
Not violently.
Not urgently.
Just a reminder.
We were connected.
Even if he denied it.
Even if I denied it.
Outside, the palace remained unsettled.
The Seer's words spread.
The nobles whispered.
Cassian plotted.
And somewhere in the East—
The idea of the Moon Queen reborn took root.
I exhaled slowly.
This was bigger than revenge.
Bigger than Kael.
Bigger than me.
If prophecy existed—
If I truly carried something ancient within me—
Then the world would demand answers.
And I would have to decide what kind of queen I would become.