A heavy silence fell across the clearing after Damon's words.
The wind moved slowly through the trees, carrying the scent of wolves, blood, and something else.
Something older.
Ava stared at Damon, trying to understand what he meant.
"The council… chose someone?" she asked slowly.
Damon nodded once.
"Yes."
Kael's voice turned dangerously calm.
"And who exactly gave them that authority?"
Damon looked straight at him.
"They never needed permission."
Ronan stepped forward beside Kael, his expression dark.
"That council disappeared generations ago."
"They didn't disappear," Damon replied.
"They were waiting."
Ava rubbed her forehead.
"Okay, someone please explain this clearly."
Kael exhaled slowly before speaking.
"Before packs ruled the wolf world, there was something called the Moon Council."
"They were the ones who protected the Moon Queen bloodline," Ronan added.
"And controlled it," Damon corrected.
Ava frowned.
"Controlled it how?"
Damon's gaze returned to her.
"They chose who the Moon Queen would mate with."
The words hit like a slap.
Ava blinked.
"What?"
Kael's eyes flashed with anger.
"That tradition died a long time ago."
"Not according to them."
Ava felt her wolf growl inside her chest.
"No one chooses who I mate with."
Damon tilted his head slightly.
"You think they care about what you want?"
Kael stepped closer to him instantly.
"You're testing my patience."
Damon didn't move.
"Relax. I didn't come here to fight."
"Then why did you come?" Ava asked.
Damon looked at her again, his expression unreadable.
"To make sure you're still alive when they arrive."
Ava's stomach dropped.
"They're coming here?"
"Yes."
Ronan muttered under his breath.
"That's bad."
Kael turned toward the forest again.
"How long?"
Damon shrugged.
"Soon."
Almost immediately after he said it—
A strange pressure filled the air.
Ava felt it first.
A cold wave of energy rolled through the clearing.
Every wolf present stiffened.
Several of Kael's warriors instinctively stepped backward.
Ronan whispered,
"Alpha…"
Kael had already noticed.
Three figures slowly stepped out of the darkness between the trees.
They weren't wolves.
At least, not in the normal sense.
They looked human.
But something about them felt… ancient.
The first was a tall woman dressed in a long black coat that moved slightly in the wind. Her silver hair fell over her shoulders like moonlight.
The second was an older man with pale eyes that seemed to glow faintly.
The third figure was younger but carried himself with quiet authority.
Ava felt her heart pounding.
"Those are the council?"
Damon nodded.
"Yes."
The silver-haired woman stopped a few feet away from them.
Her eyes immediately locked onto Ava.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then she smiled faintly.
"So the rumors were true."
Ava crossed her arms.
"People keep saying that tonight."
The woman ignored the attitude.
Instead she studied Ava carefully.
"Moon blood."
She glanced at the other two council members.
"There's no doubt."
Kael stepped forward.
"You're trespassing."
The woman finally looked at him.
Her gaze was calm but powerful.
"We go wherever the Moon Queen goes."
"She's not your property."
The older council man spoke for the first time.
"Everything connected to the Moon Queen concerns us."
Ronan growled quietly.
But Ava raised a hand.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
"You said earlier that the council chose someone for me."
The woman nodded.
"That is correct."
Ava felt anger building again.
"And you think I'm just going to accept that?"
The younger council member finally spoke.
"You don't have a choice."
Kael's aura exploded outward instantly.
The ground cracked slightly beneath his feet.
"That's where you're wrong."
The council members didn't even flinch.
The silver-haired woman simply looked at him.
"You must be Alpha Kael."
Kael didn't answer.
"You have protected her well."
"She doesn't need your approval."
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"Unfortunately for you… she doesn't belong to you."
Ava stepped forward before Kael could react.
"I belong to myself."
The council woman smiled again.
"You have spirit."
Ava glared.
"I also have opinions."
"Opinions are irrelevant."
Ava's wolf snarled.
"Try me."
The clearing went quiet again.
Then the council woman said calmly,
"The Moon Queen must unite the strongest bloodlines."
Ava frowned.
"And?"
"And the council has already chosen the Alpha who will stand beside you."
Ava felt her stomach twist.
Slowly, she asked,
"Who?"
The woman turned slightly.
Her gaze moved past Ava.
Past Kael.
And stopped on Damon.
"The one who rejected you."
The entire clearing froze.
Ronan cursed under his breath.
Kael's aura became deadly.
Ava stared at the council woman in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Damon didn't look surprised.
Which made things worse.
Kael's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"That will never happen."
The council woman remained perfectly calm.
"The decision has already been made."
Kael stepped forward again.
"Then change it."
"You don't understand the consequences."
"I don't care."
The younger council member spoke again.
"If the Moon Queen refuses the council's decision…"
He paused.
"Then the council will take control of her power."
Ava felt something cold crawl down her spine.
"What does that mean?"
The silver-haired woman answered.
"It means you will rule."
Her eyes turned slightly darker.
"But not by choice."
Kael moved instantly, placing himself between Ava and the council.
"You're not touching her."
The woman sighed softly.
"You are making this difficult."
Kael didn't move.
"Good."
Ava looked between Damon and Kael.
Then at the council.
Then back at Damon.
"You knew about this?"
Damon hesitated.
Which was answer enough.
Her anger exploded.
"You rejected me… knowing they would force this?"
Damon's voice turned quieter.
"I thought it would protect you."
Ava laughed bitterly.
"Great job."
The council woman raised a hand.
"This discussion is finished."
Her eyes locked on Ava.
"You have three days to accept the council's decision."
"And if I don't?" Ava asked.
The woman's smile disappeared.
"Then we will take your power."
The three council members turned and began walking back toward the forest.
Just before disappearing into the darkness, the woman said one final sentence.
"The Moon Queen will rise."
Her voice echoed softly.
"One way… or another."
Then they were gone.
The clearing remained silent.
Ava slowly looked up at Kael.
"Well," she said quietly.
"This is a disaster."
Kael looked down at her.
His voice was calm.
But his eyes burned with determination.
"No."
Ava frowned.
"No?"
"This is a war."
And for the first time that night—
Ava believed him.
The real fight had just begun. 🌙