The Council’s Verdict
Williams’ POV
The door creaked open, and I watched as Lucien entered, a tall, elderly man by his side. The man's silver hair glimmered under the dim lights of the council chamber, his posture regal despite his age. The whispers in the room immediately surged to life.
“A white wolf?” I heard someone murmur. “They've been cut off for decades. And why is there a vampire here too? I thought this was supposed to be a sacred gathering for the council members and high Alphas.”
Lucien stepped forward, unbothered by the murmurings. “This,” he announced with a nod toward the old man, “is the eldest of the White Wolf clan. Their Alpha was meant to attend this meeting, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was sent as a representative.”
The murmurs grew louder, dissent washing over the room. “White wolves and vampires? In the Alpha King's palace? This is madness!” One of the Alphas hissed under his breath.
I couldn't take my eyes off Lucien. My pulse raced with the question burning inside me. Where was Cleopatra? My jaw clenched, and I rose from my seat, pulling Lucien aside, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Where is she? Where is Cleopatra?”
Lucien's expression darkened, and a sad look flickered in his eyes. “She went off on her own to figure things out, Williams. We don't know where she is.”
A cold dread settled into my chest, tightening like a vice. How could they not know? What if something happens to her and our child? Before I could demand more answers, the chamber doors swung open, and the Alpha King entered. His presence commanded immediate respect, and the room fell silent. We all rose to our feet, heads bowed.
He strode to the front of the room standing tall and resolute. “This,” his voice echoed through the chamber, “will be my last meeting with the council and Alphas. The next time we are gathered together, it will be for the coronation of the new Alpha king. Afterwards, I will retire to a secluded part of the realm.”
He sat down once he was done speaking and the rest of us followed suit. The air grew thick with tension. One council member stood abruptly, his face red with anger. “Why is a white wolf and a vampire here?” he spat. “They've been enemies of this realm for centuries!”
The Alpha King's gaze was steady, unyielding. “I specifically sent for them,” he said firmly. “There are truths that have been buried for too long. The white wolves and the vampires were unjustly blamed for crimes they did not commit, framed by none other than the Night Wolf Alpha and his league of allies.”
A shocked silence fell over the room. Eyes widened, and the weight of the revelation crashed down on the council like a tidal wave.
“They have been exiled, treated like traitors, when in truth, they were victims of a conspiracy. And I wouldn't have known for the truth if not for a certain someone,” he said, looking over at Lucien. “The wrongs done to them must be rectified.”
The council members exchanged uneasy glances before one spoke up. “If they've been cleared, who is the White Wolf Alpha now? Why is he not here?”
The elderly man beside Lucien stepped forward. “Our Alpha is Shadow. You all know her as Cleopatra Smith,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “She is absent due to…health conditions.”
“Does that mean that she's the daughter of the dead Night Wolf Alpha?” One asked with his eyes widened and Lucien nodded. Murmurings erupted again.
My heart lurched, the words igniting a storm of emotions inside me. Health conditions? What did that mean? Fury bubbled just beneath the surface, and I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing.
Suddenly, Anya rose from her seat, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “A traitor as an Alpha?” She scoffed. “Cleopatra is unfit to lead anything or anyone. She should be punished, not given a title!”
My restraint snapped. I stood, my chair scraping against the floor as I pushed it back. “I dare anyone to say another word against my mate,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
The room erupted into chaos, council members shouting over one another. “Your mate?” someone shouted. “What of Anya? Wasn't she your chosen? The one promised to you?”
I turned towards Anya, my anger boiling over. “I loathe the very sight of her,” I said, my voice cold and final. “I will not be forced into something because of my dead father's relationship with her father!”
Murmurs rippled through the room. Anya's face twisted in fury, but I didn't care about any of them. I had more important things to fight for.
“And Cleopatra and I have completed the marking ceremony,” I added, letting the weight of my words settle. “She is mine.”
The uproar intensified, voices clashing in disbelief. Anya’s face paled, her shock evident, but I felt nothing but a grim satisfaction at her downfall.
But then, the head council member rose, silencing the room with a single raised hand. His expression was stern, his eyes hard. “We have heard about her contribution to the chaos that happened in your pack. You may have marked her, Alpha Williams, but Cleopatra cannot be the queen of this realm.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath stalled in my chest. “What?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.
“She may be your mate,” the council head continued, his tone unrelenting, “but because of her past, because of the damage done to her reputation, she can only ever be your mistress. Anya will be your queen, as was intended.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The weight of their words pressed down on me, suffocating, until all I could feel was the fury burning in my veins. Cleopatra—reduced to a mistress? Anya—my queen?
I gritted my teeth, my hands shaking with rage. No! This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I’ll rather drop the crown than make Cleopatra my mistress.
The room spun, the council’s verdict like a death sentence. The thought of Cleopatra, my mate, being denied her rightful place at my side was unreasonable. I had claimed her, body and soul, and yet, they dared reduce her to nothing more than a shadow in my life?
My heart pounded, fury coursing through but I remained calm. I had to fight this. I don’t want them to see how much their verdict is crushing me on the inside. I had to do something—for Cleopatra.
But what?
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