Chapter 197: Blood Vs. Bond
Alessandro’s POV Rafael’s words slammed into me like a blade to the chest. The council. He was bringing the council into this. My father wasn’t just angry he was making this a war. I felt my blood boil, my wolf snapping inside me, demanding I tear down the walls of this house and storm into his chambers. Banished? He thought he could banish my mate? My Luna? “Over my dead body,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “No one not even him will take her from me.” Rafael’s grip on my arm tightened, his eyes pleading. “Alessandro, think! If you defy him in front of the council, you’ll be challenging his authority as Alpha. That’s not just rebellion it’s treason.” “I don’t care,” I spat, shaking him off. My eyes flicked to Aurora, her face pale, her body trembling as Annie wrapped an arm around her. The sight nearly shattered me. She had been through enough pain, enough betrayal. I swore I would never let her suffer like that again. And now my father the man who should be guiding me, preparing me to take the mantle wanted to rip her away from me. No. Not this time. “Alessandro,” Aurora whispered, her voice breaking. “If it comes down to you or the pack—” “Don’t say it,” I snapped, harsher than I meant to, but I couldn’t hear those words from her lips. “You are my pack. You’re my future. If my father can’t accept that, then he can damn well step aside.” I turned back to Rafael, my fists clenched, rage and resolve pulsing through me like wildfire. “Tell me exactly what he said.” Rafael swallowed hard, glancing between Aurora and me. “He called the council to the Great Hall. He declared that Aurora is a threat to the stability of the pack. That… that if you refuse to reject her, then you’re unfit to lead.” Aurora gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth. Annie cursed under her breath. And me? My vision tunneled red. Unfit to lead? Because I chose love over politics? Because I refused to marry the snake he handpicked for me? My father thought he could control my future the same way he controlled the pack. But this wasn’t about the pack anymore. This was about her. About the bond the Moon Goddess herself had carved into my soul. I straightened, my chest rising as my wolf surged forward, snarling inside me. “Then he’s about to find out just how wrong he is.” I reached for Aurora’s hand, squeezing it tight, grounding myself in her warmth. “I won’t let them hurt you. Not now. Not ever. If the council wants a fight, then I’ll give them one.” Rafael’s face paled. “Alessandro… what are you planning?” I met his gaze, my voice steady but sharp as steel. “I’m planning to remind my father and every last council member that the Alpha’s son doesn’t bow to decrees when it comes to his mate.” At that moment, I walked out of Aurora’s room, Rafael right behind me, my chest burning with rage as I made my way toward the great hall to confront my father and the council. The guards at the door straightened when they saw me approach. “Open the door at once!” I commanded, my voice sharp and unyielding. The guard quickly obeyed, swinging the heavy doors open. I stepped inside, the sound of my boots echoing across the marble floor. My father was already in the middle of speaking, his voice carrying authority through the hall. He paused briefly when he noticed me at the entrance, but then deliberately turned his gaze back to the council, continuing as if my presence meant nothing. “As I was saying,” he declared, “we need a strong Luna for my son if he is to lead this pack to more victories. Alpha Maverick has always wanted control of this pack, and he manipulated me for years, pressuring me to bind our packs together by marrying his daughter, Lena. But what did my son Leonardo do? He disgraced us all by falling in love with his step-sister, Aurora, and abandoning his duty. Then, as you know, it was revealed that Lena and her father betrayed us, using one of our betas to weaken us through murders, so that our pack would seem vulnerable and desperate for their alliance. And yet, despite their treachery, Maverick now demands this alliance be sealed once more, especially now that Lena carries Leonardo’s child.” Gasps and murmurs rippled through the council chamber. My father exhaled heavily and continued. “So, the best solution the only solution is for my other son, Alessandro, to marry Tamara Dickson, the Alpha of Raven Pack. With her strength, wealth, and army, we will secure victory and protect our borders.” That was it. My blood boiled. “NEVER!” I roared, my voice thundering across the chamber. The murmurs grew louder. The elders turned, shocked, as I strode forward, every step laced with defiance. My father’s eyes narrowed, but I didn’t give him the chance to speak first. “Greetings, Elders,” I said firmly, bowing my head slightly out of respect before standing tall. “I thank you for honoring this impromptu meeting though it was called without my knowledge by my father.” My father clenched his jaw, but I pressed on. “I want to make one thing clear: I do not intend to marry Tamara Dickson. I do not intend to throw away my mate, Aurora, for the sake of an alliance built on fear.” Gasps erupted again. My father slammed his hand against the table. “Alessandro—” “No, Father!” I cut him off, my voice steady but fierce. “The council deserves to know the truth. Aurora may have once been known to you all as my step-sister, but that does not change the fact that she is my fated mate, chosen for me by the Moon Goddess herself. While my father sees her as unworthy, I see her for what she truly is strong, loyal, and destined to stand beside me. I have already marked her as mine, and I will never reject her.” The elders exchanged uneasy glances. “You speak of keeping the pack safe,” I continued, locking eyes with my father, “but safety built on lies and forced unions will only destroy us from the inside. I will not sacrifice my mate for a false sense of power. I can and will protect this pack without being chained to Tamara Dickson. What I need is not an alliance that comes with daggers hidden in its sleeve but the bond of trust between a true Alpha and his true Luna.” The silence that followed was heavy, thick with tension. My father’s face was a mask of fury, but I stood tall, unshaken. “I will not abandon Aurora,” I declared, my voice echoing. “Not for Alpha Maverick. Not for Tamara. Not for anyone.”
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