Deep inside me, where my wolf resides, a different power stirs. Instead of submitting, something pushes back against Ronan’s intrusion. The mate bond stretches, trembles, and then it hits something stronger, ancient, and rebounds., the force of Ronan’s command deflected.
His eyes widen in disbelief.
The bond between us doesn’t break completely, but it changes, weakens. And in that moment, I realize something profound: it no longer controls me.
Ronan feels it too. His control slips with confusion and fury as he lunges toward me. “What have you done?”
Before I can react, someone lifts Ronan by the throat. Ronan’s feet lift off the ground. His hands claw at his throat, gasping..
10
Rylan's POV
The air in the council chamber feels like a storm about to break, electric, dangerous, and inevitable.
My mother and father stand at the front of the chamber, silent beneath council law, their expressions carved from stone as their son’s disgrace unfolds before them.
The truth rite answers to the council alone. Not even the Alpha or Luna may interfere unless Lycan law itself is broken.
I stand directly behind Selena, close enough that I can feel her heat, smell the subtle notes of her scent that my wolf has already memorized. My hands remain at my sides, but every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready.
Steady. Patient. She needs our strength, not our rage.
My wolf paces within me, hackles raised. We both know what’s coming.
The five council elders sit elevated at their ancient oak table, faces impassive as stone. Between us and them stand Ronan and Candice, him with shoulders squared in defiance, her with tears already glistening in wide, innocent eyes.
“This hearing will now commence,” Elder Miriam announces, her voice carrying the weight of centuries. “A truth rite has been requested to resolve serious accusations of mate bond interference and pack law violations.”
Candice immediately steps forward, one delicate hand pressed to her chest. “Elders, I don’t understand why we’re even here.” Her voice breaks perfectly. “I’ve done nothing but support my Alpha heir and his fated mate... my best friend, Selena. I-I was doing this for the good of the pack. I-If Selena became pregnant with an Alpha heir’s pup, she could have died, and the pack would be without a Luna.”
I feel Selena tense in front of me. My fingertips brush the small of her back, a whisper of contact, but enough to steady her.
“That’s right, we did this out of love for Selena,” Ronan growls, his eyes flashing. “This is a waste of council time. I won’t stand for these baseless accusations against myself or my pack members.”
Elder Darius raises a weathered hand. “You will stand for whatever this council deems necessary, Alpha heir Ronan. The evidence presented warrants full investigation.”
At his signal, two attendants bring forward the collection of evidence Selena and I have gathered, the doctored pack records, testimony from affected wolves, the medical reports showing the herb traces in Selena’s system.
“These documents show a clear pattern of manipulation,” Elder Miriam states. “The truth rite will reveal what words cannot.”
Ronan’s jaw clenches so hard I can hear his teeth grinding. “This is absurd. I demand...“
“You demand nothing here,” I say, my voice low but carrying across the chamber. It’s the first time I’ve spoken, and I feel every eye shift to me.
Show them what happens to those who threaten what’s ours.
I keep my expression neutral, but my eyes lock with Ronan’s. He looks away first.
The council attendants begin preparing the ritual circle, pouring silver dust in an unbroken line around the central stone dais where the truth rite will be performed. The elders each contribute a drop of blood to the ceremonial bowl.
“Step forward,” Elder Miriam commands. “All parties involved must participate.”
Selena moves first, her spine straight despite everything. I remain at the edge of the circle, watching as she takes her place opposite Ronan and Candice.
“Begin the rite,” Elder Darius intones.
The ritual starts with ancient words, the language of wolves that predates human speech. The silver dust ignites, not with flame but with a cold blue light that rises in a perfect cylinder around them.
