Finally Mated

Confidently, the man walks down the passageway until he stands in front of the stage.
I can't see him very well, Eric blocks my view of the audience. I know he does it deliberately to shield me from my family. The Royal family fears that my parents' emotional outbursts may persuade me to go with them, leaving the Kingdom.
Again it is silent, you can hear a pin drop in the hall.
"I know you. You are Alpha Esis of the Midnight Moon pack," the Council president states in amazement. "Tell Alpha, what do you know about this case and what is your part?" he asks formally.
Esis! I can't believe my ears. Is Esis indeed here? And where is Magda?
"Well, Council President. I am convinced that Alpha Jasper and Luna Rain belong together, paired by the Moon Goddess for a reason. Rarely have I seen such deep love between two wolves, it is more than the mate bond," he declared admiringly. "I have also seen Rain with King Ralph. Although she finds his company pleasant and enjoys being around him, her feelings do not run deep for the King. The two never had sex. You'll find out if you put your own senses to work. You are close to Rain," he prompted the Alpha King.
"I first saw Rain in my club and she hadn't caught the amnesia yet. They were engaged at the time. The King told me she worked in his company. But even then, there was no chemistry between the two as you find with mates," Esis testified further. "When my mate was staying at the Palace, Luna Rain asked her to research the name, Jasper. She had met him by chance but was taken away by the King's Secretary even before she could speak to him. Isn't that fishy?"
Alpha King Remus frowns. He glances at Eric briefly, but then turns back to Esis.
"I found my mate in Alpha Jasper's pack. He didn't know at the time that we were there on behalf of Rain. The conversations we had with him proved everything. The two belong together. The Were laws must also apply to the Royals. King Ralph is my personal friend, but in this matter he must give the Alpha his mate back. Besides, Rain also wants to be with her mate as well".
Terrible to hear third parties talking about you without giving you a chance to make your voice heard. Telling you!!
That's precisely one of the flaws in werewolf culture, she-wolves are always on the short end of the stick. I mean, this whole discussion would become redundant if I was allowed to make my own choice. What a drama!
"Saray herself has agreed to become my wife. I asked her to marry me and she agreed," Ralph now enters furiously. "Even in the preparations for this moment and the coronation, she cooperated. She even went to Human Town with my mother to choose the dresses, up to two times. Does that seem like I'm forcing her to do something she doesn't want?" he bites at the Council president. "What is this all about? Do you want to disrupt this special day for my mate and me for the sake of a jealous Alpha who can't handle his loss? Alpha Jasper is rejected by Rain and has chosen me".
The Council President now looks toward the Sages.
"You have the final say in matters concerning the Kingdom. So much has been said here. I want to hear your judgment before I retire with my Council members to decide on this matter," he indicates. "I am here with the Vice President and Secretary of the Council. They too, have been watching everything here".
Elder Nicolas turns around to confer with the other two Elders.
Everyone is holding their breath; in fact, the survival of the Palace is at stake here. Everyone knows what the maximum penalty is for intentionally separating fated mates. And since Ralph belongs to the highest authority of the werewolf species, he will also face the highest penalty if convicted. And then not just him, but also the Sages and his father. Looking around the room, I see all the Alphas present swallowing hard. They had come to the Kingdom to celebrate a joyous occasion but are now witnessing the Kingdom's possible debacle. No Kingdom can exist without a King. The consequences will be incalculable if Ralph, his father and the Sages are sentenced to death.
After what seems like an eternity, Elder Nicolas turns back to the Council President.
"Alpha King. We Sages, ask for a middle ground," he pronounces. "The mating can proceed if Saray explicitly and publicly rejects the Alpha here. But that would greatly damage the Kingdom's image, it could look like an abuse of power," he points out. "The Alpha could instead reject Saray and thereby save his own reputation. I mean, why would he upset the King's House and bring their wrath upon himself and Storm Forest?"

Now I give Eric a firm shove. He didn't count on that and stumbles without falling.
"No! No, Jasper, no!" I manage to shout out. Jasper turns to me with a jerk. "Don't worry, my heart. Never will I reject you. No matter what happens, you will still be my Luna". A low growl comes from Ralph.
"Okay. We've heard the Sages' input," enters the Alpha King. "I must say that little concrete evidence has been given here. Everything that has been presented is hearsay. Only Alpha Jasper's documents indicate that he is mated with Rain Weiner but these are questioned by the Royals. There is talk here of someone named Saray. Is there any confirmation that this is the one and the same person as Rain, with hard evidence?"
"Absolutely, Alpha King. I can prove it. Saray and Rain are the same individuals who washed up on the island," a child's voice sounds.
Elena steps out of the entrance of the Palace and walks onto the stage.
In her hand she holds a picture frame that she hands to the Council President. The man's eyes go wide. He passes the picture to the other Council members and also calls the Sages forward to see it. And then he points it out to Ralph, who turns beet red. Finally, I get to see the frame too.
And there stand Jasper and me. Laughing happily in each other's arms. In the background hangs a printed decoration, ‘Finally Mated’.
When I look up, my eyes lock with my mate's charming blue orbs. ....